HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack returned to the XL Center on Wednesday night, looking to stay alive in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. However, the clock struck midnight on the Wolf Pack’s Cinderella run, as three unanswered goals led the Hershey Bears to a 3-1 decision and eliminated the Wolf Pack from the playoffs.

Lucas Johansen potted the eventual game-winner 4:22 into the final stanza. A four-on-four sequence began after Beck Malenstyn and Will Cuylle were called for hooking penalties at 3:51 and 4:07, respectively. Mike Vecchione corralled the puck behind the Hartford net and snapped a pass to Johansen, powering into the slot. Johansen blasted the puck over the glove of Louis Domingue to give the Bears their first lead of the game and eventually send Hershey to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Wolf Pack opened the scoring late in the opening period. Ryan Carpenter collected the puck behind the Hershey net and attempted a wraparound that Hunter Shepard denied. The puck popped right back to Carpenter, who snuck a pass through the blue paint to Turner Elson streaking towards the goal. Elson unleashed a shot over a diving Shepard to give the Wolf Pack the game’s first lead. It was the second time Elson has found the twine in the playoffs.

Hershey answered back just over the 15-minute mark of the second period. A delayed penalty was called against Hartford, and Vecchione collected the puck before the Pack could touch it up. Vecchione snapped a pass to Vincent Iorio, who sped into the offensive zone and ripped a shot that found the back of the Hartford net to even the contest at one. The goal was Iorio’s first career playoff marker.

Hershey had an opportunity to take the lead when Sam Anas was awarded a penalty shot at 3:28 of the final stanza. However, Domingue made an excellent glove save to keep the score even and keep Hartford’s hopes alive.

Johansen scored his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal at 4:22 of the third period, however, putting the Bears ahead for good in the deciding game of this series.

Garrett Pilon tacked on an insurance marker at 7:25 of the third frame, burying the rebound from a Connor McMichael shot to put the Bears up by two.

The Wolf Pack pushed for an answer late in the third period, with Domingue lifted in favor of the extra skater. However, Shepard held strong, preventing the Wolf Pack from working their way back into the tilt and sending the Bears to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Make sure to follow the Wolf Pack on all their social media pages for information on the 2023-24 season. The Wolf Pack thank you for all of your support throughout the 2022-23 campaign, and we hope to see you in the fall!

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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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK SEASON ENDS WITH 3-1 LOSS TO HERSHEY BEARS first appeared on Howlings.

HERSHEY, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack struck on the powerplay for the second consecutive game on Saturday night, but ultimately the Pack couldn’t solve Hunter Shepard at five-on-five. The Hershey goaltender made 25 saves to preserve a 4-2 victory in Game Two for the Bears. The Bears now lead the Atlantic Division Finals 2-0 and can eliminate Hartford on Wednesday night.

Mike Vecchione scored his second goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs 8:48 into the second period, giving the Bears a 3-1 lead at the time. Ethen Frank fired a shot that Dylan Garand denied, but the rebound popped to Henrik Borgstrom. Borgstrom settled things down behind the Hartford net, then sent a centering pass to Vecchione in the slot. Vecchione fired a quick shot that beat Garand for the eventual game-winning marker.

The Bears struck just 3:12 into the game, taking advantage of an early powerplay. Joe Snively danced into the Wolf Pack zone, then floated a pass to Mason Morelli. Morelli sped his way to the net and slid a backhand shot under Garand’s pad for his third postseason goal.

Hartford’s powerplay would strike for the third time in the series, evening the tilt 1-1 at the 11:32 mark. Just seconds into the advantage, Ryan Carpenter hit Will Cuylle in the slot with a centering pass. Cuylle uncorked a shot that beat Shepard for his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal.

Just 72 seconds later, however, the Bears would regain the lead for good. Beck Malenstyn was fed on an odd-man rush by Morelli and broke toward the goal unabated. Malenstyn ripped a shot by the blocker of Garand for his second goal of the playoffs.

Vecchione collected the only goal of the middle stanza, making it 3-1 at 8:48.

The Bears made it a 4-1 game and ended the drama 13:14 into the third period. Logan Day’s clearing attempt went off the stick of Ty Emberson but clipped the official in the neutral zone. The puck bounced to Aliaksei Protas, who fed Hendrix Lapierre in the offensive zone. Lapierre snapped a shot by Garand for his second goal of the playoffs, sending the crowd of over 9,500 into a frenzy.

Adam Clendening fired a point shot that snuck through a screen and beat Shepard at 15:09, but that would be as close as the Pack could get on this night. The Bears’ stout defense held Hartford off in the final moments despite a strong push with the extra attacker.

