Hartford rallies from 3 down for win

The Hartford Wolf Pack found themselves trailing by three goals Sunday afternoon at the XL Center in Hartford but stormed back to force overtime and stun the Springfield Thunderbirds 4-3 in a shootout.

Tim Gettinger played the role of hero for the third time this season in the shootout, scoring in the bottom half of the third round.

Things did not start well for the Wolf Pack. Sam Anas opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season 13:41 into the game. Anas broke into the Wolf Pack zone on a two-on-one with Hugh Mcging and snapped the shot by Keith Kinkaid.

Springfield extended the lead 1:45 into the middle period as Keean Washkurak scored his sixth goal of the season. Nolan Stevens made it 3-0 at 10:52, deflecting an Anas shot home on the power play for his third goal of the season.

Late in the second, Tim Gettinger blasted a shot by Colten Ellis for his eighth goal of the season for Hartford.

The Wolf Pack pushed hard in the third period, firing 14 shots on Ellis. Hunter Skinner cut the deficit to 3-2 7:47 into the period, firing a one-timer from the blueline that grazed the glove of Ellis. The Pack tied it at 19:26, as the puck grazed the stick of Anthony Greco and popped to Jonny Brodzinski in the slot. Brodzinski fired a shot into traffic that beat Ellis to force overtime.

Both sides had chances in overtime, but both Ellis and Kinkaid stood their ground to push the game to the shootout. There, Kinkaid stopped all three shooters he faced, while Gettinger buried the winner.