HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Lehigh Valley Phantoms met at the XL Center on Friday night for their second of six matchups this season. Hartford aimed to even the series with the Phantoms after dropping the first matchup 4-3 in a shootout.
For the second time in the season series, 60 minutes was not enough to determine a winner. However, unlike the first matchup, this one didn’t require a shootout. Bo Groulx played hero on this night, scoring the game winner in overtime to help the Wolf Pack stay unbeaten at home.
BB-8 Points in 5 Games
The Atlantic Division Rivals swapped chances to start the contest. Lehigh Valley got a great look early with a 3-on-2 rush, but Dylan Garand blocked the bid. The Phantoms overcommitted on the forecheck, setting up a rush the other way.
Brett Berard tapped the puck away from a Phantom, and Nathan Sucese collected it at center ice. Sucese sent it back to Berard, who immediately slipped it to Groulx. Berard powered to the slot, where Groulx fed him. Berard went to the backhand and crossed up Alexei Kolosov to break the ice.
The goal was Berard’s fifth in as many games, and his seventh point on the season. Berard would later add an assist – you’ll be able to read about it in a little while!
Returning to the action, the Phantoms tied the contest exactly eleven minutes into the game. A defensive miscue left Rodrigo Abols alone in front of Garand. Abols snapped a shot by the Hartford netminder to even the score. The game remained even at one heading into the first intermission.
Robo Calls His Shot
The Phantoms took their only lead of the contest in the middle frame. Jon-Randall Avon attempted to set up Elliot Desnoyers on the doorstep, but Garand made the initial save. The puck pinballed around the blue paint and landed on the stick of Oscar Eklind, who cleaned up the loose change to put Lehigh Valley on top.
Once again, the Wolf Pack found the equalizer. Jake Leschyshyn won a key faceoff in the offensive zone, and Brandon Scanlin controlled the puck. Scanlin slipped the puck to his defensive partner Matthew Robertson, who walked down the right wall. Robertson flung a shot on net that pinged off the post and into the net to tie the game at two.
Late in the period, a scrum ensued, with Casey Fitzgerald and Anthony Richard at the center of it. As a result, the men earned matching roughing minors, with Richard picking up an extra penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. However, the Wolf Pack were unable to capitalize on the late penalty, and the teams went into the second break tied at two.
Leschyshyn LeShorthanded
The Wolf Pack were sent back to the penalty kill just 39 seconds into the third period, with Berard heading off for tripping. However, it would be Hartford that struck first.
Helge Grans aimed to set up a play, but the Lehigh Valley blueliner fumbled the puck. Adam Sýkora batted the puck out of the Hartford zone, allowing Leschyshyn to grab it and speed away on a breakaway. Leschyshyn ripped a shot that beat Kolosov, but officials deemed it no goal. However, after review, the veteran forward was awarded his first goal of the year, and Hartford had the lead once again.
The Phantoms, enraged from giving up the shorty, immediately answered back. Richard set up Samu Tuomaala in the circle, and the Finn blasted a one-timer by Garand to even the score.
The Wolf Pack would be shorthanded two more times in regulation, with Ryder Korczak called for hooking and Jaroslav ChmelaÅ™ taking a high-sticking minor. However, the penalty-killing unit was up to the task, denying the Phantoms from grabbing the lead. Eventually, the clock hit zero with the teams tied at three apiece. As a result, the Atlantic Division foes required overtime for the second straight meeting.
Go Home Groulx
Emil Andrae got the first bid in the extra frame, dancing through the Wolf Pack defense and to the front of the net. However, the puck rolled off his stick before he could take a shot. Andrae attempted a backward pass, but no Phantoms were in the area. Berard was, however, and he sped away on a breakaway.
Berard’s shot went wide, but Fitzgerald shielded a Phantom and allowed Berard to regain control of the puck. Berard found Groulx in front of the net, who beat Kolosov through the five-hole to secure the win for the Wolf Pack.
“Honestly, I thought the puck was gonna get stuck in [Kosolov’s] stick, cause the stick was flat on the ice,” Groulx told The Calder Times after the win. “Found a hole, and I was pretty happy.”
The French forward later joked, “It’s actually funny, me and Brett were talking after the second [period]. I think [his goal] was his first five-hole goal, and I told him, ‘oh, I can never score five-hole, it’s impossible.’ Here we are scoring two goals on [the] five hole.”
Groulx’s first five-hole goal kept the Wolf Pack perfect at home on the season. They’ve posted a 3-0-0-0 record at the XL Center thus far.
The Return of Rempe
Late Thursday night, the New York Rangers assigned forward Matt Rempe to the Wolf Pack. Rempe drew right into the lineup, playing in his first AHL game since February 10th against Providence.
Rempe skated as the center of the second line and saw time on both the power play and penalty kill. Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny was impressed with Rempe’s performance, telling The Calder Times, “I thought Matt was good [tonight]. We used him on the power play, penalty kill. He played about 16 and a half minutes. I thought he played very well, did a good job [on] both special teams, was good in the dot.”
Rempe often saw minimal ice time in New York, and played in just two games this season before being assigned to Hartford. With the Wolf Pack, he’ll get a chance to see more playing time and work his way back to the NHL.
Adding Chad
On Friday afternoon, the Rangers assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to the Wolf Pack after waiving him the day prior. The move was made thanks to the emergence of rookie defenseman Victor Mancini at the NHL level.
In Ruhwedel, the Wolf Pack are adding experience. Ruhwedel has played 576 games between the NHL and AHL levels. For a relatively young blueline group, that experience will be paramount. The Wolf Pack are also adding a champion – Ruhwedel won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-17.
Ruhwedel didn’t play Friday, but he’ll be an option moving forward for Hartford.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack finish off their weekend today, hosting the Springfield Thunderbirds in a matinee matchup. Puck drop is set for 4:00 pm.