The Wolf Pack returns to the XL Center for Game Three of the best-of-five series on Wednesday, May 17^th. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit HERE.

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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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK DOUBLED UP BY HERSHEY BEARS IN GAME 2 first appeared on Howlings.

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HERSHEY, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack are on the brink of Calder Cup playoff elimination after a 4-2 loss to the Hershey Bears in Game 2 and now trail two games to none in the best-of-five Atlantic Division Finals. It will be a win-or-go-home situation for the Pack as the series shifts to the XL Center in Hartford for Game 3 on Wednesday at 7 PM.

The Bears were dominant both physically and defensively all over the ice.

Hershey’s Mark Vecchione scored what would prove to be the game-winner at 8:48 of the second period when he got between three Wolf Pack defenders in the slot. Henrik Borgstrom was behind the Pack net and found him open. Unfortunately, the Wolf Pack’s Libor Hájek had broken his stick, forcing him to drop it. Without it, he was unable to defend Borgstrom’s pass. For Vecchione, it was his second goal of the playoffs, making the score 3-1. Ethen Frank got his second point of the playoffs with the secondary assist.

The Bears would add insurance in the third period, tallying their fourth goal and restoring a two-goal margin that Hartford wouldn’t overcome.

Dylan Garand (26 saves) stopped Riley Sutter after a backhand feed from Mason Morelli. Still, the Pack could not clear the zone as defenseman Brandon Scanlin and forward Bobby Trivigno could not control the biscuit behind the net.

An unfortunate bad bounce didn’t help the Pack when the puck went off linesman Jud Ritter, further trapping the Wolf Pack. The puck found Aleiaksei Protoas on the right wing, who sent a cross-ice pass to Hendrix Lapierre, who snapped a shot to the short side off on one of many odd-man rushes against the Pack. The goal made it 4-1 and came at 13:14 of the third period.

To their credit, the Pack kept pressing forward.

At 15:09, Adam Clendening was at the right point after taking Wyatt Kalynuk’s pass. Anton Blidh set a screen in front of goalie Hunter Shepard. Blidh times a jump perfectly as the puck sailed by Shepard to make it 4-2. But, unfortunately, that would be as close as the Wolf Pack would get.

The goal was the first and only five-on-five series goal for the Wolf Pack.

The Bears had the second period’s only goal as they held the Wolf Pack to just five shots.

FIRST PERIOD

Just 11 seconds into the contest, Zac Jones lost his footing, and Beck Malenstyn took advantage, going wide. That forced Jones to slide to try and stop him. But, instead, Jones knocked the net off its magnetic pegs.

At 1:52, Blidh put a shot over Shepherd’s glove but went off the post.

A defensive zone turnover, which would continue to plague the Pack all game long, led to three Bears quality chances. Two came from Joe Snively, who missed the net, and the third from Connor McMichaels, who initially got the puck on the Pack’s doorstep but couldn’t register the goal.

The Pack was in the same situation as Game One, being dramatically outshot. They were down 6-1 in shots in the first six minutes.

Hájek took a selfish and unnecessary penalty drilling Morelli into the side of the net from behind. It sent the Bears to the power play.

Hershey capitalized on the Hájek penalty. Mason Morelli was wide open on the left-wing side. He shuffled a pass over to Brock Malenstyn, who snapped a shot upstairs and into the net at 3:12 to make it 1-0.

The Wolf Packed used their first powerplay effectively as Ryan Carpenter outworked Gabriel Carlsson behind the net and found Will Cullye in front. He snapped it over Shepard’s glove hand to even the game at one at 11:32.

1:12 after the Pack tied the score, they found themselves trailing again. At 12:44, Malenstyn broke into the zone on a two-on-one with Morelli. He was open and blasted it upstairs past Garand with Adam Clendening trailing on the play.

Nearly 11 minutes in, the shot advantage favored the Bears 10-3.

If the Pack are to survive and get back into this series, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch will have a lot of work to do to get their game back to where it was against Providence, or they could find themselves watching the remainder of the playoffs from the golf course.

LINES:

Brodzinski – Carpenter – Cullye
Fritz – Pajuniemi – Blidh
Leschyshyn – Gettinger – Lockwood
Elson – Henriksson – Trivigno

Jones – Emberson
Hájek – Scanlin
Kalynuk – Clendening

Garand
Domingue

SCRATCHES:

Blake Hillman (healthy)
Talyn Boyko #40
Matt Rempe (healthy)
Adam Edström  (healthy)
Louie Roehl #4 (healthy)
Brett Berard #27 (healthy)
Matt Robertson (upper body, may return in the latter half of this round of the playoffs)
Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery)
C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season)

NOTES:

The Wolf Pack received good news yesterday. The AHL reduced Adam Clendening’s suspension to the two games he’s already sat out for his Game 3 hit on Fabian Lysell in the series against the Providence Bruins, making him available for Game 2. He was paired with Kalynuk. Blake Hillman was the odd man out.

