PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK CONCLUDE ROAD TRIP AGAINST SENATORS
Mar 24, 2024
BELLEVILLE, ON – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their four-game road trip this afternoon in Belleville, ON, against the Belleville Senators. This is Hartford’s final game against the North Division this season.
The puck drop is set for 2:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Wolf Pack and the Senators. It is Hartford’s first and only visit to the CAA Arena in Belleville this season.
The Wolf Pack opened the season series with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Senators at the XL Center on November 25th. The Senators jumped out to a 2-0 lead that night but couldn’t push the two points over the finish line.
Max Guenette opened the scoring 18:26 into the game, scoring a four-on-four goal that gave the Senators a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes. Orrin Centazzo extended the lead to 2-0 just 53 seconds into the middle stanza, potting his first career AHL goal after a turnover in front of the net.
The Wolf Pack responded with a pair of their own goals, tying the tilt 2-2 by the midway mark of the period. Brennan Othmann got the Wolf Pack on the board at 3:37, scoring his fourth goal of the season on the powerplay. Adam Sýkora got the game to a 2-2 spread at 9:26, scoring his second goal of the season.
Angus Crookshank restored the lead for the Senators at 5:35 of the third period, jamming home his sixth goal of the season. Othmann responded yet again, burying his second goal of the night at 18:46 with the net empty and the extra attacker out to force overtime.
In overtime, Riley Nash buried a second chance opportunity at 4:19 to give the Wolf Pack the second point.
Dylan Garand made 22 saves to collect the victory, while Kevin Mandolese was tagged with the loss despite making 40 saves.
This is the Wolf Pack’s first visit to the CAA Arena since April 13th, 2022. The Senators claimed a 1-0 victory that night thanks to a goal from Andrew Agozzino and 25 saves from Filip Gustavsson.
Hartford’s last victory in Belleville came a few weeks prior on March 19th, 2022, by a final score of 5-2. Mike O’Leary scored the game-winning goal that night.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack dropped their seventh straight game last night, falling 5-1 to the Toronto Marlies at the Coca-Cola Coliseum. The club is 0-5-1-1 during this stretch.
Nic Petan opened the scoring 19:44 into the game, burying a rebound for his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack.
The lead would last well into the second period, but the Marlies would finally breakthrough just over the halfway mark of the middle stanza. Josiah Slavin intercepted a pass and tried to sling a feed to the backdoor for Ryan Tverberg. The pass clipped the skate of a Wolf Pack defender and beat Garand to tie the game at 13:37.
65 seconds later, at 14:42, Topi Niemelä potted the game-winning goal when he rifled a shot over the glove of Garand from the slot. The goal was Niemelä’s second game-winning goal against the Wolf Pack this season in as many games.
The Marlies ran away with the game in the third period, tacking on three insurance goals. Dylan Gambrell scored on a crazy bounce from the neutral zone at 6:17 to make it a 3-0 game. Nick Abruzzese made it 4-0 at 9:49 with a short-side snipe on the powerplay, while Alex Steeves concluded the scoring at 11:56 with a top-shelf shot from the point through traffic.
Brett Berard leads the Wolf Pack in goals with 23. Alex Belzile (16 g, 28 a) leads the team in points with 44, while Mac Hollowell leads the way in assists with 37.
Senators Outlook:
The Senators dropped their second straight game and their third in four outings last night, falling 3-2 to the Laval Rocket on home ice.
Emil Heineman got the scoring started 5:07 into the game, potting his 13th goal of the season to give the Rocket a 1-0 lead. Zack Ostapchuk struck back at 19:18, burying a powerplay goal that sent the sides to the locker room tied 1-1.
The Rocket’s powerplay would be the story in period two, striking twice to give them a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Philippe Maillet’s 18th goal of the season came just 1:48 into the middle stanza, giving the Rocket a lead they never lost. Brandon Gignac potted the eventual game-winning goal at 12:32 on the powerplay, his 18th of the season.
The Senators pushed in the third period, outshooting the Rocket by a 13-6 margin. Guenette got them within a goal at 15:46, scoring his sixth of the season. It would not be enough, however, as the Rocket held off the final push to claim two huge points.
Crookshank, currently on recall with the parent Ottawa Senators (NHL), leads the team in both goals with 24 and points with 46 (24 g, 22 a). Garrett Pilon, meanwhile, leads the club in assists with 26 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 1:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Wednesday, March 27th, when the Charlotte Checkers come to town for the third time this season. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
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.