Glens Falls, NY, January 26, 2014 – Jesper Fast had his second straight two-goal game, and J.T. Miller had three assists, Sunday at the Glens Falls Civic Center, as the Hartford Wolf Pack scored the last five goals of the game after falling behind 3-1, and defeated the Adirondack Phantoms by a score of 6-3.

Hartford trailed 3-2 going into the third period, but got goals from Kyle Beach and Fast to move into the lead, and Danny Syvret and Dylan McIlrath both scored empty-netters.

“It was a big come-from-behind win,” Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander said.  “We started the season as a third-period kind of team, and as of late we’ve been having to play a lot of catch-up, but today we were actually able to tie the game, and then win it, in the third.  So it was a good character win for our guys.”

Marek Hrivik scored a late-second period goal to bring the Wolf Pack to within 3-2, Hartford’s second power-play goal in two opportunities.  Aaron Johnson made a slap pass from the left point through to Hrivik at the opposite post, and Hrivik put a quick shot past Adirondack goaltender Cal Heeter (23 saves) with 1:39 left in the second.

Beach then tied it at 5:11 of the third period, with his first goal in 17 games since joining the Wolf Pack.  Heeter stopped Micheal Haley’s shot from the right side of the slot, but the rebound came right to Beach at the hash marks, and he was able to slap it under Heeter’s pads.

The tie lasted until the 15:19 mark, when Fast capped off a great shift with linemates Miller and Ryan Bourque by scoring his fifth goal in the last three games.  Bourque had a shot blocked, but Fast grabbed the rebound at the right side of the slot.  He carried across the top of the goalmouth and knifed a hard backhand that Heeter got a big piece of but could not keep out of the net.

Adirondack got a power play at 17:08 on a cross-checking call against McIlrath, but after the Phantoms pulled Heeter, Syvret hit the empty net at 18:28, after slapping the puck away from the front of his own goal and all the way down the ice.

The Phantoms went with an extra attacker again later in the power play, but it backfired once more, as Miller found McIlrath coming out of the penalty box with a pass, and McIlrath had an unimpeded path to the open net for a goal at 19:15.

Adirondack jumped on top on the game’s first shot, just 42 seconds in.  Ben Holmstrom fed the puck from the middle of the ice, just inside the Wolf Pack line, to Tye McGinn, who broke down right wing and got around McIlrath, before snapping a shot into the net past Dov Grumet-Morris’ catching glove.

That early goal was the first of two in the game for McGinn.

Phantom leading scorer Jason Akeson made it a 2-0 Adirondack at 12:12, with his 15^th of the season.  Marc-Andre Bourdon’s shot from the left side hit traffic in front of the net and deflected right to Akeson at the bottom of the right circle.  Grumet-Morris (26 saves) was down, and had no chance to stop Akeson’s shot into the top shelf.

The Wolf Pack got a quick start in the second period, scoring 26 seconds in on a power play that carried over from the first.  Miller fed a pass from the right-wing side to Fast in the left circle, and Fast one-timed it, while on the move, through Heeter from just above the faceoff dot.

McGinn would restore the two-goal lead, however, at 8:39, off of a perfect cross-slot pass from Brandon Manning.  An attempted breakout pass got through Fast along the boards, and Manning sent the puck from the right point to McGinn in the left circle, and McGinn’s high shot found the net on Grumet-Morris’ stick side.         

The Wolf Pack and Phantoms rematch at the XL Center this Wednesday, January 29, with faceoff at 7:00 PM.  That's a Wolf Pack "Winning Wednesday", meaning that if the Wolf Pack win, each fan can get a free ticket to the next Wolf Pack home game, which is this Friday night, January 31 against the Providence Bruins.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, 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 representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Hartford Wolf Pack 6 at Adirondack Phantoms 3
Sunday, January 26, 2014 – Glens Falls Civic Center

Hartford 0 2 4 – 6
Adirondack 2 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Adirondack, McGinn 9 (Holmstrom, Newbury), 0:42. 2, Adirondack, Akeson 15 (Bourdon, Straka), 12:12. Penalties-Miller Hfd (fighting), 8:34; Manning Adk (fighting), 8:34; McIlrath Hfd (roughing), 12:34; Haley Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct – abuse of officials), 15:28; Lindberg Hfd (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:28; Vaive Hfd (misconduct – continuing altercation), 18:39; Bourdon Adk (misconduct – continuing altercation), 18:39; Delisle Adk (roughing), 18:39.

