PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK CONCLUDE WEEKEND WITH TRIP TO LEHIGH VALLEY
Oct 23, 2021HARTFORD, CT – Onto the next one. After a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss on Friday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Hartford Wolf Pack loaded up the bus and hit the road for Lehigh Valley. Tonight, the Pack conclude a brief two-game road trip in Lehigh Valley against the Phantoms. It’s their first of three trips to the PPL Center this season.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of six meetings between the divisional foes in 2021-22. Each side will host three of the affairs. The Wolf Pack and Phantoms won’t meet again until December 10th, when they meet at the XL Center for the first time. That game will open a stretch of three straight matchups between the teams. They’ll also meet on December 12th in Lehigh Valley and on December 17th in Hartford.
The sides did not meet during the truncated 2020-21 season. In fact, this is the first meeting between the clubs since February 15th, 2020. That night, Wolf Pack forward Matt Belesky scored 8:12 into the third period to force overtime, while Steven Fogarty scored the winner in the fifth round of the shootout to give the Pack a 4-3 victory. Overall, Hartford won three of five meetings between the teams, posting a 3-2-0-0 record during the 2019-20 campaign.
The Wolf Pack have enjoyed quite a bit of success since the Phantoms relocated to Lehigh Valley in 2014. Since that point, the Wolf Pack hold a 24-9-0-1-1 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL) advantage in the head-to-head matchup.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
Hartford dropped a 2-1 decision in overtime against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night, as forward Kasper Bjorkqvist scored the winner for the home side. The loss dropped the Wolf Pack to 2-1-1-0 on the season and 0-1-1-0 on the road. Hartford does, however, have points in three of their first four games.
The Wolf Pack have been tied after forty minutes in three of their first four games. They are 1-1-1-0 in those affairs. All three games have had an identical 1-1 score after forty minutes. The Wolf Pack are 1-0-0-0 when leading after two periods and have not trailed at the second intermission so far this season.
Goaltender Keith Kinkaid suffered his first loss as a member of the Wolf Pack on Friday night. He is 2-0-1-0 this season and 4-0-1-0 overall. Forward Jonny Brodzinski leads the Wolf Pack with four points (1 g, 3 a). Forward P.C. Labrie collected his first point with the Wolf Pack on Friday night, assisting on forward Anthony Greco’s first period goal. It was Greco’s first goal of the season.
Phantoms Outlook:
The Phantoms are 0-2-0-0 on the season after dropping both of their games last weekend. The Phantoms fell 2-1 at Mohegan Sun Arena last Saturday night against the Penguins, then dropped a 2-1 decision against the Hershey Bears on the road Sunday. Forward Tyson Foerster scored the Phantoms’ first goal of the season on Saturday night, while Gerry Mayhew had the lone goal on Sunday.
Lehigh Valley played in the realigned North Division during the 2020-21 season. In all, the Phantoms played 32 games and posted a record of 18-7-4-2, good for 43 points. Those 43 points placed them second in the North Division behind only the Bears.
Defenseman Cam York leads the Phantoms in scoring with two points, both assists. Captain Cal O’Reilly led the club with 23 points (4 g, 19 a) a season ago.
The Phantoms will complete their back-to-back set, and their home opening weekend, tomorrow when they host the Penguins at the PPL Center.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
The Wolf Pack return to the XL Center in Hartford next weekend for a pair of games. The Pack will host the Penguins on Friday night and the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday. Both games are set for 7:00 pm. Single game tickets for the 2021-22 Hartford Wolf Pack season are on-sale now! To secure your seats and join the fun for this milestone 25th anniversary season, visit 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.