By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack received two goals each from Adam Sýkora, Ryder Korczak, and Riley Nash in a 7-3 thrashing of the Lehigh Phantoms Friday night to win their fifth in a row and six of their last seven at the XL Center.
In the third frame, the Pack added one more for their first seven-goal game this season and its largest margin of victory as Korczak (three points) in the slot took a pass from Sýkora at the top of the right-wing faceoff circle at 11:35. He shifted smartly to his forehand and sniped home a 35-footer.
“I feel more comfortable on my forehand and have been doing that lately, and I was in the right position,” said Korczak.
Korczak, who played five games in Hart City last year, has improved with each game.
“I’m more physical than I was last year. It’s helped my game so far this season,” remarked Korczak.
The Phantoms did grab one back on the power play as Samu Tuomaala came off the right point and wired it in at 13:00 from Olle Lycksell, who was parked in the lower right-wing circle and made the pass.
The Pack kept up the offensive pressure early in the second period and struck again.
Brennan Othmann kept the puck in the Phantoms’ zone and sent it to Nikolas Brouillard at the left point. He received a return pass from the top of the right-wing faceoff circle. Othmann then fired a laser pass to Nash at the left side of the net. His first attempt was stopped, but he finished his second of the night and ninth at 5:51.
The Pack was in control of the game but let up, and the Phantoms got two goals back.
After a scintillating save on Eliott Desnoyers on the left wing by starter Louis Domingue at 11:25, the Phantoms scored on their next two shots.
Jon Randall-Avon took a cross-ice pass from Ethan Samson. He deked Brett Berard to the ice, walked around him, and fired his fourth past Domingue’s glove hand at 10:51.
Ronnie Attard followed and took a pass from along the right-wing boards from Cooper Marody, moved in, and from 15 feet out, beat Domingue’s glove side again at 12:10 for his fourth goal of the season.
Othmann was in the right-wing circle and took a pass from Alex Belizle from the left wing. He waited for Lehigh Valley defenseman Adan Ginning, who collided with Nash, to slide past him, and he snapped his sixth by Phantoms’ goaltender Cal Petersen’s glove hand at 17:41.
Then Sýkora bagged his second goal of the night 45 seconds later. He collected the rebound of Anton Blidh’s shot and fired in his backhander at 18:26 for a commanding 6-2 lead.
The North Atlantic trio and Karl Henriksson have been producing lately.
“We like each other on and off the ice. We work well (together),” Henricksson said in his truncated English.
In the first period, the Pack struck first shorthanded. Othmann banked the puck off the right-wing boards, and Nash outraced the Phantoms’ Emil Andrae to the loose puck.
The crafty veteran went in alone, went forehand-to-backhand, and tallied his eighth past Petersen’s right leg at 14:56.
The first half of the game left much to be desired for Wolf Pack Head Coach Steve Smith’s liking.
“We had six turnovers in the first eight minutes,” Smith said. “Riley’s shortie and then the power play goal turned it around for us. He provided a calming presence on the bench and in the locker room. That’s veteran presence and leadership we need.”
The Pack went up 2-0 on the power play for the seventh game in a row. Sýkora got the rebound of Korczak’s shot, falling in turnaround fashion, and whipped his third of the season past a seemingly surprised Petersen for the goal.
The duo teamed up again on their late third goal.
Sýkora was in front for the first shot. Blidh was at the right side of the net and jammed in his fourth of the season at 19:46. He scored three goals in a 5:04 span.
The shots of 20-11 as they owned most of the second half of the period.
Hartford concludes a home two-game series with Lehigh Valley finishing off the season series on Saturday at 7 PM.
The Pack concludes their longest homestand of the season on Wednesday in a rare game with the Cleveland Monsters, whom they hadn’t seen since 2004.
LINES:
Karl Henriksson – Anton Blidh – Adam Sýkora
Brett Berard – Riley Nash – Brennan Othmann
Turner Elson – Bobby Trivigno – Alex Belzile
Matt Rempe – Ryder Korczak – Matej Pekar
Mac Hollowell – Connor Mackey
Nikolas Brouillard – Blake Hillman
Matt Robertson – Brandon Scanlin
Louie Domingue
Dylan Garand
SCRATCHES:
D Ben Harpur (Upper Body, indefinitely)
F Jake Leschyshyn (Upper Body, week-to-week)
D Zach Berzolla (Lower Body, week-to-week)
F Adam Edström (Illness, day-to-day)
F Cristiano DiGiacinto (healthy)
D Grant Gabriele (healthy)
F Drew Worrad (not in residence)
NOTES:
Lehigh Valley entered the game, having won five in a row.
The Pack got a goal and an assist from Othmann.
Blake Hillman and Brouillard recorded two assists apiece.
Mac Hollowell had a team-high seven shots and no goals.
Turner Elson played his first game since November 14th. Connor Mackey played his first game since November 15th
Brodzinski becomes the 31st person to wear the #22 in Ranger’s history. In the modern era, the list includes Bobby Rousseau, whose grandson Mathis is a goalie who plays with Halifax (QMJHL), as well as ex-Ranger, Hartford/New England Whaler Nick Fotiu, Mike Gartner, ex-Whaler Shane Churla and Anson Carter.
Brodzinski is the ninth Wolf Pack to wear #22.
Consequentially, recalls to Cincinnati have been made. Cristiano DiGiacinto and Matej Pekar have been recalled to take Brodzinski and Edström’s spots in the Pack lineup. Edström was quietly returned.
Defenseman Mark Cairns was sent down to Cincinnati.
Cleveland features ex-Sound Tiger Troy Vogelhuber as head coach, Owen Sillinger, the son of former Sound Tiger Mike Sillinger, former Yale Bulldog Billy Sweezy, and former Wolf Pack training camp invitee Stefan Matteau Jr., whose father is a Rangers legend from the 1994 Stanly Cup championship team.
Alex Nylander, the son of ex-Hartford Whaler and New York Ranger Mikael Nylander, was returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins by their parent Pittsburgh Penguin team. David Spacek, the son of former Beast of New Haven Jaroslav Spacek, was reassigned to the Iowa Heartlanders (ECHL) from the Iowa Wild (AHL).
Ex-Pack goalie Brandon Halverson, who played against the Pack two weeks ago as part of the Syracuse Crunch, was returned to the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). Before he left, he signed a contract extension with Syracuse.
Ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger David Leggio moves over from Nichols School (NYPREP) to be the goalie coach for the Rochester Jr. Americans (NAHL), who also have Chris Collins (Taft Prep) as a scout.
Ex-Pack D Calle Anderson is loaned from HC Lugano (Switzerland-LNA) to HC Davos.
Ex-Beast of New Haven/Ranger/Springfield Falcon, Dallas Eakins is named the head coach of the Adler Mannheim Eagles (Germany-DEL).
Drake Rymsha, the son of New Haven Nighthawk Andy Rymsha, goes from HKM Zvolen (Slovakia-SLEL) and signs with EC Salzburg (Austria-IceHL).
Ryder Ritchie, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), the son of ex-Beast of New Haven, Bryon Ritchie, is among the potential first-round picks in the 2024 NHL Draft and will likely be on Team Canada at next month’s WJC Tournament.
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