2nd Period-3, Hartford, Fast 7 (Miller, Syvret), 0:26 (PP). 4, Adirondack, McGinn 10 (Manning), 8:39. 5, Hartford, Hrivik 5 (Johnson, Hensick), 18:21 (PP). Penalties-Yogan Hfd (tripping), 5:04; Newbury Adk (tripping), 16:58.

3rd Period-6, Hartford, Beach 5 (Haley, Lindberg), 5:11. 7, Hartford, Fast 8 (Bourque, Miller), 15:19. 8, Hartford, Syvret 4   18:28 (SH EN). 9, Hartford, McIlrath 4 (Miller), 19:15 (EN). Penalties-McIlrath Hfd (cross-checking), 17:08; Syvret Hfd (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:28; Newbury Adk (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:28.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 8-9-12-29. Adirondack 8-9-12-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 2; Adirondack 0 / 4.
Goalies-Hartford, Grumet-Morris 5-10-4 (29 shots-26 saves). Adirondack, Heeter 14-14-0 (27 shots-23 saves).
A-3,154
Referees-Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Mike Emanatian (69), Steeve Lemay (64).

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Hartford, CT, January 25, 2014 – Kael Mouillierat scored a hat trick and added an assist Saturday night at the XL Center, to lead the St. John’s IceCaps to a 6-2 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Jason Jaffray also added a goal and two assists for St. John’s.  Jesper Fast had both Wolf Pack goals, both on power plays.

“I expected us to come out with the same energy we had last night and we just didn’t,” a disappointed Wolf Pack head coach Ken Germander said, in reference to Friday night’s 5-2 Hartford win over the Springfield Falcons.

After having jumped in front only seven seconds into Friday night’s victory, the Wolf Pack fell behind after only 1:09 of Saturday’s game.

Jaffray gave the IceCaps the early lead with his 11^th goal of the season, off of a pass from behind the net by Mouillierat.  Mouillierat found Jaffray at the left side of the slot, and Jaffray fanned on his first attempt, but on second effort was able to snap a shot past the stick side of Wolf Pack goaltender David LeNeveu (21 saves).

The Wolf Pack killed a 44-second two-man advantage later in the period, but the momentum created by the IceCaps on that power play led to a second St. John’s goal at 12:46.

LeNeveu made a sharp save on a good chance for Kyle MacKinnon, but Adam Lowry jumped on the rebound and ripped a high shot into the net from the left circle.

The IceCaps ended up with a 13-6 shots on goal advantage in the first frame, and the Wolf Pack needed a great save by LeNeveu on an Andrew Gordon chance in the dying seconds of the period to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole.

St. John’s continued controlling the action early in the second period, and Mouillierat scored twice in a span of 53 seconds starting at 6:05, to stretch the IceCaps’ lead to 4-0.

Mouillierat’s first of those two goals was a shorthander, coming with two seconds left in a tripping penalty to Patrice Cormier.  Hartford’s Conor Allen lost control of the puck in the neutral zone, and Mouillierat broke in alone down the right side.  Mouillierat cut toward the front of the goal, slowed down and then flicked a backhander under the crossbar behind LeNeveu.

Mouillierat scored again at 6:58, after Jaffray sent him and Cormier on a two-on-one.  LeNeveu stopped Cormier’s shot, but Mouillierat was unchecked as he jumped on the rebound, and he beat a helpless LeNeveu.

