TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: APRIL 20TH, 2023
Apr 20, 2023
The excitement and build up to Game One of the Calder Cup Playoffs has come and gone. Game One itself is also in the books, and now the grind begins. The Calder Cup Playoffs are underway. The two month battle to the finish line is fully in swing. The Hartford Wolf Pack are now settled in for the most exciting time of the year.
After nearly an eight year wait, Wolf Pack fans were rewarded on Wednesday night as their team scored a dominating 6-1 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center in Game One of their best-of-three Atlantic Division First Round series. Next up? A return to the XL Center for the first time since May 27th, 2015, with a chance to put the series away.
Onto the first playoff edition of the blog!
1.) Let’s start with a quick thought, shall we? Yes, Hartford dominated Game One and took home a 6-1 victory, but the reward is only a 1-0 series lead, nothing more, nothing less. It’s the same spot they would be in had they won the game 2-1 in overtime. It all amounts to a one win lead in the series. The point? This series is far from over, and while the Wolf Pack did exactly what they wanted in Game One, the Thunderbirds are battle-tested and will surely bring a heavy pushback on Friday night.
Hartford did an excellent job of taking the dynamic Thunderbirds crowd out of the game early. Lauri Pajuniemi scored just 3:37 in, giving the Pack a lead they never lost. Hartford controlled all 200 feet of the ice in the first 20 minutes too, outshooting the Thunderbirds 11-2.
When asked this week by local media what some of the challenges are in starting a series on the road, Turner Elson made it a point to mention that taking the crowd out of it early is key. The Wolf Pack did just that.
Hartford’s penalty kill played a huge role too, killing all three Thunderbirds powerplays in the second period. Immediately following the first two kills, Zac Jones and Pajuniemi were sent in on breakaways that made the game 2-0 and then 3-0.
It was as perfectly executed as the Wolf Pack could have asked for on the road. Full credit to the entire coaching staff and the roster for putting in the work, preparing the right way, and executing at the highest level we have seen all season long.
That was a big win.
2.) Tanner Fritz set a new career-high with 43 points (10 g, 33 a) during the regular season. On Wednesday night, in his first Calder Cup Playoff game since 2016, Fritz had a huge impact. He set up Pajuniemi’s opening goal and ended the night with three assists. He had two assists in three prior Calder Cup Playoff games.
Fritz’s three assists tied the franchise record for assists in a single playoff game. It was the 21st time that a Wolf Pack player had three helpers in a postseason contest. It was the first time since Chris Bourque did it on May 15th, 2015. Interestingly enough, that was the last Calder Cup Playoff game won by the Wolf Pack until Wednesday night.
3.) Fritz wasn’t the only player lighting up the score sheet. Pajuniemi had two goals on the night, while Ty Emberson had three points (1 g, 2 a). Pajuniemi finished the regular season with 19 goals and tacked on two in his Calder Cup Playoff debut.
On February 22nd in Springfield, Pajuniemi notched his first career AHL hat trick. Including that night, the second year forward played in 22 games down the stretch and scored 19 points (8 g, 11 a). That’s solid production, and Pajuniemi established himself as a top-six forward with the Pack.
He’s one of the players who has an increased opportunity in these Calder Cup Playoffs with both Jonny Brodzinski and Jake Leschyshyn in New York with the parent Rangers. Opportunity knocked, and Pajuniemi answered in Game One, building off a strong second half.
4.) Emberson, meanwhile, has been a terrific addition to Hartford’s defense. Acquired by the Rangers from the Arizona Coyotes in the deal that sent Patrik Nemeth to the desert, Emberson has really made a name for himself in year one with the Wolf Pack.
Last night, he scored a goal and tacked on two assists, ending the night with a +5 rating. Emberson scored 27 points (7 g, 20 a) during the regular season and finished with a +17 rating.
Just to show the year-over-year improvement, Emberson finished his rookie campaign with the Tucson Roadrunners with a -25 rating a season ago. The difference between -25 and +17? 42 goals. Year-over-year, Emberson’s on-ice results improved by 42 goals. That’s pretty impressive, even when acknowledging that +/- is an older stat and might not be the best indicator of things.
Emberson has provided steady play all season long for the Wolf Pack and has caught the eye of foes around the Atlantic Division. Good to see him turn a strong regular season into a monster performance in Game One.
5.) There is another Atlantic Division First Round series that we are keeping an eye on. In Charlotte, the Checkers are hosting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for all three games of their best-of-three series. The Phantoms, who finished sixth in the Atlantic Division this season, took Game One by a score of 4-3 on Tuesday night.
They can put the series to bed tonight and sweep the Checkers. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and those of you with an AHLTV subscription can watch the game live.
The Checkers finished third in the Atlantic Division and are looking to avoid being swept out of the playoffs for the second straight season. The Checkers were swept 3-0 by the Thunderbirds in the Atlantic Division Final a season ago.
Interesting stat alert! The three seed is now 0-3 in the Atlantic Division against the sixth seed since the new playoff format was rolled out last spring. Remember, the Bridgeport Islanders swept the Providence Bruins in this matchup a season ago. The Checkers will try to break that streak tonight and force a Game Three on Friday.
If the Phantoms win, they will face the Providence Bruins in the Atlantic Division Semifinals, meaning the winner of the Wolf Pack Vs. Thunderbirds series will face the Hershey Bears. If Charlotte comes back, the Checkers will face the Bears, and either Hartford or Springfield will meet Providence.
6.) Okay Wolf Pack fans, it’s time. You were terrific in Springfield on Wednesday night. We saw the ‘Pack Heads’ from the broadcast booth and we could hear you loud and clear with your ‘Let’s Go Wolf Pack’ chants and loud cheers after every goal and every big save. The team noticed it too, and let me tell you all, they appreciated it and loved the support.
Tomorrow is a big night in Hartford, make no mistake. It’s the first playoff game in this city in just under eight years, and it’s a chance for the Wolf Pack to win a playoff round and knock off their rivals to the north. Let’s #PacktheXL tomorrow night and #BackThePack, get loud, and remind everyone why Hartford is such a great hockey city.
Get your tickets now at 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 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.