WOLF PACK WEEKEND PREVIEW: JANUARY 30th, 2025
Jan 30, 2025HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will look to avoid their first five-game losing streak of the season tomorrow night when they open a back-to-back set against the Laval Rocket.
These two games will conclude a four-game road trip for the team and will be the final two games before the All-Star Break.
Friday, January 31st, 2025, at Laval Rocket (7:00 p.m.)
Saturday, February 1st, 2025, at Laval Rocket (3:00 p.m.): The Wolf Pack and Rocket will conclude their four-game season series this weekend with a pair of games at Place Bell.
The sides have split the first two meetings, both at the XL Center in downtown Hartford.
The Wolf Pack drew first blood with a 4-2 victory on Dec. 14. Adam Sýkora opened the scoring at 18:50 of the first period, potting a rebound to give the Wolf Pack a lead they never lost.
Jake Leschyshyn tipped home a Matthew Robertson shot on the power play 9:24 into the second period, then Alex Belzile beat Connor Hughes top-shelf at 11:25. Belzile’s goal would be the game-winning tally.
Zack Hayes and Sean Farrell both scored in the third period to draw the Rocket within one, but Ben Harpur hit the empty net at 19:54 to cement the victory.
Dylan Garand made 34 saves to collect the win.
The Rocket fired back with a dramatic 4-3 win at the XL Center on Jan. 24. Logan Mailloux opened the scoring at 7:45, beating Louis Domingue with a shot from the slot.
Bo Groulx drew the Wolf Pack even at 14:44, blasting home a one-timer on the power play from the right-wing circle. 1:08 later, however, Owen Beck restored the lead with his tenth goal of the season.
Laurent Dauphin poked home a rebound just 1:30 into the second period, giving the Rocket a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Brett Berard drew the Wolf Pack within a goal at 10:52 of the third period, potting a feed from Blake Hillman on a two-on-one. Brennan Othmann then tied the game at 18:10 with the Wolf Pack holding a six-on-five skater advantage. Groulx hit Othmann with a pass in the slot, and he buried his fourth goal of the season by Cayden Primeau.
Mailloux stunned the crowd at 19:24, taking a pass in the slot and beating Domingue for the game-winning goal. The second-year defenseman scored three points (2 g, 1 a) in the win.
All-time, the Wolf Pack are 1-5-0-1 at Place Bell. Their lone victory was a 4-3 shootout decision on Dec. 8, 2023. Belzile scored the shootout winner that night.
Quick Hits:
• Belzile is now tied for third in AHL scoring with 40 points (13 g, 27 a). He is tied with Dryden Hunt of the Calgary Wranglers.
• Othmann extended his goal-scoring streak to four games on Wednesday night, striking 20 seconds into the game. His goal was the fastest to start a game on the road for the Wolf Pack this season.
• Anton Blidh tied his career-high in goals on Wednesday night, striking for the 13th time this season. Blidh has goals in each of his last three games, and points in four straight (3 g, 2 a, 5 pts).
• Defenseman Connor Mackey enters the weekend with an assist in back-to-back games.
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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.
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