PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK KICK OFF BACK-TO-BACK SET WITH VISIT FROM BEARS
Oct 28, 2022
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack return to the friendly confines of the XL Center this evening to kick off a two-game weekend and brief homestand. Tonight, they welcome the Hershey Bears to town for the first time this season.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr. Be sure to join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs tonight and every Friday night all season long!
Tale of The Tape:
This is the first of six meetings between the Wolf Pack and Bears during the 2022-23 season, and the first of three meetings in downtown Hartford. The sides will meet again on November 19th and 20th in Hershey, the first half of four meetings in a span of eight days. The Wolf Pack and Bears will also faceoff at the XL Center on November 25th and 26th. The season series concludes on February 11th in Hershey.
In 2021-22, the Wolf Pack enjoyed plenty of head-to-head success against the Bears, winning the season series by posting a record of 5-1-0-0. That record includes a perfect 3-0-0-0 mark at home, and a victory in the last meeting on March 26th at the XL Center.
That night, the Pack skated out to a 3-0 lead on goals by Nick Merkley, Cristiano DiGiacinto, and Anthony Greco. The Bears would storm back, however, scoring three unanswered goals to force overtime. Garrett Pilon and Mason Morelli would score in the second period to make it a 3-2 game, while Mike Vecchione would find the equalizer 8:57 into the third period.
The game required a shootout, where Ty Ronning scored the lone goal and Keith Kinkaid made three saves to push Hartford to a 4-3 victory.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack dropped both games last weekend, falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday night and 5-2 to the Bridgeport Islanders on Sunday afternoon. Will Cuylle and Lauri Pajuniemi each scored for the Pack on Sunday in Bridgeport, but Paul Thompson broke a 2-2 tie 14:29 into the third period to put the Isles ahead for good. Hudson Fasching and Cole Bardreau would tack on insurance markers in the waning moments to cement the victory for the Islanders.
Matthew Robertson leads the Wolf Pack in both assists and points with four of each on the young season. Cuylle, Pajuniemi, C.J. Smith, and Julien Gauthier are tied for the team lead in goals with two each.
Gauthier was recalled by the parent New York Rangers on Wednesday afternoon, making his season debut that night against the rival New York Islanders. He remains in the NHL.
Tonight’s contest opens a back-to-back set for the Pack, who will host the Charlotte Checkers tomorrow night at the XL Center at 7:00 p.m.
Bears Outlook:
The Bears enter tonight’s contest with a 2-1-1-0 record, good for five points through the first two weekends of the season. The Bears did drop both games last weekend, however, going 0-1-1-0 in Charlotte against the Checkers.
In their last game, on Saturday night, the Bears dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Checkers. Ethen Frank and Sonny Milano both scored for the Bears, but Logan Hutsko scored a pair for the home side to force overtime. Chris Tierney then ended the proceedings just 1:28 into the extra frame to complete the weekend sweep for the Checkers.
Vecchione (2 g, 2 a) and Morelli (0 g, 4 a) lead the Bears with four points each, while Vecchione, Henrik Borgstrom, and Riley Sutter are tied for the team lead with two goals apiece. Zach Fucale has both wins in net for the Bears this season, holding a record of 2-1-0 with a save percentage of .897.
Tonight opens a three-in-three for the Bears, who host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tomorrow and Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday at the Giant Center.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. tonight on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Be sure to tune in all season long for Hartford Wolf Pack hockey!
As a reminder, tonight and every Friday night all season long you can join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs at the XL Center!
Tomorrow, we celebrate Howl-O-Ween at the XL Center when the Charlotte Checkers come to town. US Women’s National Soccer Team star Kristine Lilly will be signing autographs and taking pictures pregame, with the first 1,500 fans receiving an exclusive Kristine Lilly poster, courtesy of CT-DOT.
Also tomorrow night, join us for our first Pucks N’ Paws of the season, and for our first postgame skate of 2022-23! Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at www.hartfordwolfpack.com. To purchase the Pucks N’ Paws package, which includes one (1) Wolf Pack branded dog leash, two (2) game tickets and one (1) canine ticket, visit us here.
# # #
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.