ALBANY, NY – The Albany Devils clinched a playoff spot for the third time in four years when they defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack, 6-3, Wednesday at Times Union Center. Miles Wood and Blake Coleman each tallied two points in their return to Albany and Jacob MacDonald registered three points en route to the team’s 38th win. The Devils record improves to 38-31-2-3 as the Wolfpack move to 24-44-4-2.
John Gilmour put the Wolf Pack on the board first under two minutes into play but Vojtech Mozik answered at 13:52 with a Devils’ power-play goal. Brian Gibbons and Karl Stollery provided the assists on Mozik’s tenth goal of the season.
Marek Hrivik put Hartford back in front at 3:20 of the second period to make it a 2-1 game until Kevin Rooney scored the Devils’ tenth shorthanded goal of the season at 6:58 to even the score. The unassisted goal was his 13th of the season.
John Quenneville followed with a power-play goal, his 14th tally of the season, at 17:08 of the second. Quenneville sent a wrister past goaltender Magnus Hellberg with assists from MacDonald and Carter Camper.
Wood scored at 3:06 of the third period in his first game with Albany since November 26th. Coleman received a stretch pass from MacDonald to set up a 2-on-0 break. MacDonald was then set up by Wood and Coleman at 6:00 for his eighth goal of the year on a quick shot from the point.
Ben Thomson made it a 6-2 game at 13:55 of the final period from a Shane Harper assist, while Nicklas Jensen scored a 5-on-3 goal for Hartford at 19:59 to make it 6-3.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves on 31 shots for Albany. Hellberg stopped 20 out of 26.
The Devils travel to Rochester for a 7:05 pm puck drop against the Americans Friday at Blue Cross Arena.