By MARK PUKALO, Courant Staff Writer
Nothing much was happening offensively for the Wolf Pack in the first half of a physical game Saturday night.
Then two heady, unconventional plays turned the momentum their way, and they never looked back.
Layne Ulmer tied the score late in the second period and Jamie Lundmark got the winner short-handed three minutes later as Hartford cruised to a 4-1 victory over Providence before 7,817 at the Civic Center.
It was the fifth consecutive victory for Hartford (48-21-3-3), which is one win from tying the team record of 49 in 1999-2000. Providence (38-28-3-7) lost for the second straight night after a six-game winning streak.
Ulmer, Lundmark and Jozef Balej each had a goal and an assist for Hartford.
"We knew they would come out hard," said Ulmer, who had his first two-point game since Jan. 15. "We just kept battling. Jamie's goal gave us a big boost and we didn't give them a lot in the third."
Wolf Pack coach Ryan McGill was not at the game, because of a family matter. General manager Jim Schoenfeld joined assistant coach Nick Fotiu on the bench and watched as their team was outshot 13-4 the first 11 minutes, then squandered 1:13 of a 5-on-3 power play.
But Hartford got out of the first with a scoreless tie as Jason LaBarbera made 15 of his 31 saves in the period. His best was on Dan LaCouture, who capitalized on a mixup in the Wolf Pack's zone and broke in alone short-handed.
"Those saves early in the game are huge for us," Ulmer said. "They give us life, energy."
Providence finally broke through at 13:32 of the second. Leading scorer Brad Boyes took a big hit on the right boards, but got a pass away to Tomas Kurka. He beat LaBarbera from the slot.
The Wolf Pack, who play at Providence today, picked up their play after falling behind and tied it 2:20 later. Balej got loose in the right circle and his pass got through the front of the crease to Ulmer. He bobbled the puck, but decided to try and bank a shot off goalie Hannu Toivonen. It trickled in behind him.
The Pack didn't stop there. Lundmark, tired at the end of his shift, chipped the puck past defenseman Kevin Dallman. As soon as Lundmark got into the zone he let go with a shot from the left point that beat Toivonen.
"I had to make a decision and get a shot off," Lundmark said. "I didn't want to let the defenseman close me out."
LaBarbera made a big stop on Boyes 1:58 into the third, then Hartford extended its lead 44 seconds later. Ulmer picked up a loose puck after Dallman fell, moved in to take a shot and Balej shoveled in the rebound. Defenseman Craig Weller followed with a goal from the left point, his second goal in four games, at 7:47.
The Wolf Pack were 0-for-5 on the power play, but killed off all six penalties.
"Throw out the first period," Fotiu said, "we played great hockey."
They are now four points behind division-leading Manchester, with a game in hand. The Monarchs are in Hartford Wednesday.
"We just have to keep going and make a run," Lundmark said. "Everybody is contributing. We're getting something from all four lines."
