#JosiahDidier

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GAME 3, HARTFORD WOLF PACK LOSE TO PROVIDENCE BRUINS

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – After taking the first two games of the Atlantic Division Semifinals on the road, the Hartford Wolf Pack returned to the XL Center on Wednesday night, eyeing a sweep of the Providence Bruins. The Pack challenged Providence late, but the Bruins stifled the comeback attempt, forcing Game Four with a 6-3 decision. Jack Achan potted his first career playoff goal about six minutes into the final stanza. Achan intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, sped towards the Hartford net on a breakaway opportunity, and ripped a wrist shot under the glove of Dylan Garand and into the Hartford net. The goal made the score 4-2 at the time and stood as the eventual game-winning tally. Providence broke the ice just under the 16-minute mark of the first period. With Libor Hájek in the penalty box for tripping, a scrum for a loose puck ensued in front of the Hartford net. Garand denied Connor Carrick's initial attempt, but Justin Brazeau collected the rebound and slid the puck through the five-hole, giving Providence a lead they would not give up. The goal was Brazeau's first career Calder Cup Playoff goal. Oskar Steen stretched the lead to two just before the final buzzer of the opening stanza. John Beecher won a battle along the wall and found Fabian Lysell in the right-wing circle. Lysell fed the puck to Josiah Didier at the blue line, and the Providence captain stepped into a shot that was redirected into the net by Steen. The shot beat the buzzer by .2 seconds and put the Bruins up by two, heading into the second period. Providence gained their biggest lead of the night just over 14 minutes into the second period. Zac Jones was sent to the box for tripping, setting up the second Bruins powerplay of the night. In the waning seconds of the man advantage, Luke Toporowski managed to sneak behind the Wolf Pack defense and flip a shot that beat Garand on the short side, giving the Bruins a three-goal lead. Jones finally put the Wolf Pack on the board at 19:35 of the middle stanza. Penalties to Steen, Joona Koppanen, and Adam Clendening initiated a four-on-three powerplay for Hartford. Jake Leschyshyn won a faceoff in the Providence zone, and Jones corralled the puck. Jones blasted a one-timer that Brandon Bussi never saw, cutting the lead to two heading into the final stanza. Hartford stayed hot to begin the third period. With Clendening still in the box serving a five-minute major for interference, Hájek rimmed the puck around the boards to clear it. Anton Blidh won a footrace for the puck and blasted a shot that Bussi denied with the blocker. Tim Gettinger tipped the puck toward the goal, and Blidh attempted to jam it home but was again denied. Finally, the rebound bounced to Gettinger, who stepped into a blast that beat the Providence netminder to bring the Wolf Pack within one. The goal was Gettinger's second career playoff marker. Achan converted on the breakaway at 5:58, putting the game out of reach for good. The Wolf Pack drew back within one at 13:34, as Lauri Pajuniemi tipped a pass from Tanner Fritz over Bussi for his team-leading third goal of the playoffs. Pajuniemi was again set up with a glorious opportunity, but Bussi flashed the leather to keep the Bruins ahead by a goal late in regulation time. The Bruins would then get a pair of empty net goals from Brazeau and Vinni Lettieri to cement the victory. Game Four of the Atlantic Division Semifinals between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins is now set for this Friday, May 5th, at the XL Center. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit HERE. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team's inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK AND PROVIDENCE BRUINS TANGLE IN ATLANTIC DIVISION SEMIFINALS - PREVIEW

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – For the sixth time in franchise history, the Hartford Wolf Pack are set for a playoff series against Providence Bruins. The sides kick off the series tonight with the first of a back-to-back set at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: The Wolf Pack and Bruins met ten times during the regular season, with Hartford winning the season series 6-4. Hartford collected points in seven of the ten meetings, posting a record of 6-3-1-0. Despite losing the season series, the Bruins did manage to grab points in seven games as well, going 4-3-3-0. The Wolf Pack took the last meeting between the foes on April 8th, scoring a 5-3 decision in Providence that clinched the club a Calder Cup Playoff berth. Turner Elson opened the scoring 2:42 into the game, converting a backdoor feed from Zac Jones for his 14th goal of the season. The Bruins answered back at 6:31, however, as Josiah Didier fired a shot from the point that beat Dylan Garand. Luke Toporowski gave the Bruins their first and only lead of the game at 10:54, rifling home his 14th goal of the season. Elson pounced on a rebound at 16:46, burying his second goal of the night to send the game to the intermission tied 2-2. Hartford regained the lead for good at 6:03 of the middle stanza, as Ryan Carpenter found a rebound and beat Kyle Keyser for his 21st goal of the