HARTFORD WOLF PACK HAVE KEY MATCHUP WITH PROVIDENCE BRUINS
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude a back-to-back weekend with their penultimate road game of the season tonight against the Providence Bruins.
Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the tenth and final meeting of the season between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins. It is the fifth and final meeting between the teams at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence. The Wolf Pack claimed a 5-0 decision in the last meeting on March 31st, their second straight victory in the season series.
Ryan Carpenter opened the scoring 17:43 into the game, lighting the lamp on the powerplay for the Wolf Pack. Anton Blidh would score in his first game against his former team at 19:57, giving Hartford a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes. After a scoreless middle frame, the Wolf Pack would gain the necessary insurance with three third-period goals.
Will Lockwood banked a shot off a Bruin defender and into the net at 3:20 of the final stanza, while Tanner Fritz tipped home a centering pass at 5:09 to make it 4-0. Jake Leschyshyn snapped home the game’s final goal at 9:00 off a feed from Jonny Brodzinski.
The Wolf Pack have won their last two visits to Providence, taking a 4-3 overtime decision on January 22nd and a 2-1 overtime decision five days later on January 27th.
The Wolf Pack are 5-3-1-0 in the season series, while the Bruins are 4-2-3-0. Hartford has a 2-1-1-0 record in four games in Providence so far this season.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack won their sixth straight game on Friday night, knocking off the Bridgeport Islanders by a score of 6-2. Adam Clendening scored his first goal with the club just 1:21 into the game, blasting home a shot that gave the Wolf Pack a lead they never lost. Will Lockwood made it a 2-0 game at 2:45, jamming home a rebound from the slot.
The Isles cut the lead to 2-1 at 9:02, as Vincent Sevigny blasted home his fifth goal of the season, but Karl Henriksson would restore the two-goal lead at 10:41. Henriksson fired home a one-timer from the slot for the eventual game-winner.
Ryan Carpenter scored his 20th goal of the season 2:35 into the middle frame, tipping home a Brodzinski shot on the powerplay. Anton Blidh extended the lead to 5-1 at 8:37 of the third period, lifting a backhander by Jakub Skarek. After Kyle McLean made it 5-2 at 9:58, Will Cuylle buried his team-leading 25th goal of the season at 11:24, cementing Hartford’s victory.
Hartford’s current six-game winning streak is their first since a seven-game winning streak during the 2020-21 season. The club’s magic number is now four. They can clinch a playoff berth tonight with a victory of any kind and a regulation loss by Bridgeport against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Brodzinski leads the Wolf Pack in points with 48 (21 g, 27 a) in 45 games. Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the team in goals with 25.
Bruins Outlook:
The Bruins also opened their weekend with a victory, knocking off the Penguins by a score of 3-1 on home ice last night. Following a scoreless first period, Eduards Tralmaks finally broke the ice at 19:42 of the second period, tipping home a Luke Toporowski shot for his fourth goal of the season.
Jami Krannila tied the game at 5:35 of the third, scoring his first goal on the powerplay. Vinni Lettieri would answer back at 11:11, however, giving the Bruins the lead for good. Shane Bowers tacked on an empty net goal at 19:38 to cement the victory.
Georgii Merkulov leads the Bruins in scoring with 53 points (23 g, 30 a) during his rookie campaign. His 23 goals also lead the club in that department.
Game Information:
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center for Fan Appreciation Night next Friday, April 14th, when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town! Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission, a cowbell giveaway for the first 1,500 fans thanks to CM Concessions, autographs with baseball legend Johnny Damon and much more! The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
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