18 AHL players have signed for Europe for next year.

In Winnipeg in Game 1 of the WHL championship, the Winnipeg Ice Head Coach is former Hartford Whaler/New York Ranger James Patrick. After a nine-day layoff, the Ice defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-2. Easton Armstrong, the son of Wolf Pack great Derek Armstrong, was held to no points and shots for the first two series games at the Life Canada Centre, home of the NHL Winnipeg Jets. Seattle won Game 2, 4-2, as Brad Lambert, nephew of former Bridgeport Sound Tigers head coach and New Haven Nighthawks player, Lane Lambert, had two goals and was a plus-four.

In the ECHL Kelly Cup playoffs, the Pack’s Double AA affiliate, the Jacksonville Icemen, were down three games to one to South Division in-state rival, the Florida Everblades. The teams traveled to Florida for Game 5, and the Icemen won 6-3 to force a Game 6 on Monday.

News on a trio of ex-Sound Tigers, Travis St. Denis (Quinnipiac University) switches teams in Germany going from EHC Straubing (Germany-DEL) and signs with ERC Ingolstadt for next year. Also, Jesse Graham changes teams in the Russian-based KHL from Barys Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) to HK Sochi (Russia). Johan Sundström, heads from Frölunda HC (Sweden-SHL) to Sport Vassa (Finland-FEL).

Ex-Pack and ex-Sound Tiger, Andrew Rower, leaves SC Rapperswill-Jona (Switzerland-LNA) and signs for next season with ERC Ingolstadt (Germany-DEL).

The long-time head coach of Middlebury (VT) College (NESCAC), Neal Sinclair, abruptly resigned. The team has won five national Division III titles during his tenure. A search began immediately for his replacement.

In yesterday’s WHL Priority Draft, just one notable name was taken. Masen McCosh, of the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes U-14 (T1EHL) program, was selected by the Calgary Hitmen in the first round (14th overall) in the US portion of the draft. McCosh is the youngest son of one-time New Haven Nighthawk and New Haven Senator Shawn McCosh. His oldest son Michael is at Buffalo St. (SUNYAC), and the boy’s uncle Shayne, played 18 games with the Springfield Falcons.

The IIHF World Hockey Championship began on Friday in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia.

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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK MAULED BY HERSHEY BEARS IN GAME TWO first appeared on Howlings.

HERSHEY, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Thursday night at the Giant Center in Game One of the Atlantic Division Finals against the Hershey Bears but couldn’t get the game over the finish line. The Bears struck twice in the final frame, forcing overtime that they quickly ended on their way to a 3-2 victory.

Henrik Borgstrom entered the Wolf Pack zone on a two-on-one just minutes into overtime. Borgstrom walked into the right-wing faceoff circle, pulled up, and fired a shot that beat Dylan Garand for his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal just 4:41 into the first overtime period. The goal came off the Bears’ third odd-man rush of the period, as Hershey outshot Hartford 5-1 in the stanza.

Hartford opened the scoring after a wild few minutes, converting their first powerplay of the series. Zac Jones fired a shot from the left-wing circle that Hunter Shepard denied, but the rebound kicked to the top of the crease. There, Lauri Pajuniemi drove and found the loose change, which he chipped over Shepard for his fourth goal of the playoffs. The goal scored at 6:55 was Hartford’s third powerplay tally of the postseason.

Late in the period, forward Anton Blidh needed medical attention on the Wolf Pack bench. As a result, the first period was halted with 2:39 remaining. Blidh received treatment for a non-life-threatening upper-body injury after collapsing on the bench and was cleared to return to action.

When play resumed, the Wolf Pack extended their lead with their second powerplay goal of the night. Hartford’s top powerplay unit chimed in with Gabriel Carlsson in the penalty box for cross-checking. Tanner Fritz sent a pass into the left-wing circle that Brodzinski blasted home for his first goal of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Hartford would take a 2-0 lead into the third period, but the Bears quickly made things interesting. With Will Lockwood in the box for roughing, Logan Day stepped into a blast that beat Garand by the glove, rang the post, and found the twine just 2:52 into the final frame.

With Shepard sprinting to the bench and the Bears pressing, Hershey finally found the equalizer. Jake Massie stepped into a shot from the point that clipped Connor McMichael and found the back of the net at 17:51. The goal tied the game at 2-2 and forced the first overtime of the playoffs for both teams.

