By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack split a back-to-back set over the weekend, opening a four-game homestand with a 1-1-0-0 record. The club will wrap up the homestand with two games this week before hitting the road on Sunday for the first of three straight against the Providence Bruins.
Friday, December 6th, 2024, Vs. Rockford IceHogs (4-0 W): The Wolf Pack picked up their first shutout of the season on Friday night, as Dylan Garand made 24 saves to blank the IceHogs. With the win, Garand improved to 7-2-2 on the season.
Dylan Roobroeck opened the scoring 5:31 into the second period, burying a backhand chance in front for his fifth goal of the season. Jaroslav Chmelař extended the lead to 2-0 at 14:36, burying a rebound for his third goal of the season.
Jake Leschyshyn’s snipe from the slot 3:27 into the third period essentially put the game away, while Alex Belzile hit the empty net at 16:52 for his eighth campaign goal.
The win was the first in franchise history against the IceHogs. The club previously was 0-2-0-0 against the IceHogs, with both defeats coming by a score of 3-2 during the 2022-23 campaign.
Saturday, December 7th, 2024, Vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (6-2 L): Bryce McConnell-Barker struck 4:47 into the second period, scoring the ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ goal at the XL Center. However, the Wolf Pack were done in by a three-goal first period from the Penguins.
Valtteri Puustinen struck twice on the power play, while Joona Koppanen tipped home the eventual game-winning goal at 19:46 of the opening frame. Vasily Ponomarev scored a hat trick for the visitors, striking on the power play 7:39 into the second period and then twice shorthanded in the third.
He converted on a shorthanded two-on-one 3:28 into the final frame, then hit the empty net at 18:33 with the Wolf Pack pressing on a six-on-four advantage.
Leschyshyn had Hartford’s other goal in the defeat. He scored his third goal of the season at 9:25 of the second period, striking on a five-on-three power play with Koppanen and Boris Katchouk in the penalty box.
Quick Hits:
- McConnell-Barker became the third rookie in a row to score the ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ goal for the Wolf Pack. Will Cuylle (2022) and Brennan Othmann (2023) scored the club’s last two ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ goals.
- Belzile and Bo Groulx scored 21 points (8 g, 13 a) this season. They are tied with Providence’s Vinni Lettieri, Calgary’s Dryden Hunt, and Hershey’s Mike Sgarbossa for 13th in league scoring.
- Following his shutout on Friday night, Garand is tied for tenth in the AHL in save percentage with Providence’s Michael DiPietro and Rochester’s Devon Levi.
- Garand’s shutout was the sixth of his AHL career.
The Week Ahead:
- Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, Vs. Hershey Bears (7:00 p.m., XL Center)
- Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, Vs. Laval Rocket (6:00 p.m., XL Center)
- Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, @ Providence Bruins (4:05 p.m., Amica Mutual Pavilion)
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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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