season. Libor Hájek tacked on the insurance marker at 2:21 of the third, stepping into a blast from the left-wing circle. Didier scored his second goal of the night at 8:33 of the third to make things interesting, but Tanner Fritz hit an empty net to solidify the victory. The Wolf Pack have won three straight in the season series. They took a 3-2 overtime decision at the XL Center on February 18th and a 5-0 decision on home ice on March 31st prior to their 5-3 win on the road on April 8th. This is the sixth playoff series between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins and the first since 2015. The Bruins knocked the Wolf Pack out of the Calder Cup Playoffs in 1999, 2001, and 2007, while Hartford returned the favor in 2000 and 2015. The Wolf Pack won the 2015 Atlantic Division Quarterfinals series 3-2 over the Bruins. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack swept the defending Eastern Conference Champion Springfield Thunderbirds 2-0 in their Atlantic Division First Round series. Hartford completed the sweep with a 7-1 drubbing of their rivals in Game Two at the XL Center on Friday, April 21st. The win gave the Wolf Pack their first playoff series victory since 2015 when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Seven different Wolf Pack scored in the Game Two victory, with Wyatt Kalynuk being credited with the game-winning goal. Kalynuk’s goal was his first as a member of the Wolf Pack. Fritz (1 g, 2 a) and Anton Blidh (1 g, 2 a) both recorded three points in the victory, while Zac Jones and Turner Elson each recorded a pair of assists. Garand made 19 saves for his second career Calder Cup Playoff victory. Fritz leads the Wolf Pack in playoff scoring with six points (1 g, 5 a) through two games. That ties him with Coachella Valley’s Kole Lind (3 g, 3 a) for the playoff scoring lead. Fritz does lead the Calder Cup Playoffs in points-per-game with a 3.00 mark through two games. Meanwhile, Ty Emberson, Blake Hillman, and Lauri Pajuniemi lead the Wolf Pack in goals with two each through two games this postseason. Both Emberson and Blidh are +8 through two games, tied for the Calder Cup Playoff lead in +/-. In fact, seven of the top ten league-wide in +/- are Wolf Pack. Fritz, Hillman, and Pajuniemi are tied for third at +6, Jones for sixth at +5, and Tim Gettinger for ninth at +4. Bruins Outlook: The Bruins have not played since they defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds by a final score of 7-3 on April 16th. They will go 12 days between the end of their regular season and the start of their Calder Cup Playoff journey. The Bruins were one of two teams in the Atlantic Division, along with the Hershey Bears, to earn a bye through the First Round of the playoffs. Providence finished with a record of 44-18-8-2, good for 98 points, and the Atlantic Division regular season championship. The Bruins also finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference and will have home ice throughout the Eastern Conference portion of the playoffs as a result. The Bruins finished third in the AHL, behind only the Calgary Wranglers (106 points) and the Coachella Valley Firebirds (103 points). Rookie forward Georgii Merkulov led the Bruins in points with 55 (24 g, 31 a) in 67 regular season games. His 24 goals also led the Bruins in that category. Goaltender Brandon Bussi, meanwhile, led the way in goal for Providence with a 22-5-4 record in 32 games as a rookie. He was 0-0-1 against the Wolf Pack. Game Information: WATCH: AHLTV LISTEN: Mixlr Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Game Two of this Atlantic Division Semifinals series goes tomorrow night, right back in Providence, at 7:05 p.m. The series shifts to the XL Center in Hartford on Wednesday, May 3rd, for Game Three. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. For playoff ticket information, please visit HERE. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK REGULAR SEASON FINALE PREVIEW

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack open the final weekend of regular season play tonight at the XL Center as they welcome the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to town for their home finale. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: This is the sixth and final meeting between the Wolf Pack and the Penguins during the 2022-23 season. It is also the third and final meeting between the clubs at the XL Center and marks the second year in a row in which the Wolf Pack wrap up their home schedule against the Pens. The Wolf Pack have won each of the last two games against the Penguins, most recently taking a 5-1 decision on March 26th in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Zac Jones opened the scoring just 16 seconds into the contest, scoring Hartford’s fastest goal to start a game on the road this season. Will Lockwood potted the eventual game-winner on a two-on-one with Ryan Carpenter at 6:25 of the period, while Jonny Brodzinski blasted home a one-timer on the powerplay at 13:33 to allow the Wolf Pack to pull away. Anton Blidh tacked on an insurance marker 10:27 into the second period, while Turner Elson polished off the scoring with an empty net goal at 19:24 of the third. Jonathan Gruden scored the only goal for the Penguins, coming 10:31 into the third period on the powerplay. The Wolf Pack have points in all five games against the Penguins this season and six consecutive meetings dating back to the 2021-22 campaign. Hartford is 3-0-1-1 head-to-head this season, while the Penguins have a record of 2-3-0-0. The sides split the previous two meetings at the XL Center, with the Penguins taking a 4-3 shootout decision on October 22nd and the Wolf Pack an 8-2 decision on February 4th. