PREGAME REPORT: HARTFORD WOLF PACK EYE SPLIT WITH CHARLOTTE CHECKERS
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Hartford Wolf Pack earned a point in their season opener on Friday night against the Charlotte Checkers but will have their eyes on a different result tonight. The Pack gets right back at it at Bojangles Coliseum for a rematch with the Checkers in the second and final game of the weekend.
The puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the second of eight meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Checkers during the 2022-23 season. It is the second and final game between the teams at the Bojangles Coliseum this weekend and the second of four in North Carolina this season. The Wolf Pack will be back in Charlotte for games on January 10th and 11th.
The Checkers will make four visits to Hartford this season, with the first coming on Saturday, October 29th. That means these two division rivals will meet three times throughout Hartford’s first six games. They’ll also meet on November 12th and 16th in Hartford.
The Wolf Pack are 1-15-1-1 all-time against the Checkers in Charlotte. Hartford’s lone victory at the Coliseum came on April 10th, 2022. The Wolf Pack won that game 4-3 in overtime thanks to a goal from Maxim Letunov.
The Checkers won the most recent meeting, 4-3, in overtime last night. Aleksi Heponiemi opened the scoring just 4:58 into the contest, kicking off a seesaw affair. Will Cuylle converted a Jonny Brodzinski pass at 13:52 of the opening frame to tie the contest 1-1 heading into the intermission. Anton Levtchi and Lauri Pajuniemi traded powerplay goals in the second stanza, while Julien Gauthier and Chris Tierney struck in the final frame.
In overtime, the Checkers needed just one shot the end the proceedings, getting a goal from Levtchi just 35 seconds in to claim victory. The goal was Levtchi’s second of the night, giving him two goals and the game-winning goal in his AHL debut.
The Checkers went 5-0-1-0 in the series last season. Hartford, on the other hand, posted a record of 1-4-1-0. Six of the previous seven meetings between these teams have been one-goal games. Hartford holds a record of 1-3-2-0 in those contests.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack got a stellar performance from Louis Domingue in his debut on Friday night. The veteran netminder turned aside 40 shots in the overtime loss, including 13 in the third period. Lauri Pajuniemi scored the club’s first powerplay goal of the season on their third chance in last night’s loss. The second-year Finn has scored in both career opening night games he has skated in during his brief AHL tenure.
Julien Gauthier also lit the lamp last night in his Wolf Pack debut. Gauthier, assigned by the Rangers earlier this week, began his career as a member of the Checkers. He won the 2019 Calder Cup with the team and scored 69 goals throughout 184 games. Gauthier received a tribute video and a standing ovation in his return to Charlotte.
Forwards Matt Rempe and Gustav Rydahl made their AHL debuts on Friday night, while Ben Harpur, Turner Elson, C.J. Smith, Andy Welinski, and Ty Emberson made their Wolf Pack debuts.
Checkers Outlook:
The Anton Levtchi show took center stage on Friday night. The rookie Finn, who led Liiga in goals (26) and points (61), scored twice in his debut, including the overtime winner. Chris Tierney also scored in his Checkers debut, tying the game at 12:28 of the third period. It was Tierney’s first AHL action since January 2016 with the San Jose Barracuda.
With goaltender Alex Lyon serving a two-game suspension, J-F Berube got the start for the Checkers. He made 19 saves for his first victory with the club. Berube split the 2021-22 season with the Cleveland Monsters and Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL).
The Checkers are in a four-game homestand. After hosting the Wolf Pack again this evening, they’ll see the Hershey Bears for a pair of games next Friday and Saturday night. After that, the Checkers head north to face the Providence Bruins, Wolf Pack, and Bridgeport Islanders.
Game Information:
Be sure to tune in to AHLTV for a ‘Freeview’ all weekend long! You can watch every AHL game live and free from October 14th – 16th. Unable to watch it? Listen to the audio call for free on Mixlr! Hartford Wolf Pack home and away games are free all season long only on Mixlr. The pregame starts tonight at 5:45 p.m. with Alex Thomas on the call.
Join us next Saturday, October 22nd, at the XL Center when the Wolf Pack hosts the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The first 1,500 fans through the door on opening night will also receive a magnetic schedule courtesy of Pepsi Zero Sugar! Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
