BY: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack scored first for the first time in their season series with the Providence Bruins on Sunday afternoon but couldn’t hold off a determined Bruins team that erupted for six goals in a 6-3 decision at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Matt Filipe broke a 3-3 tie 16:12 into the middle stanza as he found clear air in front of the Wolf Pack goal. Filipe perfectly deflected a point shot from Tyler Lewington, putting it top shelf over the shoulder of Keith Kinkaid to give the Bruins a lead they would not lose. The goal was Filipe’s fourth of the season.
The Wolf Pack opened the scoring with a powerplay goal just a night after converting twice with the skater advantage. Nils Lundkvist fired a shot into traffic that clipped the stick of Anthony Greco, providing a screen in front. The deflection fooled Bruins goaltender Troy Grosenick, giving Greco his 99th career AHL goal 11:02 into the hockey game.
However, like on Saturday night, goals were coming fast and furious in the opening period on Sunday afternoon. Justin Brazeau needed just 53 seconds to even the contest 1-1. Brazeau scored his eighth goal of the season off a feed from Cameron Hughes on the powerplay at 11:55 of the first period. Brazeau’s goal extended his point streak to six games.
Brazeau scored his second of the game 2:02 later. Samuel Asselin flipped a puck into the neutral zone that Brazeau collected before sneaking past two Wolf Pack players to create a breakaway. Brazeau went backhand to forehand, then buried his ninth of the season by Kinkaid at 13:57. The goal gave Brazeau his second career multi-goal game.
Hartford battled back to tie the game with yet another powerplay goal of their own with just 3.5 seconds remaining in the period. Brady Lyle fanned on a clearing attempt behind his goal, leaving Anthony Bitetto’s puck. Bitetto alertly collected the loose puck and fed a centering pass to Ty Ronning, who quickly fired home his 12th goal of the season to even the affair 2-2.
The Wolf Pack would score their third powerplay goal 13:36 into the middle frame, regaining their lead five-on-three. Lundkvist fired another point shot that was redirected home again by Tim Gettinger. With an assist on the goal, Lundkvist registered his second multi-point game in the AHL.
Still, the Wolf Pack took a penalty in their zone on a five-on-four. Patrick Khodorenko was called for a holding penalty at 13:45, briefly putting the game at four-on-four. On the ensuring Bruin powerplay, Jack Studnicka drew the Bruins even again.
On a three-on-one, Alex-Olivier Voyer snapped a shot that Kinkaid denied. The rebound sat in the crease, however, and Studnicka could locate it and bury it for his seventh goal of the season. The Bruins took the lead under two minutes later at 16:12 when Filipe tipped home the eventual game-winner.
Providence tacked on two insurance markers in the third, both coming off the stick of Aaron Ness. First, Ness fired a wrist shot through traffic on the powerplay for his first as a Buin at 3:51. Then, he hit an empty net at 16:55 to conclude the scoring in this affair.
The Pack is back at the XL Center to open a three-game homestand on Wednesday, March 2nd when they welcome the Belleville Senators to town. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
