#RyanCarpenter

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KRIS KNOBLAUCH, HARTFORD WOLF PACK END OF SEASON WRAP-UP

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - After decompressing following the Hartford Wolf Pack's being swept by the Hershey Bears, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch shared his final assessment regarding the 2022-23 edition of the Wolf Pack. Winning and consistent goal-scoring was difficult for two-thirds of the season. However, the team had its share of bright lights over the final third of the year in which deadline moves at the trade deadline in early March that brought Anton Blidh, Will Lockwood, Adam Clendening, and Wyatt Kalynuk to Hartford and with the New York Rangers sending down Ryan Carpenter in December and then Jake Lechyshyn in January paid off handsomely. "The team got better as the year went on. The run for the playoffs was the turning point of our season. Getting Leschyshyn and Carpenter from New York and the four players at the trade deadline made all the difference," Knoblauch said." We got better five-on-five. We put together winning streaks, and we got better power plays and finally had some success." Improving the power play was critical, as it had been the worst in the league for most of the season. Once Blidh, Lockwood, Clendening, and Kalynuk arrived, it took some time, but the chemistry eventually came. "All the players were all special team caliber players and that's when we started winning games. It had been missing most of the season. It helped make our power play and penalty kill stronger," Knoblauch remarked. DOMINGUE/GARAND One question was the somewhat controversial decision to start rookie goaltender Dylan Garand in Game 3 of the series against Hershey when they were already down two games and had their starter, veteran Louie Domingue, available, despite not having played in five weeks. Garand had played extraordinarily well to that point, but perhaps it was time to make a change. "Well, true (Domingue) hadn't played in a while. He did win his previous starts before his recall, and he helped get the team into the playoffs. He ultimately got us in that position (the playoffs). He was strong for us all year. Louie is a wonderful goalie, and obviously, it was a difficult decision for us to make. With everything that was going on, and we're down two-nothing in the series, I felt it was what our team needed. We didn't lose the game because of our goaltending. It was our inability to score goals or even getting the lead. You can look back, but we have no regrets," said Knoblauch. The Rangers have many decisions to make in New York and Hartford, especially in goal. Jaroslav Halak, Igor Shesterkin's backup in New York, is at the end of his contract. So do the Rangers look internally, move Domingue up, and hand Hartford over to Garand? "I'm not sure where the Rangers are right now. They need a coach first. When they make a decision, it will trickle down and impact us. Trades will happen, bodies will be shuffled." Each AHL off-season features change, but for the Wolf Pack, with 12 contracts expiring, the largest number ever in team history, this will be an off-season like no other. Five of the six defensive slots will be available at training camp in the fall. GETTINGER Among the free agent decisions to be made, and an important one at that, is Tim Gettinger, who has been with the Pack for five years. "I'm not sure at this point. At the end of the year, with free agency, players have earned the ability to go wherever they want to go. They're so many factors involved. Gettinger is a very good player, and we're happy with his contributions here. That's a decision for Tim and the Rangers organization to make. "There will be lots of turnover. There always is at the AHL level. We're looking at five or six rookies and openings on defense. It's going to be a lot of new faces. Guys have to be qualified. Players drafted and signed; there is a lot of work left to be done in Hartford and New York. Right now, it's pretty tough to forecast what our roster is going to be," Knoblauch commented. PAJUNIEMI The first came as no surprise early on Tuesday. After two years in North America, Lauri Pajuniemi returned to the North Atlantic as the Finnish right winger signed with Malmö IF (Sweden-SHL), where he joined ex-Pack Gustav Rydahl in Sweden. DEFENSE On defense, Zac Jones, seemingly without a future with the Rangers, will likely seek a new home. Adam Clendening's family is in Chicago. So don't be surprised if he signs there with the Chicago Wolves going towards independent status. For Rangers GM Chris Drury and Hartford GM Ryan Martin to keep Wyatt Kalynuk, a pivotal component to the spring run, it will take some salary cap gymnastics. Ty Emberson had a solid second half of the season. However, he falls into a special category under the CBA. He hasn't played enough required professional games to qualify for arbitration under section 10.2 (paragraph 3). ROBERTSON The only defensive player returning will be Matt Robertson, who enters the final year of his Entry Level Contract. He was injured and close to returning had the Hershey series gone longer. "He was very close. He wore a regular jersey in practice, and he was one or two situational practices from being back (from an undisclosed upper body injury)," said Knoblauch. Scoring, or the lack thereof, in the Hershey series, and the season, will be addressed next year. The Wolf Pack will be infused with new blood as Brennan Othmann, Adam Edström, Will Cullye, and Bobby Trivigno will likely be the O core in Hart City next year. TRIVIGNO Trivigno has now completed his first pro campaign. "He played very well for us in his first year. He had high expectations individually. Players find out how hard it is to score at the American (Hockey) League level. Often, players feel frustrated when they don't put up the numbers they're used to or anticipate. He finished up strong. "He provided a lot moving up and down the lineup. Whether on the first line or with the fourth with Karl (Henriksson), playing left wing and right wing in the second half. "I think next year, with us losing so many players, guys taking charge, doing more, and having more responsibilities, he will be one of those players," Knoblauch said. HENRIKSON Knoblauch found Henriksson to be a pleasant surprise. "Absolutely. Karl is an effective player, like Bobby; he played everywhere we asked him to and makes his linemates better. He finds players and covers up for any mistakes on the ice well." CULLYE Cullye led the team in the regular season with 25 goals but ran out of steam at the end of the season. "He didn't score or put up the points he had during the season. During the playoffs, it did drop off a bit. His game was solid, and for a 20-year-old to play as many minutes and situations as he did, it says he came a long way this year. He became one of our top guys. "If he gets a chance with the Rangers next year and is not there, he'll lead our forward group with even more responsibilities. That's up to the Rangers and ultimately Will in deciding where he plays next year." BRODZINSKI Captain Jonny Brodzinski will be back and playing in the last year of his deal. Knoblauch acknowledges the ill-timed Ranger recall of his best players to be the Black Aces for the NHL playoffs hurt the Wolf Pack. It also derailed the AHL Player of March at the most inconvenient time. "He had a remarkable year, and the players enjoyed playing with him more and more as the year progressed. He would have liked to have done more, and naturally, 27 days away takes the edge you have in your game. "He really wanted to make significant value and contributions; it just wasn't there, no matter where we put him," said Knoblauch, who was never afraid to change line combinations. ASSISTANT COACHES His assistants, Steve Smith, and Jamie Tardif, served him ably. In addition, after a European career in France, newcomer Colin Downey, who replaced Casey Torres right at the beginning of the season, made a vital contribution, not just as a mentor in an ex-NHL player role that an assistant coach usually has. "He had a more defined and specified role with different than, say, Tanner Glass (Assistant Director of Player Development) or Jed Ortmeyer (Director of Player Development). They were more of the traditional mentor role. This was his first year in coaching full-time after retiring, or a part of a team. It was his green year," said Knoblauch. "He stepped in and did a remarkable job. He was doing more and more working the finer points of the game and players really appreciated the time they spent with him." It will be a summer of twists and turns, whether here or vacationing out West in Canada or back to his hometown of Prince Albert. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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Two more Chicago Blackhawks players join Patrick Kane in COVID-19 protocol CHICAGO -- Blackhawks defenseman Riley S... Read the rest on our site with the url below https://worldwidetweets.com/two-more-chicago-blackhawks-players-join-patrick-kane-in-covid-19-protocol/?feed_id=94658&_unique_id=6176136a92fcf #ChicagoBlackhawks #ErikGustafsson #JujharKhaira #News #NHL #PatrickKane #RileyStillman #RyanCarpenter

