PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK OPEN THREE-IN-THREE WEEKEND WITH VISIT TO SPRINGFIELD
Mar 3, 2023SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Hartford Wolf Pack continue their five-game road trip tonight as they open their third three-in-three set of the season in Springfield against the rival Thunderbirds.
Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the seventh of twelve meetings between the Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds this season, and the fourth of six at the MassMutual Center. The sides will meet again on Wednesday night, right back in Springfield. This is also the first of five meetings between the foes in the month of March. They’ll meet three times in Hartford, coming on March 17th, 24th, and 25th. The season series comes to an end on April 15th in Springfield.
The Wolf Pack claimed their first regulation win in the series in the last meeting, nine days ago in Springfield. Matthew Robertson opened the scoring 16:10 into the tilt, firing a puck from the left-wing wall after a turnover at the side of the Thunderbirds’ net. Lauri Pajuniemi would extend the lead to 2-0 just 8:12 into the second frame, firing a shot from the right-wing circle that beat Joel Hofer.
Will Bitten pounced on a rebound at 11:10, getting the Thunderbirds on the board on the powerplay, but that’s all they could muster on this night. Pajuniemi blasted home his second goal of the evening at 13:41, on the powerplay, to restore the two-goal lead.
In the third period, Will Cuylle would deflect a Jonny Brodzinski pass into the net just 70 seconds in to make it 4-1 before Pajuniemi completed the hat trick with an empty net goal at 17:12.
The Thunderbirds are 2-1-0-0 against the Wolf Pack at home this season. They claimed a 5-1 victory on November 4th, and a 7-4 decision on December 28th. The Wolf Pack, overall, are 2-3-0-1 against the Thunderbirds this season. The Pack took a 2-1 shootout decision from the T-Birds in Hartford on November 9th.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack won their fourth straight contest on Saturday night, defeating the Syracuse Crunch 4-1. The win gave Hartford their first winning streak of four or more games since a seven-game winning streak from March 25th, 2021 through April 15th, 2021. The win also pushed Hartford to 3-0-0-0 on their current five-game road trip.
Ryan Carpenter opened the scoring 1:16 into the contest, but Gabriel Dumont would tie the affair at 2:49 via a shot through traffic. A wild first period was capped at 11:11 when Brodzinski scored a powerplay goal from a sharp angle that gave the Wolf Pack a lead they wouldn’t lose.
Brodzinski pounced on a rebound at 14:57 of the middle stanza, scoring the Wolf Pack’s fourth shorthanded goal of the season after Cuylle fired a shot from the right-wing circle. Cuylle would then proceed to hit the empty net at 18:34 of the final period.
Earlier this week, the Wolf Pack were involved in a pair of AHL trades. The club acquired defenseman Adam Clendening from the Rockford IceHogs in exchange for forward Zach Jordan, while forward Alex Whelan was traded to the Cleveland Monsters for future considerations.
The parent New York Rangers (NHL) also completed a pair of trades. Forward Austin Rueschhoff was traded to the Nashville Predators for future considerations, while the club acquired defenseman Cooper Zech as part of a three-team trade with the Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes. Defenseman Andy Welinski was traded to the Blackhawks in that deal.
Tanner Fritz leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 30 points (4 g, 26 a) on the season. Fritz’s 26 assists also lead the club in that category. Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the club in goals with 18.
Thunderbirds Outlook:
The Thunderbirds wrapped up their weekend with a 5-2 victory on home ice over the Charlotte Checkers on Sunday. Matthew Highmore scored just 21 seconds into the game, while Scott Perunovich tacked on a powerplay goal at 5:19. Gerry Mayhew cut the lead to 2-1 at 7:43 with a powerplay goal, but Mathias Laferriere would score the eventual game-winner at 13:39. Keean Washkurak and Nikita Alexandrov also scored in the victory.
On Tuesday, the Thunderbirds loaned forward Jacob Hayhurst to the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, while Alexandrov was recalled by the parent St. Louis Blues (NHL).
Highmore leads the Thunderbirds in points with 48 (13 g, 35 a) on the season. Martin Frk and Adam Gaudette, meanwhile, lead the team in goals with 20 each on the campaign. Gaudette, acquired from Toronto in February, has scored 20 goals in 40 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Game Information:
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. To hear Alex’s call of the game, click the ‘away audio’ button when selecting tonight’s game.
The Wolf Pack conclude their road trip tomorrow night when they visit the Bridgeport Islanders in the latest installment of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Sunday, March 5th, when they welcome the Charlotte Checkers to town for a 3:00 p.m. puck drop. Join us on ‘Youth Jersey Giveaway Day’ and be sure to stick around postgame for autographs with Wolf Pack players. 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.