PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK VISIT BRUINS FOR DIVISIONAL CLASH
Mar 29, 2025PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack continue their five-game road trip tonight as they visit the Providence Bruins.
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 ninth of ten meetings this season between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins. It is the fifth and final meeting between the foes in Rhode Island. The season series concludes on Friday, Apr. 11, in Hartford at the XL Center.
The Bruins have won five of the first eight meetings this season, posting a record of 5-3-0-0. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, are 3-5-0-0 during that stretch.
The Bruins claimed a 5-2 victory in the last meeting on Mar. 2 in Providence.
Max Jones opened the scoring 4:03 into the game for the Bruins, striking on the power play, but the Wolf Pack took a 2-1 edge into the intermission. Jake Leschyshyn tied the game at 4:54, then at 13:39 Nathan Sucese pounced on a rebound to give the Wolf Pack a lead.
The Bruins erupted for four goals in the third period, however, handing Hartford a rare regulation loss when leading after 40 minutes of play.
Vinni Lettieri tied the game at 11:26 of the final frame, converting off a defensive zone turnover by the Wolf Pack. Fabian Lysell then potted the game-winning goal at 13:27, as his cross-ice pass clipped a defenseman and found the back of the net. Riley Tufte and Oliver Wahlstrom both hit the empty net in the final two minutes of regulation time to cement the comeback victory.
The Wolf Pack are 1-3-0-0 in Providence this season. Their lone victory came on Dec. 21 by a final score of 4-2.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack extended their point streak to four games (3-0-1-0) on Wednesday night but fell 4-3 in overtime to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Valtteri Puustinen opened the scoring at 11:16 of the first period, jamming home a rebound for his 14th goal of the season. Alex Belzile tied the game at 14:33, however, ripping a shot from the right-wing circle on a shorthanded rush. The goal was Hartford’s ninth shorthanded tally of the season.
Less than a minute later, however, Avery Hayes restored the lead with a quick shot from the right-wing circle off a feed from Sam Poulin. The power play strike had the Penguins up 2-1 after one period.
Jaroslav Chmelař tied the game 95 seconds into the middle stanza, scoring his tenth goal of the season. Chmelař rushed through the neutral zone, crashed the net, and beat Sergei Murashov to even the affair.
Brendan Brisson then put the Wolf Pack ahead at 17:14, tipping in a Connor Mackey point shot for his first goal with the club on the power play. Just 28 seconds into the third period, however, the Penguins tied the game when Ville Koivunen converted on a breakaway attempt for his 21st goal of the season.
Both sides had chances down the stretch, but neither was able to break the tie before overtime. In overtime, with just seconds remaining, Hayes was sprung in on a breakaway. He beat Dylan Garand through the five-hole at 4:48 to give the Penguins the extra point.
Belzile and Anton Blidh lead the Wolf Pack in goals with 17, while Belzile paces the club in points with 53 (17 g, 36 a).
Bruins Outlook:
The Bruins dropped their second straight game on Wednesday night, 5-2 to the Charlotte Checkers.
Trevor Carrick struck on the power play at 15:19 of the first period, giving the Checkers the lead through 20 minutes. Riley Duran evened the tilt at 8:57 of period two, potting his eleventh goal of the season on the power play. Wahlstrom then gave the Bruins a lead at 15:08, scoring his seventh goal in eleven AHL games.
A pair of power play goals in the third period gave the Checkers the lead back, however. John Leonard tied the game at 1:01, then Jesse Puljujärvi restored the lead at 4:12. C.J. Smith and Rasmus Asplund hit the empty net at 17:43 and 19:22, respectively, to put the game out of reach.
The Checkers were three-for-six on the power play in the victory, while the Bruins outscored them 1-0 at five-on-five.
Lettieri leads the Bruins in goals with 20, but is currently with the parent Boston Bruins (NHL). Tufte leads active Bruins in goals with 18. Georgii Merkulov leads the Bruins in points with 52 (14 g, 38 a) on the campaign.
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 continue their road trip next weekend with a set of back-to-back games in Hershey against the Hershey Bears. The weekend set begins on Saturday, Apr. 5, and the puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday, Apr. 11, when the Bruins come to town! Join us for $2 drafts and $2 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission.
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.