Kristo's Pair Helps Pack Best Phantoms
Jan 29, 2014Danny Kristo had two goals and an assist, and T.J. Hensick added three assists, Wednesday night at the XL Center, as the Wolf Pack defeated the Adirondack Phantoms, 5-2.
Ryan Bourque and Danny Syvret also scored for Hartford, which completed a sweep of a home-and-home series against the Phantoms, and Dov Grumet-Morris made 28 saves. Adirondack got goals from Tye McGinn and Marcel Noebels, and Cal Heeter stopped 24 shots.
“The guys are starting to find chemistry on their respective lines and it’s translating into goals for us,” Hensick said.
The win was the Wolf Pack’s third in their last four games, and ran Hartford’s record to 15-22-0-5 for 35 points.
McGinn, who scored only 42 seconds into the Wolf Pack’s 6-3 win over the Phantoms Sunday in Glens Falls, found the net 47 seconds into Wednesday’s game. Former Wolf Pack Kris Newbury fed the puck to McGinn at the right side of the goalmouth, and McGinn poked it off of the left pad of Grumet-Morris and into the net.
That lead lasted until the 16:40 mark, when Syvret tied the score with a power-play goal. With Brandon Manning in the penalty box for slashing, Syvret got a pass from Brendon Nash at the middle of the blue line, and pounded a long shot through a Micheal Haley screen and past Heeter.
The Wolf Pack power play struck again 57 seconds into the second period, on a beautiful three-way passing play among Hensick, Jesper Fast and Bourque. Hensick worked the puck into the offensive zone and handed off to Fast, who found Bourque all alone in front of Heeter. Bourque beat Heeter with a quick shot to the stick side, for a 2-1 Wolf Pack lead.
Kristo scored his first of the game at 9:32 to increase the advantage to 3-1. Kristo, who was a healthy scratch in Sunday’s game, took a lead pass on right wing from Darroll Powe, put a sharp toe-drag move on Phantom defenseman Steven Delisle and fired a snap shot past Heeter’s catching glove.
Noebels got that one back for Adirondack, though, with 3:19 left in the period. Noebels headed down his off wing, the right side and stickhandled away from Hartford defenseman Aaron Johnson, before putting a backhander on net that just found its way past a sprawling Grumet-Morris.
The Wolf Pack were forced to kill 1:21 of two-man disadvantage early in the third period, and shortly after surviving that, stretched the lead to 4-2 at 6:10 on Kristo’s second goal of the evening. Hensick played the puck toward the front of the net from the right-wing side, and it hit Phantom defenseman Mark Alt’s stick and deflected behind Heeter. Kristo got to the loose puck along the goal line and banged it into the net.
Then, after some good Adirondack pressure, Kristo made a strong play along the boards to get the puck out of the defensive zone, and Lindberg carried it all the way into the Phantom zone before beating Heeter with a shot from the right-wing side at 14:46.
The Wolf Pack are back at the XL Center this Friday night, January 31, taking on the Providence Bruins in a 7:00 PM game. All Wolf Pack Friday-night home games feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period, presented by Marc’s Appliance Warehouse, located at 75 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT.
Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, 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 representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.
Adirondack Phantoms 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 5
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 - XL Center
Adirondack 1 1 0 - 2
Hartford 1 2 2 - 5
1st Period-1, Adirondack, McGinn 11 (Newbury, Akeson), 0:47. 2, Hartford, Syvret 5 (Nash, Hensick), 16:40 (PP). Penalties-Fast Hfd (hooking), 4:03; Manning Adk (high-sticking), 4:46; Lauridsen Adk (tripping), 11:28; Fast Hfd (roughing), 13:03; Manning Adk (slashing), 14:47.
2nd Period-3, Hartford, Bourque 9 (Fast, Hensick), 0:57 (PP). 4, Hartford, Kristo 15 (Powe, Allen), 9:32. 5, Adirondack, Noebels 2 (Akeson), 16:41. Penalties-Lauridsen Adk (kneeing, fighting), 0:16; Haley Hfd (fighting), 0:16; Mathers Adk (fighting), 1:35; Nash Hfd (interference, fighting), 1:35; Allen Hfd (elbowing), 4:11.
3rd Period-6, Hartford, Kristo 16 (Hensick), 6:10. 7, Hartford, Lindberg 10 (Kristo), 14:46. Penalties-Syvret Hfd (hooking), 2:05; Johnson Hfd (high-sticking), 2:45; Noebels Adk (tripping), 6:41; Akeson Adk (tripping), 15:50.
Shots on Goal-Adirondack 10-9-11-30. Hartford 12-9-8-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 0 / 6; Hartford 2 / 6.
Goalies-Adirondack, Heeter 14-15-0 (29 shots-24 saves). Hartford, Grumet-Morris 6-10-4 (30 shots-28 saves).
A-1,883
Referees-Terry Koharski (10), Jeffrey Ingram (25).
Linesmen-Glen Cooke (6), Luke Galvin (2).