TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: OCTOBER 19TH, 2023
Oct 19, 2023
Happy hockey, Wolf Pack fans! Another summer has come and gone, and the leaves have changed colors. The weather has gone from toasty and warm, to crisp and cool. Hockey season is upon us, and the best time of year is here.
The Wolf Pack are back and have wasted absolutely no time kicking off their season. The club has a quiet confidence to it and backed that up with two huge road wins in Providence and Springfield to open the season.
Now that hockey is back, the blog is back too! We start the third year of ‘Two Minutes for Thoughts’ with a six-pack of thoughts ahead of tomorrow night’s home opener at the XL Center!
1.) This Wolf Pack team understands that sticking to their process will lead to results. The Wolf Pack outplayed the Providence Bruins for the final 45 minutes of their game last Friday night but found themselves trailing 2-1 in the final three minutes of play. The Pack stuck with it, earned a powerplay, and buried the tying goal to force overtime. They were rewarded with not just one, but two points to open their season.
The same thing happened a little differently on Saturday night. After controlling the first period of play, the Wolf Pack were pushed back on their heels in the opening minutes of the second period by the Thunderbirds, who tied the game just 94 seconds into the stanza. The response? A powerplay goal that gave the club a lead they never lost against a very good opponent.
Riley Nash alluded to it pregame on Saturday. The club, which he feels has a good mix of veteran and young talent, knows the value of not panicking and sticking with things even if the scoreboard doesn’t properly reflect the flow of play. The Wolf Pack showed some early resilience, and they were rewarded with two strong wins.
2.) Brennan Othmann has certainly made an early impression on the American Hockey League. The rookie forward struck twice in the opener on Friday night, then tacked on an assist on Saturday night. In all, he leaves his first weekend of games with three points (2 g, 1 a).
You can see Othmann’s offensive ability on display nearly every shift. He was extremely noticeable in both games and is already a weapon for the Pack’s powerplay. He fired a team-high seven shots on Friday night in Providence and was a factor at five-on-five despite not recording a point. Remember, points aren’t everything at five-on-five, especially early in the season as teams work their way into a rhythm.
3.) Last year, special teams could best be described as ‘trick-or-treat’ for the Wolf Pack. Early this season, it’s been a lot more treat. The club’s powerplay has struck three times in 13 chances, while the penalty kill has gone 12-for-13 in the early going. There was excitement about what the powerplay could look like in the preseason, and so far, the hype has been lived up to. If Hartford’s powerplay continues to produce at a high clip throughout the season and is coupled with their strong five-on-five play since December of 2022, this team could have a bright season ahead.
4.) Milestone watch! Nash, who made his Wolf Pack debut last weekend, skated in his 900th career professional hockey game on Saturday night in Springfield. It is an amazing achievement for the Alberta native, who was a first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2007. He’s played in 273 AHL games with the Wolf Pack, Charlotte Checkers, and Syracuse Crunch, and 627 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes, Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes.
Nash is on a two-year contract with the New York Rangers, which he signed on July 1st, 2023. He could hit 1,000 professional games early next season.
Captain Jonny Brodzinski, meanwhile, skated in his 400th professional hockey game on Saturday night. Brodzinski, who scored twice in the victory, has played in 101 NHL games with the Rangers, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings. He’ll skate in his 300th AHL game tomorrow night.
Speaking of milestones, the Wolf Pack are currently at 998 wins in franchise history. The Pack could hit the 1,000 victory mark on Saturday night should they sweep their second consecutive weekend.
5.) We told you that Brodzinski is the captain, which should come as no surprise. It’s his third season wearing the ‘C’ for Hartford and his fourth season with the club overall. He wore an ‘A’ during the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 season.
Joining him in the leadership group this year are Turner Elson, Alex Belzile, and Riley Nash. This is Elson’s second season wearing the ‘A’ for Hartford. He previously did so for the Stockton Heat in 2015-16, and the Grand Rapids Griffins from 2017-22 (five seasons).
Belzile served as the captain of the Laval Rocket last season and previously wore the ‘A’ for the club in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. Nash donned the ‘A’ with the Charlotte Checkers last season.
6.) Speaking of Nash, the veteran forward sat down with FOX61 on Wednesday at the XL Center for a feature interview with reporter Jonah Karp. The interview discusses Nash’s terrific career, his decision to sign with the Rangers, the role his family plays in his career and life, and his goals for the upcoming season. If you are a fan of the Wolf Pack, I highly suggest you check out this piece when it drops.
If you can’t make the game tomorrow night, be sure to tune in to FOX61 at 5:45 p.m. I’ll be catching up live with Jonah to preview the night and talk about the team. I’ll also have you covered starting at 6:40 p.m. on AHLTV and Mixlr with an extended edition of ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ and then game coverage starting at 7:00 p.m.!
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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 are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play 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.