Game Preview
Mar 3, 2018Game Day Info:
Hartford Wolf Pack vs. Providence Bruins
Puck Drop: Saturday, March 3 at 3 p.m.
Game Preview:
Last Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Bruins in Providence was the Wolf Pack’s first regulation loss to the Bruins in the last seven meetings. They had been 4-0-1-1 in the previous six head-to-head battles. The Wolf Pack are 4-2-1-1 in eight games in the season series, 3-1-0-0 at home. The Bruins currently sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with an overall record of 33-18-3-2.
Last Time Out:
The Wolf Pack fell to the Springfield Thunderbirds last night in a 5-4 overtime loss. The Pack battled back from 3-0 and 4-1 deficits to tie at 4-4 and push the game into overtime, where Curtis Valk scored his second goal of the game just 29 seconds into added time. Chris Nell got the start in net, where he made seven saves on 10 shots in 16:40. Charles Williams made his AHL debut after replacing Nell and stopped six of eight shots for the remainder of the game.
Thus far, the Pack are 26-24-5-3 on the season with a .508 win percentage, which places them sixth in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division with 60 points from 59 games played. The Pack sit behind the fifth place Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who have collected 62 points from 57 games played for a 0.544 win percentage. Following the first place Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Wilkes/Barre Scranton Penguins, Providence Bruins and Charlotte Checkers currently hold the remaining playoff positions.
Players to Watch:
#95 Vinni Lettieri
In 38 games played, rookie forward Vinni Lettieri has scored a team-leading 16 goals, including two last night, and notched nine assists for a total of 25 points with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Lettieri earned his first New York Rangers call-up on December 28, and in numerous call-up stints, he’s scored one goal and added four assists in 19 games. The Minnesota native came 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.
#27 Austin Czarnik
Austin Czarnik has a team-leading 49 points for the Bruins, with 15 goals and 34 assists. The center is appearing in his fourth season with Providence, and has racked up 135 points over the course of 138 games played for nearly a point per game. In 17 games throughout the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs, the Michigan native had three goals and four assists. Czarnik went undrafted during his two draft classes, but signed with Boston in 2015. The Michigan native has played in 10 games with the Bruins this season, where he totaled four assists.
Coming Up Next:
The Pack will be back home at the XL Center tomorrow to face the Charlotte Checkers at 3 p.m. For tickets and information, visit the Hartford Wolf Pack ticketing site or call 866-762-6451.