HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack kicked off a five-game road trip on Wednesday. The Wolf Pack visited the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as they continued to chase a spot in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Atlantic Division rivals played a thrilling back-and-forth contest. Ultimately, 60 minutes would not be enough to decide a winner. It would be the Penguins who walked away with the extra point, scoring in the final seconds of the extra session to take a 4-3 decision.
Belzy Does It Himself
The Penguins opened the scoring just over eleven minutes into the contest. Nate Clurman took a shot that Dylan Garand turned aside. However, Valtteri Puustinen buried the rebound to give the Penguins the game’s first lead.
A cross-checking call against Jake Leschyshyn at 13:56 gave the Penguins their first power play bid of the contest. However, it would be the Wolf Pack who found the back of the net. Alex Belzile forced a turnover at the Hartford blueline and moved up the ice with Dylan Roobroeck. The two entered Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s territory before the veteran forward elected to shoot. Belzile ripped said shot past Sergei Murashov to tie the game at one.
The goal broke a seven-game goalless drought for Belzile, who is now tied for the team lead in goals with 17.
However, the Penguins would respond just 48 seconds later. With Leschyshyn still in the box, Avery Hayes took a feed in the slot before ripping a shot off the post and past Garand. The Penguins took the 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
10 Goal Jaro
The Wolf Pack tied the contest early in the middle stanza. With the Wolf Pack in their own zone, Jaroslav Chmelař poked the puck away from a pair of forechecking Penguins. Chmelař then turned on the jets, collecting the loose change and speeding towards Murashov. Chmelař capped off the sequence by snapping a shot by Murashov, tying the game at two.
It was the tenth goal of the campaign for Chmelař, making him the seventh Wolf Pack player to hit that milestone.
Rock On, Brisson
The Wolf Pack took their first lead of the night in the final minutes of the middle stanza. With Anton Blidh in the box for roughing, Murashov flung the puck over the glass and out of play, initiating a four-on-four sequence. The Wolf Pack got a partial power play bid after Blidh’s penalty expired.
During the man advantage, Nathan Sucese held the puck along the right wall before finding Connor Mackey at the blue line. Mackey fired a long shot on net and Brendan Brisson got a piece of it. The deflection beat Murashov to put the Wolf Pack in front for the first time on the night.
The goal was Brisson’s first as a member of the Wolf Pack, and Hartford took the 3-2 lead into the second intermission.
However, the Penguins tied the game at three just 28 seconds into the third frame. Sebastian Aho stretched a pass for Ville Koivunen, and the Finnish forward stuffed the puck by Garand to even the score once again.
Despite numerous looks for both sides, neither could score in the remainder of regulation time. As a result, the teams went to overtime.
Picking Up Points
The division foes once again traded chances in the bonus frame. Mackey made a slick move to get a prime chance on Murashov, but the netminder made the stop.
Eventually, Hayes earned a breakaway bid. With the final seconds ticking off the clock, Hayes slipped the puck under the pad of Garand to deliver the extra point and the win to the Penguins.
At a time like this, when the Wolf Pack are currently on the outside looking in, it’s hard to take moral victories. However, the Wolf Pack should not be upset with the way they played last night.
Does it suck to not earn the extra point? Absolutely. But taking one point from a Penguins team that’s had their number all year is a big deal. Just two weeks ago, this Wolf Pack team sat nine points behind sixth-place Springfield, who had three games in hand. Now, however, they sit just four points back of the T-Birds. The Wolf Pack’s fortunes have quickly turned, and the playoff bid that seemed impossible not long ago is now a real possibility.
I ask you again, Wolf Pack fans – buckle up.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack will visit the Providence Bruins on Saturday, continuing their five-game road trip. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm.