In overtime, Borgstrom ripped home the winner in his playoff debut, completing the comeback for the Bears and giving them a 1-0 series lead.

Game Two of the Atlantic Division Finals is set for Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at the Giant Center.

The Wolf Pack returns to the XL Center for Game Three of the best-of-five series on Wednesday, May 17^th. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit HERE.

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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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK OT LOSS IN GAME ONE TO HERSHEY BEARS first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Hershey Bears will face off in the Atlantic Division Finals in Round Three of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Division Finals series will be a best-of-five matchup and will follow a ‘two-two-one’ home ice format.

The Bears, who finished second in the Atlantic Division during the regular season with a 44-19-5-4 record, will hold home-ice advantage during the series. The Bears beat the Charlotte Checkers 3-1 in the Atlantic Division Semifinals, while the Wolf Pack defeated the Providence Bruins 3-1.

The series will kick off at the Giant Center on Thursday night, May 11^th, with the puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. The series will shift to the XL Center in downtown Hartford for Game Three on Wednesday, May 17^th, at 7:00 p.m. If necessary, the Wolf Pack would host Game Four at the XL Center on Friday, May 19^th.

The full Atlantic Division Finals series schedule is as follows:

Game 1: Thursday, May 11^th, @ Hershey (Giant Center, 7:00 p.m.)
Game 2: Saturday, May 13^th, @ Hershey (Giant Center, 7:00 p.m.)
Game 3: Wednesday, May 17^th, @ Hartford (XL Center, 7:00 p.m.)
Game 4*: Friday, May 19^th, @ Hartford (XL Center, 7:00 p.m.)
Game 5*: Tuesday, May 23^rd, @ Hershey (Giant Center, 7:00 p.m.)
*If necessary

Single-game tickets for the Atlantic Division Finals go on sale Monday, May 8^th, at 12:00 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit HERE.

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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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK TO FACE HERSHEY BEARS IN ATLANTIC DIVISION FINALS first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – After falling to the Providence Bruins in Game Three on Wednesday, the Hartford Wolf Pack returned to the XL Center for Game Four of the Atlantic Divisional Semifinals on Friday night with a trip to the Divisional Finals in sight. Dylan Garand had another stellar outing, making 32 saves and earning his second shutout of the Calder Cup Playoffs to lead the Wolf Pack to a 4-0 win over the Bruins and a trip to the Atlantic Division Finals.

Turner Elson broke the ice 3:40 into the opening period. Lauri Pajuniemi collected the puck behind the Providence net and found Ryan Carpenter in the right-wing circle. Carpenter quickly snapped a pass to Elson, who was positioned in the slot. Elson attempted to jam the puck home, but Brandon Bussi denied the attempt. However, Elson grabbed his rebound and managed to sneak the puck past Bussi on the short side, giving the Wolf Pack a lead they would not lose.

The tally was Elson’s fifth career Calder Cup Playoff goal and stood as his first playoff game-winner.

Jake Leschyshyn stretched the lead to two about five minutes into the middle stanza. Tim Gettinger sped into the Providence zone and took a shot that Bussi denied. Multiple bodies crashed the net, looking for the rebound that Leschyshyn found, and managed to tip over the red line and into the Providence net. Officials reviewed the play before ultimately awarding Leschyshyn his first Calder Cup Playoff goal.

Hartford’s lead grew to three just over the 15-minute mark of the second period. The Bruins attempted to clear the puck out of their zone, but Ty Emberson’s tip of a pass allowed it to trickle to Jonny Brodzinski alone to the left of the net. Brodzinski took a shot that Bussi turned away, but the rebound was kicked directly into the right-wing circle, where Carpenter blasted a shot by a diving Bussi to stretch the lead to three. The goal was Carpenter’s 13^th career tally in the Calder Cup Playoffs and his second with the Wolf Pack.

Providence lifted Bussi in favor of the extra skater with about eight minutes remaining in the third period. Still, Leschyshyn blasted his second goal of the game into the empty net at 12:18 of the period. The assists on the goal came from Gettinger and Elson, each earning their second point of the night. Gettinger has earned seven points in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, tied for the team lead with Tanner Fritz.

The Bruins challenged Garand throughout the final period, firing twelve shots on goal, but the rookie netminder denied all twelve attempts to preserve the victory. With the win, Hartford clinched the series by a 3-1 margin.

The Wolf Pack will take on the Hershey Bears in the Atlantic Division Finals. The series begins at the Giant Center in Hershey on Thursday, May 11^th. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.

The Wolf Pack returns to the XL Center for Game Three of the best-of-five series on Wednesday, May 17^th. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit HERE.