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK SEASON ENDS WITH 3-1 LOSS TO HERSHEY BEARS

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack returned to the XL Center on Wednesday night, looking to stay alive in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. However, the clock struck midnight on the Wolf Pack’s Cinderella run, as three unanswered goals led the Hershey Bears to a 3-1 decision and eliminated the Wolf Pack from the playoffs. Lucas Johansen potted the eventual game-winner 4:22 into the final stanza. A four-on-four sequence began after Beck Malenstyn and Will Cuylle were called for hooking penalties at 3:51 and 4:07, respectively. Mike Vecchione corralled the puck behind the Hartford net and snapped a pass to Johansen, powering into the slot. Johansen blasted the puck over the glove of Louis Domingue to give the Bears their first lead of the game and eventually send Hershey to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Wolf Pack opened the scoring late in the opening period. Ryan Carpenter collected the puck behind the Hershey net and attempted a wraparound that Hunter Shepard denied. The puck popped right back to Carpenter, who snuck a pass through the blue paint to Turner Elson streaking towards the goal. Elson unleashed a shot over a diving Shepard to give the Wolf Pack the game’s first lead. It was the second time Elson has found the twine in the playoffs. Hershey answered back just over the 15-minute mark of the second period. A delayed penalty was called against Hartford, and Vecchione collected the puck before the Pack could touch it up. Vecchione snapped a pass to Vincent Iorio, who sped into the offensive zone and ripped a shot that found the back of the Hartford net to even the contest at one. The goal was Iorio’s first career playoff marker. Hershey had an opportunity to take the lead when Sam Anas was awarded a penalty shot at 3:28 of the final stanza. However, Domingue made an excellent glove save to keep the score even and keep Hartford’s hopes alive. Johansen scored his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal at 4:22 of the third period, however, putting the Bears ahead for good in the deciding game of this series. Garrett Pilon tacked on an insurance marker at 7:25 of the third frame, burying the rebound from a Connor McMichael shot to put the Bears up by two. The Wolf Pack pushed for an answer late in the third period, with Domingue lifted in favor of the extra skater. However, Shepard held strong, preventing the Wolf Pack from working their way back into the tilt and sending the Bears to the Eastern Conference Finals. Make sure to follow the Wolf Pack on all their social media pages for information on the 2023-24 season. The Wolf Pack thank you for all of your support throughout the 2022-23 campaign, and we hope to see you in the fall! 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 DOUBLED UP BY HERSHEY BEARS IN GAME 2

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HERSHEY, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack struck on the powerplay for the second consecutive game on Saturday night, but ultimately the Pack couldn’t solve Hunter Shepard at five-on-five. The Hershey goaltender made 25 saves to preserve a 4-2 victory in Game Two for the Bears. The Bears now lead the Atlantic Division Finals 2-0 and can eliminate Hartford on Wednesday night. Mike Vecchione scored his second goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs 8:48 into the second period, giving the Bears a 3-1 lead at the time. Ethen Frank fired a shot that Dylan Garand denied, but the rebound popped to Henrik Borgstrom. Borgstrom settled things down behind the Hartford net, then sent a centering pass to Vecchione in the slot. Vecchione fired a quick shot that beat Garand for the eventual game-winning marker. The Bears struck just 3:12 into the game, taking advantage of an early powerplay. Joe Snively danced into the Wolf Pack zone, then floated a pass to Mason Morelli. Morelli sped his way to the net and slid a backhand shot under Garand's pad for his third postseason goal. Hartford’s powerplay would strike for the third time in the series, evening the tilt 1-1 at the 11:32 mark. Just seconds into the advantage, Ryan Carpenter hit Will Cuylle in the slot with a centering pass. Cuylle uncorked a shot that beat Shepard for his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal. Just 72 seconds later, however, the Bears would regain the lead for good. Beck Malenstyn was fed on an odd-man rush by Morelli and broke toward the goal unabated. Malenstyn ripped a shot by the blocker of Garand for his second goal of the playoffs. Vecchione collected the only goal of the middle stanza, making it 3-1 at 8:48. The Bears made it a 4-1 game and ended the drama 13:14 into the third period. Logan Day’s clearing attempt went off the stick of Ty Emberson but clipped the official in the neutral zone. The puck bounced to Aliaksei Protas, who fed Hendrix Lapierre in the offensive zone. Lapierre snapped a shot by Garand for his second goal of the playoffs, sending the crowd of over 9,500 into a frenzy. Adam Clendening fired a point shot that snuck through a screen and beat Shepard at 15:09, but that would be as close as the Pack could get on this night. The Bears’ stout defense held Hartford off in the final moments despite a strong push with the extra attacker. The Wolf Pack returns to the XL Center for Game Three of the best-of-five series on Wednesday, May 17th. 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 HOST FIRST CALDER CUP PLAYOFF GAME SINCE 2015