The Wolf Pack got on the board at 17:36 of the second, with Mouillierat in the penalty box for holding.  Danny Syvret’s point shot was stopped by IceCap goaltender Michael Hutchinson (24 saves), but Oscar Lindberg worked the rebound to Fast in the left circle, and he ripped a quick shot home.

Then Hartford cut the lead to 4-2 only 38 seconds into the third period, after a Will O’Neill high-sticking penalty carried over from the second frame.  Again it was Lindberg setting up Fast, as Lindberg passed from below the goal line, and Fast one-timed it past Hutchinson from the right side of the slot.

The Wolf Pack got into penalty trouble shortly thereafter, though, with Dylan McIlrath taking a tripping minor at 1:29 and Aaron Johnson clearing the puck out of play for a delay of game infraction only eight seconds later.

On the ensuing five-on-three, Jerome Samson whipped a shot from the left-wing faceoff dot over LeNeveu’s right arm at 2:24, increasing St. John’s’ lead to 5-2.

Mouillierat completed his hat trick at 6:02 for a 6-2 final.  Mouillierat’s one-timer off of a Jaffray feed got by LeNeveu’s left pad.

The Wolf Pack are right back in action Sunday afternoon, traveling to Adirondack to visit the Phantoms for a 3:00 game.  All 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 Wolf Pack’s next home game is Friday, January 31, a 7:00 PM contest against the Providence Bruins.  All Wolf Pack Friday-night home games feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period, presented by Marc’s Appliance Warehouse, located at 75 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, 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 representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

St. John's IceCaps 6 at Hartford Wolf Pack 2
Saturday, January 25, 2014 – XL Center

St. John's 2 2 2 – 6
Hartford 0 1 1 – 2

1st Period-1, St. John's, Jaffray 11 (Mouillierat, Fredheim), 1:09. 2, St. John's, Lowry 6 (MacKinnon, Kichton), 12:46. Penalties-Hill Stj (interference), 2:37; Kristo Hfd (hooking), 3:24; Johnson Hfd (interference), 8:59; Allen Hfd (delay of game), 10:15; O'Neill Stj (high-sticking), 13:41; Lindberg Hfd (slashing), 13:54.

2nd Period-3, St. John's, Mouillierat 10   6:05 (SH). 4, St. John's, Mouillierat 11 (Cormier, Jaffray), 6:58. 5, Hartford, Fast 5 (Lindberg, Syvret), 17:36 (PP). Penalties-Cormier Stj (tripping), 4:07; Mouillierat Stj (holding), 16:16; O'Neill Stj (high-sticking), 19:16.

3rd Period-6, Hartford, Fast 6 (Lindberg, Miller), 0:38 (PP). 7, St. John's, Samson 14 (Kichton, O'Neill), 2:24 (PP). 8, St. John's, Mouillierat 12 (Jaffray), 6:02. Penalties-McIlrath Hfd (tripping), 1:29; Johnson Hfd (delay of game), 1:37; Schnell Stj (fighting), 10:24; Beach Hfd (fighting), 10:24.

Shots on Goal-St. John's 13-8-6-27. Hartford 6-13-7-26.
Power Play Opportunities-St. John's 1 / 6; Hartford 2 / 5.
Goalies-St. John's, Hutchinson 3-1-0 (26 shots-24 saves). Hartford, LeNeveu 1-3-0 (27 shots-21 saves).
A-5,063
Referees-Geoff Miller (28).
Linesmen-Mike Baker (11), Luke Galvin (2).

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Hartford, CT, January 24, 2014 – Oscar Lindberg scored twice, and Jesper Fast set a Hartford Wolf Pack record by scoring seven seconds after the opening faceoff, as the Wolf Pack defeated the Springfield Falcons by a score of 5-2 Friday night at the XL Center.

