The Hartford Wolf Pack returned home on Wednesday night with their season once again on the line. The Wolf Pack trailed the Hershey Bears 2-0 in the best-of-five Atlantic Division Finals after dropping each of the first two games in Chocolatetown. As a result, Hartford needed a win to keep their Calder Cup chances alive.
The Wolf Pack broke the ice, but a potent Bears offense proved to be too much to handle. Hershey scored four unanswered goals to earn a 4-1 win, sweeping Hartford out of the Atlantic Division Finals for the second straight season.
Chmelař is Him
It looked like things would go the Wolf Pack’s way from the start. Joe Snively flipped the puck out of play just 25 seconds into the game, giving Hartford the game’s first power play. However, Hershey’s penalty kill was locked in, preventing the Wolf Pack from recording a shot on goal.
The Bears got a power play of their own just over halfway into the frame when Matthew Robertson was called for tripping. Hartford’s penalty kill was equally up to the task, preventing Hershey from finding the icebreaker.
Not long after Robertson exited the box, the Wolf Pack started a rush up the ice. Dylan Roobroeck, making his AHL debut in the contest, found Mac Hollowell streaking into the right circle. Hollowell attempted a shot, but his bid was blocked by Bogdan Trineyev. Trineyev attempted a clear, but Hollowell stopped the puck and found Jaroslav Chmelař in the slot. Chmelař put Hunter Shepard through a spin cycle before tucking the puck home on the forehand, giving Hartford their first lead of the series.
Hershey got another powerplay opportunity when Anton Blidh went off for holding, but another strong kill from Hartford sent the game to the first intermission with the Wolf Pack leading by a goal.
The Bears Roar Ahead
The Wolf Pack’s lead did not last long into the middle frame. Hershey had extended time in the Hartford zone, and Hardy Häman Aktell fired a shot on net from the blue line. Garrett Roe deflected the shot over Dylan Garand to tie the score at one just under two minutes into the period.
Roe would later put Hershey in front for good with his second tally of the night. After a zone clear by the Bears, Roe sped towards the Hartford net with Chase Priskie on an odd-man rush. Roe attempted to feed Priskie, but his deflected off the defenseman’s skate. Roe collected the loose puck and shoveled a backhand shot by Garand. Just like that, the Bears had control of the contest.
Hershey had a chance to increase the lead in the final minutes of the frame. Trineyev was tripped up on a partial breakaway, and officials awarded him a penalty shot. Trineyev walked in to the zone and attempted to go to the backhand. However, the puck rolled off his stick to keep Hartford’s deficit at one.
The Clock Strikes Midnight
Officials sent Hollowell off for tripping early in the third period, but the Wolf Pack once again killed the penalty. However, when Hollowell took a holding call about halfway through the frame, Hartford wouldn’t be so lucky. In the waning seconds of the powerplay, Henrik Rybinski coralled the puck behind Hartford’s net. Rybinski found Matt Strome powering into the slot and fed him the puck. Strome blasted a shot by Garand to give Hershey some insurance.
The Wolf Pack lifted Garand in favor of the extra skater late in the frame. However, Mike Vecchione delivered the dagger, nailing the empty net. Just over two minutes later, Hershey earned a 4-1 win and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season.
After the handshake line, the Wolf Pack gave one final salute to the Hartford faithful as their season came to a close.
Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith told The Calder Times that he was disappointed with the night’s result, saying:
I’m disappointed in the results from tonight. We had a group that worked really hard, and I still believed going into tonight’s game that we could beat the Hershey Bears. I felt there was a couple of kinks in the armor that we felt we found in the last game. We played them pretty strong over the course of the season, and I still felt like we had an opportunity to win this series.
Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith after his team was eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoffs by Hershey, 5/22/24
Up Next
Up next for Hartford comes the offseason. First, they’ll need to make a decision on who their head coach will be next season. Smith, who was named interim head coach on November 12th, expressed interest in returning to the team, but also mentioned a desire to spend time with his family. Smith told The Calder Times he’s looking forward to visiting his kids and grandkids as he digests the season.
After that comes free agency, starting July 1st. A number of key Wolf Pack contributors will hit the market this season, including Hollowell, Robertson, Nikolas Brouillard, Karl Henriksson, and Bobby Trivigno, among others. It’s going to be an interesting offseason in the Connecticut capital.
Before you know it, the dog days of summer will fade into a crisp fall breeze, and hockey will be right around the corner!
