The Hartford Wolf Pack welcomed the Providence Bruins to the XL Center on Thanksgiving Eve. The Atlantic Division rivals played a back-and-forth contest, but a four-goal third period ultimately helped Hartford pull out a wild 6-4 win.
A Quick Start
The contest didn’t stay scoreless for long. Just 30 seconds into the opening period, Providence took the game’s first lead. Marc McLaughlin broke the ice, scoring on the game’s very first shot. With Riley Nash and Zach Berzolla taking back-to-back minor penalties, it looked like Hartford was off to a very bad start. However, a pair of successful penalty kills allowed the Wolf Pack to settle in and begin playing their game.
Hartford had some dangerous chances, but they finally evened things up with just 2.7 seconds remaining in the first period. Karl Henriksson scored his second goal in as many games, deflecting a Mac Hollowell pass by Michael DiPietro evening the score just before the first intermission.
Providence Pulls Away
The Wolf Pack kept the pressure on to start the middle stanza. Jonny Brodzinski stayed hot by ripping home his team-leading eleventh goal and 19th point of the season at 1:46. It looked as though Hartford had the momentum on their side coming out of the first intermission.
However, the tides quickly turned in favor of the Bruins. Luke Toporowski converted a two-on-one chance, firing a shot that hit the post and ricocheted into the Hartford net to tie the game at two. The post was unforgiving to the Wolf Pack in this contest. Anton Blidh had a dangerous chance while shorthanded, but his shot clipped the post and the game remained tied.
The post further proved it has a sick sense of humor eleven minutes later. Michael Callahan fired a shot into traffic in front of the Hartford net. Dylan Garand never saw the puck as it hit the post and bounced over the red line, and the Bruins were finally back in front.
The Bruins doubled their lead 40 seconds later. Trevor Kuntar took a shot that deflected off Garand’s right pad. However, Joey Abate grabbed the rebound and buried it into the back of the net in one swift motion. Providence took a 4-2 lead into the final stanza.
The Comeback Kids
Things turned in Hartford’s favor near the midway point of the third period. Dan Renouf took a tripping minor at 7:16, and Callahan was whistled for hooking at 8:37. The penalties gave Hartford 39 seconds of five-on-three hockey, and they cashed in. Nash screened DiPietro, allowing a point shot from Alex Belzile to light the lamp. With just over eleven minutes remaining, Hartford trailed by one.
The Wolf Pack earned a bench minor for too many men at 10:05, and Brennan Othmann served the penalty. Hartford killed the penalty and Othmann exited the box. Brodzinski bounced a pass off the wall, setting up Othmann on a partial breakaway. The rookie forward sped into the offensive zone and slid the puck through the five-hole to even the score. It was Othmann’s first goal at the XL Center this season, and snapped a 14-game goal drought.
The score remained deadlocked at four apiece for another seven minutes. Providence had two powerplay opportunities, with Nikolas Brouillard whistled for tripping and Brodzinski taking an elbowing minor, but they couldn’t convert.
However, things finally changed in the final minute of action. With 49 seconds remaining, Alec Regula was whistled for interference. The Wolf Pack went to the powerplay, which could’ve lasted into overtime.
Hartford didn’t need overtime. Hollowell took a shot from the point that DiPietro denied. Belzile collected the rebound and snapped a shot past a diving DiPietro to send the XL Center into a frenzy. Officials reviewed the goal, as the net was partially dislodged; however, the call was confirmed, and the Wolf Pack had the lead with 43.6 seconds remaining in the game.
The Bruins pulled DiPietro, seeking the equalizer. However, Adam Edström delivered the dagger, hitting the empty net. Seven seconds later, Hartford secured the comeback win.
Special Teams Success
Special teams played a huge role in the Wolf Pack’s dramatic win. Providence went 0/6 on the man advantage, while Hartford converted on two powerplay opportunities, one of which stood as the game-winner.
Brennan Othmann had praise for the powerplay group in his postgame press conference. “You look at a lot of powerplays in the NHL right now and those guys have been with each other for three plus years…this unit is a brand new unit,” Othmann said. “It’s four new guys and Jonny. This is our 16th game together. Considering we’ve played that little hockey together, I think our chemistry has been good, and it’s gonna continue to get better.”
Interim head coach Steve Smith had similar sentiments. “[Wolf Pack assistant coach] Jamie Tardif has done an amazing job with them. The attention to detail is second to none and the guys have really bought in to what he’s selling,” Smith remarked.
On the subject of the penalty kill, Smith thought the first two kills were poor, but Dylan Garand “saved our bacon.” Smith saw improvements in the last four kills, especially against a skilled Providence team. It speaks to the skill of this Hartford group when the coach describes two penalty kills as “poor”, yet the group doesn’t let up a goal. In fact, Hartford has not allowed a powerplay goal since November 12th, Smith’s first game as interim bench boss.
Return of the Mac
Mac Hollowell returned to the lineup on Wednesday, skating in his first game since November 10th at Bridgeport. Hollowell instantly made an impact, recording four assists in the comeback victory. It was the first four-point game of Hollowell’s career.
Smith had a lot of praise for Hollowell during his postgame press conference. Smith said, “He transports pucks. He gets back for the puck quickly, he gets the puck out of our zone. It makes a big difference for our team. We spend less time in our end when he’s on the ice.”
Hollowell has recorded 14 points this season, tallying one goal and 13 assists. He’s already bested his point total from a season ago. Hollowell will continue to provide a steady two-way presence on the Hartford blue line.
A Win by Committee
Hollowell was not the only Wolf Pack player to have a multi-point performance. Jonny Brodzinski (1 G, 2 A) and Alex Belzile (2 G, 1 A) each recorded three points, and Brennan Othmann (1 G, 1 A) recorded two points. Smith called the win “a win by committee.” Othmann made similar statements, saying the win was “a really good team performance. We didn’t play up to our standards tonight…but, a good team like we have, we find a way to win.”
Up Next
The Wolf Pack travel up I-91 to renew their rivalry with the Springfield Thunderbirds tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm. The Wolf Pack return to Hartford tomorrow, hosting the Belleville Senators at the XL Center for the only time this season. Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm.
