Wolf Pack Comeback Falls Short vs. League-Leading WBS

By Bob Crawford

The Wolf Pack fell behind by three goals, which ultimately proved to be
one goal too many to the AHL-Leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Penguins on Tuesday night.

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. – The Hartford Wolf Pack got third-period goals from Steven Fogarty and Tanner Glass, but could not come all the way back from a three-goal hole, ultimately dropping a 3-2 decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before 3,291 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza on Tuesday night. Chad Ruhwedel had the game-winning goal and an assist for the Penguins, who also got goals from Teddy Blueger and Josh imatArchibald. Tristan Jarry got the win in net with 25 saves. Fogarty also had an assist for the Wolf Pack, and Brandon Halverson stopped 32 shots in the Hartford net.

After being outshot by a combined margin of 28-10 in the first two periods, the Wolf Pack had a 17-7 shots advantage in the third.

“We put ourselves in a pretty big hole there to come back,” Fogarty said, “but I like the way we battled the second half of the game. You can’t go down to a team like this and expect the result you always want. We battled back, but it wasn’t enough.”

The win improved the Penguins’ AHL-best record to 22-7-3-0. The loss was the Wolf Pack’s season-high fourth straight in regulation, dropping Hartford to 11-18-3-1.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton controlled play in the first period, outshooting the Wolf Pack 15-4 and holding Hartford without a shot until the 13:21 mark, and the Penguins came out of the first frame leading 2-0.

Blueger opened the scoring at the 3:15 mark, on the game’s first shot. Blueger got a pass from Ruhwedel and moved off the right-wing boards toward the slot, before snapping a high shot past Halverson.

Archibald increased the lead to 2-0 at 13:03, deflecting a shot from the left point by David Warsofsky into the Wolf Pack net.

After a scoreless second period, Ruhwedel connected on a Penguin power play at 2:42 of the third, with Adam Tambellini in the penalty box for holding. After a Dominik Simon try missed wide, Ruhwedel swept the loose puck in on his backhand from the right side of the goalmouth.

That appeared to be an insurance goal at that point, but it turned out to be the difference, as the Wolf Pack dominated most of the play after that.

Fogarty ruined Jarry’s shutout bid just 3:03 after Ruhwedel’s tally, burying a centering pass from out of the right-wing corner by Garrett Noonan, who got his first Wolf Pack point on the play. The goal was Fogarty’s third of the season, and second in three games since his return from nine games out due to injury.

“Any time you can help produce for your team it feels good. Noonan made a great play and I didn’t have to do much. I’m just trying to help out, but the W is more important here.”

Glass cut the margin to one with his sixth goal of the season at 14:33, when Brandon Alderson, in his first game with the Wolf Pack after being called up from Greenville of the ECHL, passed the puck from below the goal line on the right side to Glass in the slot for the finish. The Wolf Pack would not get the equalizer, however, despite having 1:53 of late power-play time, after a slashing penalty against Pouliot at 16:52.

Next, the Pack will entertain the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, on Friday night at the XL Center. First puck drops at 7:15 p.m. Tickets for all home games are available at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com, and by phone at (877) 522-8499.

THE SKINNY