PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK HOST THE ISLANDERS IN CRUCIAL BATTLE FOR PLAYOFF POSITIONING
Apr 7, 2023HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude a brief two-game homestand tonight as they welcome the rival Bridgeport Islanders to town for a crucial matchup in the Atlantic Division.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the 12th and final meeting between the Wolf Pack and Islanders this season. It’s the sixth and final time that the sides will meet at the XL Center in downtown Hartford. The Wolf Pack won their fourth consecutive head-to-head matchup on March 29th, taking a 4-1 decision in Hartford.
Paul Thompson opened the scoring for the Islanders 13:07 into the game, but the Isles would not solve Louis Domingue again. Jonny Brodzinski tied the game at 2:10 of the second period, firing home a shot on a two-on-one for his 19th goal of the season. Jake Leschyshyn then gave Hartford the lead for good at 9:49, sneaking a shot through Cory Schneider on the short side while on the powerplay. Karl Henriksson tipped home a point shot from Brandon Scanlin at 17:02 to make it a 3-1 game, allowing Hartford to pull away for good. Domingue made 16 saves in the third period, while Brodzinski scored his 20th goal of the season at 17:57, hitting an empty net.
The win was Hartford’s fourth in a row in the season series, giving them a 6-5-0-0 record. The Islanders are 5-6-0-0 head-to-head. The Wolf Pack a 3-2-0-0 in the five prior meetings in Hartford.
Brodzinski has scored two goals in each of the last four meetings against the Islanders.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack won their fifth straight game on Wednesday night, knocking off the Toronto Marlies 2-1 in overtime. After going the first 58:48 without a goal, both teams struck in the final 72 seconds of regulation time.
First, Anton Blidh jammed home a rebound at 18:48 of the third period for his 12th goal of the season, putting Hartford ahead 1-0. With the net empty, however, the Marlies would find the equalizer at 19:47, 59 seconds later. Topi Niemelä fired a shot through traffic that found the back of the net for his first career AHL goal. In overtime, Hartford got revenge for a March 11th loss when Leschyshyn pounced on a rebound at 1:42 to push the Wolf Pack to victory.
Domingue made 30 saves for his seventh straight win. That marks the longest winning streak by a Wolf Pack goaltender this season. He now has 20 victories in his first season with the Wolf Pack.
Hartford’s current five-game winning streak is their first since a seven-game winning streak during the 2020-21 season. The club has won three in a row at home, tying their longest home winning streak of the season.
Brodzinski leads the Wolf Pack in points with 46 (21 g, 25 a) in 44 games. Will Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the team in goals with 24.
Islanders Outlook:
The Islanders are coming off an overtime win of their own, beating the Springfield Thunderbirds 4-3 on Tuesday morning at home. Thompson and Jeff Kubiak gave the Isles an early 2-0 lead, scoring at 2:30 and 12:03 of the first, respectively.
The T-Birds would score three unanswered from there, though, with Dmitrii Samorukov getting them started at 2:02 of the second period. Nikita Alexandrov would tie the game at 1:24 of the third period, while Keean Washkurak put them ahead at 2:52. The Isles responded at 14:25, however, with Chris Terry scoring to force overtime.
In overtime, Andy Andreoff came down the left wing side and ripped home the winner 3:41 in to keep the Islanders alive in the playoff race.
Terry leads the Islanders in scoring with 67 points (23 g, 44 a) in 62 games. Andreoff, meanwhile, leads the team in goals with 33. He sits second in the AHL in goals behind only Calgary’s Matthew Phillips, who has 34 on the season.
Game Information:
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 and Mixlr.
The Wolf Pack return to action tomorrow night when they visit the Providence Bruins at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. The Pack is back at the XL Center for Fan Appreciation Night next Friday, April 14th when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town! Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission, a cowbell giveaway for the first 1,500 fans thanks to CM Concessions, autographs with baseball legend Johnny Damon and much more! 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.