Syracuse, NY, October 12, 2014 – Oscar Lindberg’s second goal of the game at 4:53 of overtime gave the Hartford Wolf Pack a 4-3 win over the Syracuse Crunch Sunday at the Onondaga County War Memorial, in the Wolf Pack’s season opener.
The Wolf Pack trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2, but, after tying the game on a Marek Hrivik goal in the third period, took advantage of the AHL’s new three-on-three segment of overtime, as Lindberg broke two-on-one with Chris Bourque, whose second assist of the game set Lindberg up for the game-winner.
“I think we played a pretty solid game all the way through,” Lindberg said. “I’d never played a three-on-three in overtime, you just wait for the right opportunity to go. We got a two-on-one, and it was good pass by Chris.”
Chris Mueller had a goal and an assist in his first game with the Wolf Pack, and defenseman Mat Bodie had two assists in his pro debut. Cedrick Desjardins, a former Crunch, made 29 saves to get the win against his old team. Cedrick Paquette scored twice for Syracuse, which had lost its season opener the night before at home, 3-1 to Springfield.
After a scoreless first period in which the Wolf Pack were shorthanded four times, the two clubs would combine for five goals in the second frame.
The Crunch capitalized on their fifth man-advantage only 1:35 into the second, as Tanner Richard scored on a rebound. A Yanni Gourde shot was stopped by Desjardins, but the carom came to Richard, and his try deflected off of a Hartford defender’s skate and trickled across the goal line, just before Desjardins grabbed it.
The Wolf Pack power play got the equalizer only 50 seconds later, at 2:25. Just eight seconds after Slater Koekkoek was sent off for interference, Lindberg poked the puck past Syracuse netminder Andrei Vaslievsky (23 saves), after Vasilevsky had stopped a Chris Bourque shot from the right circle.
Just 2:12 after that, at 4:37, the Crunch jumped ahead again on Paquette’s first of the game. Jerome Samson lofted a pass up the left-wing side, and Paquette was able to step behind Bodie and grab the puck. Paquette cut across the slot from left to right and put a backhander through Desjardins’ legs.
The Wolf Pack responded at 9:36, with Mueller scoring in a delayed-penalty situation. With Desjardins on the bench for an extra attacker, Ryan Bourque carried the puck into the Syracuse zone on the left side and passed across the slot to Mueller, whose low shot beat Vasilevsky on the stick side.
The tie lasted only 1:26, as Paquette gave Syracuse back the lead again at 11:02. Paquette broke over the Wolf Pack line up the middle and, using Pack defenseman Dylan McIlrath as a screen, fired a shot that beat Desjardins under the crossbar.
Hartford was outshot 10-5 in the third, but got the only goal of the session at 6:35, just seven seconds after Mike Angelidis got out of the penalty box after serving a high-sticking minor. Vasilevsky got a piece of Danny Kristo’s shot from the left-wing side, but the puck got away from him and Hrivik dove down and poked it into the net for the tie.
The tie held up throughout the rest of the third, sending the game to overtime, which has been expanded to seven minutes this season in the AHL. The first three minutes is played at four-on-four, after which the game then goes to three-on-three.
Shortly after the switch to the three-on-three, a Syracuse centering pass just missed Mike Blunden in front of the Wolf Pack net, and Conor Allen sent Bourque and Lindberg away on a two-on-one. Bourque drew the defender to him on the left side and then dished across to Lindberg, who had plenty of room to bang the puck past Vasilevsky for the win.
The Wolf Pack open the home portion of their 2014-15 AHL regular season this Saturday, October 18 at the newly-renovated XL Center, hosting the Portland Pirates at 7:00 PM. Tickets for that game, and 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 4 (OT) at Syracuse Crunch 3
Sunday, October 12, 2014 – Onondaga County War Memorial Arena
Hartford 0 2 1 1 – 4
Syracuse 0 3 0 0 – 3
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Spinell Hfd (tripping), 7:40; Gourde Syr (holding), 7:57; Kantor Hfd (interference, roughing), 11:06; Gourde Syr (roughing), 11:06; Hughes Hfd (roughing), 12:46; Kantor Hfd (misconduct – continuing altercation), 16:26; O’Donnell Hfd (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating), 16:26; Mormina Syr (interference, fighting), 16:26; Noreau Hfd (roughing, roughing), 19:15.
2nd Period-1, Syracuse, Richard 1 (Gourde, Marchessault), 1:35 (PP). 2, Hartford, Lindberg 1 (Bourque, Mueller), 2:25 (PP). 3, Syracuse, Paquette 1 (Samson, Koekkoek), 4:37. 4, Hartford, Mueller 1 (Bodie, Bourque), 9:36. 5, Syracuse, Paquette 2 (Vermin, Cote), 11:02. Penalties-Noreau Hfd (high-sticking), 6:42; Cote Syr (holding the stick), 18:02.
3rd Period-6, Hartford, Hrivik 1 (Kristo, Bodie), 6:35 (PP). Penalties-Angelidis Syr (high-sticking), 4:28.
OT Period-7, Hartford, Lindberg 2 (Bourque, Allen), 4:53. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Hartford 4-13-5-5-27. Syracuse 10-11-10-1-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 3; Syracuse 1 / 6.
Goalies-Hartford, Desjardins 1-0-0 (32 shots-29 saves). Syracuse, Vasilevskiy 0-0-0 (27 shots-23 saves).
A-3,861
Referees-Chris Ciamaga (24), Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Shandor Alphonso (52), Francis Trempe (85).
