CALDER CUP PLAYOFF PREVIEW: WOLF PACK VS. THUNDERBIRDS
Apr 17, 2023
For the first time since 2015, the Hartford Wolf Pack are back in the Calder Cup Playoffs. This is a moment Wolf Pack fans everywhere have been waiting for, and it’s a moment that is sure to live up to the hype. After a bitter ending to the regular season in 2022, the Pack came back with a vengeance in 2023 and used a strong second half to return to the postseason.
Now, the real fun starts. On Wednesday night, the Wolf Pack (5th seed) will face the rival Springfield Thunderbirds (4th seed) in Game One of a best-of-three, First Round series in the Atlantic Division. The winner will move on to the Atlantic Division Semifinals, a best-of-five series, that will start late next week.
The winner will take on either the Atlantic Division Champion Providence Bruins, or the Hershey Bears. That will depend on the final results of the other series in the division, between the Charlotte Checkers (3rd seed) and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (6th seed).
The full First Round series schedule is as follows:
Game 1: Wednesday, April 19th, @ Springfield (MassMutual Center, 7:05 p.m.)
Game 2: Friday, April 21st, @ Hartford (XL Center, 7:05 p.m.)
Game 3*: Saturday, April 22nd, @ Springfield (MassMutual Center, 7:05 p.m.)
*If nec.
So, how do these two rivals stack up? Let’s take a deep dive into this opening round series.
History: It goes without saying, but this is the first time that the Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds will meet in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Wolf Pack have not been to the Calder Cup Playoffs since 2015, while the Thunderbirds began play in time for the 2016-17 season.
There is a history between the Wolf Pack and the city of Springfield, however. The Wolf Pack previously met the Springfield Falcons in the Calder Cup Playoffs in 1999, 2000, and 2003. The Wolf Pack claimed the first two series, winning 3-0 in 1999 and 3-2 in 2000. Of course, that 3-2 series victory in the spring of 2000 was the first of four series wins for the club on their way to the first Calder Cup Championship in franchise history.
The Falcons got some revenge in 2003, sweeping a best-of-three prelim series 2-0.
Last Time Here: Hartford’s last trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs began with some success. The club defeated the Providence Bruins 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and then the Hershey Bears 4-2 in the Conference Semifinals to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. There, they were swept 4-0 by the eventual Calder Cup Champion Manchester Monarchs.
The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, made the playoffs for the first time in T-Birds franchise history last spring. After finishing second in the Atlantic Division, the club received a bye into the best-of-five Division Semifinals. There, they swept the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 3-0 before advancing to face the Division Champion Charlotte Checkers in the Atlantic Division Final. Once again, the T-Birds completed the 3-0 sweep to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
Springfield scored a 4-3 series victory, winning Game Seven on home ice to knock off the Laval Rocket and claim the franchise’s first Eastern Conference Championship. They ran into a buzzsaw in the Calder Cup Final, however, dropping the series in five games to the Chicago Wolves.
Head-to-Head: The Thunderbirds took the ‘I-91 Rivalry’ in convincing fashion record-wise in 2022-23. The T-Birds won nine of the 12 meetings between the foes, posting a record of 9-2-0-1. The Wolf Pack did manage to pick up points in two of those losses, ending the season series with a 3-7-0-2 record.
At the MassMutual Center, the Thunderbirds won five of six meetings (5-1-0-0), while the Wolf Pack picked up points in two of their six visits (1-4-0-1). In Hartford, the Thunderbirds collected points in five out of six visits (4-1-0-1), while the Wolf Pack defended home ice with two victories (2-3-0-1).
The most dramatic game of the season came on March 24th, when the Thunderbirds jumped out to a 5-2 lead less than a minute into the third period. The Wolf Pack stormed back from there, scoring four powerplay goals to not just tie the game, but win it in the final minute. Will Cuylle completed his first career hat trick at 19:06 of the third period to give Hartford the two points. Cuylle scored twice in the third period, while Jonny Brodzinski and Tanner Fritz also lit the lamp. Two of Hartford’s goals came with the net empty, giving the club a six-on-four advantage.
In the two games since then, however, the Thunderbirds have stymied the Wolf Pack attack. Garret Sparks made 21 saves on March 25th (4-0), while Joel Hofer made 35 saves on April 15th (1-0) in a pair of shutout victories. The Wolf Pack have gone 120:54 since their last goal against the Thunderbirds.
The Thunderbirds have shut the Wolf Pack out four times this season. In fact, the Wolf Pack have been shutout in four of their last six games against the Thunderbirds. Joel Hofer has three of those shutouts. Each of his last three starts (March 3rd, March 8th, and April 15th) against Hartford have ended with a blank slate. He’s made 93 saves in those three games.
Hofer enters the series with a 202:38 shutout streak against the Wolf Pack.
Top Performers: Wolf Pack forward Lauri Pajuniemi enjoyed success against the Thunderbirds this season, scoring seven points (5 g, 2 a) in 12 games. He notched his first career hat trick in the club’s 5-1 victory at the MassMutual Center on February 22nd.
Will Cuylle was Hartford’s most productive weapon in the season series among skaters on the roster heading into Game One. He had nine points (6 g, 3 a) in 12 games against the Thunderbirds. Like Pajuniemi, Cuylle scored his first professional hat trick at Springfield’s expense. His hat trick came on March 24th.
Defensively, Ty Emberson led the way with six points (1 g, 5 a) in 12 games. His lone goal in the season series was a shorthanded marker at the XL Center on December 22nd.
On the Springfield side of things, Will Bitten paced the attack with 15 points (8 g, 7 a) in 12 games. He also recorded a +7 rating and notched a third period hat trick in the team’s 4-2 comeback victory in Hartford on March 17th.
Matthew Highmore, in his first season with the Thunderbirds, also hit the point-per-game mark with eleven points (3 g, 8 a) in eleven games. Eleven points was also the final tally in the season series for Martin Frk (5 g, 6 a), who appeared in all 12 contests.
Joel Hofer finished the season series with a 7-1-0-1 record, collecting three shutouts and posting a .955 save percentage.
How to Watch: Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have you covered for all three games, if necessary, of this series. ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starts each game night at 6:50 p.m., before puck drop goes at 7:05 p.m. You can watch each Wolf Pack playoff game live on AHLTV, and you can listen for free on Mixlr.
Single game tickets for Game Two of the Calder Cup Playoffs are on sale now! Game Two will be at the XL Center this Friday, April 21st, at 7:05 p.m. against the Thunderbirds.
Calder Cup Playoff ticket strips are currently on sale for the entire 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information.
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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.