The Hartford Wolf Pack played their most recent three-in-three last weekend. Hartford’s depth continued to be challenged over the weekend as the team posted a 1-2-0-0 record in the contests.
Friday: Laval Rocket 5, Hartford Wolf Pack 2
The Wolf Pack wrapped up their season-long six-game home stand on Friday night, hosting the Laval Rocket for the first time since January 15th, 2022.
Hartford broke the ice just 51 seconds into the contest. Matthew Robertson fired a shot from the top of the Laval zone that Jakub Dobeš turned aside. However, Anton Blidh grabbed the rebound and buried it into the net, giving Hartford the game’s first lead.
Laval tied the contest in the final minute of the first period. Mac Hollowell went to the box for interference, giving Laval their first powerplay opportunity of the night. Mitchell Stephens cashed in on the man advantage with a shot that trickled through the five-hole of Louis Domingue to tie the score.
Laval took the lead in the second period. Jared Davidson sprung on a breakaway before ripping a shot by the short side of Domingue to give the Rocket the lead. Tobie Bisson followed up about four minutes later, ripping a shot under Domingue’s blocker to double the lead. Bisson’s tally stood as the eventual game-winner.
Davidson potted his second goal of the night about midway through the third period. The rookie forward took advantage of a Brandon Scanlin slashing minor to triple the Laval lead.
Jan Myšák took a holding minor just over 13 minutes into the final stanza, and Hartford elected to lift Domingue for the extra skater to give them a two-skater advantage. Laval successfully killed the penalty, but Brett Berard found the back of the net shortly after Myšák exited the box. Berard grabbed a feed from Tyler Pitlick and tucked it home, giving the Wolf Pack life.
However, Davidson snuffed Hartford’s comeback attempt, nailing the empty net to complete his first professional hat trick and deliver the victory to Laval.
Saturday – Hartford Wolf Pack 2, Bridgeport Islanders 1 (OT)
The Wolf Pack hit the road on Saturday night, traveling to Bridgeport to take on the Islanders for the latest installment in the Battle of Connecticut.
Hartford had a penalty-ridden first period, giving the Islanders six powerplay opportunities. However, the Hartford penalty kill was up to the task, killing all six powerplay opportunities. In addition to killing off all six penalties, the Wolf Pack took the lead with a shorthanded goal. Artem Anisimov won an offensive zone draw, and Connor Mackey collected the puck. Mackey snapped a pass to Nikolas Brouillard, who blasted a one-timer towards the net. Turner Elson redirected the shot by Jakub Skarek into the Bridgeport net, giving Hartford the game’s first lead. Elson’s goal was Hartford’s sixth shorthanded marker of the season, good for second-most in the Atlantic Division.
The score remained 1-0 through the second period, with Skarek stopping eight shots and Dylan Garand denying six. Both netminders were challenged in the middle stanza but were up to the task. Skarek helped kill off two Hartford powerplay opportunities, while Garand made an incredible poke check to deny Kyle MacLean on a breakaway opportunity.
The Islanders finally tied the score just over twelve minutes into the final period. Matthew Maggio took a shot that Garand denied, but Daylan Kuefler jammed the rebound into the Hartford net to even the score. It was the first AHL goal for Kuefler, and it eventually sent the game to overtime.
Berard was Hartford’s overtime hero on Saturday night. With just under a minute left in the extra frame, Berard ripped a shot from just beyond the slot that Skarek couldn’t stop.
It was Berard’s fifth game-winning goal of the season, and it delivered a 2-1 overtime victory to the Wolf Pack.
Sunday – Providence Bruins 3, Hartford Wolf Pack 0
The Wolf Pack wrapped up their three-in-three on Sunday afternoon, taking on the Providence Bruins. However, this contest ended up being one Hartford would like to forget.
The Atlantic Division rivals played a scoreless first period, with Domingue denying eleven shots and Michael DiPietro turning seven bids aside. Hartford had a powerplay opportunity when Luke Toporowski went to the box for holding in the opening minutes of the game, but they couldn’t break the ice.
Providence finally grabbed the game’s first lead about eight minutes into the middle stanza. Elson was sent to the box for tripping, giving the Bruins their first powerplay of the game. Just eight seconds later, Patrick Brown put the Bruins in front, deflecting a Fabian Lysell shot by Domingue.
