Wolf Pack Fall to Monsters 3-2 in Close Contest

The Hartford Wolf Pack continued their five-game home stand on Wednesday night. They hosted the Cleveland Monsters for the first time since the 2023-24 campaign.

The Wolf Pack played a strong game, but a controversial call ended up as the difference maker. Cleveland would take a 3-2 victory, earning their first victory of the season series.

Scotty Sinks the Putt

The opening frame was a feeling out process between the teams. Both sides got a pair of power plays in the frame, but strong play from Spencer Martin and Ivan Fedotov kept the first period scoreless. The dueling netminders each made nine saves in the stanza.

The Wolf Pack finally took the game's first lead just over the 15 minute mark in the second period. Zakary Karpa won an offensive zone draw, and Scott Morrow corralled the puck. Morrow danced through the defense, found some open ice, and snapped a shot that clipped the post and ricocheted into the net to give the Wolf Pack the icebreaker.

The goal was Morrow's second of the campaign.

However, Cleveland would strike twice in quick succession to gain the lead. Brendan Gaunce was first, burying a power play goal with Brett Berard in the box for interference. In the waning seconds of the period, Luca Del Bel Belluz gave the visitors the lead, taking a feed from Zach Aston-Reese before wiring a shot over Martin. The Monsters took the 2-1 lead into the second intermission.

Route 55

The Wolf Pack pressed in the final frame, and would finally tie the game with just under five minutes to play. Martin settled a puck behind the net and left it for Morrow. The second-year defenseman went coast-to-coast and attempted to center the puck for Carey Terrance on the backdoor. However, the puck clipped the inside of Fedotov's pad and trickled through the five hole, tying the contest at two.

The goal was Morrow's third of the season and second of the contest.

However, Cleveland would retake the lead just two minutes later. Martin went out to play the puck, but couldn't settle it. Gaunce corralled it and sent a backwards pass to Aston-Reese, who promptly nailed the empty net to put the visitors back in front.

Hartford pushed late and believed they tied the contest after Trey Fix-Wolansky stuffed a wraparound attempt by the outstretched pad of Fedotov. However, after a lenghty review, officials controversially waved off the goal. The game-tying tally would elude the Wolf Pack for the remainder of the contest, resulting in the 3-2 final.

"The rule, as I understand it, is that it has to be conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the ice," Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny remarked to Blueshirt Banter after the game. The bench boss' phrasing of the answer implied that the evidence used to overturn the goal was not conclusive.

Despite the frustrating loss, Potulny noted that his team's third period was one to build upon.

"You look at our third period, [we] played with more urgency," Potulny told Blueshirt Banter. "We were winning puck races. We were getting pucks to the net. I thought we did a better job of keeping the puck moving offensively. And I thought we did a better job of taking what the game gives us."

Up Next

The Wolf Pack and Monsters cap off their season series at the PeoplesBank Arena on Friday. Puck drop is set for 7 pm.