The Hartford Wolf Pack kicked off a stretch of five games against North Division opponents last week. They had an up-and-down week, earning three out of a possible six points.
Wednesday – Cleveland Monsters 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 3 (OT)
On Wednesday, the Cleveland Monsters visited the XL Center for the first time since February 13th, 2009. Hartford picked up a 6-2 win in that contest.
Cleveland broke the ice in this contest. Cameron Butler positioned himself in front of the Hartford net and deflected a Jake Christiansen shot past Louis Domingue. It was Butler’s first professional goal and point.
However, the Wolf Pack would answer back, scoring two goals in the remainder of the period to take control. Brennan Othmann took advantage of an interference minor to Carson Meyer and struck on the powerplay, taking a feed from Nikolas Brouillard and firing a howitzer into the Cleveland net to even the score. It was Othmann’s sixth goal in his last four games.
Brett Berard put Hartford in front just over two minutes later. Berard snuck behind the defense and collected a pass from Alex Belzile. The rookie forward fired a shot over the glove of Daniil Tarasov to give the Wolf Pack the lead.
The Monsters reinstated their lead in the second period as Carson Meyer scored twice. Meyer’s first goal came at 8:56, when he fired a shot from beyond the right circle that snuck through Domingue. He followed up at 12:47, slipping a backhand shot by Domingue on the short side.
Brandon Scanlin drew the teams even once again in the third period. Scanlin blasted a one-timer from beyond the right circle off the post and into the net to tie the game at three.
Neither team could pull ahead through the remainder of the third, and the game was sent to overtime. There, Luca Del Bel Belluz delivered the extra point for the Monsters. It was Cleveland’s first franchise win against Hartford, and snapped the Wolf Pack’s six-game win streak.
Friday – Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Laval Rocket 3 (SO)
The Wolf Pack traveled to Laval, Quebec, for a weekend series with the Rocket. The two teams last met during the 2021-22 season.
The Rocket jumped out to an early lead thanks to a pair of powerplay goals. Philippe Maillet broke the ice, taking advantage of a five-on-three powerplay opportunity. Joshua Roy followed up just 23 seconds later, doubling the Laval lead just over four minutes into the contest.
Hartford cut the deficit in half at 6:01. In his return to Laval, Alex Belzile scored a powerplay goal. The former Rocket captain took a feed from Mac Hollowell and blasted a shot into the Laval net.
However, Riley McKay reinstated the two-goal lead just 38 seconds later with a one-timer from the slot. Laval took the two-goal lead into the second period.
Hartford turned things around in the middle stanza. Turner Elson cut the lead back to one at 7:53, tipping a Bobby Trivigno shot past Jakub Dobeš.
Ryder Korczak tied the game 21 seconds later. Matej Pekar intercepted a pass in the offensive zone and fired a shot on net. Dobeš denied it, but Korczak and Matt Rempe scrambled for the loose puck. Korczak finally pushed it over the red line to draw the teams even at three.
Neither team scored in the third period, sending the Wolf Pack to overtime for the fourth time in the last five games. However, the extra frame was also not enough, sending Hartford to a shootout for the second time this season.
Delivering the W
Roy began the shootout for Laval, but was denied by Domingue. Belzile stepped up for Hartford and snapped a quick shot by the glove of Dobeš to give the Wolf Pack the advantage.
Emil Heineman was denied in the top of the second round, giving Brett Berard the opportunity to end the game. Berard slammed the door shut, waiting out Dobeš and flipping a backhand shot into the Laval net.
The win was Hartford’s first franchise win at Place Bell in Laval. They had previously been 0-4-0-1 in five games in Laval.
Saturday – Laval Rocket 5, Hartford Wolf Pack 1
Hartford got off to a quick start in the matinee rematch with the Rocket on Saturday, scoring on their first shot on goal. Blake Hillman fired a shot towards the net that deflected off the leg of Philippe Maillet. The puck then rolled off of Jakub Dobeš and into the Laval net, giving Hartford the game’s first lead. It was Hillman’s first goal of the season, and also his first regular-season goal with the Wolf Pack. Hillman did not score a goal in 29 regular season games with Hartford last year, but did net two goals in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
However, things unraveled from there for the Wolf Pack, as the Rocket would rattle off five unanswered goals. Riley Kidney tied the game at 4:45 of the first period. Brandon Gignac scored shorthanded at 6:03 of the second, and Kidney followed up with his second goal of the game at 8:32.
Nolan Yaremko scored his first goal of the season at 17:27, and Jared Davidson capped off the scoring at 15:13 of the third with a powerplay goal. The loss was Hartford’s first regulation loss in three weeks – their last regulation loss came on November 17th, when they fell to the Syracuse Crunch by a score of 5-3.
Anton Earns an A
The Wolf Pack were down to two alternate captains last week, with captain Jonny Brodzinski and alternate captain Riley Nash on recall with the New York Rangers. As a result, Anton Blidh wore an “A” for all three games. Blidh joined Alex Belzile and Turner Elson as an alternate captain for the contests. Blidh last wore an “A” for the 78 games with the Providence Bruins across two seasons from 2018-19 to 2019-20.
In my opinion, the honor is well deserved. Blidh has been a veteran mentor for the young Wolf Pack roster. Blidh has developed great chemistry with fellow Europeans Karl Henriksson and Adam Sýkora; their line is one of the few that Steve Smith has kept together during recent line shuffles. The veteran Swede has also stepped up on special teams, joining the top powerplay unit with the absences of Brodzinski and Nash. Blidh will continue to be an important veteran leader throughout Hartford’s season.
Injury Updates
Dylan Garand was a notable addition to the Wolf Pack’s injury report on Wednesday. The second-year goaltender is dealing with a lower-body injury, and is currently day-to-day. Garand did not dress on Wednesday and did not make the trip to Laval with the team. Olof Lindbom was reassigned to Hartford from ECHL Cincinnati on December 4th. Lindbom backed up Domingue on Wednesday and Friday before getting the start on Saturday.
Forward Jake Leschyshyn and defenseman Zach Berzolla are both labeled week-to-week. Leschyshyn has an upper-body injury, while Berzolla is dealing with a lower-body injury. Ben Harpur is out indefinitely after undergoing pectoral surgery.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack wrap up their five-game stretch against the North Division this weekend. On Friday, they host the Rochester Americans for the only time this season. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
On Sunday, the Wolf Pack will host the Toronto Marlies for a matinee matchup. It’s the only time the Marlies will visit the XL Center this season. Puck drop is set for 3:00 pm.
