PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK CONTINUE BUSY THREE-IN-THREE WEEKEND WITH VISIT FROM PENGUINS
Nov 6, 2021
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have become quite familiar with each other early in the 2021-22 AHL season. That continues tonight as the Penguins make their second of three trips to the XL Center this season for the third overall meeting between the sides.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the third of six meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Penguins during the 2021-22 AHL regular season. The sides first met on October 22nd in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, with the Penguins taking a 2-1 decision in overtime. Forward Kasper Bjorkqvist scored the overtime winner for the Penguins, pouncing on a rebound 2:41 into the extra frame. Forward Anthony Greco had the lone goal for the Wolf Pack, his first of the season.
Seven days later, last Friday night, Hartford got their revenge with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Penguins at the XL Center. Penguins’ forward Samuel Poulin scored at 19:19 of the third period to force overtime, but forward Tim Gettinger scored in the fourth round of the shootout to propel the Pack into the win column. Gettinger has both of Hartford’s shootout goals this season (2-for-2). Greco and Morgan Barron had Hartford’s goals in regulation, while Keith Kinkaid collected the victory.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak (0-2-2-0) for Hartford against the Penguins. All-time, Hartford is 25-27-1-8-1 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL).
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Pack opened another three-in-three weekend last night with a 7-4 win against the Bridgeport Islanders on home ice. Both Ty Ronning and Gettinger each scored a pair in the victory, the first time a Wolf Pack player has scored multiple goals in a game this season. Defenseman Tarmo Reunanen and forward Alex Whelan each scored their first goals of the season.
Hartford went 2-1-0-0 last weekend in a three-in-three, defeating the Penguins 3-2 in a shootout on Friday night and the Islanders 5-1 on Sunday afternoon at Webster Bank Arena. Forward Cristiano DiGiacinto scored his first AHL goal in last Sunday’s win, while defenseman Hunter Skinner nabbed his first of the season.
The Pack are 4-1-0-0 at home this season, and 6-2-1-0 overall. Hartford has points in six of their last seven games since starting 1-1-0-0.
Kinkaid leads the way in net with a 5-0-1-0 record. Forward Jonny Brodzinski leads the club with nine points (3 g, 6 a) on the season. Gettinger has the team lead in goals with four.
Penguins Outlook:
The Penguins enter tonight with a 5-3-0-1 record following last night’s 6-2 loss against the Providence Bruins. The Bruins scored each of the game’s first four goals before forwards Nathan Legare and Kyle Olson cut the lead to 4-2. The Bruins eventually pulled away for the two points. The Penguins also dropped a 4-0 mid-week decision on Wednesday night at the PPL Center against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Goalie Louis Domingue made 22 saves on 25 shots in Wednesday’s loss, while also stopping Phantoms forward German Rubtsov on a penalty shot in the second period.
Forward Valtteri Puustinen leads the Penguins with eight points (4 g, 4 a) in nine games thus far this season. Poulin and forward Jordy Bellerive are each tied for second on the team with five points each. Poulin has one goal and four assists, while Bellerive has five helpers on the campaign.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr.com/hfd-wolf-pack
Join us tonight as we honor our Health Care Heroes! To nominate a member of the health care community that you feel should be recognized, visit us here. We’ll be celebrating those who helped get us through an unprecedented time throughout the night!
To secure your seats and join the fun for this milestone 25th anniversary season, visit 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 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.