PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK LOOK TO COMPLETE COMEBACK VS. CHECKERS IN GAME 3
Apr 28, 2024
CHARLOTTE, NC – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Charlotte Checkers will play a winner-take-all Game 3 today for the right to advance to the Atlantic Division Semifinals against the Providence Bruins.
The puck drop is set for 4:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
The Wolf Pack and Checkers met eight times during the 2023-24 season, with the Checkers winning seven of those matchups. Charlotte held a record of 7-1-0-0, while the Wolf Pack went 1-5-2-0. At the Coliseum, the Checkers were a perfect 4-0-0-0, while the Pack collected a point with a record of 0-3-1-0.
The Checkers collected a dramatic Game 1 victory on Thursday night, stunning the Wolf Pack with a late shorthanded goal on their way to a 3-1 triumph.
Hartford responded with a dramatic victory of their own in Game 2, coming back twice to force today’s Game 3.
Gerry Mayhew opened the scoring for the Checkers, beating Dylan Garand with a low shot 4:42 into the game after being sprung into the offensive zone by Cameron Morrison.
The lead would hold into the second period as Spencer Knight made eleven saves in the opening frame.
Nic Petan got Hartford on the board 8:21 into the second period, lifting a backhand bid over the right shoulder of Knight on the club’s first powerplay of the afternoon. Petan took a pass from Ryder Korczak and lifted the shot by Knight in one motion for his second career Calder Cup Playoff goal.
7:37 later, Justin Sourdif restored the lead with a powerplay goal of his own. Sourdif was set up in the slot, where he fired a shot into traffic that Garand never saw at 15:58. The goal was Sourdif’s first of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Korczak drew Hartford even again at 3:06 of the third period, converting on a backdoor feed from Brennan Othmann. Korczak’s tally was his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal and was his second point of the afternoon (1 g, 1 a).
With their season on the line, the Wolf Pack needed a hero in overtime. Alex Belzile stepped up.
Petan weaved his way into the slot, dancing around Santtu Kinnunen, before firing a shot at Knight. Knight made the initial save, but the rebound popped to the top of the crease. The veteran forward located the rebound and buried his second career game-winning goal in the Calder Cup Playoffs at 8:11 of overtime.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack will play their first winner-take-all elimination game since Game 5 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Providence Bruins. Hartford won that game by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.
Garand collected the secondary assist on Petan’s powerplay marker in Game 2. It was the first career assist for the goaltender, who also made 30 saves to collect the sixth victory of his playoff career.
Rookie forward Brett Berard picked up the first point of his Calder Cup Playoff career on Korczak’s third-period tally. He was awarded the secondary assist on the goal.
The Wolf Pack’s powerplay was one-for-three in the Game 2 victory, while their penalty kill went one-for-two.
Checkers Outlook:
This is the second consecutive season in which the Checkers have seen their First Round series go the distance. After losing Game 1 to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last April, the Checkers won Game 2 in double overtime before taking a 6-0 decision in Game 3 to advance to the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
Mayew’s icebreaker yesterday was his tenth career Calder Cup Playoff goal and 13th career point in his 18th career game. It was his first Calder Cup Playoff goal as a Checker and his first since a two-goal performance with the Iowa Wild on May 8th, 2019, against the Chicago Wolves.
The Checkers went one-for-two on the powerplay in Game 2, with Sourdif lighting the lamp. They went two-for-three on the penalty kill.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: Mixlr
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 3:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
For playoff information, please visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information.
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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.