PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK OPEN NEW YEAR VS. PENGUINS
Jan 4, 2025WILKES-BARRE, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack open the 2025 calendar year with a showdown against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
The puck drop is set for 6:05 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the third of six meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Penguins this season, and the second of three in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The sides will next meet on Feb. 21 at the XL Center.
The Penguins have won each of the first two meetings in this head-to-head series. They claimed a 2-1 victory on home ice on Nov. 2, then rolled to a 6-2 victory at the XL Center on Dec. 7.
In the most recent meeting on Dec. 7, the Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period thanks to a pair of power play goals from Valtteri Puustinen and a redirection from Joona Koppanen. Koppanen’s goal, scored at 19:46 of the first period, would be the game-winning tally.
Bryce McConnell-Barker scored the ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ goal at 4:47 of the second period for the Wolf Pack, but a Vasily Ponomarev power play tally at 7:39 restored the three-goal lead for the visitors.
Jake Leschyshyn was able to again draw the Wolf Pack within two at 9:25, striking on a five-on-three power play to make it 4-2 after two periods of play.
Despite a four-minute power play 35 seconds into the third period, 4-2 was as close as the Wolf Pack were able to draw things. Ponomarev struck shorthanded at 3:28 to knock the wind out of the Wolf Pack’s sails. He then completed a hat trick with a shorthanded, empty-net goal at 18:33.
The Penguins were three-for-six on the power play and scored two shorthanded goals in the victory. The sides combined for 54 penalty minutes, with the Wolf Pack accounting for 31 of them.
The Penguins have won each of the last four meetings in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the head-to-head matchup. The Wolf Pack’s last road victory against the Penguins came on Mar. 26, 2023, by a score of 5-1.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack rolled to a 7-0 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds on New Year’s Eve at the MassMutual Center.
Adam Sýkora opened the scoring 11:09 into the hockey game, deflecting a Matthew Robertson shot on the club’s only power play of the afternoon. Blade Jenkins extended the lead at 12:19, powering his way to the net and beating Vadim Zherenko through the five-hole. Anton Blidh capped off a stretch of three goals in 3:10, as a Jaroslav Chmelař centering pass went off his skate and in at 14:19.
Blake Hillman made it 4-0 10:22 into the second period, jamming home a rebound for his second goal of the season. Brennan Othmann then ripped home his third goal of the season at 12:22, taking a feed from Alex Belzile on the left-wing side.
Sýkora recorded his first career two-goal game in the AHL at 4:58 of the third period, as Nathan Sucese sprung him in on a breakaway. Sýkora’s shot beat Zherenko by the glove and chased him from the game. Dylan Roobroeck capped the scoring at 13:52, as his shot from the right-wing circle snuck by Will Cranley.
Chmelař recorded his first career three-assist game in the victory. Goaltender Talyn Boyko made his first career AHL start, making 32 saves to record both his first victory and shutout in the AHL. He also collected the primary assist on the Jenkins goal, his first point in the AHL.
Belzile leads the Wolf Pack in both goals with ten and points with 29 (10 g, 19 a).
Penguins Outlook:
The Penguins saw a 2-0 lead evaporate on Friday night, as they fell 3-2 in overtime to the Charlotte Checkers on home ice.
Ville Koivunen opened the scoring at 19:54 of the first period, potting his seventh goal of the season. Just 4:34 into the second period, Nate Clurman extended the lead with his second goal of the season. The goal was part of the Penguins firing the first five shots of the period on net.
Will Lockwood got the Checkers on the board at 10:03, firing home just his second tally of the season. In the third period, the vaunted power play of the Checkers struck as Ben Steeves beat Joel Blomqvist at 16:28 to tie the game 2-2 and force overtime.
In overtime, John Leonard needed just 72 seconds to end the proceedings, lighting the lamp for the 15th time this season and completing the comeback for the Checkers.
The loss was the second straight 3-2 overtime loss for the Penguins. They dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Hershey Bears on Dec. 28. The Penguins are 3-0-2-0 on their current five-game point streak.
Boris Katchouk and Tristan Broz lead the club with 12 goals each this season. Emil Bemström, meanwhile, paces the way with 25 points (10 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 5:50 p.m. on both AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Wolf Pack continue their four-game road trip tomorrow afternoon when they visit the Bridgeport Islanders. The puck drop is set for 3:00 p.m.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Saturday, Jan. 11, when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms come to town! Join us as we celebrate a special milestone, 50 years of professional hockey in Hartford!
The puck drop is set for 7:00 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.