The Bridgeport Sound Tigers’ Adam Pelech scored fifty seconds into overtime Friday night at the XL Center, sending the Hartford Wolf Pack to 3-6-0-0 on the season with a 5-4 loss.
The majority of the game’s opening period proved to be painfully symbolic of the Pack’s recent struggles. Harford had difficulty getting shots through on net, and were unable to convert on multiple power play opportunities.
Following a Wolf Pack turnover, Bridgeport’s Michael Dal Colle put the Sound Tigers on the scoreboard with a vicious slap shot that beat a heavily screened Magnus Hellberg at 12:18.
Hartford was given a chance to respond when Kane Lafranchise was booked for tripping at 14:20, but once again, the Pack struggled to set up their power-play offense. With just under a minute remaining in the penalty, the Sound Tigers added a shorthanded goal when Connor Jones found a streaking Devon Toews, who fired a wrist shot past Hellberg’s glove at 15:42.
As the clock ticked down, it looked as if the Pack were destined for their fourth straight scoreless period. With just 2.7 seconds left in the frame, however, Nicklas Jensen slotted a wrist shot past the blocker of Bridgeport goalie Christopher Gibson, to cut the Sound Tigers’ lead to 2-1 heading into the first intermission.
As the Pack looked to build off of Jensen’s late score, Bridgeport was determined to deflate Hartford’s momentum. At 3:50 of the second, Sound Tigers center Tanner Fritz made this intention a reality, collecting a Wolf Pack mis-handle and depositing the ensuing breakaway attempt into the back of Hellberg’s net.
Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander’s squad refused to quit, however, answering with a goal of their own at 9:25. Once again, Jensen was the culprit, receiving a pinpoint pass from Boo Nieves and snapping a low wrist shot under Gibson’s out-stretched glove. Left-winger Adam Tambellini later tied the contest at 3-3, when he notched his second tally of the year at 17:59. Defenseman Chris Summers and forward Marek Hrivik assisted on the goal.
With the score tied at three apiece, Hrivik collected his second point of the contest, firing his own rebound past Gibson to give the Pack a 4-3 lead at 4:34. The Sound Tigers, though, were quick to respond. Just forty-five seconds after Hrivik’s score, Tambellini’s slashing penalty put Bridgeport on the power play at 5:19.
The Sound Tiger power play converted the opportunity, with Kane Lafranchise passing from the left circle and Steve Bernier deflecting the puck past Hellberg at 6:33.
Neither team could generate any more scoring in regulation, and the Wolf Pack looked to improve to 3-0 in overtime.
That was not to be, however, as Pelech scored off of a 2-on-1 at the 50-second mark of OT. After receiving a Bracken Kearns pass on the left side, Pelech batted his own rebound through Hellberg’s pads for the winner.
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