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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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK SHUTOUT PROVIDENCE BRUINS, ADVANCE TO FACE HERSHEY BEARS first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will look to bounce back following their first loss of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs tonight when they host the Providence Bruins in Game Four of their Atlantic Division Semifinals series. The Wolf Pack lead the series 2-1.

Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.

Tale of The Tape:

The Wolf Pack and Bruins met ten times during the 2022-23 season, with Hartford winning the series 6-4. Both teams collected points in seven of the ten meetings, with the Wolf Pack going 6-3-1-0 and the Bruins posting a record of 4-3-3-0. However, the Wolf Pack won each of the final three regular season meetings and extended the winning streak to five games after victories in Games One and Two.

In Game Three, however, the Bruins found their way back into the win column with a 6-3 decision that kept their season alive. Justin Brazeau jammed a rebound 15:54 into the game on the powerplay, giving the Bruins a lead they would never lose. Oskar Steen made it 2-0 with just .2 seconds left in the stanza, tipping a shot home for his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal.

Luke Toporowski made it 3-0 14:03 into the second period, snapping home his second goal of the playoffs. Zac Jones got Hartford on the board at 19:35 with a four-on-three powerplay goal, while Tim Gettinger struck 2:18 into the third period with a shorthanded marker to make it a 3-2 game. Jack Ahcan buried a breakaway goal at 5:58, however, restoring the two-goal lead. It would also stand as the game-winner.

Lauri Pajuniemi tipped home a goal at 13:34, but the Bruins cemented the win with empty-net goals from Brazeau and Vinni Lettieri in the final 92 seconds.

The series now stands at 2-1 in favor of Hartford. The Wolf Pack will advance to the Atlantic Division Finals with a victory tonight.

Wolf Pack Outlook:

The Wolf Pack had their four-game winning streak in the Calder Cup Playoffs and five-game winning streak against the Bruins broken on Wednesday night. The loss also snapped a six-game winning streak for the club at the XL Center.

Gettinger’s shorthanded marker on Wednesday night was the 20^th shorthanded goal in Wolf Pack playoff history. He is the 14^th player to record a shorthanded goal in the playoffs in club history.

Anton Blidh finished the night with one assist and a +1 rating. His playoff +/- of +10 leads the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs and is tied for sixth in Wolf Pack history for all-time playoff +/-. Ty Emberson is also a +10 during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, tied with Blidh for the league lead and sixth all-time in club history.

Tanner Fritz leads the club in playoff scoring with seven points (1 g, 6 a) through five games. Pajuniemi, meanwhile, paces the club in goals with three.

Bruins Outlook:

The Atlantic Division champion Bruins snapped a six-game losing streak in the Calder Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night. It was the club’s first playoff win since a 4-2 victory on April 21^st, 2019, against the Charlotte Checkers.

Ahcan’s game-winning goal on Wednesday night was the first goal of his Calder Cup Playoff career. Four of the five Bruins to score goals during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs scored their first career playoff goals. In addition to, Ahcan, Brazeau, Toporowski, and Steen have all scored their first goals in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Brazeau leads the Bruins in scoring with three points (2 g, 1 a) through three games. He and Toporowski are tied for the team lead in goals with two during these playoffs.

Game Information:

WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr

Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.

Should the Wolf Pack win tonight, the club will advance to the Atlantic Division Final. A Bruins victory, however, will force a Game Five. Game Five, if necessary, will occur at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Sunday, May 7^th, at 7:05 p.m. For playoff ticket information, please visit HERE.

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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The post PRE-GAME REPORT: HARTFORD WOLF PACK AIM FOR REBOUND IN GAME FOUR VS. PROVIDENCE BRUINS first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers Assistant General Manager and Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced today that the club has loaned goaltender Parker Gahagen to the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen.

Gahagen, 29, has posted a record of 17-8-1 in 33 games with the Icemen this season. He’s also recorded a .911 save percentage, 2.69 goals against average, and two shutouts in his first season with the club.

The native of Amherst, New York, played in two AHL games during the 2021-22 season with the Milwaukee Admirals, posting a record of 0-1-0 with a .906 save percentage. In 12 career AHL games with Admirals, Colorado Eagles, Toronto Marlies, and San Jose Barracuda, Gahagen has posted a record of 5-4-0 with an .885 save percentage.

The Wolf Pack play host to the Providence Bruins for Game Four of their Atlantic Division Semifinals series tomorrow night, May 5^th, at the XL Center. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.; tickets are available HERE.

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 public 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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The post HARTFORD WOLF PACK LOAN GOALTENDER PARKER GAHAGEN TO ECHL’S JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – The Providence Bruins received multi-point nights from Jack Ahcan, Oskar Steen, and Josiah Didier, and two goals from Justin Brazeau to deny a Hartford Wolf Pack comeback effort in a 6-3 win at the XL Center on Wednesday in Game 3 in the best-of-five series.

