Game Preview
Feb 10, 2018Game Day Info:
Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Hershey Bears
Puck Drop: Saturday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
Game Preview:
This is the third head-to-head meeting of the season between the Wolf Pack and the Bears, and Hershey has captured both of the previous contests. The Bears defeated the Wolf Pack 4-3 in Hershey on October 29 and 4-1 in Hartford November 25. The Bears currently sit in last place in the Atlantic Division with an 18-24-3-4 record and 0.439 win percentage.
The New York Rangers announced changes to the Wolf Pack roster this week, with the parent organization recalling Neal Pionk and John Gilmour, while also reassigning Brendan Smith to the Wolf Pack. In addition, Alexandar Georgiev has also been recalled to the Rangers, and Sergey Zborovskiy has been assigned to the Wolf Pack, while the Wolf Pack acquired John Albert and Hubert Labrie in a trade.
Last Time Out:
The Wolf Pack are riding a nine-game point streak, and are coming off a 4-3 shootout win over the Syracuse Crunch. Regulation time goals were produced by Adam Tambellini, Filip Chytil and Ryan Gropp. Alexandar Georgiev made 43 saves, including two in the shootout.
Thus far, the Pack are 23-20-4-3 on the season with a .530 win percentage, which places them sixth in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division with 53 points from 50 games played. The Pack are currently tied in points with the fourth place Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Players to Watch:
#11 Ryan Gropp
A 21-year-old rookie out of the Western Hockey League, Gropp has produced 10 goals and four assists for 14 points in 43 games this season. Gropp scored a goal last night in the Wolf Pack’s win over the Crunch and has three points in his last three games. The left wing helped lead his Seattle WHL team to the playoff title and a Memorial Cup berth last season, and was drafted by the Rangers 41st overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
#15 Travis Boyd
Travis Boyd has 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points this season, including an assist in the Bears’ last game. The center tallied 63 points last season, and 53 points the season prior for the Bears. The Minnesota native was selected in the 6th round of the 2011 NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals and has played in two games for the parent organization this year.
Coming Up Next:
The Pack will be back home at the XL Center for Hockey Heritage Weekend on February 23 and 24 to face the Hershey Bears and Providence Bruins. The first 5,000 fans to the game on February 24 get a Gordie Howe bobblehead, presented by Xfinity. For tickets and information, visit the Hartford Wolf Pack ticketing site or call 866-762-6451.