Roobroeck Scores Twice as Wolf Pack Beat Checkers 5-2

After earning a major win last night, the Hartford Wolf Pack visited the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday night to cap off the North Carolina portion of the season series. The Wolf Pack aimed to sweep the back-to-back set and take the season series in the Bojangles Coliseum for the first time in franchise history.

The Wolf Pack struck five times in the first 30 minutes, creating a gap too big for Charlotte to overcome. Hartford survived a late push to collect their second straight 5-2 victory and move within two points of a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

Beemer of Light

The Wolf Pack broke the ice just under two minutes into the contest. Cooper Moore fired a shot into traffic that hit Brody Lamb in front and rested in the slot. Bryce McConnell-Barker corralled the loose change, spun around, and ripped a shot that breezed by Kirill Gerasimyuk to give the Wolf Pack the game's first lead.

The goal was McConnell-Barker's ninth of the season, as well as his 16th point of the campaign; both figures are new career highs. Lamb picked up his second point as a professional with the assist.

Rooby Red

The Wolf Pack doubled the lead just over the 12 minute mark in the period. Aidan Thompson collected a loose puck at neutral ice and swung it across the rink to Dylan Roobroeck. The towering forward worked to the top of the left-wing circle before sniping a shot over the glove of Gerasimyuk to put the Wolf Pack up by two.

The goal was Roobroeck's tenth of the season, becoming the fifth member of the Wolf Pack to notch double digit goals on the campaign.

After the goal, Charlotte opted to lift Gerasimyuk from the net, inserting former Wolf Pack netminder Louis Domingue. It was the first time Domingue has faced his former team since signing with the Checkers.

The Big Shorty

The Wolf Pack made it a three goal frame in the waning minutes of the period. With McConnell-Barker in the box for holding, Jackson Dorrington collected a loose puck in his own zone and flung it down the ice. Domingue went out to play, but the puck died in the restricted area. Adam Sýkora corralled it, cut to the net, and stuffed a shot past the outstretched pad of Domingue to triple the lead.

The goal was Sýkora's 12th of the season, a new career high, as well as his third shorthanded marker of the campaign. Sýkora has scored three of Hartford's five shorthanded goals on the season; the other skaters with a goal while down a man are Brennan Othmann and Justin Dowling.

The Wolf Pack got the kill and took the three goal lead into the first intermission.

Roo Times Two

The Wolf Pack made it a four goal lead early in the middle frame. Connor Mackey held the puck behind his own net before finding Roobroeck at the blue line. Roobroeck worked through neutral ice and into the Charlotte zone before flinging a shot that beat Domingue by the glove to extend the lead.

The goal was Roobroeck's 11th of the season and marked the first time he's struck twice in a game on the campaign.

When One Dorr Opens

The Wolf Pack found their largest lead of the night just before the halfway point in the period. Brendan Brisson corralled a loose puck along the right-wing wall and tapped it to Daniel Walcott in the high slot. Walcott slipped it to Dorrington at the blue line, setting up the chance. Dorrington snapped a shot that breezed through traffic and past Domingue to make it 5-0 Hartford.

The goal was Dorrington's second of the season.

The Checkers would finally get on the board late in the frame when Jack Devine ripped a shot by Dylan Garand off an odd-man rush. The Wolf Pack would take the 5-1 lead into the second intermission.

Charlotte pushed in the final frame, but Garand continued to stand tall, making some impressive stops to keep the home side from drawing any closer for most of the period.

Noah Gregor would pot a goal off a turnover with just over a minute and a half to go, but that would be as close as Charlotte would get. The final horn sounded and the Wolf Pack earned a massive 5-2 win and two big points in the playoff chase.

The win gives the Wolf Pack 54 points on the year and puts them just two points back of a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. The Springfield Thunderbirds and Bridgeport Islanders each have 56 points; Springfield holds the tiebreaker, and by virtue, the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, with 21 regulation wins to Bridgeport's 20. Both teams also have a game in hand on the Wolf Pack. The fifth place Lehigh Valley Phantoms have 60 points, six more than Hartford. Both the Wolf Pack and Phantoms have played 60 games on the season.

Up Next

The Wolf Pack continue their five-game road trip on Saturday, visiting the Toronto Marlies for the only time this season. Puck drop is set for 4 pm.