BO GROULX STRIKES TWICE AS WOLF PACK DOWN ISLANDERS 5-1
Jan 5, 2025BRIDGEPORT, CT – Bo Groulx struck twice on Sunday afternoon as the Hartford Wolf Pack cruised to a 5-1 victory over the rival Bridgeport Islanders at the Total Mortgage Arena.
With the win, the Wolf Pack are now 3-2-0-0 against the Islanders this season.
The sides played a relatively even first period, with both teams holding segments in which they controlled possession. Late in the period, Adam Sýkora and Tyce Thompson were both whistled for roughing, leading to a stretch of four-on-four play.
Chad Ruhwedel entered the zone on the right-wing side and fired a shot that went off the stick of Calle Odelius and into the left-wing corner. Liam Foudy was there first but was beaten off the puck by Alex Belzile. Belzile connected on a centering pass with Bo Groulx, who ripped home the icebreaking goal at 19:34.
The goal was Groulx’s tenth of the season and his fourth against the Islanders. It marked the first four-on-four goal of the season for the club.
Groulx wasted no time extending the lead to 2-0. He buried a one-timer from the right-wing circle 3:27 into the middle frame, his team-leading eleventh of the season. Belzile won puck possession along the left-wing wall and fed Brennan Othmann at the top of the slot. Othmann faked the shot and dished to Groulx, who made no mistake on the one-timer.
Ben Harpur helped the Wolf Pack make it 3-0 at 4:32, picking up his fourth assist of the season. Harpur picked up possession in the neutral zone, entered the offensive zone on the left-wing side, and slid the puck to Sýkora to spring him on a breakaway. Sýkora snapped a shot by the glove of Jakub Skarek for his seventh goal of the season.
Anton Blidh’s ninth goal of the season came at 9:52, making it 4-0. Dylan Roobroeck worked his way down the right-wing wall and sent a pass to Blidh at the front of the crease. The veteran forward tapped home the goal, giving Roobroeck his second assist of the period.
Brian Pinho got the Islanders on the board at 10:49, tapping home a rebound for his 16th goal of the season. Chris Terry blasted a shot from the right wing circle on the power play that clipped Tyce Thompson and sat in the blue paint. Pinho found it and jammed home the goal that made it a 4-1 game.
The four-goal lead was restored at 18:40 when Nathan Sucese scored his second goal of the season. As a foot race was developing, Skarek came out to play the puck. Although he got there first, Skarek passed it right to Sucese, who hit the empty net to make it 5-1.
The Wolf Pack’s four goals in the second period matched their highest-scoring period of the season. The club scored four goals in the first period of their home opener on Oct. 18 against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Garand made five saves in the third period to preserve the win, his tenth of the season.
The Wolf Pack conclude their four-game road trip on Friday night when they visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Saturday, Jan. 11, when the Phantoms come to town! Join us as we celebrate a special milestone, 50 years of professional hockey in Hartford!
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at www.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 are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play 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.