The Hartford Wolf Pack wrapped up the first half of the 2023-24 season by hosting a pair of Atlantic Division opponents. In a pair of entertaining games, Hartford split the contests.
Friday – Hartford Wolf Pack 5, Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins 4 (OT)
The Wolf Pack continued their season-long six game home stand on Friday, hosting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. WBS’ Joona Koppanen broke the ice, beating Louis Domingue just over two minutes into the game.
However, the tides quickly turned in Hartford’s favor. Midway through the first period, Adam Sýkora tied the score at one. Alex Belzile threw the puck on net, and the rookie forward deflected it past Magnus Hellberg to tie the score.
The Wolf Pack poured it on in the second period. Belzile added a goal of his own, collecting a loose puck in the slot and snapping it by Hellberg.
Matthew Robertson doubled the lead two and a half minutes later. Turner Elson found Robertson in the slot with a beautiful pass, and the defenseman promptly beat Hellberg by the glove to push the lead to two.
Brennan Othmann capped off the scoring with a powerplay goal. With Jesse Puljujärvi in the box for cross-checking, Othmann uncorked a one-timer from the right circle to triple the Hartford lead. It was Othmann’s seventh powerplay goal of the season, tying Belzile for the team lead.
However, the momentum would swing back in favor of the Penguins. Peter Abbandonato cut the Hartford lead back to two late in the second period. Vinnie Hinostroza drew the Penguins within one, deflecting a Jack Rathbone shot by Domingue.
In the waning moments of regulation, the Penguins opted to lift Hellberg in favor of the extra skater. Sam Poulin won a board battle and sent a backwards pass to Hinostroza in the slot. Hinostroza promptly beat Domingue by the blocker to even the score at four and send the game to overtime.
BB Waves Bye-Bye
In the extra frame, Brett Berard collected a loose puck at center ice and sped into the Penguins’ zone. The rookie forward danced through the Penguins defense and into the slot, setting up a prime scoring chance. Berard went bar down over Hellberg, delivering the win and the extra point to the Wolf Pack.
Berard’s overtime winner is his fourth GWG of the season, leading the Wolf Pack and tying him for second among rookies with Max Sasson (Abbotsford), Joe Carroll (Syracuse), and Rory Kerins (Calgary).
Saturday – Springfield Thunderbirds 6, Hartford Wolf Pack 3
The Wolf Pack returned to the ice on Saturday, hosting the Springfield Thunderbirds in the latest iteration of the I-91 Rivalry.
It was a slow start for Hartford against their rivals. The Wolf Pack conceded the first three goals of the contest. Jakub Vrana broke the ice, blasting a one-timer by Dylan Garand to give Springfield the game’s first lead. Ryan Suzuki followed up, swiping an attempted pass at center ice before beating Garand under the blocker on a partial breakaway. Vrana scored again three minutes later, sneaking behind the Hartford defense and speeding on a breakaway before ripping a shot by Garand’s blocker to make it 3-0.
The Wolf Pack got a spark in the tail end of the first period, when Brennan Othmann dropped the gloves and fought former Wolf Pack defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk. Hartford immediately capitalized on the momentum, with Alex Belzile getting the Wolf Pack on the board.
The Wolf Pack kept the momentum heading into the second period. Brandon Scanlin cut the lead in half just 55 seconds into the period, sniping a quick shot by Malcolm Subban on the short side.
Matt Rempe evened the score two minutes later. Ryder Korczak took a shot that Subban denied, but the veteran netminder couldn’t hang on to the rebound. Rempe powered towards the crease and jammed the loose puck into the net, tying the game at three.
However, the Wolf Pack would be unable to capture the lead on this night. Zach Dean reinstated the Springfield lead at 13:47 of the second period. Matthew Peca doubled it about eight minutes into the third period, and Will Bitten finally capped off the scoring with an empty-netter to deliver a 6-3 win to the T-Birds.
Otter and Cheddar at the All-Star Classic
Forward Brennan Othmann and defenseman Mac Hollowell represented the Wolf Pack at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic on Sunday and Monday.
The two men combined for five points in the four games the Atlantic Division played. Othmann recorded two assists, while Hollowell tallied a goal and two assists. Hollowell’s goal broke the ice during the Atlantic’s 6-1 rout of the North Division.
Hollowell, Othmann, and the Atlantic Division went 1-1-1 in round robin play, and their head-to-head win over the North Division gave them the tiebreaker to send them to the finals. There, they fell to the Pacific Division 3-2.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack continue their season-long six-game home stand this weekend. On Friday, they host the Bridgeport Islanders for the 2,000th game in franchise history. On Saturday, the Wolf Pack welcome the Providence Bruins back to town. Puck drop for both games is set for 7:00 pm.
