The Hartford Wolf Pack took on a pair of division opponents last weekend to split the weekend, keeping pace in a tight Atlantic Division.
Friday – Hershey Bears 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 2
On Friday, the Hershey Bears visited the XL Center for the first time this season. It was the first meeting between the teams in Hartford since Hershey swept the Wolf Pack out of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Wolf Pack got revenge in the first meeting between the teams on the campaign, scoring a 5-3 comeback win at the Giant Center on January 6th.
Much like the meeting on January 6th, Jake Leschyshyn broke the ice. Brett Berard took a sharp-angle shot from the right circle. Leschyshyn managed to deflect the puck by Hunter Shepard to give Hartford the game’s first lead. It was Leschyshyn’s third goal against the Bears so far this season.
However, the Bears would take advantage of a pair of powerplays to capture the lead. Artem Anisimov was whistled for tripping at 10:12 of the first period. Just 26 seconds later, the Bears tied the game. Perrick Dubé converted on the man advantage with his 20th goal of the season, evening the score.
The Bears took the lead in the middle stanza. At 16:05, officials sent Nikolas Brouillard to the box for cross-checking. Just five seconds later, Mike Vecchione put Hershey in front, deflecting a Joe Snively shot by Louis Domingue.
Aaron Ness potted the eventual game-winner at 10:54 of the third period, firing a shot that pinballed through the Wolf Pack defense and into the net. The Wolf Pack pulled Domingue, searching for the equalizer, but Ethen Frank hit the empty net to put the game out of reach.
Alex Belzile scored a powerplay goal as time expired, deflecting a shot from Brouillard into the Hershey net. It was Belzile’s team-leading 12th goal and 18th point of the season. However, it wouldn’t be enough for the Wolf Pack on this night.
Saturday – Hartford Wolf Pack 3, Bridgeport Islanders 0
On Saturday, the Wolf Pack visited their in-state rivals, looking to bounce back from their loss the night before. The sides played a quiet first period. Each team got a powerplay opportunity, but both were killed off successfully.
The Wolf Pack finally broke the ice early in the second period. Adam Sýkora held the puck along the right wall and snapped a pass to Henriksson, who was speeding towards the net. Henriksson promptly deflected the pass by Jakub Skarek, giving the Wolf Pack a lead they would not lose. It was Henriksson’s seventh goal of the season, matching his career high.
Nikolas Brouillard doubled the lead a minute and a half into the third period. During a Wolf Pack powerplay, the puck dribbled to the top of the Bridgeport zone. Brouillard sent the puck deep, and it somehow snuck by Skarek and into the Bridgeport net.
Late in the period, Bridgeport pulled Skarek as they tried to claw their way back into the game. However, Bobby Trivigno delivered the dagger, hitting the empty net to triple the Hartford lead. Bridgeport fired 13 shots on Dylan Garand throughout the final stanza, but the second-year netminder denied them all, earning his second shutout of the season.
Whose Goal Is It Anyway?
Alex Belzile’s goal at the end of the Wolf Pack’s game against the Bears on Friday is pretty inconsequential in the big picture. It was scored with one second left in the game while the Wolf Pack trailed by three. However, trying to actually credit a player with the goal has been a wild ride.
From my vantage point at the XL Center’s media row, I thought it was Nikolas Brouillard’s goal and reported it as such on Twitter. However, the goal was immediately credited to Brett Berard, which the Wolf Pack’s clip of the goal reflects.
However, later that night, off-ice officials reversed the decision and credited Brouillard with the goal.
Days later, the recipient changed once again. Alex Belzile is now credited with the goal, and at the time of writing, it’s still his goal on the official box score.
Again, this goal had no impact on the outcome of the game – Hershey won no matter who scored. Also, stat corrections are a pretty common thing in hockey, even days after a game. Regardless, seeing credit for an inconsequential goal bounce between three different players is funny to me. Who knows who gets credit next – it might even be you!
A New Fan Favorite
Having gone to almost every Wolf Pack home game this year, one thing is clear: Matt Rempe is a fan favorite in the Connecticut capital.
The towering forward is quick to drop the gloves, and he’s a good fighter. His tilts with players like Boko Imama and Vincent Arseneau have gone viral. Rempe got into another fight over the weekend, brawling with Hershey’s Dmitry Osipov. After laying the smackdown on Osipov, Rempe hyped up the Hartford faithful on his way to the penalty box. The XL Center crowd showed him love for his performance.
Garand Blanks Bridgeport…Again
Get excited, Rangers fans – Dylan Garand hates the Islanders.
In 60 career AHL games between the regular season and playoffs, Garand has earned seven shutouts. Three of those shutouts have come at the expense of the Bridgeport Islanders.
Garand’s first shutout against the Isles came last season in a 9-0 drubbing on March 4th, 2023. Both of Garand’s clean sheets this season have been against Bridgeport. His first of the season came in a 3-0 win on November 10th, and his most recent came on Saturday.
Something about the Battle of Connecticut brings out the best in Garand, and Rangers fans certainly hope this success against the Isles carries over into the NHL.
Welcome to the AHL, Bryan Yoon!
On Friday, defenseman Bryan Yoon made his AHL debut in the Wolf Pack’s game against the Hershey Bears. After five seasons at Colorado College, Yoon turned pro this year, signing with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies. Yoon recorded 17 points in 35 games with the Grizzlies this season, totaling three goals and 14 assists. With the Wolf Pack rostering just six healthy defensemen, Yoon inked a professional tryout contract with Hartford on January 19th.
That same day, the Rangers recalled Matthew Robertson from the Wolf Pack. As a result, Yoon drew in for his first AHL game in front of a raucous crowd of 8,077 at the XL Center. After the game, Yoon told AHL News Now:
[My debut] was good. It was my first time ever playing here, and I thought the fans were great. It was fun.
Bryan Yoon on making his AHL debut in Hartford
Up Next
The Wolf Pack continue their four-game road trip this week. Tonight, they make their visit to Wilkes-Barre to take on the Penguins. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm.
This weekend, the Wolf Pack will make their first visit to Cleveland since November 16th, 2008, for a pair of matchups with the Monsters. The teams will face off on Friday and Saturday, with puck drop for both games set for 7:00 pm.
