#mattbeleskey

Providence Bruins 3, Hartford Wolf Pack 1 BY: Micah Collins, Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford, CT, March 8, 2020 – Paul Carey scored twice, and Jakub Zboril had a goal and an assist, Wednesday night at the XL Center, as the Providence Bruins extended a winning streak to 12 games with a 3-1 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack. Vitali Kravtsov scored the only goal for the Wolf Pack, who fell to 31-20-6-5 (73 pts.) on the season.  Providence improved to 38-18-3-3 for 82 points and moved past idle Hershey and into first place in the Atlantic Division. The Wolf Pack, who were missing regulars, Vinni Lettieri, Matt Beleskey, and Mason Geertsen due to AHL suspensions, Boo Nieves and Tim Gettinger due to injury and captain Steven Fogarty to recall to the parent New York Rangers, outshot the Bruins 20-15 in the first two periods but were held to one shot on goal in the third. “Providence is the hottest team in the league, to go in shorthanded wasn’t ideal, but our veterans put in the efforts, and our new guys showed some promise,” said Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch.  “There’s room to grow, but definitely a good start for them.” Carey scored first for Providence, netting his twenty-first goal of the year 15:34 into the first period off a point shot that just snuck past J-F Berube (21 saves). Steven Kampfer had the lone assist on the tally, and the goal would give Providence the lead into the first intermission. Just 3:56 into the second, the Wolf Pack tied the game when Kravtsov deflected the puck into the net for his sixth goal of the year. Ryan Gropp and Danny O’Regan had the assists. “That was a great play by Gropp and Vitali,” said O’Regan of the goal, “I think (Nick) Ebert also made a good pinch to make that play possible, and then Vitali had a great finish.” Providence was able to regain the lead with 9:25 left in the middle frame. Zboril scored his third goal of the season, with assists from Peter Cehlarik and Ryan Fitzgerald. The Bruins added to the lead near the end of the period, with Carey tipping in his second goal of the game with 2:08 left. Zach Senyshyn assisted on the goal. Providence protected goaltender Dan Vladar (20 saves) well in a scoreless third period, outshooting the Wolf Pack 9-1. “We’ve had success against them in the past,” O’Regan said of the streaking Bruins.  “We just have to get some chemistry going and get back to doing what we were doing when we were winning.” Knoblauch added, “Some practice will help the guys get more familiar with each other. It was a good game considering the circumstances.” The Wolf Pack’s next game is this Friday night, March 13, a 7:05 visit to Springfield to take on the Thunderbirds.  All of the action can be heard live on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming is available at theahl.com/AHLTV. The next home action for the Wolf Pack is also against Springfield, next Wednesday night, March 18 at 7:00.  That is another chance to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Pack”.  The Hat Trick Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and one large popcorn, all for just $40. Tickets for all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (860) 722-9425.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Providence Bruins 3 at Hartford Wolf Pack 1 Wednesday, March 11, 2020 - XL Center Providence 1 2 0 - 3 Hartford     0 1 0 - 1 1st Period-1, Providence, Carey 21 (Kampfer), 15:34. Penalties-No Penalties 2nd Period-2, Hartford, Kravtsov 6 (Gropp, O'Regan), 3:56. 3, Providence, Zboril 3 (Cehlarik, Fitzgerald), 10:35. 4, Providence, Carey 22 (Senyshyn, Zboril), 17:52. Penalties-Crawley Hfd (interference), 5:36. 3rd Period- No Scoring.  Penalties-Bleackley Hfd (elbowing), 7:25; Petrovic Pro (high-sticking), 10:08; Gaunce Pro (hooking), 19:15. Shots on Goal-Providence 8-7-9-24. Hartford 10-10-1-21. Power Play Opportunities-Providence 0 / 2; Hartford 0 / 2. Goalies-Providence, Vladar 14-7-1 (21 shots-20 saves). Hartford, Berube 13-17-4 (24 shots-21 saves). A-2,594 Referees-Mitch Dunning (43), Dan Kelly (45). Linesmen-Kyle Richetelle (47), Robert St. Lawrence (10). Read the full article

