Wolf Pack Beat Phantoms 5-2 Behind Beaudoin's Three Point Night

The Hartford Wolf Pack opened the 2026-27 season on Saturday night. They hit the road for the fifth straight season opener, heading to Allentown, Pennsylvania for a matchup against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Wolf Pack would twice find themselves trailing in the contest, but a torrid third period made the difference. Hartford scored three unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes to open the campaign with a 5-2 victory.

Totally Radd

The Phantoms would open the scoring just over five minutes into the contest. Anton Blidh was called for roughing, initiating the first power play bid of the contest. In the waning seconds of the man advantage, Jacob Gaucher tapped a rebound past Gabriel Carriere to put the home side in front first.

The Wolf Pack would respond six minutes later. Blidh, Cole Beaudoin, and Taylor Raddysh put together a strong shift in the offensive zone. Beaudoin worked from right to left before dropping the puck to Raddysh. The veteran forward walked in and ripped a shot that breezed by Aleksei Kolosov, tying the contest.

Raddysh's goal was Hartford's first of the season, as well as his first AHL goal since May 5, 2021, when he recorded three goals for the Syracuse Crunch in a 5-3 win over the Utica Comets.

After the goal, Justin Nachbaur took the first fight of the season for Hartford, dropping the gloves with Noah Powell. Nachbaur landed a few thunderous shots and scored the victory.

Both teams got chances in the remainder of the frame, but neither could convert, sending the game to the first intermission with the score knotted at one.

All Juused Up

Gaucher would pot his second tally of the night just 1:39 into the second frame, sniping a shot past a sliding Carriere.

However, the Wolf Pack would once again find a way to tie the contest. Jack Studnicka took a penalty for holding the stick at 7:26, and Oliver Bonk was whistled for cross-checking at 9:06. The Wolf Pack power play units wore down the Lehigh Valley penalty killers, eventually allowing Juuso Pärssinen to cash in. Marc Del Gaizo took a shot that ricocheted through traffic and came to Pärssinen, who hammered the puck home to even the score.

Liam Greentree earned the secondary assist on the goal, giving him his first professional point.

Both teams had bids in the remainder of the frame, but neither could pull ahead, sending the contest to the second intermission with the sides even at two.

Driving the Van

The Wolf Pack took their first lead of the campaign just over the five minute mark of the final frame. An aggressive forecheck by Brody Lamb allowed Pärssinen to find a loose puck in the offensive zone. Pärssinen dished it to Lucas Vanroboys, who uncorked a one-timer that zipped by Kolosov and into the net, putting Hartford ahead for good.

The goal was Vanroboys' first as a member of the Wolf Pack, while the assist made Pärssinen the first Wolf Pack player to record a multi-point game on the campaign.

This Beauds Well

Hartford doubled their lead just over three minutes later. Zayde Wisdom couldn't enter the offensive zone, losing control of the puck to Beaudoin. The rookie forward sped into the Lehigh Valley zone and sniped a shot home to put the Wolf Pack up by two.

The goal was Beaudoin's first as a pro. With the goal, Beaudoin became the first Wolf Pack rookie to record at least two points in his debut since Brennan Othmann tallied two goals in his AHL debut against the Providence Bruins on October 13, 2023.

Game One, Win One

The Phantoms pressed late, pulling Kolosov for the extra skater. However, Vincent Iorio would deliver the dagger, nailing the empty net to seal a 5-2 victory for the Wolf Pack.

It was the Wolf Pack's first opening night win since the 2023-24 season, when they defeated Providence 3-2 on October 13 to start the season.

Up Next

The Wolf Pack are back in action tomorrow afternoon, visiting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Puck drop is set for 5:05 pm.

The Wolf Pack host their home opener on Saturday, October 10, welcoming the Penguins to town. Puck drop is set for 6 pm.