PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK AND ISLANDERS KICK OFF ‘BATTLE OF CONNECTICUT’ IN BRIDGEPORT
Oct 23, 2022HARTFORD, CT – After a frantic comeback bid came up just short in the home opener on Saturday night, the Hartford Wolf Pack are right back at it this afternoon as they visit the Bridgeport Islanders for the first installment of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’.
Puck drop is set for 3:00 p.m. for the weekend finale for both clubs.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of twelve meetings between the Wolf Pack and Islanders this season, and the first of six at Total Mortgage Arena. The sides will meet again in 13 days, on November 5th, right back in Bridgeport. In fact, each of the first three meetings between these rivals, and four of the first five, will be played in Southern Connecticut.
There were ten installments of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ last season, with Hartford having a distinct edge in the head-to-head meetings. The Wolf Pack went 7-2-0-1 against the Islanders last season and hold a record of 26-9-3-2 over the last five seasons.
In the last meeting on April 23rd, the Wolf Pack took home a 3-2 decision in Bridgeport. Andy Andreoff opened the scoring 15:15 into the tilt, but Matt Lorito found the equalizer for Hartford less than three minutes later at 18:09. Alex Whelan put the Pack ahead for good just 30 seconds into the middle frame, while Ty Ronning would add an insurance marker at 13:05 of the third period. Austin Czarnik scored at 17:15 to get Bridgeport within one, but it wouldn’t be enough.
The sides met twice during the 2022 preseason, with Hartford winning both games. The Pack took a 5-4 decision in Bridgeport on October 6th, then a 5-1 victory on October 7th at Trinity College.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack’s sluggish start to the season continued on Saturday night. The Pack dug themselves a 3-0 hole in their home opener against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before clawing back to force overtime. Julien Gauthier scored his second goal of the season 15:32 into the second period to get the club back into the game. C.J. Smith would then score at 3:58 of the third period to draw Hartford within one, then again at 17:23 to tie the tilt and force overtime.
Alex Nylander scored the lone shootout goal, however, propelling the Penguins to a 4-3 shootout victory.
Despite dropping their first three games, the Wolf Pack do have points in two out of three contests. They currently hold a record of 0-1-1-1, good for two points.
Matthew Robertson leads the Wolf Pack in both assists and points with four on the season. Smith, meanwhile, leads the club with two goals through three games. Hartford’s powerplay has scored in all three games this season, including twice last night.
Islanders Outlook:
The Islanders have won each of their first two games this weekend, and today will go for the three-in-three sweep. Last night, in their home opener, the Islanders skated to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Laval Rocket. Simon Holmstrom opened the scoring 7:54 into the tilt, then Hudson Fasching broke a 1-1 tie at 18:17 of the first period to give the Isles a lead they would not lose.
Chris Terry tacked on his second goal of the season 15:39 into the middle stanza, while Holmstrom and Ruslan Iskhakov both lit the lamp in the third period to cement the win. Jakub Skarek made 28 saves for the victory.
The Isles knocked off the Providence Bruins 5-4 in overtime on Friday night in their first game of the weekend, and currently have a record of 3-1-0-0.
Terry leads the Islanders with five points (2 g, 3 a) on the season. He is also one of five Islanders tied for the team lead with two goals, joining Holmstrom, Iskhakov, Fasching, and William Dufour.
Game Information:
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 2:45 p.m. today on AHLTV and Mixlr. Be sure to tune in!
The Wolf Pack return to the XL Center next weekend for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday night. On Friday, the Pack host the Hershey Bears at 7:00 p.m. Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs! On Saturday, we celebrate Howl-O-Ween at the XL Center when the Charlotte Checkers come to town. US Women’s National Soccer Team star Kristine Lilly will be signing autographs and taking pictures pregame, with the first 1,500 fans receiving an exclusive Kristine Lilly poster, courtesy of CT-DOT.
Also on Saturday night, join us for our first Pucks N’ Paws of the season, and for our first postgame skate of 2022-23! Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.