PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK SEARCH FOR REVENGE AGAINST PHANTOMS
Feb 19, 2023
ALLENTOWN, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack will look to close out their second three-in-three weekend of the season with a key Atlantic Division victory as they visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the first time this season.
Puck drop is set for 5:05 p.m. and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Today’s game will also be televised on NHL Network.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the third of four meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Phantoms this season. It is the first of two meetings between the foes at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The season series wraps up on April 1st in Allentown.
The sides split the first two meetings, both at the XL Center, earlier this season. The Phantoms tasted victory in the last matchup, knocking off the Wolf Pack by a final score of 5-2 on February 10th. Max Willman scored 16:34 into the hockey game, putting the Phantoms ahead through 20 minutes of play. Turner Elson evened the affair 9:11 into the middle stanza, but the Phantoms quickly retook the lead for good.
Willman potted his second goal of the night just 70 seconds later, while Zayde Wisdom made it a 3-1 game at 12:50. Wisdom’s goal would stand as the game-winner.
Zac Jones got Hartford within one at 10:24 of the third period, but Elliot Desnoyers’ powerplay marker at 16:16 put the two points away for the visitors. Olle Lycksell chipped in with an empty net goal at 18:58.
Hartford won the first meeting, 3-2, on December 7th. Will Cuylle scored the game-winner that night, with Ty Emberson and Andy Welinski also lighting the lamp for the Wolf Pack.
Each side carries a 1-1-0-0 record into today’s contest in the head-to-head matchup. The Wolf Pack are 2-3-0-1 against the Phantoms over the course of the last six meetings, while the Phantoms are 4-2-0-0.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack snapped their first three-game losing streak in regulation this season last night thanks to a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over the Providence Bruins. Marc McLaughlin and Jack Achan both scored to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead, with Achan’s goal coming 4:40 into the third period. Hartford wasn’t deterred, as the Pack stormed back for their first multi-goal comeback victory of the season.
Karl Henriksson drew Hartford within one at 7:20 of the third period with his fourth goal of the season, while Bobby Trivigno would tie the game with his seventh of the year at 10:11. Just 17 seconds into overtime, Jonny Brodzinski snapped home his seventh goal of the season to complete the comeback.
It was Hartford’s third consecutive overtime victory, and the second game-winning goal of the season for the captain. Trivigno finished the night with two points (1 g, 1 a). It was his fifth multi-point game of the season.
Tanner Fritz leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 27 points (4 g, 23 a) on the season. Fritz’s 23 assists also lead the club in that category. Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the club in goals with 15. Brodzinski (2 g), Jones (2 a), and Zach Giuttari (2 a) all have points in both of Hartford’s games this weekend.
Phantoms Outlook:
The Phantoms scored a comeback victory of their own on Saturday night, knocking off the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins by a final score of 4-3 in the shootout. After a scoreless first period, the Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead on second period goals by Drake Caggiula (5:21) and Alex Nylander (15:22).
Egor Zamula drew the Phantoms within one at 3:05 of the third period, firing home his first goal of the AHL season. Just 16 seconds later, Alex Kile would score his first goal of the season to tie the game at 3:21. Valtteri Puustinen gave the Penguins the lead back at 6:34, but Kile would again play the role of unlikely hero. He snapped home his second goal of both the night and the season at 12:21, forcing overtime.
After a fruitless five minutes of three-on-three action, the sides headed to a shootout. In the skills competition, Bobby Brink scored the only goal, while Troy Grosenick shutdown all three Penguin shooters to complete the comeback.
Lycksell leads the Phantoms in scoring with 34 points (9 g, 25 a) on the season. He was recently recalled to parent Philadelphia Flyers (NHL). Desnoyers and Tyson Foerster, meanwhile, are tied for the team lead in goals with 17 each on the season.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 4:50 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. To hear Alex’s call of the game, click the ‘away audio’ button when selecting today’s game.
The Wolf Pack continue their road trip Wednesday night when they visit the Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Sunday, March 5th, when they welcome the Charlotte Checkers to town for a 3:00 p.m. puck drop. Join us on ‘Youth Jersey Giveaway Day’ and be sure to stick around postgame for autographs with Wolf Pack players. 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.