PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK CONCLUDE SEASON-LONG HOMESTAND WITH VISIT FROM ROCKET
Feb 16, 2024
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their season-long, six-game homestand tonight at the XL Center as they welcome the North Division’s Laval Rocket to town.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the third of four meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Rocket this season. It is the first of two meetings at the XL Center between the foes. The Wolf Pack will host the Rocket in the regular-season series finale on Friday, March 1st.
The sides split two games in Laval back in early this December, with the Wolf Pack going 1-1-0-0 and the Rocket posting a 1-0-0-1 mark.
The Wolf Pack won the first meeting by a final score of 4-3 in the shootout. Former Rocket captain Alex Belzile both scored in regulation time and notched the shootout winner against his former team on December 8th.
The next afternoon at Place Bell, the Wolf Pack struck first via Blake Hillman’s first goal of the season 2:14 into the game. The Rocket rattled off five unanswered goals from there, however, cruising to a 5-1 victory.
Riley Kidney scored 4:45 into the game to tie the tilt 1-1. Then, 6:03 into the second period, Brandon Gignac put the Rocket ahead for good with a shorthanded, game-winning goal.
Kidney would score his second goal of the game at 8:32 of the second period, while both Nolan Yaremko and Jared Davidson found the back of the net to further extend the lead.
The Rocket’s last visit to Hartford came on January 15th, 2022. The Wolf Pack won that game 4-0 thanks to a 31-save shutout from Keith Kinkaid and two goals from Austin Rueschhoff.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack fell to 2-3-0-0 on their current six-game homestand on Saturday night when they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Providence Bruins.
Georgii Merkulov opened the scoring 13:48 into the game for the Bruins, giving them a lead they never lost. Patrick Brown converted a three-on-one opportunity at 1:42 of the second period, notching the eventual game-winning goal.
Jayson Megna recorded a shorthanded goal 6:21 into the middle frame for the Bruins, while John Farinacci ended the scoring at 13:56 of the third period when he tipped in a Brett Harrison pass.
Brennan Othmann’s powerplay one-time blast at 8:38 of the second period was Hartford’s only goal in the loss. It was Othmann’s eighth powerplay goal of the season, tying him for the league lead among rookies.
Belzile and Brett Berard lead the Wolf Pack in goals with 14 each on the season. Belzile leads the team in points with 37 (14 g, 23 a), while Mac Hollowell leads the way in assists with 30.
On Wednesday, the parent New York Rangers (NHL) assigned forward Tyler Pitlick to the Wolf Pack. The veteran of 420 NHL and 196 AHL games will wear number 71. Also on Wednesday, the Rangers recalled Belzile.
Rocket Outlook:
The Rocket dominated the rival Toronto Marlies on Saturday, scoring the game’s first six goals en route to a 7-1 rout. Filip Cederqvist opened the scoring 11:38 into the game, while Xavier Simoneau quickly made it 2-0 49 seconds later at 12:27. Simoneau’s goal, his sixth of the season, would stand as the game-winning tally.
It was the first of two goals on the day for the second-year forward, who potted his career-high seventh goal of the season while on the powerplay at 14:31 of the second period.
Nathan Légaré also scored twice in the victory, while both Jan Myšák and Logan Mailloux found the back of the net. Mailloux’s three points (1 g, 2 a) led the way offensively for the Rocket.
Gignac leads the Rocket in goals with 14, assists with 28, and points with 42 (14 g, 28 a). He was recalled by the parent Montréal Canadiens (NHL) on February 4th, however, and remains with the club.
On Tuesday, the Rocket recalled forward Alex-Olivier Voyer from loan to the ECHL’s Trois-Rivieres Lions.
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 conclude their third three-in-three weekend of the season with two road games. The Pack will visit the Bridgeport Islanders tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. and the Providence Bruins on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. Both games will be available on AHLTV and Mixlr, with ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting 15 minutes before the puck drop.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Wednesday, February 21st, to kick off the fourth three-in-three set of the season. The Pack plays host to the Islanders in Round 8 of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. and tickets are available at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
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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 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.