Tambellini Goal Thwarts Hershey Shutout Bid
Nov 25, 2017By Meghan O'Reilly
A late Adam Tambellini goal prevented a Hershey Bear shutout Saturday night at the XL Center, but Tambellini’s shot was the only one of 28 to get by Vitek Vanecek in a 4-1 Hershey win over the Wolf Pack.
Tambellini’s goal came with 2:47 remaining in the third period, and allowed the crowd of 4,571 finally to throw the toys they brought to the game for the Wolf Pack’s annual “Teddy Bear Toss”, which benefits Operation ELF and Toys for Tots.
By then, Hershey had built a 4-0 lead on goals by Mathias Bau, Riley Barber, Zach Sill and Mason Mitchell. Hubert Labrie had two assists for Hershey.
Bau put the Bears on top only 3:18 into the game, when he used Wolf Pack defenseman Ryan Sproul as a screen and fired about a 35-foot shot past Wolf Pack starting goaltender Chris Nell.
Barber made it a 2-0 Hershey lead with 1:33 remaining in the period, putting in a backhand shot after a bid by Lucas Johansen was redirected in front of Nell.
Sill then scored shorthanded at 7:08 of the second, with Colby Williams in the box for slashing. Labrie’s shoot-in caromed off of the end boards, got away from Wolf Pack defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and came right to Sill in the slot. He unloaded a quick shot that got through a surprised Nell.
Mason Mitchell then ended Nell’s night at 15:04, carrying the puck down the left side and beating Nell’s catching glove, after a good Wolf Pack opportunity failed to click at the other end.
Alexandar Georgiev replaced Nell at that point, and Georgiev was able to hold the Bears off the rest of the way, but the Wolf Pack couldn’t solve Vanecek until Steven Fogarty set up Tambellini in front of the Hershey goal for Tambellini’s sixth of the year.
The Wolf Pack controlled much of the play in the third, outshooting the Bears 16-7, but could not recover from having fallen behind by four.
“We had a good push,” Hartford head coach Keith McCambridge said. “But at that point the game is out of our reach.”
The Wolf Pack finish a three-game weekend Sunday afternoon in Springfield, taking on the Thunderbirds in a 3:05 PM game. All of the action of that battle can be heard live on News Radio 1410 WPOP, and on-line at www.newsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio. Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.
The next home game for the Wolf Pack is this Wednesday night, November 29, also against the Thunderbirds. That game faces off at 7:00, and 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.
Hershey Bears 4 at Hartford Wolf Pack 1
Saturday, November 25, 2017 - XL Center
Hershey 2 2 0 - 4
Hartford 0 0 1 - 1
1st Period-1, Hershey, Bau 6 (Gustafsson, Labrie), 3:18. 2, Hershey, Barber 5 (Johansen, Gazley), 18:27. Penalties-Schneider Hfd (hooking), 4:24; Fogarty Hfd (hooking), 10:06; Peluso Her (roughing), 12:29; Sproul Hfd (tripping), 14:15.
2nd Period-3, Hershey, Sill 1 (Labrie), 7:08 (SH). 4, Hershey, M. Mitchell 1 15:04. Penalties-Williams Her (slashing), 6:58.
3rd Period-5, Hartford, Tambellini 6 (Fogarty, Pedrie), 17:13. Penalties-Lewington Her (slashing), 5:55; Siegenthaler Her (slashing), 8:27; Schneider Hfd (cross-checking), 8:27; Langlois Her (tripping), 17:34.
Shots on Goal-Hershey 17-6-7-30. Hartford 7-5-16-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Hershey 0 / 3; Hartford 0 / 4.
Goalies-Hershey, Vanecek 1-1-0 (28 shots-27 saves). Hartford, Nell 4-5-0 (22 shots-18 saves); Georgiev 3-5-3 (8 shots-8 saves).
A-4,571
Referees-Mackenzie Nichol (68), Evgenii Romasko (39).
Linesmen-Glen Cooke (6), Kyle Richetelle (47).