The Hartford Wolf Pack kept rolling on Sunday, taking a 4-2 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center and stretching their run to points in three straight games.
Hartford set the tone early and cashed in on the game’s first power play at 8:03 of the opening period after Jack Finley was called for holding. The breakthrough came just over a minute later, when a scramble at the top of the crease turned into the first goal of the night. Glenn Gawdin found a loose puck near the front of the net and sent a backhand toward goal, and Anton Blidh got a touch on it as it slipped past Georgii Romanov’s left pad for a 1-0 lead at 9:37.
That goal was Blidh’s fourth of the season, which tied him for the team lead at the time.
Springfield answered almost immediately. Six seconds later, Chris Wagner, in his 900th career professional game, beat Spencer Martin by the right pad for his first goal of the season. Wagner grabbed the puck at the top of the crease and pushed it through to tie the game 1-1.
The Wolf Pack regained control in the second period on another power-play strike. At 12:01, Liam Greentree scored his fifth goal of the season after Marc Del Gaizo set him up in the right-wing circle. Greentree settled the puck and snapped it over Romanov’s right shoulder to make it 2-1 Hartford.
Del Gaizo’s assist was the 100th of his AHL career.
Springfield pulled level again early in the third. Nathan Walker finished a power-play chance 8:31 into the period, sliding in behind the defense to bury a feed from T.J. Tynan at the back door for his fourth goal of the season.
Hartford needed only 1:24 to answer. Gawdin struck again from the slot, backhanding a shot past Romanov for his third goal of the season and a 3-2 Wolf Pack lead that held the rest of the way.
Juuso Pärssinen sealed it with an empty-net goal at 18:43.
The Wolf Pack now continue their eight-game road trip Wednesday night against the Hershey Bears. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., with coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m. on “Wolf Pack Pregame” on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Hartford returns to PeoplesBank Arena on Saturday, Nov. 14, to host Springfield. That game is set for 7:15 p.m., with “Wolf Pack Pregame” starting at 7:00 p.m. on AHLTV of FloHockey and Mixlr.
In Other News...
Adam Edstrm Is Making The Rangers Regret This One
Adam Edstrms move out of New York looked like a fairly routine depth shuffle at the time, the kind of transaction that barely registers once the roster churn settles. But after the Rangers sent him to Nashville, the big forward quickly found a more defined role with the Predators and has started to show the blend of size and finishing ability that made him an intriguing piece in the first place.
In Nashville, Edstrm has been getting more ice time and the results have followed, with five goals and an assist in 14 games along with strong underlying numbers. It has only sharpened the contrast with how he was viewed in New York, where former head coach Mike Sullivan publicly questioned his consistency while Edstrm was working back from injuries, leaving the Rangers with a familiar what-if as his game starts to click elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Make Another Forward Shuffle With One Roster Spot In Focus
The Rangers continued their forward juggling act by recalling Jaroslav Chmelar from AHL Hartford and sending Taylor Raddysh back the other way, another small but telling move as the club keeps sorting through its depth options. Chmelar has already gotten into seven NHL games this season, while Raddysh has had a brief run with the big club after his latest recall, and both have been productive enough in Hartford to stay in the conversation.
For the Rangers, the timing matters as much as the transaction itself. Chmelar is back in the mix after his earlier look at the NHL level, and Raddyshs status gives the team something to weigh as it manages its roster spot and decides who best fits the next stretch of games. The shuffle leaves one opening worth watching, especially with both forwards still trying to turn their AHL production into a steadier role in New York. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Face An Early Season Test They Can't Afford To Fail
The Rangers are trying to steady themselves after a rough stretch that has left them searching for traction early in the season. Recent play has put them in a difficult spot in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference, and the next few days offer a chance to start changing the conversation before the schedule gets tougher again.
Home games against the Blues and Flyers now loom as an important reset before the club heads out on its first major road trip of the season. With Pavel Dorofeyev and Dylan Garand drawing attention for their recent performances, the Rangers have at least a few individual bright spots to lean on, but the bigger question is whether those can translate into the kind of team results they need right away. [Read more 🡒]