Game Preview
Mar 17, 2018
Game Day Info:
Hartford Wolf Pack vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Puck Drop: Saturday, March 17 at 7:05 p.m.
Game Preview:
The Penguins, who are in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 36-18-4-2 record (76 pts., .655), split a set of games in Charlotte on Tuesday and Wednesday vs. the Checkers, before returning home for this contest against the Wolf Pack.
The Wolf Pack are 3-1-0-1 in five meetings with the Penguins on the year, but have only a regulation loss and a shootout defeat to show for two previous trips to Wilkes-Barre. Seventeenth-year pro goaltender Michael Leighton returned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton net last Saturday night in Binghamton, and made 27 saves in a 3-2 overtime win, after having been out injured since December 23.
Last Time Out:
The Wolf Pack played to a 4-3 shootout win against the first place Lehigh Valley Phantoms last night. Marek Mazanec returned from injury in net and earned the win in his first game since January 19. Filip Chytil, Boo Nieves and Dan DeSalvo scored in regulation time, and DeSalvo scored the only shootout goal.
Thus far, the Pack are 27-29-5-3 on the season with a .484 win percentage, which places them seventh in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division with 62 points from 64 games played. The Pack sit behind the sixth place Springfield Thunderbirds, who have collected 62 points from 63 games played for a 0.492 win percentage. Following the first place Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Wilkes/Barre Scranton Penguins, Providence Bruins and Checkers currently hold the remaining playoff positions.
Players to Watch:
#17 Scott Kosmachuk
Scott Kosmachuk has provided the Wolf Pack 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points in 63 games. Kosmachuk is second on the team in points and is tied for first in goals. The right wing is playing in his fourth season of pro hockey, as he spent his first three years with the Winnipeg Jets organization. With the Manitoba Moose, the Toronto native scored 11 goals and registered 17 assists in the 2016-17 season.
#11 Daniel Sprong
Daniel Sprong currently leads Wilkes-Barre Scranton in points and goals, with 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points in 50 games. The right wing is no stranger to offensive production, as he scored five goals and tallied two assists in 10 games in the 2016 Calder Cup Playoffs. Sprong has played in 18 NHL games and was a 2015 second round draft selection at 46th overall for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Coming Up Next:
The Pack will be back home at the XL Center next Saturday at 3 p.m. to face the Hershey Bears in the first game of a home-and-home set. For tickets and information, visit the Hartford Wolf Pack ticketing site or call 866-762-6451.