PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK BATTLE BRUINS IN FINAL HOME GAME BEFORE HOLIDAY BREAK
Dec 20, 2024HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack open a back-to-back, home-and-home stretch with the rival Providence Bruins tonight at the XL Center in downtown Hartford.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the fourth of ten meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins this season. It is the second of five meetings at the XL Center. The sides will conclude a home-and-home set tomorrow night with the fifth meeting of the season’s head-to-head series in Providence.
The Bruins return to the XL Center next Saturday night, Dec. 28, for the sixth meeting of the season between the rivals.
The Bruins hold a 2-1 edge in the head-to-head series thanks to a 5-2 victory at the Amica Mutual Pavilion last Sunday afternoon. Patrick Brown opened the scoring 8:44 into the hockey game, jamming home a rebound for his sixth goal of the season. Ryder Korczak evened the affair at 16:35, sniping home his second goal of the campaign from the right-wing circle.
Three goals in 6:47 in the second period would give the Bruins a big enough cushion for victory, however. Matthew Poitras broke the tie for good at 6:03, burying a centering feed from Vinni Lettieri. Tyler Pitlick potted a rebound at 9:01, scoring his sixth goal of the season and the eventual game-winning tally. Jeffrey Viel capped off the three-goal outburst at 12:50, scoring a rebound goal on the power play.
Jake Leschyshyn got the Pack within two at 2:35 of the third period, tapping home a backdoor feed from Alex Belzile on a five-on-three power play. That was as close as the Wolf Pack got things, however, as Georgii Merkulov’s empty net strike at 16:09 ended the intrigue.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack fell to 1-6-1-1 on the road with their loss in Providence on Sunday afternoon. The club is 1-0-0-0 at home against the Bruins this season, and 11-4-1-0 overall at the XL Center.
The club sits tied for second in goals scored at home in the AHL with 55 in 16 games. That is the top mark in the Eastern Conference.
Forwards Belzile (3 a) and Adam Sýkora (2 g, 1 a) pace the Wolf Pack with three points in three games against the Bruins this season.
Defenseman Matthew Robertson has scored an assist in four straight games entering action tonight. He has scored six assists in that span. Leschyshyn has scored in five straight games for the Wolf Pack, the longest goal-scoring streak of the season for the club. He has six goals during the streak, with five coming on the power play.
Belzile leads the Wolf Pack in both goals with nine and points with 25 (9 g, 16 a).
Bruins Outlook:
The Bruins saw their six-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday night by a score of 4-3 in overtime by the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in Allentown, PA.
Poitras extended his goal-scoring streak to seven games, breaking the ice on the power play at 18:50 of the opening period. Riley Tufte extended the lead at 5:07 of the middle frame, giving the Bruins a 2-0 edge through 40 minutes.
Three goals in 4:17 by the Phantoms early in the third period stunned the Bruins, however, and put the home team up 3-2. Jacob Gaucher struck at 1:54, getting the Phantoms on the board before Garrett Wilson tied the game at 3:19. Massimo Rizzo’s first career professional goal at 6:11 made it a 3-2 game, but the lead lasted a mere 18 seconds.
Riley Duran tapped home a backdoor feed from Brett Harrison at 6:29, tying the game 3-3 and sending it to overtime. Just 14 seconds into the extra frame, Olle Lycksell ended the intrigue and gave the Phantoms the second point with his sixth goal of the season.
Despite the loss, the Bruins have points in seven straight contests (6-0-1-0).
Lettieri leads the Bruins in both goals with ten and points with 27 (10 g, 17 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 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Wolf Pack and Bruins wrap up their home-and-home set tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. at the Amicia Mutual Pavilion in Providence. Coverage is available starting at 6:50 p.m. with ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center next Saturday, Dec. 28, when the Bruins return to town. The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a 2025 Wolf Pack calendar courtesy of HDI!
The puck drop is set for 6:00 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.