WOLF PACK WEEKEND RECAP: JANUARY 8TH, 2024
Jan 8, 2024HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack kicked off the 2024 calendar year with three road games in four days. The club played their first Thursday night game of the season against the Bridgeport Islanders, then trekked to Pennsylvania for a pair of contests.
Although the weekend ended in defeat, the Wolf Pack came away with two victories over divisional opponents to begin the New Year.
Thursday, January 4th, 2024, @ Bridgeport Islanders (3-2 W): Artem Anisimov scored his first regular-season goal as a member of the Wolf Pack since 2009 just 1:13 into the third period to break a 2-2 tie on Thursday night. The goal would stand as the game-winner, Anisimov’s first with Hartford in the regular season since March 27th, 2009, at Albany.
Matt Rempe opened the scoring 2:28 into the contest, while Brett Berard buried a powerplay goal from the right-wing circle 4:29 into the middle frame.
The Wolf Pack went one-for-one on the powerplay, while their penalty kill stood strong with a four-for-five effort.
Dylan Garand picked up his second win at Total Mortgage Arena this season, making 28 saves.
The win was the Wolf Pack’s second straight victory, both coming over the Islanders. It marked the first time since December 1st and 2nd, both against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, that Hartford had won back-to-back games.
This was also the second straight game in which the Wolf Pack used an early third-period goal to break a 2-2 tie. They pulled the same trick on the Isles at the XL Center on December 30th.
The Wolf Pack are now 2-0-0-0 at Total Mortgage Arena this season and have won five straight games in Bridgeport.
Saturday, January 6th, 2024, @ Hershey Bears (5-3 W): It was a physical, intense, emotional game on Saturday night at the Giant Center in Hershey as the Wolf Pack and Bears met for the first time since the 2023 Atlantic Division Final last May.
Jake Leschyshyn got the Wolf Pack on the board 11:30 into the game, pushing home a rebound on the powerplay for his second goal of the season.
The defending Calder Cup Champions tied the game just over six minutes later via a double deflection, then took a 3-1 lead early in the second period. In just 39 seconds, a 1-1 game became a 3-1 lead for the Bears when Jimmy Huntington and Henrik Rybinski lit the lamp at 1:37 and 2:16, respectively.
Despite facing the top team in the AHL this season, who on top of being the defending Calder Cup Champions also had a six-game home winning streak and nine-game overall winning streak heading into the game, the Wolf Pack did not back down. Matthew Robertson drew the club within one at 12:33 of the second, rifling a wrist shot from the left-wing circle.
Then, at 16:57, Connor Mackey tied the game with a blast from the right-wing side off a feed from Bobby Trivigno.
The Wolf Pack carried the momentum into the third period, where they scored just 23 seconds in to retake the lead for good. Brett Berard fired a puck from the right-wing circle that snuck in for his tenth goal of the season.
Leschyshyn added the insurance at 18:17, hitting an empty net while the Wolf Pack were killing off a penalty.
The win marked the third straight game that the Wolf Pack scored early in the third period to break a tie and win in regulation.
Sunday, January 7th, 2024, @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (2-1 L): Despite a late push on Sunday afternoon, the Wolf Pack dropped their weekend finale to the Penguins at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Sam Poulin buried a rebound 7:27 into the hockey game, while Jonathan Gruden tacked on the insurance 11:44 into the second period while shorthanded. Gruden’s goal would prove to be the game-winner.
Brandon Scanlin got the Wolf Pack on the board 7:58 into the third period, but it wasn’t enough despite Hartford’s push. Joel Blomqvist made 12 third-period saves to preserve the victory.
Gruden’s shorthanded marker was his second game-winning goal against the Wolf Pack this season. It was also the Penguins’ second shorthanded goal against the Wolf Pack during the 2023-24 campaign.
Quick Hits:
- Thanks to an assist in all three games this past weekend, defenseman Mac Hollowell is now tied for fourth in the AHL in assists with 25. He sits three behind the league leader, Chicago Wolves defenseman Matt Donovan.
- After scoring goals in three straight games, rookie forward Brett Berard is now tied for sixth in the AHL in goals among rookies. He is tied with Laval’s Joshua Roy, Lehigh Valley’s Samu Tuomaala, Manitoba’s Nikita Chibrikov, Milwaukee’s Fedor Svechkov, and Abbotsford’s Max Sasson.
- Berard’s goal on Saturday night in Hershey was his second career game-winning goal. He previously notched the winner in the home opener on October 20th against the Penguins.
- Thanks to his victory over the Bears, Louis Domingue is now tied for tenth in the AHL in wins with ten this season.
- Following this weekend’s results, the Wolf Pack sit third in the Atlantic Division with 41 points, one behind the Providence Bruins (42). The Wolf Pack, however, have four games in hand on the Bruins.
- Forward Brennan Othmann made his NHL debut with the parent New York Rangers on Thursday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. He became the second Wolf Pack player to make his NHL debut this season, joining forward Adam Edström.
The Week Ahead:
- Friday, January 12th, 2024, @ Lehigh Valley Phantoms (7:05 p.m., PPL Center)
- Saturday, January 13th, 2024, Vs. Providence Bruins (7:30 p.m., XL Center)
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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.