BY: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack return to the XL Center in Hartford tonight to kick off the final month of the 2021-22 regular season. Tonight, the Wolf Pack opens a back-to-back set with a visit from the Belleville Senators. The Pack will also host the Syracuse Crunch tomorrow evening to conclude the weekend.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape
This is the third of four meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Senators during the 2021-22 regular season. This is also the second and final meeting at the XL Center between the foes. The Senators took a 3-2 overtime decision in the previous meeting in Hartford on March 2nd. Rourke Chartier scored twice, including 1:08 into overtime, to propel Belleville to the two points.
Hartford got their revenge in the most recent meeting, however, taking a 5-2 decision on March 19th in Belleville. Mike O’Leary broke a 2-2 tie 3:08 into the third period, while Patrick Khodorenko and Anthony Greco tacked on insurance markers for the Pack.
The sides will conclude their season series on April 13th in Belleville. The Wolf Pack has a six-game point streak (2-0-2-2) against the Senators.
Wolf Pack Outlook
The Wolf Pack dropped another contest on Wednesday night, this time by a score of 5-1 at the hands of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Greco had Hartford’s lone goal, deflecting a Khodorenko shot home at 18:58 of the second period. The Penguins scored four times in the middle frame, however, with Will Reilly notching the eventual game-winner at 13:07 of the frame.
Greco leads the Pack in scoring with 50 points (17 g, 33 a) on the season. He also leads active skaters in goals with 17. Jonny Brodzinski holds the overall lead in goal scoring on the Wolf Pack with 18 tallies.
Forward Maxim Letunov made his Wolf Pack debut on Wednesday night. He is wearing number 91 with the club.
Hartford has dropped eight of its last ten games in regulation time and now sits in fifth place in the Atlantic Division. The Pack holds a record of 19-10-2-1 at the XL Center in 2021-22. Hartford’s magic number to clinch a berth in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs in 20.
Senators Outlook
The Senators scored a 3-2 shootout victory on home ice on Saturday at the expense of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Garrett Wilson and Nick Lappin gave the Phantoms a 2-0 lead, but the Sens struck twice in the second period to even the affair. Parker Kelly got Belleville on the board 8:48 into the stanza, while Jake Lucchini evened the contest 2-2 at 16:04. Cole Reinhardt had the shootout’s lone goal in the fifth round to push Belleville to victory.
Lucchini leads the Senators in scoring with 38 points (17 g, 21 a) on the season. Zach Senyshyn, acquired by the parent Ottawa Senators (NHL) from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline, leads the club in goals with 19. He has yet to light the lamp in three games as a member of the Senators.
Game Information
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: https://mixlr.com/hfd-wolf-pack/
Don’t forget, tonight is $2 beers and $1 hot dogs at the XL Center for Wolf Pack hockey courtesy of Nomads Entertainment! Tomorrow night, the Syracuse Crunch will make their lone visit to the XL Center at 7:00 p.m. Join us for Hartford Sports Weekend and a Wolf Pack coffee mug giveaway for the first 1,500 fans into the building courtesy of Xfinity!
Tickets are available for both tonight and tomorrow night’s games at hartfordwolfpack.com.
