TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: FEBRUARY 1ST, 2024
Feb 1, 2024
Home sweet home. The Hartford Wolf Pack opened up a season-long, six-game homestand on Wednesday night. While the club fell 4-2 to the Charlotte Checkers, there were some things to like in the team’s game. The Pack will get to spend the next two weeks sleeping in their beds and working on things in their home barn.
With the second half now underway, the Wolf Pack have an opportunity to bank points at home before a busy stretch to end the month of February.
Onto the blog!
1.) Sure, Wednesday night was a tough pill to swallow with the Wolf Pack falling 4-2 to the Checkers. That said, the Pack enjoyed some real success over the weekend with two strong victories in Cleveland over the Monsters.
Both victories featured strong play at five-on-five by the club, and both victories saw late goals in the third period prove to be the difference.
Against the top team in the North Division, those wins at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse were statements by the Wolf Pack. Those are the types of wins that the Wolf Pack can lean on moving forward during the second half.
2.) Brett Berard is having a terrific rookie professional season. Berard notched the first multi-goal outing of his career on Friday night, scoring the game-winning goal against the Monsters and then tacking on an empty net tally.
Berard then scored the first shorthanded goal of his career on Wednesday night, tying the tilt 2-2 just over the midway mark of the third period.
Berard, who has used his speed and skill as real weapons through 39 games, leads the Wolf Pack in goals with 13 on the season. There is a chance that he’ll be the second rookie in as many years to lead the Wolf Pack in goals. Will Cuylle did it last year with 25.
3.) Adam Sýkora was another rookie forward who enjoyed a good week. Sýkora scored his first career shorthanded goal in the AHL on Friday night, stuffing home a third-chance opportunity on Jet Greaves. The goal, Sýkora’s fourth of the season, might have been the best-effort play of the year for the Wolf Pack.
Sýkora didn’t score on Wednesday night, but another effort play led to a great chance. Sýkora won a foot race in the Checkers’ zone and rifled a shot that beat Spencer Knight cleanly but struck the iron.
The second-round pick of the Rangers in 2022, 63rd overall, is looking comfortable with the Wolf Pack.
4.) Wednesday night saw another two-point outing for Karl Henriksson, who continues to play the best hockey of his young North American career. Henriksson scored his third powerplay goal of the season 8:18 into the game, taking a wonderful pass from Brennan Othmann in the left-wing circle.
Henriksson then collected the lone assist on Berard’s shorthanded goal at 12:00 of the third period.
The second-round pick of the Rangers in 2019, 58th overall, now has a career-high eight goals on the season. He’s also recorded three multi-point outings in his last seven games. Henriksson has looked good centering a line with Berard and Othmann.
5.) Speaking of Othmann, his assist on Wednesday night gives him points in six straight games (1 g, 5 a). That is the longest point streak of his rookie season. As a reminder, he’ll be one of two Wolf Pack players attending the AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose this weekend. He’ll be joined by defenseman Mac Hollowell.
6.) 5,549 days passed between assists in Cleveland as a member of the Wolf Pack for Artem Anisimov. Anisimov set up Anton Blidh for the game’s opening goal on Friday night in Hartford’s 4-2 victory. Back on November 16th, 2008, Anisimov set up Brodie Dupont at the 7:31 mark of the second period. The Wolf Pack won that game too, beating the Monsters 5-3.
7.) Speaking of Anisimov, he and Blidh seem to have pretty good chemistry together right now. The two veteran forwards are both extremely smart players and seem to be feeding off of each other. Blidh’s style of play meshes quite well with Anisimov.
Bobby Trivigno has at times been the left winger on that line and has fit like a glove. Not only is the trio both smart and skilled, but they can be a thorn in the opponent’s side too. They certainly were in Cleveland.
8.) What a two weeks it has been for Bryan Yoon. Yoon traveled from Utah to Hartford on January 18th, then signed a professional tryout agreement with the Pack on the 19th. That night, he made his AHL debut against the Hershey Bears.
Fast forward to today, February 1st, and Yoon has his first AHL contract. He’s filled in quite admirably in his three appearances this season and has proven to be a capable option for the Wolf Pack when injuries and call-ups arise.
9.) We’ve seen a lot of Nick Bonino-related questions, so let’s discuss them. Bonino was assigned to the Wolf Pack by the Rangers on Friday but did not join the team in Cleveland. Bonino had a previously scheduled family vacation during the NHL All-Star break and was allowed to attend it by the Rangers.
He will not be an option for the Wolf Pack this weekend.
10.) Lastly, a quick injury update for you. Defensively, Ben Harpur (indefinitely, upper-body) and Zach Berzolla (week-to-week, lower-body) remain on the mend. Neither will be available for this weekend. Up front, both Riley Nash and Matej Pekar are out week-to-week with lower-body injuries. Adam Edström, meanwhile, remains out with an upper-body ailment.
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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.