PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK RETURN FROM HOLIDAY BREAK TO FACE ISLANDERS IN ‘BATTLE OF CONNECTICUT’
Dec 27, 2022
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack open their post-holiday schedule tonight as they visit the Bridgeport Islanders for round five of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’.
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 fifth of twelve meetings between the Wolf Pack and Islanders during the 2022-23 season. It is the fourth of six meetings at Total Mortgage Arena this season. The sides will meet again in Bridgeport on March 4th and March 18th. Five of the final seven meetings in this rivalry will come in Hartford, including the next meeting on January 25th.
The Wolf Pack claimed their first victory in the ‘Battle of Connecticut’ on Friday evening, knocking off the Islanders 4-3 at the XL Center. Cristiano DiGiacinto opened the scoring with his first goal of the season just 5:51 into the tilt. It was the fourth consecutive game in which the Wolf Pack scored first.
Arnaud Durandeau would tie the game at 15:08, however, snapping home his fifth goal of the campaign on the powerplay. The Islanders took a lead thanks to Paul Thompson’s fourth goal of the season at 2:42 of the second stanza, jamming a puck over a sprawled out Dylan Garand. Ryan Carpenter would push a puck over the goal line at 4:01, however, tying the game at 2-2.
In the third period, Zac Jones would fire home his second goal of the season during a four-on-four period to give the Wolf Pack a lead. Carpenter tacked on the insurance marker at 9:28, sniping his second of the night and fourth of the season home. Andy Andreoff would make it a 4-3 game at 16:10 of the final period, but Garand slammed the door shut to preserve the victory for Hartford.
The Islanders took the first three meetings of this series, all at home. They scored a 5-2 decision on October 23rd, a 5-3 verdict on November 5th, and a 6-3 triumph on November 23rd.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack’s victory on Friday snapped a brief two-game losing streak for the club. Tonight, the Wolf Pack will look to win back-to-back games for just the fourth time this season. The club won back-to-back games on October 28th and 29th, November 9th and 11th, and then won three straight on December 10th, 14th, and 16th.
On Tuesday morning, the Wolf Pack recalled G Parker Gahagen from loan to the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen. Gahagen is 7-5-1 with a .919 save percentage this season with the Icemen. He’ll wear number 35 with the Wolf Pack. In his career, Gahagen has 12 appearances in the AHL.
Thanks to his two goals on Friday evening, Ryan Carpenter became the first Wolf Pack player this season to score at least two goals in multiple games. He also lit the lamp twice in the club’s 6-4 victory at Grand Rapids on December 16th. C.J. Smith (October 22nd) and Tim Gettinger (November 11th) are the only two other Wolf Pack players to score at least twice in a game this season.
Turner Elson leads the Wolf Pack in points with 14 (5 g, 9 a) on the season. Will Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the Pack in goals with seven.
Islanders Outlook:
The Islanders have lost four consecutive games, their longest skid of the season. In addition to Friday’s 4-3 loss in Hartford, the club dropped a 4-3 decision to the Syracuse Crunch on December 17th and a 5-2 verdict to the Utica Comets on December 16th. The losing streak started with a 2-1 overtime loss on home ice to the Springfield Thunderbirds on December 14th.
The Islanders will hit the road following tonight’s tilt to finish off 2022. They’ll visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms tomorrow night at PPL Center, then head to Springfield to take on the Thunderbirds on Friday night.
Earlier today, the Islanders recalled forward Jimmy Lambert from loan to the ECHL’s Worcester Railers.
Chris Terry leads the Islanders in scoring with 26 points (6 g, 20 a) on the campaign. Andreoff, meanwhile, leads the Islanders in goals with 15.
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. To listen to Alex’s call of the game, simply click on the ‘away audio’ button when selecting tonight’s game.
The Wolf Pack’s brief two-game road trip concludes tomorrow night when the club visits the Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Saturday, December 31st. The ‘I-91 Rivalry’ gets renewed as the Thunderbirds come to town for a special 5:30 p.m. puck drop. 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.