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will host their first Calder Cup Playoff game at the XL Center since May 27th, 2015, this evening. The Wolf Pack welcome the Springfield Thunderbirds to town for Game Two of their best-of-three Atlantic Division First Round series. Hartford leads the series 1-0 and will advance to the Atlantic Division Semifinals with a victory. 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 Thunderbirds met 12 times during the 2022-23 regular season, with the Thunderbirds winning nine of those games and collecting points in ten of the 12 outings. They posted a record of 9-2-0-1. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, accumulated points in five of the 12 meetings, posting a record of 3-7-0-2. After only winning once at the MassMutual Center in six tries during the regular season, the Wolf Pack scored a dominant 6-1 victory in Game One in Springfield on Wednesday night. Lauri Pajuniemi opened the scoring 3:37 into the contest, giving Hartford a lead they never lost. Both Zac Jones and Pajuniemi would strike in the second period immediately after successful penalty kills. Jones was sprung in on a breakaway at 6:02, burying the eventual game-winner fresh out of the box. Pajuniemi also found himself on a breakaway after serving a minor penalty. He snapped home his second goal of the game at 10:43, making it 3-0. Blake Hillman made it 4-0 at 19:54, taking a backdoor pass from Bobby Trivigno and firing home his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack. Both Ryan Carpenter and Ty Emberson would tack on goals in the third period, while Adam Gaudette scored the T-Birds' lone goal on the powerplay at 11:44. This is the first playoff series between the Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds. Hartford previously played three playoff series against the Springfield Falcons (1999, 2000, 2003), posting a series record of 2-1. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack, despite having eleven players make their Calder Cup Playoff debut, opened the postseason in style on Wednesday night. Both Emberson (1 g, 2 a) and Tanner Fritz (3 a) scored three points in the victory. In addition, Frtiz's three assists tied the franchise playoff record for assists in a game. He is the 21st player to record three helpers in a playoff game for the club and the first since Chris Bourque did it on May 15th, 2015. May 15th, 2015, also marks the last time the Wolf Pack won a Calder Cup Playoff game before Wednesday night. Dylan Garand made 24 saves in his professional playoff debut, picking up his first Calder Cup Playoff victory. Pajuniemi also dazzled in his debut, scoring his North American career's first two playoff goals. Fourteen different Wolf Pack players recorded a positive +/- differential in Game One, with Emberson leading the way with a +5 rating. Jones, meanwhile, was credited with the game-winning goal. It was his first Calder Cup Playoff game-winner. Emberson (1 g, 2 a) and Fritz (3 a) lead the Wolf Pack in playoff scoring with three points each through one game. Pajuniemi's two goals pace the club in that department. Thunderbirds Outlook: The defending Eastern Conference Champions must win tonight to keep their season alive. The Thunderbirds did not face elimination in last spring's Calder Cup Playoffs until the Eastern Conference Final against the Laval Rocket. They swept their first two series, defeating both the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Charlotte Checkers in the Atlantic Division Semifinals and Final, respectively. As a result, the T-Birds had a bye through the First Round in 2022. Gaudette's goal at 11:44 of the third period was his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal in his playoff debut. Brady Lyle and Nikita Alexandrov were credited with the assists. The T-Birds penalty kill was strong in Game One, killing all three Hartford powerplays. In 13 games against Hartford this season, the Thunderbirds have successfully killed 88.64% of Wolf Pack powerplays. 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. If necessary, Game Three of this Atlantic Division First Round series will take place tomorrow, April 22nd, at 7:05 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. For playoff series and ticket information should the Wolf Pack advance, 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 DESTROY SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS IN GAME ONE

