PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK GO FOR SWEEP OF MIDWEST IN VISIT TO ROCKFORD
Dec 17, 2022ROCKFORD, IL – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their three-game Midwest swing tonight with a visit to the BMO Center in Rockford, Illinois, to take on the IceHogs.
Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. EST and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the second and final meeting of the season series between the Wolf Pack and the IceHogs. It is Hartford’s first-ever visit to the BMO Center, and just the second meeting between the teams all-time.
The sides met 14 days ago in Hartford, their first-ever meeting. The IceHogs claimed a 3-2 victory in the game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before a comeback bid from the Pack came up just short. Dylan Sikura opened the scoring 13:19 into the game, converting a fortuitous bounce off the boards for his seventh goal of the season. Cole Guttman tacked on the insurance 6:14 into the second period, lasering home a one-timer for his fifth goal of the campaign.
Lukas Reichel pushed the lead to 3-0 early in the third, banking his tenth goal of the season off of Louis Domingue and into the net.
Bobby Trivigno and Brandon Scanlin would both score late for Hartford, but Jaxson Stauber made 13 saves in the final frame to cement the victory for the visitors.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack earned back-to-back road victories for the first time this season last night, knocking off the Grand Rapids Griffins by a final score of 6-4. Ryan Carpenter opened the scoring 7:07 into the game, finding a loose puck in front and stuffing home his first goal with the Wolf Pack. Dominik Shine would tie the affair at 17:44, however, taking a drop pass from Kyle Criscuolo and snapping his fifth goal of the season home.
Alex Chiasson ripped his second goal of the season by Domingue 2:57 into the middle stanza to give the Griffins a lead, but Lauri Pajuniemi and Carpenter would score at 6:27 and 9:39 to put Hartford back ahead. Criscuolo deflected a Joel L’Esperance shot by Domingue at 10:23 to again tie the game, ending a wild second period.
Turner Elson, in his return to Grand Rapids, would break the tie 6:32 into the third period. Elson took a cross-ice pass from Ryan Carpenter and tipped it by Jussi Olkinuora for his fourth goal of the season. Gustav Rydahl and Zac Jones tacked on insurance markers in the final minute, while Taro Hirose scored late for the Griffins.
The win gives Hartford their first three-game winning streak of the 2022-23 season, and their first since January 23rd, 2022 – January 28th, 2022.
Will Cuylle (7 g, 5 a), Elson (4 g, 8 a), and Tanner Fritz (1 g, 11 a) are tied for the team lead with twelve points each this season. Cuylle’s seven goals lead the club in that department, while Frtiz’s eleven assists top the list there.
IceHogs Outlook:
The IceHogs suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Marlies on Friday night at home. Isaak Phillips opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the game for the IceHogs, but the Marlies would settle things down from there. Noel Hoefenmayer tied the game just 55 seconds into the middle stanza, while Nick Abruzzese pushed the visitors ahead at 8:33 with his sixth goal of the season.
Guttman evened the affair at 18:36 of the second, but the Marlies would again find a lead midway through the third period. Joseph Blandisi and Mikhail Abramov scored just 29 seconds apart at 11:16 and 11:45 to put the Marlies ahead 4-2, giving them a lead they would not lose. Brett Seney scored at 17:51 to make it 4-3, but it proved to be too little, too late.
Seney leads the IceHogs with 31 points (12 g, 19 a) in 24 games played this season. Veteran David Gust is second on the club in scoring with 29 points (13 g, 16 a). Gust’s 13 goals lead the way for the IceHogs in that department, while Seney’s 19 assists top the list there.
Game Information:
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 7:45 p.m. EST on both AHLTV and Mixlr. To listen to Alex’s call of tonight’s game, simply click the ‘away audio’ button when selecting tonight’s contest.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Thursday, December 22nd. The I-91 Rivalry gets renewed as the Springfield Thunderbirds come to town for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop. 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.