PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK EYE REVENGE AGAINST CHECKERS
Apr 7, 2024
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Hartford Wolf Pack conclude their brief two-game road trip this afternoon against the Charlotte Checkers at the Bojangles Coliseum.
The puck drop is set for 1:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the seventh of eight meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Checkers this season. It is the final meeting at the Bojangles Coliseum. The season series wraps up in Hartford on Sunday, April 14th, at 3:00 p.m. at the XL Center.
The Checkers have won all six meetings in the season series to this point. Yesterday, the Checkers earned their third straight shutout against the Wolf Pack with a 4-0 victory at the Coliseum.
Gerry Mayhew scored twice in the victory, including the game-winning goal at 17:26 of the first period. Mayhew found a loose puck in front of the Wolf Pack net and snapped his 17th goal of the season by Louis Domingue to give the Checkers a lead they never lost.
Mackie Samoskevich tacked on an insurance marker 12:00 into the middle frame, firing home a one-timer on a feed from Justin Sourdif.
Mayhew potted his second goal of the game 89 seconds into the third period, cutting down the right-wing side and beating Domingue for a powerplay marker. Will Lockwood made it 4-0 at 10:14, taking a feed from Sourdif, cutting to the net, and stuffing home a backhander for his ninth goal of the campaign.
Overall, the Checkers have won seven straight against the Wolf Pack dating back to the 2022-23 campaign. Hartford’s last win against Charlotte came on January 11th, 2023, by a final score of 3-2 at the Bojangles Coliseum.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack’s loss yesterday was their fifth consecutive defeat (0-4-0-1) and their 12th loss in the last 13 games (1-9-1-2). The current five-game losing skid is tied for the second-longest such streak of the season for Hartford.
Head-to-head against the Checkers, the Wolf Pack have dropped all six meetings this season. Despite that, the club has still managed to bank a pair of points via two overtime losses (0-4-2-0).
The Wolf Pack allowed a season-high nine powerplay opportunities for the Checkers in yesterday’s contest. The penalty kill turned in a strong performance, killing off eight powerplays. That includes a full two-minute five-on-three advantage.
Goaltender Louis Domingue returned to the lineup yesterday for the first time since February 28th, 2024.
Brett Berard leads the Wolf Pack in goals with 23 on the season. Alex Belzile leads the club in points with 47 (18 g, 29 a), while Mac Hollowell leads the way in assists with 38.
Checkers Outlook:
The Checkers currently have a 211:48 shutout streak going against the Wolf Pack. Karl Henriksson’s goal 9:04 into the second period on March 12th is the Wolf Pack’s last head-to-head goal against the Checkers.
The Checkers are a perfect 6-0-0-0 in the season series and have won each of their last seven games against the Wolf Pack.
Bridgeport Islanders defenseman Dennis Cholowski’s overtime goal on March 30th snapped a shutout streak of 213:23 for goaltender Spencer Knight, which is the longest streak in Checkers’ history. The previous record was 192:02, set by Michael Leighton.
Knight was also named the AHL’s ‘Goalie of the Month’ for March. He posted a record of 5-1-1 with a .947 save percentage, 1.29 goals-against average, and three shutouts.
Samoskevich leads the team in goals with 19 on the season and points with 46 (19 g, 27 a). Forward Rasmus Asplund paces the club in assists with 33.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 12:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
The Pack is back at the XL Center on Friday, April 12th, when the ‘I-91 Rivalry’ roars on at 7:00 p.m. against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
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.