Danny Kristo also scored for the Wolf Pack, and T.J. Hensick had an empty-net goal.  Danny Syvret and Aaron Johnson contributed two assists apiece, and Dov Grumet-Morris made 22 saves in the Wolf Pack net.  Tim Erixon had a goal and an assist for Springfield and Michael Chaput also scored.

The victory was the first in seven tries against the Falcons for the Wolf Pack, who had been 0-4-0-2 in the first six meetings between the two teams.

After J.T. Miller won the opening draw, Syvret led Fast with a pass, and Fast stickhandled up the slot and put a backhander past Springfield starting goaltender Jeremy Smith at the seven-second mark.  That was the fastest Wolf Pack goal ever to start a period, by a margin of two seconds.

Kristo made it a 2-0 Wolf Pack lead at 4:36, nine seconds after a Wolf Pack power play expired.  A Syvret shot from the blue line hit Justin Vaive in front of the goal and the puck deflected to Kristo, who fought off a check and poked it into the net from Smith’s right.  Vaive picked up his first Wolf Pack point with an assist.

The Falcons came back with the next two goals, however, starting at 5:07, only 31 seconds after Kristo’s goal.  With Springfield on a power play, Chaput fired a shot from the top of the left-wing circle past Grumet-Morris.

The Falcons tied it at 14:21 on a goal by Erixon, a former Connecticut Whale defenseman.  After Andrew Joudrey won a faceoff, Jack Skille worked the puck back to Erixon at the right point, and Erixon’s shot went through a screen and eluded Grumet-Morris.

The Wolf Pack regained the lead for good, though, with 1:05 remaining in the period.  Dylan McIlrath’s shot from the right point was blocked right to Lindberg along the boards, and Lindberg unloaded a sharp-angle try that found an opening behind Smith, for a 3-2 Wolf Pack advantage.

Lindberg then made it 4-2 only 2:40 into the second period, with his ninth of the season.  Kyle Beach sent Lindberg into the Springfield zone with a pass, and Lindberg cleanly beat Smith’s catching glove with a shot from the left side.

That goal chased Smith (4 GA on 15 shots) from the game in favor of Mike McKenna, and there was no further scoring until the 19:58 mark of the third period, when, with McKenna on the bench for an extra attacker, Hensick hit the empty net from the neutral zone.

The Wolf Pack are right back at the XL Center on Saturday night, hosting the St. John’s IceCaps at 7:00 PM.  Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, 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 representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Springfield Falcons 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 5
Friday, January 24, 2014 – XL Center

Springfield 2 0 0 – 2
Hartford 3 1 1 – 5

1st Period-1, Hartford, Fast 4 (Syvret, Miller), 0:07. 2, Hartford, Kristo 14 (Vaive, Syvret), 4:36. 3, Springfield, Chaput 9 (Erixon, Skille), 5:07 (PP). 4, Springfield, Erixon 4 (Skille, Joudrey), 14:21. 5, Hartford, Lindberg 8 (McIlrath, Johnson), 18:55. Penalties-Craig Spr (slashing), 2:27; Kantor Hfd (hooking), 4:56; Parlett Spr (interference), 16:38.

2nd Period-6, Hartford, Lindberg 9 (Beach, Haley), 2:40. Penalties-Smith Spr (fighting), 5:18; Haley Hfd (fighting), 5:18; Kantor Hfd (charging), 7:11; Erixon Spr (tripping), 10:43; Hughes Hfd (hooking), 15:56; Machacek Spr (tripping), 19:58.

3rd Period-7, Hartford, Hensick 2 (Johnson), 19:58 (EN). Penalties-Kantor Hfd (goaltender interference), 7:00.

Shots on Goal-Springfield 7-9-8-24. Hartford 14-13-10-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Springfield 1 / 4; Hartford 0 / 4.
Goalies-Springfield, Smith 17-7-2 (15 shots-11 saves); McKenna 10-3-0 (21 shots-21 saves). Hartford, Grumet-Morris 4-10-4 (24 shots-22 saves).
A-4,694
Referees-Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Paul Simeon (66).

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.