TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: APRIL 17TH, 2024
Apr 17, 2024
Sometimes, all it takes is one event to completely change the trajectory of something. Louis Domingue’s goalie goal that helped clinch the Hartford Wolf Pack a playoff spot on Friday night might just be that single event.
The Wolf Pack were struggling, and there isn’t a single person associated with the team that would argue that point. That moment, and the jubilation and excitement that came with it, might just be the momentum boost needed as the Wolf Pack head back to the Calder Cup Playoffs.
For the final time this season, onto the blog!
1.) This is only my third season as the voice of the Hartford Wolf Pack, but my first season calling games was back in 2010-11 when I was still in high school. Nothing has ever matched what Louis Domingue did on Friday night at the XL Center, scoring a goalie goal to seal a playoff berth against the Pack’s biggest rival.
The goal was the fourth by a goalie in the AHL this season, as Domingue joined Strauss Mann (LAV), Alex Nedeljkovic (WBS), and Jaxson Stauber (RFD). It was just the second goalie goal in Wolf Pack history. J.F. Labbe accomplished the feat on February 5th, 2000, in Domingue’s home Province of Québec.
2.) The energy and excitement in the building after Domingue’s goal has been unmatched in my time here in Hartford. To say it was electric would be underselling just how loud the fans were.
What really caught my eye, however, was the reaction of the team. The pure bliss of that moment, which also clinched the squad a playoff spot, cannot be understated.
This is a team that had lost 13 of their last 14 games, a team that had lost four straight to the Thunderbirds, five straight at home, and their last six games overall. This was a team in a tough place, one that desperately needed something.
That moment erased all of the frustration, all of the disappointment, all of the angst from the last month.
That’s the ‘palate cleanser’ for this team that finally allowed them to feel good, finally allowed them to put that recent stretch behind them.
3.) You could see the carry-over to Sunday when the Pack finally knocked off the Charlotte Checkers. Even after giving up an early goal in the second period, the Pack stuck with it and answered the challenge. Their five unanswered goals let them pull away and send a key message before a potential First Round Calder Cup Playoff series next week.
4.) I mentioned this on the air Sunday, but I think it is worth mentioning again. Last spring, Wolf Pack forward Tim Gettinger told me a late-season showing against the Springfield Thunderbirds was exactly what the Pack needed to boost their confidence heading into the playoffs.
The Thunderbirds had defeated the Wolf Pack in nine of twelve meetings during the regular season. There wasn’t anyone outside of Hartford that picked the Wolf Pack to win that series around the league.
The Pack lost their regular season finale 1-0 in Springfield last year but felt they vastly outplayed the T-Birds that night. That performance gave them the needed confidence to sweep that series 2-0, outscoring the T-Birds 13-2.
No one is saying that kind of two-game dominance is coming, but Sunday’s win over the Checkers could be that same kind of springboard for this club should they meet next week.
5.) There are three possibilities for the Wolf Pack in the opening round. First, and the most unlikely, is that the Wolf Pack fall to the sixth spot and the Providence Bruins fall to the third spot.
In that scenario, the Wolf Pack would play the Bruins in the opening round of the playoffs. For that to happen, the Wolf Pack would need to lose all three games in regulation time this weekend, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms would need to go 3-0-0-0, the Bruins would need to lose all three games in regulation, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins would need to go 2-0-0-0.
Possible, but highly unlikely.
6.) The Pack would clinch the fifth seed in the Atlantic Division with a point of any kind this weekend in their three games or any kind of loss by the Phantoms.
They’d play the Penguins if the Checkers go 3-0-0-0 this week and the Penguins secure three or fewer points in their last two games. If the Checkers go 2-1-0-0, the Penguins would need to go 0-2-0-0, 0-0-1-0, or 0-0-0-1 to face Hartford.
7.) The most likely outcome is a Wolf Pack Vs. Checkers series. If the Penguins win their final two games, the Wolf Pack and Checkers are locked into a matchup. If the Checkers lose two of their final three games, that locks in a Checkers Vs. Wolf Pack series as well.
This series could be locked in as early as Friday night. If the Checkers lose tonight in Hershey against the Bears in regulation time and the Penguins beat the Wolf Pack on Friday night, the matchup will be set.
8.) If the series is against the Checkers, all three games will occur in Charlotte. Should the Wolf Pack face the Bruins or Penguins, the club will be guaranteed a home game.
If I had to guess, a series against the Bruins would feature a 1-1-1 format, with Games 1 and 3 being played in Rhode Island and Game 2 being played at the XL Center. Against the Penguins, the most likely scenario is Game 1 in Hartford and Games 2 and 3 in Pennsylvania.
9.) Can Brett Berard lead the AHL in goals by a rookie? He’s currently at 25, one behind Josh Doan of the Tucson Roadrunners. If he finishes in the top three, it would be the first time since Ryan Callahan in 2006-07 (35 goals) that a member of the Wolf Pack finished in the top three in goal scoring among rookies.
10.) So, what should you be watching for in the season’s final weekend other than Berard’s goal-scoring chase?
Expect to see a chunk of Hartford’s younger players get a look this weekend. The club is playing a three-in-three, then could open the playoffs as soon as Wednesday night. Getting everyone both some game action and rest will be paramount for interim head coach Steve Smith. Expect close to everyone to see some kind of action.
I’d also expect one of the three games this weekend to be a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the Calder Cup Playoffs. That means you’ll likely see the lineup you can expect for Game 1 next week at least once.
Can the Pack finish in the top ten in both powerplay and penalty kill percentage? The club is currently ninth in the league on the PP and 12th on the PK. A strong weekend should have them inside the top ten in both categories.
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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.