By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will get to see an old friend tonight for the first time in over a decade. The Cleveland Monsters come to the XL Center for the first time since February 13th, 2009, for the first game of a four-game season series.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of four meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Monsters this season and the first of two at the XL Center. The season series wraps up back in Hartford on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. The sides will play twice in Cleveland before then, with the games coming on January 26th and 27th at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Both puck drops in Ohio are scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
This is the first meeting between the sides since February 13th, 2009, when the then-Lake Erie Monsters came to the XL Center. The Wolf Pack won that game by a final score of 6-2, with defenseman Corey Potter notching the game-winning goal. Potter was named the game’s first star after collecting three points (2 g, 1 a), while Matt Zaba made 22 saves to pick up the victory.
Both P.A. Parenteau and Patrick Rissmiller had two points (1 g, 1 a) in the win for Hartford. Chris Durno and Tom Fritsche had the goals for Lake Erie. There were a combined 18 powerplays in the game, with the Monsters going 1-for-10 and the Wolf Pack going 3-for-8.
Tonight is the first time that the Wolf Pack will face the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets since April 10th, 2015. The Wolf Pack defeated the Springfield Falcons by a score of 5-0 that night.
The Wolf Pack and Monsters currently sit in second and third place in the Eastern Conference. The Wolf Pack sits in second with 30 points (14-4-2-0), while the Monsters are in third with 27 points (13-5-1-0).
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack won their sixth consecutive game on Saturday night, completing a weekend sweep of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with a 5-4 overtime decision. Trailing 2-0 after one period of play, Brennan Othmann sent the teddy bears flying just 1:13 into the middle period to make it a 2-1 game on ‘Teddy Bear Toss Night.’ 24 seconds later, Matt Rempe tied the game at 1:37 when he jammed home a loose puck at the side of the goal.
Karl Henriksson gave the Wolf Pack their first lead of the night at 16:52, completing a three-goal period when he deflected home a shot from Mac Hollowell. Brett Berard made it a 4-2 game 5:29 into the third period when he collected a blocked shot and lasered a second-chance opportunity over the glove of Felix Sandstrom.
The Phantoms responded 33 seconds later, however, as Jordy Bellerive fired a one-timer home from the right-wing circle at 6:02. Then, at 16:01, Garrett Wilson tipped a Ronnie Attard shot from the slot to tie the game 4-4 and force overtime.
After killing 38 seconds of penalty time to open the overtime, the Wolf Pack went on the powerplay at 1:51 when Samu Tuomaala was whistled for tripping. One second after the penalty expired, Othmann snapped the game-winner into the net at 3:52. The goal was Othmann’s first game-winner in the AHL.
Jonny Brodzinski, currently recalled by the parent New York Rangers (NHL), leads the Wolf Pack in both goals with eleven and points with 25 (11 g, 14 a). His 25 points are good for third in the AHL. Hollowell leads the club in assists, meanwhile, with 19. Those 19 assists are tied for the league lead and lead all AHL defensemen.
Monsters Outlook:
The Monsters scored five times in the opening period on Sunday against the Utica Comets, taking a 5-2 lead into the intermission. The club led 6-3 12:56 into the second period, as Emil Bemstrom extended the lead with his tenth goal of the season. However, the Monsters would surrender four unanswered goals, including three in the third period, to suffer a stunning 7-6 defeat on home ice.
Samuel Laberge tied the game at 12:50 of the third period for the Comets, then Daniil Misyul fired home the game-winning goal at 15:34 to complete the comeback.
Luca Del Bel Belluz notched a career-high three assists in the loss, while Bemstrom finished the afternoon with three points (1 g, 2 a). Owen Sillinger (1 g, 1 a) and Mikael Pyyhtia (2 a) also recorded multi-point outings.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Monsters and was their first defeat since a 7-5 loss to the Rochester Americans on November 18th.
Bemstrom leads the club in goals with ten in just eight games, while Trey Fix-Wolansky leads the club in points with 22 (6 g, 16 a) in just 16 games. His 22 points rank him tied for fourth in the AHL in scoring.
On Saturday, the parent Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) loaned goaltender Daniil Tarasov to the Monsters on a conditioning stint.
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.
The Wolf Pack hit the road for two games this weekend, traveling north to face the Laval Rocket on Friday night (7:00 p.m.) and Saturday afternoon (3:00 p.m.). Coverage of both games will be available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday, December 15th, when they welcome the Rochester Americans to town for their lone visit of the season! Be sure to join us for $2 beers and $2 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission! The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
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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.
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