Key Rangers prospect scores game-winning goal, Louis Domingue earns 100th AHL victory for Wolf Pack
Brett Berard scored off the rush at 15:07 of the second period to put the Hartford Wolf Pack ahead for good as the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate ended a seven-game losing streak with a 4-2 road win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday.
Goalie Louis Domingue made 31 saves for his 100th AHL victory. The 32-year-old has played all or parts of 10 seasons in the American Hockey League, including time with Portland, Springfield, Syracuse, Stockton, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hartford.
In three seasons with the Wolf Pack, Domingue is 44-34-14, including 6-14-2 this season.
Domingue also has 144 games of NHL experience with the Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Rangers. He’s made two starts — one this season and another in 2023-24 — with the Rangers and won each. On Jan. 5, he made 25 saves in a 6-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks when Igor Shesterkin was on injured reserve.
The Wolf Pack veteran stopped 12 of 13 shots in the first period Saturday and 14 of 15 in the second. He faced only five shots in the third period, and stopped each to preserve the milestone win.
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Brett Berard scores game-winner to help Wolf Pack end skid
Brett Berard — Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
Berard’s eventual game-winner snapped a 2-2 tie and came off Hartford’s rink-length rush. Berard accepted a long pass on left wing and burst into Lehigh Valley’s zone on a 2-on-1. He wired his ninth goal of the season past Keith Petruzzelli.
The 22-year-old also assisted on Bo Groulx’s 15th goal, which tied the game 1-1 at 1:31 of the second. Berard returned to Hartford’s lineup Friday after missing several games with an upper-body injury. It was his second multiple-point game with Hartford since the Rangers returned him to the AHL in mid-January.
With the Rangers, Berard played 19 games and had seven points (three goals, four assists). Berard has 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 24 games with Hartford this season.
Anton Blidh scored twice for the Wolf Pack, including his 15th goal into an empty net to seal the victory.
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