Trevor Kuntar doubled the lead about eight minutes later. The rookie forward took a feed from Alec Regula and snapped a shot from the slot by Domingue to push the Providence lead to two.
Lysell capped off the scoring four minutes into the third period, blasting a one-timer through the pads of Domingue. DiPietro and the Providence defense held strong in the final period, holding Hartford to just six shots on goal on their way to a 3-0 win. The loss dropped Hartford to 1-2-0-0 on the three-in-three.
Brett Berard: Clutch Gene
One thing has become clear during Berard’s rookie season – he’s got a clutch gene.
Berard tallied the overtime game-winning goal on Saturday night in Bridgeport. The game-winner was Berard’s fifth of the season, tying him with Abbotsford’s Max Sasson for second among rookies in the AHL. The goal was also Berard’s second overtime game-winner of the season; his first came on February 2nd in a 5-4 overtime win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Berard’s goal on Saturday night was also his 16th of the season, which leads the Wolf Pack and is good for fourth among AHL rookies. On the topic of Berard’s scoring success, interim head coach Steve Smith told The Calder Times on Friday:
He’s worked hard every day. He has an effort that is second to none. He works hard on his game on both sides of the puck.
Hartford Wolf Pack Interim Head Coach Steve Smith on Brett Berard’s scoring success
Berard himself was more coy about his scoring success, telling The Calder Times on Friday:
It’s something that I’m not too focused on. I’m just trying to get around the net. Good things have been happening, the puck’s been going into the net, so I’ve been getting lucky there. But I’m just trying to focus on playing a complete game. I think I still need to work on some things…but it’s nice to build that confidence.
Wolf Pack forward Brett Berard on his scoring
Jenkins Joins the Wolf Pack
Reinforcements have arrived for the Hartford Wolf Pack as their forward depth continues to be tested this season. On Saturday, the club announced the signing of forward Blade Jenkins to a one-year contract.
Jenkins has spent most of the season with the Worcester Railers of the ECHL, where he’s shined all season. Jenkins leads the Railers in goals (20), assists (25), and points (45) through 46 games this season. The highlight of Jenkins’ time in Worcester came on February 2nd and 3rd. That weekend, Jenkins scored hat tricks in consecutive games against the Trois-Rivières Lions. He also added two assists in the February 3rd game, totaling eight points on the weekend.
Jenkins is a familiar name to Wolf Pack fans. He spent parts of three seasons with Hartford’s in-state rival, the Bridgeport Islanders. In 89 career AHL contests, Jenkins has recorded 20 points, totaling ten goals and ten assists.
Jenkins, specifically, was a Wolf Pack killer during his time in Bridgeport. Six of his ten AHL goals came at the expense of the Wolf Pack, including his first professional goal back on April 15th, 2021.
Hartford is missing some impact players up front. Forwards Jonny Brodzinski, Alex Belzile, Matt Rempe, and Adam Edström are all on recall with the New York Rangers. Riley Nash, Bobby Trivigno, and Matej Pekar are all dealing with injuries, keeping them out week-to-week. Finally, Hartford has lost depth pieces like Cristiano DiGiacinto and Tim Doherty, who both signed overseas. Jenkins’ signing provides some much-needed support up front as Hartford continues to fight to secure a spot in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Rempe’s Historic NHL Debut
Forward Matt Rempe had a historic NHL debut on Sunday afternoon. The towering forward became the first player in NHL history to make his NHL debut in an outdoor game, debuting at the 2024 Stadium Series between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. Before the game, Rempe took his rookie lap at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Rempe’s reputation for fighting followed him to the NHL, where he dropped the gloves with veteran winger Matt Martin on his first shift.
Rempe has worked hard through his two seasons in Hartford, and seeing him rewarded on one of the biggest stages in hockey was an exciting moment.
Up Next
The Wolf Pack will play another three-in-three this week. The team returns to the XL Center on Wednesday and Thursday, hosting the Bridgeport Islanders and Cleveland Monsters, respectively. Puck drop in both games is set for 7:00 pm.
The team wraps up the three-in-three on Friday, hitting the road to take on the Springfield Thunderbirds in the latest installment of the I-91 Rivalry. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm.
