Glens Falls, NY, January 17, 2014 – Andrew Yogan’s early third-period goal was the winner for the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday night at the Glens Falls Civic Center, in a 4-2 victory over the Adirondack Phantoms.
After the Wolf Pack had trailed 1-0 and 2-1, Yogan put the Wolf Pack ahead 1:24 into the third. Yogan was allowed to step out from behind the net to the left of Adirondack goaltender Cal Heeter, and Yogan snapped a shot between Heeter and the goal post.
Ryan Bourque and Darroll Powe also scored for Hartford, and Jesper Fast had an empty-netter. Aaron Johnson had three assists and J.T. Miller had a pair of helpouts. David LeNeveu made 26 saves to get the win in his first Wolf Pack game of the year.
The victory snapped an 0-5-0-1 streak for the Wolf Pack, who improved to 12-20-0-5 for 29 points on the season.
“I thought it was a much better effort,” Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander said. “We took some penalties that certainly we can’t afford to take, and we’ll have to address that, but by and large it was a pretty good effort and I liked a lot of things in the game.”
Jason Akeson had a goal and an assist for Adirondack, and ex-Wolf Pack Kris Newbury also scored for the Phantoms.
Power plays ruled the day in the first period, as the two clubs combined for three man-advantage goals, two by Adirondack.
The Phantoms grabbed the game’s first lead at 5:55 of the first frame, on an Akeson slap shot from the middle of the blue line. Brandon Manning fed a pass to Akeson, whose shot got by the stick side of LeNeveu, who signed an AHL contract with the Wolf Pack Tuesday.
The Wolf Pack tied it at 9:20, with Zack FitzGerald in the box for interference. Ryan Bourque scored his eighth of the year, and extended a point-scoring streak to a pro career-high five games, when he deflected the puck in from close range to the left of Adirondack goaltender Cal Heeter (33 saves), after Johnson snapped it at the net from the left circle.
Newbury put Adirondack back in front with 2:23 remaining in the period, after Micheal Haley picked up four minutes in penalties at 14:46.
Manning set Newbury up at the top of the right circle, and Newbury released his shot quickly and got it behind LeNeveu.
The Wolf Pack got the only goal of the second period, and it was the third in the last five games for Powe, at 6:02. Johnson worked the puck off the left-wing boards to Powe at the top of the circle, and Powe unloaded a perfect shot that went off the post on Heeter’s stick side and into the net.
That came after Fast was awarded a penalty shot at 4:53, after he got behind the Phantom defense and was knocked off stride by Oliver Lauridsen. Heeter, though, made a pad save on Fast’s penalty-shot attempt.
Yogan’s goal was part of a strong third-period effort by the Wolf Pack, who outshot Adirondack 15-8 in the third. Fast put the final touch on the victory with 3.5 seconds left, taking a pass from Oscar Lindberg and sliding the puck into the empty net from just above the left-wing faceoff dot, after the Phantoms had pulled Heeter.
The Wolf Pack’s next action is this Sunday, January 19, a 3:00 PM game in Bridgeport against the Sound Tigers. 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 24, a 7:00 PM contest against the Springfield Falcons. 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.
Hartford Wolf Pack 4 at Adirondack Phantoms 2
Friday, January 17, 2014 – Glens Falls Civic Center
Hartford 1 1 2 – 4
Adirondack 2 0 0 – 2
1st Period-1, Adirondack, Akeson 13 (Gervais, Cousins), 5:55 (PP). 2, Hartford, Bourque 8 (Johnson, Miller), 9:20 (PP). 3, Adirondack, Newbury 12 (Manning, Akeson), 17:37 (PP). Penalties-FitzGerald Adk (roughing), 2:38; Haley Hfd (slashing), 4:55; FitzGerald Adk (interference), 8:36; Haley Hfd (roughing, slashing), 14:46; Bickel Hfd (holding), 19:46.
2nd Period-4, Hartford, Powe 6 (Johnson, Hensick), 6:02. Penalties-Kantor Hfd (fighting), 3:42; Mathers Adk (fighting), 3:42; Beach Hfd (roughing), 10:23; Kantor Hfd (misconduct, game misconduct – abuse of officials), 10:23; Straka Adk (roughing, fighting, match), 10:23; Johnson Hfd (tripping), 11:09; Kristo Hfd (slashing), 17:41; Manning Adk (diving/embellishment), 17:41.
3rd Period-5, Hartford, Yogan 3 (Johnson, Miller), 1:24. 6, Hartford, Fast 3 (Lindberg), 19:56. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Hartford 9-13-15-37. Adirondack 10-10-8-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 4; Adirondack 2 / 5.
Goalies-Hartford, LeNeveu 1-1-0 (28 shots-26 saves). Adirondack, Heeter 13-12-0 (37 shots-33 saves).
A-3,464
Referees-David Banfield (77).
Linesmen-Mike Emanatian (69), Steeve Lemay (64).
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