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Wolf Pack Weekly, March 30-April 5

Mar 30, 2015

The Wolf Pack (36-22-5-4, 81 pts.) swept a pair of key games this past week, moving into a share of fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings and improving to 6-1-0-1 in their last eight games.  Friday night at the XL Center, Mackenzie Skapski returned from nearly two months with the parent New York Rangers and rang up his third AHL shutout of the season, making 27 saves as the Wolf Pack posted their most decisive victory of the year, a 5-0 triumph over Providence.  Then the Pack headed to Springfield Saturday night, and won in overtime for the fourth time in five visits to the MassMutual Center, with Danny Kristo’s second goal of the game at 1:48 of OT capping a comeback from a 2-0 deficit, and sealing a 3-2 victory.

 

For the latest AHL standings, click here.

 

This week:  The Wolf Pack complete a stretch of 18 out of 24 games on the road Wednesday night, when they visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for a 7:05 PM game.  Ken Gernander’s club then starts four straight at home Friday night, as the Northeast Division-leading Syracuse Crunch make their last of four visits to the XL Center.  That game faces off at 7:00, and the Wolf Pack are home on Saturday night as well, hosting the AHL-leading Manchester Monarchs in a 7:00 game.

Wednesday, April 1 at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza), 7:05 PM

  • The Penguins enter the week two points ahead of the Wolf Pack in the Eastern Conference playoff race, with a record of 38-22-3-4 for 83 points.  Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 2-3-1-0 in its last six games, after a 16-2-1-1 run from January 21 to March 14.

  • The Wolf Pack lost the first two games of their season series with the Penguins at home (0-1-1-0), but then knocked Wilkes-Barre/Scranton off 5-2 in Pack’s first visit to the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza March 15, tying a franchise record with only 13 shots-against.

  • Penguin rookie goaltender Matt Murray, who leads the AHL in goals-against average (1.59), save percentage (94.0) and shutouts (an AHL rookie-record 10), suffered just his second regulation loss in his last 18 decisions Sunday, in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 4-1 defeat at Lehigh Valley.  From January 21 through Friday night, Murray went 15-1-1 in 17 appearances, with a 1.03 GAA, a 96.3% save percentage and seven shutouts in that span.

  • Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford on Fox Sports Radio 1410, on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and on iHeartRadio.  Video streaming at www.ahllive.com.

Friday, April 3 vs. the Syracuse Crunch at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

  • At this and all Friday-night Wolf Pack home games, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs and $2 beers at the XL Center, through the start of the second period.

  • Also at Friday-night home games this year, “Hawk’s Nest” is featured in the XL Center’s Comcast Coliseum Club, with Bob “Hawk” Crawford, the play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, conducting a Wolf Pack-themed interview from 6:00-6:20 PM.  Wolf Pack assistant coach Jeff Beukeboom is scheduled to be the guest, and questions and comments will be welcomed from the patrons enjoying the Comcast Coliseum Club’s wide array of dining and beverage options.  The Comcast Coliseum Club restaurant and bar area is open two hours prior to every Wolf Pack home game, to everyone holding a ticket to the game.

  • This is the finale of an eight-game season series between the Wolf Pack and Crunch.  Hartford is 2-5-0-0 on the year vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning’s top affiliate, and 1-2-0-0 in three previous home games in the series.

  • The Northeast Division-leading Crunch carry a 40-19-8-0 record for 88 points into this game, good for a seven-point lead over the second-place Wolf Pack.  Syracuse has won seven of its last nine games, but had a three-game winning streak snapped in its last action, a 2-0 loss at Rochester Saturday night.

  • Latvian-born goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis, who has started 11 of the Crunch’s last 13 games, had a personal win streak of six straight decisions snapped in Syracuse’s 2-0 defeat Saturday at Rochester.

  • For this and all Wolf Pack home games, tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger and are available at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.

  • Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford and Mark Bailey on Fox Sports Radio 1410, on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and on iHeartRadio.  Video streaming at www.ahllive.com.

