After falling mere wins short of the Calder Cup Finals a season ago, the Hartford Wolf Pack came out the gate flying this year. While they have cooled down a bit, it’s definitely not enough to warrant concern.
After one month of hockey, the Wolf Pack have howled their way to a 5-2-0-0 record through seven games and are just four points out of first place in not just the Atlantic Division, but the eastern conference.
Here is who sticks out as the Hartford’s three stars after the first month of the season, this list will not include anyone called up to the NHL or sent down to the ECHL.
Third Star – Riley Nash (Forward)
Riley Nash has been a shining star for the Wolf Pack thus far playing both a controlled, but also physical game. He has also contributed on the offensive side of the puck as well.
Playing in all seven games thus far, Nash has contributed six points: three goals, and three assists. While this was a tough one to choose between him and Brennan Othmann, Othmann’s -2 plus/minus rating sank him below the waves.
Nash is nearing the 300 AHL game mark, and that will be a momentous game for him. If everything were to go to plan, he could also hit the 200 AHL as well around that time frame.
Second Star – Alex Belzile (Forward)
Now, were it not for Jonny Brodzinski‘s recent call-up to the New York Rangers, this whole list would be different. Alex Belzile, who sits here as the second star, would have been the third star, Brodzinski would be number two, and then we would have had our first star.
However, as stated before, no one that is now on the NHL or ECHL roster will find themselves on this list. With that said, Belzile has moved up from the third star to the second star. In his first season with the Wolf Pack, the Saint-Eloi, Quebec native has played in all seven games contributing three goals, and five assists to his guys effort.
He has also scored once on the power play, and has also collected a +2 plus/minus rating on the ice. Belzile has been a pleasant surprise coming over from Laval, and is line to have an All-Star caliber season if he keeps his numbers up.
First Star – Louis Domingue (Goaltender)
Going into the final week of the season, this pick really could have gone either way. All I knew for certain was that it was going to be between Hartford’s two goaltenders: Dylan Garand, and Louis Domingue.
Now, while they both have lost one game each it was really a toss-up, but what it really came down to was which one had the better statistics in higher leverage situations. Both had a sub 2.5 GAA, and had a .930 or higher SV%. At the end of the day, Domingue was the one I decided to go with.
Garand may have had the highest save count in a game this season at 37, but Domingue has the highest save count in a win when he pitched a 35 save shutout against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on October 20. Domingue’s record sits at 3-1 and currently ranks sixth in the American Hockey League in Goals Against Average.
Honorable Mention(s): Jonny Brodzinski (Forward)
As stated before, if Brodzinski had not been called up, he would have made this list easily.
To say the captain had had a monster start to the season is putting it mildly. Before being called up to the NHL, Brodzinski had a point in every game thus far, racking up 11 so far on the season on six goals and five assists.
Now Brodzinski is moving on up to the NHL to do bigger and better things with the Rangers.
What’s next for Hartford?
Hartford is back in action on Friday night on the road when they take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Puck drop from the PPL Center in Allentown is at 7:05 p.m.
