PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK WELCOME BEARS TO TOWN FOR PLAYOFF REMATCH
Dec 11, 2024HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will get a shot at revenge tonight, as they welcome the Hershey Bears to the XL Center for the first meeting between the foes since the Bears eliminated the Wolf Pack from the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of four meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Bears this season. The back-to-back defending Calder Cup Champions return to the XL Center for the final time on Mar. 21, 2025. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, will make their lone trip to Hershey on April 5 and 6 for a pair of games.
A season ago, the Bears won three of the four head-to-head meetings, posting a record of 3-1-0-0. The Wolf Pack picked up three points, posting a record of 1-2-0-1. For the second straight spring, the Wolf Pack and Bears met in the Calder Cup Playoffs. For the second straight spring, the Bears swept the Wolf Pack 3-0 in the Atlantic Division Finals en route to a Calder Cup Championship.
The Wolf Pack’s lone victory over the Bears during the 2023-24 campaign came on Jan. 6 by a score of 5-3 at the Giant Center.
The Bears were 2-0-0-0 at the XL Center in the regular season, claiming a 4-2 decision on Jan. 19 and a 2-1 shootout decision on Mar. 30.
Including the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Wolf Pack are 0-4-0-2 in their last six home games against the Bears. Their last win at home over the Bears came on Oct. 28, 2022, by a final score of 4-2.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack saw their brief two-game winning streak snapped on Saturday night, falling 6-2 to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the XL Center.
Valtteri Puustinen struck 12:14 and 18:18 into the hockey game, potting two power play goals to give the Penguins a lead they never lost. Joona Koppanen tipped home the game-winning goal at 19:46 of the first period, making it 3-0 after one.
Bryce McConnell-Barker got the Wolf Pack on the board at 4:47 of the middle frame, potting the club’s annual ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ goal, but a Vasily Ponomarev power play goal at 7:39 would restore the three-goal advantage for the Pens.
Jake Leschyshyn got the game to 4-2 with a five-on-three goal at 9:25 of the second period, but that is as close as the Wolf Pack were able to draw it. Ponomarev completed the hat-trick with two shorthanded goals in the third period, scoring at 3:28 and 18:33.
His second shorthanded tally was scored into an empty net.
Alex Belzile and Bo Groulx are tied for the team lead in goals with eight and points with 21 (8 g, 13 a).
Bears Outlook:
The Bears won their third straight game on Sunday, knocking off the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by a score of 5-4 on home ice.
The sides traded four goals evenly in the first period, with Bogdan Trineyev and Mike Vecchione lighting the lamp for the Bears. Luke Philp struck 4:41 into the second period, giving the Bears a 3-2 lead. Ethen Frank then popped home an insurance marker at 14:49, but the Phantoms refused to go quietly.
Rhett Garnder made it a 4-3 game at 16:10, then 1:58 later Alexis Gendron tied the tilt with his sixth goal of the season.
Frank broke the tie at 16:53, burying his 18th goal of the season and second of the game, putting the Bears ahead for good.
Frank leads the Bears and the AHL in goals with 18. His 25 points (18 g, 7 a) also lead the Bears.
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 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Saturday night when the Laval Rocket come to town!
It’s Sonar’s birthday! Help us celebrate our big guy in style. We’ll have a few of his closest friends on hand to make sure that his day is special. Sonar is such a caring guy that he wanted to make sure that his friends got something on his big day. The first 1,000 fans 12 and under will receive a Sonar Squishmellow!
We’ll also be hosting a toy drive benefitting Connecticut Children’s and Toys for Tots, so we ask that you please bring an unwrapped toy to donate.
The puck drop is set for 6:00 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.