Dupont Leads Wolf Pack to Third Straight Win

Brodie Dupont tallied his first two-goal game as a pro, and P.A. Parenteau, Evgeny Grachev and Jordan Owens all had a goal and an assist each, as the Wolf Pack defeated the Providence Bruins 5-3 Friday night at the Dunkin' Donuts Center Providence.

Mikko Lehtonen scored two goals for the Bruins and Jeff Penner and Andy Wozniewski had two assists apiece. Corey Locke had a pair of assists for the Wolf Pack.

The win was the Wolf Pack's season-high third straight, and lifted Hartford over the .500 mark for the first time on the season, to 7-6-0-0 for 14 points.

Jamie Arniel got Providence on top at 5:02 of the first period, with his first pro goal. Arniel got by Wolf Pack defenseman Mathieu Dandenault on the right-wing side in center ice and snapped a shot past Wolf Pack goaltender Chad Johnson from just above the faceoff dot.

The Wolf Pack responded only 1:23 later, on Dupont's first of the game. On his off-wing side, Dupont beat Bruin netminder Dany Sabourin from the top of the right circle.

The Bruins regained the lead at 6:48 of the second, with Lehtonen getting behind the Hartford defense and flipping the puck through Johnson's legs, but again the Wolf Pack answered promptly. Just 1:51 thereafter, at 8:39, Owens scored his second goal of the year from in the slot, after a slick pass out of the right-wing corner by Parenteau.

The Wolf Pack took their first lead of the game at 13:40, as Grachev, stationed in the slot, redirected Brent Henley's shot past Sabourin. Only 2:42 later, at 16:22, Dupont would get what would turn out to be the game-winner, with his second of the contest. The Bruins fumbled the puck away near their own net, and after Dale Weise missed on it, Grachev found Dupont in the left-wing circle.

Lehtonen's second of the game, on a power play at 10:52 of the third period, cut the Wolf Pack's lead to 4-3. Johnson held strong the rest of the way, though, and Parenteau put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal, his team-leading ninth marker of the season, with 44 seconds left.

Providence outshot the Wolf Pack 32-27 in the game, including 16-6 in the third frame, but Johnson made 29 saves to up his record to 5-3-0.

Hartford Wolf Pack 5 At Providence Bruins 3
Nov 6, 2009 - Dunkin' Donuts Center

Hartford 1 3 1 - 5
Providence 1 1 1 - 3

1st Period-1, Providence, Arniel 1 (McQuaid, Bodnarchuk), 5:02. 2, Hartford, Dupont 2 (Garlock), 6:25. Penalties-Arniel Pro (hooking), 8:51.

2nd Period-3, Providence, Lehtonen 4 (Penner, Wozniewski), 6:48. 4, Hartford, Owens 2 (Parenteau, Locke), 8:39. 5, Hartford, Grachev 4 (Henley, Weise), 13:40. 6, Hartford, Dupont 3 (Grachev), 16:22. Penalties-No Penalties

3rd Period-7, Providence, Lehtonen 5 (Penner, Wozniewski), 10:52 (pp). 8, Hartford, Parenteau 9 (Owens, Locke), 19:16 (en). Penalties-Grachev Hfd (interference), 10:12.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 12-9-6-27. Providence 9-7-16-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 of 1; Providence 1 of 1.
Goalies-Hartford, Johnson 5-3-0 (32 shots-29 saves). Providence, Sabourin 5-4-0 (26 shots-22 saves).
A-6,746
Referees-Jeff Smith (49).
Linesmen-Chris Millea (33), Mark Messier (12).