Gernander Wins 300th as Pack Down Falcons in OT
Jan 10, 2015Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander earned his 300th career coaching win Saturday night at the MassMutual Center, in a 4-3 overtime victory by the Wolf Pack over the Springfield Falcons.
Gernander is now 300-214-29-41 (.574) in 584 career games behind the Wolf Pack bench. He becomes only the third individual in AHL history, joining Bruce Boudreau and Frank Mathers, with 300 coaching wins and at least 300 points as an AHL player. Gernander amassed 624 points (293 goals, 331 assists) in 973 AHL games in his playing career, with the Wolf Pack/Binghamton Rangers and Moncton Hawks. He is in his eighth season as the Wolf Pack’s head coach.
Marek Hrivik scored the winning goal in 3-on-3 overtime, at 4:30 of the extra session. That was after the Wolf Pack had come back from one-goal deficits three different times, on goals by Dylan McIlrath, Oscar Lindberg and Joey Crabb.
The Wolf Pack were down 2-1 late in the third period, before the two teams combined for three goals in the last 3:58 of regulation.
Lindberg tied it at two at 16:02, after Michael Kostka, who had two assists in the game, prevented a Springfield clearing attempt on the right-wing side. Kostka fed to Lindberg high in the slot, and Lindberg’s quick, low shot got through the legs of Springfield goaltender Oscar Dansk (32 saves).
The Falcons jumped back ahead with 1:18 left, when defenseman Austin Madaisky scored his 10th goal of the season. Madaisky snapped the puck at the net from the left point, and it went through a crowd of players and past Wolf Pack netminder Mackenzie Skapski (27 saves).
The Wolf Pack responded again, though, after successfully getting Skapski to the bench for an extra attacker. Crabb deflected Conor Allen’s shot from the left point past Dansk with 34.1 seconds remaining, and that sent the game to overtime.
Hartford had six of the eight shots credited in the OT, and Hrivik earned the Wolf Pack its second extra-time win in as many games with a scorching shot into the top shelf behind Dansk at 4:30.
The Falcons scored the only goal of the first period, with T.J. Tynan finishing a nifty three-way passing play with linemates Ryan Craig and Trent Vogelhuber at 12:16.
Craig fed a backhanded pass across the slot to Vogelhuber on the left side, and he immediately moved it right back into the middle to Tynan, who had Skapski at his mercy for an easy finish.
The Wolf Pack tied it at 11:20 of the second period on the second goal in as many games by McIlrath, who hadn’t scored all season before bagging the overtime game-winner in Friday night’s Wolf Pack 3-2 overtime win over the Syracuse Crunch.
Ryan Haggerty, who had two assists in the game, carried the puck into the Springfield end down left wing, and passed back against the flow to McIlrath trailing the play. McIlrath’s shot from the top of the right circle went through a pair of players in front of Dansk, and found space between Dansk’s pads.
The Falcons answered that goal less than three minutes later, though, at 14:07, just as a tripping penalty to the Wolf Pack’s Mat Bodie expired. Adam Cracknell won a faceoff in the circle to Skapski’s left, drawing the puck back to Frederic St. Denis at the right point. St. Denis stickhandled to the top of the slot and wristed the puck at the net, and Kerby Rychel deflected it past Skapski.
The Wolf Pack complete a three-game weekend Sunday afternoon at the XL Center, hosting the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a 3:00 game. The Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack” is again featured on Sundays this year, and has been expanded to Wednesday and Thursday home games as well. The Family Value Pack features two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.
Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.
To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.
Hartford Wolf Pack 4 (OT) at Springfield Falcons 3
Saturday, January 10, 2015 - MassMutual Center
Hartford 0 1 2 1 - 4
Springfield 1 1 1 0 - 3
1st Period-1, Springfield, Tynan 5 (Vogelhuber, Craig), 12:16. Penalties-McIlrath Hfd (interference), 9:10; Sedlak Spr (holding), 13:56.
2nd Period-2, Hartford, McIlrath 2 (Haggerty, Brown), 11:20. 3, Springfield, Rychel 8 (St. Denis, Cracknell), 14:07. Penalties-Madaisky Spr (holding), 3:27; Vogelhuber Spr (roughing), 7:50; Bodie Hfd (tripping), 12:07; Lindberg Hfd (high-sticking), 17:59.
3rd Period-4, Hartford, Lindberg 10 (Kostka), 16:02. 5, Springfield, Madaisky 10 18:42. 6, Hartford, Crabb 5 (Allen, Mueller), 19:25. Penalties-Tynan Spr (interference), 7:45.
OT Period-7, Hartford, Hrivik 3 (Kostka, Haggerty), 4:30. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Hartford 7-9-14-6-36. Springfield 10-10-8-2-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 4; Springfield 0 / 3.
Goalies-Hartford, Skapski 9-7-1 (30 shots-27 saves). Springfield, Dansk 5-3-0 (36 shots-32 saves).
A-3,482
Referees-Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Chris Low (88), Rich Patry (52).