BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Topsy-turvy season for the Hartford Wolf Pack will get a semblance of a “regular” season’s normalcy with two games in three days against the Providence Bruins at home in the XL Center Saturday and Tuesday at 1 PM.
The team is ready for some game action.
“We’ve been working all week. We’re ready to play at this point. We have worked on many aspects to put them in play. We’re all ready to go,” remarked Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch.
With the way the season has progressed to this point tedium can be a problem.
“It would seem that could happen, but with such a short schedule, everybody is working toward playing. Nothing has been optimal this year, so we make the best of the situation.”
LINEUP CHANGES
There will be some lineup changes at both forward and on defense. Jonny Brodzinski is on call-up with the New York Rangers and played in Friday night’s 6-2 win over the Boston Bruins at MSG. The game had 2,000 fans, the first time they’ve been allowed in The Garden since the Covid pandemic ended play last season.
Brodzinski earned high praise from his AHL head coach.
“He’s been our best forward so far, and he worked hard every game and every practice. He has really earned going up.”
The changes in his lines were still being formulated on Friday, and Knoblauch wasn’t set with whether he will be making one change on defense with the recall of Tarmo Reunanen, who, like Brodzinski, has earned high marks for his play in Hartford.
“He has done a good job with reading and reacting. He has handled the puck well and distributed it well and has a good shot. We had been working on his game pacing and because the game is so much faster at the NHL level.”
Likely, the team will also (finally) see Adam Huska in the net in one of the two games against the Bruins. Knoblauch still isn’t sure what his goaltending rotation will be.
It seems Huska has been a lost man having yet to play and only suited up for one game.
Perceptions can be deceiving, though. He has played three games this season in his native Slovakia in the fall.
GOALIE ISSUES
“It’s the schedule and the number of goalies we have, which really are four, Tyler (Wall), Dylan (Garand), and Adam. Toss in Keith Kinkaid, who came down from New York and played in the first two games. There are only so many games, and we’re trying to get everyone in the mix. It’s not easy, but Adam is a part of that mix.”
Forward Justin Richards is expected back from his lower-body injury. Gabriel Fontaine will be out Saturday, but there is light at the end of that tunnel.
“I think Gabby will be back on Tuesday as of now and should be ready to go.”
The team also has to keep their extra’s on their “AHL taxi squad” ready to go. They had practice after last Sunday’s game, another by-product of the shortened pandemic-induced season.
“It’s not optimal, but when you have all one o’clock games, the schedule is all different than we’re used to. We have had to do many things very differently, and you want to get guys the time, and we’re going to have lineup and roster changes. It’s the nature of the AHL as it is. This season, it’s a little more complicated than usual.”
LOOKING IN THE MIRROR
The Baby Bruins have a 4-2 record and come off a 3-2 loss to Bridgeport on Thursday with Dan Vladar in goal. Jeremy Swayman will likely be in the net after he had some early-season success against the Wolf Pack.
The Bruins mirror the Wolf Pack with plenty of youth up front and led by a veteran in Paul Carey (Salisbury School).
“He’s such a strong skater and gets down low and protects the puck well and uses his forwards very well. We have to keep an eye on them and really be aware of defensively where the forwards are,” remarked forward Ty Ronning, who will be in the lineup for his second straight game.
NEW XL CHILLER RUNNING WELL
The XL Center’s brand new chiller and ice system that has been all redesigned the last two years meets with approval from a coach and player.
“I like the surface. It’s hard, and we want to play a fast game, and we’re tinkering with the temps, but for the most part, it really helps us in our game,” remarked Knoblauch.
“We cut the ice pretty hard, and it holds up very well, and I like playing a really fast game, so I like it a lot,” added Ronning. He also appreciates all the work that goes into it. “All the folks who work on this are out there every day like us, and they have done an outstanding job preparing this under, what we all know, are tough circumstances, and we really are benefitting from all their hard work.”
