HARTFORD, CT – They say all good things must come to an end. Unfortunately for the Hartford Wolf Pack, that includes their four-game win streak, as they fell to the Springfield Thunderbirds 5-2 on Saturday night. It was Hartford’s first loss of the 2023-24 campaign.
Adam Gaudette broke the ice in an otherwise quiet first period. Officials sent Bobby Trivigno to the penalty box for hooking at 8:04 of the first. The Wolf Pack were eight seconds away from killing the minor penalty, but Gaudette’s one-timer from the slot prevented the kill and gave Springfield a lead they wouldn’t lose.
Second Period PenaltyMania
A half-hour drive on Interstate 91 is all that separates the Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds, giving the rivalry between the two teams its “I-91 Rivalry” name. The disdain the two foes have for each other became evident in the second period. In total, officials handed out nine penalties and 18 penalty minutes.
Mikhail Abramov got things started in the second, converting on an odd-man rush with a blast past the glove of Hartford netminder Louis Domingue to stretch the Springfield lead to two at 3:14.
Six seconds later, Keean Washkurak was called for interference. The Wolf Pack peppered Springfield goaltender Vadim Zherenko, but they could not get on the board.
The Wolf Pack were called for a pair of penalties in the middle part of the period. Jake Leschyshyn earned a slashing minor at 8:52 and Connor Mackey received an interference minor at 9:38, forcing Hartford to play five-on-three hockey.
Domingue turned away a shot off from Zachary Bolduc, but Nathan Walker collected the rebound and snapped a pass across the crease to Gaudette. Gaudette had a wide-open net and fired the puck directly into it for his second tally of the night. The goal ended up standing as the game-winner.
Hartford finally got on the board late in the second period. A cross-checking call on Bolduc gave the Wolf Pack yet another powerplay opportunity. Springfield successfully killed the minor penalty, but before Bolduc could rejoin the contest, Alex Belzile deflected a pass from Mackey into the Springfield net. Jonny Brodzinski earned the secondary assist on the tally, extending his point streak to five games.
The penalties weren’t done, however. Matt Rempe and Walker each earned unsportsmanlike conduct calls at 17:32. Leo Loof followed suit, receiving a kneeing minor at 19:57. Springfield took a 3-1 lead into the final stanza, while Hartford would begin the period on the powerplay.
A Nightmare Finish
The Wolf Pack received yet another powerplay opportunity 6:37 into the third period. Drew Callin received a boarding call, initiating the fifth Hartford powerplay of the contest. However, a nightmarish turn of events led to the Thunderbirds stretching their lead even further. Walker made an incredible diving play to break up a pass from Brodzinski, and the puck bounced into the neutral zone. Walker got to his feat and barreled after the puck, which prompted Domingue to come out of net. Domingue beat Walker to the puck and attempted to clear, but Matthew Peca kept it in the Hartford zone. Peca snapped a pass to Walker, stationed beside the empty Hartford net, and Walker promptly buried the shot for the shorthanded tally.
Anton Blidh managed to draw the Wolf Pack within two late in the period. Belzile skated to the red line before sliding a pass to Blidh, who corralled it and snapped a shot past Zherenko. The goal was Blidh’s first tally of the season. Mac Hollowell earned an assist on the score, his team-leading fifth helper of the season.
Hartford eventually lifted Domingue in favor of the extra skater in the waning minutes of the period. However, Mackenzie MacEachern put the contest away with an empty-net tally at 18:43. Just over a minute later, Springfield delivered Hartford their first loss of the season.
In a postgame press conference, Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch noted that his team needs to take less penalties. “It takes away the flow of our game”, Knoblauch remarked, “…also, you put yourself at risk to get scored against.”
The Wolf Pack will return to action tomorrow, hitting the road for a matchup with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Puck drop is set for 6:05 pm.
