Hershey, PA, November 8, 2014 – The Hershey Bears scored four third-period goals Saturday night at Giant Center, erasing a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Hartford Wolf Pack 4-2, in the first of back-to-back games between the two teams.
Former Wolf Pack Kris Newbury had the game-winning goal with 3:18 left in the third, and added an empty-netter, and Chris Brown and Connor Carrick also scored in Hershey’s third-period burst. Oscar Lindberg and J.T. Miller had the Wolf Pack goals, and Jesper Fast assisted on both.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Wolf Pack, who fell to 7-3-1-0 on the season.
“Obviously it’s tough to lose that game, I thought we outplayed them for 50 minutes,” Miller said. It’s just a matter of how it works, you’ve got to find ways to win that hockey game.”
The Wolf Pack carried a 2-0 lead into the third, and that held up until Brown got the Bears on the board at the 10:07 mark, with Hartford’s Dallas Jackson off for tripping. Brown’s shot from the top of the left-wing circle hit Wolf Pack defenseman Dylan McIlrath’s leg and deflected past goaltender Cedrick Desjardins (4-1-0), who suffered his first Wolf Pack loss despite making 29 saves.
Carrick then tied the score only 1:06 later, at 11:13, on a shot from high in the slot that squeezed through Desjardins’ pads.
That set the stage for Newbury’s game-winner, which came on a deflection at 16:42. Ex-Connecticut Whale Casey Wellman fired the puck at the net from the left-wing boards and Newbury, left alone in front of the goal, tipped it perfectly past Desjardins and into the net.
Newbury’s eighth goal of the season with 7.8 seconds remaining sealed the comeback victory for Hershey, after the Wolf Pack had pulled Desjardins for an extra attacker.
After killing a pair of penalties in the first period, the Wolf Pack grabbed the game’s first lead on a power play of their own at 13:40.
With former Wolf Pack Dane Byers off for roughing, Lindberg increased his team-leading goal total to six, taking a pass from Mat Bodie on the left-wing side, cutting to the middle and beating Hershey goaltender Philipp Grubauer (28 saves) over the catching glove.
The Wolf Pack were outshot 12-9 in the second period, but were able to double their lead, with Miller scoring his third goal of the year at 8:16.
Miller handed the puck to Fast and headed up the middle, and Fast beat Byers’ check on right wing, before centering back to Miller for the finish.
The Wolf Pack and Bears tangle again at Giant Center Sunday, with faceoff at 5:00 PM. All of the action of that battle can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio. Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.
The Pack’s next home game at the XL Center is this Friday, November 14, with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers making their first visit of the year to Hartford. Once again this season every Friday night home game features $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period.
Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.
To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.
Hartford Wolf Pack 2 at Hershey Bears 4
Saturday, November 8, 2014 – Giant Center
Hartford 1 1 0 – 2
Hershey 0 0 4 – 4
1st Period-1, Hartford, Lindberg 6 (Bodie, Fast), 13:40 (PP). Penalties-Bodie Hfd (hooking), 2:46; Hughes Hfd (tripping), 8:54; Byers Her (roughing), 11:52.
2nd Period-2, Hartford, Miller 4 (Fast), 8:16. Penalties-Stamler Hfd (slashing), 12:09; McIlrath Hfd (boarding), 19:16.
3rd Period-3, Hershey, Brown 2 (Kundratek, Kennedy), 10:07 (PP). 4, Hershey, Carrick 1 (Gazley, Schilling), 11:13. 5, Hershey, Newbury 7 (Wellman, Schilling), 16:42. 6, Hershey, Newbury 8 (Gazley), 19:52 (EN). Penalties-Oleksy Her (tripping), 3:04; Jackson Hfd (tripping), 9:00; Landry Her (tripping), 13:20.
Shots on Goal-Hartford 11-9-10-30. Hershey 7-12-14-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 3; Hershey 1 / 5.
Goalies-Hartford, Desjardins 4-1-0 (32 shots-29 saves). Hershey, Grubauer 4-3-0 (30 shots-28 saves).
A-8,971
Referees-Ryan Murphy (5).
Linesmen-Tom George (61), Scott Pomento (25).
