Wolf Pack Suffer 9-0 Defeat to Checkers

After roof leaks at the Bojangles Coliseum delayed their game yesterday, the Hartford Wolf Pack and Charlotte Checkers finished their two-game set in the Queen City on Monday afternoon. The Wolf Pack aimed to sweep the set, while Charlotte eyed a split.

This game was all Checkers. The home side struck nine times and cruised their way to a 9-0 decision.

Bad Loss at Bojangles

The Wolf Pack started out the game with some jump, firing six of the first seven shots of the contest. However, Kirill Gerasimyuk turned all of them aside to keep the Wolf Pack from earning the icebreaker.

Spencer Martin made a big stop to keep the game scoreless just under eight minutes in. Nolan Foote picked off an errant pass from Trey Fix-Wolansky and ripped a shot from the slot. Martin denied the premium chance with the blocker to keep Charlotte off the board for the time being.

However, Charlotte took control after Foote's chance. They'd wear down the Wolf Pack, spending plenty of time in the Hartford zone. Eventually, the Checkers found the net thanks to Marek Alscher wiring a shot from distance past Martin.

From there, the floodgates opened.

Brian Pinho made it a two-goal game just 63 seconds later, splitting the defense and ripping a shot into the Hartford net. Noah Gregor made it 3-0, snapping a shot that squeaked through Martin and over the line. The Checkers took the lead into the first intermission.

Mitchell Vande Sompel tallied the home side's fourth goal of the game, potting a feed from Jack Studnicka just over the halfway point in the contest. Just 29 seconds later, Ben Steeves beat a sliding Martin to make it 5-0.

Michael Benning tapped home a loose puck in the final minutes of the second frame to make it 6-0, and the Checkers took that lead into the second intermission.

Just under the eight minute mark in the final frame, Fix-Wolansky dropped the gloves and attempted to fight Wilmer Skoog, who laid a hit on the veteran forward earlier in the game that Hartford didn't like. However, Skoog refused to answer the bell, and Fix-Wolansky was given a fighting major. That sent Charlotte to a five-minute power play bid.

Devine made Hartford pay immediately, tacking on the extra point just eleven seconds into the man advantage. Hunter St. Martin struck just over two minutes later to make it 8-0.

Finally, Steeves capped off the scoring barrage just under the twelve-minute mark, giving the Checkers a 9-0 decision and handing Hartford their worst defeat by goal differential in franchise history.

Up Next

The Wolf Pack return to the PeoplesBank Arena on Friday, hosting the Utica Comets for the only time this season. Puck drop is set for 7 pm.