The Hartford Wolf Pack played their 2,000th game in franchise history over the weekend. The team capped off a celebration-filled weekend with a win in the historic tilt.
Friday – Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Bridgeport Islanders 1
The Wolf Pack took the ice for the 2,000th time in franchise history on Friday night, hosting their in-state rivals, the Bridgeport Islanders. Bridgeport found the icebreaker just 39 seconds into the contest. Robin Salo took a point shot that former Hartford forward Julien Gauthier deflected into the net. The goal would go down as the only blemish on Louis Domingue’s record, as he made 37 saves in the victory.
The Wolf Pack would not even the score until after the halfway point in the contest. Grant Hutton took an interference minor at 12:32 of the second period, sending Hartford to their fourth powerplay of the night. During the man advantage, Matthew Robertson took a shot from the point. The puck clipped Ryder Korczak in the slot and pinballed by Jakub Skarek to even the score. The goal went down as Korczak’s fifth of the season.
Brennan Othmann gave Hartford their first lead of the game just over five minutes later. Brett Berard carried the puck into the Bridgeport zone before pulling up and snapping a pass to Othmann. The 2024 AHL All-Star promptly skated to the slot before ripping a wrist shot by Skarek to put Hartford in front.
Bobby Trivigno took a double minor for high-sticking in the final seconds of the middle stanza, forcing the Wolf Pack to kill off a four-minute powerplay. Hartford successfully killed the man advantage, and Trivigno re-joined the action. The extra rest allowed Trivigno to take a pass from Berard, speed past the defense, and light the lamp with a shot under the blocker to double the Hartford lead.
Bridgeport lifted Skarek for the extra skater as they fought to claw back into the contest. However, Adam Sýkora hit the empty net, delivering the victory to the Wolf Pack.
Saturday – Providence Bruins 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 1
The Wolf Pack continued their season-long six-game home stand on Saturday, welcoming the Providence Bruins to town. Hartford got a boost to their lineup, as Adam Edström played in his first game since December 27th.
For the fourth straight game, the Wolf Pack conceded the opening goal. Georgii Merkulov gave Providence a lead they wouldn’t lose, sniping a shot over the shoulder of Dylan Garand about fourteen minutes into the contest.
The Bruins doubled the lead early in the second period. Three Providence skaters sped towards the Hartford net on a three-on-one rush. Nikolas Brouillard attempted to defend the rush, but Jayson Megna slid a pass to Patrick Brown, who promptly lit the lamp to push the lead to two.
It would be Megna himself who tripled the lead about five minutes later. With Ian Mitchell in the box for hooking, Hartford aimed to cut the lead in half. However, Megna intercepted a Brett Berard pass and broke into the Hartford zone before beating Garand by the blocker.
Hartford finally got on the board just over two minutes later. Alec Regula took a slashing minor, giving the Wolf Pack their second powerplay opportunity of the night. This time, Brennan Othmann would get the Wolf Pack on the board, sniping a shot from a sharp angle past Michael DiPietro. It was the 13th goal of the season for Othmann, good for second on the team.
The Wolf Pack peppered DiPietro from there, outshooting Providence 27-15 in the final 40 minutes. However, the Providence netminder stood tall, and Othmann’s goal was the only blemish on his record.
John Farinacci capped off the scoring, deflecting a Brett Harrison pass by Garand in the final minutes of action. As a result, Providence collected a 4-1 win.
Welcome to the Brou Crew
Nikolas Brouillard became a fan favorite over the weekend.
Brouillard dropped the gloves with Bridgeport’s Cole Bardreau in the third period of Friday night’s contest. The two had an entertaining tilt before officials separated them and sent both off with game misconducts. Brouillard waved to the crowd as he left the ice, drawing a loud cheer from the 7,257 in attendance.
The next night, Brouillard had his own dedicated cheering section, dubbed the “Brou Crew.” It’s much deserved for Brouillard – his 22 points are tied for sixth on the Wolf Pack this season.
Scanlin Sticks Around
On Thursday, the New York Rangers announced that they had agreed to a two-year contract extension with Wolf Pack defenseman Brandon Scanlin.
Scanlin has emerged as a key member of Hartford’s blueline group over the past two seasons. Last year, Scanlin led the Wolf Pack in +/- with a +21 rating. This year, he’s posted a career high in goals, with seven, and is one point off from tying his previous high of 15. Scanlin also tallied his first game-winning goal this season, an overtime marker against Providence on January 13th.
It’s a well-deserved extension for Scanlin, and it will keep him in the Rangers organization through the 2025-26 season as he continues to develop his skillset. With much of Hartford’s defensive group set for free agency after this season, the Scanlin extension will ensure some familiarity on Hartford’s blueline next season.
Brodzy’s Breakout
Wolf Pack captain Jonny Brodzinski has been on recall with the New York Rangers since late November, where he’s in the midst of a breakout season with the Blueshirts.
In 34 games with the Rangers, Brodzinski has tallied new career highs in assists (10) and points (14) while tying his career-high in goals (4). He’s currently on a three-game point streak, the longest of his NHL career – he’s tallied two goals and an assist during that streak.
Brodzinski has been an important member of the Wolf Pack for the last four seasons, and it’s impossible to not be happy for him finally finding a permanent NHL spot.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack wrap up their season-long six-game home stand on Friday, hosting the Laval Rocket for the first time this season. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
The Wolf Pack will then hit the road for matchups against Bridgeport on Saturday and Providence on Sunday. Puck drop on Saturday is set for 7:00 pm, while puck drop on Sunday is set for 4:05 pm.
