PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK OPEN POST HOLIDAY SLATE WITH ‘BATTLE OF CONNECTICUT’ REMATCH
Dec 29, 2021HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack return from a weeklong holiday break this evening as the club hits the road for the short trip south to Bridgeport to take on the rival Islanders in round seven of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’. It’s the first of three games this week for the Wolf Pack, who return home for games on Friday and Sunday afternoon against the Providence Bruins and Rochester Americans.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the seventh of ten meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Islanders during the 2021-22 AHL regular season. This is the third of five meetings between the foes at Webster Bank Arena this season and the final of two meetings in December between the rivals. The Wolf Pack have taken four of the first six meetings in this series and have points in five of six.
Last meeting, on December 22nd, the Islanders secured their second win of the season in the series with a 6-5 shootout decision at the XL Center. Mitch Vande Sompel scored in the top half of the fourth round of the shootout, while defenseman Grant Hutton tacked on a pair of regulation goals. The Wolf Pack did secure a point after trailing by scores of 3-0 and 4-1.
The Wolf Pack are 1-1-0-0 on the road against the Islanders this season, having dropped their last visit on November 7th. The Pack is 26-14-4-2 overall in the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ in the last five seasons.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack dropped their fifth game in six outings last Wednesday in the shootout loss to the Islanders. After trailing 3-0, forward Ty Ronning got the Wolf Pack on the board before the Islanders made it 4-1. Forward Austin Rueschhoff and defenseman Hunter Skinner cut the deficit to 4-3 before falling behind by a pair again, 5-3. Forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Anthony Greco both scored 1:36 apart to even the game 5-5 and force overtime for the second straight game. It wasn’t enough, however, as Vande Sompel propelled the Islanders to victory.
Brodzinski leads the team in both points with 24 (10 g, 14 a) and goals with ten. Goaltender Keith Kinkaid leads the way in goal with a 10-1-2 record. He had a five-game winning streak snapped last Wednesday in the shootout loss. Forward Anthony Greco has a five-game point streak in which he has scored eight points (2 g, 6 a). The Wolf Pack are 4-4-2-1 on the road this season.
Six Wolf Pack players were recalled by the Rangers to the taxi squad on Tuesday afternoon. They were goaltender Adam Húska, defensemen Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson, and forwards Morgan Barron, Brodzinski and Tim Gettinger. Gettinger and Jones have since been recalled to the Rangers’ roster. Kinkaid was recalled on Monday afternoon to the active roster by the Rangers.
Islanders Outlook:
The Islanders enter tonight’s game with a 10-15-1-3 record following last night’s 5-1 loss against the Springfield Thunderbirds at Webster Bank Arena. Forward Chris Terry scored just 46 seconds into the contest to put the Isles ahead, but the T-Birds would score each of the game’s next five goals. Defenseman Tommy Cross would score his first goal of the season at 14:44 of the second period to give the T-Birds the lead for good.
Terry leads the team in both points with 24 (10 g, 14 a) and goals with ten. Forward Otto Koivula is second with 20 points (6 g, 14 a). Goaltender Jakub Skarek leads the way in goal with a 7-8-2 record.
Hutton and forwards Cole Bardreau and Simon Holmstrom were recalled by the New York Islanders to the taxi squad on Sunday evening. Hutton has since returned and did play in last night’s loss. Forwards Ross Olsson and Liam Coughlin have both signed professional tryouts with the club. Both skated in last night’s loss.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
Be sure to ring in the New Year with us at the XL Center on Friday, December 31st, at 3:00 p.m. when the Pack take on the Providence Bruins! The first 1,500 fans will receive a 2022 Team Calendar courtesy of HDI! $2 beers and $1 hot dogs will also be available thanks to our friends at Nomads, while ‘First Night Out’ will be giving away pins to commemorate the night! In addition, post-game fireworks will take place at Bushnell Park at 6:00 p.m. This is also the annual ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ game! Please bring with you a teddy bear to toss out onto the ice when the Wolf Pack score their first goal!
Tickets for the New Year’s Eve showdown with the Bruins 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.