BY: Jason Chaimovich, American Hockey League SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced the following suspensions: Charlotte Checkers defenseman Gustav Forsling has been suspended for two (2) games as a consequence of a cross-checking incident in a game vs. Utica on Mar. 6. Forsling will miss Charlotte’s games Tuesday (Mar. 10) and Wednesday (Mar. 11) vs. Cleveland. San Diego Gulls defenseman Keegan Kanzig has been suspended for three (3) games as a consequence of an elbowing incident in a game at San Jose on Mar. 7. Kanzig will miss San Diego’s games Tuesday (Mar. 10) and Wednesday (Mar. 11) at Tucson, and Friday (Mar. 13) vs. San Jose. Hartford Wolf Pack forward Vinni Lettieri has been suspended for three (3) games, Hartford forward Matt Beleskey has been suspended for three (3) games, Hartford defenseman Mason Geertsen has been suspended for three (3) games and Springfield Thunderbirds defenseman Brady Keeper has been suspended for three (3) games as a consequence of their actions in a game between their teams on Mar. 8 at Springfield. Lettieri and Beleskey were both suspended for leaving the players’ bench on a legal line change and joining an altercation; Geertsen was suspended for leaving the penalty bench for the purpose of joining an altercation. All three players will miss Hartford’s games Wednesday (Mar. 11) vs. Providence, Friday (Mar. 13) at Springfield and Saturday (Mar. 14) at Bridgeport. Keeper was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 40.4 for physical abuse of an official (Category III). He will miss Springfield’s games Friday (Mar. 13) vs. Hartford, Saturday (Mar. 14) vs. Utica and Sunday (Mar. 15) at Bridgeport. Read the full article

Springfield Thunderbirds 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 1 BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Springfield, MA, March 8, 2020 – The Springfield Thunderbirds scored three third-period goals against the Hartford Wolf Pack for a 4-1 victory Sunday at the MassMutual Center, in a contentious game that saw the two teams combine for 97 minutes in penalties. The Wolf Pack’s Ryan Dmowski scored the only goal of the second period, to tie the game at one, but Chase Priskie, Rodrigo Abols and Danick Martel all connected for Springfield in the third. Priskie’s goal, at 6:12 of the final frame, was the game-winner.  After the Wolf Pack failed to get the puck out of the defensive zone along the boards, Daniel Audette passed from the left-wing circle to Priskie in the slot, and he wired a hard shot past the catching glove of Wolf Pack goaltender Adam Huska (31 saves). “I thought we played a pretty good game, up until the end,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said.  “When they got that second goal, we were pressing to score a goal, looking offense, and were very tired, playing with a very short bench, and then they got the last couple of goals.” The first period was delayed by an incident that occurred at the 6:50 mark and resulted in two Wolf Pack players, Vinni Lettieri and Mason Geertsen, and one Thunderbird, Brady Keeper, being assessed game misconducts.  The trouble began in the corner to Huska’s left, as Hartford defenseman Darren Raddysh and the Thunderbirds’ Ryan Haggerty tussled.  More players got involved, Keeper dropped the gloves with Matt Beleskey, and Lettieri wrestled with Abols.  Lettieri was called for leaving the bench to join an altercation, and Geertsen was judged to have left the penalty box.  The keeper was called for abuse of an official. “The guys that played, and their replacements, really stepped up,” said Knoblauch of compensating for the two players who were ejected.  “The defense, I was happy with them, those five guys played pretty well.  And some guys, like (Ryan) Gropp, (Greg) Chase, I thought they elevated their games.” After that was sorted out, Springfield’s Joel Lowry scored the only goal of the opening session, giving the Thunderbirds the day’s first lead at 12:40.  A shot from the right point by Priskie deflected up in the air, and Abols found the puck along the goal line on the left side.  He fed it into the goalmouth, and Lowry shoved it inside the post on Huska’s glove side. The Thunderbirds got another big opportunity late in the period when Beleskey was assessed a major penalty for boarding at 18:05.  Not only did the Wolf Pack kill the penalty, though, Dmowski tied the score at 3:53 of the second period, just 48 seconds after Beleskey’s penalty expired.  Ty Ronning carried the puck into the Springfield zone to the left side of the slot and dished to Dmowski, and fired a forehand shot past Thunderbird goaltender Philippe Desrosiers on the stick side. That would be the only one of 35 Wolf Pack shots to get by Desrosiers, though, and after Priskie’s go-ahead goal, Springfield would tack on two more in the final 1:45 of the game. Abols scored his seventh of the year at 18:15.  After a Beleskey pass was blocked in center ice, Danick Martel moved into the Wolf Pack zone and played the puck to Abols on the left side, and he unloaded a shot that went just under the crossbar behind Huska. Martel completed the scoring with 33.3 seconds left, taking a feed from behind the net by Haggerty and moving to his backhand to slip it past Huska. The next action for the Wolf Pack is back on home ice at the XL Center this Wednesday night, March 11, a 7:00 battle with the Providence Bruins.  That is another chance to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Pack”.  The Hat Trick Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and one large popcorn, all for just $40. Tickets for all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (860) 722-9425.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Hartford Wolf Pack 1 at Springfield Thunderbirds 4 Sunday, March 8, 2020 - MassMutual Center Hartford     0 1 0 - 1 Springfield 1 0 3 - 4 1st Period-1, Springfield, Lowry 8 (Abols, Priskie), 12:40. Penalties-Djuse Spr (slashing), 1:01; Gropp Hfd (hooking), 2:44; Beleskey Hfd (fighting), 6:50; Chase Hfd (misconduct - continuing altercation), 6:50; Geertsen Hfd (roughing, leaving penalty bench, game misconduct - leaving penalty bench), 6:50; Lettieri Hfd (slashing, roughing, game misconduct - leaving the bench), 6:50; Abols Spr (roughing), 6:50; Haggerty Spr (roughing), 6:50; Keeper Spr (roughing, fighting, game misconduct - physical abuse of officials (cat. ii)), 6:50; Martel Spr (misconduct - continuing altercation), 6:50; Thompson Spr (goaltender interference), 13:10; Beleskey Hfd (major - boarding), 18:05. 2nd Period-2, Hartford, Dmowski 4 (Ronning, Ebert), 3:53. Penalties-Priskie Spr (cross-checking), 6:52; LoVerde Hfd (interference), 13:17; Rodewald Spr (holding), 16:05. 3rd Period-3, Springfield, Priskie 8 (Audette, Prow), 6:12. 4, Springfield, Abols 7 (Martel), 18:15. 5, Springfield, Martel 20 (Haggerty, Djuse), 19:26. Penalties-LoVerde Hfd (holding), 3:09; Beleskey Hfd (diving/embellishment), 6:29; Mangene Spr (interference), 6:29. Shots on Goal-Hartford 10-18-7-35. Springfield 11-11-13-35. Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 4; Springfield 0 / 5. Goalies-Hartford, Huska 11-8-6 (35 shots-31 saves). Springfield, Desrosiers 16-10-2 (35 shots-34 saves). A-5,439 Referees-Alex Garon (64), Olivier Gouin (54). Linesmen-Ben O'Quinn (92), Kyle Richetelle (47). Read the full article

Hartford Wolf Pack 7, Springfield Thunderbirds 4 BY: Micah Collins, Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford, CT, February 5, 2020 – The Hartford Wolf Pack won their franchise record-setting 12th consecutive home game Wednesday night at the XL Center, beating the Springfield Thunderbirds, 7-4, in a close, back-and-forth game. Patrick Newell had his first professional multiple-goal game with two scores, and Vinni Lettieri also tallied twice for the Wolf Pack.  Daniel Audette had two goals for Springfield.  Hartford got on the scoreboard right out of the gates when Newell scored his fourth goal of the season, through a Matt Beleskey screen, at 2:45 of the first period. “Beleskey and (Danny) O’Regan are really good players, so it’s easy to play on a line with them,” said Newell of his linemates. O’Regan had the lone assist on the goal. Springfield tied the game back up with 9:55 left when Audette beat Adam Huska (26 saves) on a 2-on-1. Aleksi Saarela and Tommy Cross assisted on the goal. The two teams continued to trade goals during the first frame, as Tim Gettinger scored his 11th goal of the year unassisted with 7:13 left in the period, and Matt Mangene scored for the Thunderbirds just 14 seconds later, tying the score at two. Henrik Borgstrom had the lone assist. Hartford would recover the lead when Lettieri scored with 3:33 remaining. The goal was Lettieri’s team-leading 20th of the season, set up by defenseman Jeff Taylor. “Taylor had the patience of a kindergarten teacher waiting to find me,” said Lettieri. “He made a great pass.”  Springfield started the second period with a goaltending change, replacing Ryan Bednard (seven saves) with Philippe Desrosiers, who would finish with 20 stops. The Thunderbirds tied the game again at three with 9:18 left in the period when Audette scored his second goal of the game. Jack Rodewald and Paul Thompson assisted on the tally. The Wolf Pack would regain the lead just 1:31 later. Steven Fogarty scored his 12th of the season, with assists from Vitali Kravtsov and Vincent LoVerde. “Fogarty is a big part of why we have success,” said Lettieri of his captain. “He pushes everyone to do well and leads by example.” Springfield tied the game again with 1:18 left in the middle frame. Ethan Prow scored his sixth of the season, with assists from Rodrigo Abols and Joel Lowry. Once again, Hartford came up with a late-period tally when Newell scored his second goal of the night and fifth of the season with just 19.6 seconds remaining. “I got a fortunate change on that second one, so I was on the ice with (Nic) Jones,” said Newell of the tally. “The puck was just sitting there for me, and I was able to put it in.” Jones had the sole assist.  During the third period, both teams locked down defensively. Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch was quick to offer praise for Huska for keeping the Wolf Pack ahead in the game, saying, “Credit to Huska in the third period. We needed him, and he stood strong making big saves and playing the puck.” Gettinger echoed the sentiment, saying, “We knew we had to bear down to get the win. We got a lot of key saves, blocked shots, good defensive plays that led to the win there.” The Wolf Pack were finally able to pull away when Lettieri scored his second of the game with 3:03 left in the third. Kravtsov and Fogarty assisted on the goal. Jones sealed the victory for Hartford, scoring his sixth goal of the season into an empty net with 17.4 seconds left. Huska had the lone assist, for his first pro point. The Wolf Pack now head down to Charlotte, NC, where they will play a back-to-back set against the Checkers.  That starts this Friday night, February 7 at 7:00. The Wolf Pack’s next home game is next Wednesday night, February 12 vs. the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.  Faceoff is 7:00, and that is another chance to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Hat Trick Pack”.  The Hat Trick Pack includes two tickets, two sodas, and one large popcorn, all for just $40. Tickets for all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (860) 722-9425.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Springfield Thunderbirds 4 at Hartford Wolf Pack 7 Wednesday, February 5, 2020 - XL Center Springfield 2 2 0 - 4 Hartford     3 2 2 - 7 1st Period-1, Hartford, Newell 4 (O'Regan), 2:45. 2, Springfield, Audette 11 (Saarela, Cross), 10:05. 3, Hartford, Gettinger 11   12:47. 4, Springfield, Mangene 1 (Borgstrom), 13:01. 5, Hartford, Lettieri 20 (Taylor, Keane), 16:27. Penalties-Fogarty Hfd (tripping), 5:20; Ang Spr (hooking), 7:48; Lettieri Hfd (slashing), 13:55. 2nd Period-6, Springfield, Audette 12 (Rodewald, Thompson), 10:42. 7, Hartford, Fogarty 12 (Kravtsov, LoVerde), 12:13. 8, Springfield, Prow 6 (Abols, Lowry), 18:42. 9, Hartford, Newell 5 (Jones), 19:40. Penalties-No Penalties 3rd Period-10, Hartford, Lettieri 21 (Kravtsov, Fogarty), 16:57. 11, Hartford, Jones 6 (Huska), 19:42 (EN). Penalties-Geertsen Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:04. Shots on Goal-Springfield 9-10-11-30. Hartford 10-15-9-34. Power Play Opportunities-Springfield 0 / 3; Hartford 0 / 1. Goalies-Springfield, Bednard 3-0-0 (10 shots-7 saves); Desrosiers 12-8-1 (23 shots-20 saves). Hartford, Huska 10-5-5 (30 shots-26 saves). A-1,807 Referees-Mitch Dunning (43), Chris Waterstradt (88). Linesmen-Kyle Richetelle (47), Robert St. Lawrence (10). Read the full article

Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1 BY: Bryce Grundy, Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford, CT, January 24, 2020 – Matt Beleskey had a pair of goals, and Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 of 32 shots, Friday night at the XL Center, in a 4-1 Hartford Wolf Pack victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers The win broke an 0-2-2-0 streak for the Wolf Pack, in their return home after four straight road games. “Best recipe to break a losing streak is to play at home,” commented Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch. The Wolf Pack struck first late in the first period, on the power play. Defensemen Yegor Rykov slid the puck across the zone for a Darren Raddysh one-timer, and Phil DiGiuseppe cleaned up the rebound near the right faceoff dot at 16:42. Fogarty doubled the lead on the penalty kill at 5:22 of the second period, providing a significant momentum shift in the game. Fogarty picked the pocket of Sound Tigers defenseman Sebastian Aho and then took to the puck to the net and finished with a smooth forehand-backhand move past Sound Tigers goaltender Christopher Gibson. “Fogarty was very persistent on getting that puck and did the right thing with it,” said Knoblauch. Beleskey then took matters into his own hands, giving the Wolf Pack two goals in a span of 2:04 late in the period. The first came on the power play at 15:20, after a perfect tic-tac-toe passing sequence that started with a Hail Mary pass from Shesterkin to DiGiuseppe. DiGiuseppe hit Raddysh in stride coming into the zone, and he quickly fed it to Nieves at the faceoff dot.  Nieves then found Beleskey just outside the crease for a tap-in goal and a 3-0 advantage. “Great passing play all around,” said Beleskey, “just had to tap it in there.” “I think we played well, and play well in this building.  key is just to keep the pedal down and keep working. We’ve got to keep building off this.” Beleskey’s second goal came at 17:24, off a well-timed shift change. Ryan Gropp made a heads-up pass from the defensive zone to a streaking Beleskey fresh off the bench. “I jumped out at the right time luckily, nice bounce to get,” said Beleskey. The Sound Tigers would put deny Shesterkin a shutout with a goal by Travis St. Denis with 4:54 remaining in the third period, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a hungry Wolf Pack team that was determined to get back into the win column. The Wolf Pack are right back at the XL Center Saturday night, entertaining the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a 7:00 game.  That is “Under the Sea Night”, as the Wolf Pack celebrates being halfway to summer and the team’s nautical history.  The first 2,000 fans into the game receive a free Wolf Pack tank top, courtesy of Healthtrax. Tickets for all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1 at Hartford Wolf Pack 4 Friday, January 24, 2020 - XL Center Bridgeport  0 0 1 - 1 Hartford     1 3 0 - 4 1st Period-1, Hartford, Di Giuseppe 12 (Raddysh, Rykov), 16:42 (PP). Penalties-Nieves Hfd (slashing), 5:41; Helgeson Bri (cross-checking), 15:34; O'Regan Hfd (goaltender interference), 18:03. 2nd Period-2, Hartford, Fogarty 11   5:22 (SH). 3, Hartford, Beleskey 12 (Nieves, Raddysh), 15:20 (PP). 4, Hartford, Beleskey 13 (Geertsen), 17:24. Penalties-Jones Hfd (hooking), 3:33; Cornell Bri (roughing), 9:12; Keane Hfd (roughing), 9:12; Holmstrom Bri (high-sticking), 13:30. 3rd Period-5, Bridgeport, St. Denis 7 (Bernier, Aho), 15:06. Penalties-Koivula Bri (hooking), 18:16. Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 12-10-10-32. Hartford 9-10-9-28. Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 0 / 3; Hartford 2 / 3. Goalies-Bridgeport, Gibson 5-4-3 (28 shots-24 saves). Hartford, Shesterkin 16-4-3 (32 shots-31 saves). A-5,707 Referees-Reid Anderson (49), Brandon Biggers (33). Linesmen-Nick Briganti (58), Brent Colby (7). Read the full article

