BY: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will look to shake off a 3-1 loss last night against the Providence Bruins when they make the short trip to Bridgeport this afternoon to renew the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ with the rival Islanders at Webster Bank Arena.
The puck drop is set for 3:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the eighth of ten meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Islanders during the 2021-22 season. It is the fourth of five meetings between the rivals at Webster Bank Arena, where they will meet again on April 23rd. The Islanders make their final trip to Hartford two weeks from today, on March 6th.
The Wolf Pack skated to a 3-2 victory the last time the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ took place on December 29th in Bridgeport. Justin Richards scored at 17:39 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie and push the Wolf Pack to victory. François Brassard made 31 saves for his first AHL victory in his debut start, while Zach Berzolla scored his first AHL goal.
The Wolf Pack are 5-1-0-1 against the Islanders in seven prior meetings this season and are 27-14-4-2 over the last five campaigns head-to-head.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack suffered a 3-1 setback at the hands of the Providence Bruins on Saturday night at the XL Center to wrap up a four-game homestand. Eduards Tralmaks and Joona Koppanen scored in the opening frame to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Matt Lorito scored his first goal with the Pack 10:16 into the second period, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
Jonny Brodzinski leads the club in scoring with 34 points (17 g, 17 a) on the season. His 17 goals also top on the Wolf Pack. Brodzinski has scored in ten of his last twelve outings. Anthony Greco sits second on the club in scoring with 31 points (9 g, 22 a) on the season. Keith Kinkaid paces the Pack in goal with a record of 16-4-2. He is currently tied for third in the league in wins.
Adam Húska will start in goal this afternoon. He is 5-5-3 on the season.
Islanders Outlook:
The Islanders enter tonight’s game with a record of 17-21-5-4, good for a .457 points percentage and eighth-place standing in the Atlantic Division. Bridgeport lost last night, falling 4-2 to the Hershey Bears on home ice. After forty minutes of play, the Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead on goals by Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Marcus Vela, Brian Pinho, and Beck Malenstyn. The Bears struck once in the first period and three times in the middle frame. Andy Andreoff and Felix Bibeau scored in the final frame, but the hole was too large to climb out from.
Veteran forward Chris Terry leads the Islanders with 33 points (14 g, 19 a). His 14 goals are also top on the club.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: https://mixlr.com/hfd-wolf-pack/
Join us next Saturday night, February 26th, for our annual ‘Hartford Hockey Heritage Night’ at the XL Center! In addition, we’ll be hosting Hockey ‘N Hops and Hockey ‘N Vine pregame at the XL Center’s Exhibition Hall. For more information on Hockey ‘N Hops and Hockey ‘N Vine and purchase ticket packages for the event, visit us online at hartfordwolfpack.com. Single-game tickets for the game are also available.