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings SPRINGFIELD, MA - The Hartford Wolf Pack received three-point games from Ty Emberson and Tanner Fritz, two goals from Lauri Pajuniemi, 24 saves from Dylan Garand, and put forth a total sixty-minute effort in a 6-1 win in Game One over the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Wolf Pack, who picked the right time for their best game of the season, can wrap up the series at the XL Center on Friday. Puck drop is at 7:05 PM. In the third period, the Pack closed out Game 1 with an early tally to make it 5-0. Will Cullye was at the left side of the net and shuffled a pass out to Ryan Carpenter, who was down on his left knee in a shooter's position. Carpenter popped his first postseason goal this season and 12th career AHL playoff goal at 3:35. Carpenter's exuberance at the goal prompted a strong fist pump. Defensively, the Wolf Pack quickly extinguished any thought Springfield may have had thought of making a comeback with their foot firmly on the gas pedal. The only Thunderbirds tally in the contest came on the power play. It ended a PK kill streak of 29 straight for the Pack. Righthanded shooting Adam Gaudette put a shot off his back foot and put it past Garand at 11:44. BEST DEFENSE IS A STRONG OFFENSE The Pack kept the offensive pressure on with a hat trick bid by Pajuniemi that Hofer stopped with his blocker before Adam Clendening had a drive stopped. Garand faced spaced-out activity in the first two periods but was tested in the third with the expected pushback as Nikita Alexandrov was stopped. Then down the stretch, Garland stopped Matt Peca, Gaudette twice, and then Martin Frk. Springfield Head Coach Drew Bannister pulled Hofer with 4:21 left. The Wolf Pack did everything incredibly well. Garand tried for the empty net goal but came up short. The Pack finally tacked on the sixth and final goal as Emberson launched a 200-foot flip shot that found the back of the empty net at 18:38. It clinched his third point of the night for both he and Fritz and the final score. SECOND PERIOD The second period saw the Pack control the pace of the game. Coming out of the penalty box, Zac Jones was wide open. He took a backhanded pass on the left wing from Will Lockwood, went to the forehand, and tucked it around Hofer's right pad at 6:02. It gave the Pack a 2-0 lead. The Pack penalty kill held Springfield without a shot, and the MassMutual crowd was audibly groaning and irritated with their Thunderbirds. The Pack played quality defense and were counter-attacking at will. FIRST PERIOD Frk was stopped early, followed at 1:20 by Anton Blidh, who fed Blake Hillman. He was stopped. Blidh had a solid chance on a turnaround just off an offensive zone draw. The Pack made it 3-0 as Pajuniemi registered his second goal of the night, the second time that a player had just exited the penalty box. The whole play came off a Blidh block shot that left him prone on the ice. The puck caromed off him right to Pajuniemi. The shot hurt Blidh, who went down the runway back to the locker room afterward. He returned 15 minutes later. On the next shift, Springfield’s Tyler Tucker tried some rabbit punches on Pajuniemi, earning him a minor. Springfield’s Matt Highmore was left enraged, and the crowd was confused by an odd delay of game call, but the Pack was not about to turn down the five-on-three power play, confusing as it might have been. Carpenter went wide with a backhander. Another strange call for hooking to Turner Elson left him bewildered and frustrated. Referees Jim Curtin and Mike Dietrich gave him four minutes for the hooking call and then tacked on unsportsmanlike conduct. With 13:30 left, Hugh McGing was stopped by Garand, but Blake Hillman was cross-checked from behind into the net. It earned Will Bitten a penalty, and a small scrum ensued. FIRST PERIOD In the first period, during the first five minutes, forechecked the Thunderbirds hard. They outshot them and scored first to level an early dent in Hofer’s armor. Pajuniemi was the recipient of a perfect tape-to-tape pass from the left-wing boards by Emberson. He moved in and from thirty-feet out, fired it over Hofer on the blocker side, ending his personal shutout streak of 206 minutes against the Wolf Pack. The perfect road period began with strong forechecking from Bobby Trivigno and Karl Henriksson. Eight minutes in, Trivigno went down the right wing was stopped. A sterling opening 20 minutes for the Pack included 11 shots and they held the Thunderbirds to just two shots, equaling a season-low mark in Bridgeport in a 9-0 win.  LINES: Cullye-Carpenter-Elson Gettinger-Edström-Lockwood Henriksson-Sýkora-Trivigno Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh Jones-Emberson Hillman-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Garand Gahagen #35 SCRATCHES: -Talyn Boyko #40 -Matt Rempe (upper body, day-to-day) -Louie Roehl #4 (healthy) -Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) -Brett Berard #27 (healthy) -Cooper Zech #37 (healthy) -Matt Robertson (upper body, out for the first round of the playoffs) -Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery). -C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season) NOTES: The USA U-18 Team is about to embark on the World U-18 championships in Basel and Ajoie, Switzerland, on April 20-23. Finland named their roster. The team is coached by former Yale assistant Dan Muse and one of his assistants is ex-Pack, Chad Kolarik. Players include former Mid-Fairfield U-16 team players Sal Guzzo and Ryan Fine, who played together at Don Bosco Prep (NJPREP). The Canadian U-18 squad coaches are ex-Springfield Falcon coach Jeff Truitt (Prince Albert-WHL), and one of his assistants is an ex-Danbury Trasher, Bruce Richardson (Blaineville-Boisbrand-QMJHL). The XL Center had a tough day today, despite the Wolf Pack playoff appearance.  On Monday, the long-time supervisor of the night cleaning crew, Pat Rudolph, passed away after a brief illness. Pat was always polite and kind. Sadly, she joins a sad club of  XL employees over 50 years of age to suffer from or pass from some form of cancer. RIP to Pat, and may God comfort your family during this difficult and painful time. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME   Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK SMOKE SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS IN CALDER CUP PLAYOFF GAME 1

