The Hartford Wolf Pack returned home last week for a trio of tilts in a tight Atlantic Division playoff race. However, the weekend left Hartford with more questions than answers as their struggles continued.
Wednesday – Charlotte Checkers 3, Hartford Wolf Pack 0
The Wolf Pack played their biggest game of the year on Wednesday night, hosting the Charlotte Checkers. Hartford sought revenge for Charlotte’s two-game sweep in North Carolina earlier in the month.
However, Hartford’s chances at revenge were quickly snuffed out. Officials sent Alex Belzile to the box for tripping just 1:37 into the contest. Charlotte needed just nine seconds of powerplay time to grab the lead. Dylan Garand denied an initial bid from Mackie Samoskevich, but he couldn’t hang on to the puck. Wilmer Skoog grabbed the rebound and flipped it into the Hartford net to break the ice, putting the Checkers in front for good.
The Wolf Pack received opportunities to even the score, including a five-on-three stretch early in the middle frame. However, a tough Charlotte defense limited the Wolf Pack to just two shots on the double advantage, and Spencer Knight denied both bids.
The sides played a scoreless second period. Knight made six saves to keep Hartford off the board, while Garand denied eight bids, keeping the deficit at one.
Alexander True finally doubled the Charlotte lead, ripping a shot by Garand off an odd-man rush just over 14 minutes into the final stanza. Casey Fitzgerald took out a second insurance policy about a minute and a half later, blasting a one-timer by Garand. Knight stopped eight shots in the third period to lead the Checkers to a 3-0 victory.
Overall, Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith was unhappy with the performance from his group, telling The Calder Times:
It’s hard to create offense when you don’t have the puck. [Charlotte] had the puck most of the night. That’s three in a row against them where we struggled to create offense. To tell you the truth, I didn’t love our effort overall. Dylan [Garand] was solid, but he didn’t have to be – we didn’t create anything. We didn’t give him much of a chance to get the win.
Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith following the team’s 3-0 loss to Charlotte, 3/27/24
Friday – Springfield Thunderbirds 6, Hartford Wolf Pack 2
The Wolf Pack returned to action Friday, hosting their rivals from up Interstate 91, the Springfield Thunderbirds, in another massive tilt. Hartford got a big return to the lineup in the form of defenseman Connor Mackey. Mackey had been out with an upper-body injury he suffered in Providence on February 18th.
Hartford found the icebreaker in this contest. Nic Petan held the puck at the top of the zone with a pair of T-Birds closing in. Petan spun and flung a backhand pass to Mac Hollowell near the slot. Hollowell carried the puck down low before sliding a pass to Adam Edström, who tipped it into the net.
However, Edström’s goal represents the only lead Hartford held on this night. The T-Birds rattled off five straight goals over the next 30 minutes of action to take a commanding lead. Ryan Suzuki evened the score, sprinting towards the net on a breakaway and lifting a shot over Garand’s blocker.
Hugh McGing scored the first of four T-Birds goals in the second period. McGing found a loose puck in the crease and tapped it home to put Springfield ahead. Adam Gaudette put Springfield up two, sniping a shot from the slot by Garand. Jakub Vrana finished the flurry, potting a pair of powerplay goals just 30 seconds apart to give Springfield a 5-1 advantage heading into the final frame. Olof Lindbom replaced Garand in net after Vrana’s second tally.
Petan scored his first Wolf Pack goal at the XL Center about halfway through the third period. Colten Ellis denied a drive from Nikolas Brouillard, but a charging Petan poked it over the red line.
However, Mikhail Abramov reinstated the four-goal lead with a sharp-angle shot by Lindbom, and Springfield took the 6-2 decision.
Saturday – Hershey Bears 2, Hartford Wolf Pack 1 (SO)
The Wolf Pack hit the ice again on Saturday, aiming to bounce back from their disappointing performance the night before. Their opponents? The league-leading Hershey Bears.
The Bears opened the scoring in this contest, courtesy of Ethen Frank. Pierrick Dubé raced into the Hartford zone and snapped a pass to a cutting Frank. Frank promptly ripped a shot over the shoulder of Lindbom to hand the Bears the game’s first lead.
