AHL Hartford Wolf Pack

Crunch Scorers Continue Wolf Pack Skid

Published on November 23, 2019 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hartford Wolf Pack News Release


Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse Crunch completed a sweep of a pair of games against the Hartford Wolf Pack this week Saturday night at the War Memorial Arena, doubling up the Wolf Pack by a score of 6-3.

The Crunch had defeated the Wolf Pack 3-1 in Hartford on Wednesday, in the Wolf Pack's "Sonar's Edu-skate" school-day game.

Joey Keane, Lias Andersson and Steven Fogarty scored for the Wolf Pack, but former Wolf Pack Chris Mueller had two goals for Syracuse, and Dennis Yan, Mitchell Stephens and Ross Colton had a goal and an assist each.

The Wolf Pack were outshot 11-4 in the first period, but the two teams came out of the frame tied at one.

The Crunch struck first, at 15:51, on a goal by Yan with one second left in an interference penalty to Hartford's Phil DiGiuseppe. Colton, while being knocked down to the right of Wolf Pack goaltender Adam Huska (24 saves), swept the puck to Yan at the left side of the slot. His shot got past Huska on the glove side.

Keane tied the score for the Wolf Pack with 1:05 remaining in the period, with his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Vinni Lettieri knocked the puck away from Syracuse defenseman Ben Thomas in the Crunch zone and worked it to Keane. He uncorked a drive from the right point that beat Syracuse goaltender Scott Wedgewood (22 saves), who was screened by Matt Beleskey.

The Crunch regained the lead at 4:51 of the second period, with Mueller scoring his sixth of the season. A shot from the left point by Dominik Masin caromed off the end boards, and the puck hit the side of the net and deflected to the left side of the slot. Mueller jumped on it there and rapped it into the net.

The Wolf Pack equalized again at 16:52, on Lias Andersson's second goal in three games since being assigned to the Wolf Pack by the parent New York Rangers. Wedgewood stopped Darren Raddysh's shot from the right side with his stick, and denied an initial rebound try by Andersson as well. Andersson poked at the puck again, though, from below the goal line to Wedgewood's left, and that try hit Wedgewood and found its way between the netminder and the goal post.

A shorthanded penalty-shot goal just 58 seconds later, at 17:50, however, put Syracuse ahead to stay. With Masin in the penalty box for tripping, Stephens poked the puck past Sean Day at the Syracuse blue line, and would have had a breakaway if it were not for Lettieri slashing Stephens' stick out of his hands.

Stephens was awarded a penalty shot, and he converted with a forehand shot through Huska's skates, sending the Crunch into the third period with a 3-2 lead.

Syracuse came out firing in the third, widening the margin with a pair of goals in a span of 31 seconds in the first two minutes of the period.

The Crunch tallied its second power-play goal of the game at 1:29, with Andersson serving a roughing penalty that carried over from the second period. Taylor Raddysh moved the puck from the right point to Otto Somppi at the side of the net. He chopped it across the goalmouth, and Colton knocked it out of the air and in behind Huska.

Then, at the two-minute mark, Danick Martel increased the Syracuse lead to 5-2. A pass by Stephens found Martel along the goal line on the right side, and he spun towards the middle and flicked the puck past Huska.

Fogarty got that one back for the Wolf Pack with a shorthanded goal at 16:03. He stickhandled in over the Syracuse blue line and made a beautiful inside-outside move on Crunch defenseman Cal Foote. Wedgewood poked the puck away with his goal stick, but it went off of a backchecking Yan and into the net.

The Wolf Pack got a power play with 2:34 left, when Daniel Walcott was called for tripping, and Huska was pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage. Mueller, though, put any further Wolf Pack comeback hopes to rest with an empty-net goal at 18:41.

The Wolf Pack continue a stretch of five straight road games in their next action next Saturday night, visiting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a 7:05 PM game.

The next home game for the Wolf Pack is Saturday, December 7, when the Binghamton Devils visit the XL Center for a 7:30 game. That is "Star Wars Night", as fans can rub shoulders with their favorite Star Wars characters, and win some awesome Star Wars prizes, and the first 2,000 fans will receive a free Wolf Pack 2020 calendar, presented by Hartford Distributors.

Tickets for all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack's many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425. To visit the Wolf Pack on line, go to www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

Hartford Wolf Pack 3 at Syracuse Crunch 6

Saturday - Onondaga County War Memorial Arena

Hartford 1 1 1 - 3

Syracuse 1 2 3 - 6

1st Period-1, Syracuse, Yan 5 (Colton, Raddysh), 15:51 (PP). 2, Hartford, Keane 7 (Lettieri, O'Regan), 18:55. Penalties-Lettieri Hfd (slashing), 7:36; Masin Syr (slashing), 10:13; Di Giuseppe Hfd (interference), 13:52; Geertsen Hfd (roughing), 20:00; Walcott Syr (roughing), 20:00.

2nd Period-3, Syracuse, Mueller 6 (Masin, Yan), 4:51. 4, Hartford, Andersson 2 (Raddysh), 16:52. 5, Syracuse, Stephens 4 17:50 (SH PS). Penalties-Masin Syr (interference), 17:11; Andersson Hfd (roughing), 19:53.

3rd Period-6, Syracuse, Colton 2 (Somppi, Raddysh), 1:29 (PP). 7, Syracuse, Martel 7 (Stephens, Masin), 2:00. 8, Hartford, Fogarty 5 (Taylor, Nieves), 16:03 (SH). 9, Syracuse, Mueller 7 (Barre-Boulet), 18:41 (SH EN). Penalties-Smith Syr (hooking), 6:51; Geertsen Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:21; Walcott Syr (tripping), 17:26.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 4-10-11-25. Syracuse 11-12-7-30.

Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 4; Syracuse 2 / 4.

Goalies-Hartford, Huska 4-1-3 (29 shots-24 saves). Syracuse, Wedgewood 6-2-1 (25 shots-22 saves).

A-5,633

Referees-Jesse Gour (25), Patrick Hanrahan (52).

Linesmen-Neil Frederickson (68), Tory Carissimo (54).

Check out the Hartford Wolf Pack Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from November 23, 2019


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