HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack hosted the Charlotte Checkers in their annual School Day Game on Tuesday morning. The Wolf Pack aimed for their third win of their six-game home stand, while the Checkers eyed revenge for Friday’s contest.
65 minutes of hockey couldn’t decide a winner, and the division rivals required a shootout. There, Alex Belzile buried the winner while Louis Domingue denied all three bids to deliver victory to the Wolf Pack.
Bo’s Lesson in Speed
The Wolf Pack controlled the opening faceoff with Anton Blidh tipping the puck into the Charlotte zone. Chris Driedger sent it around the boards, where Bo Groulx kept it in. Groulx attempted a quick shot that deflected off Kyle Criscuolo and went into the corner. Jaroslav Chmelař tapped the loose puck back to Groulx, who skated to the slot. Groulx shoveled a backhand shot by Driedger and into the net just 14 seconds into the game. The goal was the fastest to start a game for the Wolf Pack this season.
For the second straight meeting between the teams, the Checkers would tie the contest in the opening frame. Aidan McDonough snuck a shot by Domingue just over seven minutes into the first period.
1+1=2 Goals for Belzy
Unlike their previous two games, the Wolf Pack would not head into the first intermission tied at one. Blake Hillman banked the puck off the boards and out of the Hartford zone. Belzile won a footrace for the puck and attempted to set up Brett Berard on the backdoor, but the pass couldn’t connect. The puck popped to Dylan Roobroeck in the slot, who fired a shot that Driedger denied. The rebound sat in the crease, and Belzile buried with a backhand shot to put the Wolf Pack back in the lead.
The Wolf Pack took the lead into the first intermission. The Checkers promptly opened the second period with fire, recording the period’s first 15 shots on net. However, Domingue stood tall, denying all 15 bids to keep the Wolf Pack’s lead in tact.
When Connor Mackey took a delay of game penalty at 10:22 of the middle frame, it seemed like the shot disparity would continue. However, Belzile decided enough was enough. Adam Sýkora poked the puck away from a pair of Checkers and forechecked hard to collect it in the offensive zone. Sýkora slid the puck to Belzile, who made a beautiful move around a defenseman before flipping a shot over a diving Driedger for his second goal of the contest.
The goal gave Belzile his fourth multi-goal game as a member of the Wolf Pack, and Hartford took the two-goal buffer into the second intermission.
Mr. Belzile’s Hat Tossing Class
Eventually, the shot disparity caught up to the Wolf Pack. The Checkers scored three goals in the first 9:37 of the final frame to take a 4-3 lead. Ryan McAllister was first, blasting a one-timer into the net while Belzile sat in the box for high-sticking. Justin Sourdif followed up, ripping home a shot from the slot. Criscuolo capped off the flurry, banking a shot off the post and in to put Charlotte in front with just over half a period to play.
However, the Wolf Pack once again found their way back into a home game. Wilmer Skoog took a holding penalty at 9:57, giving a struggling Wolf Pack power play a prime opportunity to break their drought. Domingue stopped a clear from Charlotte and steered it to Berard. Berard sped through the neutral zone and into Charlotte’s ice while Belzile snuck behind the defense. Berard fed Belzile, who beat Driedger on the backhand to send the hats flying and tie the game at four. It was the second career hat trick for Belzile – his first came with the Laval Rocket against the Cleveland Monsters on January 14th, 2023.
The goal was Hartford’s first power play goal since October 19th, exactly one month ago.
“The power play has obviously been an area we’ve struggled in, and we’re fully aware of it,” Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny told The Calder Times after the contest. “It was kind of fitting tonight that that was the goal that tied the game for us, a power play goal.”
Neither team could gain the lead in the final ten minutes of regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Belz Ringing, Class Dismissed
The overtime period also failed to produce a winner. As a result, the game went to a shootout, the second of the season for each team.
The Wolf Pack elected to shoot first and sent Belzile out for the first shot. The veteran forward sped towards the net, slowed up and then snapped a quick shot by Driedger to give the Wolf Pack the advantage. Belzile’s tally would stand as the game-winner.
At the other end of the ice, Domingue slammed the door shut, stopping all three of Charlotte’s bids to clinch the 5-4 win for the Wolf Pack.
“It was a good day. We found a way to get the dub at the end,” Belzile told The Calder Times after the contest. “It feels good to contribute, a good day in general.”
Home Schooling
I’ve referenced it over and over in these articles, but it’s worth repeating – the Wolf Pack have been simply phenomenal at home so far this season. They’ve won eight of their nine contests so far at the XL Center, good for 16 points. It’s created a very fun environment in downtown Hartford, both from a fan’s perspective and a writer’s perspective.
“You’re a creature of habit. When you’re at home, everything is kinda set perfectly for you,” Potulny told The Calder Times on Tuesday. “We’ve done a good job in [home] games, where we’ve lost a bit of momentum, of grabbing it back. That was the case again.”
It’s a different story on the road – the Wolf Pack are 0-4-1-1 away from Hartford so far this season. They’ve totaled just two points out of a possible twelve. They’re one of two AHL teams without a road win – the other is the winless Utica Comets.
“I hope [this is] who we can be on the road, too,” Potulny said, referring to Hartford’s home performance. Luckily, the Wolf Pack have three more home games before they need to worry about winning their first road contest.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack will play a pair of home games this weekend. First, they’ll host the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday for the latest installment of the I-91 Rivalry. Puck drop is set for 6:00 pm.
The Wolf Pack’s rivalry weekend continues on Sunday, when they host the Bridgeport Islanders for the third edition of the Battle of Connecticut this season. Puck drop is set for 4:00 pm.
