TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: MARCH 19TH, 2025
Mar 19, 2025The Hartford Wolf Pack are back in the Connecticut capital getting ready for a back-to-back set against a pair of division leaders this weekend.
The club returns home from a 1-2-0-0 road trip to the Midwest that ended on a positive note with Saturday night’s 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals.
Onto the blog!
1. Let’s start with Saturday night’s win in Milwaukee. It was a strong rebound for the club after a disappointing showing in Rockford on Friday night.
The Wolf Pack won battles on Saturday night, scored some of those greasy goals you need every now and then, and brought the workman-like effort that has been a calling card for this group for the better part of three seasons.
That’s how this team needs to play to win hockey games. It was great to see them play to that identity against one of the best teams in the west.
2. Lost in the underwhelming 4-0 loss at Rockford on Friday night was Louis Domingue’s performance. The veteran netminder made 33 saves on 36 shots, including 16 saves on 17 shots in the first period. I don’t think you can fault the goaltender for any of the goals that got by him.
He gave his team a puncher’s chance on Friday night, and I thought he turned in one of his better outings of the season.
3. Dylan Garand was great on the road trip as well, posting a 1-1-0 record with a .931 save percentage. Garand was unlucky to collect a loss in Grand Rapids on Wednesday night, as he earned third star honors for his efforts.
Garand was great on Saturday night in Milwaukee, making 25 saves to pick up his 17th victory of the season.
4. Garand’s 17th win of the season, by the way, marks a new career-high. He’s on pace to set career-high marks in wins, save percentage, and goals-against average. In his third season, Garand has established himself as a reliable starter in the AHL. There’s a good chance he’s Hartford’s workhorse next season.
5. Connor Mackey is one of the best people I have had the pleasure of dealing with over the last four seasons. That’s why it was so exciting to see him light the lamp on Saturday night in Milwaukee. His goal, scored at 17:00 of the second period, stood as the game-winning tally.
Mackey recorded two points (1 g, 1 a) in the victory in front of over 20 family and friends. The Illinois native told me pregame how special it was to play back in the Midwest and in front of so many people important to him.
6. Lucas Edmonds had a really nice showing in Milwaukee for the Wolf Pack. He was all over the ice in the victory and was rewarded with a goal in the third period. Edmonds went to the front of the net and perfectly deflected an Adam Sýkora shot for his fifth goal of the season.
7. Quietly, rookie Dylan Roobroeck is up to 13 goals on the season. Roobroeck scored two key goals in the win against the Admirals in the second period. His first goal was one of those ‘greasy’ tallies, as he located a puck in front and beat Magnus Chrona through the five-hole.
His second goal was a power play redirection in front just over 12 minutes later.
Roobroeck’s power play goal was the first of his professional career. It also marked his first career multi-goal game as a pro.
8. Veteran Anton Blidh seems to bring the best out of Roobroeck. Whether it is on the penalty kill together or at five-on-five, like on Saturday night, the two seem to bring out the best in each other. Perhaps that will be a duo down the stretch as the Wolf Pack get healthier.
9. It was a good sign for the health of forward Nicolas Aubé-Kubel on Tuesday when the Wolf Pack sent forwards Brett Budgell and Max Barbashev back to the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison. Defenseman Ryan Siedem was also loaned to Bloomington.
While nothing is set in stone, it would not be a shock if Aubé-Kubel played this weekend at some point. It also would not be a shock if forward Noah Laba, signed by the New York Rangers on Tuesday, made his pro debut with the Wolf Pack over the weekend. He’s on an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the club for the remainder of the season.
10. A quick note on Siedem, Budgell, and Barbashev. All three will join the Bison for their playoff push and should give the ECHL affiliate a big bump. I thought all three, when called upon, contributed to the Wolf Pack and answered the call. That speaks to the depth that this team has accumulated. Best of luck to all three during the Bison’s playoff push.
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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.