WOLF PACK WEEKEND RECAP: DECEMBER 4TH, 2023
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack are riding a season-long six-game winning streak thanks to sweeping a back-to-back set with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms over the weekend. A season-high seven goals aided Hartford on Friday night, while more late-game heroics were the story on Saturday night.
The Pack was back on the XL Center ice on Monday, preparing for a three-game week that kicks off with the final game of their four-game homestand. On Wednesday night, the Wolf Pack welcome the Cleveland Monsters to town for a rare visit.
Friday, December 1st, 2023, Vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms (7-3 W): A season-high seven goals was the main story as the Wolf Pack won their fifth straight both overall and at the XL Center. After being outshot 9-1 in the early going, Riley Nash scored a shorthanded goal 14:56 into the game, starting an offensive barrage for the home side. Five different players scored in the victory.
Adam Sýkora (1 g, 3 a, 4 pts) and Ryder Korczak (2 g, 2 a, 4 pts) had career nights, while Nash collected his third multi-goal game of the season.
The Wolf Pack feasted on special teams, scoring four times (4-for-6) on the powerplay for the first time this season. Hartford last tallied four powerplay goals in a game on March 24th, 2023, against the Springfield Thunderbirds. The club also collected its second shorthand goal of the season, outscoring the Phantoms 5-1 on special teams.
Louis Domingue made 36 saves for the victory, improving his record to 7-1-0.
Saturday, December 2nd, 2023, Vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms (5-4 W, OT): Brennan Othmann was the show’s star on Saturday night, scoring two goals for the third time this season. Othmann let the teddies fly 1:13 into the second period, scoring his seventh goal of the season on the powerplay.
After trailing by a score of 2-0 through 20 minutes of play, the Wolf Pack scored four unanswered goals, including three in the middle frame, to take a 4-2 lead. Jordy Bellerive and Garrett Wilson lit the lamp in the third period, forcing the second overtime of the season between the Wolf Pack and Phantoms.
That’s where Othmann struck again at 3:52 from the slot. The rookie forward rifled home his first career overtime goal and his first career game-winning goal in the AHL.
Othmann (2 g), Nikolas Brouillard (2 a), Alex Belzile (2 a), and Mac Hollowell (2 a) all had two points in the victory, while Dylan Garand made 32 saves for his seventh win.
Quick Hits:
- Othmann’s 17 points (8 g, 9 a) tied him for seventh in scoring among rookies this season. He’s second in rookie scoring in the Atlantic Division, behind only Lehigh Valley’s Samu Tuomaala (5 g, 13 a, 18 pts).
- Meanwhile, his eight goals are tied for third in the league in rookie goal scoring. Only Logan Stankoven (TEX, 14) and Josh Doan (TUC, 9) have more.
- Louis Domingue’s .935 save percentage is tied for second among qualified goalies in the AHL. He is tied with Toronto’s Dennis Hildeby. Jesper Wallstedt (IA) is first with a .937 save percentage.
- With their weekend victories, the Wolf Pack (4-0-1-0) have clinched the season series from the Phantoms. They have collected nine of a possible ten points in the first five games of the six-game series.
- The Pack have won six in a row at home and are 8-2-0-0 at the XL Center this season. They have scored at least four goals in all eight of their victories and at least five goals in seven of those wins.
- The most potent offense in the Eastern Conference currently belongs to the Wolf Pack. Hartford’s 75 goals lead the East and place them second in the AHL. Only the Texas Stars (76) have scored more goals.
- Hartford’s 50 goals against is tied for the fourth fewest in the league with the Ontario Reign. The Bakersfield Condors (43) have proven to be the league’s stingiest team in the early going.
- The Wolf Pack will open five straight games against North Division opponents on Wednesday night. They’ll face the Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday at home, the Laval Rocket in Quebec on Friday and Saturday, and then host the Rochester Americans (12/15) and Toronto Marlies (12/17) the following weekend.
The Week Ahead:
- Wednesday, December 6th, 2023, Vs. Cleveland Monsters (7:00 p.m., XL Center, College Media Night)
- Friday, December 8th, 2023, @ Laval Rocket (7:00 p.m., Place Bell)
- Saturday, December 9th, 2023, @ Laval Rocket (3:00 p.m., Place Bell)
ABOUT OVG360:
OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more.
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.
