Wolf Pack Drop Wild Game to Thunderbirds 7-4

The Hartford Wolf Pack kicked off their most important weekend of the year on Friday night. They traveled up to Springfield for the latest I-91 Rivalry matchup with the Thunderbirds.

The game saw the rivals play a wild, back-and-forth contest. In the end, the Thunderbirds would score five unanswered goals to pull away and secure a 7-4 decision.

Bryce Guys Finish Goals

The Thunderbirds would open the scoring just under five minutes into the contest. Aleksanteri Kaskimäki corralled a loose puck in the Wolf Pack zone, waited out Dylan Garand, and ripped a shot by the blocker to put the T-Birds up early.

Michael Buchinger doubled the lead just over the halfway point in the frame. Hartford failed to clear their zone, allowing Buchinger a chance from the slot. The defenseman didn't miss, putting the Wolf Pack in an early 2-0 hole.

However, the Wolf Pack would respond well in the period. A bench minor for too many men against Springfield gave the Wolf Pack their first power play opportunity of the game. Garand stretched a pass for Adam Sýkora, who powered into the Springfield zone. Sýkora left the puck for Bryce McConnell-Barker, who collected it before sniping a shot through the five-hole of Vadim Zherenko, getting the Wolf Pack on the board.

The goal was McConnell-Barker's sixth of the season. Additionally, Garand's secondary helper on the goal was his first point of the season. The assist was also Garand's first point since April 27th, 2024, when he recorded an assist in a 3-2 Wolf Pack overtime win against the Charlotte Checkers in game two of the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Yes We Scan

The Wolf Pack tied the contest just over a minute later. Brandon Scanlin kept a puck in the offensive zone at the blue line, and Brennan Othmann grabbed it. Othmann slipped a pass back to Scanlin, who danced to the slot and snapped a shot by Zherenko to even the score at two.

The goal was Scanlin's first of the season. Othmann's assist on the play extended his AHL point streak to five straight games.

Call Kalle

The Wolf Pack took their first lead of the night in the final minutes of the first period. Jackson Dorrington knocked down a clearing attempt and shoveled the puck forward to Daniel Walcott along the wall. Walcott absorbed a check and freed the puck towards the middle of the ice. The puck clipped Carey Terrance before trickling to Kalle Väisänen, who promptly wired a shot by Zherenko to put the Wolf Pack up for the first time in the game.

The goal was Väisänen's second of the season, and it gave the Wolf Pack a one-goal lead heading into the first intermission.

An Otter Always Knows

The Wolf Pack doubled the lead in the opening minutes of the middle frame. Othmann swiped the puck from a T-Bird at neutral ice and powered into the offensive zone. Othmann promptly snapped a shot that beat Zherenko by the glove. The red light went on and the Hartford forward celebrated, but officials ruled no goal. After a stoppage in play, the stripes reviewed the play and ultimately determined that the puck ricocheted off the back bar and out, awarding the goal to Othmann.

The goal was Othmann's sixth of the season.

However, the Thunderbirds would find their way back into the game. Dillon Dube earned a penalty shot after Dorrington tripped him up during a breakaway. He'd convert on the opportunity to cut the lead to one.

Matthew Peca sniped a sharp-angle shot by Garand in the final seconds of the period to send the game into the second intermission with the score tied at four.

Too Many Different Pages

From there, the Wolf Pack lost all momentum. Kaskimäki potted his second goal of the night with Scanlin in the box for roughing to put the home side back in the lead, this time for good.

Dylan Peterson slammed home an insurance marker just over the 12 minute mark in the period, and Chris Wagner delivered the dagger with an empty net goal.

"We've been in this situation since October," Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny told Blueshirt Banter following the game. "You have a lead. Now you want to change how you play? You got a lead for a reason. We were playing excellent hockey, then we got on our own page. You can't win with players on their own page."

"We gotta come together and play for the guy next to us," Othmann remarked to Blueshirt Banter after the game. "It's [about] being a team and coming together as a family down the stretch."

Up Next

The Wolf Pack will return to the Connecticut capital tomorrow, hosting the Providence Bruins. Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm.