Hartford, CT, December 27, 2016 – The Providence Bruins’ Jordan Szwarz notched the third period winner Tuesday night, as the Bruins skated past the Hartford Wolf Pack, 3-2, at the XL Center.
Hartford dominated the majority of game’s opening frame, but with just one minute to play, the scoreboard remained unblemished. After failing to convert on a number of promising chances, the Wolf Pack’s up-tempo offense was finally able to break through at the 19:25 mark, when Adam Tambellini sent a gorgeous snap-shot into the top-right corner of Malcolm Subban’s net. The goal, Tambellini’s sixth of the year, was assisted by Nicklas Jensen and Robin Kovacs.
On the opposite end of the ice, Hartford net-minder Jeff Malcolm, playing his first AHL game of the year, denied all seven of the attempts that came his way, sending the Pack into the dressing room with a 1-0 advantage.
When asked about the goal, Tambellini said, “It was a really nice play by Jensen, just kind of laying it in the area. I knew the defenseman was coming back on me, so I was trying to get it away quickly, and it found a way in.”
Trailing by a goal, the Bruins came out with a renewed sense of urgency in the second period. Just one minute and thirty-one seconds into the frame, Providence’s Wayne Simpson received a pass from Peter Cehlarik and sent a one-timer past Malcolm’s blocker to level the score at 1-1.
Hartford went on to land ten shots on Subban’s net in the second, but none were successful, leaving the score tied at 1-1 as both teams prepared for the third period.
Providence struck again three minutes and fifty-three seconds into the third period. This time, Jake DeBrusk drove towards Hartford’s goal, along the goal line from the left side, and knocked the puck off Malcolm’s side and into the back of the net. After getting off the shot, DeBrusk collided with Malcolm, but both players were ultimately able to remain in the game.
Seventy-two seconds later, Coach Ken Gernander’s Wolf Pack squad responded, when Justin Fontaine found a streaking Chris Summers, who, after taking two strides down the left flank, sent a snap-shot between Subban’s legs to level the score at 2-2.
Just as they did all-night, however, Providence came up with an answer of their own. At 9:07, Szwarz deflected Peter Cehlarik’s feed past Malcolm to put the Bruins back on top, 3-2.
Despite a valiant effort, highlighted by an exhilarating final minute, Hartford was unable to match Szwarz’s goal, and a season-high Wolf Pack win streak ended at four games.
Following the game, Head Coach Ken Gernander analyzed, “I thought we battled hard. We had a couple chances there late to tie it, but yeah, they worked hard.”