PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK VISIT AMERICANS EYEING FIRST ROAD WIN OF THE SEASON
Nov 8, 2024ROCHESTER, NY – The Hartford Wolf Pack are back on the road for two games this weekend. Tonight, the club makes their lone stop of the 2024-25 campaign in Rochester to take on the Americans.
The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of two meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Americans this season. The home-and-home matchup concludes at the XL Center on Jan. 25, 2025.
The Americans have won each of the last three head-to-head meetings, including a sweep of last season’s two-game series. After claiming a 3-2 overtime victory at the XL Center on Dec. 15, 2023, the Americans took a wild 6-5 affair at Blue Cross Arena on Mar. 20, 2024.
Brennan Othmann struck 4:21 into the second period, giving the Wolf Pack a 3-1 lead. Three unanswered goals by the Americans, however, had the score at 4-3 heading into the third period. Ethan Prow tied the game at 11:32 of the middle stanza before Brett Murray gave the Amerks the lead at 14:18.
Othmann’s second of the game at 6:06 of the third period tied the affair 4-4. 1:23 later, at 7:29, Karl Henriksson restored the lead with his 11th goal of the season.
Jiri Kulich, for the second straight meeting, would score a third-period goal to tie the game. This time, it was his 19th goal of the season at 12:15. Michael Mersch’s 12th goal of the season, scored at 14:17, would prove to be the game-winning tally.
Kulich scored four points (3 g, 1 a) in the two meetings during the 2023-24 season.
The Wolf Pack are 0-5-0-0 in their last five trips to Rochester. Their last victory at Blue Cross Arena came on Dec. 22, 2018. That night, Peter Holland scored twice as the Pack claimed a 5-1 victory. They also won 4-2 the night before, Dec. 21, 2018, with Steven Fogarty scoring the game-winning goal.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack snapped a brief two-game losing streak with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday night at the XL Center.
Bryce McConnell-Barker opened the scoring 5:55 into the third period, entering the offensive zone on a two-on-one before rifling a shot by Brandon Halverson from the left-wing side. The unassisted goal was his first career professional tally.
Joel Teasdale evened the tilt at 19:43, burying a rebound for his third goal of the campaign. With the Crunch on a six-on-four advantage, Conor Sheary fired a shot from the right-wing side that Dylan Garand made the initial save on. The rebound came to Teasdale, who forced the second overtime of the season between the Wolf Pack and Crunch.
At 4:53 of overtime, Alex Belzile would play the role of hero. The veteran forward charged the net, cutting through two Crunch defenders, before beating Halverson through the five-hole for his first goal of the season.
Bo Groulx, who assisted on the overtime game-winning tally, leads the Wolf Pack with nine points (4 g, 5 a) on the season. Brett Berard leads the Wolf Pack in goals with five.
Americans Outlook:
The Americans were also victorious on Wednesday night, doubling up the Cleveland Monsters by a score of 4-2.
Trey Fix-Wolansky opened the scoring at 18:18 of the first period, giving the Monsters a 1-0 lead on home ice after one period of play. Graham Slaggert’s second of the season 4:58 into the middle stanza would tie the game 1-1, the first of four unanswered goals for the visitors.
Konsta Helenius’ power play goal at 15:46 of the second period gave the Americans the lead for good. The power play struck again 3:54 into the final frame, with Kulich burying the eventual game-winning goal. It was his first goal of the AHL season.
Aleksandr Kisakov’s first goal of the year at 6:45 tacked on the necessary insurance. Denton Mateychuk connected for a power play goal at 19:53, but it would not be enough for the Monsters to rally.
Each team was two-for-seven on the power play in the game.
Isak Rosén leads the Americans in scoring with ten points (3 g, 7 a). Tyson Kozak leads the club in goals with five.
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 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Wolf Pack wrap up their two-game road trip on Sunday afternoon when they visit the Providence Bruins. The puck drop is set for 3:05 p.m. Full coverage will be available on AHLTV on FloHockey and on Mixlr, with ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting 15 minutes prior to puck drop.
The Pack is back on Friday, Nov. 15, when the Charlotte Checkers come to town for the first time this season. Join us for $2 drafts and $2 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission! Join us as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Night! We’ll have two Luchadores who will be bringing an authentic Luchadores mask that will be raffled off in-game. The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a Wolf Pack branded soccer scarf.
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.