PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK LOOK TO MAINTAIN FIRST PLACE AS BRUINS COME TO TOWN
Jan 28, 2022HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack continue a three-game homestand tonight with the opening half of a back-to-back set at the XL Center in downtown Hartford. Tonight, the Providence Bruins come to town for the first time since New Year’s Eve for a key Atlantic Division showdown.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the sixth of ten meetings this season between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins. It is the third of five meetings that will take place at the XL Center, and the second meeting of 2022. The sides will next meet on Friday, February 19th in Hartford. The next meeting in Providence takes place on Sunday, February 27th.
The Bruins have won three straight games head-to-head against the Wolf Pack, including the only two regulation decisions. The Bruins knocked off the Pack 5-1 on January 14th at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in the last meeting between the foes. Eduards Tralmaks scored the winner 9:23 into the second period, while Jeremy Swayman made 19 saves in his first AHL appearance in 2021-22. Five different Bruins scored in the win.
Providence also claimed a 4-0 victory in the last meeting at the XL Center, coming back on December 31st. Jesper Froden scored the winning goal just 4:57 into the game.
The Wolf Pack are 2-2-1-0 against the Bruins this season, and 1-1-0-0 at the XL Center.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack used a three-goal outburst in the second period to knock off the Springfield Thunderbirds by a final score of 5-1 on Wednesday night. Anthony Greco scored the eventual winner 1:22 into the second period on the powerplay, while both Ty Ronning and Jonny Brodzinski chipped in tallies in the middle frame. The win was Hartford’s fourth in their last five games and gives them a four-game point streak (3-0-1-0) on home ice.
Brodzinski leads the Wolf Pack in both points with 28 (13 g, 15 a) and goals with 13. He’s also scored in six straight contests. Greco is second on the club with 26 points (9 g, 17 a), while Tanner Fritz is third with 22 points (6 g, 16 a). Keith Kinkaid leads goalies with a 13-2-2 record, .916 save percentage and 2.47 goals against average. He is fourth in the league in wins in 2021-22 with 13.
The Wolf Pack are looking for their first three-game winning streak since November 12th through the 17th. During that stretch they defeated the Thunderbirds (6-4, 11/12), Bruins (2-1, OT, 11/13), and Bridgeport Islanders (4-3, 11/17)
Bruins Outlook:
The Bruins enter tonight’s game with a record of 17-11-3-1 and a points percentage of .594, good for third in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins dropped a 4-0 decision to the Utica Comets last time out on Tuesday night. After a scoreless opening frame, Chase De Leo scored at 9:15 of the second period to give the Comets a lead they would not lose.
Steven Fogarty leads the Bruins in scoring with 23 points (8 g, 15 a) on the season. Zach Senyshyn, meanwhile, paces the goal scoring with eleven tallies on the year. Swayman is 2-2-0 since his assignment earlier this month, while Troy Grosenick has the team lead in wins with eight.
The Bruins have dropped two of their last three games and are 3-2-0-0 in their last five contests. They have not lost back-to-back games since December 17th and December 29th when they dropped games against the Laval Rocket (6-3) and Rochester Americans (5-3).
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: https://mixlr.com/hfd-wolf-pack/
Join us TONIGHT for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs, compliments of our friends at Nomads Entertainment. Tomorrow night, we travel to a galaxy far, far away when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms come to town for ‘Star Wars Night’ at the XL Center!
Both games start at 7:00 p.m. and 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 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.