TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: OCTOBER 26TH, 2021

Oct 26, 2021

There’s a lot that goes into a road trip, a lot that fans don’t see or maybe even know about. When the Hartford Wolf Pack loaded up the bus on Thursday afternoon and trekked down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, it wasn’t just the club’s first road trip of the season. In reality, it was the team’s first true road trip in 18 months. It was their first time staying in a hotel, their first time leaving New England since before COVID-19 hit North America.

Not only were the players experiencing something for the first time in a year-and-a-half, but the staff was too. A lot of credit goes to guys like Chris Hoeler, Craig Lewis, Mark Riepe, Brian Fairbrother, Jared Degler, John Sardos, and Tim Sesko for making this past weekend go off without a hitch. The fact that the Pack return to Hartford with three out of a possible four points is icing on the cake. Stick taps to those guys, who don’t usually get the headlines, for making this weekend happen. These are some of the hardest working people in hockey, and they deserve the praise, especially after a trip like that for the first time since 2020.

With that all being said, welcome back to “Two Minutes for Thoughts”. In this week’s edition, we look back at a strong road weekend for the Wolf Pack, a busy weekend ahead, pay tribute to a New England legend and more.

Statement Weekend for Wolf Pack

Going to bed Friday night, I couldn’t help but feel good about the performance the Wolf Pack had just turned in. Yes, the Pack dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but I truly believed it was their best performance of the season to that point. After a slow first 15 minutes, it felt like Hartford was able to play the game on their terms. It felt like they were able to assert themselves and take control.

Give full marks to Penguins’ goaltender Filip Lindberg, he was terrific on the night. While the loss stung, the process was on full display. That was a good arrow and ended up being a sign of what was to come on Saturday.

In game two, the Wolf Pack hit the 40-shot mark for the first time this season, outshooting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 41-22. Ty Ronning picked up his first goal of the season to tie the game 5:05 into the second period, while Jonny Brodzinski scored the winning goal 14:58 into the third. The 3-1 victory, Anthony Bitetto hit the empty net, pushed the Wolf Pack to 3-1-1-0, and secured three of a possible four points on the weekend.

We said in this space last week that winning two out of three last weekend while maybe not playing their strongest hockey was a great sign for the Wolf Pack. This past weekend, we saw the process continue to evolve, and the team was rewarded with three points. Yes, there is still work to be done, but this team is pouring the foundation that leads to success. Banking points is a nice side effect as well.

The Believer’s Bandwagon

If you are a hockey fan, you know the name Rick Jeanneret. The legendary Buffalo Sabres’ broadcaster talked quite a bit about the ‘Believer’s Bandwagon’ during the 2005-06 NHL season. That year, no one really believed the Sabres would even compete for a playoff spot, let alone get within a game of the Stanley Cup Final.

I don’t know how this season is going to unfold for the Hartford Wolf Pack. With that being said, this is a good hockey team with a mix of veteran players and young prospects that have bought into the system and the culture here in Hartford. There is talent, and depth, at key positions on this roster. While I can’t promise any kind of final result, I can promise you a good time watching this team this season.

Get on the ‘Believer’s Bandwagon’ folks. This is a good hockey team, and they absolutely deserve the attention and the backing of this great hockey market.

This N’ That

I was saddened on Sunday to see the news of Bob Neumeier’s passing. As someone striving for a career in sports media and broadcasting who grew up in Boston, Neumeier was one of those names that you knew instantly and looked up to. Hartford hockey fans of a certain age will also remember Neumeier from his time right here in Connecticut. Neumeier served as the play-by-play broadcaster of the Hartford Whalers during the team’s WHA days, calling games from 1975 until 1979. He also spent time in the city as a sports anchor at WFSB. I join many in the sports world when I say we are all thinking of Neumeier’s friends and family during this difficult time.

The Wolf Pack will play their second three-in-three stretch of the season this coming weekend, with two home games and one road game. On Friday, the Wolf Pack return to the XL Center to host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7:00 pm. On Saturday night, it’s another 7:00 pm puck drop at the XL Center, this time against the Charlotte Checkers. Lastly, on Sunday it’ll be round two of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’, as the Pack travel to Bridgeport for a 3:00 pm game against the Islanders. This weekend is a great chance for Hartford to send a message to some divisional rivals, and to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division.

Lastly, have a question you want answered? Shoot me a Tweet over at @Alex_Thomas14 and I’ll do my best to include some in next week’s edition!

# # #

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.