The Wolf Pack lead the series 2-games-to-1 with game 4 to be played at the XL Center on Friday at 7:00 PM.

“We didn’t have the start we wanted to. We gave up chances. When you get guys back, and they return to your lineup, there’s always a tendency that guys take a breath and figure they’ll take over, that they will do it for you.

“The players that got you here don’t feel the need to play the way they were. In the third period, we had a good pushback. There was a chance to tie the game. We had opportunities. We were inches from tying the game up and going to overtime.

“I saw something out there that was out of character for us. We didn’t play the way we have. We’re going to have to put it behind us and get ready for Friday,” Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said.

The Pack’s fourth-year bench boss gave props to the Bruins.

“Players know it’s going to be hard. That’s a good team. They won the Atlantic Division, so to sweep them in three was pretty much unrealistic before the series started. We’re not going to win that last game until we get back and play the game with the details, and we got away from the things we usually do,” Knoblauch stated. “That will be addressed by the coaching staff. I don’t think nothing much has to be said. They know it too. We’ll be ready for Friday.”

THIRD PERIOD

In the third period, the Pack scored a shorthanded goal early to cut the lead to one goal and began to rally a comeback that would ultimately come up short.

Anton Blidh was able to get two shots on the net. Tim Gettinger followed in and blasted his second goal past a screened Brandon Bussi at 2:21.

The Bruins restored their two-goal edge by taking advantage of a bad defensive change by the Wolf Pack. Ahcan was left alone, walked in, and registered his second point of the night on a clean breakaway. Ahcan put his shot over Dylan Garland’s glove hand at 5:58.

The scrums continued as they had all game. It helped the Bruins in slowing the Wolf Pack down. Connor Carrick, Lauri Pajuniemi, Ryan Carpenter, and Steen were all tagged with roughing minors at 7:49.

“It’s that time of year. Everybody has one goal in mind (to win). I like the physicality. We’re not looking for big hits or big fights. If it comes, it comes,” remarked Zac Jones.

KEEP FIGHTING

The Wolf Pack clawed back again.

Lauri Pajuniemi was in front of the net. Jones sent a crisp left-point pass to Tanner Fritz. The Pack forward sent a pass in front from off the right boards to Pajuniemi, who buried it at 13:34.

“We wanted to finish it off tonight, but we didn’t,” Fritz said, “We kinda beat ourselves tonight. We’ll get back in the room and practice tomorrow and get ready for Friday.”

The Pack had a golden chance to tie as Bobby Trivigno won a one-on-one battle, came out of the right-wing side fired a pass over to Pajuniemi, who had an open half of the net. But instead, Bussi showed why he was one of the top goalies in the AHL with a remarkable glove save, reaching back to snare what would have been a game-tying goal with 2:21 left in regulation. It was the Pack’s last gasp.

“We had the setup. The bench stood up (we) thought it was going in, but it’s a game of inches and we had other chance, a couple of back door plays, that got deflected or just missed. We had our opportunities in the third period. We’re built to play 60 not 20 (minutes),” remarked Knoblauch.

EMPTY NET GOALS

Brazeau registered the first of two empty-net goals with 1:23 left. Then, with 7.7, Lettieri potted the second empty net goal to make the 6-3 final.

Switching the netminder for Friday is a tricky proposition.

“We have a great possibility (of winning) with either one of them. I have lot of confidence with both goalies. Dylan has played very well; tonight, we lost. Something we’ll think about (goaltending) and make a decision tomorrow,” Knoblauch said. He’s scheduled a morning practice for 10:00 AM.

“Louie (Domingue) was our starter for most of the season, till the last four starts when the playoffs started,” Knoblauch added.

The Bruins pressed hard with their forecheck and were all over the Pack. The pressure led to a 5-2 edge in shots.

The score became 3-0 as the Bruins got to more loose pucks and converted them into opportunities.

Achan came out of the Bruins’ end, rushing through center ice. He fed Luke Toporowski, who went with speed down the right wing. He established an outside position and sped around Wyatt Kalynuk. Toporowski then snuck it past Garand off his post, on the short side for his second of the postseason at 14:03.

BIG HIT

The first of playoff nastiness occurred with 2:21 left in the second period as Clendening caught Fabian Lysell, crossing to the center from the right wing, and just after releasing the puck, clocked him with a brutal hit which left him crumpled on the ice.

A scrum ensued, and Joona Koppanen came to Lysell’s aid.

Clendening received an interference major and a fighting penalty. Koppanen received two as the instigator and then five-for-fighting and a ten-minute misconduct.