Saturday, April 4 vs. the Manchester Monarchs at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

  • The XL Center’s Comcast Coliseum Club is featuring a new buffet package for all remaining Saturday Wolf Pack games.  The menu will include: tender, juicy, endless prime rib, alongside seven premium Saturday-only buffet additions, those being delicious, nonstop peel ‘n eat shrimp, a nightly chef special, fresh vegetables, potatoes, a kids’ entree, salad, fresh fruit, antipasto and dessert, all for only $19.00.

  • The Wolf Pack’s “Lucky Dog” promotion returns for this game. Purchase a hot dog at the game, and if you find a “Lucky Dog” logo on the bottom of your hot dog carton, you’ve won a Wolf Pack prize pack.

  • The Monarchs’ point total of 94 (43-16-6-2) is tops in the league, four points ahead of Hershey.  Manchester is 13 points up on Providence for the Atlantic Division lead and is 8-1-1-0 in its last ten games.

  • Forwards Paul Bissonnette (1-1-2), Ryan Horvat (1-1-2) and former Wolf Pack Josh Gratton (two assists) combined for six points in the Monarchs’ last game, a 3-1 win at Lehigh Valley Sunday, and Michael Mersch scored the other Manchester goal, extending a goal-scoring streak to three games (5-2-7).

  • This is the last of four games on the year between the Wolf Pack and Monarchs, and the Pack are 0-2-1-0 in the season series thus far, including a 4-3 overtime loss November 16 in Manchester’s only other visit to the XL Center. 

  • For this and all Wolf Pack home games, tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger and are available at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.

  • Broadcast – live with Bob Crawford and Mark Bailey on Fox Sports Radio 1410, on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and on iHeartRadio.  Video streaming at www.ahllive.com.

 

Wolf Pack Community Appearances:  The Wolf Pack have the following appearances scheduled this week.  For further information on these, or any other Wolf Pack community initiatives, contact Wolf Pack community relations manager Frank Berrian, at (860) 541-4728:

  • Thursday, April 2, 8:00 AM, Metropolitan Learning Center, 1551 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield, CT:  Sonar, the Wolf Pack’s beloved mascot, lends his presence to Metropolitan Learning Center’s Career Day.

  • Thursday, April 2, 5:00 PM, Aqua Turf, 556 Mulberry St., Plantsville, CT:  Sonar meets and greets players and families at the Wallingford Hawks Youth Hockey end-of-season banquet.

 

Recent Transactions:

Jeff Malcolm – returned by the Wolf Pack to Greenville (ECHL) March 25.

Mackenzie Skapski – returned to the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers March 25.

Chris Summers – recalled from the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers March 29, and returned later that same day.

 

Practice:  All Wolf Pack practices at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell are open to the public.  Schedule is subject to change.

Tue., March 31              10:30 – 11:30 AM, XL Center     

Wed., April 1                 Game at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Thurs., April 2                10:30 – 11:30 AM, XL Center

Fri., April 3                    10:00 – 10:30 AM, XL Center (Game vs. Syracuse)

Sat., April 4                   10:00 – 10:30 AM, XL Center (Game vs. Manchester)

Sun., April 5                  No practice

Mon., April 6                 10:30 – 11:30 AM, XL Center

 

Pack Tracks:  Once again this season, every Friday-night Wolf Pack home game will feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers, through the start of the second period.  After this Friday night, the Wolf Pack are right back at the XL Center Friday, April 10, when the Springfield Falcons visit for a 7:00 PM game.

The XL Center’s Comcast Coliseum Club is featuring a new buffet package for all remaining Saturday Wolf Pack games.  The menu will include: tender, juicy, endless prime rib, alongside seven premium Saturday-only buffet additions, those being delicious, nonstop peel ‘n eat shrimp, a nightly chef special, fresh vegetables, potatoes, a kids’ entree, salad, fresh fruit, antipasto and dessert, all for only $19.00.  The Wolf Pack’s last Saturday home game of the regular season is next Saturday, April 11, a 7:00 battle against the Albany Devils.

Tickets all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger. 

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

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