The Hartford Wolf Pack wrapped up their eight-game road swing the right way Tuesday, leaving Springfield with a 5-2 win over the Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center in the club’s “School Day Game.”
That result gave Hartford a 4-3-1-0 mark on the trip.
Carey Terrance got the Wolf Pack moving early, cashing in 3:10 into the game for his third goal of the season. After Hartford held the puck in the offensive zone, Nathan Aspinall sent a shot from the point toward the net, and Terrance got just enough of it to redirect the puck past Georgii Romanov for a 1-0 lead.
The Pack stretched that advantage in the second period, and Drew Fortescue was the one who did it. At 7:30 of the middle frame, the rookie defenseman scored his second goal in as many games to make it 2-0.
The goal came on the power play, with Liam Greentree feeding Fortescue in the right-wing circle. Fortescue snapped the shot through Romanov’s blocker side and into the net.
Springfield answered at 10:01 during four-on-four play. Arseni Koromyslov took a pass from Juraj Pekarcik in the right-wing circle and fired a quick shot past Spencer Martin for his first career AHL goal.
Hartford, though, pushed the margin back to two before the period ended. At 19:26, Taylor Raddysh scored his fourth goal of the season after Dennis Cholowski fired a shot into traffic and created a scramble in front of Romanov. Glenn Gawdin’s attempt to the net hit a leg, and Raddysh found the loose puck and backhanded it in to make it 3-1.
Gawdin added another highlight early in the third period. With the teams again playing four-on-four, he picked Adam Jiříček’s pocket at the offensive blue line, broke in alone, and beat Romanov over the right pad on the backhand at 3:08. It was Gawdin’s fifth goal of the season and his team-leading 14th point, with five goals and nine assists.
Springfield cut into the lead again at 8:34, when Pekarcik scored his first goal of the season. He slipped a shot from the left side past Martin’s right arm to trim the deficit to 4-2.
That was as close as the Thunderbirds would get. Greentree sealed it at 17:43 with an empty-net power-play goal, and Raddysh picked up an assist on the play for his third point of the day, finishing with one goal and two assists.
Hartford returns home to PeoplesBank Arena on Saturday, Nov. 14, to face Springfield again in the “I-91 Rivalry” presented by Braman Pest. Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m., with “Wolf Pack Pregame” beginning at 7:00 p.m. on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
In Other News...
Rangers Just Got A Telling Sign About One Goalies Readiness
The Rangers continued to shuffle pieces between New York and Hartford on Tuesday, recalling forward Jaroslav Chmelar from the Wolf Pack while sending Taylor Raddysh back the other way. The moves fit into the clubs ongoing roster management during Hartfords season-long road trip, a stretch that has turned the AHL affiliate into a constant waypoint for depth help and reinforcements.
Joonas Korpisalos latest assignment is the more notable one for the Rangers, since the veteran goaltender is now back with Hartford on a conditioning stint as he works his way back from a foot infection. For a team trying to keep its options open in goal, it is a useful checkpoint on Korpisalos readiness, even if the exact timeline for what comes next remains the part everyone will be watching. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers May Finally Get A Real Fourth Line Test On This Trip
The Rangers are getting another look at a depth option they have been waiting to evaluate, with Glenn Gawdin joining the club for its West Coast trip after producing 14 points in 16 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. The move gives New York a chance to see whether the 27-year-old can bring some stability to a fourth line that has been difficult to settle all season, especially with injuries and earlier auditions leaving the center spot unsettled.
Gawdins arrival comes at a time when the Rangers are still searching for a workable answer in that role, and this trip should provide a clearer read than the brief looks they have had before. For a team trying to round out its bottom six, the next few games could go a long way toward showing whether this is simply another stopgap or something closer to a real solution. [Read more 🡒]
J.T. Miller Just Put Rangers Fans On Notice About His Slump
J.T. Miller did not try to hide from the conversation after the Rangers 3-1 loss to Edmonton, acknowledging that his scoring has not come easily this season. The captain has four goals and nine assists through 19 games, and the dip in his finishing has stood out because his shot volume has been quiet in most nights, a notable change from the pace he has usually brought to New Yorks attack.
Millers frustration showed up in the game itself, too, as his night ended with a 10-minute misconduct after a retaliatory slash. For a Rangers team still looking for more consistent offense from its top players, Millers slump is becoming more than a short-term concern, especially with the way his production has trailed off compared with previous seasons. [Read more 🡒]