TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: FEBRUARY 13TH, 2025
Feb 13, 2025The Hartford Wolf Pack’s seven-game losing streak came to an end on Saturday night thanks to a 4-2 victory in Allentown, PA, over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Last night, the Wolf Pack snapped another seven-game losing streak, this time a home one, with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Bridgeport Islanders.
With back-to-back wins in their pocket, the Wolf Pack head to North Carolina looking to inch closer to playoff position this weekend against the Charlotte Checkers.
Onto the blog!
1. Let’s start on Saturday night, when the Wolf Pack trailed 1-0 after one against the Phantoms. The final 40 minutes featured some of the best hockey we have seen all season from the Wolf Pack, as the club won battles all over the ice and routinely came away with 50/50 pucks.
The result was three goals in the second period, just five shots allowed in the final frame, and two huge points against a team they are chasing for playoff position.
2. Wednesday night followed a similar script against the Islanders. Trailing after one, the Wolf Pack had a strong push early in the second period. The club then played their best period in the third, firing a season-high 25 shots on Henrik Tikkanen and scoring twice to force overtime.
That third period featured the Wolf Pack dominating in the faceoff circle, winning board battles and 50/50 pucks on a consistent basis, and sustaining pressure from shift to shift. It was 20 straight minutes of this team showing what they can do when they are on their game.
3. The blueprint for this team to be successful isn’t a secret. In each of the last two seasons, the Wolf Pack were known to simply outwork their opponents. They consistently won the battles, played a physical brand of hockey, and wore down their opponent.
In the wins against the Phantoms and the Islanders, the Wolf Pack did that for large stretches. For the first time since their back-to-back wins in Charlotte in January, it felt like the team was playing to their identity again in the last two games.
The next step? Playing to their identity on a consistent basis.
4. Entering the game at Lehigh Valley, the Wolf Pack were 3-19-1-0 when they surrendered the first goal. They fell behind 1-0 to the Phantoms and 2-0 to the Islanders. After winning both games, the club is now 5-19-1-0 in that situation.
5. The club had just one victory when trailing after one period and one victory when trailing after two periods all season entering Saturday. Now, the club is 3-12-1-0 when trailing after one thanks to their wins over the Phantoms and Islanders.
When trailing after two periods, the Wolf Pack are now 2-21-0-1. Interestingly enough, both victories have come at home, while wearing the red alternate jerseys, on a Wednesday night, while trailing by two goals.
That’s a fun piece of trivia.
6. Brennan Othmann spoke to the media following Wednesday night’s win and mentioned that it took a little time to get his game back to the level it is at now after missing ten weeks with an upper-body injury earlier this season.
Othmann was named the AHL’s ‘First Star of the Night’ after scoring twice and adding an assist in the win over the Islanders.
His first goal tied the game late, then he won it in overtime.
It was Othmann’s second goal with the extra attacker this season. He also scored six-on-five on Jan. 24 against the Laval Rocket.
Othmann being back to full strength and playing his dynamic game will be key for the Wolf Pack down the stretch.
7. Head Coach Grant Potulny told me during the first intermission interview on Wednesday night that he felt like the team’s penalty kill was turning a corner. The Wolf Pack were one-for-one on the kill, surrendering zero shots, against the Islanders.
Over the last three games, the Wolf Pack are seven-for-seven on the penalty kill with one shorthanded goal.
A big test awaits this weekend, however, as the Wolf Pack face a lethal Checkers power play.
8. Erik Brännström has quite an impressive skill set. The veteran defenseman put that on display Wednesday night, scoring his first goal with the team. He pulled off a spin move in the slot before beating Tikkanen with a backhander early in the second period.
Brännström also picked up an assist in the third period, finishing the night with two points (1 g, 1 a).
His ability to transition the puck up the ice, both with a clean first pass and by transporting with possession, are key for the Wolf Pack. He brings a different skill set to the backend and looks like he’ll be a factor down the stretch.
9. Speaking of defense, Ben Harpur remains out with an upper-body injury. Previously listed as day-to-day, Harpur is now month-to-month and will not make the trip to Charlotte this weekend.
10. Shoutout to rookie Dylan Roobroeck. He put a good, clean hit on tape Saturday night in Allentown and was challenged by Louis Belpedio. Roobroeck should not have had to answer for a clean hit but did so anyway against a veteran.
Roobroeck also dropped the gloves on Wednesday night, sparking the club in the middle frame with a tilt against Jack Randl. The rookie is finding all kinds of ways to contribute, carving out a nice role for himself.
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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.