HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack picked up their second straight victory on Friday night, scoring four unanswered goals to down the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-2 at PeoplesBank Arena.
Derrick Pouliot opened the scoring with his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack. With the sides battling four-on-four, Alex Alexeyev sent an errant pass into the slot in his own zone. Pouliot stepped into a blast that got by Filip Larsson at 11:37.
The goal was Hartford’s second four-on-four strike of the season.
Owen Pickering tied the game at 14:29, however, scoring his second goal of the season. Pickering fired a shot from the right-wing side that snuck through traffic and beat Callum Tung.
Tung was busy in the first period, making 21 saves on 22 shots, keeping the game tied 1-1 through 20 minutes.
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard gave the Penguins their first lead of the night just 1:12 into the second period. On their second power play of the game, Chase Pietila fired a shot into traffic that Harvey-Pinard tipped in the slot.
The goal was Harvey-Pinard’s second against the Wolf Pack and third overall on the season.
The Wolf Pack tilted the ice from there, however, and struck twice to take a 3-2 lead into the final frame.
Trey Fix-Wolansky tied the game at 8:18, scoring Hartford’s second unassisted goal of the night. Fix-Wolansky won a foot race for a puck and darted in on a breakaway. He beat Larsson through the five-hole for his sixth goal of the season.
Anton Blidh then gave the Wolf Pack the lead at 13:21, tipping home his second goal of the season. While attacking in the offensive zone, Pouliot fired a pass from the left-wing to Cooper Moore, who was on the right-wing point.
Moore stepped into a drive that Blidh tipped in front by Larsson.
Moore’s assist was his first professional point.
The Wolf Pack put the game away with two goals in the third period.
Pouliot fired a shot into traffic that Larsson denied, but the rebound came to Brett Berard. Berard buried his second goal in as many games, providing the Wolf Pack with the insurance needed on this night at 13:04.
Pouliot’s assist was his third point (1 g, 2 a) of the night.
Adam Sýkora put the game out of reach at 15:35, taking a pass from Blidh and beating Larsson for his third goal of the season.
The victory snapped the club’s eight-game losing streak again the Penguins (0-7-1-0).