By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack ended their three-game homestand on a winning note on Wednesday night at the XL Center. Trailing 2-0 after two periods of play, the Wolf Pack stormed back to stun the Grand Rapids Griffins by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
Ryder Korczak scored his first career game-winning goal 2:44 into overtime, deflecting a centering pass from Adam Sýkora. Korczak rushed to the net, got his stick down, and tipped Sýkora’s pass by Sebastian Cossa to give the Wolf Pack their first victory when trailing after two periods this season.
The goal was also Korczak’s first of the campaign.
The Griffins broke the ice at 3:43 in the game, converting on a defensive zone turnover by the Wolf Pack. Dominik Shine worked into a dangerous area off the turnover and roofed his third goal of the season by Dylan Garand to break the ice. Antti Tuomisto forced the turnover at the Griffins’ blue line before feeding an open Shine.
Garand made key saves in the opening frame to keep the Pack’s deficit at one, including an outstretched pad save on Elmer Söderblom.
The middle stanza brought an early powerplay opportunity for Griffins, their first game advantage. They made quick work of it as Shine ripped a shot above Garand’s shoulder for his second goal of the evening off a setup from Joe Snively. Shine’s tally came at 2:05, making it a 2-0 game.
The Wolf Pack came out strong to open the third period, dominating possession and putting Cossa to work right off the hop. Matthew Robertson’s point shot caught a piece of Dylan Roobroeck’s stick before catching Cossa’s back and trickling in to cut it to a 2-1 game. Roobroeck’s tally came at 2:38 and was his second in as many games.
The Wolf Pack pushed hard in the final period, nearly tying the game numerous times. Robertson struck the iron shortly after Roobroeck’s goal, while Bo Groulx had two great chances. One was denied at the side of the net, while a second bid went off the post.
Robertson picked up his third-period assist at 16:31 when he fired a shot from the left-wing point. The shot clipped the stick of Sýkora in front and beat Cossa to tie the affair. The goal was Sýkora’s second of the season and the first of two points (1 g, 1 a) on the night.
The goal also forced overtime for the fourth time in just eight games this season for the Wolf Pack.
Korczak’s game-winner at 2:44 gave the Wolf Pack their first win this season when trailing by multiple goals. Sýkora and Casey Fitzgerald collected the assists on the goal, with Fitzgerald’s helper being his fifth on the season.
The Wolf Pack hit the road for two games this weekend. The club visits the Syracuse Crunch on Friday at 7:00 p.m., then travels to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to take on the Penguins on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. Coverage for both games is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Nov. 6, when the Crunch comes to town! The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Full-season tickets, 20-game plans, 12-game plans, flex plans, and single-game tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now! Visit hartfordwolfpack.com or call 860-722-9425 for more details!
About Oak View Group (OVG): Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues, and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues, either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its inception in 1997. It 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.
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