HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack opened the newly renovated PeoplesBank Arena in front of over 7,100 fans on Friday night. Despite that, the club dropped a 5-2 decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to drop to 0-2-0-0 on the season.
The Wolf Pack’s penalty kill was tested early, as the club faced a five-on-three just 6:57 into the hockey game. Jackson Dorrington was whistled for hooking at 5:56, then Dylan Garand took a delay of game penalty for puck over glass at 6:57.
Garand made six saves on the ensuing shorthanded sequence, keeping the Penguins off the board.
Rafael Harvey-Pinard opened the scoring 12:01 into the game, however, taking a pass from Chase Pietila and darting in on a partial breakaway. Harvey-Pinard snapped a quick shot by Garand to put the visitors on top.
Moments later, at 14:59, an errant pass ended up on the stick of Danton Heinen. Heinen fed Atley Calvert in the high slot, where he snapped a shot off the goal post and by Garand to make it 2-0. The assist was the first of three for Heinen on the night.
Avery Hayes extended the lead to 3-0 5:57 into the middle frame on the power play. Hayes took a feed from Sam Poulin and ripped a shot top shelf for his second goal of the season.
Gabe Perreault got the Wolf Pack on the board at 16:24, tipping home his first career goal. Blake Hillman took a pass at the right-wing point and stepped into a shot that Perreault tipped over the left shoulder of Sergei Murashov.
The goal gave Perreault (1 g, 1 a) his second point of the season.
Adam Sýkora drew the Wolf Pack within a goal at 6:50 of the third period, tipping home a Derrick Pouliot point shot. Pouliot took a pass at the right-wing point and fired a shot that Sýkora was able to get a piece of. The goal was Sýkora’s first of the season.
Calvert reestablished the two-goal lead at 11:53, pouncing on a rebound and burying his second goal of the night to make it 4-2. He found the loose change off a Ryan Graves shot from the point.
The Wolf Pack had a late six-on-four advantage to try and draw back within a goal, but Tristan Broz hit the empty net at 17:46 to cement the victory for the visitors.
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