WOLF PACK’S POINT STREAK SNAPPED BY BRUINS IN 5-3 LOSS
Jan 20, 2023HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack hosted the Providence Bruins for the third straight meeting between the teams on Friday night in front of a raucous crowd of 7,032. The Pack’s seven-game point streak was snapped, however, as the Bruins scored three unanswered goals in the third period to earn a 5-3 victory.
Marc McLaughlin scored the deciding goal late in the third period. With Lauri Pajuniemi in the penalty box for interference, McLaughlin took a pass from Jack Achan and fired a shot just inside the post to put the Bruins on top 4-3. The goal capped a three-point night for McLaughlin and stood as the eventual game-winner.
For the third straight matchup between the two teams, the Bruins broke the ice in the first period. Kai Wissmann blocked a Wolf Pack pass, and McLaughlin collected the puck. McLaughlin tipped it to Jakub Lauko, who skated to the left face-off circle and snapped a shot over the glove of Louis Domingue to give the Bruins an early lead.
The Wolf Pack tied it up early in the second period. Keith Kinkaid went to settle the puck behind the Bruins’ goal, but a weird bounce led to Ryan Carpenter gaining possession. Carpenter sent a pass to Turner Elson who promptly lit the lamp to tie the game at one. The goal gave Elson his 21st point on the campaign, good for the team lead.
The Pack took the lead just over four minutes later. Pajuniemi took four shots during a Wolf Pack powerplay, with the first three failing to find twine. The fourth shot deflected off the stick of Will Cuylle and into the Providence net, giving the All-Star selection his team-leading twelfth goal of the season and the Pack their first lead of the game.
The Bruins would tie the game midway through the period. During a powerplay, Mike Reilly fired a pass to a cutting Vinni Lettieri, who deflected the puck toward the Hartford net. The initial call was no goal, but after a lengthy review, the officials reversed the decision and awarded Lettieri his team-leading 14th goal of the campaign, tying the score once again.
Karl Henriksson reinstated the Hartford lead to begin the third period. Domingue stopped an errant puck in front of the Hartford net and sent a pass down the ice toward Bobby Trivigno. Trivigno settled the puck and sent a backward pass to Henriksson, who blasted home his third goal of the campaign to put the Pack back on top.
From there, the Bruins would rattle off three unanswered goals. First, Luke Toporowski was awarded a penalty shot after being slashed on a breakaway opportunity. Toporowski skated to the left circle, swung towards the crease, and flipped a backhand shot over the stick of Domingue to tie the game at three.
McLaughlin lit the lamp at 16:46, putting Providence back in the lead for good.
Oskar Steen added an insurance goal late in the final stanza. With the extra skater on the ice for the Wolf Pack, Steen corralled the puck deep in Hartford territory and scored on the empty net. The Bruins would hang on for the final 40 seconds, cementing a 5-3 victory.
The Wolf Pack return to the ice tomorrow night, as the Rochester Americans make their only visit to the XL Center this season. The puck drop is set for 6:00 pm. To get tickets, 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.