The Wolf Pack (26-26-3-4, 59 pts.) finished up a stretch of five games in seven days, and seven in ten days, this past week, with a 1-3-0 slate in their last four outings. The Pack absorbed a 7-3 defeat at the hands of the Norfolk Admirals at the XL Center on Wednesday, and then dropped a 4-2 home decision to Bridgeport on Friday. Ken Gernander’s club then upped its record to 4-0-0-0 vs. the first-place Worcester Sharks with a 4-2 home-ice win on Saturday, a triumph that snapped a streak of five straight regulation losses and six consecutive home defeats. In a return engagement with the Sound Tigers in Bridgeport on Sunday, though, the Wolf Pack again found themselves on the short end of the score, this time in a 2-1 GEICO Connecticut Cup setback.
This week:
The Wolf Pack play back-to-back home games this weekend, hosting Springfield at the XL Center on Friday night and Portland on Saturday, with both contests facing off at 7:00 PM. The Pack then head to Lowell for a Sunday date with the Devils, with faceoff at 5:00.
Friday, February 26 vs. Springfield at the XL Center, 7:00 PM
· Being a Friday home game, this is a Guida’s Family Value Night. Family Value packages start as low as $45 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Wolf Pack souvenir. Guida’s Family Value Night packs are available at the XL Center box office and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
· The eighth-place Falcons currently stand 11 points behind the Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division, at 18-31-9-3 for 48 points.
· The Wolf Pack are 3-1-1-0 on the year against Springfield and have won both of the previous meetings in Hartford, 7-3 on opening night October 10 and 5-3 December 30.
· Falcon leading scorer Charles Linglet (16-42-58 in 61 GP) is tied for fourth in the AHL in assists and ranks sixth in the league in points.
· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.
Saturday, February 27 vs. Portland at the XL Center, 7:00 PM
· There will be an auction of Wolf Pack game-worn, authentic home jerseys at this game, to benefit the March of Dimes. The specialty jerseys that were to have been worn and auctioned this weekend will instead be worn on Fan Appreciation Night April 10th.
· Head Coach Kevin Dineen’s Portland squad had a franchise-record 11-game winning streak snapped Sunday, in a 3-2 shootout loss in Rochester. The Pirates have at least a standings point in fourteen of their last 15 games (13-1-0-1) and only six regulation losses in their last 41 outings (27-6-5-3).
· At 32-16-5-3 for 72 points, Portland enters the week trailing division-leading Worcester by two points.
· Kyle Wanvig two goals and two assists to lead the Pirates’ attack in last Monday’s 7-4 win over the Wolf Pack in Portland.
· The Wolf Pack have lost three of their first four games against the Pirates this year, but have earned a split in the first two meetings at the XL Center, winning 4-3 in overtime on November 27 and losing a 5-3 verdict December 11.
· As with all Wolf Pack Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday-night home games, this night features $3 domestic drafts and snacks in the XL Center Atrium.
· Radio – this game will be carried live on WTIC NewsTalk 1080, the 50,000-watt AM powerhouse. WTIC NewsTalk 1080’s Scott Gray will join Bob Crawford and Mark Bailey on the broadcast team. The action can also be heard live on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.
Sunday, February 28 at Lowell (Paul E. Tsongas Arena), 5:00 PM
· The Wolf Pack are 3-2-0-0 in five games against the Devils this season. That includes a 2-1-0-0 mark on the road, but two of those three games have been played at the Prudential Center in Newark, home of Lowell’s NHL affiliate, the New Jersey Devils. In their only previous visit to Lowell on the year, the Wolf Pack prevailed by a score of 4-1 November 25.
· The fourth-place Devils are eight points ahead of the Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division standings, with a record of 30-22-4-3 for 67 points.
· Devil goaltender Mike McKenna, who is 17-11-3 on the year, sports the AHL’s fourth-best save percentage, at 92.8, and ranks fifth in the league in goals-against average, with a mark of 2.23.
· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.
Recent Transactions:
Steve Valiquette – recalled from the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers February 15.
Matt Zaba – returned to the Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers February 15.
Andrew Carroll – released from Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement by Wolf Pack February 20.
Kevin Schaeffer – released from Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement by Wolf Pack February 20.
Pack Tracks:
The Wolf Pack will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with “Go Green Night” Saturday, March 13. The Mighty Ploughboys will be performing live, as the Wolf Pack host the Lowell Devils that evening at 7:00.
The Wolf Pack’s home game that had been scheduled for Thursday, April 1 at the XL Center vs. the Worcester Sharks has been moved to the previous night, Wednesday, March 31. Faceoff time remains 7:00 PM.
At every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday-night Wolf Pack home game for the balance of the regular season, fans can enjoy $3 drafts and snacks in the XL Center Atrium. Also, the Comcast Coliseum Club features a “Warmup Menu”, with $3 domestic drafts and appetizers, before every Wolf Pack home game at the XL Center.
Individual tickets for Wolf Pack games are on sale now at the XL Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations including Macy’s at the Buckland Hills Mall and at the Westfarms Mall. Tickets may also be charged by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.hartfordwolfpack.com. Information on all of the Wolf Pack’s many terrific ticket options, including group discounts, season tickets, partial plans, Birthday Bash packages and more, is available by calling the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 548-2000, and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
Every Friday-night Wolf Pack home game at the XL Center is Guida’s Family Value Night. Family Value packages start as low as $45 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Wolf Pack souvenir. To order your Guida’s Family Value Night pack, visit the XL Center box office, or go on-line to www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
Once again this season, the Wolf Pack are partnering with WTIC Radio to air Wolf Pack hockey action. All of the Wolf Pack’s regular-season and playoff games will air on 96.5 WTIC-FM’s HD 2 channel and will be streamed on-line at www.wtic.com. Select games will be carried live on the 50,000-watt AM powerhouse, WTIC NewsTalk 1080.
The AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack is operated by Northland AEG LLC, a joint partnership between Northland Investment Corporation and AEG Facilities. The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.
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