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Hartford Wolf Pack played their first Calder Cup Playoff game since 2015 on Wednesday night, traveling to Springfield to take on the rival Thunderbirds. Defenseman Ty Emberson and forward Tanner Fritz both scored three points, pacing the Hartford offense in a 6-1 Game One victory over the Thunderbirds. Zac Jones potted his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal 6:02 into the middle stanza, fresh out of the penalty box. Freed from an interference minor, Jones took a pass from Will Lockwood and sprinted into the Thunderbirds' zone on a breakaway. Jones went backhand to forehand, dekeing Joel Hofer out of the net and stuffing home the eventual game-winning goal. Emberson also picked up an assist on the tally, his second point in a three-point outing. Hartford opened the scoring just 3:37 into the game, as Lauri Pajuniemi fired home his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal. Tanner Fritz sent a pass across the ice to Pajuniemi in the right-wing circle, where the second-year forward collected the puck. Pajuniemi quickly fired a shot that beat Hofer, giving the Pack a lead they never lost. Jones extended the lead 6:02 into the second period and sprung in on a breakaway after being freed from the penalty box. Just over two minutes later, at 8:37, Pajuniemi was whistled for a hooking minor, giving the Thunderbirds another powerplay opportunity. Once again, the Wolf Pack got a kill, and they got a breakaway immediately after. Anton Blidh fired a pass to Pajuniemi, who burst in on a breakaway and lasered a shot by Hofer to make it 3-0 at 10:43. Hartford didn’t stop there, making it 4-0 in the final ten seconds of the stanza. Bobby Trivigno corralled a loose puck behind the Springfield net and sent a backdoor pass to Blake Hillman. Hillman sent a shot to the net that trickled across the goal line despite a terrific effort from Hofer. The goal was Hillman’s first career Calder Cup Playoff goal and first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack. The Wolf Pack made it 5-0 3:42 into the final frame, as Will Cuylle sent a centering pass to Ryan Carpenter in the slot. Carpenter rifled a shot that cleanly beat Hofer, essentially putting the game away. The Thunderbirds finally broke Dylan Garand’s shutout bid at 11:44, as Adam Gaudette blasted a one-timer home on the fourth powerplay of the night for the home side. The powerplay goal snapped a streak of 29 successful kills for the Wolf Pack, dating back to March 26th. With the Thunderbirds pressing to add on some offense late, Emberson fired a full ice shot into the empty net at 18:38 to cement the victory and give him his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal. Garand made 24 saves in the victory, his first career Calder Cup Playoff victory in his playoff debut. Fritz ended the night with three assists, while Emberson also scored three points (1 g, 2 a). The Pack is back at the XL Center for Calder Cup Playoff hockey for the first time since 2015 this Friday night for Game Two against the Thunderbirds. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. For Calder Cup Playoff tickets, 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 are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play 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 WIN EIGHTH STRAIGHT TO CLOSE REGULAR SEASON

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack hosted their final regular season home game on Friday night as they welcomed the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to the XL Center. Louis Domingue sent a raucous crowd of 6,226 fans home happy, stopping all 28 Penguins shots as the Wolf Pack earned their eighth straight victory with a 4-0 win over the Penguins. Tim Gettinger gave the Wolf Pack a lead they would not lose just under 16 minutes into the opening stanza. A high-sticking call to Josh Maniscalco initiated the Wolf Pack's second powerplay opportunity. Lauri Pajuniemi took a feed from Adam Clendening in the left circle and shot toward the Penguins' net. The puck grazed off the leg of Gettinger and past Joel Blomqvist, putting Hartford in the lead for good. The goal was Gettinger's first game-winning tally of the campaign. The goal was Gettinger's 62nd career goal, putting him tenth all-time on the Wolf Pack's goal-scoring list. Turner Elson stretched the lead to two about six and a half minutes into the second period. Ryan Carpenter freed the puck from a scrum along the back wall and sent a centering pass to Elson. Elson promptly blasted a shot by the blocker of Blomqvist to double the Hartford lead. The goal was Elson's 40th point of the campaign, becoming the fifth member of the Wolf Pack to hit that mark. Elson struck again just over four and a half minutes into the final stanza. Elson positioned himself in the slot and deflected a centering feed from Will Cuylle into the Penguins' net to put the Wolf Pack up by three. It was Elson's second straight game lighting the lamp twice. Elson has recorded six points (4 g, 2 a) in his last three games. The assist on the goal was Cuylle's 20th of his rookie campaign. Adam Edström capped off the scoring at 13:24 of the third period. Gettinger snapped a pass to Edström at center ice, and the rookie forward took the puck into the Penguins' zone. Edström made a spectacular move to get by Maniscalco, skated to the slot, and beat Blomqvist by the blocker for his first goal in the American Hockey League. The Penguins challenged Domingue after Wyatt Kalynuk was called for roughing at 16:59 of the third period. Still, the veteran netminder prevented the Penguins from getting on the board, and the Wolf Pack earned their eighth straight victory. The shutout was Domingue's fourth overall on the season and was his ninth consecutive victory dating back to March 15th. The Wolf Pack wrap up the regular season tomorrow as they hit the road to take on the Springfield Thunderbirds in the final installment of the 'I-91 Rivalry' for the 2022-23 season. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. 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  www.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 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

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK HAVE KEY MATCHUP WITH PROVIDENCE BRUINS

