Wolf Pack Stumble in 4-1 Loss to Marlies Despite Brisson’s Continued Scoring Surge
HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack hit a bump in the road Saturday night, falling 4-1 to the Toronto Marlies at PeoplesBank Arena. It’s just their second loss in the last six games, but this one stung - not just because of the scoreline, but because of how quickly things unraveled.
Toronto wasted no time setting the tone. Just 3:10 into the first period, Vinni Lettieri - a familiar face for Wolf Pack fans - opened the scoring with a sharp-angle snipe from the right wing.
Bo Groulx, another former Pack forward, fed him a crisp pass across the zone, and Lettieri didn’t hesitate. It was his ninth goal of the season, and it gave the Marlies an early jolt of momentum.
The visitors doubled their lead midway through the first on the power play - a growing trend for the Marlies, who’ve now scored with the man advantage in six straight games. This time, Logan Shaw set the play in motion, sliding a pass into the crease where Cédric Paré was perfectly positioned. Paré redirected it past Callum Tung for his sixth of the year, making it 2-0.
But Hartford didn’t fold. Late in the opening frame, they found a spark.
Dylan Roobroeck’s shot ricocheted off a body in front and landed right on the stick of Brendan Brisson in the right circle. Brisson wasted no time, snapping it past Ken Appleby’s glove to cut the deficit to 2-1 at 17:47.
It was Brisson’s 11th goal of the season and extended his point streak to four games. Trey Fix-Wolansky picked up the secondary assist - also pushing his own point streak to four.
Unfortunately for the Pack, whatever momentum they built late in the first didn’t carry over.
Early in the second, things quickly spiraled. Just 2:24 into the period, a miscue behind the net proved costly.
Tung left the puck for a teammate, but Matthew Barbolini pounced on the loose puck and tucked it into the empty cage to make it 3-1. That was the end of the night for Tung, who exited after allowing three goals on six shots in just over 22 minutes of action.
Dylan Garand came in to steady the ship, but before he could even settle in, Toronto struck again.
Just 19 seconds after Barbolini’s tally, Ryan Tverberg wrapped the puck around the net and jammed it past Garand’s right pad. It was Tverberg’s fifth of the season and stretched the Marlies' lead to 4-1 - a sudden two-goal burst that left the home crowd stunned.
To their credit, the Wolf Pack didn’t quit. They pushed in the third, but Appleby stood tall in net for Toronto, turning away all ten shots he faced in the final frame to lock down the win.
Hartford will look to regroup quickly as they return to PeoplesBank Arena on January 28 to host the Charlotte Checkers. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:15 p.m. on AHLTV and Mixlr.