PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK EYE WEEKEND SPLIT VS. BEARS
Apr 6, 2025HERSHEY, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their two-game weekend series against the Hershey Bears this evening at the Giant Center.
The puck drop is set for 5:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the Wolf Pack and the Bears.
The Wolf Pack are 2-0-1-0 in the current season series thanks to a pair of victories on home ice. They opened the series with a 3-0 victory at the XL Center on Dec. 11, then took a 4-3 decision on Mar. 21.
The Bears picked up their first victory in the head-to-head series last night, winning 3-2 on home ice.
Casey Fitzgerald broke the ice 10:39 into the hockey game for the Wolf Pack, firing a shot from the right-wing circle off a feed from Blake McLaughlin. The goal was the captain’s fifth of the season and gave McLaughlin his fifth assist of the campaign.
The Bears drew even at 12:08, as Luke Philp extended his scoring streak to three games. Bogdan Trineyev drove down the right-wing side and fired a shot that Dylan Garand denied, but the rebound came to the left-wing side. Philp pounced on the rebound and tied the game with his eighth goal of the season.
David Gucciardi gave the Bears the lead at 17:37, beating Garand with a shot through traffic from the slot. The goal was Gucciardi’s first career goal and point in his professional debut.
Dylan Roobroeck forced overtime at 18:34, tipping home his 16th goal of the season as the Wolf Pack attacked six-on-five. Nathan Sucese played the puck to the left-wing point, where Connor Mackey let a shot fly. Roobroeck tipped home the shot from the slot, earning the Wolf Pack a point.
Alex Limoges saved the night for the Bears 1:01 into overtime, beating Garand for his 16th goal of the season off a turnover by the Wolf Pack in their own zone.
The Wolf Pack have secured five of a possible six points from the Bears this season (2-0-1-0), while the Bears are 1-2-0-0 in the head-to-head matchup.
The Wolf Pack are looking to win the season series against the Bears for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign. That year, the Wolf Pack went 5-1-0-0 against Hershey.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
Last night marked just the fourth time this season that the Wolf Pack picked up a point when trailing after two periods of play (2-26-1-1). It’s the first time they have secured at least a point in that situation since Feb. 12 against the Bridgeport Islanders. The Wolf Pack won that game 4-3 in overtime after trailing 3-1 through 40 minutes.
With his goal last night, Roobroeck now has four points (3 g, 1 a) in his last two games against the Bears. He scored twice and picked up an assist in the 4-3 victory on Mar. 21 at the XL Center.
Garand started his career-high sixth straight game last night. He made 31 saves on 34 shots in the overtime defeat.
The Wolf Pack penalty kill was a perfect eight-for-eight in the loss. They are now 12-for-12 against the Bears this season with a shorthanded goal for, good for a +1 goal differential. Noah Laba scored the shorthanded goal on Mar. 21.
Alex Belzile leads the Wolf Pack in both goals with 18 and points with 54 (18 g, 36 a).
Bears Outlook:
The Bears win last night was their second in a row, and their third in the last five games (3-2-0-0).
With the victory, the Bears are now 41-18-6-1 on the season and lead the Atlantic Division with 89 points. They are five points ahead of the second-place Charlotte Checkers (84 points) and seven points up on the third-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (82 points).
Pierrick Dubé and Ivan Miroshnichenko lead the Bears in goals with 19 each, while Ethan Bear paces the club in points with 45 (10 g, 35 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 4:45 p.m. on both AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Wolf Pack conclude their road trip on Wednesday night when they visit the Islanders for the latest edition of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday, Apr. 11, when the Providence Bruins come to town! Join us for $2 drafts and $2 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission.
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.