TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: NOVEMBER 2ND, 2023
Nov 2, 2023Hockey season is in full swing now. The first three-in-three weekend is in the books for the Hartford Wolf Pack, and the month of October has come and gone. The club is seven games into the new campaign and enters November in second place in the Atlantic Division.
It’s fair to call the first month of the season a success, but important to remember that the season is a marathon and not a sprint. There is still plenty of work to be done for the Wolf Pack. The good news is, they’ve put themselves in a good position early in the season.
Currently, the club is in the midst of a season-long five-game road trip. The trip continues with two more games this weekend, including a return to Allentown on Friday night to visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Sad the Pack won’t be at home this weekend? Understandable, but we’ll scratch your hockey itch with a six-pack of thoughts! Onto the blog!
1.) A 5-2-0-0 start is quite impressive for the Wolf Pack. The club banked ten of a possible 14 points, and as mentioned enters the month of November in second place in the division. They have also endured their first bit of adversity, a yearly rite of passage for teams.
The Pack opened their first three-in-three weekend with two losses, falling 5-2 at home to the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday night and 4-2 in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday night. Saturday night was especially difficult, as the Pack found themselves down 4-0 just 13:41 into the tilt.
With things not going their way, the Wolf Pack dug deep and found a way to not only end their weekend on a positive note but also to bank some points. Hartford played a strong third period on Saturday night to build some momentum, then turned in a strong two-way effort on Sunday to knock off the Phantoms 4-1. The Pack gave up a season-low 21 shots in the win and didn’t give up many scoring chances.
We said on the broadcast that a 72-game season is going to feature some tough nights. The seas are going to be choppy at some point. It’s all about how you respond. The Wolf Pack battled that adversity and didn’t let it spiral. That’s a good sign for the club and a trait that will help them as this season goes on.
2.) Jonny Brodzinski and Mac Hollowell have been terrific to start the season. Both Brodzinski and Hollowell are riding seven-game point streaks, tied for the longest on the club. The captain leads the way in both goals with six and points with eleven (6 g, 5 a), and is one of three players to be at or above the point-per-game mark.
Hollowell, meanwhile, leads the team in assists with seven. He’s been a terrific addition to the Wolf Pack blueline, aiding in the club’s transition game. Hollowell has also settled in as a weapon on the powerplay and promises to be a key cog during his first season in the Connecticut capital.
Alex Belzile may not have a seven-game point streak, but he does have a six-game streak and is second on the club in scoring with eight points (3 g, 5 a). Belzile is another off-season addition that has paid off early for the Wolf Pack, bringing a strong presence to both the forward group and the leadership core. The early returns on him have been strong.
3.) Belzile picked up his 200th career AHL point on Friday night, setting up Anton Blidh for his first goal of the season. The 32-year-old continues to be an impact player in the AHL and continues an inspiring career. After spending the first four seasons of his career as an impact ECHL’er, Belzile has become one of the more respected players in the AHL.
At 32, he’s still one of the better forwards in the league and is a former captain to boot. This comes on the heels of Belzile scoring his first NHL goal and registering 14 points in 31 games at age 31 with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2022-23 season.
4.) The Wolf Pack’s powerplay was key in their 4-1 victory over the Phantoms on Sunday. The club struck twice, with Riley Nash popping home both goals. In a game that featured one five-on-five goal per side, you can argue that the powerplay was a top-two reason why Hartford was able to come away with two points.
The powerplay has been an asset this season, scoring in five of the club’s first seven games. That includes a pair of two-goal outings, including Sunday.
The powerplay sits 13th in the AHL through one month of play and has looked dangerous almost every time they have taken the ice.
5.) Milestone watch continues this weekend! Defenseman Ben Harpur, who played his 400th career professional hockey game on Friday night, is slated to play his 200th career AHL game this Friday night. Harpur has been a strong veteran presence on the Wolf Pack blueline this season and is another well-respected veteran in the room.
Harpur was our intermission guest on Friday night during his 400th professional game. You can listen to the interview here.
6.) A reminder with the Wolf Pack on the road this weekend, we’ve got you covered! Wolf Pack pregame starts at 6:50 p.m. on Friday night from Allentown and 6:45 p.m. from Utica on Saturday night. The call of the game then comes at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night when the Wolf Pack battle the Phantoms for the third time this season. On Saturday, it’s a 7:00 p.m. puck drop with the Wolf Pack visiting the Comets for the first of two overall meetings.
I’ll have the call for you on AHLTV and Mixlr! In addition, don’t forget that we’ll be joined by a member of the Wolf Pack each night at the first intermission. Miss an intermission interview, or want to go back and listen to a prior one? We’ve got you covered there too with our online media hub! You can access it here.
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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.