Hartford Wolf Pack 3, Providence Bruins 1 BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Providence, RI, January 3, 2020 – Vinni Lettieri scored with 25.8 seconds left in the third period Friday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence to break a 1-1 tie, in a 3-1 Hartford Wolf Pack win over the Providence Bruins. Nick Jones added an empty-net goal with 4.8 seconds remaining for the final margin, in a game that had been deadlocked at one since before the midpoint of the first period. The win improved the first-place Wolf Pack’s record to 20-8-2-5 for 47 points and widened their Atlantic Division lead over the 20-13-1-2 (43 points) Bruins to four points.  Providence fell into a second-place tie with Hershey. The Wolf Pack are now 6-0-0-1 in seven games against the Bruins this season. “With the emotion, and just the level of play, I thought it was a playoff game,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said.  “Both teams came ready to play, with a lot on the line, and they are two pretty good teams.  I thought it was entertaining, and fortunately for us, we get the result we wanted.” The game appeared headed for overtime after the Wolf Pack killed a tripping penalty called against Darren Raddysh at the 16-minute mark of the third period.  Lettieri, the Wolf Pack’s leading scorer, came up with a clutch play, though, off of a rush started by a Nick Ebert feed. Boo Nieves carried the puck into the Providence zone on right wing, before losing it into the corner.  He battled it away from Bruin defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, and Lettieri threw it at the net from the boards.  With Matt Beleskey attacking the front of the net, Lettieri’s bid deflected past Providence goaltender Dan Vladar (28 saves). “We were surviving, with the penalty kill,” Knoblauch said.  “We had a huge kill, and then after that, it looked like both teams were playing fairly safe and not taking any chances.  And Lettieri threw that one to the net, and it goes in.  It was nice to see Lettieri get rewarded for a game where he played hard all night.” Providence pulled Vladar for an extra attacker after the ensuing faceoff, but an Alex Petrovic pass was broken up in center ice, and Jones was able to slide the puck into the vacated cage from the center line. The Bruins grabbed the game’s first lead at 6:51 of the first period with a shorthanded goal, three seconds before a tripping penalty to Brendan Woods ended.  It was an unassisted tally for Paul Carey, who skated out of the Providence zone and into the Wolf Pack end, got by Wolf Pack defenseman Yegor Rykov on the left side and cut across to put a backhand shot past Hartford goaltender Igor Shesterkin (27 saves). Tim Gettinger answered that for the Wolf Pack less than three minutes later, at 9:50, with his eighth goal of the season.  After he misfired on a centering feed from Lettieri, Gettinger got a second chance from the left side of the slot after Nieves dug the puck free, and Gettinger’s quick shot squeaked through the pads of Vladar and just over the goal line. The Wolf Pack are back on home ice Saturday night, battling the Utica Comets in a 7:00 game.  That is #MillenialNight at the XL Center, featuring a reusable straw set giveaway to all fans attending the game, presented by ProHealth. Tickets for  all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack on line, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Hartford Wolf Pack 3 at Providence Bruins 1 Friday, January 3, 2020 - Dunkin' Donuts Center Hartford     1 0 2 - 3 Providence 1 0 0 - 1 1st Period-1, Providence, Carey 15   6:51 (SH). 2, Hartford, Gettinger 8 (Nieves, Lettieri), 9:50. Penalties-Woods Pro (tripping), 4:52; Zboril Pro (tripping), 12:48; Rykov Hfd (holding), 17:13. 2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Zboril Pro (holding), 2:28; Carey Pro (slashing), 7:32; Rykov Hfd (hooking), 15:42; O'Regan Hfd (delay of game - faceoff violation (batting puck with hand)), 17:42; Studnicka Pro (roughing), 19:02. 3rd Period-3, Hartford, Lettieri 12 (Nieves, Ebert), 19:33. 4, Hartford, Jones 5   19:55 (EN). Penalties-Geertsen Hfd (roughing), 6:14; Raddysh Hfd (hooking), 16:00. Shots on Goal-Hartford 7-16-8-31. Providence 11-10-7-28. Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 5; Providence 0 / 5. Goalies-Hartford, Shesterkin 15-4-3 (28 shots-27 saves). Providence, Vladar 5-4-0 (30 shots-28 saves). A-7,983 Referees-Olivier Gouin (54), Tyson Stewart (85). Linesmen-Jack Millea (23), Todd Whittemore (70). Read the full article

