TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: DECEMBER 14TH, 2023
Dec 14, 2023Streaks are meant to be broken. Last time out, on Saturday, the Hartford Wolf Pack saw their eight-game point streak (7-0-1-0) come to an end with a 5-1 loss to the Laval Rocket. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, but it just was not Hartford’s day. Throughout a 72-game season, that’s going to happen.
The Wolf Pack returned to the Connecticut capital following the loss and got a well-deserved day off on Sunday. Since then? The Pack has been hard at work preparing for two more games this weekend.
Onto the blog!
1.) Full marks to the Rocket organization and the fan base for their warm welcome for Alex Belzile. Belzile, the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, and points, returned for the first time last weekend. He was given a nice moment pregame with a touching video and a standing ovation. It was a classy ‘Welcome Home’ for a classy player who gave the Rocket everything he had for five seasons.
2.) You could tell just how much the return meant to Belzile when talking to him. The former Rocket captain had those two games marked on the calendar and had a plethora of family and friends in attendance. Belzile had a night to remember on the ice, too, as he scored a powerplay goal in the first period of his return on Friday night.
To make it even sweeter, his goal in the first round of the shootout stood as the eventual game-winning goal.
3.) Saturday’s result wasn’t what the Wolf Pack had in mind, but it was nice to see Blake Hillman pick up his first regular-season goal as a member of the Wolf Pack. It was Hillman’s first regular-season tally since March 16th, 2019, as a member of the Rockford IceHogs.
Hillman is one of the most respected, well-liked members of the Wolf Pack dressing room. He’s been an extremely steady, reliable, and versatile option for the club for two seasons now and he stepped up in a big way with two goals during the Calder Cup Playoffs last spring.
Seeing Hillman get rewarded on Saturday for his continued strong play was a highlight for sure.
4.) The Wolf Pack are expecting to have Riley Nash back in the lineup on Friday night when the Rochester Americans come to town for their lone visit of the season. Nash was recalled by the parent New York Rangers last Thursday and made his Rangers debut on Saturday night in Washington.
Nash has been a terrific addition to the club, scoring 19 points (9 g, 10 a) in 20 games. He’s tied for 31st in the AHL in overall scoring and sits tied for 24th in the league in goals. Not only that, but Nash is a key leader for the group and has helped the club’s crop of young forwards adjust to life in pro hockey.
5.) For Nash, Saturday night’s Ranger debut was game number 628 as an NHL’er. It was his first NHL game since June 26th, 2022, as a member of the Tampa Bay Lighting against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
It was a well-deserved return to the NHL for Nash, who is everything the organization hoped he would be when they inked him to a two-year deal in July.
6.) In addition to Nash returning to Hartford, the club saw a few other transactions this week. First, defenseman Matthew Robertson was recalled by the Rangers on Tuesday ahead of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The club was without K’Andre Miller that night. Robertson was returned to Hartford later on Tuesday night.
It was a nice taste of a gameday in the NHL for the third-year defenseman, who has been playing some good hockey for the Wolf Pack this season. Robertson has eight points on the year (all assists) and has been using his shot to create rebounds and second-chance opportunities in the offensive zone this season. It’s become a weapon in his game.
7.) The Rangers also reassigned goaltender Olof Lindbom to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, while the Wolf Pack loaned forward Cristiano DiGiacinto to the Cyclones. Lindbom started Saturday’s game in Laval, as Dylan Garand did not make the trip (day-to-day). Lindbom’s reassignment is probably a good sign for Garand’s potential availability this weekend.
8.) The Wolf Pack is currently dealing with three injuries right now. The club is without defensemen Ben Harpur and Zach Berzolla, along with forward Jake Leschyshyn. Harpur is out indefinitely (upper body), while both Berzolla (lower body) and Leschyshyn (upper body) are listed as week-to-week.
9.) It Was great to see Wolf Pack captain Jonny Brodzinski jump onto the top powerplay unit for the Rangers on Sunday night in their victory over the Los Angeles Kings. With Mika Zibanejad serving a penalty of his own, Brodzinski stepped onto the powerplay and promptly scored a goal, his first of the season.
Wolf Pack fans need not be reminded about how much of a weapon Brodzinski is on the powerplay. They’ve seen it time and time again over the Ham Lake, MN, native’s tenure in Hartford.
Brodzinski has six points (1 g, 5 a) in eight games with the club this season.
10.) This weekend is a special weekend at the XL Center, and I hope you all can help. The Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation, with the help of some of the players’ better halves, will be collecting toys in section 101 on both Friday and Sunday for the club’s annual toy drive.
The toys will then be donated to both ‘Toys for Tots’ and the Connecticut Children’s Hospital, with players taking the toys to the hospital to help deliver them to the kids. This is an event special to the players, and something that I too hold near and dear to my heart.
Coming out to a game this weekend? Bring a toy or two and help brighten the holiday season for someone who could use it. 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 are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play 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.