PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK LOOK TO REBOUND VS. AMERICANS
Jan 25, 2025HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack play their final home game before the All-Star break this evening as they welcome the Rochester Americans to the XL Center.
The puck drop is set for 6:00 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 Americans this season. The Americans doubled up the Wolf Pack 6-3 on Nov. 8 in Rochester.
Brett Murray and Jiri Kulich struck on the power play 6:34 and 10:15 into the game, respectively, to give the Amerks a quick 2-0 lead. Dylan Roobroeck got the Wolf Pack on the board at 13:54, but that was as close as Hartford was able to draw this game.
Three goals in the second period blew this game open, giving the Amerks a 5-1 lead through 40 minutes. Viktor Neuchev struck at 10:34, the first of three goals in 3:26. Konsta Helenius potted the game-winning goal at 13:32, then Josh Dunne made it 5-1 at 14:00.
Brett Berard jammed home a rebound just 70 seconds into the third period to draw the Wolf Pack to 5-2, but Isak Rosén’s goal at 6:19 restored the four-goal lead.
Bryce McConnell-Barker’s second career goal at 11:44 gave the Wolf Pack a brief spark but would not be enough to inspire a comeback on this night.
The Americans are 7-1-1-0 in their last nine games against the Wolf Pack. Hartford is 2-6-1-0 in that span. The Wolf Pack have lost four straight in this head-to-head matchup, posting a record of 0-3-1-0.
Their last win against the Americans came on Jan. 21, 2023, at the XL Center by a score of 4-1. Cristiano DiGiacinto scored the game-winning goal that night, with Dylan Garand making 23 saves to collect the victory in net.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 decision to the Laval Rocket on home ice on Friday night.
Logan Mailloux opened the scoring 7:45 into the game, ripping home a shot from the slot for his first of three points (2 g, 1 a) on the night. Bo Groulx tied the game at 14:44, blasting home a one-timer from the right-wing circle on the Wolf Pack’s first power play of the game, but 1:08 later Owen Beck would restore the lead with his tenth goal of the season.
Laurent Dauphin poked home a rebound 1:30 into the second period, extending the lead to 3-1.
In the third period, the Wolf Pack stormed back to tie the game 3-3. Berard made it a 3-2 game at 10:52, potting a backdoor feed from Blake Hillman for his eighth goal of the season. Brennan Othmann tied the game at 18:10, taking a centering feed from Groulx and scoring his fourth goal of the campaign. The tally was Hartford’s first six-on-five goal of the season.
Just 1:14 later, however, Mailloux took a feed and beat Louis Domingue for the game-winning goal at 19:24.
The loss was the Wolf Pack’s fifth straight defeat on home ice (0-5-0-0).
Groulx leads the team in goals with 14 and has scored in four straight games. Alex Belzile, meanwhile, leads the way in points with 36 (12 g, 24 a).
Americans Outlook:
The Americans were shut out 3-0 last night in Providence at the hands of the Bruins. Tyler Pitlick’s 12th goal of the season came 18:22 into the second period, breaking the ice and giving the Bruins all the offense they needed to secure the victory.
Fabian Lysell then potted the insurance marker 1:08 into the third period before hitting the empty net at 16:54 to cement the win.
Michael DiPietro made 29 saves to pick up the shutout victory. Devon Levi made 26 saves in defeat.
Murray leads the Americans in goals with 17, while Rosén paces the offense with 31 points (16 g, 15 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 5:45 p.m. on both AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The weekend concludes tomorrow when the Wolf Pack open a four-game road trip against the Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center. The puck drop is set for 3:05 p.m.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday, Feb. 7, when they welcome the Charlotte Checkers to town. Join us for $2 drafts and $2 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission!
The puck drop is set for 6:00 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.