Hartford Wolf Pack 3, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2 BY: Micah Collins, Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford, CT, December 31, 2019 – Matt Beleskey scored twice, and Yegor Rykov had a pair of assists, Tuesday night at the XL Center, helping the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 3-2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The win improved the Wolf Pack’s record against their in-state rivals to 4-1-0-0, and moved Hartford (19-8-2-4, 45 pts.) past the idle Providence Bruins into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division. “Every game they put up a good fight,” Beleskey said of the Sound Tigers, “but we’re proud of how we stuck with it and played hard.  “We came out ready to play, and that pays off any time you can get on a team early. “Confidence is a huge part of this game. When you play with confidence you play well, and we want to keep that rolling and keep going down the stretch here. The schedule always ramps up in the second half, so any cushion we can have is good.” The Sound Tigers seemed to have all the momentum Beleskey scored hist eighth of the season from behind the net, rebounding a shot off of the leg of Bridgeport starting goaltender Jared Coreau (five saves) with 11:02 left in the first period. “(Phil) Di Giuseppe made a great pass,” said Beleskey.  “It kind of bounced around in front and ended up in the net.” Di Giuseppe and Rykov assisted on the goal. Just 51 seconds later, Darren Raddysh scored his fourth goal of the year off of a tight-angle shot from just below the right circle, giving the Wolf Pack a two-goal lead. “I didn’t know what I was doing, I kind of blacked out then,” joked Raddysh. “I just threw it at the net, luckily it went in.” The goal was unassisted. With just 1:32 left in the period, Beleskey scored his second of the game and ninth of the year on the power play. “It was nice to see Beleskey get two goals,” said Raddysh of his teammate’s offensive performance. “It’s a shame we couldn’t get him the hat trick, but it was still a great game by him.” Rykov and Nick Ebert both assisted on the goal. With just 17 seconds left in the first, Otto Koivula scored his third of the year to put Bridgeport on the board, sneaking a shot past Igor Shesterkin (18 saves).  Ryan Bourque and Seth Helgeson assisted on the goal. The Sound Tigers started the second period with a goaltending change, as Coreau was replaced by Jakub Skarek (15 saves). Both teams would lock down defensively for the middle frame, with Shesterkin making key saves, as has become his standard. Beleskey was quick to praise his netminder, saying, “Shesterkin has been unbelievable, we just try to help him out where we can and make it easier on him.” Andrew Ladd beat Shesterkin with 5:51 left in the third period to bring the Sound Tigers within one. The goal was Ladd’s 10th of the season, and was assisted by Sebastian Aho and Travis St. Denis. The goal would prove to be the only one of the period, even when Bridgeport put on the pressure in the final minute of the game, pulling Skarek for the extra attacker. “They came hard at the end, we knew they wouldn’t quit,” said Raddysh. The Wolf Pack’s next action is this Friday night, January 3 in Providence against the Bruins.  Faceoff is 7:05, and all of the action can be heard live on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com.  Video streaming is available at theahl.com/AHLTV. The next Wolf Pack home game is this Saturday night, January 4, a 7:00 battle with the Utica Comets.  That is #MillenialNight at the XL Center, featuring a reusable straw set giveaway to all fans attending the game, presented by ProHealth. Tickets for  all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack on line, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 3 Tuesday, December 31, 2019 - XL Center Bridgeport 1 0 1 - 2 Hartford     3 0 0 - 3 1st Period-1, Hartford, Beleskey 8 (Di Giuseppe, Rykov), 8:58. 2, Hartford, Raddysh 4   9:49. 3, Hartford, Beleskey 9 (Rykov, Ebert), 18:28 (PP). 4, Bridgeport, Koivula 3 (R. Bourque, Helgeson), 19:43. Penalties-Geertsen Hfd (tripping), 4:14; Burroughs Bri (tripping), 6:48; Koivula Bri (hooking), 16:42. 2nd Period- No Scoring.  Penalties-Wotherspoon Bri (roughing), 11:46; Di Giuseppe Hfd (roughing), 11:46; St. Denis Bri (tripping), 15:57. 3rd Period-5, Bridgeport, Ladd 10 (Aho, St. Denis), 14:09. Penalties-Beleskey Hfd (interference), 1:38; O'Regan Hfd (tripping), 9:25; Ladd Bri (hooking), 9:40; LoVerde Hfd (holding), 12:06. Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 9-3-8-20. Hartford 8-8-7-23. Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 0 / 4; Hartford 1 / 4. Goalies-Bridgeport, Coreau 5-9-1 (8 shots-5 saves); Skarek 3-5-1 (15 shots-15 saves). Hartford, Shesterkin 14-4-3 (20 shots-18 saves). A-2,617 Referees-Mason Riley (79), Jim Curtin (90). Linesmen-Kevin Briganti (39), Robert St. Lawrence (10). Read the full article

Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Providence Bruins 1 BY: Micah Collins, Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford, CT, December 28, 2019 – The Hartford Wolf Pack moved into a first-place tie with the Providence Bruins Saturday night, with a 4-1 win over the Bruins at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack improved to 18-8-2-5 for 43 points, grabbing a share of the Atlantic Division lead and bouncing back from a 5-1 loss at Bridgeport the night before.  Providence fell to 20-12-1-2. “We weren’t happy with our performance (Friday) night,” said Wolf Pack forward Tim Gettinger, whose first-period goal turned out to be the game-winner.  “And we knew we needed to go out and have a good game tonight, which is exactly what we did.” “It was a team effort tonight,” said Boo Nieves, who dished out two assists for the Wolf Pack.  “Everybody was working hard and pulling their weight, and that’s why we’ve been as good as we have been this year.”  The Wolf Pack got off to an early start, with Phil Di Giuseppe scoring his 10th goal of the season on an early power play opportunity just 2:12 into the game. Nieves and Yegor Rykov assisted on the goal. Gettinger put Hartford up 2-0 14:58 into the opening frame, when he fired a long shot over the glove of Providence goaltender Max Lagace (26 saves). “Gettinger has been really good on the defensive side of things,” said Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch.  “Add the offense he’s found. and that’s quite the hockey player you’ve got there.” Vinni Lettieri and Vincent LoVerde had the two assists on Gettinger’s goal.  The Pack continued their scoring ways in the second. Vitali Kravtsov scored his second goal of the season with 12:24 left in the period, with assists from Rykov and Nick Ebert. “Kravtsov had a good goal, as well as a few other chances tonight,” said Knoblauch of the rookie forward. “He’s a good kid and a great hockey player.” Providence finally got on the board just eight seconds later, when Joona Koppanen scored his seventh goal of the season to end Igor Shesterkin’s (30 saves) shutout bid. Pavel Shen and Jeremy Lauzon assisted on the goal. Matt Beleskey scored his seventh goal of the season to make the score 4-1 at 14:09 of the second, with assists from Nieves and Shawn McBride. For McBride, it was his first AHL point of the season.  The third period was scoreless, despite a 13-3 shots advantage for the Bruins, giving the Wolf Pack its 100th all-time win against Providence. The Wolf Pack’s next action is New Year’s Eve, this Tuesday, December 31st, when they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the XL Center.  That game features a special holiday faceoff time of 5:00. Tickets for  all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack on line, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Providence Bruins 1 at Hartford Wolf Pack 4 Saturday, December 28, 2019 - XL Center Providence 0 1 0 - 1 Hartford      2 2 0 - 4 1st Period-1, Hartford, Di Giuseppe 10 (Nieves, Rykov), 2:12 (PP). 2, Hartford, Gettinger 7 (Lettieri, LoVerde), 14:58. Penalties-Woods Pro (tripping), 0:35; served by Kravtsov Hfd (bench minor - too many men), 6:23; Woods Pro (fighting), 15:22; Geertsen Hfd (fighting), 15:22. 2nd Period-3, Hartford, Kravtsov 2 (Rykov, Ebert), 7:36. 4, Providence, Koppanen 7 (Shen, Lauzon), 7:44. 5, Hartford, Beleskey 7 (Nieves, McBride), 14:09. Penalties-O'Regan Hfd (hooking), 0:45; Woods Pro (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:46. 3rd Period- No Scoring.  Penalties-Jones Hfd (tripping), 14:37; Frederic Pro (slashing, misconduct - unsportsmanlike conduct), 17:15; Geertsen Hfd (misconduct - unsportsmanlike conduct), 17:15. Shots on Goal-Providence 6-12-13-31. Hartford 14-13-3-30. Power Play Opportunities-Providence 0 / 3; Hartford 1 / 3. Goalies-Providence, Lagace 13-5-2 (30 shots-26 saves). Hartford, Shesterkin 13-4-3 (31 shots-30 saves). A-5,685 Referees-Dan Kelly (45), Alex Normandin (65). Linesmen-Glen Cooke (6), Mike Baker (11). Read the full article