PRE-GAME REPORT: HARTFORD WOLF PACK AIM FOR REBOUND IN GAME FOUR VS. PROVIDENCE BRUINS
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will look to bounce back following their first loss of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs tonight when they host the Providence Bruins in Game Four of their Atlantic Division Semifinals series. The Wolf Pack lead the series 2-1.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
The Wolf Pack and Bruins met ten times during the 2022-23 season, with Hartford winning the series 6-4. Both teams collected points in seven of the ten meetings, with the Wolf Pack going 6-3-1-0 and the Bruins posting a record of 4-3-3-0. However, the Wolf Pack won each of the final three regular season meetings and extended the winning streak to five games after victories in Games One and Two.
In Game Three, however, the Bruins found their way back into the win column with a 6-3 decision that kept their season alive. Justin Brazeau jammed a rebound 15:54 into the game on the powerplay, giving the Bruins a lead they would never lose. Oskar Steen made it 2-0 with just .2 seconds left in the stanza, tipping a shot home for his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal.
Luke Toporowski made it 3-0 14:03 into the second period, snapping home his second goal of the playoffs. Zac Jones got Hartford on the board at 19:35 with a four-on-three powerplay goal, while Tim Gettinger struck 2:18 into the third period with a shorthanded marker to make it a 3-2 game. Jack Ahcan buried a breakaway goal at 5:58, however, restoring the two-goal lead. It would also stand as the game-winner.
Lauri Pajuniemi tipped home a goal at 13:34, but the Bruins cemented the win with empty-net goals from Brazeau and Vinni Lettieri in the final 92 seconds.
The series now stands at 2-1 in favor of Hartford. The Wolf Pack will advance to the Atlantic Division Finals with a victory tonight.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack had their four-game winning streak in the Calder Cup Playoffs and five-game winning streak against the Bruins broken on Wednesday night. The loss also snapped a six-game winning streak for the club at the XL Center.
Gettinger’s shorthanded marker on Wednesday night was the 20th shorthanded goal in Wolf Pack playoff history. He is the 14th player to record a shorthanded goal in the playoffs in club history.
Anton Blidh finished the night with one assist and a +1 rating. His playoff +/- of +10 leads the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs and is tied for sixth in Wolf Pack history for all-time playoff +/-. Ty Emberson is also a +10 during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, tied with Blidh for the league lead and sixth all-time in club history.
Tanner Fritz leads the club in playoff scoring with seven points (1 g, 6 a) through five games. Pajuniemi, meanwhile, paces the club in goals with three.
Bruins Outlook:
The Atlantic Division champion Bruins snapped a six-game losing streak in the Calder Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night. It was the club’s first playoff win since a 4-2 victory on April 21st, 2019, against the Charlotte Checkers.
Ahcan’s game-winning goal on Wednesday night was the first goal of his Calder Cup Playoff career. Four of the five Bruins to score goals during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs scored their first career playoff goals. In addition to, Ahcan, Brazeau, Toporowski, and Steen have all scored their first goals in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Brazeau leads the Bruins in scoring with three points (2 g, 1 a) through three games. He and Toporowski are tied for the team lead in goals with two during these playoffs.
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.
Should the Wolf Pack win tonight, the club will advance to the Atlantic Division Final. A Bruins victory, however, will force a Game Five. Game Five, if necessary, will occur at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Sunday, May 7th, at 7:05 p.m. For playoff ticket information, please visit HERE.
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.
