THOMAS: PACK OPEN FINAL WEEKEND IN HARTFORD
BY: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack have three games left on their 2021-22 regular season schedule. Tonight, they open a three-in-three weekend that will determine whether or not the club advances to the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2014-15 season. The Wolf Pack play host to the Charlotte Checkers this evening before visiting the Bridgeport Islanders tomorrow night and concluding the stretch on Sunday back in Hartford against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the sixth and final meeting between the Wolf Pack and the Checkers during the 2021-22 regular season. This also concludes a stretch of four meetings in April between the sides, who met in Charlotte on April 7th, 8th, and 10th. The Wolf Pack took a 4-3 overtime decision in the most recent meeting, their lone win thus far in the series.
Zac Jones, Tanner Fritz, and Anthony Greco scored in regulation for the Pack, but Alexander True tied the contest 9:05 into the third period. Then, in overtime, Maxim Letunov lit the lamp just 21 seconds in to propel Hartford to their first-ever victory in Charlotte.
The Checkers won each of the first four meetings, including the two previous tilts at the XL Center. They scored a 3-2 win on October 30th, with Scott Wilson getting the winner. On January 12th, Grigori Denisenko scored both goals in a 2-1 Checkers overtime decision.
The Checkers are 4-0-1-0 in the season series, while the Wolf Pack are 1-3-1-0.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack concluded their seven-game road trip with a hard-fought 2-1 loss at the hands of the Rochester Americans on Saturday night. The Amerks scored twice on the powerplay, with Michael Mersch opening the scoring 6:31 into the contest and Mark Jankowski providing the insurance at 19:37 of the middle frame. Nick Merkley scored Hartford’s lone goal, a powerplay goal, 12:59 into the third period.
Greco leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 57 points (20 g, 37 a) on the season. He also leads the team in goals with 20. He is two points away from tying his career-high of 59 points (30 g, 29 a), set during the 2018-19 season as a member of the Springfield Thunderbirds. Merkley is second on the club in scoring with 45 points (16 g, 29 a) and has set new career-highs in assists (29) and points (45).
The Wolf Pack are currently 30-31-6-2, good for a .493 points percentage. Hartford is currently seventh in the Atlantic Division, however, and outside of a playoff spot.
Checkers Outlook:
The Checkers suffered rare back-to-back losses in Springfield this past weekend. They most recently dropped a 2-1 shootout decision on Saturday night at the MassMutual Center. Henry Bowlby opened the scoring 10:00 into the game, but Nikita Alexandrov evened the score 15:06 into the second frame. After the third period and overtime solved nothing, the sides required a shootout. Sam Anas scored the lone goal of the skills competition, while Charlie Lindgren made three saves for the T-Birds.
The Checkers dropped to 40-24-5-1 but still sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with a .614 points percentage.
True leads the Checkers in scoring with 42 points (18 g, 24 a) on the campaign. Zac Dalpe, meanwhile, has the club lead with 29 goals.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: https://mixlr.com/hfd-wolf-pack/
The Wolf Pack’s final weekend continues tomorrow night with the tenth and final edition of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ during the 2021-22 season. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
The 2021-22 regular season concludes at the XL Center on Sunday, April 24th! Join us for Fan Appreciation Day when the Pack plays host to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Puck drop is set for 3:00 p.m.
Tickets are available for both games this weekend at hartfordwolfpack.com.