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack  PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude a back-to-back weekend with their penultimate road game of the season tonight against the Providence Bruins. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: This is the tenth and final meeting of the season between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins. It is the fifth and final meeting between the teams at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence. The Wolf Pack claimed a 5-0 decision in the last meeting on March 31st, their second straight victory in the season series. Ryan Carpenter opened the scoring 17:43 into the game, lighting the lamp on the powerplay for the Wolf Pack. Anton Blidh would score in his first game against his former team at 19:57, giving Hartford a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes. After a scoreless middle frame, the Wolf Pack would gain the necessary insurance with three third-period goals. Will Lockwood banked a shot off a Bruin defender and into the net at 3:20 of the final stanza, while Tanner Fritz tipped home a centering pass at 5:09 to make it 4-0. Jake Leschyshyn snapped home the game’s final goal at 9:00 off a feed from Jonny Brodzinski. The Wolf Pack have won their last two visits to Providence, taking a 4-3 overtime decision on January 22nd and a 2-1 overtime decision five days later on January 27th. The Wolf Pack are 5-3-1-0 in the season series, while the Bruins are 4-2-3-0. Hartford has a 2-1-1-0 record in four games in Providence so far this season. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack won their sixth straight game on Friday night, knocking off the Bridgeport Islanders by a score of 6-2. Adam Clendening scored his first goal with the club just 1:21 into the game, blasting home a shot that gave the Wolf Pack a lead they never lost. Will Lockwood made it a 2-0 game at 2:45, jamming home a rebound from the slot. The Isles cut the lead to 2-1 at 9:02, as Vincent Sevigny blasted home his fifth goal of the season, but Karl Henriksson would restore the two-goal lead at 10:41. Henriksson fired home a one-timer from the slot for the eventual game-winner. Ryan Carpenter scored his 20th goal of the season 2:35 into the middle frame, tipping home a Brodzinski shot on the powerplay. Anton Blidh extended the lead to 5-1 at 8:37 of the third period, lifting a backhander by Jakub Skarek. After Kyle McLean made it 5-2 at 9:58, Will Cuylle buried his team-leading 25th goal of the season at 11:24, cementing Hartford’s victory. Hartford’s current six-game winning streak is their first since a seven-game winning streak during the 2020-21 season. The club’s magic number is now four. They can clinch a playoff berth tonight with a victory of any kind and a regulation loss by Bridgeport against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Brodzinski leads the Wolf Pack in points with 48 (21 g, 27 a) in 45 games. Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the team in goals with 25. Bruins Outlook: The Bruins also opened their weekend with a victory, knocking off the Penguins by a score of 3-1 on home ice last night. Following a scoreless first period, Eduards Tralmaks finally broke the ice at 19:42 of the second period, tipping home a Luke Toporowski shot for his fourth goal of the season. Jami Krannila tied the game at 5:35 of the third, scoring his first goal on the powerplay. Vinni Lettieri would answer back at 11:11, however, giving the Bruins the lead for good. Shane Bowers tacked on an empty net goal at 19:38 to cement the victory. Georgii Merkulov leads the Bruins in scoring with 53 points (23 g, 30 a) during his rookie campaign. His 23 goals also lead the club in that department. 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. The Pack is back at the XL Center for Fan Appreciation Night next Friday, April 14th, when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town! Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission, a cowbell giveaway for the first 1,500 fans thanks to CM Concessions, autographs with baseball legend Johnny Damon and much more! The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com. 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 WIN SIXTH STRAIGHT

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack  HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack welcomed the Bridgeport Islanders to town for a crucial finale in the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ for the 2022-23 season. Six Wolf Pack players lit the lamp as the team cruised to a 6-2 win over their in-state rivals and lowered their magic number to four. Karl Henriksson potted the eventual game-winner for Hartford 10:41 into the opening stanza. Adam Clendening attempted a shot from the top of the Bridgeport zone, but the puck went off the stick of Chris Terry. Clendening kept control of the puck and attempted a centering pass that was also denied. Finally, Clendening found Henriksson stationed in the slot and snapped a pass. The rookie forward promptly blasted a one-timer by the glove of Jakub Skarek and into the net. The goal made the score 3-1 at the time and stood as Henriksson’s second game-winning tally in the campaign. Clendening broke the ice just under a minute and a half into the game. Tanner Fritz held the puck along the right wall and snapped a pass to Clendening at the top of the Bridgeport zone. Clendening unleashed a one-timer that found the back of the Bridgeport net, giving the Wolf Pack a lead they would not lose. The goal was Clendening’s first as a member of the Wolf Pack. Fritz’s assist was his first of an eventual three-point night. Additionally, the assist was Fritz’s 40th point of the season, becoming the fourth member of the Wolf Pack to reach 40 points in the campaign. Will Lockwood stretched the lead to two just over a minute later. Turner Elson attempted a backhand shot in front of the net that Skarek denied. A scramble for the rebound commenced, and Lockwood finally won it, lighting the lamp with a backhand shot under the blocker of the Bridgeport netminder. The goal extended Lockwood’s point streak to four games. Lockwood has tallied three goals and three assists in that span. The Islanders cut the lead in half just over nine minutes into the period. William Dufour skated to the top of the Hartford zone and fed a pass to Vincent Sevigny. Sevigny blasted a shot from the blue line that found its way through traffic and into the Hartford net, getting Bridgeport on the board at 9:02 of the first period. Henriksson found the twine at 10:41, putting the game out of reach for good, but the Wolf Pack were far from done. Ryan Carpenter became the third member of the Wolf Pack to hit the 20-goal mark, scoring on the powerplay just over two and a half minutes into the middle stanza. Jonny Brodzinski fired a howitzer from the blue line toward the Bridgeport net. Carpenter deflected the blast past Skarek, pushing the Wolf Pack lead to three. The score was Carpenter’s 11th goal and Brodzinski’s 15th point against the Islanders on the season. Anton Blidh gave Hartford their biggest lead of the night 8:37 into the final stanza. Lauri Pajuniemi found Blidh powering into the Bridgeport zone and snapped a cross-ice pass. Blidh corralled it and flipped a beautiful backhand shot over Skarek to stretch the lead to four. The goal was Blidh’s seventh since joining the Wolf Pack and his 13th on the season overall. Blidh’s goal also stretched his point streak to four games. Blidh has totaled three goals and two assists in that span. In 14 games with Hartford, Blidh has recorded ten points (7 g, 3 a). Kyle MacLean cut the Wolf Pack lead back to three, converting a two-on-one rush for his tenth goal of the season at 9:58 of the third period. However, the Wolf Pack would soon reinstate the four-goal lead, this time for good, as Will Cuylle scored his team-leading 25th goal of the year about a minute and a half later. Cuylle’s marker was assisted by Brodzinski, who recorded his 16th point against Bridgeport on the campaign, and Jake Leschyshyn, who extended his point streak to five games. Cuylle’s goal capped off the scoring, and the Wolf Pack earned a 6-2 victory to cut their magic number in half to four. The Wolf Pack hit the road for a matchup with the Providence Bruins tomorrow, April 8th. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. Then, 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