Hartford peppered Hunter Shepard in the first period, firing 15 shots on goal. However, the Hershey netminder stood strong, turning all 15 bids aside.
The Wolf Pack finally solved Shepard just over six minutes into the second period. Ryan Hofer was whistled for slashing, giving the Wolf Pack their third powerplay of the contest. Brennan Othmann knotted the score, banking a shot off the skate of a Hershey defender and into the net for his 18th tally of the season.
The teams traded chances throughout the final stanza, and both goaltenders were up to the task, making big saves to keep the score tied. Hartford’s penalty kill was challenged in the waning minutes of regulation as Belzile was whistled for interference at 17:39 of the third period. The penalty killers were up to the task, preventing Hershey from finding the tiebreaker. Lindbom was immaculate during the key stretch, making a flurry of saves to send the game to overtime.
The Bears had a pair of powerplays in overtime. Hollowell took a high-sticking minor just 16 seconds into the extra frame, while Brett Berard went off for hooking with just 46 seconds left in bonus hockey. Again, Hershey couldn’t solve Lindbom, sending the game to a shootout.
A Great Effort
Shepard denied Berard in the top of the first round of the shootout, while Dubé scored to give Hershey the advantage. Petan and Joe Snively traded goals in the second round. Belzile lit the lamp for Hartford in the top of the third round to keep the Wolf Pack’s hopes alive. However, Alex Limoges delivered the dagger, scoring in the bottom of the third round to secure the extra point for the Bears.
Despite the loss, interim head coach Steve Smith saw a lot of positives from the Wolf Pack’s showdown with Hershey. During his postgame press conference, Smith told The Calder Times:
I think the pace of our game was completely different than it was last night. I felt like our D backed up for pucks quickly and got pucks up ice quickly. Our forwards made plays and put pucks behind their D early. Their D couldn’t keep up with our forwards. We had guys that really worked hard. There was 19 guys that played tonight that gave a great effort. They should be very proud.
Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith following the team’s shootout loss to Hershey, 3/30/24
New Pack Members
The Wolf Pack had a pair of debuts and a new signing in the past week.
Defenseman Ryan Siedem made his AHL debut on Wednesday night against Charlotte. The former Harvard and Notre Dame blueliner skated alongside Nikolas Brouillard and recorded a shot on goal in the contest.
Steve Smith told The Calder Times after Siedem’s debut:
He seems to be a pretty cerebral player. He gets the game. He was positionally very sound. I’m sure it’s a step up for him, and the pace was probably a little much, but overall he moved the puck well and he was positionally pretty good.
Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith on Ryan Siedem’s debut, 3/27/24
Jaroslav Chmelař followed Siedem, making his AHL debut on Friday versus Springfield. The New York Rangers’ fifth-round draft choice in 2021 skated alongside veterans Tyler Pitlick and Jake Leschyshyn in his first AHL game.
Steve Smith told The Calder Times after Chmelař’s debut:
Big strong guy. I think the pace [of the game] was a bit much, but he’ll get better over time.
Wolf Pack interim head coach Steve Smith on Jaroslav Chmelař’s debut, 3/29/24
Finally, the Wolf Pack added former University of Nebraska-Omaha defenseman Victor Mancini. Mancini signed a two-year entry-level contract with the parent New York Rangers yesterday, as well as an amateur tryout agreement with the Wolf Pack.
Mancini is an elite shot blocker. He led the Mavericks with 40 blocks during the 2023-24 campaign. Also, Mancini was teammates with Wolf Pack defenseman Brandon Scanlin at Nebraska-Omaha during the 2021-22 season. Mancini officially joined the club yesterday.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack kick off April tonight, hosting the final installment in the 2023-24 Battle of Connecticut against the Bridgeport Islanders. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
The Wolf Pack will make their final trip to Charlotte this weekend for a series against the Checkers. Puck drop on Saturday is scheduled for 4:00 pm, followed by a 1:00 puck drop on Sunday.
