BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – A solid 60-minute team effort by the Hartford Wolf Pack earned them two points and a 4-1 win over the Bridgeport Sunday afternoon. The win ended the Pack’s three-game homestand as they begin a five-game road trip.
“We had a very good weekend and we haven’t had a lot of games this season. We were fresh and took advantage of a team on a three-in-three or coming in off a back-to-back. We usually are the other end, so it was nice for a change to be on the other side of it and we took advantage of it.”
The Pack (26-16-5-2) find themselves in third place with a .610 winning percentage. They’re comfortably ahead of the Charlotte Checkers who have three games in hand.
The second period saw Hartford pull away with two goals. Their strong team defense was led by the timely goaltending of Adam Huska.
The Wolf Pack grabbed the lead for the third straight game at 6:40. Michael O’Leary re-directed his fifth of the season when Hunter Skinner’s right point shot caught his stick and found the back of the cage.
At 8:47, the Islanders tied it. While killing a penalty, the Pack’s Anthony Greco turned it over in the right-wing corner. It allowed Cole Bardreau to zip around Zac Jones. After a two-on-one with Jeff Kubiak fizzled out for the Islanders, Bardeau logged his tenth goal unassisted on a backhander.
The first period ended with eleven shots each.
SECOND PERIOD
At 4:52 of the second period, a hard-working Tanner Fritz, an ex-Sound Tiger of six years, received a backhand pass from Ty Ronning near the right-wing boards. Fritz fired it right into the back of the net past Jakub Skarek.
“If feels good to contribute when you can get on the score sheet. It’s nice to it against your former team, and I’ve been doing well the last few games,“ said Fritz.
Ronning started the whole play with a backchecking defensive zone steal and outlet pass to Greco on a counter-attack play.
Fritz played with a shiner and a few stitches he received from a puck in the last game.
Abbott Girduckis, playing in his second Wolf Pack game, connected after effectively forechecking and working his way to the slot. Austin Rueschoff fed him the puck and the rookie’s shot went off the post and in for his first AHL goal and gave the Pack a three-goal lead.
REACTION
“We got scoring from everybody and everybody was playing good defense, so as a coach you like to see that. He (Girduckis) played well for us all weekend stepping in for a call up. We were very happy the way he played. It was nice to see him score a goal, but he had chances for several others,” Head Coach Kris Knoblauch stated.
The Wolf Pack grabbed the lead back midway in the first period. Nils Lundkvist was dead center of the high slot just after a power play had ended. He cashed in again for his third goal and posted his fourth point in four periods of play. It made the score 2-1 at 10:38.
“Nils has been playing very well for us as of late,” said Knoblauch of the rookie rearguard.
The team effort was from the whole lineup at forwards and defense.
“We did a good job defensively. We were all over them. They were coming in on a three-in-three and we took advantage of it. We kept pressuring them,” said Fritz.
Cristiano DiGiacinto, shortly after serving a minor High-Sticking penalty crossed into the Islanders zone with the puck. He went from right to left and was blindsided by Parker Wotherspoon. The hit left him in a bloody heap on the ice.
No call was made by either referee, Reid Anderson or Rob Hennessey on the seeming blindside hit. Fritz tried to engage him in an altercation and wasn’t penalized. Knoblauch defended the whole play.
“No, no I just saw the player. He got hit in the chest (by Wotherspoon). It was a clean hit. He hit him with his shoulder and he sustained the cut because his face hit his helmet and then the ice.
Often you see a hit like that you expect a penalty.
“The referees handled that one well,” Knoblauch said in a true act of sportsmanship.
DiGiacinto returned to the game wearing a full-face shield.
“Just go back and use my previous quotes from other games. Almost every weekend our goaltending makes big saves for us in the net at key times. We’re happy with our goaltending and for a change, he got some goal support, which hasn’t been the case every night.”
NOTES
The Wolf Pack had an emergency backup goalie for the game as Keith Kinkaid was sidelined by a stomach bug. Patrick Salind was a four-year player at Division III Nichols College (MASCAC) in Massachusetts. He was the emergency backup for the Providence Bruins this year. Tyler Wall is no longer here.
Last week, Wall quietly had knee surgery to repair a freak injury suffered in pre-game warm-ups recently in Jacksonville (where he played eight games), so he had it done here.
So, the surgery is done and his season is over. Since it’s the last year of his two-year deal, and Dylan Garand is already under contract for next season, it’s likely that his time in Hartford is over. He’s played in just five AHL games this year and 15 over his two seasons following a sterling Hockey East career. His tenure just never really materialized into much in Hartford.
Likely at some point this coming week Francois Brassard, will be summoned from the Sunshine State in Jacksonville as the new Wolf Pack third goalie.
Sound Tigers will be getting back, Austin Czarnik as the New York Islanders reclaimed him off the waiver wire from Seattle.
It’s very surprising that 6’4 Samuel Bolduc, who looked like a sure-fire high-end prospect last year, has just three points (a goal and two assists) in 43 games this season.
On Zac Jones being with the team next weekend in Pennsylvania to start a five-game road trip is anybody’s guess. “I don’t know what the Rangers will do. The Rangers can hold only so many players (as per the salary cap and CBA requirements). If they call up a defenseman, we’ll probably get a forward in return. So, I have no idea what they’ll do,” said Knoblauch
Since Tim Gettinger was recalled and pulled after the second period during a game last week, anything is possible.
LINES
Fritz-Rueschoff-Lorito
Richards-Greco-Ronning
Khordorenko-Whalen-Pajuniemi
DiGiacinto-O’Leary-Abbott Girduckis (#17)
Jones-Lundkvist
Bitetto-Tinordi
Reunanen-Skinner
Huska
Salkind
SCRATCHES
Taylor
Giuttari
Luchuk {lower-body should be back skating this week, maybe available next weekend a 50/50 proposition)
Robertson (day-to-day, expected back next week)
Sanchez
Kinkaid
