HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack entered play Sunday aiming to keep their record perfect on home ice. In their first three games at the XL Center, the Pack put up a 3-0-0-0 record.
However, the visiting Springfield Thunderbirds had other plans. Springfield exploded for five goals and Colten Ellis made 27 saves as the T-Birds snapped Hartford’s perfect record at home.
Keep Bo-ing
The Wolf Pack drew first blood in the contest. Springfield got an early power play as Brett Berard went off for cross-checking. However, Hartford killed off the minor penalty.
Hartford attempted to clear the zone, but Hunter Skinner intercepted the puck at neutral ice. Skinner tapped the puck to Dylan Peterson, who took a shot that went wide of the Hartford net. Jaroslav Chmelař corralled the loose puck and sprung Berard and Bo Groulx on an odd-man rush. Groulx elected to shoot and ripped a shot by Ellis to give the Wolf Pack the game’s first lead. The goal was Groulx’s second in as many games, and it gave the Wolf Pack the game’s first lead.
The Thunderbirds tied the contest about three minutes later. Drew Callin attempted a wraparound that seemed to sneak by Louis Domingue, but officials called it no goal. Sam Bitten buried the rebound, guaranteeing the score. Callin would later be credited with the tally after a review.
The Wolf Pack got a pair of power play bids late in the frame. However, they couldn’t pull ahead, and the teams went into the first break tied at one.
Springfield Soars Away
Early in the middle frame, Brandon Scanlin and Reece Newkirk brought some fireworks. The two dropped the gloves for an entertaining scrap just over five minutes into the frame.
However, following the brawl, Springfield took the lead for good. Dalibor Dvorsky put the T-Birds on top, sneaking the puck by Domingue during a scramble in front of the Hartford net. Just over two minutes later, Tanner Dickinson rifled a shot over Domingue from the top of the slot to double the lead.
A tripping call against Hugh McGing roughly two minutes after Dickinson’s tally gave the Wolf Pack the opportunity to cut the lead back to one. However, they once again could not cash in on the man advantage, and the Thunderbirds took a two-goal lead into the second intermission.
Just nine seconds into the third period, Marcus Sylvegard beat Domingue on the backdoor to push the Springfield lead to three goals. Skinner capped off Springfield’s scoring, ripping a shot over Domingue’s shoulder to provide the Thunderbirds with their biggest lead of the night.
Roobroeck’s in the Record Books
The Wolf Pack got one back midway through the third period. Ben Harpur held the puck in the high slot and snapped a shot on goal. The puck hit a T-Bird in front of the net and landed in the slot. Dylan Roobroeck, positioned in front of the net, jammed the loose puck through the five-hole, potting his first professional goal and point.
Fellow rookie Bryce McConnell-Barker also earned his first professional point on the play, notching the secondary assist.
However, Roobroeck’s tally would cap off the scoring in this contest, and the Wolf Pack fell 5-2 to their rivals.
After the contest, Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny stressed that his team needs to be better at preventing chances and goals in future contests. “The thing for us is, as a team, is we gotta be able to win games 2-1, 3-2,” Potulny told The Calder Times on Sunday. “As much as we love to score, we’re not gonna be able to continue a pace of 4, 5, 6 [goals per game]…it’s just not feasible over the course of the year.”
Up Next
The Wolf Pack cap off their three-game home stand tonight, hosting the Grand Rapids Griffins for the first meeting between the teams since the 2022-23 season. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
The Wolf Pack hit the road this weekend, visiting the Syracuse Crunch on Friday and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday. Friday’s puck drop is set for 7:00 pm, while Saturday’s game is set for a 6:05 start.
