Wolf Pack Tie Franchise-Record Shots-against Mark in Win
Mar 15, 2015The Wolf Pack tied a franchise record Sunday against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA, allowing the Penguins only 13 shots on goal in a 5-2 Wolf Pack win.
The victory gave the Wolf Pack a perfect weekend, as the Pack also won road games Friday night, 2-1 in overtime at Springfield, and Saturday night, 4-3 in Binghamton.
The Wolf Pack, who got two goals from Chris Bourque and the winning goal and an assist from Conor Allen, outshot Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 40-13. The victory improved Hartford’s record on the year to 33-21-5-3 for 74 points, and moved the Wolf Pack into a tie with the Portland Pirates for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
“Overall game effort, structure, everything, it was one of our best games of the year,” Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander said. “It was a huge six points, a huge weekend for us, and I’m real pleased with our team this weekend.”
The Wolf Pack controlled the first period to the tune of a 13-3 shots advantage, and came out of the first with a 2-0 lead.
Oscar Lindberg opened the scoring on a Wolf Pack power play at 11:57, just five seconds after Barry Goers was sent off for cross-checking. Chris Bourque passed from the right point across to Chris Mueller in the left circle, and he sent the puck to the front of the net. Both Carl Klingberg and Lindberg got whacks at it, and Lindberg was able to poke it past Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Jeff Zatkoff (35 saves).
Michael Kostka scored his fifth of the season to make it 2-0 Wolf Pack with 1:06 left in the period. Allen sent the puck from the left point to his defense partner Kostka on the other side, and Kostka’s quick shot went through a Marek Hrivik screen and eluded Zatkoff.
The Wolf Pack would go on to get two more in the second before the Penguins could get on the board, and Allen scored Hartford’s second power-play goal of the game at 9:10 of the middle frame. Hrivik again helped out with a screen, preventing Zatkoff from seeing Allen’s long, hard shot from the middle of the blue line.
Chris Bourque then connected for his 23rd goal of the season at 17:03. Brother Ryan Bourque stole the puck from the Penguin defense down low in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton zone, and Chris Bourque backhanded it in behind a sprawling Zatkoff.
Just 17 seconds after that, though, at 17:20, Josh Archibald cut the margin to 4-1, lifting the puck high into the net past Wolf Pack goaltender Jeff Malcolm (11 saves), off of a pass from Pierre-Luc Leblond.
The Wolf Pack again had a big shots advantage in the second, 18-7, making the total edge 31-10 through 40 minutes.
Shot totals were 9-3 in favor of the Wolf Pack in the third, but the Penguins were able to cut the margin to two on a power play at 5:20, on Jayson Megna’s 19th goal of the season. Conor Sheary played the puck out of the right-wing corner to Megna in the slot, and his quick shot beat Malcolm to the stick side.
That would be as close as the Penguins could get, though, and Chris Bourque would ice the game with an empty-net goal, his 24th goal of the season, at 18:44.
The Wolf Pack’s next action is a home game this Friday, March 20, when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms invade the XL Center for a 7:00 game. As at all Friday-night Wolf Pack games, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs an $2 beers through the start of the second period.
Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the Agera Energy 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 Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.
Hartford Wolf Pack 5 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2
Sunday, March 15, 2015 - Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Hartford 2 2 1 - 5
W-B/Scranton 0 1 1 - 2
1st Period-1, Hartford, Lindberg 19 (Klingberg, Mueller), 11:57 (PP). 2, Hartford, Kostka 5 (Allen, Hrivik), 18:54. Penalties-Vaive Hfd (hooking), 8:50; Goers Wbs (cross-checking), 11:52.
2nd Period-3, Hartford, Allen 11 (Haggerty, Hrivik), 9:10 (PP). 4, Hartford, Bourque 23 (R. Bourque), 17:03. 5, W-B/Scranton, Archibald 5 (Letourneau-Leblond), 17:20. Penalties-Wilson Wbs (double minor - high-sticking), 2:46; Archibald Wbs (slashing), 7:23; McIlrath Hfd (holding), 19:00.
3rd Period-6, W-B/Scranton, Megna 19 (Sheary, Wilson), 5:20 (PP). 7, Hartford, Bourque 24 (Mueller), 18:44 (EN). Penalties-Crabb Hfd (hooking), 1:01; Summers Hfd (high-sticking), 5:29; Payerl Wbs (kneeing), 5:29; Allen Hfd (roughing), 7:59.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 13-18-9-40. W-B/Scranton 3-7-3-13.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 5; W-B/Scranton 1 / 5.
Goalies-Hartford, Malcolm 6-3-0 (13 shots-11 saves). W-B/Scranton, Zatkoff 14-12-3 (39 shots-35 saves).
A-6,962
Referees-Kendrick Nicholson (44), Tim Mayer (19).
Linesmen-Scott Pomento (25), Jud Ritter (34).