WOLF PACK FALL TO BRUINS 2-1 IN OVERTIME
Nov 19, 2021HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack battled back in the third period for the second time in as many tries in Providence on Friday night, but this time the Pack were unable to complete the comeback in a 2-1 overtime defeat at the hands of the Providence Bruins.
Steven Fogarty sent a pass to Oskar Steen early in the three-on-three overtime in the Hartford zone. Steen, in scoring position, displayed great patience in waiting out Adam Huska before snapping home his sixth goal of the season just 26 seconds into overtime to give the Bruins the 2-1 victory.
For the second game in a row, goals were hard to come by for both the Wolf Pack and the Bruins. The Bruins opened the scoring on this night, getting the ice breaker 8:48 into the contest. Aaron Ness fired a shot from the point that Huska denied, but Jesper Froden pounced on the rebound and buried his third goal of the season to get the Bruins on the board.
The second period didn’t see any goals but did see the Wolf Pack penalty kill go to work. Patrick Khodorenko and Lauri Pajuniemi took back-to-back penalties at 7:05 and 10:59 of the period, forcing the Pack to test one of the league’s top PK units. Luckily for Hartford, they were up to the task. The Pack successfully killed off both minors.
Hartford finally broke out offensively early in the third period. Tanner Fritz fired the puck into the slot area from below the goal line. Ty Ronning was in the neighborhood and fired a backhander by Bruins’ starter Troy Grosenick at 5:03 to even the game. The goal was Ronning’s fifth of the season, while Fritz picked up his sixth assist of the campaign.
The Wolf Pack got a late chance on the powerplay, thanks to a cross-checking penalty taken by Urho Vaakanainen, but were unable to convert.
In overtime, the Wolf Pack were never able to break into the offensive zone, as the Bruins converted their first chance at the 26 second mark thanks to Steen’s patience and finish.
The loss snaps the Wolf Pack’s three-game winning streak, but the club’s point streak lives on and is extended to four games. These two teams will meet again on Friday, December 3rd back in Providence.
The Pack is back at the XL Center tomorrow night when they play host to the Hershey Bears for the first time this season. Saturday is also ‘Hockey Fights Cancer’ night at the XL Center. Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm. For tickets, please visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.