WOLF PACK WEEKEND RECAP: JANUARY 13th, 2025
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack concluded their second three-in-three weekend of the season with a 1-2-0-0 record.
The club picked up back-to-back road victories for the first time this season but saw their home losing skid extend to four games.
Friday, January 10th, 2025, at Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-2 OTW): The Wolf Pack improved to 5-3-0-0 in their last eight games on the road thanks to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Phantoms on Friday night.
Massimo Rizzo opened the scoring 8:37 into the game, tipping in a shot from Louie Belpedio. Alex Belzile tied the game at 18:39, ripping home a shot from the right-wing circle on a feed from Nathan Sucese.
Adam Sýkora gave the Wolf Pack their first lead of the game 5:16 into the second period. Sýkora took a centering feed and beat Cal Petersen over the glove.
However, Alexis Gendron responded at 8:54, striking on the power play to make it a 2-2 game.
Petersen and Dylan Garand were strong in the third period, sending the sides to overtime.
In overtime, Victor Mancini elected to shoot on a two-on-one, beating Petersen’s top-shelf for his first AHL overtime goal.
Saturday, January 11th, 2025, Vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-0 L): The Phantoms responded on Saturday night, blanking the Wolf Pack at the XL Center. Garrett Wilson opened the scoring 14:07 into the second period, striking shorthanded.
After a turnover, Wilson entered the zone on a breakaway and elected to blast a shot from between the hash marks.
Emil Andrae made it 2-0 8:19 into the third period, waiting out a defenseman and then beating Louis Domingue. Despite a push late from the Wolf Pack, Rhett Gardner cemented the two points with an empty net goal from the neutral zone.
Sunday, January 12th, 2025, Vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (3-1 L): Ryder Korczak opened the scoring 3:37 into the second period, polishing off a pretty passing play. Sucese found Anton Blidh at the side of the goal on the right wing. Blidh then sent a feed to Korczak, who slammed home the ice-breaking goal.
The Thunderbirds scored three unanswered goals from there, however, claiming victory. Simon Robertsson lifted a backhander over Garand’s left pad at 6:20 of the second period, evening the tilt 1-1. Robertsson then took a turnover and snuck a shot by Garand at 19:08, making it 2-1 Thunderbirds.
The Wolf Pack controlled the third period, outshooting the Thunderbirds 19-6, but could not solve Colten Ellis. Hugh McGing hit the empty net at 18:02, giving the Thunderbirds a 5-2 edge in the head-to-head series.
Quick Hits:
- Sucese, thanks to his assist on Sunday, now has points in four of his last five games. He has one goal and four assists for five points in that span.
- Sucese recorded his first multi-point game with the Wolf Pack on Friday night, collecting two assists.
- The Wolf Pack welcomed over 10,000 fans to the XL Center on Saturday night as the franchise celebrated the 50th Anniversary of professional hockey in Hartford.
- Sýkora’s goal on Friday night was his eighth of the season, matching his total from his rookie campaign in 2023-24.
The Week Ahead:
- Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at Utica Comets (7:00 p.m., Adirondack Bank Center)
- Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at Charlotte Checkers (4:00 p.m., Bojangles Coliseum)
- Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, at Charlotte Checkers (4:00 p.m., Bojangles Coliseum)
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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.
