Game Preview
Dec 23, 2017Game Day Info:
Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Puck Drop: Saturday, Dec. 23 at 3 p.m.
Game Preview:
The Wolf Pack are 1-3-1-0 in head-to-head action against their in-state rivals this season, and the Sound Tigers have prevailed in both of the teams’ previous meetings at the XL Center, winning 5-1 on October 27 and 2-1 in overtime November 15.
The Sound Tigers are coming off a 5-2 loss against the Springfield Thunderbirds last night, and have one outright win in their last eight games. The Sound Tigers sit in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, one spot ahead of the Wolf Pack, with a 13-12-2-1 record and a 0.518 win percentage.
Last Time Out:
Last night, the Wolf Pack played to a 6-4 win over the Providence Bruins at the XL Center. Scott Kosmachuk, Ryan Graves, Eric Selleck, Gabriel Fontaine and Vinni Lettieri each scored, with Kosmachuk tallying two. Marek Mazanec made 32 saves in his fifth straight start in net and the Wolf Pack extended their point streak to a season-high nine games. The Pack have yet to lose in regulation time in the month of December.
Thus far, the Pack are 13-12-3-3 on the season and are back to over a .500 win percentage, which places them sixth in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division with 32 points from 31 games played. The Providence Bruins currently lead the division, while the Charlotte Checkers and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins fall close behind in the tight race.
Players to Watch:
#17 Scott Kosmachuk
New to the Wolf Pack this season, Kosmachuk has provided the Wolf Pack seven goals and 13 assists in 30 games. Kosmachuk earned first star of the game last night due to his two goals against the Providence Bruins, who are currently atop the Atlantic Division standings. The right wing is playing in his fourth season of pro hockey, as he spent his first three years with the Winnipeg Jets organization. With the Manitoba Moose, the Toronto native scored 11 goals and registered 17 assists in the 2016-17 season.
#11 Tanner Fritz
Tanner Fritz has eight goals and 21 assists in 26 games, for a team-leading 29 points. The right wing made his AHL debut on Feb. 21 last year, where he notched his first AHL point on his first shift. Fritz went on to play in 63 games for the Sound Tigers last year, with 19 goals and 23 assists.
Coming Up Next:
The Wolf Pack will be back home at the XL Center next Saturday for a matchup against the Springfield Thunderbirds, after a Friday away game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. For tickets and information, visit the Hartford Wolf Pack ticketing site or call 866-762-6451.