Game Preview
Dec 1, 2017Game Day Info:
Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Rochester Americans
Puck Drop: Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:05 p.m.
Game Preview:
Tonight’s game will mark the second trip of the season to the Blue Cross Arena for the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Pack most recently matched up with the Rochester Americans on Nov. 17, in which the Americans picked up a 4-2 win.
The Americans are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Utica Comets on Wednesday, but previously swept their home-and-home series against the Binghamton Devils last weekend, including a dominating 10-3 victory.
Last Time Out:
On Wednesday night, the Wolf Pack played to a 3-1 loss against the Springfield Thunderbirds at the XL Center. Gabriel Fontaine scored the lone Wolf Pack goal, his second of the season. Alexandar Georgiev made 16 saves in net, but the Pack were unable to come away with a win.
Thus far, the Pack are 7-12-2-1 on the season, which places them eighth in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division with 17 points from 22 games played. The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins currently lead the division with a 12-4-0-1 record, while the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Providence Bruins fall close behind in the tight race.
Players to Watch:
#28 Peter Holland
Peter Holland will be playing in his first game with the Wolf Pack tonight, as Jeff Gorton, General Manager of the New York Rangers, announced yesterday that the team had acquired Holland in a trade. This season Holland appeared in 20 games with the Laval Rocket, where he recorded eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points. He was tied for second on Laval in assists, ranked third on the team in goals, and was tied for third on the team in points this season. The 6-2, 205-pounder has skated in 243 career NHL games over parts of six seasons (2011-12 – 2016-17) with Anaheim, Toronto, and Arizona, registering 35 goals and 46 assists for 81 points, along with 105 penalty minutes. The Toronto native was originally selected by Anaheim in the first round, 15th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
#19 C.J. Smith
C.J. Smith has six goals and 13 assists in 20 games for a tied team-leading 19 points. The left wing signed a two-year, entry-level NHL contract as an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Sabres on March 30, 2017. Smith registered one assist in two games for the Sabres in the 2016-17 season, following the completion of his junior season at UMass-Lowell.
Coming Up Next:
The Wolf Pack will be back home at the XL Center on Saturday, Dec. 9 and Sunday, Dec. 10 for matchups against the Rochester Americans and Springfield Thunderbirds. Saturday’s game will serve as Star Wars Night, and fans can expect Star Wars themed giveaways and in-game elements. In addition, Saturday’s giveaway is a 2018 Hartford Wolf Pack calendar, presented by Hartford Distributors. At Sunday’s game, fans can expect to celebrate Sonar’s birthday with a slew of visiting mascots, as well as more fun. For tickets and information, visit the Hartford Wolf Pack ticketing site or call 866-762-6451.