The Hartford Wolf Pack hosted the Lehigh Valley Phantoms yesterday in the first of two meetings between the teams this weekend. It was a special teams showcase for Hartford, who cruised to a 7-3 win.
A Special Start
The Wolf Pack had an uncharacteristically slow start tonight. Sloppy turnovers at the blue lines caused Hartford to concede eight of the first nine shots on goal. A hooking penalty to Emil Andrae gave them some life. However, Hartford wouldn’t strike until they were on the penalty kill.
Matt Rempe took a tripping minor at 13:24, giving the Phantoms their first powerplay opportunity of the night. The kill was strong, allowing no shots on goal. In the tail end of the Phantoms’ man advantage, Brandon Scanlin flipped the puck out of the Hartford zone. Riley Nash won a footrace to the puck and undressed Cal Petersen to break the ice.
Nash’s goal completely changed the energy of the game. Hartford seized control, peppering Petersen through the remainder of the period. Helge Grans was whistled for tripping at 15:39, giving Hartford their second powerplay opportunity of the game. This time, they would convert, as Adam Sýkora scored a highlight reel goal. Sýkora grabbed the rebound from a Ryder Korczak shot and, while spinning out, tucked it just inside the post.
Anton Blidh was the next Wolf Pack player to strike. Petersen took a tripping minor, and Olle Lycksell served the penalty. Korczak aimed to set up Sýkora down low, but the sharp angle shot was denied. Blidh never gave up on the play, tucking the rebound home to push the lead to three.
Hartford took the 3-0 lead into the second period, but the special teams would strike one more time. Andrae was whistled again, this time for delay of game, at 4:15 of the second. Brennan Othmann held the puck in the right circle with room to shoot. However, the rookie forward sent a pass down low to Nash, who deflected it into the net.
No Chance at a Comeback
The Phantoms attempted to claw themselves back into the game later in the middle stanza. Lehigh Valley scored two goals in quick succession to cut the Hartford lead in half. Jon-Randall Avon ended the shutout bid, dangling the puck into the slot and snapping a quick shot by Louis Domingue at 10:51. Ronnie Attard followed up at 12:10, ripping a wrist shot by the glove of Domingue to cut the lead in half.
The comeback bid would end there, however. Othmann collected the puck in the right circle, waited out a dive from Adam Ginning, and went bar down over Petersen to put Hartford back up by three. It was the sixth goal of the year for Othmann, and his third in the last two games.
Sýkora potted his second goal of the night to cap off the second period. Sýkora grabbed the rebound of a shot from Blidh and backhanded it into the net to reinstate the four-goal lead. It was Sýkora’s first multi-goal game in the American Hockey League.
A Finish to Remember
Hartford capped of their scoring with another powerplay goal. This time it was Ryder Korczak who found twine, ripping a shot from the right circle past Petersen. It was the Wolf Pack’s fourth powerplay goal of the game, the first time the powerplay has struck four times in a game this season. The last time Hartford scored four powerplay goals was on March 24th, 2023, when they scored four in the third period to score a 6-5 comeback win over Springfield.
A large scrum at 12:03 caused a number of penalties. Matt Rempe, Matej Pekar, Brendan Furry, and Wade Allison all took roughing minors, and Korczak was whistled for lifting the stick. This gave Lehigh Valley a powerplay opportunity, and Samu Tuomaala converted for his fifth goal of the year. The scoring ended there, however, and the Wolf Pack earned a 7-3 win.
Sý-score-a and Score-czak
Adam Sýkora and Ryder Korczak led the Wolf Pack in scoring, recording four and three points, respectively. Sýkora tallied two goals and two assists, and the game was his first multi-goal game in the AHL. Korczak recorded a goal and two assists, his first multi-point game in the AHL.
Speaking to AHL News Now after the game, Sýkora was quick to credit his teammates, especially his linemates Anton Blidh and Karl Henriksson, for his scoring success. “My teammates are really helping me score. We’re making a nice line with Blidher and Karl Henriksson, all the European guys. They’re helping me every night,” Sýkora said to AHL News Now. “We’re friends off the ice. We’re forechecking hard, playing physically. It’s nice chemistry.”
Meanwhile, Korczak told AHL News Now that recording his first multi-point game feels good. “It’s what I’m used to…from four or five years in juniors. Definitely feels nice to get a bit of a reward tonight.”
Nash Notches Points Nightly
Riley Nash is going streaking. The veteran forward is on an eight-game point streak, tied for the second-longest streak by a Wolf Pack player this season. In those eight games, Nash has recorded eleven points, totaling four goals and seven assists. Nash has also recorded the game-winning goal in back-to-back games. With Jonny Brodzinski unavailable due to recall, Nash will continue to be a pivotal part of the Wolf Pack offense.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack host a rematch with the Phantoms tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm. Hartford will end their homestand on Wednesday, welcoming the Cleveland Monsters. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
