Pack Tie Late, but Sound Tigers Prevail in Shootout
Jan 27, 2017(Photo by Jon Tenca/Puck Stopper Photography)
Matt Carey scored late in the third period to force overtime for the Wolf Pack Friday night at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, but the Bridgeport Sound Tigers recovered to win in a shootout, 3-2.
Josh Winquist scored both Sound Tiger goals in regulation, and Andrew Rowe and Michael Dal Colle scored for Bridgeport in the shootout. Jaroslav Halak made 21 saves and stopped three of four in the shootout.
Chris Brown had the other Wolf Pack goal, and Adam Tambellini had a shootout goal for Hartford. Magnus Hellberg made 22 stops in regulation and overtime, and went 2-for-4 in the shootout.
“Frustrating,” said Hellberg of the result. “I think we made a really good comeback, obviously it’s a really tight game, with a team in our division. So these points are really important. I thought we did a great job coming back, we fought hard in overtime, obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted.”
With time growing short in the third period, the Wolf Pack capitalized on a power play, after Ben Holmstrom was called for boarding at 14:38.
On the man advantage, Mat Bodie carried down the left side in the Sound Tiger end and handed the puck to Carey at the left side of the goal mouth. Carey turned and backhanded a shot underneath Halak’s left pad and into the goal.
That sent the game to overtime, which was scoreless, with Bridgeport getting four shots to the Wolf Pack’s two.
The Wolf Pack had won 11 of their previous 12 shootouts going back to last season, but this one would not go their way.
Rowe scored on the Sound Tigers’ first attempt, while Steven Fogarty and Nicklas Jensen were stopped on the Wolf Pack’s first two chances. Tambellini made good on the Wolf Pack’s third shot to keep Hartford alive, but after Halak denied Marek Hrivik, Dal Colle put a backhand shot into the top corner on Hellberg’s stick side for the win.
Brown got the Wolf Pack off to a good start only 2:08 into the game, with his 11th goal of the season and third in the last three games.
After linemate Tanner Glass, covering the left point, put the puck toward the net, Brown thought he had scored on one close-in opportunity, and after that stayed out of the net behind Sound Tiger goaltender Jaroslav Halak, Brown re-gathered the loose puck and ripped it in.
That was the Wolf Pack’s only offense until Carey’s late goal in the third, though, and Bridgeport would get the next two.
The Sound Tigers drew even on a power play at 14:12, with Glass off for tripping. Kane Lafranchise got the puck to Winquist in the right circle, and his high snap shot got past Hellberg. The Wolf Pack argued that the puck had gone off the crossbar, but after a lengthy video review, referees Ben Moser and Dave Lewis ruled it a good goal.
The Sound Tigers then scored the only goal of a second period they dominated, outshooting the Wolf Pack 11-2.
Winquist gave Bridgeport the lead at 4:12 of the second with his second of the game. Josh Ho-Sang threaded a perfect pass across the slot from left to right, and the left-handed-shooting Winquist one-timed it from below the faceoff dot past a helpless Hellberg.
The Wolf Pack are right back in action on Saturday night, with a 7:00 home game vs. the Providence Bruins. The first 2,000 fans into the XL Center will receive a 2016-17 Wolf Pack team trading card set, and it’s also “Stick it to Cancer” night, sponsored by Jefferson Radiology. The Wolf Pack will wear special Stick it to Cancer jerseys, which will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefitting cancer charities.
Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2016-17 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 2016-17 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 2 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3 (SO)
Friday, January 27, 2017 - Webster Bank Arena
Hartford 1 0 1 0 - 2
Bridgeport 1 1 0 0 - 3
1st Period-1, Hartford, Brown 11 (Glass, Fogarty), 2:08. 2, Bridgeport, Winquist 6 (Ho-Sang, Lafranchise), 14:12 (PP). Penalties-Cullity Bri (interference), 4:34; Glass Hfd (cross-checking), 6:52; Glass Hfd (tripping), 12:32; Fontaine Hfd (tripping), 19:35.
2nd Period-3, Bridgeport, Winquist 7 (Ho-Sang, Lafranchise), 4:17. Penalties-Hellberg Hfd (interference), 6:57; Bodie Hfd (delay of game), 16:31.
3rd Period-4, Hartford, Carey 11 (Bodie, Jensen), 15:12 (PP). Penalties-Bodie Hfd (roughing, misconduct - unsportsmanlike conduct), 2:24; C. Jones Bri (goaltender interference), 9:16; B. Holmstrom Bri (boarding), 14:38.
OT Period- No Scoring. Penalties-No Penalties
Shootout - Hartford 1 (Fogarty NG, Jensen NG, Tambellini G, Hrivik NG), Bridgeport 2 (Rowe G, Winquist NG, Kearns NG, Dal Colle G).
Shots on Goal-Hartford 11-2-8-2-0-23. Bridgeport 5-11-4-4-1-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 3; Bridgeport 1 / 6.
Goalies-Hartford, Hellberg 10-9-5 (24 shots-22 saves). Bridgeport, Halak 5-1-2 (23 shots-21 saves).
A-3,698
Referees-Dave Lewis (46), Ben Moser (3).
Linesmen-Kevin Briganti (39), Nick Briganti (58).