NATHAN SUCESE STRIKES TWICE AS WOLF PACK WIN THRILLER 6-5 OVER BRUINS
Feb 22, 2025HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack won a wild 6-5 affair on Saturday night against the Providence Bruins, snapping their four-game losing streak in front of 8,062 fans at the XL Center.
Jaroslav Chmelař won puck possession in the right-wing corner of the Bruins zone before moving up the wall and snapping a pass to Nathan Sucese in the slot. Sucese took the feed and ripped home his second goal of the night at 17:17 of the third period, breaking a 5-5 tie and giving the Wolf Pack the lead for good.
The goal gave Sucese his first multi-goal game of the season, and his first game-winning goal as a member of the Wolf Pack.
A wild first period saw the sides split six goals evenly, sending us to the middle frame tied 3-3.
The Bruins opened the scoring 4:07 into the game, as Tyler Pitlick entered the zone on the right-wing side. Pitlick elected to drop the puck to Patrick Brown, who ripped home a shot from the slot for his 13th goal of the season.
57 seconds later, at 5:04, Zac Jones tied the game with his first goal of the season with the Wolf Pack. Alex Belzile banked a pass off the left-wing wall from behind the net right to Jones, who had ample space to step up and beat Brandon Bussi top-shelf.
The Wolf Pack took the lead at 8:40 thanks to their seventh shorthanded goal of the season. Bussi raced out to play a puck but put it in the shins of Sucese. The veteran forward collected the puck on the backhand and deposited his third goal of the season to make it a 2-1 game.
The Bruins’ second power play would prove to be more fruitful. Veteran Vinni Lettieri was set up in the left-wing circle by Ian Mitchell. Lettieri blasted a shot by Garand for his 17th goal of the season and his third against the Wolf Pack at 15:56.
Moments later, at 18:21, Brown struck for the second time in the period to make it 3-2 Bruins. Pitlick found Brown in the right-wing circle, where he fired a shot that beat Garand by the glove for his 14th goal of the campaign.
Late in the period, it was Chad Ruhwedel who drew the Wolf Pack even again. With just seconds remaining, Ruhwedel fired a shot from the right-wing that beat Bussi by the glove to make it 3-3. The goal, scored at 19:57, was Ruhwedel’s second of the season.
The Wolf Pack turned in a strong second period, outshooting the Bruins by a 17-9 margin. Finally, at the 16:43 mark, the Wolf Pack regained the lead.
Brennan Othmann gained possession in the offensive zone off a turnover, then made his way to the front of the net. The second-year forward displayed great patience, then fed Jaroslav Chmelař at the backdoor. Chmelař tapped home his seventh goal of the season to give the Wolf Pack a 4-3 lead through two periods of play.
Dylan Roobroeck extended the lead to 5-3 1:45 into the third period, scoring his first goal in nine games. Adam Sýkora won puck possession behind the net and fed Roobroeck between the hashmarks. There, the rookie turned and beat Bussi.
Trevor Kuntar drew the Bruins within a goal at 10:06, sniping a shot by the glove of Garand from the left-wing circle. His third goal of the year was his first in nine games and was assisted by Joey Abate.
Lettieri tied the game at 14:02, heeling on a shot from the left-wing circle. The changeup got by Garand for the veteran’s second goal of the hockey game and his team-leading 18th of the season.
With overtime looming late, Sucese’s season-high seventh shot of the game beat Bussi at 17:17 to propel the Wolf Pack to a key victory.
The homestand continues next Friday night when the Springfield Thunderbirds come to town. Join us for $2 drafts and $2 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission. The first 1,500 fans in attendance will also receive a Louis Domingue bobblehead.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at 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.