PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK LOOK TO STRING BACK-TO-BACK WINS TOGETHER WITH MARLIES IN TOWN
Jan 19, 2022HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will look to win back-to-back games for the first time in 2022 when they play host to the Toronto Marlies tonight at the XL Center. It is Toronto’s lone visit to Hartford during the 2021-22 season.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of just two meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Marlies during the course of the 2021-22 season. The sides will conclude the season series in Toronto on April 15th with the Pack’s lone visit to the Coca-Cola Coliseum.
This is the first meeting between the teams since February 13th, 2019. On that night, at the XL Center, the Pack skated to a 3-2 victory on the strength of Tim Gettinger’s goal 16:22 into the third period. Brandon Halverson made 43 saves in goal for Hartford in the victorious effort. The teams did not meet during the 2019-20 or 2020-21 seasons.
In the last five seasons, the Wolf Pack hold a 2-1-1-0 record head-to-head against the Marlies.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack scored their first shutout of the season last time out, blanking the Laval Rocket by a final score of 4-0. Austin Rueschhoff scored just 96 seconds into the contest to open the scoring, then closed it with an empty-net goal at 19:47 of the third period. He has goals in three straight games, having scored four times in the span. Keith Kinkaid made 31 saves in his first start since December 22nd for the win.
Johnny Brodzinski leads Wolf Pack skaters in points with 24 (10 g, 14 a) and goals with ten. Kinkaid leads goaltenders with an 11-1-2 record, .913 save percentage and 2.58 goals against average. He was assigned back to Hartford last Saturday, while goaltender Tyler Wall was recalled to the taxi squad.
The parent New York Rangers also assigned forward Anthnoy Greco to the Wolf Pack on Sunday, and forwards Brodzinski and Gettinger to the club on Tuesday. Forward Liam Pecararo was released from his PTO with the Wolf Pack on Sunday and has returned to the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Marlies Outlook:
The Marlies enter tonight’s game with a record of 17-10-1-1 following Sunday’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Brett Seney scored at 17:59 of the third period to tie the game at 3-3 and force overtime, where Joey Anderson completed the hat-trick with his 13th goal of the season at 1:06 to give Marlies two points. Toronto won both games in Pennsylvania this weekend by 4-3 scores in overtime. They also knocked off the Hershey Bears on Saturday night.
Seney leads the club with 25 points (13 g, 12 a) on the season, and is tied with Anderson for the team lead in goals with 13 each. Erik Källgren leads goaltenders with a 9-4-0 record.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: https://mixlr.com/hfd-wolf-pack/
The Pack is back with three home games in four nights next week! First, the club hosts the rival Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday, January 26th. Then, the Providence Bruins come to town on Friday, January 28th! Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs, compliments of our friends at Nomads Entertainment. Lastly, we travel to a galaxy far, far away on January 29th when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms come to town for ‘Star Wars Night’ at the XL Center! All games start at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets for all three games, and tonight’s battle with the Marlies, 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.