HARTFORD, CT – Hockey made a triumphant return to the XL Center on Friday Night. The Hartford Wolf Pack hosted their home opener, taking on the Springfield Thunderbirds in this season’s inaugural installment of the I-91 Rivalry. The Wolf Pack sought their first win of the season after falling to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in their season opener. The rival clubs played an eventful, entertaining contest. The Wolf Pack ultimately picked up a 6-5 win over their rivals from Western Massachusetts for their first win of the season.
Othmann Welcomes Hartford Home
Like many contests between Hartford and Springfield, things got off to a hot start. The T-Birds grabbed the game’s first lead just 2:01 into the contest. Nikita Alexandrov potted the icebreaker, taking advantage of a turnover in the Hartford zone and rifling a shot over the shoulder of Louis Domingue.
However, the Wolf Pack quickly responded. About two and a half minutes later, the Wolf Pack applied sustained pressure in the Springfield zone. A loose puck pinballed around the Springfield slot before Brennan Othmann took advantage. Othmann, stationed at the side of the net, corralled the puck and ripped it home to even the score at one.
Author’s Note: This, dear reader, is when I would insert a Twitter clip of Othmann’s goal for your viewing pleasure. Unfortunately for us, AHLTV on FloHockey was extremely uncooperative tonight. Therefore, I ask you to use your imagination. Imagine Brennan Othmann blasting home the first Wolf Pack goal in the XL Center this season. The crowd roars, Othmann and his teammates celebrate, Airbourne’s “Runnin’ Wild” blares…got the picture? Great. You’ll have to do that three more times – I hope you’re ready!
The Wolf Pack got their first of six power play opportunities just under a minute later, when Springfield was whistled for too many men on the ice. On the ensuing power play, Othmann once again stationed himself at the side of the net. Brett Berard slid the puck to Othmann, who buried it on the backdoor for his second goal of the contest.
Jaro Times Two
The Thunderbirds would even the score again 12:31 into the first period. The Wolf Pack once again turned the puck over in their zone. This time, Tarun Fizer snapped a shot over Domingue to draw the teams even again.
However, another Springfield penalty led to the Wolf Pack wrestling the lead back, this time for good. Former Wolf Pack defenseman Hunter Skinner was sent off for tripping. This time, Jaroslav Chmelař took advantage, burying a rebound to put the Wolf Pack back on top. The goal was Chmelař’s first point of an eventual three-point night.
Officials whistled Dylan Peterson for holding at 17:52, giving the Wolf Pack yet another power play bid. Springfield killed off the man advantage, but Hartford still found the back of the net. Jake Leschyshyn sent the puck to Adam Erne behind the Springfield net with the final seconds of the period ticking away. Erne attempted a centering feed for Chmelař. The puck ricocheted off Chmelař’s skate, popped over Vadim Zherenko, and somehow ended up in the back of the net. Officials reviewed the tally before ultimately awarding Chmelař his second goal of the night.
Author’s Note: We have a clip for this one! Please enjoy it thoroughly – it’s a ridiculous goal!
The goal gave Chmelař his first multi-goal and multi-point game in the American Hockey League. Hartford took the 4-2 lead into the first intermission.
The Birds Battle Back
Hartford gained their biggest lead of the night at 5:50 of the second period. An extended sequence in the Springfield zone ended with Connor Mackey with the puck. Mackey threaded a crisp cross-ice pass to fellow blueliner Brandon Scanlin. Scanlin fired a quick shot right into the corner of the net to put the Wolf Pack up three.
Author’s Note: Stay to the end of this clip. You’ll see the FloHockey issues that plagued us all night.
The T-Birds, however, simply wouldn’t go away. Dylan Peterson potted a pair of goals in the middle stanza to cut the lead back to one. For his first goal, Peterson broke towards the Hartford net on a partial odd-man rush. Peterson executed a slick toe-drag around a sliding Blake Hillman before ripping a shot by Domingue’s glove.
Roughly four minutes later, Peterson scored again. This time, he took a feed from Hugh McGing and flicked a quick shot by Domingue’s blocker. Suddenly, the Thunderbirds were right back in it.
PK Prowess
Three minutes after his second goal, Peterson briefly dropped the gloves with Ben Harpur. Both men were sent off for fighting, with Harpur earning an extra minor for roughing. This started a sequence of nearly six straight minutes of Hartford playing shorthanded.
Bryce McConnell-Barker served Harpur’s minor. Right before McConnell-Barker was due to exit the box, officials whistled Mackey for cross-checking. The T-Birds had a brief 5-on-3 bid, but couldn’t convert. However, with Mackey’s penalty time ticking down, Hillman earned a cross-checking minor of his own. Once again, Springfield couldn’t capitalize on the two-skater advantage, and Hartford eventually killed off the penalties.
“That was really good,” head coach Grant Potulny said of the Wolf Pack’s PK when speaking to The Calder Times after the game. “Special teams are so important, and tonight, they were the difference.”
A Great Insurance Policy
Hartford, Connecticut is known the Insurance Capital of the World. Major insurance companies like The Hartford and Aetna are headquartered in the Connecticut capital.
However, no insurance policy from either company is better than the one Berard provided midway through the third period. Chmelař sped towards the Springfield net and took a shot, but Zherenko denied the hat-trick bid. However, Berard was trailing behind Chmelař and cleaned up the loose change to give Hartford some breathing room.
The insurance goal ended up becoming the difference in this contest. Erne took a tripping minor at 12:22 of the third period. Dalibor Dvorsky converted just ten seconds later, sniping a shot by Domingue to cut the lead back to one.
Springfield pushed for the equalizer late, lifting Zherenko for the extra skater. However, Domingue and the Wolf Pack stood tall, hanging on for a 6-5 victory on home ice.
Milestone Night
The Wolf Pack had a few milestones to celebrate tonight. First, new head coach Grant Potulny picked up his first win as an AHL head coach.
“It’s good. It’d be nice to score six goals and not have to stress that hard,” Potulny joked to The Calder Times postgame. “Sometimes you gotta gut it out a bit, and it was one of those deals tonight.”
Additionally, goaltender Louis Domingue played his 200th AHL game tonight.
Domingue has spent 75 of those games with the Wolf Pack. He’s recorded 39 wins, five shutouts, and a goal in that time frame.
Erne Earns First Point
A cool moment came on Chmelař’s second goal. Adam Erne picked up the primary assist, his first point in a Wolf Pack uniform.
Erne is a Connecticut native, being raised in the New Haven area before moving to Los Angeles at 13 to chase his NHL dream. Erne returned to Connecticut on a professional tryout contract with the Wolf Pack this preseason. He’s still on that PTO, but he’s got his first points in a Wolf Pack uniform. The Wolf Pack would love another legitimate veteran option with Riley Nash out for a while – Erne could be that guy for them.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack host the Bridgeport Islanders in the first installment of the Battle of Connecticut tonight. Puck drop is set for 6:00 pm.
The Wolf Pack and Isles will have a matinee rematch tomorrow in Bridgeport. Puck drop is set for 3:00 pm.
