WOLF PACK WEEKEND RECAP: NOVEMBER 20TH, 2023
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack collected four out of six possible points last week, starting with a 5-1 triumph over the Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday morning. The Pack then split a home-and-home set with the Syracuse Crunch over the weekend.
The club is back in the Connecticut capital and took to the ice on Monday to prepare for a Thanksgiving Eve showdown against the Providence Bruins on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 17th, 2023, @ Syracuse Crunch (5-3 L): Jonny Brodzinski struck twice on the powerplay, and Anton Blidh found the back of the net at five-on-five, but it would not be enough to earn a second straight victory in Syracuse. Gabriel Dumont struck twice and set up Daniel Walcott in a three-goal third period for the Crunch, pushing them to a 5-3 victory.
Dumont’s goal at 13:23 broke a 3-3 tie, while his tally at 18:34 cemented the victory. The Crunch captain scored a season-high four points (2 g, 2 a) in the win.
Walcott, a former Wolf Pack skater, recorded three points (2 g, 1 a), while former Wolf Pack netminder Brandon Halverson made 19 saves for the win.
Saturday, November 18th, 2023, Vs. Syracuse Crunch (5-2 W): Karl Henriksson struck 1:40 into the hockey game, firing home his first goal of the year to give the Pack an early lead. Mitchell Chaffee tied the contest 10:26 into the second period, but 29 seconds later, Brett Berard would restore the lead for good at 10:55.
Adam Edström notched the game-winning goal at 15:40, while Alex Belzile and Bobby Trivigno tacked on insurance markers. Louis Domingue collected his team-leading fifth win of the season, making 18 saves.
Brodzinski saw his three-game goal-scoring streak snapped but extended his point streak to four games with two assists.
Quick Hits:
- Brodzinski sits tied for second in the AHL in points with 18 (10 g, 8 a). His ten goals are tied for third in the league.
- Domingue remains second in the AHL in goals-against-average among qualified goalies with a 1.67 GAA. He trails only Dennis Hildeby (TOR, 1.41). His .933 save percentage ranks third in the league behind Oscar Dansk (CGY, .941) and Hildeby (TOR, .941).
- The Wolf Pack’s 5-2 victory over the Crunch on Saturday night was their first home win over the club since a 2-1 shootout victory on December 16th, 2016. Adam Tambellini and Nicklas Jensen had the shootout goals, while current Crunch goalie Brandon Halverson stopped both shooters and made 26 saves for the win.
- The win was Hartford’s first regulation victory at home over Syracuse since October 18th, 2015. The Pack won that game by an identical 5-2 score, with Raphael Diaz recording the game-winning goal. Magnus Hellberg made 33 saves in net to collect the victory.
- The Wolf Pack penalty kill went six-for-six over the weekend. The penalty kill now ranks seventh in the AHL with an 86.7% success rate.
- Brodzinski scored twice on the powerplay on Friday night in Syracuse. He has five powerplay goals on the season, which is second in the league. He trails only Adam Gaudette (SPR, 6).
The Week Ahead:
- Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023, Vs. Providence Bruins (7:00 p.m., XL Center)
- Friday, November 24th, 2023, at Springfield Thunderbirds (7:05 p.m., MassMutual Center)
- Saturday, November 25th, 2023, Vs. Belleville Senators (7:30 p.m., XL Center)
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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.
