WOLF PACK FALL TO CHECKERS IN HOMESTAND OPENER
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack opened a season-long, six-game homestand on Wednesday night at the XL Center. Despite scoring on both the powerplay and the penalty kill, the Pack fell 4-2 to the Charlotte Checkers in the first of eight games against their division rival.
It would be Checkers forward Gerry Mayhew’s ninth of the season that proved to be the game-winner at the 14:51 mark of the third period. Mayhew found his way to the front of the net and connected on a behind-the-net feed from Patrick Khodorenko to give the Checkers a 3-2 lead. The goal came 2:51 after Hartford tied the game while shorthanded.
Scoring chances were few and far between in the opening minutes of the contest. Still, the Pack got their first powerplay opportunity of the evening at 6:47 of the first period as Checkers defenseman Uvis Balinskis went off for slashing.
The Checkers’ penalty kill unit gave the Wolf Pack some trouble early, but it would be Karl Henriksson, with just under 30 seconds left on the man advantage, who notched his eighth goal of the season to open the scoring. Henriksson buried a short side shot above Spencer Knight’s right shoulder to make it 1-0 Wolf Pack. The goal was Henriksson’s eighth of the season, a new career high.
The Checkers’ response was swift and felt as they recorded the next nine shots of the game. The offensive pressure led to the tying goal at 11:39 as Cameron Morrison converted on a rebound in tight to beat Dylan Garand for his second tally of the season, making it a 1-1 game.
Shortly after the Charlotte goal, Anton Blidh went off for holding at 12:17 to give the Checkers their first powerplay of the night. Just over a minute into the man advantage, Charlotte’s leading scorer, Lucas Carlsson, provided the go-ahead tally. Carlsson gloved down a clearing attempt, then fired a shot into traffic. The bid clipped off of a Hartford defender and found the back of the net at 13:30. The goal was Carlson’s team-leading 13th of the season.
In the middle stanza, Hartford gained offensive momentum, with Blake Hillman and Adam Sýkora hitting the iron. Charlotte had a surge of their own in the final minutes of the period, shortly after the Pack killed off a Mackey penalty. Garand was the story in this period, capping off a strong performance with a great save in the final seconds off of Zac Dalpe.
The Pack opened the third period with many strong shifts, as Artem Anisimov and Blidh got some early shots on Knight. The Checkers returned the favor with some high-danger chances, testing Garand. Blidh went off for tripping at 10:30, allowing Charlotte to extend their lead.
Brett Berard gave the building life, scoring the first shorthanded goal of his professional career on a breakaway to tie the game at two apiece at noon. Berard took a loose puck that rocketed off of Henriksson just inside the Hartford zone, then went top-shelf on Knight for his team-leading 13th goal.
However, Charlotte got to work immediately following the tying goal and regained the flow of play. This led to their eventual game-winning goal, courtesy of Mayhew. An empty netter from Rasmus Asplund at 18:32 sealed the 4-2 win for the Checkers.
The Wolf Pack march ahead on their six-game homestand, hosting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this Friday night. 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.
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 its formation in 1997. It is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers’ faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