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack won their seventh straight game on Saturday night, clinching a playoff berth in a 5-3 triumph over the Providence Bruins in Rhode Island. Elson opened the scoring 2:42 in, taking a pass from Jones at the backdoor and burying it. The Bruins would take a 2-1 at 10:54 after goals from Josiah Didier and Luke Toporowski, but Elson would jam home his second of the night at 16:46 to even the affair 2-2. Carpenter put Hartford back in the lead at 6:03 of the second period, firing home a rebound for his 21st goal of the season. Libor Hájek tacked on the insurance, and eventual game-winner, at 2:21 of the third, blasting home a shot from the left-wing circle. After Didier’s second goal of the night, Tanner Fritz hit the empty net at 19:34 to cement the victory and snap Hartford’s playoff drought of seven seasons. Hartford’s current seven-game winning streak is their first since a seven-game winning streak during the 2020-21 season. The franchise’s longest winning streak is nine games. That occurred during the 2004-05 season. Brodzinski leads the Wolf Pack in points with 48 (21 g, 27 a) in 46 games. Will Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the team in goals with 25. Penguins Outlook: The Penguins suffered a 4-0 setback at the hands of the Laval Rocket on Monday night in Quebec. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard opened the scoring 2:36 into the game, scoring a powerplay goal that would stand as the eventual game-winner. Jesse Ylönen tacked on a powerplay goal of his own 7:22 into the third period, while Gabriel Bourque and Danick Martel both scored late. Cayden Primeau made 41 saves for the shutout victory. Valtteri Puustinen leads the Penguins in scoring with 56 points (23 g, 33 a) through 70 games. His 23 goals lead active Penguins in scoring. Alex Nylander, currently on recall with the parent Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), leads the club in goals overall with 25 on the campaign. Game Information:  WATCH: AHLTV LISTEN: Mixlr Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. The Wolf Pack wrap up the 2022-23 regular season tomorrow night when they visit the Springfield Thunderbirds for the final installment of the ‘I-91 Rivalry’ this season. The Wolf Pack will begin the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs next week. Hartford’s First Round opponent and game dates and times are still to be determined. For Calder Cup Playoff tickets and seeding information, please visit  hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK ARE BOUND FOR THE PLAYOFFS

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings PROVIDENCE, RI - The Hartford Wolf Pack extended their winning streak to seven games with a 5-3 win over the Providence Bruins. Combined with a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 8-2 thrashing of the Bridgeport Islanders to clear the last hurdle, the Pack ended an eight-year playoff drought. The Pack extended their winning streak to seven games and punched a playoff ticket in the process on Libor Hajek's early third-period goal, which stood as the game-winner. The winning streak, the first since the late season run in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, along with the deadline acquisitions of Will Lockwood, Anton Blidh, Wyatt Kalynuk, and Adam Clendennine, paid off. With the win, the Pack returns to the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. The last playoff series the team won was against the Hershey Bears, with two of the home games played in Worcester. The eventual Calder Cup champions, the Manchester Monarchs, swept them in the conference finals. The Wolf Pack started the third like they did the first - by scoring. Bobby Trivigno had a game-best three assists. He was stopped from the right wing. Turner Elson, already with two goals in the contest, made a hat trick. However, he was stopped as he went to play the rebound attempt. Karl Henriksson took a swing-and-a-miss, but Libor Hájek came in off the left point and caught the puck instead. His blast made it 4-2. Josiah Didier made it 4-3 and doubled his goal total with a right-point low shot with two Bruins in front, creating havoc as the puck eluded Pack netminder Dylan Garand. Tanner Fritz scored his tenth into an empty net at 19:34 to clinch the game and secure a career-best 42 points. In the second period, the Pack took the lead and showed resilience. Trivigno started with a shot toward the net that hit some skates and sticks and came to Tim Gettinger. He tried a wraparound that went to Ryan Carpenter, who fired his 21st goal of the season at 6:03 The Pack had the game's first goal. The team has been getting solid offensive zone entries. Henriksson came across and found Zac Jones. He, in turn, found Elson as he deposited his 14th from the right-wing circle. Ty Emberson, who seems to have one big hit per game during the recent