For Wolf Pack fans, hockey made its unofficial return last weekend. Prospects from the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers met at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania – home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms – for a pair of contests. The teams split the series, with the Rangers taking game one while the Flyers won game two.
The Rangers’ roster featured 17 players who suited up for the Wolf Pack during the 2023-24 season. The Wolf Pack led the way for the Blueshirts, putting up impressive performances in the two-game set.
The Era of Edström
No player in the series had a more impactful weekend than forward Adam Edström. The Swede led all players with three goals over the two games – no one else netted more than one. Edström’s first two goals happened in Friday’s contest. Both tallies happened in similar fashion – with Edström getting to the front of the net and burying rebounds.
Edström’s first goal opened the scoring. With the Rangers on the power play in the first period, Brennan Othmann took a shot that Carson Bjarnason turned aside. The rebound popped right to Edström, who buried it to break the ice. Edström’s second tally came in the tail end of the second period. Case McCarthy blasted a one-timer from just beyond the circles, but the shot clipped Bjarnason’s pad. Edström, stationed in the slot, beat Bjarnason to the ricochet and batted it into the net for his second goal of the night.
Edström’s third goal of the series came on Saturday. The Flyers earned a five minute power play after Brett Berard was assessed a major penalty for spearing. On the ensuing penalty kill, Matthew Robertson flipped the puck out of the New York zone and to center ice. Edström grabbed the puck for a shorthanded breakaway before beating Sam Hildebrandt on the backhand.
In these two games, Edström showed what Wolf Pack fans already knew – his combination of size and skill is impressive. Edström was certainly in consideration for an NHL role in 2024-25 after appearing in eleven games for the Blueshirts last season and acting as a “black ace” during their Stanley Cup Playoff run. However, after this dominating performance, Edström may have played himself into a regular role in the Rangers’ bottom six.
He’s the Man-cini
If you’ve kept up with my articles or followed me on Twitter since April, you’ll know there’s one player I can’t stop raving about – defenseman Victor Mancini.
Mancini, a 5th round pick in the 2022 NHL draft, wasn’t on any Rangers top prospect lists before signing his entry-level contract last April. He put up decent numbers at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. However, once arriving in Hartford, Mancini took both Wolf Pack and Rangers fans by storm. He quickly shot up Hartford’s depth chart, and was skating on the top pairing with college teammate Brandon Scanlin by the time the Calder Cup Playoffs started. In just 17 total games in Hartford, Mancini went from off the radar to potential regular NHLer.
Mancini didn’t appear in the scoresheet over the two-game Rookie Series, but his defensive prowess was on full display. On multiple occasions, Mancini snuffed out potential breakaway opportunities for Philly with his elite backcheck. However, his best play came midway through the third period on Friday. Flyers sensation Matvei Michkov received a pass down low and looked to set up a play. However, Mancini relentlessly bullied Michkov away from the net, forcing him to send the puck elsewhere.
It’s the type of play that will never show up on a scoresheet, but it’s invaluable to a club’s success. Mancini’s play since officially turning pro has earned him a lot of praise. Last spring, when I asked about Mancini, Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith said, “He’s been a stud since he’s got here. He’s a great kid, he works hard, he tries to do everything right. He tries to win hockey games versus trying not to lose hockey games. For me, that’s a big difference.”
Mancini will be a key piece of Hartford’s blueline for the 2024-25 campaign.
Big Game Garand
Big time players make big time plays in big time games. A quote that has been repeated by fans about athletes across sports. There’s plenty of examples of big time players, and they all have one thing in common – they’re at the best when the lights shine brightest.
If you’ve followed the Wolf Pack over the past two seasons, you’ll know that Dylan Garand fits this definition to perfection. Through 17 Calder Cup Playoff games, Garand owns a sparkling 2.21 GAA and a 0.927 SV%, plus a pair of shutouts and an assist. He’s stepped up in big moments, and as a result, he’s shot up the list of top Rangers prospects.
While the Rookie Series is a much lower stakes environment than the Calder Cup Playoffs, Garand turned in another sensational performance on Friday. Garand stopped 38 of the 41 shots he faced through 65 minutes of hockey. In the shootout, Garand stopped all three Flyers shooters to help secure a 4-3 win for the Blueshirts.
Garand’s path to a regular NHL role is a tough one. The Rangers have arguably the best goaltending tandem in the NHL, featuring megastar Igor Shesterkin and three-time Stanley Cup Champion Jonathan Quick. Garand will return to Hartford for the 2024-25 season, and will get plenty of opportunities to further cement his status as a big time player.
Other Notable Performances
Forward Brennan Othmann came up big for the Rangers in Friday’s contest. He recorded the primary assist on Edström’s ice-breaking goal, and won the game for the Blueshirts with a slick tally in the shootout.
Defenseman Matthew Robertson recorded a pair of points on the weekend. He earned the secondary assist on Edström’s first goal on Friday. The following day, Robertson recorded a power play goal with a huge blast from the blue line.
Forwards Kalle Väisänen and Adam Sýkora connected for a pretty goal in the first game of the series. Bryce McConnell-Barker tapped a loose puck towards center ice, where it banked off Väisänen’s skate and into the Philadelphia zone. Sýkora corralled the loose puck and sent a centering pass to Väisänen, who chipped it up and under the bar.
Up Next
The Rangers begin training camp this week, with their first preseason game against the Boston Bruins scheduled for Sunday, September 22nd. Puck drop is set for 5:00 pm. The Wolf Pack will follow suit, with their first preseason game set for Wednesday, October 2nd against the Springfield Thunderbirds. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
The Wolf Pack kick off the 2024-25 season on the road against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday, October 12th. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm. The Wolf Pack’s first home game goes down on October 18th as they host the T-Birds, with puck drop set for 7:00 pm.