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK ROLL TO 5-1 WIN OVER THE LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings ALLENTOWN, PA - Dylan Garand's strong effort in net and offense from Ryan Carpenter and Will Lockwood, each with a goal and an assist, paced the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 5-1 road victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The third period was decisive for the Pack as their counter-attack led them to score three times and pull from the Phantoms. They have won four in a row, gone 7-3-1-0 in their last 11 are five points ahead of idle Bridgeport, but they have two games in hand and have gotten themselves to within one point of the fifth-place Phantoms. Lehigh Valley plays Bridgeport tomorrow afternoon. The Wolf Pack are off until Wednesday when the Toronto Marlies, coached by Pack captain/ex-Sound Tiger/ex-Springfield Falcon Greg Moore, comes to town. They host the Islanders next Friday on Calder Cup championship celebration night at the XL Center. The playoff sprint is on. The Wolf Pack of late has shown a late-game resilience that's been absent for a part of the season. Garand started it with four solid saves on Jackson Cates, Olle Lycksell, Elliott Desnoyers, and Tyson Foerster, keeping the Phantoms from tying it. They got the two-goal lead they sought as Tim Gettinger stripped Phantoms forward Bobby Brink of the puck, pushed the puck ahead, and Tanner Fritz motored his way down on the right wing and nailed one off the back bar in the net at 7:52 for his 11th and a 3-1 lead. The Pack didn't stop there as captain Jonny Brodzinski was on fire, scoring his 19th as his pass was too far for Jake Leschysyn. Brodzinski used his speed and smarts to get to the loose puck following the play. Then at the left side of the net put in his 19th, making it 4-1. Brodzinski, clearly a Player of the Week candidate, has 19 goals and 18 assists in 26 games since being reassigned by the Rangers. The icing on the cake came as Carpenter helped force a neutral zone turnover, then headed right to the Phantoms' zone. Lockwood made an intelligent outlet pass off the boards at center ice that set him free and Carpenter made no mistake with a shot over Nolan Maier's glove and under the crossbar for a hefty 5-1 lead that stayed there. There was no third-period collapse. In the last four periods at the PPL Center, the Wolf Pack have outscored the Phantoms 10-1, and in their previous four games have outscored their opponents  19-3. Who is this team? In the second period, pushback came Garand, who did his best stopping 11 of 12 shots in various ways, and just one eluded him all evening. In the two-game total, the Pack goalies faced 70 shots, and only one went in. Emil Andrae, a defenseman for the Phantoms, cruised in the Wolf Pack zone unchecked. Andare, a second pick by the Flyers three years ago, spent the year in Sweden, took the drop pass from Tyson Forester, and in just his third game with Phantoms, fired a perfect bar down shot for his first-ever AHL goal at 7:30 to cut the lead to just one goal. The Pack had early offense when Will Cullye hit the post at 2:02 off a pass from the left-wing wall from Brodzinski. Garand was sharp, stopping Ronnie Attard, Elliott Desnoyers, and Max Willam in one burst of shots at the net. Then with 4:56 left, Brodzinski, on the right wing, tried to set up Jake Leschyshyn. Nearly a minute later, Andrae almost tied the game on virtually the same play but hit the crossbar this time. Then with 59 seconds remaining in the period saw ex-Pack Alex Kile got around Adam Clendening and tested Garand down low, but the door remained closed with his paddle down on the ice. The Wolf Pack had a strong road game to start the hockey game. The Pack struck gold first. Anton Blidh fired a perfect outlet pass and found Lauri Pajuniemi open behind the defense. Then screaming in Nolan Maier, bear him on the breakaway for his 19th at 2:18. The Pack kept the foot on the gas pedal depressed and took advantage of a poor icing call by the officials that infuriated Phantoms coach Ian Laperriere and Carpenter won the ensuing offensive zone faceoff and alerted Gettinger on the forecheck got there first. His pass hit some skates and bounced to Carpenter in the left-wing circle, zipped a high shot that  Lockwood deflected perfectly over Maier's shoulder for a 2-0 lead at 5:38. Carpenter has nine points in the last nine games in this latest Pack surge. Then Brandon Scanlin threw an excellent hard, legal in the neutral zone on Max Willam, crushing him into the right-wing boards, and sadly, customarily, he had to battle ex-Pack Alex Kile. Still, the Pack was firing on all cylinders as he got into his second fight in as many games. They got help in the net as Garand made nine saves, including a big save, and then Elliott Desnoyers and Garrett Wilson were denied. The Pack got a four-minute powerplay on a high stick-on Wyatt Kalynuk by Jordie Bellerive. Zac Jones got plenty of ice with eight minutes of the 20 were on the man advantage. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK FACE CRUCIAL TEST

