Lehkonen Leads the Charge as Whalers Sink Nordiques

[HartfordWhalers]

Hartford fans had plenty to cheer about as the Whalers roared back from an early deficit to dismantle the Nordiques with a commanding 5-2 victory. After falling to Quebec last week, the Whalers wasted no time exacting their revenge, stringing together five unanswered goals to leave no doubt who owned the ice.

The Nordiques struck first, with Alexandre Texier finding the net just over three minutes into the contest. However, Artturi Lehkonen wasted little time responding, netting his team-leading 11th goal of the season less than a minute later—setting the tone for what would become a dominant Whalers performance.

Lehkonen wasn't done. He added his 12th of the season early in the second period, a beauty that needed no assistance, giving Hartford a lead they would never relinquish. Miro Heiskanen extended the advantage midway through the frame, with help from Matthew Tkachuk and Tage Thompson, silencing the visiting Nordiques.

With the game firmly in Hartford’s grip, Matt Roy and Mark Stone put the finishing touches on the win in the third period, padding the lead to 5-1. Brett Leason managed a late consolation goal for Quebec, but it was far too little, far too late.

Jacob Markstrom stood tall in net, turning aside 23 of 25 shots to earn his fifth win of the season. Meanwhile, the Nordiques' struggles in goal continued, with Jiri Patera making just 16 saves on 21 shots before being replaced in the final minute.

With Lehkonen leading the charge, the Whalers proved their bite is just as strong as their bark, sending the Nordiques back to the drawing board as they look to recover from this bruising defeat. Up next, Hartford will try to carry this momentum forward, while Quebec searches for answers to end their recent slide.