By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The 2023-24 regular season has ended. The Hartford Wolf Pack wrapped up the campaign with three games over the weekend, their final preparation for the upcoming 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Pack are enjoying a well-deserved day off on Monday. On-ice preparation will begin tomorrow for the First Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Friday, April 19th, 2024, Vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (3-2 W): The Wolf Pack ended the home portion of their season with a sweep of a three-game homestand on Friday night.
Bryan Yoon scored his second goal of the season 17:26 into the second period, burying a rebound after Joel Blomqvist denied a Bobby Trivigno shot from the right-wing circle.
Nikolas Brouillard made it 2-0 Wolf Pack 43 seconds into the third period, snapping a shot by Blomqvist’s glove for his fifth goal of the season.
The Penguins responded with two goals in 39 seconds, stunning the crowd and tying the game 2-2. Jack Rathbone waited out a sliding defender before snapping his ninth goal of the season by Louis Domingue at 7:58, making it a 2-1 game.
Thirty-nine seconds later, at 8:37, Austin Rueschhoff poked home a rebound for his 15th season goal to tie the game 2-2.
The Penguins got into penalty trouble late, however, taking slashing minors at 12:04 and 12:59. With Taylor Fedun and Dmitri Samorukov in the penalty box, the Wolf Pack took advantage of the ensuing five-on-three. Nic Petan blasted a one-timer from the right-wing circle that snuck by Blomqvist at 13:22. The goal, PetaPetPetaPetan’shh, proved to be the game-winner.
The Wolf Pack wrapped up their head-to-head series with the Penguins with two straight wins, finishing with a record of 3-3-0-0. The Penguins went 3-2-1-0 in the series. The home team dominated the season slate, going a perfect 6-0-0-0.
Saturday, April 20th, 2024, @ Springfield Thunderbirds (6-4 W): The Wolf Pack earned a split of the “-R’val’y”y’ Sa’uon’Saturdayday battling back on four separate occasions to knock off the Thunderbirds 6-4.
Springfield held leads of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3 but was unable to pull away in the season finale.
SahPanwPanPanwPanwar’sstsst AHL goal at 9:58 of the third period tied the game 4-4, as the rookie forward tipped in a shot from Blake Hillman to quiet the crowd once again. 2:06 later, at 12:04, Brennan Othmann gave the Wolf Pack their first lead of the night when he weaved into the slot sniped his 21st goal of the seasoOthmOthOthmOthmann’slssls second of the night and completed a three-point outing (2 g, 1 a).
Adam Sýkora hit the empty net at 18:36, completing the comeback for the Wolf Pack.
Defenseman Mac Hollowell picked up his 40th season assist as part of a two-point (1 g, 1 a) performance. He became the first Wolf Pack player since Taylor Beck in 2016-17 to record 40 assists in a single season. He was also a +5 in the game, which tied the franchise record for best single-game +/-.
Victor Mancini recorded the first two assists of his professional career in the victory. He finished the night with a career-high +4 rating.
Goaltender Hugo Ollas, who made his professional debut in the game, made 14 saves to collect his first career victory.
Sunday, April 21st, 2024, @ Providence Bruins (4-2 L): Jake Leschyshyn and Blake Hillman each scored SundSunSundSunday’ssonson, but a third-period goal by the Bruins would give Providence the last laugh in the ten-game season series.
Nick Zabaneh, who had signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) earlier in the day, converted a feed from Patrick Brown at 11:11 of the third period. The goaZabaZabZabaZabaneh’sstrofessionalnal, proved to be the game-winner.
Georgii Merkulov hit the empty net at 18:38, earning his first career 30-goal season and the first by a Bruin since Frank Vatrano in 2015-16.
Quick Hit’s ssists was the first by a Wolf Pack defenseman since Andrew Hutchinson in 2007-08. He finished second in the league among defensemen in assists withManiManManiManitoba’seancoeanco led the league with 42.
- Berard’s goal season ason was the second most by a rookie, trailing only Josh Doan of the Tucson Roadrunners (26). It is the first time since Ryan Callahan in 2006-07 that a Wolf Pack rookie finished in the top three in goal scoring.
- The Wolf Pack finished the 2023-24 season with a record of 34-28-7-3, good for 78 points and a fifth-place finish in the Atlantic Division.
- Forward Alex Belzile led the Wolf Pack in scoring in his first year with the club. He finished with 50 points (19 g, 31 a).
The Week Ahead:
- Thursday, April 25th, 2024, @ Charlotte Checkers (Game 1, 7:00 p.m., Bojangles Coliseum)
- Saturday, April 27th, 2024, @ Charlotte Checkers (Game 2, 4:00 p.m., Bojangles Coliseum)
- Sunday, April 28th, 2024, @ Charlotte Checkers (Game 3*, 4:00 p.m., Bojangles Coliseum)
* If nec.
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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 selection. It is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of Ranger’s newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
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