Lindgren's Game-winner, Assist, Lift Wolf Pack
Mar 25, 2018(Photo courtesy of Hershey Bears)
Defenseman Ryan Lindgren, in his second pro game, had the game-winning goal and an assist Sunday at Giant Center in Hershey, PA, as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Hershey Bears, 4-2, in the second game of a home-and-home set between the two teams.
The Bears had won the first of the two games Saturday at the XL Center, downing the Wolf Pack 2-1.
Vinni Lettieri scored his 20th goal of the season for Hartford in Sunday’s win, John Albert had his first Wolf Pack goal, and Adam Tambellini added an empty-netter. Dan DeSalvo had two assists, and Marek Mazanec got the win in goal with 30 saves.
“Our special teams were real good,” Wolf Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said, of a Hartford power play that went 2-for-5 and a penalty-killing unit that was 5-for-5. “We had the opportunity to tweak our power play a little bit. In the AHL it’s always changing, but I thought that was strong. The penalty kill was real good, we were able to get up in the game early, and overall play the way that we wanted to, with our identity and using our speed.”
The Wolf Pack were outshot 11-17 in the first period, but came out of the frame with a 2-0 lead, thanks to goals by Lettieri and Albert.
After going 0-for-7 on the man advantage in Saturday’s loss to the Bears, the Wolf Pack clicked on their first opportunity in Sunday’s game, after Tyler Lewington was called for boarding at 3:21.
Lindgren, who had made his pro debut with the Wolf Pack Saturday out of the University of Minnesota, got his first pro point on fellow ex-Gopher Lettieri’s 20th of the season. Lindgren passed the puck from the top of the left circle across the slot to Cole Schneider, who dropped it off to Lettieri. Bear goaltender Vitek Vanecek had no chance on Lettieri’s quick release from 25 feet out.
Albert then scored his first goal in 16 games in a Wolf Pack uniform at 12:56, against the team whom he played for before being acquired by the Rangers organization February 9. Dawson Leedahl fed the puck to DeSalvo on right wing, and he handed it to Albert. His shot from just inside the hash mark beat Vanecek on the stick side.
The two teams traded goals 1:10 apart midway through the second period, starting with a tally by Hershey’s Zach Sill at 9:32. Hampus Gustafsson won a faceoff from the Wolf Pack’s Dan Catenacci to the left of Mazanec, and the puck came to Sill in the slot. His quick shot got by Mazanec on the stick side.
The Wolf Pack restored the two-goal lead at 10:42, though, with their second power-play goal in two opportunities. With Sill off for high-sticking, Simon Denis lifted the puck high in the air toward the Hershey net, from outside the blue line. It went off of Vanecek’s catching glove out into the slot, and Lindgren got two whacks at it. The first one was blocked, but the second one found its way inside the goal post to Vanecek’s left, for Lindgren’s first pro goal.
“Always happy whenever you see a guy come in and get his first pro goal,” McCambridge said of Lindgren. “Smart, poised, plays with a little bit of grit on the back end. But two strong games and a real good impression. Vinni Lettieri with his 20th, that’s always nice to see that take place for a first-year player, and [Mazanec] was good for us in the net.”
Lindgren’s tally turned out to be the game-winner, as the Bears got back to within one with 5:14 remaining in the third. Wayne Simpson threw the puck at the net from high in the slot, and Liam O’Brien was able to jam the rebound underneath Mazanec and in.
Tambellini sealed the victory, though, with 13.7 seconds left, after the Bears had pulled Vanecek. DeSalvo intercepted a Hershey pass in the slot in the Hartford zone and feathered the puck down the left side into the Bear end. Tambellini caught up to it just below the goal line and slipped it inside the left post.
The next action for the Wolf Pack is on home ice this Wednesday night, March 28, as the Springfield Thunderbirds come to the XL Center for a 7:00 PM game. That is the next opportunity to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack”. The Family Value Pack includes two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for just $40.
Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2017-18 home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.
Season ticket information for the Wolf Pack’s 2017-18 AHL season can be found on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com. To speak with a representative about all of the Wolf Pack’s many attractive ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451.
Hartford Wolf Pack 4 at Hershey Bears 2
Sunday, March 25, 2018 - Giant Center
Hartford 2 1 1 - 4
Hershey 0 1 1 - 2
1st Period-1, Hartford, Lettieri 20 (Schneider, Lindgren), 5:08 (PP). 2, Hartford, Albert 4 (DeSalvo, Leedahl), 12:56. Penalties-Lewington Her (boarding), 3:21; Nieves Hfd (hooking), 8:50; Leedahl Hfd (slashing, fighting), 15:44; Walker Her (fighting), 15:44.
2nd Period-3, Hershey, Sill 6 (Gustafsson), 9:32. 4, Hartford, Lindgren 1 (Fontaine, Denis), 10:42 (PP). Penalties-Beleskey Hfd (fighting), 9:50; Lewington Her (fighting), 9:50; Sill Her (high-sticking), 9:50; Crawley Hfd (holding), 13:51; G. Mitchell Her (tripping), 18:52.
3rd Period-5, Hershey, O'Brien 17 (Simpson, Graovac), 14:46. 6, Hartford, Tambellini 14 (DeSalvo), 19:46 (EN). Penalties-Pedrie Hfd (holding), 2:25; Sill Her (hooking), 5:53; DeSalvo Hfd (tripping), 9:06; Lewington Her (high-sticking), 15:15.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 7-14-10-31. Hershey 11-7-14-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 5; Hershey 0 / 5.
Goalies-Hartford, Mazanec 9-5-1 (32 shots-30 saves). Hershey, Vanecek 11-9-2 (30 shots-27 saves).
A-9,297
Referees-Tyler Puddifant (9), Brandon Schrader (24).
Linesmen-Richard Jondo (55), Bob Goodman (90).