PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK OPEN MIDWEST ROAD TRIP WITH RARE VISIT TO MILWAUKEE
Dec 14, 2022MILWAUKEE, WI – The Hartford Wolf Pack open a rare Midwest road trip tonight as they pay just their second-ever visit to Milwaukee to take on the Admirals.
Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. EST and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the second and final meeting of the season series between the Wolf Pack and the Admirals. It is Hartford’s first visit to Milwaukee since November 1st, 2002. On that night, the Wolf Pack and Admirals tied their first-ever meeting by a score of 4-4.
The sides met last Friday night in Hartford, their first meeting since February 14th, 2003. The Admirals skated away with a 2-0 victory in the matchup. Markus Nurmi opened the scoring 13:31 into the second period, deflecting home a pass from Phil Tomasino for his eighth goal of the season. The powerplay marker would serve as both the icebreaker and the eventual game-winning goal.
Tommy Novak extended the lead to 2-0 just 1:50 into the final stanza, wiring home his tenth goal of the season during a stretch of four-on-four play. Yaroslav Askarov would make 24 saves for both the victory and his first North American shutout.
Both teams enter tonight’s matchup with head-to-head records of 1-1-0-0-1.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack finished their three-game homestand with a dominating 4-0 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday night. Will Cuylle sent the teddy bears flying on ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ night just 6:57 into the game, snapping home his sixth goal of the season. The game’s opening goal would also stand as the game-winning goal.
The Pack fired a single period season-high 20 shots on goal in the middle frame, but former Wolf Pack goaltender Magnus Hellberg would keep them at bay. Finally, in the third period, the dam would break for the Hartford offense.
Ty Emberson extended the lead to 2-0 just 2:28 into the period. Matt Rempe fired home his second goal of the season at 15:41, making it 3-0, while Turner Elson would score at 17:33 against his former team. Both Emberson’s goal and Elson’s goal were their third goals of the season.
Dylan Garand made 21 saves in the victory, securing his second career shutout. He is the first rookie goaltender to record multiple shutouts in a season with the Wolf Pack since Igor Shesterkin recorded three during the 2019-20 season.
Andy Welinski leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with eleven points (4 g, 7 a). Cuylle and Tim Gettinger, meanwhile, are tied for the team lead in goals with six each. Tanner Fritz leads the way in assists with ten on the season.
Admirals Outlook:
The Admirals concluded a brief two-game road trip in New England on Saturday night with a 2-0 shutout defeat at the hands of the Springfield Thunderbirds. Matthew Highmore opened the scoring for the T-Birds just 6:07 into the game, giving them a lead they would not lose. Jake Neighbours would tack on his first career AHL goal, a shorthanded marker, at 6:30 of the third period to give the Thunderbirds the insurance.
Joel Hofer made 25 saves for the shutout victory.
Novak leads the Admirals in scoring with 22 points (10 g, 12 a) in 23 games this season. Nurmi (8 g, 9 a) and rookie Luke Evangelista (4 g, 13 a) are tied for second on the team in scoring with 17 points. Novak’s ten goals lead the team in goal scoring, while Kiefer Sherwood and Cole Schneider are tied for second with nine tallies each.
Game Information:
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 7:45 p.m. EST on both AHLTV and Mixlr. To listen to Alex’s call of tonight’s game, simply click the ‘away audio’ button when selecting tonight’s contest.
The Wolf Pack conclude their Midwest road trip with a back-to-back set this weekend. First, the Wolf Pack visit the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. EST. Then, on Saturday, the trip wraps up with a visit to Rockford to take on the IceHogs. Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. EST.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Thursday, December 22nd. The I-91 Rivalry gets renewed as the Springfield Thunderbirds come to town for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop. 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.