TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: FEBRUARY 20TH, 2025
Feb 20, 2025The Wolf Pack are back on home ice for the next four games, looking to jump back into the thick of the playoff race in the Atlantic Division. Following a hard-fought loss against the Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday night, the Pack welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Providence Bruins to town for a pair of key matchups this weekend.
Onto the blog!
1. Let’s start with last night’s loss in Springfield. Was it the result the Wolf Pack were looking for? No, of course it wasn’t. That said, I think the club has a lot of positives they can take out of the game. For starters, they outshot the Thunderbirds 40-22 and carried the play for a majority of the night at five-on-five.
Despite being down four of their top-six forwards and three of their top-four defensemen, the Wolf Pack grinded out a strong road performance.
It wasn’t enough for two points, but if they play that kind of game moving forward, they’ll win more than they lose over their final 22 games.
2. Really tough break for the Wolf Pack in the opening minute of the game, as forwards Bo Groulx and Alex Belzile collided just inside the offensive blue line. Groulx left the game and did not return, forcing the Wolf Pack to play with just eleven forwards for the rest of the night. We’ll see Groulx’s status heading into the weekend.
3. With Groulx out of the game, opportunity knocked for Nathan Sucese, who answered the call. The veteran forward centered Belzile and Anton Blidh and collected two assists in the loss. He also rang the post on a shot from the right-wing circle late in the game and was buzzing around all night.
It was one of Sucese’s best showings of the season. If Groulx has to miss some time, perhaps we will see Sucese get some run in the top-six.
4. Stick taps to Brett Budgell, who stepped up to fight Corey Andonovski after his hit to the head of Blade Jenkins late in the first period. Despite this being Budgell’s third game of the season with Hartford, the forward showed no hesitation standing up for his teammate.
I applaud Budgell for stepping up in that situation. He’s a player fighting for looks in the lineup, and that will go a long way.
5. The Wolf Pack played without forwards Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann, and Jake Leschyshyn on Wednesday night. They were also without defenseman Matthew Robertson. All four players skated in practice with the parent New York Rangers on Wednesday morning. While none of the four were officially recalled, they were unavailable for the Wolf Pack in Springfield.
6. Both Leschyshyn and Robertson were back on the ice at the XL Center on Thursday morning, skating with the Wolf Pack. We’ll see if they are options for Head Coach Grant Potulny on Friday night when the Wolf Pack take on the Penguins.
7. The Pack have sustained some tough injuries on the blueline. As we mentioned last week, Ben Harpur is now month-to-month. He was joined on the injury list by Chad Ruhwedel, who missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury on Wednesday.
Defenseman Brandon Scanlin also missed the game with a lower-body injury, while defenseman Erik Brännström was out with an upper-body ailment.
Ruhwedel, Scanlin, and Brännström are all listed as day-to-day.
8. Lucas Edmonds has made the most of his return to the lineup. The forward scored a six-on-five goal on Sunday in Charlotte, backhanding home a loose puck in the first period on a delayed penalty. He also set up Connor Mackey for a power play goal in Springfield on Wednesday night.
Edmonds, acquired earlier this season by the Rangers from the Tampa Bay Lightning, was given an opportunity on Wednesday with the absences up front. With points in back-to-back games, we’ll see if the newcomer can carve out a role down the stretch.
9. Lost in Sunday’s heartbreaking 4-3 defeat against the Charlotte Checkers was Dylan Garand. The Wolf Pack netminder was spectacular, making 45 saves to earn his team a point. Garand’s best work came in the second period, when he made 22 saves to keep the game tied 2-2.
The All-Star goaltender continues to shine for the Wolf Pack.
10. With his two points last night (1 g, 1 a), Belzile is back inside the top-five in AHL scoring. He is tied with Isak Rosén of the Rochester Americans and Seth Griffith of the Bakersfield Condors.
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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.