By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their season-long five-game homestand tonight as they welcome the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to town for their first game following the All-Star break.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the second of four meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Phantoms this season. It is the second and final meeting at the XL Center. The sides will meet at the PPL Center on February 19th, then wrap the season series up on April 1st with another game in Allentown, PA.
The Pack took the first meeting by a final score of 3-2 on December 7th in Hartford. Ty Emberson opened the scoring just 2:58 into the game, while Andy Welinski and Will Cuylle tacked on insurance markers at 5:51 and 11:19 of the opening frame. Garrett Wilson and Tyson Foerster would strike in the third period for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough, as Louis Domingue made seven third-period saves for the victory.
The Pack have won two straight at home against the Phantoms, taking a 6-4 decision on February 5th, 2022, and a 3-2 decision back in December.
The Pack are 3-3-0-1 against the Phantoms over the last seven meetings, while the Phantoms have a record of 4-3-0-0 in that span.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack won their second straight game on Saturday night, scoring a season-high eight goals in an 8-2 rout of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the XL Center. Tim Gettinger opened the scoring, striking just eight seconds into the contest. Gettinger would finish the night with three points (2 g, 1 a).
In his 300th career AHL game, Tanner Fritz scored the game-winner and finished with two points (1 g, 1 a). It was his first game-winning goal of the campaign. Captain Jonny Brodzinski set a career-high for points in a game with four (1 g, 3 a). He now has points in seven straight games, scoring eleven points (3 g, 8 a) in that span.
Emberson, Turner Elson, Matt Rempe, and Brandon Scanlin also scored in the victory. Gettinger and Brodzinski, meanwhile, both ended the night with +/- ratings of +5. That tied the franchise record for the best +/- in a single game.
The win pushed Hartford to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, jumping the Penguins and Bridgeport Islanders. It is the first time this season that Hartford has held sole possession of a playoff spot.
Elson leads Hartford in scoring with 25 points (10 g, 15 a) in 45 games. Cuylle has the team lead in goals with 14, while Fritz’s 20 assists top the club in that category.
On Sunday, the parent New York Rangers (NHL) recalled forwards Cuylle and Sammy Blais. Cuylle was assigned back to the Wolf Pack on Thursday afternoon.
Hartford is 2-2-0-0 during their current five-game homestand.
Phantoms Outlook:
The Phantoms scored an impressive 5-1 victory over the Hershey Bears on Saturday night in Chocolatetown. Aliaksei Protas opened the scoring for the home side, but Jackson Cates and Foerster would score at 2:21 and 8:16 of the middle stanza to flip the game and put the Phantoms ahead for good.
Jordy Bellerive delivered the dagger at 2:55 of the third period, while Bobby Brink scored on the powerplay at 16:49. Cates potted his second goal, a shorthanded tally into an empty net, at 19:44 to end the scoring.
The win pushed the Phantoms to 6-4-0-0 in their last ten games. They currently hold sole possession of fifth place in the Atlantic Division with 49 points.
Olle Lycksell leads the Phantoms in scoring with 33 points (8 g, 25 a) in 33 games. Foerster, meanwhile, leads the club in goals with 17 in the campaign. Elliot Desnoyers (14), Artem Anisimov (12), and Cates (10) have also hit double-digit goals this season for the club.
Game Information:
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
The Wolf Pack conclude a back-to-back set tomorrow night when they visit the Hershey Bears for the final time this season. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage will be available on AHLTV and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday night when they welcome the Bridgeport Islanders to town at 7:00 p.m. for the latest installment of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’! Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs! Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
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