Game Story: Hartford - 5 at W-B/Scranton - 1 (3/26/23)

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hartford Wolf Pack met Sunday with both teams desperate for points as the two squads entered the contest as the bottom two teams in the Atlantic Division standings.

Despite it being their third game in three days, the Wolf Pack had the jump in the first period - jumping out to a 1-0 lead on the opening shift of the contest and keeping their foot on the gas to the tune of a 3-0 lead and commanding 14-3 edge in shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes.

Hartford never looked back in a commanding 5-1 victory over the Penguins, moving them within one point of the final playoff spot held by the Bridgeport Islanders with a Wednesday night showdown with the Islanders on the schedule.

Zac Jones, Will Lockwood and Turner Elson recorded a goal and an assist each to led the Wolf Pack attack while captain Jonny Brodzinski and veteran forward Anton Blidh also scored goals in the win for Hartford. Goaltender Louis Domingue stopped all but one of the 28 shots he faced to pick up the win.

Jonathan Gruden got the Penguins on the board with a third period power play goal, but it was too little too late in a losing effort. Dustin Tokarski made 23 saves in the loss.

Jones opened the scoring, picking off a neutral zone chip-in and taking it coast-to-coast before firing a shot past Tokarski from atop the left-wing circle.

After the Penguins killed off a Jamie Devane roughing minor, Lockwood finished a check in the defensive zone at the left point and knocked the Penguins' defensemen off his skates as his Wolf Pack teammate Ryan Carpenter stole a puck and started up ice the other way. Lockwood joined Carpenter, creating a 2-on-1 before accepting a feed and going forehand to backhand past Tokarski to make it 2-0 at the 6:25 mark.

Hartford kept firing away, getting back-to-back power play chances in the second half of the period, converting on the back half of the those two chances to break the game open to a 3-0 Wolf Pack advantage. Jones kept a puck in at the point and got it down low to Fritz, who fed a quick cross-ice pass to the back door for a one-timer from Brodzinski past Tokarski with 6:25 left before the first intermission.

Down 3-0 to begin the middle frame, the Penguins put forth a much better effort - though they weren't rewarded with any goals in the period.

Instead, Anton Blidh scooped up a loose puck along the endboards behind the Penguins' net and quickly pivoted out in front to tuck a quick backhander past Tokarski to extend Hartford's lead to 4-0 halfway through the period.

The Pens broke Domingue's shutout bid with a power play goal with 9:29 left in the third period to cut their deficit to 4-1 on Gruden's 15th of the season, but that's as close as they would get before allowing an Elson empty net tally to complete the 5-1 final score.

Post-Game EXTRA!

Hartford Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch

On getting strong start in tail end of three-in-three

"We came out really well and yeah, like you said, that can be very difficult playing through in threes. This year we've been pretty fortunate. We've played pretty well in them. But yeah, you never know because it's tiring playing three-in-three especially the way the first two games went on Friday and Saturday but today I thought everyone put in a good effort."

Hartford Wolf Pack Lineup Notes

Louis Domingue got the start in net for the Wolf Pack Sunday, with Dylan Garand serving as the team's backup goaltender.

Wolf Pack Scratches: C.J. Smith, Karl Henriksson, Matt Rempe, Matthew Robertson, Patrick Khodorenko, Blake Hillman and Cristiano DiGiacinto

Lines/Pairings:

Will Cuylle - Jake Leschyshyn - Jonny Brodzinski Tim Gettinger - Ryan Carpenter - Will Lockwood Anton Blidh - Tanner Fritz - Lauri Pajuniemi Brett Berard - Turner Elson - Bobby Trivigno

Ty Emberson - Zac Jones Brandon Scanlin - Libor Hajek Wyatt Kalynuk - Adam Clendening

Louis Domingue - Dylan Garand

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Lineup Notes

Dustin Tokarski, back from his emergency recall with Pittsburgh, got the start Sunday for the Penguins. Taylor Gauthier served as the Pens' backup.

Tommy Nappier was reassigned to Wheeling, while defenseman Louie Roehl and forward Jordan Frasca joined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from their ECHL affiliate.

Penguins Scratches: Filip Lindberg, Chris Ortiz, Mitch Reinke, Jagger Joshua, Jordan Frasca, Raivis Ansons, Sam Poulin, Louie Roehl, Justin Addamo, Ty Smith and Xavier Ouellet

Lines/Pairings:

Drake Caggiula - Jonathan Gruden - Corey Andonovski Filip Hallander - Tyler Sikura - Valtteri Puustinen Lukas Svejkovsky - Sam Houde - Nathan Legare Ty Glover - Kyle Olson - Jamie Devane

Jon Lizotte - Jack St. Ivany Peter DiLiberatore - Josh Maniscalco Andrew Nielsen - Colin Swoyer

Dustin Tokarski - Taylor Gauthier

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

0:16: HFD - Jones (8) - unassisted 2:25: WBS - (PP) Devane, minor (roughing) 6:25: HFD - Lockwood (14) - Carpenter 11:17: WBS - (PP) St. Ivany, minor (tripping) 13:19: WBS - (PP) DiLiberatore, minor (delay of game) 13:35: HFD - PPG Brodzinski (18) - Fritz, Jones

2nd Period

6:18: HFD - (PP) Clendening, minor (roughing) 10:27: HFD - Blidh (10) - Elson, Pajuniemi 15:08: WBS - (PP) Maniscalco, minor (interference)

3rd Period

9:40: HFD - (PP) Hajek, minor (tripping) 10:31: WBS - PPG Gruden (15) - Caggiula, Svejkovsky 19:24: HFD - ENG Elson (13) - Gettinger

BOXSCORE

Hartford Wolf Pack  3 - 1 - 1 = 5 W-B/Scranton Pens  0 - 0 - 1 = 1

Shots

Hartford Wolf Pack  14 - 8 - 5 = 27 W-B/Scranton Pens  3 - 12 - 13 = 28

Goalies

HFD: Louis Domingue (27 saves - 28 shots) WBS: Dustin Tokarski (23 saves - 27 shots)

Power Play

HFD: 1-for-4 WBS: 1-for-2

Penalty Kill

HFD: 1-for-2 WBS: 3-for-4