HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack continued their playoff chase on Saturday night, hosting the Milwaukee Admirals in a rare matchup. The Wolf Pack aimed to win their second game in as many days. Meanwhile, the Admirals sought revenge for last Saturday’s loss to the Wolf Pack in Wisconsin.
Ultimately, 60 minutes was not enough to decide a winner in this contest. Nicolas Aubé-Kubel played the role of hero, snapping home the game-winning goal to deliver the extra point to the Wolf Pack.
Goaltending Greatness
The goaltenders told the story through the first 40 minutes of action. Dylan Garand made 13 saves in the opening frame, while Magnus Chrona responded with 11. Each side earned a power-play bid in the opening frame, but the penalty-killing units prevented the icebreaker.
Chrona got the larger workload in the middle frame, turning aside nine shots from the Wolf Pack. At the other end of the ice, Garand denied all six bids he faced from Milwaukee. Each side earned two more power-play chances in the period. Once again, they failed to capitalize on the man advantages, sending the game into the second intermission with the score knotted at zero.
Brandon Breaks the Ice
Just 19 seconds into the third period, the Wolf Pack grabbed the lead. Hartford won the opening draw, and Connor Mackey flipped the puck into the Milwaukee zone. Blade Jenkins corralled it into the right corner before tapping it along the boards to Bryce McConnell-Barker. After shielding the puck from an Admiral, McConnell-Barker moved up the wall and found Brandon Scanlin at the blue line. Scanlin grabbed the feed before flinging a shot that sailed through traffic and by Chrona to give the Wolf Pack the game’s first lead.
The goal was Scanlin’s seventh of the year and his second point in as many nights.
The Wolf Pack hung onto the lead for much of the remaining time. However, with 3:07 to play and a draw in the Wolf Pack zone coming up, Milwaukee elected to lift Chrona for the extra skater. The sixth man allowed the Admirals to get an extended sequence in the Wolf Pack zone. Eventually, the Hartford defense broke down, and Grigori Denisenko fired a shot that beat Garand up high to even the score at one. The goal eventually sent the contest to overtime.
A NAK for Scoring
The Wolf Pack controlled the extra session. They nearly earned the win when Noah Laba got a partial breakaway, but he couldn’t get the shot off.
Eventually, Mackey settled the puck behind his own net and sent a pass to Aubé-Kubel. The veteran forward gained speed, working through the neutral zone and into Milwaukee territory. Aubé-Kubel eventually danced into the high slot before sniping a shot by Chrona to deliver the extra point to the Wolf Pack.
“I was kinda lucky it went five hole, and the goalie wasn’t ready for it,” Aubé-Kubel told The Calder Times following the contest. “Usually, I aim a little more high. Super glad it worked out.”
When asked about Aubé-Kubel’s play in his first three games with Hartford, Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny told The Calder Times, “Once you get traded, it’s not always easy. It takes a couple times to get a feel for the coach, get a feel for the guys in the room. Hopefully, he’s starting to come into his own now, ’cause he’s an important player for us.”
Scoreboard Watching
As the Wolf Pack are currently outside of the playoff picture looking in, they’ve been doing a lot of scoreboard watching lately to determine whether or not they’ll have a chance to return to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Wolf Pack are currently chasing their fierce rivals, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Springfield burned two of their games in hand with losses to Providence last weekend and Hershey on Wednesday. Milwaukee beat the T-Birds on Friday, while Bridgeport upset them on Saturday. With the Wolf Pack winning both contests this weekend, they now sit five points behind the Thunderbirds for the final Calder Cup Playoff spot in the Atlantic Division with nine games to play.
It’s quite the reversal of fortunes for both teams. Springfield looked destined for the playoffs not long ago, while Hartford was likely to miss out. Now, the Wolf Pack find themselves squarely within striking distance of their rivals from up I-91.
For now, they’re still on the outside looking in. But if current trends continue, the final stretch will get much more interesting.
Buckle up.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack will embark on a six-game road trip starting Wednesday when they visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm.
