WOLF PACK WEEKEND PREVIEW: JANUARY 16th, 2025
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack open the second half of their season this weekend with a pair of games in Charlotte, NC. The games will wrap up a three-game road trip that opened with a 7-3 loss to the Utica Comets on Wednesday night.
Saturday, January 18th, 2025, @ Charlotte Checkers (4:00 p.m.)
Sunday, January 19th, 2025, @ Charlotte Checkers (4:00 p.m.): The Wolf Pack and Checkers will meet for the third and fourth times this season over the weekend. These two games are the first of four that will take place in North Carolina this season.
The Wolf Pack will make their second trip to Charlotte for two games on Feb. 15 and Feb. 16.
The Wolf Pack lead this head-to-head matchup 2-0 thanks to two victories at the XL Center in November.
They opened the head-to-head series with a 4-2 victory on Nov. 15. Tied 1-1 after 40 minutes, Victor Mancini broke the tie with his first goal of the season 3:23 into the third period. Brandon Scanlin then potted the eventual game-winning goal at 6:25, making it 3-1 at the time.
Current Wolf Pack captain and former Checkers defenseman Casey Fitzgerald cemented the win with a shorthanded, empty-net strike at 17:19.
A wild 5-4 shootout decision was the Wolf Pack’s second win on Nov. 19. Leading 3-1 after two periods of play, the Wolf Pack were stunned when the Checkers scored three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead by the 9:37 mark of the final frame.
However, Alex Belzile struck on the power play at 10:23, tying the game and forcing overtime.
Belzile, who had a hat-trick in the game, scored the lone shootout goal to give the Wolf Pack the comeback victory.
Louis Domingue made 41 saves to pick up the win for the Wolf Pack.
The veteran netminder is 2-0-0 against the Checkers this season with a .912 save percentage.
Chris Driedger is 0-1-1 in net for the Checkers in the season series with a .854 save percentage.
Quick Hits:
- Belzile leads the Wolf Pack with three goals in the head-to-head matchup against the Checkers this season.
- Kyle Criscuolo, meanwhile, leads the Checkers with three points (2 g, 1 a) against the Wolf Pack.
- Checkers forward Justin Sourdif has 36 penalty minutes in two games against the Wolf Pack this season.
- Following his goal Wednesday night in Utica, forward Bo Groulx leads the Wolf Pack with 12 goals.
- The Wolf Pack concluded their first half of the season with a record of 16-17-2-1.
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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.
