Igor Shesterkin chalked up his second shutout of the season for the Wolf Pack Friday night at the XL Center, making 26 saves in a 4-0 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, in the front end of a home-and-home between the two teams.
Nick Jones scored twice for the Wolf Pack, and Nick Ebert and Lewis Zerter-Gossage also had Hartford goals.
“Obviously, Shesty is Shesty,” said Ebert of the Wolf Pack goaltender. “He comes in on a nightly basis, and he makes saves most goalies can’t. It makes things a lot easier having him back there.”
Both teams unsuccessfully traded power play chances until the Wolf Pack finally broke the tie with 3:55 left in the period. Ebert pinched in and snuck a shot between Phantoms goaltender Alex Lyon (26 saves) and the post for his fourth goal of the year. Phil Di Giuseppe and Vinni Lettieri both assisted on the goal. The tally would prove to be the only one of the period.
Hartford continued its scoring ways in the second period, when Zerter-Gossage scored his second of the year, giving the Pack a 2-0 lead just under seven minutes into the frame. The goal was unassisted. After the goal, both teams would shut down defensively for the period, something that has been a strength for the Wolf Pack throughout the season.
“Our whole defensive corps have been good together, individually and as a group,” said Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We have a lot of good options on the back end, it makes things easier for us.”
Defense continued to be the story in the third period, until Jones scored his third goal of the year off a Darren Raddysh rebound with 12:15 left in the period. Vincent LoVerde also had an assist on the goal.
“It was good to get that goal and close the door,” said Ebert.
Lehigh Valley pulled Lyon in the dying minutes of the game, but with 39.8 seconds left to play the Wolf Pack went on a power play, and Jones scored his second of the period. Joey Keane and Yegor Rykov assisted on the late tally.
“Jones has been strong all year,” said Knoblauch.  “He makes everyone he plays with better. That’s the sign of a good player, he’s one of the most consistent players on our team.”
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