PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK LOOK TO REBOUND IN ROAD TRIP FINALE
Mar 4, 2023BRIDGEPORT, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their longest road trip of the season tonight in the middle game of a three-in-three weekend. The Wolf Pack pay a visit to the rival Bridgeport Islanders for the latest installment of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’.
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 eighth of twelve meetings between the rivals, and the fifth of six at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport. The sides will next meet on Wednesday, March 15th, at the XL Center in Hartford. The Wolf Pack make their final trip to Bridgeport on Saturday, March 18th. The season series wraps up with games in Hartford on March 29th and April 7th.
The Islanders have won both of the meetings so far in 2023, taking two convincing decisions in Hartford. Most recently, the Islanders used a strong final 30 minutes to skate away with a 6-3 victory on February 17th. Arnaud Durandeau and Ryan Carpenter traded first period goals before Tim Gettinger put Hartford ahead just 41 seconds into the middle stanza with a deflection that beat Jakub Skarek.
Chris Terry would draw the Islanders even at 7:34, starting a stretch of three unanswered goals for the visitors. Jeff Kubiak put the Isles ahead for good at 14:51. Jimmy Lambert tacked on the insurance 12:17 into the final frame, scoring his first career AHL goal. That would stand as the game-winner. Jonny Brodzinski drew Hartford within one at 15:07, but William Dufour and Otto Koivula would polish off the two points with goals at 17:53 and 19:15.
The Wolf Pack did score a 7-3 victory in their last visit to Bridgeport on December 27th. Ryan Carpenter collected a hat trick that night, while Karl Henriksson scored his first career AHL goal.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack dropped a thrilling 1-0 shootout loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds last night at the MassMutual Center. Louis Domingue made a season-high 42 saves, while the Wolf Pack penalty kill went five-for-five on the night.
Joel Hofer was perfect in the Springfield net, however, making 27 saves for a shutout of his own. Matthew Highmore and Adam Clendening, in his Wolf Pack debut, traded shootout goals in the sixth round of the skills competition, but Matthew Peca would win it with a rocket over the glove of Domingue in the seventh round.
On Friday, the parent New York Rangers (NHL) traded forward Gustav Rydahl to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Anton Blidh. In addition, the Rangers acquired defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk from the Vancouver Canucks for future considerations. Both Blidh and Kalynuk will report to Hartford. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, traded defenseman Zach Giuttari to the Abbotsford Canucks for future considerations.
Tanner Fritz leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 30 points (4 g, 26 a) on the season. Fritz’s 26 assists also lead the club in that category. Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the club in goals with 18.
Islanders Outlook:
The Islanders were off last night, but blew away the Providence Bruins by a score of 7-1 on Thursday night on home ice. Georgii Merkulov put the Bruins ahead just 68 seconds into the game, but that’s all the offense the visitors would manage.
Paul Thompson tied the game 14:26 into the second period, then Kubiak scored the game-winner 21 seconds later at 14:47. The quick strike Islander offense erupted in the third period, scoring five time to pull away. Andy Andreoff lit the lamp twice in the final 20 minutes, while Blade Jenkins, Samuel Bolduc, and Ruslan Iskhakov all found twine to pour it on.
Terry leads the Islanders in scoring with 51 points (17 g, 34 a). Andreoff, meanwhile, leads the club in goals with 23 on the campaign. He’s the only Islander to hit the 20 goal plateau so far this season. Dufour is second on the club in goals with 19. Iskhakov is tied for the AHL lead in points among rookies with 43 (14 g, 29 a). He’s tied with Iowa’s Sammy Walker (23 g, 20 a).
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. To hear Alex’s call of the game, click the ‘away audio’ button when selecting tonight’s game.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Sunday, March 5th, when they welcome the Charlotte Checkers to town for a 3:00 p.m. puck drop. Join us on ‘Youth Jersey Giveaway Day’ and be sure to stick around postgame for autographs with Wolf Pack players. 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.