BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack seeks to extend their winning streak to seven games when they take on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 1 pm at the Webster Bank Arena Thursday afternoon.
The Wolf Pack will make a slight lineup change made to accommodate the return of Jonny Brodzinski, who missed six games with an upper-body injury. One of those moves is shifting Mason Geersten back to defense.
Geersten is in the fourth week of his transformational project to be converted to a left-wing. He will return to the backline with a regular shift rather than just second unit PK duty.
Geersten had two quality offensive chances on Tuesday stopped, but he was a critical factor in rookie Austin Rueschhoff’s goal.
KNOBLAUCH OPINION
“He has done a very good job of learning a new position in a short period of time. We’re very happy with his progress,” Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said.
He has not proven to be a defensive liability, and he’s done that by keeping his play simple.
“Smart dump in plays, good short passes, and he had a few good chances around the net on (Tuesday). Of course, his physical presence makes a difference for his linemates like on Austin’s (Rueschhoff) goal,” Knoblauch added.
“He has been a defenseman most of his career, and everybody loves to see the highlights of a Connor McDavid rush and a goal, or an Alexander Ovechkin shot, but Mason has shown the other side of hockey. The simple team element of playing your position is important to a team and winning, and right now, we’re doing the simple things as a team and winning.”
Geersten’s greatest strength is his physicality. He has demonstrated to be an adept body-checker delivering thunderous hits in his short time in Hartford. He is also handy with his fists when called upon to do so. Geersten joins a list of great Wolf Pack heavyweights from Sylvain Blouin, Dale Purinton, Trevor Gillies, Martin Grenier, Richard Scott, and Ryan Vandenbuschee.
CONTRACT
Geersten signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Rangers on March 3rd. It seemed to be a surprising move, but since signing, he has been moved to left-wing. He began on the fourth line, but in the last three games has played on the third line. He signed an AHL deal (as did Vincent LoVerde) almost a year on April 23, 2020, just a month after the 2019-20 season was shut down and eventually canceled.
Geersten could see a long-awaited call to go up to New York to join the Rangers. It has been a long six years in the minors. The Blueshirts are a defense-heavy organization, but Geersten earned his contract as a training camp walk-on when he signed his first AHL deal with the Rangers on September 29, 2019.
He is a player who has earned the chance to skate in an NHL game. If and when that happens, it will be a moment worth celebrating in Wolf Pack country.
