#TurnerElson

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK OPEN ATLANTIC DIVISION FINALS VS HERSHEY BEARS PREVIEW

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HERSHEY, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack has arrived in Chocolatetown, USA, for the 2023 Atlantic Division Finals. The Wolf Pack opens the best-of-five series against the Hershey Bears tonight with Game One at the Giant Center. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: The Wolf Pack and Bears met six times during the 2022-23 regular season, with the Bears taking four of the six meetings. Hershey posted a record of 4-2-0-0, while the Wolf Pack managed points in three games, going 2-3-0-1. The Wolf Pack posted a 1-2-0-0 record at the Giant Center, with their lone victory coming on November 20th by a final score of 4-2. The sides last met on February 11th in Hershey, with the Bears prevailing by a final score of 2-1. Mike Sgarbossa opened the scoring 12:13 into the tilt, potting his 16th goal of the season. Just under three minutes later, at 15:08, Henrik Rybinski made it a 2-0 game with the first shorthanded goal of his career. The Bears' two goals in the opening frame would be enough, despite a strong effort from the visitors. Hartford outshot Hershey 13-7 in the middle stanza and got on the board courtesy of Will Cuylle. The rookie’s 15th goal of the season put the Wolf Pack within one, but Hunter Shepard slammed the door shut from there. Shepard made 33 saves to cement the victory, earning first-star honors on the night. The Bears won each of the final three meetings between the sides, including the February 11th tilt. Hershey also took a 2-1 regulation decision on November 25th and a 1-0 shootout verdict on November 26th. Both of those games were in Hartford. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack advanced to the Atlantic Division Finals thanks to a 4-0 shutout of the Providence Bruins in Game Four of their Atlantic Division Semifinals series. The victory gave the Wolf Pack a 3-1 series decision. Hartford is 5-1 through six games during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. Turner Elson scored his first goal of the playoffs 3:40 into Game Four, giving the Wolf Pack a lead they would not lose. Elson became the fifth different Wolf Pack skater to record a game-winning goal during the postseason. Jake Leschyshyn potted a rebound at 4:49 of the middle frame to extend the lead to 2-0. The goal was his first career Calder Cup Playoff marker. Ryan Carpenter then buried a rebound from the right-wing circle at 15:23, essentially ending the intrigue on this night. Leschyshyn put home an empty net goal, his second of the night, 12:18 into the third period to make it a 4-0 game. Dylan Garand made 32 saves for his second career Calder Cup Playoff shutout. Defenseman Ty Emberson leads the Calder Cup Playoffs in +/- with a +13 rating. Forward Anton Blidh is second in the league with a +11. Tim Gettinger (2 g, 5 a) and Tanner Fritz (1 g, 6 a) lead the Wolf Pack in points through two rounds of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Lauri Pajuniemi, meanwhile, leads the team in goals with three through six games. Bears Outlook: The Bears completed a 3-1 series victory over the Charlotte Checkers with a 6-2 win in Game Four over the Charlotte Checkers on May 4th. Jake Wise and Riley Nash scored at 2:00 and 7:54 of the opening stanza, respectively, to give the Checkers a 2-0 lead after one. It would be all Bears from there, however. Mason Morelli got Hershey on the board at 10:15 into the middle stanza. Then Beck Malenstyn tied the game at 19:44. Aliaksei Protas broke the tie 8:59 into the third period, firing home a powerplay goal that would stand as both the game-winning and series-winning tally. Protas’ second goal at 10:57 gave Hershey the insurance they needed to close out the series. Riley Sutter and former Wolf Pack defenseman Dylan McIlrath both hit the empty net in the final few minutes to end the suspense. Sam Anas leads the Bears in points with six (2 g, 4 a) through four games. Protas, meanwhile, leads the Bears in goals with three. 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. Game Two of the Atlantic Division Finals takes place this Saturday, May 13th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Giant Center in Hershey. The series shifts back to Hartford for Game Three on Wednesday, May 17th, at 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 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 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 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

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK CRUSH WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack WILKES-BARRE, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack wrapped up their final three-in-three set of the season with a strong performance on Sunday afternoon, cruising to a 5-1 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to earn four of a possible six points on the weekend. Will Lockwood continued a career year on Sunday, potting his 14th goal of the season 6:25 into the contest. Entering the zone on a two-on-one with Ryan Carpenter, Lockwood took a pass and went to his backhand before lifting a shot over Dustin Tokarski to give the Wolf Pack a 2-0 lead. The goal was Lockwood's second with the club and would stand as the game-winner. For the second meeting in a row with the Penguins, the Wolf Pack would score in the game's opening minute to take a lead they never lost. Zac Jones collected a puck in the neutral zone and danced into the Penguins' end, weaving his way to the top of the left-wing circle before snapping a shot toward the goal. The shot beat Tokarski by the glove, giving the Wolf Pack the lead 16 seconds into the game. Lockwood would then extend the Hartford lead to 2-0 at the 6:25 mark, scoring on the two-on-one rush with Carpenter. However, Hartford's dominant period ended with a third goal at 13:33, this time on the powerplay. Tanner Fritz held the puck on the right wing wall, setting things up on Hartford's third powerplay of the night. The veteran forward sent a perfect pass across the ice to Jonny Brodzinski, who fired a quick shot from the left-wing circle that beat Tokarski for the captain's 18th goal of the season. Anton Blidh made it a 4-0 game 10:27 into the middle frame, taking a loose puck behind the Penguins' goal, making his way to the front of the net, and snapping a backhand shot over the shoulder of Tokarski. The shot rang the crossbar and landed in the back of the net for Blidh's tenth goal of the season. The Penguins did get a powerplay goal at 10:31 of the third period, as Jonathan Gruden beat Louis Domingue for his 15th goal of the season. However, it wouldn't be enough in the end, as Turner Elson fired the dagger into an empty net at 19:24 for his 13th goal of the campaign. Domingue made 27 saves for his second victory in as many outings in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season against his former club. The Pack return to the XL Center on Wednesday, March 29th, hosting the Bridgeport Islanders in the penultimate installment of the 'Battle of Connecticut' this season. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com. About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and safety, and more. 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