WOLF PACK BLANK BEARS 3-0 ON GARAND’S 31 SAVES
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – Dylan Garand has posted a shutout in back-to-back starts for the first time in his career. The netminder made 31 saves as the Wolf Pack blanked the back-to-back defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears 3-0 at the XL Center.
The win snapped a franchise-record 12-game point streak (10-0-2-0) for the Bears on the road.
Neither side could break through in the opening stanza, as both goaltenders turned in a solid 20 minutes. Garand made 12 saves in the period, keeping the Bears off the board. His best save came on forward Mike Vecchione, who was set up for a good look from the slot.
Hunter Shepard made four saves in the frame for the visitors, with his best stop coming in the final minute on a shot through traffic from Chad Ruhwedel.
The Wolf Pack opened the scoring 8:52 into the second period, striking on the power play. Jake Leschyshyn worked down the left-wing side before flinging a puck towards the goal, where Alex Belzile was crashing. The puck hit Shepard’s left pad and leaked through the five-hole to give the Wolf Pack a 1-0 lead.
The goal was Leschyshyn’s third in as many games, while it marked the second straight game in which the Wolf Pack notched a power play marker.
Bo Groulx picked up the primary assist on the goal, giving him a six-game assist streak and a seven-game point streak (2 g, 10 a). It was the first of two assists for him on the night.
The Wolf Pack continued to press in the middle frame, finally extending their lead with a five-on-five goal at 16:58. Matthew Robertson fired a shot from the point Nathan Sucese got a piece of. The puck zipped by Shepard and struck the back bar, making it 2-0.
The goal was Sucese’s first as a member of the Wolf Pack.
Leschyshyn extended the lead 15:05 into the third period, putting it away with his second goal of the game. Robertson fired a shot from the left-wing side that Leschyshyn tipped in front of the goal. The deflection snuck by Shepard to make it a 3-0 spread, effectively putting the result out of doubt.
Robertson’s assist was his career-high third of the night and eleventh of the season.
The Bears had an extended look at six-on-five late in the game with the net empty but could not solve Garand.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak (0-4-0-2) at the XL Center for the Wolf Pack against the Bears.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Saturday night when the Laval Rocket comes to town.
It’s Sonar’s birthday! Please help us celebrate our big guy in style. We’ll have a few of his closest friends on hand to ensure his day is unique. Sonar is such a caring guy that he wants to ensure his friends get something on his big day. The first 1,000 fans 12 and under will receive a Sonar Squishmellow!
We’ll also be hosting a toy drive benefitting Connecticut Children’s and Toys for Tots, so we ask that you please bring an unwrapped toy to donate.
The puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com.
About Oak View Group (OVG): Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues, and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues, either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
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.