Jones scored for the Pack just seconds into their third power play. He blasted a shot from the right point with 24 seconds to go after a Jake Leschyshyn faceoff win.

Jones nearly got another tally with 12.6 seconds left when he came in on a breakaway going backhand-to-forehand but ran out of real estate and was in too close, and failed to score.

“I over-complicated it a little bit. I tried the same move in Springfield and it worked for me, tonight it didn’t,” remarked Jones.

“It could have been a nice turnaround to score again just after we scored. We did that (early) shorthanded goal in the third. It was 3-2. We scored and then they scored. Jones played well if he got that goal at the end might have changed the outcome of the game at the end,” commented Knoblauch.

In the first period, both teams had chances, but both goalies stood their ground.

The Bruins broke through as Libor Hájek, who returned from being part of the “Black Aces” in New York and replaced Blake Hillman. Unfortunately, he took a needless crosschecking penalty that would cost the Pack as the Bruins tallied on the early power play.

Puck management left much to be desired.

“No, we made plays we typically don’t do and ultimately, we had less (offensive) zone time. We had to defend more than they did. Those turnovers cost us the game. A lot of times they do. The last goal they scored it did,” Knoblauch recounted.

Carrick fired one from the right point. Garand made the initial save with the left pad, but there were three Bruins in front, and Brazeau could find it and put it in at 15:54.

The Bruins made it 2-0 in the dying seconds of the first period with 2/10ths of a second remaining with Didier at the right point. He took a shot off Lysell’s pass. Steen deflected it and put it over Garand’s glove for his first of the postseason at 19:59.

There were numerous after-whistles and scrums in the first.

LINES:

Trivigno-Carpenter-Elson
Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh
Henriksson-Gettinger- Lockwood
Cullye-Leschyshyn-Brodzinski

Jones-Emberson
Hájek-Scanlin
Clendening-Kalynuk

Garand
Domingue

SCRATCHES:

Talyn Boyko #40
Adam Sýkora (healthy)
Blake Hillman (healthy)
Matt Rempe (upper body, day-to-day)
Louie Roehl #4 (healthy)
Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy)
Brett Berard #27 (healthy)
Parker Gahagen #35
Maxim Barbashev #18 (healthy)
Ryder Korczak  #38 (healthy)
Matt Robertson (upper body, may return in the latter half of this  round of the playoffs)
Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery).
C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season)

NOTES:

Providence was without Chris Wagner due to the birth of his daughter earlier in the afternoon. In addition, Marc MacLaughlin (upper body) is out for the series, with Lauko taking his lineup spot.

Ex-Pack Vinni Letterieri has been nursing a lower-body injury suffered in Boston late season, and complications have arisen.

Maxim Barbashev’s older brother, Ivan Barbasev, of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, scored twice in a 6-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers in a track meet of a hockey game.

Utica recalled former UCONN defenseman Jarrod Gourley from the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL). The Comets hosted the Toronto Marlies last night on Utica at the Adirondack Bank Center.

Ex-Pack Carl Klingberg leaves EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA) and heads back home to play next year for the HC Frölunda Indians (Sweden-SHL).

Reports out of the desert paint a grim picture for the Arizona Coyotes. The pending arena referendum may be defeated, prompting a possible relocation to Houston that keeps the NHL’s 16 West and 16 East formulas intact.

It’s one of four reasons, despite great attendance numbers for the Quebec City junior team, the Quebec Remparts at the Videotron Centre recently built to NHL specs that Quebec City won’t be getting the Coyotes or anyone else.

Should they move, they will likely impact their AHL team out of Tucson and somewhere closer to Houston, which is heavily rumored to be the location they would be heading. Seven possible markets could see a relocated AHL team if NHL relocation comes to pass.

One old AHL market, one old ECHL, and one current market, three old WPHL markets from the league that folded in the early part of this century. One city (Austin) became an AHL city.

In no particular order.

Beaumont, Texas, was an old ECHL market for five years early in this century. It’s East of Houston on the Texas-Louisiana border that played in the Ford Arena in South Beaumont, seats 8,500 seats perfect for the AHL run by OVG along I-10.

San Antonio, which saw the NHL strong-arm the AHL Rampage to be sold to the Avalanche to become the Colorado Eagles. The NBA’s San Antonio Spurs run the AT&T Center building. It seats 18,000 and is easy access for Houston down I-10 Southwest of Houston and due South from Austin, now home to the AHL Texas Stars.

The old WPHL market down the Southeast Coast in Corpus Christi, with a new one, is currently home to US junior A  hockey in the NAHL, the Corpus Christi Ice Rays. The original Memorial Coliseum was demolished a la the New Haven Coliseum in 2010.

