Sean Day’s goal at 1:28 of overtime Sunday lifted the Wolf Pack to a 4-3 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the XL Center.
That gave the Wolf Pack a sweep of their first two games of the season, both of which were at home. Hartford had opened with a 5-3 victory over the Charlotte Checkers the night before.
Vinni Lettieri got the Pack on the board early, with the help of Steven Fogarty and Day, with 15:14 left in the first period. This was just the start of an action-packed first period, as Bridgeport would soon tie it up with a penalty-shot goal by Matt Lorito at 11:41, which was followed by another Sound Tigers goal from Oliver Wahlstrom at the 13:46 mark.
Wahlstrom snuck his shot past Wolf Pack goaltender Adam Huska (16 saves) on the short side, to give Bridgeport a 2-1 lead.
It was then the Wolf Pack defensemen who took charge, to give them the offensive advantage going into the second frame. Joey Keane ripped a shot from the right-wing corner past a screened Sound Tigers netminder Christopher Gibson (26 saves) at 15:30. Ryan Lindgren then put his skills on display, as he made a nearly rink-length rush and put the puck between Gibson’s legs to give the Wolf Pack a 3-2 lead at the 16:39 mark.
“It was nice to see [Lindgren] jump in the play like that,” said Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We want to create offense and be known that we’re dangerous.”
The Wolf Pack and Sound Tigers took a more defensive approach for the second period, which was scoreless.
“Both teams played defensive,” said Sean Day about the second period stalemate, “but intensity picked up in the third.”
Bridgeport forward Ryan Bourque tied it up at 3:08 of the third period, and that proved to be the last goal in regulation.
Day played the role of hero in OT for the Pack, skating along the entire perimeter of the offensive zone before hitting the back bar with a hard snap-wrister.
“Great play by Sean and great movement in the o-zone,” Knoblauch commented. “Day put it in the right spot.”
“I want to become a two-way guy,” said Day, who credits much of his progress to teammate Vincent LoVerde. “Every day I’m asking LoVerde questions. Having won two Calder Cups, he has a lot of experience under him.”
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