The Hartford Wolf Pack continued the 2024 portion of their schedule with a pair of games this past weekend. Brandon Scanlin had a weekend to remember, scoring a pair of goals including an overtime winner as the Wolf Pack split the weekend.
Friday – Lehigh Valley Phantoms 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 1
The Wolf Pack traveled to Allentown for their final matchup with the Phantoms on Friday night. The Phantoms came out on fire, outshooting Hartford 14-6 in the opening frame. Olle Lycksell broke the ice at 14:47 of the first. A shot from Ronnie Attard clipped Lycksell’s stick and snuck through Louis Domingue. Lycksell doubled the lead in the final minute of the period, taking advantage of a Connor Mackey delay of game minor for his second goal of the night.
However, the Wolf Pack battled back in the second period. Brandon Scanlin took a feed from Mac Hollowell and skated into the left circle. The Hartford blueliner ripped a wrist shot by Felix Sandstrom to cut the lead in half. It was Scanlin’s second straight game with a goal and his fifth goal of the season, setting a new career best.
Tensions began to boil over in the middle stanza, leading to a pair of fights. First, Matt Rempe and Rhett Gardner dropped the gloves around eleven minutes into the period. About five minutes later, Domingue got into a brawl with Phantoms captain Garrett Wilson.
Both men were given game misconducts for the brawl, forcing Dylan Garand into net for the Wolf Pack. Lehigh Valley would not let Garand get settled, as Jacob Gaucher and Victor Mete tacked on a pair of goals in the third period. The Wolf Pack couldn’t claw their way back into it, and their road trip ended with a 4-1 loss in Allentown.
Saturday – Hartford Wolf Pack 3, Providence Bruins 2 (OT)
The Wolf Pack returned to Hartford on Saturday for their first home game of 2024. They welcomed the Providence Bruins to the Connecticut capital for a huge Atlantic Division tilt.
For the third straight game, the Wolf Pack conceded the first goal. Officials sent Turner Elson to the box for hooking at 15:18, which gave Providence their third powerplay of the period. Jayson Megna cashed in on the man advantage, beating Garand on the short side to break the ice.
The Wolf Pack answered back midway through the middle stanza. Matthew Robertson took a shot from the blue line that Kyle Keyser turned aside. Artem Anisimov and Adam Sýkora took turns jamming at the loose puck, but neither could beat the Providence netminder. Finally, Karl Henriksson took advantage of a downed Keyser and tied the contest.
However, Alec Regula reinstated the Providence lead just 28 seconds later. Regula took a shot that trickled through Garand and into the net, putting Providence back on top.
Regula’s goal would be the final blemish on Garand’s record. The Hartford goaltender stood strong while the Wolf Pack pushed for the equalizer. Finally, Mac Hollowell tied the game again midway through the third period. The 2024 AHL All-Star took a feed from Brett Berard and blasted a slap shot into the Providence net to draw the teams even at two.
Scanlin’s Scorching Hot
Neither team could pull ahead in the final minutes of regulation, sending the game to overtime. In the extra frame, Berard sped into the Providence zone while Scanlin hopped off the bench and into the action. Berard attempted a pass to Scanlin, but the puck was deflected and ended up behind the net. Scanlin collected the loose puck and tucked it just inside the post, delivering the extra point to the Wolf Pack.
The goal was Scanlin’s first game-winner in the American Hockey League. Additionally, it was Scanlin’s third straight game with a tally, the first time in his career he’s recorded a goal in three straight games. When AHL News Now asked how it felt to score his first game-winning goal after the contest, Scanlin said:
“It’s cool, it’s definitely nice. But at the end of the game, it doesn’t really matter who scores as long as we get the win. Just happy I could do it for the team.”
Brandon Scanlin on scoring his first game-winning goal
Reinforcements Arrive
The Wolf Pack were playing significantly shorthanded at forward last weekend. Jake Leschyshyn and Anton Blidh were recalled by the New York Rangers, while Riley Nash and Adam Edström continue to deal with injuries.
However, reinforcements have arrived for Hartford. Leschyshyn and Blidh returned to Hartford on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Meanwhile, Nash returned to practice on Tuesday, wearing a no-contact jersey, and was a full participant on Thursday.
Nash last played on December 22nd against the Bridgeport Islanders. He suffered a lower-body injury in the game’s final sequence. His eventual return will be a huge boost to the Wolf Pack’s forward group – Nash recorded nine goals and 13 assists through 23 games.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack will host the defending Calder Cup Champions, the Hershey Bears, tonight, January 19th. It will be the first meeting between the teams in Hartford since the Bears eliminated the Wolf Pack from the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
The Wolf Pack will then return to the road, kicking off a four-game road trip by visiting their in-state rivals, the Bridgeport Islanders, on Saturday, January 20th. The puck will drop at 7:00 pm.
