Pack's Winning Ways Continue vs. Portland
Oct 19, 2013The Wolf Pack improved to 5-0-0-1 for 11 points on the season Saturday night, with a 3-2 victory over the Portland Pirates at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, ME.
Danny Kristo’s second-period goal was the game-winner, and Conor Allen and Micheal Haley also scored for the Wolf Pack, and Aaron Johnson had two assists. Cam Talbot made 39 saves. Gilbert Brule and Andy Miele scored for the Pirates and Brandon Yip had two assists.
The Wolf Pack had the better of the chances in the first period but could not solve Pirate goaltender Mark Visentin (35 saves), and Portland would open the scoring with a goal late in the period.
At 18:31 of the first, Brule, who was playing his first game in a Pirate uniform after being signed to a tryout agreement earlier in the week, jumped on a rebound between the circles and ripped a shot past a screened Talbot.
The two teams combined for 37 shots in the second period, with the Wolf Pack getting 20, and the Pack would come out of the period with a 3-2 lead.
Hartford tied the score at one 15 seconds into the second, on Allen’s first pro goal. The rookie defenseman used Brandon Mashinter as decoy, sending the puck into the goalmouth from the left-wing side, and Visentin, caught leaning, had it get by him.
The Pirates regained the lead only 1:40 later, at 1:55, as Miele got free in the slot and fired the puck into the top corner on the stick side of Talbot.
The next two went to the Wolf Pack, though. Haley tied it at two with his first goal of the season at 9:41, off of a two-on-one with Shawn O’Donnell. O’Donnell got his first AHL point, as Visentin stopped his shot from off left wing, but Haley drove the middle and flipped in the rebound.
Kristo then gave the Wolf Pack their first lead of the game, and created the final margin, at 13:24. Johnson missed on a close-in opportunity in a scramble around the Portland net, but Kristo was able to find the loose puck and bury it for his fourth of the year.
Portland outshot the Wolf Pack 10-5 in the third but could not get the equalizer.
The next action for the Wolf Pack is this Wednesday, October 23 at the XL Center, also against Portland. Faceoff is 7:00 PM, and that is the Pack’s first “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 3 at Portland Pirates 2
Saturday, October 19, 2013 - Androscoggin Bank Colisee
Hartford 0 3 0 - 3
Portland 1 1 0 - 2
1st Period-1, Portland, Brule 1 (Yip, Hagel), 18:31. Penalties-Haley Hfd (fighting), 1:36; Hagel Por (fighting), 1:36; Murphy Por (roughing), 6:45; Johnson Hfd (roughing), 19:33.
2nd Period-2, Hartford, Allen 1 (Hrivik, Mashinter), 0:16. 3, Portland, Miele 1 (Yip, Murphy), 1:55. 4, Hartford, Haley 1 (O'Donnell, Johnson), 9:11. 5, Hartford, Kristo 4 (McIlrath, Johnson), 13:24. Penalties-Gormley Por (tripping), 14:04.
3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-McIlrath Hfd (tripping), 6:50.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 13-20-5-38. Portland 14-17-10-41.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 2; Portland 0 / 2.
Goalies-Hartford, Talbot 4-0-1 (41 shots-39 saves). Portland, Visentin 0-1-1 (38 shots-35 saves).
A-2,973
Referees-Trevor Hanson (47).
Linesmen-Joe Andrews (32), Pat Turcotte (10).