WOLF PACK WEEKEND RECAP: DECEMBER 23rd, 2024
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins split a home-and-home set over the weekend, with the road team prevailing in both. Following the back-to-back set, the Wolf Pack entered the holiday break with a record of 13-11-2-1.
Friday, December 20th, 2024, Vs. Providence Bruins (1-0 L): Tyler Pitlick’s rebound goal 5:42 into the second period on Friday night stood as the lone tally for the Bruins in their 1-0 win over the Wolf Pack.
Pitlick batted in a rebound off a Billy Sweezey shot from the right-wing circle, giving him his seventh goal of the season. It was Pitlick’s third goal against the Wolf Pack this season and his second game-winning goal in as many meetings.
Michael DiPietro improved to 3-0-0 against the Wolf Pack this season, making 21 saves to collect the shutout.
Despite the loss, Dylan Garand was spectacular in net for the Wolf Pack. He made a career-high 43 saves and was named the game’s first star.
Saturday, December 21st, 2024, at Providence Bruins (4-2 W): Former Bruin Anton Blidh struck twice for the Wolf Pack on Saturday night to help the team collect just its second victory on the road this season.
Blidh opened the scoring 12:35 into the game, intercepting a clearing attempt before weaving to the front of the net and waiting out Brandon Bussi. Blidh’s sixth goal of the season came unassisted.
Jaroslav Chmelař extended the lead at 16:27, poking home his fourth goal of the season. With the club’s second power play of the period ending, Adam Sýkora fired a shot from the right-wing circle that Sweezey blocked. Sýkora collected the loose puck after the shot block and chipped it toward the net, where Chmelař found it and stuffed it home to make it a 2-0 game.
Vinni Lettieri got the Bruins on the board at 19:44, blasting home a one-timer from the left-wing circle on the power play.
Trevor Kuntar was assessed 14 penalty minutes after the horn sounded to end the first period, giving the Wolf Pack a power play to open period two. Just 82 seconds into the period, Bryce McConnell-Barker scored his fifth goal of the season to extend the lead to 3-1.
Patrick Brown’s late power play marker made it a 3-2 game entering the third period, but the Wolf Pack were able to hold on thanks to three big penalty kills and seven saves from Louis Domingue.
Domingue made 30 saves to collect his fourth victory of the season.
Blidh then hit the empty net at 18:48, cementing the club’s 13th season victory.
Quick Hits:
- With two goals on Saturday night, Blidh has matched his 2023-24 output with seven goals thus far.
- McConnell-Barker’s goal on Saturday night was the first game-winning goal of his professional career.
- With two assists on Saturday night, forward Adam Sýkora has eleven on the season. He recorded 15 assists in 66 games as a rookie during the 2023-24 campaign.
The Week Ahead:
- Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, @ Springfield Thunderbirds (7:05 p.m., MassMutual Center)
- Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, Vs. Providence Bruins (6:00 p.m., XL Center)
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 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.
