By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack carried the momentum from a strong third period in Saturday night’s game into the action on Sunday afternoon at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence. The club fired a season-high 47 shots on goal but came up just short in a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Providence Bruins.
Jack Achan blasted home his first goal of the season 8:52 into the middle stanza, scoring the Bruins’ second goal in a span of 1:19. Justin Brazeau chipped a puck up the left-wing wall to Achan, who quickly collected it and navigated to the top of the faceoff circle. Achan uncorked a heavy shot that beat Dylan Garand for the eventual game-winning goal.
The Wolf Pack came out swinging, outshooting the Bruins and peppering Providence starter Keith Kinkaid. Hartford outshot the Bruins 14-5 in the first twenty minutes but couldn’t find the icebreaker.
Providence would open the scoring 7:33 into the second, as Josiah Didier found the twine for the second time this season. Didier stepped into a shot from the right point, beating Garand by the glove to give the Bruins a lead they would not lose. 79 seconds later, Achan would pop home the eventual game-winner when he made it a 2-0 spread.
Joey Abate collected his first professional assist at 13:01 of the second, collecting a loose puck in the Hartford zone and feeding a pass to Jakub Lauko in the high slot. Lauko lasered a shot by Garand for his third goal of the season, making it a 3-0 game. Louis Domingue would enter the game for the Wolf Pack following the goal and made 12 saves in relief.
The Wolf Pack again pounded Kinkaid in the third frame, firing a single-period season-high 19 shots on the veteran netminder. However, Matthew Roberton finally got Hartford on the board at 17:07 with his first goal of the season. Robertson’s shot hit the goal post and stayed out but clipped the glove of Kinkaid and bounced back into the net with the extra attacker out.
Hartford would get a few more chances in the waning moments but would be unable to solve Kinkaid a second time.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Wednesday night when they meet the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the first time this season. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