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack  ALLENTOWN, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack finish their weekend back-to-back tonight when they visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the final time this season. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. In addition, tonight's game will also air on NHL Network. Tale of The Tape: This is the season's fourth and final meeting between the Wolf Pack and Phantoms. It is also the second and final meeting between the foes at the PPL Center in Allentown. The sides last met on February 19th in Allentown, with the Wolf Pack scoring a wild 6-4 comeback victory. Trailing 3-1 entering the third period, Will Cuylle scored on the powerplay at 7:16 of the third to draw Hartford within one. However, over two minutes later, Garrett Wilson completed the hat trick to restore the two-goal Phantoms lead. From there, Hartford would take the game over. Gustav Rydahl completed a hat trick of his own, scoring his second goal of the night at 12:50 and then his third at 15:32 to tie the game. Libor Hájek broke the tie at 18:00, blasting a shot through a scrum in front of the Phantoms' goal. Turner Elson would hit the empty net at 19:25 to cement the victory. The Wolf Pack has taken two of the first three meetings from the Phantoms. They also claimed a 3-2 victory at the XL Center on December 7th. The Phantoms' lone win in the series came in Hartford on February 10th by a final score of 5-2. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack won their third straight game on Friday night, snapping the Providence Bruins' eight-game winning streak with a dominant 5-0 decision. Ryan Carpenter tipped a Zac Jones shot home for the eventual game-winning goal 17:43 into the game on the powerplay. Anton Blidh then buried a centering pass from Tanner Fritz at 19:57, extending the lead to 2-0. Blidh scored two points (1 g, 1 a) against his former team, while the assist gave Fritz a career-high 29 on the season. After a scoreless middle stanza, Hartford struck three times in the third to pull away. Will Lockwood scored his 15th goal of the season 3:20 into the final frame, as his shot hit the stick of Dan Renouf and snuck through the five-hole of Kyle Keyser. Fritz tipped home a centering pass to make it 4-0 at 5:09, while Jake Leschyshyn went bar down at 9:00 to finish the scoring. Louis Domingue made 25 saves for his third shutout of the season. It was his sixth consecutive victory and 19th overall on the season. The win pushed Hartford three points ahead of the Bridgeport Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. Brodzinski leads the Wolf Pack in points with 45 (20 g, 25 a) in 42 games. Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the team in goals with 24. Phantoms Outlook: The Phantoms opened their three-in-three weekend with a comeback victory on Friday night, knocking off the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4-2 at the PPL Center. Ty Smith broke a 1-1 tie at 13:27 of the second period, giving the Penguins a 2-1 lead through forty minutes. However, the Phantoms would score three unanswered in the third to pull away for two points. Jordy Bellerive tied the game at 6:37, potting his seventh goal of the season. Bobby Brink then netted the eventual game-winner at 10:37, his ninth of the season. Finally, Brink polished off the victory with his second goal of the contest into an empty net at 18:41. Tyson Foerster, who scored in last night's win, leads the Phantoms in scoring with 41 points (20 g, 21 a) in 59 games. Elliot Desnoyers, meanwhile, leads the Phantoms in goals with 21 on the season. 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. The Pack is back at the XL Center on Wednesday night when the Wolf Pack hosts the Toronto Marlies for the only time this season. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK PREGAME REPORT

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack  HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack return home to kickstart a brief two-game homestand this evening when they welcome the Bridgeport Islanders to town for a vital game in the Atlantic Division playoff chase. 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 eleventh of twelve meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Islanders this season. It is the fifth of six meetings between the foes at the XL Center in downtown Hartford. The sides will wrap up the season series in Hartford on Friday, April 7th. The Wolf Pack have won three in a row in the season series, most recently taking a 3-2 decision in Bridgeport on March 18th. Cole Bardreau opened the scoring 58 seconds in, snapping the night's first shot into the net for his 15th goal of the season. However, Hartford did all their damage in the middle frame, taking over the tilt for good. Jonny Brodzinski tied the affair with a powerplay goal 29 seconds in, then Ryan Carpenter gave Hartford the lead for good at 7:54, taking a centering pass from Tim Gettinger off a turnover deep in the Islander zone. Brodzinski finished the period with the eventual game-winner at 17:06, scoring his second of the night on a breakaway. Ruslan Iskhakov drew the Isles within one at 1:58 of the third period, but the Wolf Pack killed three penalties in the final at 16:41 and skated off with the two points. Hartford also won the last meeting at the XL Center by a margin of 7-5 on March 15th. As a result, both sides enter tonight's tilt with a 5-5-0-0 record head-to-head. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack got back into the win column with a 5-1 defeat of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Sunday in Pennsylvania. Zac Jones scored just 16 seconds in, snapping a shot from the left-wing circle that put Hartford ahead for good. Will Lockwood converted a two-on-one on a feed from Carpenter at 6:25, while Brodzinski fired home a one-timer on the powerplay at 13:33 to put Hartford ahead 3-0. Anton Blidh tacked on an insurance goal at 10:27 of the second period, while Turner Elson hit the empty net at 19:24. Louis Domingue made 27 saves for his fourth consecutive victory. It is his longest winning streak of the season. Brodzinski has thrived against the Islanders as of late. The captain scored two goals in Hartford's last three meetings with the Islanders. That includes a four-point performance (2 g, 2 a) on March 4th in a 9-0 victory at Bridgeport. Brodzinski (18 g, 23 a) and Will Cuylle (24 g, 17 a) are tied for the team lead in scoring with 41 points each. Cuylle's 24 goals are tops on the club in that category.  Islanders Outlook: The Islanders won last time out, notching their second straight victory via a 5-2 decision over the Belleville Senators on Friday night. Maxence Guenette and Erik Brown traded first-period goals, sending the clubs to the middle stanza deadlocked 1-1. Iskhakov broke the tie just 86 seconds into the second period, giving the Isles the lead for good. Arnaud Durandeau popped home the game-winner at 9:11, making it 3-1. Durandeau scored his second of the night into an empty net in the third period, while Andy Andreoff also found the twine in the final frame. Chris Terry leads the Islanders in scoring with 62 points (19 g, 43 a) on the season. Andreoff, meanwhile, is tops on the club in goals with 31. He is second in the league in goals, behind only Calgary's Matthew Phillips. 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 Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday night when they host the Providence Bruins. Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission! In addition, the Wolf Pack teamed up with the Miracle League of Connecticut for a sensory-friendly game this night. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.; tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article