Callum Tung gave Hartford exactly the kind of night every team wants from a young goaltender: calm, steady, and perfect when the game tightened up.
The Wolf Pack opened their season with a third straight win Friday, beating the Providence Bruins 2-0 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence. It was the first time this season Hartford scored first, and once it grabbed the lead, Tung took over.
Hartford’s breakthrough came at 10:01 of the first period. Nathan Aspinall got to a Marc Del Gaizo shot that Jiri Patera stopped, but the rebound kicked out to the goaltender’s right and landed with Glenn Gawdin. Gawdin finished the chance for his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack.
That goal also put a couple of milestones on the board. Aspinall picked up the first assist of his professional career, while Taylor Raddysh earned his first helper as a member of the Wolf Pack.
From there, Tung handled the rest. He stopped all 12 Providence shots in the second period to keep Hartford in front after 40 minutes, then turned aside seven more in the third to finish off his first career AHL shutout. He made 28 saves in all and moved to 2-0-0 on the season.
Justin Dowling made sure there would be no late drama. He scored into the empty net at 19:49 of the third period, finishing off a feed from Raddysh for his first goal of the season. The assist gave Raddysh his first multi-point game as a member of the Wolf Pack, with two assists on the night.
Hartford now turns to its home opener at PeoplesBank Arena on Saturday, Oct. 10. The puck drops at 6:00 p.m. against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
In Other News...
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Rangers Suddenly Face A Goalie Problem They Never Expected
Igor Shesterkins night ended early after the Rangers goalie left with a right leg injury, a development that instantly changes the tone around a team that has leaned on him so heavily. The injury came on a scramble back toward the net, when he jammed his skate into the post and had to depart the ice before finishing the game.
Shesterkin was replaced by Dylan Garand, who suddenly becomes more than a fill-in if the Rangers are forced to manage without their starter for any stretch. For a team that expected stability in goal, the bigger issue now is not just the one game already lost, but how long they may have to get by without the player they count on most. [Read more 🡒]