Wolf Pack Stave Off Comeback, Beat Monsters 6-4

After completing a season-long six-game home stand on Wednesday night, the Hartford Wolf Pack hit the road. They traveled to Cleveland to take on the Monsters in a two-game weekend set, starting the series on Friday.

The sides played a wild, back-and-forth contest that was tied at four late. However, the Wolf Pack would eventually pull out the win, taking a 6-4 decision to snap a two-game skid.

Sýky Snipe

The Wolf Pack broke the ice just under five minutes into the contest. Casey Fitzgerald carried the puck into the Cleveland zone and chipped it around a defender. Fitzgerald worked down low and found Adam Sýkora skating towards the net. Fitzgerald threaded a pass to Sýkora, who snapped it by Ivan Fedotov to break the ice.

The goal was Sýkora's fourth of the season.

The Monsters would tie the contest in the final minutes of the frame. Roman Achan sprung Hunter McKown for a partial breakaway, and McKown stuffed a shot on the backhand by Callum Tung to draw the teams even at one.

Briss is Why He's Hot

Just 30 seconds after McKown's goal, the Wolf Pack retook the lead. Ole Julian Bjørgvik Holm attempted to clear the puck, but it deflected off the skate of Will MacKinnon. The puck popped directly to Brendan Brisson, who roofed a shot into the net to reinstate the Hartford lead.

The goal was Brisson's fifth of the season, and his third in as many games. The Wolf Pack took the 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Be Bryce

The Wolf Pack doubled the lead just under three minutes into the middle frame. Chris Ortiz took a shot into traffic that Fedotov fought off. Cooper Moore grabbed the rebound and sent a pass to Sýkora in the slot. Sýkora promptly ripped a shot that ricocheted off Bryce McConnell-Barker in front and into the net.

The goal was McConnell-Barker's fourth of the season. The assist also gave Sýkora his second point of the night, recording his first multi-point game of the campaign.

The Monsters would again cut the lead to one just over 14 minutes into the middle period. Jordan Dumais pounded a pass from Luca Del Bel Belluz by Tung to make it a 3-2 contest.

Trey's Back in Town

Once again, the Wolf Pack would respond and double the lead. Gabe Perreault beat Hudson Fasching to a loose puck and slipped it to Trey Fix-Wolansky at neutral ice. The two sped into the Cleveland zone on an odd-man rush. Fix-Wolansky fed Perreault, who sent it back to Fix-Wolansky for the easy tap-in tally.

The goal was Fix-Wolansky's team-leading seventh of the season. It was also the first time the iconic former Monster had scored against his former team. The goal came after Fix-Wolansky was honored by the Monsters during the first period.

The Wolf Pack took the 4-2 lead into the second intermission.

Bryce, Twice

However, the Wolf Pack's discipline issues would once again rear their ugly heads. They were whistled for too many men on the ice with just one second to play in the middle frame, sending them to the penalty kill to start the third stanza. Just 19 seconds into the third period, Connor Mackey put the puck over glass, forcing Hartford to a five-on-three kill.

Del Bel Belluz would make the Wolf Pack pay, potting two power play goals to tie the game. Del Bel Belluz's first goal came just 45 seconds into the frame, wiring a shot by Tung on the short side. The second tally came in the final seconds of the kill, blasting a slap shot into the net to tie the game at four.

However, the Wolf Pack would find a way to regain the lead. McConnell-Barker controlled the puck off a face off in the Cleveland zone. McConnell-Barker muscled his way to the net and tried to stuff a shot by Fedotov, but the Cleveland netminder turned it aside. The rebound sat in the blue paint, and McConnell-Barker tapped it into the net to put the Wolf Pack back in front.

The goal was McConnell-Barker's fifth of the season. The goal also gave McConnell-Barker his first multi-goal game as a professional.

Cleveland pushed for the equalizer late, but Fix-Wolansky, affectionately referred to in Cleveland as "The Franchise," would nail the empty net to cement a 6-4 win and get the Wolf Pack back in the win column.

Up Next

The Wolf Pack and Monsters will face off again tomorrow, November 29. Puck drop is set for 7 pm.