By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack dropped a pair of regulation contests exiting the holiday break over the weekend, falling to 13-13-2-1 on the season.
The club opens a four-game road trip on Tuesday afternoon against the Springfield Thunderbirds. During their travels, they’ll also visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Bridgeport Islanders, and Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Friday, December 27th, 2024, at Springfield Thunderbirds (5-2 L): Despite a strong start, the Wolf Pack could never gain a lead in the latest installment of the ‘I-91 Rivalry’.
Sam Bitten opened the scoring 2:10 into the hockey game, burying a rebound for his first goal of the season. Bo Groulx tied the game at 19:52, blasting a one-timer from the left-wing circle off a feed from Alex Belzile, but that was as close as the Wolf Pack got it.
Matthew Kessel potted his second goal of the season from the right-wing circle 2:28 into the second period, giving the Thunderbirds a lead they never lost.
Matthew Peca extended the lead 8:36 into the third period while the sides battled four-on-four. He entered the offensive zone on the left-wing side and perfectly placed a shot top-shelf over Dylan Garand’s shoulder.
Belzile made it 3-2 at 10:51, tapping in a Nathan Sucese feed at the backdoor. Just 2:04 later, however, Marcus Sylvegard restored the two-goal lead with a shot from the right-wing circle.
Dylan Peterson hit the empty net at 19:25, putting the game away.
The Thunderbirds have won four straight in the head-to-head matchup and hold a 4-1 edge in the season series.
Saturday, December 28th, 2024, Vs. Providence Bruins (4-1 L): John Farinacci opened the scoring 1:40 into the hockey game, beating Louis Domingue on the night’s first shot with a backhand bid.
Two goals in 1:16 to kick off the second period put the Bruins out of reach, giving them a 3-0 lead. Georgii Merkulov buried a feed from the right-wing circle 55 seconds into the period. The goal stood as the eventual game-winning tally.
Max Jones then fired a long-range shot into traffic at 2:11 that snuck by Domingue to make it 3-0.
Jake Leschyshyn got Hartford on the board 13:12 into the third period, tipping home a Victor Mancini shot, but Matthew Poitras put the Bruins out of reach at 16:00 with an empty net tally.
Quick Hits:
- The Wolf Pack’s penalty kill was a perfect five-for-five over the weekend. They were three-for-three against the Thunderbirds and two-for-two against the Bruins.
- Groulx led the Wolf Pack with three points (1 g, 2 a) in the weekend’s two games.
- Forward Brennan Othmann made his first appearance since Oct. 19 on Friday night in Springfield. He recorded a five-on-five assist in the loss.
The Week Ahead:
- Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, at Springfield Thunderbirds (3:05 p.m., MassMutual Center)
- Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (6:05 p.m., Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza)
- Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Bridgeport Islanders (3:00 p.m., Total Mortgage Arena)
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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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