BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
PROVIDENCE, RI – The losing ways of the Hartford Wolf Pack continued, but their dwindling playoff hopes were kept alive by earning a standings point when they scored late but managed to find a novel way to lose in OT.
Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch opened the extra session with an all-Hockey East lineup to start. The helter-skelter OT saw newly-acquired rookie forward Bobby Trivigno (UMASS) set up a wide-open Max Letunov (UCONN) on the right-wing. Letunov fanned on the shot.
The P-Bruins came right back with a two-on-one. Oskar Steen was stopped on a gorgeous sliding block by Zac Jones on the left-wing side.
But it wasn’t to be as the Steen shot broke Jones’ skate blade, rendering him helpless and unable to skate or defend. Invariably, the Pack’s former captain, Steven Fogarty, got to the loose puck for Providence.
Fogarty skated around in a semi-circle from the left-wing to right-wing before snapping home the game-winner for his eleventh of the season at 46 seconds, going over a stunned Huska’s (24 saves) blocker for the 4-3 win.
LATE GAME
The Wolf Pack had some late-game joy to celebrate as Lauri Pajuniemi fought through ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger Aaron Ness’s check attempt on the right-wing boards. Pajuniemi found Patrick Khordorenki in front of the net. He swept in his ninth goal of the campaign at 17:24.
At 9:08, Tanner Fritz had two shorthanded chances, both rejected by Bruins goalie Troy Grosenick (33 saves), who was the difference-maker for the Bruins.
The Wolf Pack headed home and will leave on Tuesday for three days in Charlotte. They’ll play the Checkers on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday before heading north of the border for two games against Toronto and Belleville. Finally, they’ll finish the crucial seven games road trip with a game in Rochester against the Americans.
SECOND PERIOD
The Wolf Pack evened the contest at one early in the second period. The former Quinnipiac Bobcat, Alex Whelan, rushed through the neutral zone and got a quality shot. It was stopped on the right-wing by Groneick, but undrafted rookie Cristiano DiGiacinto, as he’s done all year, made a good play collecting the rebound, putting his sixth of the season in the net.
Ty Ronning had a quality chance right after on the left-wing denied by Grosenick.
The Pack had some good fortune as they finally broke an 0-for-16 slump on the power play. Nick Merkley received a Jones pass from the left side after Nils Lundkvist found Jones to start the scoring play. Merkley snapped home his 14th at 8:05.
However, as has been the case over this losing streak, the Pack gave the goal right back just 2:43 later.
Nick Wolff earned his second assist, starting the scoring play by flipping the puck into the Pack zone. Koppanen was on the right wing and was unchecked. He put the puck right on the onrushing Matt Filipe’s stick, and he deftly put his seventh goal into the net via a backhander that went five-hole through Huska to make it a 2-2 game.
SHORTIES
The lifeless power play gave up a shorthanded goal to start the night’s activity for the second game in a row. The whole play came off losing an offensive zone faceoff after Jones shot.
Wolff made an outlet pass and sent Chris Wagner and Joona Koppanen to rush through the neutral zone. The pair gained easy entry despite three Wolf Pack players in their vicinity in Merkley, Lundkvist, and the trailer on the play, Anthony Greco.
Wagner and Koppanen exchanged passes and then switched wings. Wagner found Koppanen uncontested on the doorstep with Lundkvist nearby and put in his 11th goal at 13:22.
Huska did his best stopping Jakub Lauko, who’s gone without a goal in 27 games since November 5. He had a clean breakaway from the offensive zone blue line and was denied by Huska’s blocker at the 8:00 mark.
LINES
Merkley-#10-Bobby Trivigno-Letunov
Ronning-Greco-Fritz
Rueschoff-Pajuniemi-Khordorenko
Whelan-O’Leary-DiGiacinto
Tinordi-Lundkvist
Jones-Scanlin
Robertson-Guittari
Kinkaid
Huska
SCRATCHES
Gettinger (upper body)
Lorito
Taylor
Skinner
E. Brodzinski
NOTES
Lundkvist was back in the lineup after several games on the scratched list.
Abbott Girduckis was released from his PTO on the weekend and sent back to the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) with Trivigno and Brodzinski now in Hartford.
Providence won the season series 6-games-to-4.
The day’s other AHL game featured the Henderson (NV) Silver Knights playing in their brand new Dollar Loan Arena hosting the Rockford Ice Hogs (Chicago Blackhawks).
Jarred Tinordi’s last AHL goal was on April 3, 2019, as a member of the San Antonio Rampage (nee Henderson Silver Knights). He had one NHL game this year in New York against the Anaheim Ducks.
