PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK AND PHANTOMS OPEN HOME-AN-HOME SET IN ALLENTOWN
Jan 10, 2025ALLENTOWN, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their four-game road trip this evening with a visit to the PPL Center to take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the fourth of six meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Phantoms this season. It is the second of three meetings between the foes in Allentown. The sides will meet tomorrow night in Hartford, then wrap the season series up at the PPL Center on Feb. 8.
The Phantoms hold a 2-1 edge in the head-to-head series, posting a record of 2-0-1-0. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, have collected four of a possible six points and are 1-0-1-1 against the Phantoms this season.
The Phantoms claimed a wild 5-4 overtime victory over the Wolf Pack on Nov. 27 in the last meeting at the XL Center.
Anton Blidh and Samu Tuomaala traded goals in the opening stanza, while Bo Groulx and Ethan Samson both struck in the second period to send the game to the final 20 minutes tied 2-2.
Victor Mancini struck 9:23 into the third period on the power play, but Rhett Gardner tied the game at 15:33 with just his second goal of the season. Blidh restored the lead eleven seconds later, popping home his second tally of the game.
With the extra attacker on, however, the Phantoms again drew even and forced overtime. Garrett Wilson tapped home a backdoor feed from Anthony Richard at 18:13. Tuomaala then struck 3:22 into overtime to give the Phantoms two points in a game they never led.
The Phantoms claimed a 4-3 shootout victory at the PPL Center on Oct. 12 in the season opener for both clubs. The Wolf Pack’s victory was a 4-3 overtime decision in Hartford on Oct. 25.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack beat the Bridgeport Islanders 5-1 on Sunday afternoon, improving to 2-1-0-0 on their current four-game road trip.
Groulx opened the scoring 19:34 into the game, burying a centering feed from Alex Belzile while the sides battled at four-on-four. The goal was the Wolf Pack’s first four-on-four marker of the season.
Groulx then extended the lead to 2-0 3:27 into the second period, pounding home a one-timer from the right-wing circle on a feed from Brennan Othmann.
Adam Sýkora made it 3-0 at 4:32, beating Jakub Skarek over the glove on a breakaway attempt. Sýkora was sprung into the zone by Ben Harpur, who picked up his fourth assist of the season on the tally.
Blidh’s ninth goal of the season came at 9:52 and made it a 4-0 spread. Blidh took a centering pass from Dylan Roobroeck in front of the crease and beat Skarek to blow the game open. Roobroeck’s assist was his second of the period.
Brian Pinho got the Islanders on the board at 10:49, locating a rebound and beating Dylan Garand on the power play. Nathan Sucese responded at 18:40, however, restoring the four-goal edge. Sucese intercepted an outlet pass from Skarek and hit an empty net for his second goal of the season.
Garand made 29 saves to collect his tenth victory of the season.
Groulx leads the Wolf Pack with eleven goals this season, while Belzile paces the club in points with 31 (10 g, 21 a).
Phantoms Outlook:
The Phantoms downed the back-to-back defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears 5-4 in Hershey on Tuesday night.
Goals from Hunter McDonald, Elliot Desnoyers, and Samson had the Phantoms leading 3-1 after one period of play. Emil Andrae’s first goal of the season came just 65 seconds into the second period, extending the lead to 4-1.
Ethan Bear made it a 4-2 game at 3:34, but Jacob Gaucher’s 14th goal of the season at 16:58 would restore the three-goal lead and stand as the game-winning tally.
Mike Sgarbossa struck twice, at 19:42 of the second period and 1:06 of the third period, to draw the Bears within a goal, but the comeback bid would come up short.
The victory was the third in a row for the Phantoms. They are 7-3-0-0 in their last ten games played.
Gaucher leads the club in goals with 14, while Tuomaala leads the way in points with 24 (8 g, 16 a).
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN: Mixlr
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center tomorrow night when the Phantoms come to town! Join us as we celebrate a special milestone, 50 years of professional hockey in Hartford!
The 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 is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays 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.