FRITZ SCORES GAME-WINNER IN 300TH CAREER AHL GAME AS PACK ROUT PENGUINS 8-2
Feb 4, 2023HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack went into the All-Star break in style on Saturday night, scoring a season-high eight goals in a rout of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Pack opened the scoring eight seconds in and never looked back, treating 6,823 fans to an 8-2 triumph.
Tanner Fritz, playing in his 300th AHL game, scored the eventual game-winner for the Wolf Pack. Stationed in front of the Penguin net, Fritz redirected a Matthew Robertson shot past Filip Lindberg for his fourth goal of the campaign. The goal made it 3-0 at the time and would be the difference in the end. It was Fritz’s first game-winning goal this season.
For the second night in a row, the Wolf Pack got off to their fastest start of the season. This time it was Tim Gettinger who opened the scoring, lighting the lamp for the first time since returning from injury on January 20th. Jonny Brodzinski swiped the puck in the neutral zone and found Lauri Pajuniemi along the right wall. Pajuniemi centered the puck for Gettinger, who promptly beat Lindberg just eight seconds into the contest. Gettinger’s goal bested Pajuniemi’s tally 23 seconds into last night’s tilt.
Brodzinski’s assist extended his point streak to seven games. Brodzinski has recorded a point in all seven games since being assigned to Hartford by the New York Rangers on January 22nd.
Ty Emberson continued the hot start for the Wolf Pack. Emberson took a pass from Zac Jones at the blue line, skated forward, and sniped a shot from behind the right circle that Lindberg couldn’t get a glove. The goal came 3:33 into the game. It was the seventh time this season Emberson has found twine, leading all Wolf Pack defenders.
Fritz scored at 2:17 of the middle stanza to put the game out of reach for good, but the Wolf Pack were far from done.
Brodzinski pushed the Wolf Pack lead to four just over two minutes later. Hunter Skinner took a pass from Gettinger and fired shot from the blue line that the Wolf Pack captain deflected into the Penguins’ net. The goal gave Brodzinski and Gettinger back-to-back multi-point games.
At that point, Lindberg was lifted for Taylor Gauthier. Lindberg made eight saves on twelve shots during his first stint in the net.
The Penguins would finally get on the board four minutes later. Drake Caggiula collected the puck along the right wall and sent a pass to Taylor Fedun, who skated to the slot and beat Domingue to the stick side. The tally was Fedun’s first on the campaign.
Gettinger scored for the second time 52 seconds into the final period. During a four-on-four period, Gettinger took a shot that whistled wide of Gauthier. Brodzinski found the puck along the right wall and snapped a shot that Gauthier turned away, but Gettinger buried the rebound into the Penguins’ net. The goal marked Gettinger’s second multi-goal game against the Penguins this season.
The Pack would rattle off three more goals in a two-minute stretch. Turner Elson began the flurry at 9:05, tipping the rebound from a Robertson shot past Gauthier to push the lead to five. The goal was Elson’s team-leading 25th point on the campaign.
Matt Rempe potted the Pack’s seventh goal, tying the team’s season-high for goals, 45 seconds later. Cristiano DiGiacinto wrapped around the Penguin goal and centered the puck for Rempe, who backhanded it into the net to push the lead to six. Fritz also recorded an assist on the goal, his team-leading 20th of the campaign.
Brandon Scanlin finished the flurry at 11:05, scoring the eighth goal of the game, a new season-high for the Wolf Pack. Scanlin took a pass from Pajuniemi and blasted a shot from the blue line that banked off the post and into the net. Brodzinski also recorded an assist, his third of the night and his fourth point of the contest. It was the first four-point game of Brodzinski’s AHL career.
The Penguins would get one back 12:47 into the final stanza when Jonathan Gruden put a rebound from an Alexander Nylander shot into the Hartford net, but it wouldn’t be enough on this night, as the Wolf Pack cruised to an 8-2 victory.
The Wolf Pack return to the ice for the final game of their five-game homestand on Friday, February 10th, when they host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Join us for Military Appreciation Night! To get tickets, visit 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.