By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack
HARTFORD, CT – After closing the first half of their season with a 7-3 loss to the Utica Comets on Wednesday night, the Hartford Wolf Pack responded with a pair of victories over the Charlotte Checkers this past weekend.
The wins pushed the club to 18-17-2-1 on the season and 5-2-0-0 in their last seven games on the road.
Saturday, January 18th, 2025, at Charlotte Checkers (3-2 OTW): The Wolf Pack snapped their three-game losing streak on Saturday with a 3-2 victory in overtime over the Checkers.
Brandon Scanlin opened the scoring just 68 seconds into the hockey game, driving a shot by goaltender Chris Driedger. Blade Jenkins won an offensive zone faceoff to the right of Driedger directly back to Scanlin, who blasted home the game’s first goal.
Oliver Okuliar tied the game 1-1 at 18:48, tapping home a rebound on the power play for his eleventh goal of the season. Louis Domingue stopped Mike Benning’s initial shot, but the rebound sat in the crease for Okuliar.
Domingue was sensational in the second period, making 16 saves to keep it a 1-1 game through two periods.
Scanlin notched his second goal 7:10 into the third period, giving the Wolf Pack a 2-1 lead. Scanlin took a pass on the left-wing side, danced around Will Lockwood, and beat Driedger by the glove.
However, just over seven minutes later, John Leonard tied the game with his 16th season goal. Leonard maneuvered to the goal, waited out Domingue, and stuffed home a backhander.
Over time, Chad Ruhwedel would play the hero role at 4:24. Brennan Othmann blocked a shot and took possession into the neutral zone. There, he connected with Ruhwedel, who entered in on the right-wing side, walked into the right-wing circle, and beat Driedger by the glove.
Sunday, January 19th, 2025, at Charlotte Checkers (3-0 W): Dylan Garand made 34 saves on Sunday afternoon to collect his third shutout of the season for the Wolf Pack. Garand’s best game save came 5:35 into the second period when Leonard was awarded a penalty shot.
The veteran forward tried to beat Garand through the five-hole but was denied by the All-Star netminder.
Alex Belzile potted the game-winning goal 11:38 into the contest, converting on a breakaway. Blake Hillman hit Belzile with a perfect stretch pass in the neutral zone, springing the veteran forward in for the breakaway opportunity.
Bo Groulx extended the lead at 14:59, burying a one-timer on the club’s third power play of the afternoon. Brett Berard found Belzile in the bumper position, where he quickly tapped a pass to Groulx in the right-wing circle. Groulx’s one-timer cleanly beat Ken Appleby for his team-leading 13th goal of the season.
Hillman capped the scoring 15:29 into the second period, blasting home his third goal of the season from the left-wing point. Belzile played the puck up the wall for Hillman, whose shot snuck through traffic and beat Appleby.
Hillman finished the game with his first multi-point outing of the season, recording a goal and an assist. Belzile, meanwhile, recorded three points (1 g, 2 a) in the win.
Quick Hits:
- Belzile’s three-point (1 g, 2 a) outing against the Checkers on Sunday was his second against Charlotte this season. He scored three goals in the Wolf Pack’s 5-4 shootout win at the XL Center against the Checkers on Nov. 19.
- This weekend’s victories were the fourth and fifth in franchise history in Charlotte, NC.
- This weekend’s back-to-back sweep marks just the second time in franchise history that the Wolf Pack have won both games in Charlotte on a single trip. They also swept the Checkers back-to-back days on Jan. 10 and Jan. 11, 2023.
- Thanks to his victory on Saturday, Louis Domingue is now 3-0-0 against the Checkers this season.
The Week Ahead:
- Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, Vs. Laval Rocket (7:00 p.m., XL Center)
- Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, Vs. Rochester Americans (6:00 p.m., XL Center)
- Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, at Springfield Thunderbirds (3:05 p.m., MassMutual 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.
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