JONES SCORES HIGHLIGHT-REEL GOAL, BUT PACK DOUBLED UP 4-2 BY BRUINS
Feb 1, 2023HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack continued their five-game homestand with a midweek matchup against the Providence Bruins. Zac Jones scored a highlight reel-worthy goal, but a late rally helped propel the Bruins to a 4-2 victory.
Georgii Merkulov scored the deciding goal for the Bruins. With Hunter Skinner in the box for hooking, Merkulov took a feed from Connor Carrick and blasted a one-timer from the right circle past the glove of Louis Domingue to give the Bruins their first lead of the game. Merkulov’s goal would stand as the eventual game-winner, coming 8:55 into the final stanza.
The Wolf Pack opened the scoring for the third time in the head-to-head series this season. Will Cuylle lit the lamp for the 14th time on the campaign, extending his team lead in that department. Jonny Brodzinski, positioned behind the Providence net, sent a pass to Cuylle, who promptly beat Kyle Keyser to give the Pack the game’s first lead.
Brodzinski’s assist extended his point streak to five straight games. Brodzinski has recorded a point in all five games since being assigned to Hartford by the New York Rangers on January 22nd.
The Bruins would even the score just over two minutes later. On a two-on-one opportunity, Joona Koppanen zipped a pass across the ice to Chris Wagner, who snapped a shot from the right circle past Domingue, tying the contest at one.
Zac Jones reinstated the Hartford lead early in the second period. Penalties to Carrick and Turner Elson began a brief four-on-four period. Gustav Rydahl won the ensuing faceoff, and Jones collected the puck just outside the left circle. The All-Star selection danced his way through the Providence defense before beautifully crossing up Keyser for his sixth goal of the season. Jones has recorded points in his last four games, tallying two goals and two assists.
However, the Bruins would again answer back, this time five minutes later. Josiah Didier harmlessly dumped the puck around the glass into the Hartford zone. Domingue went behind his net to settle the puck when disaster struck. The puck took a nightmare bounce into the slot off the glass, where John Beecher promptly found it and fired it into a wide-open Hartford net to even the score again.
Merkulov lit the lamp at 8:55 of the third, putting the game out of reach for good.
Koppanen added an insurance goal, scoring on an empty Hartford net with just 1.5 seconds remaining in the contest. The goal came shortly after a flurry of Wolf Pack chances in the offensive zone.
The Wolf Pack returns to the ice this Friday, hosting the Utica Comets for the only time this season. Join us for $2 drafts and $1 hot dogs! 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.