Wolf Pack score 5 straight goals to win season opener

The Hartford Wolf Pack won their season opener, beating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5-2.  The roared back from a 2-1 deficit after two periods with four third period goals for the win. It’s a great start for the New York Rangers’ top farm team.

It was an excellent start for Tarmo Reunanen who had excelled playing Finland this season and dominating during his stint in the Mestis league.   He finished with a goal and an assist.

Ranger fans will be happy to know that highly anticipated prospect Morgan Barron got his first goal as well as 2020 second round pick Willy Cuylle.  Undrafted college free agents Justin Richard, Austin Rueschhoff and Patrick Newell all got on the scoresheet.

The game

The Pack fell behind early, down 1-0 after one period on a goal by Islanders 2019 second round pick Samuel Bolduc.  They padded the lead when Cole  Coskey scored about seven minutes into the second period.  That was it for Bridgeport as the Wolf Pack then scored five straight goals for the win.  Two and a half minutes after Coskey scored, Tarmo Reunanen notched his first goal in North America, unassisted,  to cut the lead in half.  It was a wrist shot from the point as he was getting hit.

It didn’t take Hartford long to tie the score as Jonny Brodzinski scored an unassisted goal just 26 seconds into the third period, intercepting an errant pass and scoring from the slot.    About four minute later, Patrick Newell scored  on assists from Justin Richards and Reunanen.  Newell put on a good move, cutting to the net and beating the defense and goalie Jakob Skarub.

At 10:51, Morgan Barron scored his first professional goal on the power play after Cole Coskey of Bridgeport was sent off for slashing.  Justin Richards got his second assist on Barron’s tally.  Justin Richards did a nice job keeping the puck in the zone and took it to the net before dishing to Barron for the wrist shot.

Ranger draft pick Will Cuylle added an insurance goal with just over eight minutes left in the game, putting in the rebound of a shot by Austin Rueschhoff.

You can see all of the goals in the video below:

Except for Newell’s goal, all  of the scoring came from new additions to the Wolf Pack.  Reuanen and Richards led the way with two points each.  6’7″ Rueschhoff got into a fight in the second period with Seth Helgeson in a scrum along the boards and also took a high sticking penalty in the first period.

Jonny Brodzinski, who has played one game with the Rangers this season, led the team with four shots on goal and he opened the game on a line with Barron and Paul Thompson.

Keith Kinkaid was in goal for Hartford and made 25 saves.  He had swapped positions with Adam Huska with Huska taking his place on the taxi squad.   With the ever present threat of COVID, there is no doubt that the Rangers want Kinkaid to get into some games in case he is needed.

Of the three prospects destined to return to their Canadian Juniors teams, Braden Schneider and Will  Cuylle played while goalie Dylan Garand was a scratch.

Scratches for Hartford included forwards Alex Whalen, Ty Ronning, Anthony Greco and Jake Elmer and defensemen Mason Geertsen, Jeff Taylor, and Patrick Seiloff.  Until the CHL seasons get started, there will be at least seven players scratched each game.

With the loss, Bridgeport drops to 0-2 on the season. They lost their season opener 4-1 to Providence on Friday.  With only three teams in the Atlantic Division, there will always be one team idle, today it was the Providence Bruins who are 1-0-0 this season.

The Wolf Pack are back in action Thursday night in Providence to take on the Bruins.