TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: MARCH 6TH, 2025
Mar 6, 2025The Hartford Wolf Pack have collected points in four of their last five outings, keeping themselves alive in the playoff picture as the NHL trade deadline quickly approaches.
Following Wednesday night’s victory over the Bridgeport Islanders, the Wolf Pack are now nine points out of the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.
It’s a steep hole to climb out of, but the club is playing some of it’s best hockey of the season and still has plenty of time to make a push.
Onto the blog!
1. Getting healthy down the stretch is going to be key for the Wolf Pack. They got a big piece back on Wednesday night when Erik Brännström returned to the lineup after missing six games.
Brännström collected an assist on Alex Belzile’s power play strike in the second period, made numerous strong defensive plays, and finished the night with a +3 +/- rating. He did not look like a player who missed almost three weeks. That’s a great sign for the Wolf Pack.
2. Speaking of Belzile, his power play goal in the second period on Wednesday night was his team-leading 50th point (16 g, 34 a) of the season. It was also his 100th point as a member of the Wolf Pack in his 113th game with the club.
Belzile will almost certainly set a new career-high in points. His previous high was 54 (19 g, 35 a) during the 2018-19 season as a member of the Laval Rocket.
Can the veteran find his first 20-goal campaign too?
3. Great to see Jake Leschyshyn get rewarded with a goal on Sunday in Providence and an assist on Wednesday night against the Islanders. The veteran pivot continues to be a workhorse on the penalty kill, continues to be the club’s best in the faceoff circle, and continues to play the game the right way.
He’d been snakebitten, having not scored in 25 games prior to Sunday’s strike against the Bruins.
4. The Wolf Pack have found a bit of an ‘identity line’ here down the stretch. Blake McLaughlin, Brett Budgell, and Maxim Barbashev have teamed up to form a pretty effective trio for Head Coach Grant Potulny.
All three players play with speed, physicality, and a high motor. Their north-south, simple style of hockey has been effective at creating turnovers and leading to sustained time in the offensive zone.
It was nice to see the line rewarded with a goal on Wednesday night, as McLaughlin struck for the first time as a member of the Wolf Pack. Both Budgell and Barbashev picked up assists.
5. The offensive contributions from that trio have been solid as well. McLaughlin has five points (1 g, 4 a) in eleven outings, Budgell has four assists in eight games, and Barbashev has two points (1 g, 1 a) in four contests.
That’s solid production from a hard-working line. It’s given the team some needed depth scoring.
6. Jaroslav Chmelař picked up his first career game-winning goal in the regular season on Wednesday night. He’s now up to 23 points (9 g, 14 a) in 55 games this season. After a bit of an offensive slump, the rookie forward has broken out since a three-point (1 g, 2 a) performance on Feb. 22.
In his last five games, Chmelař has six points (3 g, 3 a).
7. Nathan Sucese has been an offensive force for the Wolf Pack since Bo Groulx’s injury on Feb. 19. In the seven games since then, Sucese has eight points (4 g, 4 a) and 32 shots on goal.
8. Here’s a good bit of news for the Wolf Pack: The club has held a third period lead in each of their last five games. The club is just 3-1-0-1 in that span, however. They’ll need to push games in which they lead late over the finish line at a nearly 100% clip down the stretch.
9. The Wolf Pack currently have 53 points, nine behind the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds have 62 points and also have played two less games.
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have played the same number of games as the Wolf Pack and sit ten points ahead of them.
If the Wolf Pack are going to return to the postseason, they’ll need to catch one of these two clubs. It’s officially time to scoreboard watch and root for regulation losses for the Thunderbirds and Phantoms.
10. So, what is your rooting guide for this weekend? Obviously, Wolf Pack partisans will be rooting for victories on Friday over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Sunday over the Belleville Senators. Pack fans should also be rooting for the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday and Sunday, as they host the Phantoms for a pair of games.
Saturday night calls for Wolf Pack fans to root for the Providence Bruins in Springfield, while Sunday requires rooting for an Islanders home victory over the T-Birds.
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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.