Game Preview
Nov 5, 2017
Game day info:
Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Springfield Thunderbirds
Puck Drop: Sunday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m.
Game Preview:
This is the third of 12 matchups on the year between the Wolf Pack and their I-91 rivals, and Springfield’s first of six trips to the XL Center. In the season’s first encounter on Oct. 14 in Springfield, the Wolf Pack came away with a 4-3 win. In the second encounter between the two teams on Friday, the Thunderbirds came away victorious with a 5-3 result.
With a 2-9-1-0 record, the Thunderbirds sit in last place in the Atlantic Division. The team picked up its first win of the season on Sunday, Oct. 22 at home vs. Belleville in a 7-4 result, but has gone 1-3-1-0 in the five games since. The Massachusetts team has 30 goals for and 43 against thus far in the season.
Last Time Out:
Last night, the Wolf Pack played to a 5-0 home loss against the Providence Bruins. Chris Nell got the start in net and stopped 16 of 20 shots before being pulled for Alexander Georgiev, who made nine saves.
Thus far, the Pack are 4-7-0-1 on the season, which places them sixth in the Atlantic Division, one spot ahead of the Hershey Bears. The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins currently lead the division with a 7-2-0-0 record, while the Phantoms and Checkers fall close behind in the tight race. Though Hartford sits in sixth place with nine points, the division-leading Penguins only have a five-point advantage, with 15.
Players to Watch:
#95 Vinni Lettieri
In 11 games played, Vinni Lettieri has scored four goals and notched two assists for a total of six points. The rookie center comes to Hartford from the University of Minnesota, where he helped Minnesota capture four-straight Big Ten regular-season championships as well as the 2015 Big Ten Tournament title.
# 41 Juho Lammikko
Juho Lammikko had a goal and an assist in the first game of the year between the Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds, as well as an assist against the Wolf Pack on Friday night. The Finland native is tied for the second on the team lead in points, with nine. The 21-year-old has scored two goals and has added seven assists this year while playing for the Thunderbirds. Lammikko was drafted 65th overall in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers.
Coming Up Next:
Next Saturday, the Wolf Pack will hit the road to play against local rivals, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 7 p.m. The Pack will then be back at the XL Center on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. for a matchup with the Laval Rocket. For tickets and information, visit the Hartford Wolf Pack ticketing site or call 866-762-6451.