Another WPHL market on the radar is Waco. They played in the Heart O’ Texas Coliseum (now called the Extraco Events Center) seats 9,000.

San Angelo is home to the WPHL San Angelo Outlaws, who played in the central Texas city, and the arena, the San Angelo Coliseum (now Foster Communications Coliseum), seats 5,260.

The Amarillo Rattler played in the Amarillo Civic Center seats just under 5,000.

The wild card would be flipping the ECHL Allen Americans, a suburb of Dallas, to the AHL. The team calls home at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, which seats 6,275.

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By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack return to the XL Center in downtown Hartford for their second home game of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. The club will look to close out the Providence Bruins tonight and sweep their Atlantic Division Semifinals series. Hartford will advance to the Atlantic Division Final with a victory.

Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.

Tale of The Tape:

The Wolf Pack and Bruins met ten times during the 2022-23 season, with Hartford winning the series 6-4. Both teams collected points in seven of the ten meetings, with the Wolf Pack going 6-3-1-0 and the Bruins posting a record of 4-3-3-0. However, the Wolf Pack won each of the final three regular season meetings and have since extended the winning streak to five games after victories in Games One and Two.

In Game Two, Anton Blidh opened the scoring 6:17 into the second period, jumping on a rebound and firing the puck by Brandon Bussi. Moments later, at 9:43, Adam Clendening blasted a shot from the point through traffic and by Bussi for his first goal of the playoffs. The goal would stand as the game-winner.

Luke Toporowski got the Bruins on the board with his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal at 13:14, but it would be the only offense for the Bruins.

Dylan Garand made eight saves in the third period to cement the 2-1 victory, giving Hartford a 2-0 stranglehold on the series. Garand made 29 stops in the victory and improved to 4-0 in his brief Calder Cup Playoff career.

Hartford won four of the five meetings between the Wolf Pack and Bruins at the XL Center this season, going 4-1-0-0. The Bruins were 1-3-1-0 in their five visits, collecting points in just two of the games.

This is the sixth playoff series between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins and the first since 2015. The Bruins knocked the Wolf Pack out of the Calder Cup Playoffs in 1999, 2001, and 2007, while Hartford returned the favor in 2000 and 2015. The Wolf Pack won the 2015 Atlantic Division Quarterfinals series 3-2 over the Bruins.

Wolf Pack Outlook:

The Wolf Pack made it four straight victories to open the Calder Cup Playoffs and five in a row overall against the Bruins on Saturday night. Clendening’s goal was his second career Calder Cup Playoff game-winning goal, and his first since April 21^st, 2018, as a member of the Rockford IceHogs.

Tim Gettinger recorded two assists in the victory, his first career multi-assist game in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Through four games during the postseason, the Wolf Pack have outscored opponents 12-1 at five-on-five. They recorded each of the first 12 five-on-five goals during their postseason trip. The club’s +13 goal differential (16 GF, 3 GA) is the best of any team in the Calder Cup Playoffs entering action on Wednesday night.

Blidh’s +9 rating ranks him number one in the Calder Cup Playoffs in +/-. Each of the top five in +/- in the Calder Cup Playoffs plays for Hartford. Ty Emberson is second at +8, while Tanner Fritz (+7), Blake Hillman (+7), and Lauri Pajuniemi (+7) are all tied for third.

Garand, meanwhile, leads the playoffs in both save percentage (.966) and goals against average (.75).

Fritz leads the club in scoring six points (1 g, 5 a) through four games. Blidh, Emberson, Hillman, Pajuniemi, and Bobby Trivigno are all tied for the team lead in goals with two each.

Bruins Outlook:

The Atlantic Division champion Bruins enter tonight with their backs against the wall. The Bruins will try to avoid the same fate as last year when they were swept 2-0 in the Atlantic Division First Round by the Bridgeport Islanders.

The Bruins have lost six consecutive playoff games, dating back to a 4-2 victory on April 21^st, 2019, against the Charlotte Checkers.

Toporowski leads the Bruins in goals through two games with one, while Justin Brazeau and Joona Koppanen are tied with him in points with one each. Brazeau’s assist on Toporowski’s goal on Saturday night was the first point in his Calder Cup Playoff career.

Bussi, despite two losses, has a .950 save percentage and 1.53 goals against average through his first two appearances in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Game Information:

WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr

Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.

Should the Wolf Pack win tonight, the club will advance to the Atlantic Division Final and await the Hershey Bears Vs. winner. Charlotte Checkers matchup. A Bruins victory, however, will force a Game Four. Game Four will occur at the XL Center on Friday, May 5^th, at 7:00 p.m. For playoff ticket information, please visit HERE.

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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