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AHL Hartford Wolf Pack

Pack Crushed by Rochester 7-1

December 18, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hartford Wolf Pack News Release


Rochester, NY - Chad Nehring scored shorthanded with 21.9 seconds left in the game Friday night at the Blue Cross Arena to save the Hartford Wolf Pack from being shut out, but that was the only positive for the Wolf Pack in a 7-1 loss to the Rochester Americans.

Seven different Rochester players scored in the game, and Andrey Makarov stopped 28 shots in the Amerk net. The six-goal verdict represented the Wolf Pack's biggest margin of defeat on the season.

"I thought we started off all right," Nehring said, "and just maybe a few bounces the wrong way that got us down, and then just didn't have it. It's one of those nights."

Despite outshooting the Americans 10-9 in the first period, the Wolf Pack came out of the opening frame down 1-0.

Defenseman Matt Donovan opened the scoring at 14:20, finishing a 3-on-1 break. Evan Rodrigues set Donovan up alone in front of Wolf Pack starting goaltender Mackenzie Skapski, and Donovan's backhand went off of Skapski's catching glove and just over the goal line.

The Americans built their lead to 3-0 with a pair of goals only 2:44 apart in the first 6:31 of the second period.

Former Wolf Pack defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti scored at 3:47, just as teammate Tim Schaller was stepping out of the penalty box. It was another odd-man break for Rochester, as Sanguinetti converted on a 2-on-1, set up by Dan Catenacci.

Then, at 6:31, Chad Ruhwedel made it a three-goal lead for the home side, as his shot from the right point and went through a screen past Skapski.

Rochester then broke the game open with four third-period goals, the first two coming in a span of 22 seconds.

Jerome Leduc made it 4-0 on a power play at 1:14, shooting from just below the left faceoff dot off of a cross-slot pass from Jason Akeson.

Then, at 1:36, Justin Bailey took a feed from Rodrigues and buried a shot from in front, after the Wolf Pack failed to clear the puck near the blue line. That chased Skapski from the game, after five goals-against on 22 shots.

Relief netminder Jeff Malcolm was greeted by an Akeson goal at 6:38. Akeson snapped a shot in from the right side of the slot, after he walked out from the corner and a Wolf Pack defender fell at the edge of the goal mouth.

Jean Dupuy made it a 7-0 Rochester advantage with an unassisted goal at 12:31. Dupuy came out of the penalty box and stripped the puck away from Kodie Curran just inside the Wolf Pack line and walked in alone on Malcolm, putting a high shot just past Malcolm's catching glove.

Nehring spoiled Makarov's shutout bid with the Wolf Pack's fourth shorthanded goal in the last three games at 19:38, moving down the right side and beating Makarov with a slap shot to the stick side.

"That's one of those you just forget," Nehring said. "That's why there's 76 games in a year, you forget that one. Big game [Saturday] night, we need to finish it off before the (Christmas) break."

The Wolf Pack's last pre-Christmas outing is at Utica Saturday night, as they continue a stretch of five straight road games with a battle against the Comets. Faceoff is 7:00 PM, and all of the action can be heard live on News Radio 1410 WPOP, and on-line at www.newsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio. Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack's next home game is Tuesday, December 29th, when the Wolf Pack host the Portland Pirates in a 7:00 game. That is Scout Night at the XL Center. Scout groups that reserve in advance receive discounted tickets and special Scout Night patches.

Tickets for all 2015-16 Wolf Pack home games are on sale at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack's many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451.

Check out the Hartford Wolf Pack Statistics

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