WOLF PACK WEEKEND PREVIEW: MARCH 22ND, 2024
Mar 22, 2024
TORONTO, ON – The Hartford Wolf Pack will conclude their four-game road trip with a pair of tilts in Ontario this weekend. The Pack took to the ice at the Coca-Cola Coliseum this morning in preparation for tomorrow afternoon’s tilt against the Toronto Marlies.
The Pack will then head to Belleville, ON, for a clash against the Senators on Sunday afternoon before returning to Hartford.
Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, @ Toronto Marlies (4:00 p.m.): The two-game season series between the Wolf Pack and the Marlies wraps up on Saturday afternoon in Toronto. In each of the last two seasons, it was the home team that was a perfect 4-0-0-0 in the head-to-head matchup.
The Marlies broke that trend on December 17th, taking a 4-3 decision in overtime at the XL Center.
Kieffer Bellows and Nick Abruzzese got the Marlies on the board with goals at 13:27 of the first period and 5:29 of the second period, quieting the crowd in Hartford. The Pack struck three times unanswered to take a lead before the second intermission, completely flipping the script.
Matt Rempe got the Wolf Pack on the board at 10:02 of the middle frame, giving the team a much-needed pulse. 38 seconds later, at 10:40, Alex Belzile tied the game with his ninth goal of the season.
Adam Edström then put Hartford ahead with a goal at 17:50, capping a crazy weekend for the forward. Less than 48 hours prior to scoring against the Marlies, Edström had scored in his NHL debut with the parent New York Rangers.
Zach Solow tied the game 5:11 into the third period, eventually forcing overtime for the third consecutive meeting.
Topi Niemelä ended the proceedings just 54 seconds into the extra session, giving the Marlies the second point.
The Wolf Pack have lost each of their last five visits to Toronto (0-3-2-0). The club’s last victory in Toronto came on December 3rd, 2016, by a final score of 3-2. Boo Nieves scored the game-winning goal at 3:33 of the third period that night.
Sunday, March 24th, 2024, @ Belleville Senators (2:00 p.m.): The Wolf Pack scored a 4-3 overtime victory over the Senators in the opening game of the season series back on November 25th in Hartford.
Trailing 2-0 just 53 seconds into the middle frame, the Pack battled back to tie the game 2-2 after 40 minutes of play. Brennan Othmann got the Wolf Pack on the board at 3:37 of the second period, notching a powerplay goal. Adam Sýkora tied the game with his second career goal at 9:26.
Angus Crookshank jammed home a rebound at 5:35 of the third period to give the Senators a lead in the final stanza, one that would last until the final few minutes of gameplay.
The Sens could not push the game over the finish line, however, as Othmann would pot his second goal of the night at 18:46 with the extra attacker to force overtime.
Despite a terrific effort from Senators netminder Kevin Mandolese, the Wolf Pack found the extra point at 4:19 of overtime when Riley Nash lit the lamp.
The Wolf Pack split a pair of visits to Belleville during the 2021-22 campaign. The Pack claimed a 5-2 victory at the CAA Arena on March 19th, 2022, while the Senators got some revenge with a 1-0 verdict on April 13th, 2022.
The sides did not meet during the 2022-23 season.
Quick Hits:
- The Wolf Pack’s current six-game losing skid is their longest of the 2023-24 season. The club is 0-4-1-1 during this stretch.
- Forwards Belzile and Brett Berard, along with defenseman Mac Hollowell, led the Wolf Pack with four shots each in their first meeting with the Marlies on December 15th.
- Hollowell makes his first return trip to Toronto on Saturday afternoon. The defenseman appeared in 124 career games with the Marlies throughout four seasons. Additionally, Hollowell suited up in six games with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2022-23 campaign.
- Othmann scored twice in the Pack’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Senators back in November. Hollowell and captain Jonny Brodzinski both also recorded two points that night. They both collected a pair of assists.
- Riley Nash, who scored the overtime winner against the Senators, finished that game with a goal and an assist.
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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.