The Hartford Wolf Pack got exactly the kind of start they wanted in Belleville and never gave it back. Two first-period power-play goals set the tone, and Anton Blidh finished the night with two scores as the Wolf Pack skated past the Belleville Senators, 4-1, on Friday at CIBC Place.
Hartford kept its road habit intact by opening the scoring for the third straight away game. Early in the game, Nathan Aspinall received a pass in the right-wing circle from Juuso Pärssinen and sent it across to the backdoor, where Blidh was waiting to tap in the opener at 6:17. It was Blidh’s second goal of the season.
Belleville answered quickly. Just two seconds after its first power play had ended, the Senators tied it when Kasper Halttunen took a feed just inside the left-wing circle and beat Callum Tung with a shot at 10:48. That was Halttunen’s sixth goal of the season.
The Wolf Pack got back on the power play at 16:27 after Gabriel Eliasson was called for tripping, and this time the man advantage cashed in again. Marc Del Gaizo found Justin Dowling with a backdoor pass, and Dowling buried it at 17:29 for his second goal of the season, putting Hartford back in front 2-1.
Belleville had a chance to flip the script in the second period, but Jackson Parsons kept the Senators within striking distance. He turned aside all 10 shots he faced in the middle frame, preserving the 2-1 score through 40 minutes.
Liam Greentree generated the best looks for Hartford in that period, and Parsons stopped him twice from the right side, including on a one-timer from near the bottom of the circle.
In the third, Tung took over. He stopped 10 Belleville shots in the final period and came up with a crucial save on Blake Montgomery on a breakaway to protect the Wolf Pack’s lead.
Hartford put the game away in the final minute with a pair of empty-net goals. Carey Terrance scored first, then Blidh added his second of the night to seal the 4-1 win.
The Wolf Pack’s eight-game road trip continues Sunday at Springfield against the Thunderbirds in the ‘I-91 Rivalry’ presented by Braman Pest. Puck drop is set for 3:05 p.m., with coverage on AHLTV on FloHockey.
Hartford returns to PeoplesBank Arena on Saturday, Nov. 14, when it hosts Springfield. Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m., with ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ beginning at 7:00 p.m. on AHLTV of FloHockey and Mixlr.
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