PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK WELCOME ISLANDERS TO TOWN FOR ‘BATTLE OF CONNECTICUT’
Feb 21, 2024HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack open their fourth three-in-three set of the season tonight at the XL Center when they welcome the Bridgeport Islanders to town for round 8 of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the eighth of ten meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Islanders this season. It is the fourth of five meetings between the teams at the XL Center in Hartford. The series shifts back to Bridgeport on March 9th for the final meeting at Total Mortgage Arena before returning to Hartford on April 3rd for the series finale.
The Wolf Pack are 6-1-0-0 in the first seven games, having won each of the last five meetings. Last time out, it was a 2-1 victory over the Islanders at Total Mortgage Arena on February 17th.
Turner Elson opened the scoring 5:21 into the contest, deflecting Hartford’s sixth shorthanded goal of the season past Jakub Skarek. The Pack held their 1-0 lead until the final moments of the game, when Daylan Kuefler scored the first goal of his AHL career. Kuefler collected a rebound after Dylan Garand denied Matthew Maggio on a scoring opportunity.
Kuefler’s goal forced overtime, but 4:04 into the extra session it was Hartford who found the extra point. Brett Berard worked to the top of the slot and rifled home his team-leading 16th goal of the season for the victory.
It was Berard’s second career overtime game-winning goal and his team-leading fifth game-winning goal of the season. The Wolf Pack are 4-0-0-0 at Total Mortgage Arena against the Islanders this season, and 2-1-0-0 at the XL Center.
The Islanders’ lone victory in the season series came on December 22nd by a score of 5-4. The Wolf Pack won 3-2 at the XL Center on December 30th, and 4-1 on February 9th.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack ended their three-in-three weekend with a 3-0 loss to the Providence Bruins in Rhode Island on Sunday. After a scoreless first period, Patrick Brown scored the game-winning goal just eight seconds into the Bruins’ first powerplay of the game at 7:43 of the second period. Brown tipped in a shot from Fabian Lysell for his fifth goal of the season.
Trevor Kuntar made it 2-0 with his sixth goal of the season at 15:34, beating Louis Domingue with a shot from the slot. Lysell scored his 14th goal of the season 3:59 into the third period, putting the game out of reach.
Michael DiPietro made 24 saves to collect his second shutout against Hartford this season.
Berard leads the Wolf Pack in goals with 16 on the season. Alex Belzile, currently recalled by the parent New York Rangers (NHL), leads the team in points with 37 (14 g, 23 a), while Mac Hollowell leads the way in assists with 31.
Islanders Outlook:
The Islanders completed their three-in-three weekend with a 2-0-1-0 record thanks to a 2-1 overtime victory over the Laval Rocket on Sunday afternoon at Total Mortgage Arena.
Emil Heineman opened the scoring 19:11 into the game, scoring his ninth goal of the season to give the Rocket a lead they carried into the third period. Maggio tied the tilt 13:07 into the third period, as the Isles forced overtime for the second straight game when trailing after two periods of play.
Maggio then potted the overtime game-winning goal 3:15 into the extra session. The goal was Maggio’s second career game-winning tally and his first in overtime.
All-Star forward Ruslan Iskhakov leads the Islanders in goals with 13, assists with 22, and points with 35.
Game Information:
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 and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Thursday, February 22nd, as they continue their three-in-three stretch. The Cleveland Monsters come to town for the second and final time this season, with the puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. $2, 12-oz Bud Lights will be available while supplies last!
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.