PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK HOST CRUNCH WITH EYE TOWARDS REVENGE
Nov 6, 2024HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack stop back home at the XL Center for one game before returning to the road for a pair of tilts this weekend. Tonight, the Pack welcomes a North Division opponent to town for the first time this season as they battle the Syracuse Crunch.
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 second and final meeting between the Wolf Pack and the Crunch this season. The Crunch took the first meeting, knocking off the Wolf Pack by a final score of 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 1 at Upstate Medical University Arena.
Dylan Duke opened the scoring 5:23 into the hockey game, burying a rebound on the Crunch’s first power play of the contest. The goal was his fourth of the season. Anton Blidh evened the tilt at 13:52 of the second period, scoring his second goal of the season. Blidh gained possession in the defensive zone, weaved through the neutral zone, then dished off to Dylan Roobroeck after gaining the offensive zone. Roobroeck connected with the Blidh on the return feed at the backdoor, where he deposited the shorthanded marker.
Blade Jenkins gave the Wolf Pack their lone lead of the night when he went top-shelf after electing to shoot on a two-on-one at 17:27 of the middle frame.
Niko Huuhtanen got the Crunch back on even terms just 91 seconds into the final period when he deflected a Declan Carlile centering pass from the left-wing corner by Dylan Garand for his second goal of the season. The goal would force overtime, where Max Crozier earned the second point for the Crunch just 41 seconds in with a shot from the right-wing circle.
The home team has won each of the last three meetings between the Wolf Pack and Crunch. The last road victory in the head-to-head matchup belongs to the Wolf Pack, who won in Syracuse on Feb. 25, 2023, by a score of 4-1.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack suffered a 2-1 loss in their last outing on Saturday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Isaac Belliveau opened the scoring 33 seconds into the second period, blasting his first career goal through traffic from the right-wing point. Ville Koivunen fired a one-timer from the bottom of the right-wing circle at 10:54, making it a 2-0 game with his second goal of the season.
Roobroeck got the Wolf Pack on the board at 16:30 of the middle stanza, chipping a shot from the left-wing circle by Tristan Jarry, but it would not be enough to spark a comeback.
Roobroeck has points in four straight games (3 g, 1 a), the longest point scoring streak by a Wolf Pack player this season.
Brett Berard (5 g, 3 a) and Bo Groulx (4 g, 4 a) are tied for the team lead in points with eight each. Berard’s five goals lead the team in that category.
Crunch Outlook:
The Crunch dropped a 6-2 decision on home ice at the hands of the Belleville Senators on Saturday night.
The Senators jumped out to a 3-0 lead by the 17:44 mark of the first period on goals from Cole Reinhardt, Angus Crookshank, and Nikolas Matinpalo.
Milo Roelens got the Crunch on the board 1:57 into the second period, but Donovan Sebrango restored the three-goal lead at 4:19 with his second goal of the season. Derrick Pouliot blasted home a power play goal at 19:40 of the third period for the Crunch, but that came after third period goals from Crookshank and Matthew Highmore for the Senators.
Each team was one-for-one on the power play in the game.
Duke leads the Crunch in both goals with four and points with seven (4 g, 3 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 hit the road for two games this weekend. They take on the Rochester Americans on Friday at 7:05 p.m. before visiting the Providence Bruins on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. Full coverage of both games will be available on AHLTV on FloHockey and on Mixlr, with ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting 15 minutes prior to puck drop.
The Pack is back on Friday, Nov. 15, when the Charlotte Checkers come to town for the first time this season. Join us for $2 drafts and $2 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission! Join us as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Night! We’ll have two Luchadores who will be bringing an authentic Luchadores mask that will be raffled off in-game. The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a Wolf Pack branded soccer scarf.
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.