Pack get back on Winning Track in Hershey
Oct 26, 2013(Photo courtesy of JustSports Photography)
Danny Kristo and Andrew Yogan scored third period goals, and Scott Stajcer got his first career AHL win, Saturday night at Giant Center in Hershey, as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Hershey Bears by a score of 4-3.
Stajcer made 20 saves, and Aaron Johnson and Oscar Lindberg had a goal and an assist each for the Wolf Pack, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Jeff Taffe, Chay Genoway and Michael Latta scored for Hershey.
“We came back strong in the third after giving up some 5-on-3s,” Stajcer said. “They got the momentum in the second period, and the guys came out and just grinded it out and they did a great job in the third period.”
The Wolf Pack trailed 3-2 going into the third, but Kristo tied the game on a power play at 3:15, slapping home the rebound of a Johnson shot from the left point. Then Yogan scored the winner, his first goal of the season, at 8:27.
The Pack’s entire fourth line contributed to the winning goal, as Shawn O’Donnell got the puck to Andrew Rowe, who unloaded a shot from the right-wing side. Yogan headed hard to the net and poked the rebound past Hershey goaltender Philipp Grubauer (23 saves).
Hershey took the game’s first lead on a 4-on-3 power play at 6:50 of the first, on a goal by Taffe. David Kolomatis fed the puck to Taffe in the right circle, and Taffe drove a shot from the faceoff dot off of Stajcer and in.
The Wolf Pack capitalized on a break at 18:18 to tie the game, with Lindberg scoring his first North American pro goal. Bear defenseman Dmitri Orlov’s stick broke in half as he tried to make a pass, and Lindberg took the puck away and fired it underneath Grubauer’s catching glove.
Hartford grabbed its first lead of the game only 1:18 into the second period, on a 5-on-3 power play. Johnson gunned a drive from just inside the top of the right circle, and a screen set by Marek Hrivik prevented Grubauer from seeing the puck.
That lead would last for much of the period, before the Bears responded with two late goals. Genoway tied the game at 15:40 with his first of the year, when his shot from the left-wing side hit a Wolf Pack stick and floated up in the air. A screened Stajcer, who had gone down to the ice, never saw it and it went over him into the net.
Then, 1:37 later, at 17:17, Latta put Hershey back ahead. He won a puck battle in the right-wing corner and stickhandled toward the slot, putting a quick backhander just up under the crossbar.
The Wolf Pack return home to the XL Center for their next game, which is this Wednesday, October 30, with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers coming to town. Faceoff is 7:00 PM, and that is another Wolf Pack “Winning Wednesday”. At all Wednesday night home games this year, if the Wolf Pack win, each fan receives a free ticket to the Pack’s next home game. Some restrictions apply, and full details are available on the Wolf Pack’s official website, www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
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.
Hartford Wolf Pack 4 at Hershey Bears 3
Saturday, October 26, 2013 - Giant Center
Hartford 1 1 2 - 4
Hershey 1 2 0 - 3
1st Period-1, Hershey, Taffe 2 (Kolomatis, Orlov), 6:50 (PP). 2, Hartford, Lindberg 1 18:18. Penalties-Carrick Her (interference), 0:59; Rowe Hfd (high-sticking), 5:18; McIlrath Hfd (roughing), 5:26; Byers Her (hooking), 6:07.
2nd Period-3, Hartford, Johnson 3 (Lindberg, Syvret), 1:18 (PP). 4, Hershey, Genoway 1 (Carrick, Ruegsegger), 15:40. 5, Hershey, Latta 2 (Strachan, Watkins), 17:17. Penalties-Powe Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting), 0:20; Latta Her (boarding, unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting), 0:20; Watkins Her (slashing), 0:53; Haley Hfd (fighting), 6:07; Strachan Her (fighting), 6:07; Nash Hfd (cross-checking), 9:54; Powe Hfd (hooking), 10:34; Johnson Hfd (hooking), 11:30; Mitchell Her (tripping), 18:53.
3rd Period-6, Hartford, Kristo 6 (Johnson, Syvret), 3:15 (PP). 7, Hartford, Yogan 1 (Rowe, O'Donnell), 8:27. Penalties-Kolomatis Her (tripping), 2:29.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 7-9-11-27. Hershey 6-10-7-23.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 6; Hershey 1 / 5.
Goalies-Hartford, Stajcer 1-0-0 (23 shots-20 saves). Hershey, Grubauer 1-2-0 (27 shots-23 saves).
A-8,001
Referees-Jon McIsaac (45), Geoff Miller (28).
Linesmen-Scott Adams (20), Bill Lyons (27).