By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will host their first Calder Cup Playoff game at the XL Center since May 27th, 2015, this evening. The Wolf Pack welcome the Springfield Thunderbirds to town for Game Two of their best-of-three Atlantic Division First Round series. Hartford leads the series 1-0 and will advance to the Atlantic Division Semifinals with a victory.
Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
The Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds met 12 times during the 2022-23 regular season, with the Thunderbirds winning nine of those games and collecting points in ten of the 12 outings. They posted a record of 9-2-0-1. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, accumulated points in five of the 12 meetings, posting a record of 3-7-0-2.
After only winning once at the MassMutual Center in six tries during the regular season, the Wolf Pack scored a dominant 6-1 victory in Game One in Springfield on Wednesday night.
Lauri Pajuniemi opened the scoring 3:37 into the contest, giving Hartford a lead they never lost. Both Zac Jones and Pajuniemi would strike in the second period immediately after successful penalty kills. Jones was sprung in on a breakaway at 6:02, burying the eventual game-winner fresh out of the box. Pajuniemi also found himself on a breakaway after serving a minor penalty. He snapped home his second goal of the game at 10:43, making it 3-0. Blake Hillman made it 4-0 at 19:54, taking a backdoor pass from Bobby Trivigno and firing home his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack.
Both Ryan Carpenter and Ty Emberson would tack on goals in the third period, while Adam Gaudette scored the T-Birds’ lone goal on the powerplay at 11:44.
This is the first playoff series between the Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds. Hartford previously played three playoff series against the Springfield Falcons (1999, 2000, 2003), posting a series record of 2-1.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack, despite having eleven players make their Calder Cup Playoff debut, opened the postseason in style on Wednesday night. Both Emberson (1 g, 2 a) and Tanner Fritz (3 a) scored three points in the victory. In addition, Frtiz’s three assists tied the franchise playoff record for assists in a game. He is the 21st player to record three helpers in a playoff game for the club and the first since Chris Bourque did it on May 15th, 2015. May 15th, 2015, also marks the last time the Wolf Pack won a Calder Cup Playoff game before Wednesday night.
Dylan Garand made 24 saves in his professional playoff debut, picking up his first Calder Cup Playoff victory. Pajuniemi also dazzled in his debut, scoring his North American career’s first two playoff goals.
Fourteen different Wolf Pack players recorded a positive +/- differential in Game One, with Emberson leading the way with a +5 rating. Jones, meanwhile, was credited with the game-winning goal. It was his first Calder Cup Playoff game-winner.
Emberson (1 g, 2 a) and Fritz (3 a) lead the Wolf Pack in playoff scoring with three points each through one game. Pajuniemi’s two goals pace the club in that department.
Thunderbirds Outlook:
The defending Eastern Conference Champions must win tonight to keep their season alive. The Thunderbirds did not face elimination in last spring’s Calder Cup Playoffs until the Eastern Conference Final against the Laval Rocket.
They swept their first two series, defeating both the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Charlotte Checkers in the Atlantic Division Semifinals and Final, respectively. As a result, the T-Birds had a bye through the First Round in 2022.
Gaudette’s goal at 11:44 of the third period was his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal in his playoff debut. Brady Lyle and Nikita Alexandrov were credited with the assists.
The T-Birds penalty kill was strong in Game One, killing all three Hartford powerplays. In 13 games against Hartford this season, the Thunderbirds have successfully killed 88.64% of Wolf Pack powerplays.
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.
If necessary, Game Three of this Atlantic Division First Round series will take place tomorrow, April 22nd, at 7:05 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. For playoff series and ticket information should the Wolf Pack advance, please visit hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information.
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.
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