By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack convincingly opened their four-game homestand on Friday night, shutting out the Rockford IceHogs 4-0. Hartford’s penalty kill held Rockford to 0-for-5, while Dylan Garand made 24 saves for his first shutout of the season.
Dylan Roobroeck’s fifth goal of the season broke the ice and would be the game-winner. Jaroslav Chmelař worked the puck behind the net before feeding Ryder Korczak. Korczak eventually found Roobroeck unmarked in the slot, where he beat Drew Commesso up high with a nifty backhander at the 5:31 mark of the middle stanza.
In his season debut, Wolf Pack defenseman Case McCarthy nearly had the game’s first goal. McCarthy joined the play in the offensive zone before firing a low shot through a couple of bodies that beat everyone but the right post.
The club’s penalty kill turned in a spectacular period, killing off all three IceHogs power play opportunities.
Roobroeck’s goal at 5:31 of the second period broke the ice and was all the offense needed that night.
The trio of Roobroeck, Korczak, and Chmelař continued to assert themselves throughout the period, ultimately doubling the Wolf Pack’s lead at 14:36.
Chmelař potted a rebound from just outside the blue paint to make it a 2-0 game, following tries from Korczak and Roobroeck. Chmelar’s tally was his third of the year and his second point of the night (1 g, 1 a).
Roobroeck (1 g, 1 a) and Korczak (2 a) also picked up their second point of the game on the goal.
The Wolf Pack began pulling away in the early part of the third period as Jake Leschyshyn ripped home his second of the season off of a perfect feed from Adam Sýkora to make it 3-0 at 3:27.
McCarthy picked up a secondary assist on the goal for his first AHL point, capping off a strong season debut.
With under four minutes left, the IceHogs pulled the goaltender, searching for a spark. Bo Groulx won a faceoff and fed Alex Belzile, who put the game away with an empty netter from inside his zone. The goal was his eighth of the season.
The Pack is back at the XL Center tomorrow night when they welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to town for the annual ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ game! Fans are asked to bring a new or gently used teddy bear to the game, and as soon as the Wolf Pack scores their first goal, toss your bear onto the ice! We’ll collect and donate them from there.
All fans in attendance can stay on the concourse postgame to get some of their favorite players’ signatures! Player availability is subject to change.
The puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m.
Full-season tickets, 20-game plans, 12-game plans, flex plans, and single-game tickets for the 2024-25 season are on sale now! Visit hartfordwolfpack.com or call 860-722-9425 for more details!
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its 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.