surge, took down Didier early. Providence showed why they have been at or near the top Atlantic Division most of this year. Didier curled off the right-wing wall and fired into traffic. Samuel Asselin moved in front and created a screen getting Didier's shot past Garand. Then the Bruins took a 2-1 lead as Luke Toporowski, back from an early season injury, was on the left wing side. He zipped his 14th into the net using Jones as a screen as he beat his former junior teammate at 10:54. Elson tallied his second of the night and 15th of the season as he filled the gap in front of the net while Kale Keyser made a shoulder save. Elson found the loose biscuit and put the Pack in a two-two tie at 16:46. The Pack saw the Bruins nearly score late in the first period as Wyatt Kalynuk intercepted Justin Brazeau's feed bound for Toporowski. LINES: Cullye-Leschyshyn-Brodzinski Gettinger-Lockwood-Carpenter Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh Elson-Henriksson-Trivigno Jones-Emberson Hájek-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Domingue Garand SCRATCHES: Matt Rempe (healthy) Blake Hillman (healthy) Adam Edström #34 (healthy) Brett Berard #27 (healthy) Adam Sýkora  #29 (healthy) Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) Matt Robertson (upper body, week-to-week, may be ready by the first of the playoffs) Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery). C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season). NOTES: Wilkes Barre/Scranton romped over Bridgeport 8-2 at the Total Mortgage Arena. The win by the Penguins also sent Charlotte and Springfield to the Calder Cup playoffs. On a set play, Quinnipiac University's Jacob Quillan zoomed in on the left wing, taking Arizona Coyotes draftee Sam Lipkin's backhand pass ten seconds into OT to score and secure the Bobcats their first NCAA title of any kind for the Hamden-based school defeating midwestern powerhouse Minnesota. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK CLINCH PLAYOFFS WITH 5-3 WIN OVER PROVIDENCE BRUINS

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack are returning to the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015. Hartford’s 5-3 triumph in Providence over the Bruins and an 8-2 victory by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins over the Bridgeport Islanders pushed them back into the playoffs, snapping an eight-year drought. Libor Hájek scored his second goal of the season 2:21 into the third period, extending Hartford’s lead to 4-2. Bobby Trivigno was sprung into the Providence zone but denied by Kyle Keyser on a partial breakaway. The rebound came to Turner Elson, but his shot hit the side of the net and came into the left-wing circle. Hájek stepped into a blast that beat Keyser for the eventual game-winning goal. It was Hájek’s second game-winner of the season. The Wolf Pack opened the scoring just 2:42 into the game, with Elson potting his 14th of the season. Zac Jones darted into the left-wing circle and sent a backdoor pass to Elson, who easily beat Keyser for the icebreaker. However, the Bruins responded with two goals, turning the tide in the game. First, Josiah Didier fired a shot from the right-wing point that snuck through traffic and beat Dylan Garand for his third goal of the season at 6:31. Then, with the Bruins pressing, rookie Luke Toporowski put them ahead at 10:54. Toporowski snapped a shot over the glove of Garand for his 14th goal of the season, igniting the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Hartford got to work in the offensive zone and found a response marker of their own at 16:46. After a hard-working shift in which Hartford forced a pair of turnovers, Elson found the puck at the top of the crease and beat Keyser for his second of the night and 15th of the season. Tied 2-2 early in the second period, Hartford would regain the lead after a scramble in the Providence zone. Trivigno’s initial shot hit a leg and ended up behind the Bruin goal, where Tim Gettinger collected it. Gettinger’s wraparound attempt was denied, but the rebound came right to Ryan Carpenter. His shot snuck through Keyser at 6:03, giving the Wolf Pack a lead they never lost. Hájek’s goal at 2:21 of the third period gave Hartford the insurance needed to push this win over the finish line, as Garand largely stood tall. Didier fired another shot through traffic at 8:33 to make it a 4-3 game, but Tanner Fritz potted an empty net goal at 19:34 to cement the two points. The goal, Fritz’s 10th of the season, gives him 43 points on the campaign. That’s a new career-high for the veteran forward. The win clinches Hartford their first playoff berth since 2015, snapping the longest drought in the American Hockey League. The Wolf Pack is sixth in the Atlantic Division with 79 points, one back of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Springfield Thunderbirds, and Charlotte Checkers. All of those teams are tied for third place with 80 points. The Wolf Pack returns to the XL Center for the final regular season home game on Friday, April 14th, hosting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Join us for Fan Appreciation Night featuring special guest Johnny Damon! The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit hartfordwolfpack.com. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article