TWO MINUTES FOR THOUGHTS: NOVEMBER 17TH, 2022
Nov 17, 2022
Welcome back to ‘Two Minutes for Thoughts’! The grind of the season has started to set in, with weekday games finally popping up on the schedule for the Wolf Pack. We’ll keep it brief today, as the club prepares to travel to Hershey for a weekend series against the Bears.
Depending on how you look at things, it could be a frustrating time for the Wolf Pack or an encouraging time. The club has lost two in a row but has points in all six home games this season and in each of their last four games overall. They sit seventh in the Atlantic Division but are currently just one point out of the final playoff spot. They’ve dropped four out of five to a Charlotte team that has given them fits over the years but play a Hershey team this weekend that they have been super successful against in recent memory.
We’ll touch on it all, and then some. Now, onto the blog!
The Week That Was
Since we last talked, the Wolf Pack have posted a record of 1-0-0-2, collecting three of a possible six points. They got their first road victory last Friday night, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 3-1, but dropped shootout decisions to the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday (6-5) and Wednesday (3-2).
The matchup between the Checkers and Wolf Pack defies all the odds. Hartford had third period leads in both games but dropped both in the shootout. In fact, the Checkers never led at any point during regulation play on Wednesday. Ten of the last twelve meetings between the teams have been one-goal affairs, but the Checkers have won eight of those. Four of the first five games this season have needed overtime, with Charlotte winning three of them.
Eventually, one would think the tide will start to turn for the Wolf Pack in these close games against the Checkers. Sometimes, all you need is a bit of puck luck. After all, the Wolf Pack hit three posts on Wednesday night. If any of those pucks find a way into the back of the net, it’s a completely different game.
The good news? Hartford collected two points in the two losses and has plenty to build on heading into this weekend.
A prime example? The penalty kill has been outstanding recently, killing off eleven of the last twelve penalties taken. They also got on the board with a shorthanded goal from Tim Gettinger on Friday night.
A Look Ahead
Three more games are on the slate before we next talk. On Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m., the Wolf Pack will be in Hershey to take on the Bears. The Wolf Pack won the first meeting, 4-2, over the Bears on home ice on October 28th.
The Wolf Pack won five of six meetings against the Bears last season and went 2-1-0-0 at Giant Center. The team’s one loss in the season series came back in January when the club was severely shorthanded. This is a matchup that has treated the Wolf Pack quite well recently.
On Wednesday night, Thanksgiving Eve, the Pack will be in Bridgeport for round three of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’. The Islanders have taken each of the first two meetings, scoring five goals in both. This game will be a good test for the Wolf Pack, who will be looking to tighten the season series before the Isles make their first trip to Hartford in late December.
We can also look ahead to a potential milestone next week. Wolf Pack forward Tim Gettinger sits at 197 career AHL games played, all with the Wolf Pack. Should he play in both games on the weekend in Hershey, he’ll suit up in his 200th career game on Wednesday night in Bridgeport. He’d be the 25th player in Wolf Pack franchise history to play 200 games with the club.
This N’ That
Congratulations to rookie F Matt Rempe, who scored his first career professional goal on Wednesday night. Rempe has quickly found a role on this Wolf Pack team, playing a hard and physical style of hockey. He was rewarded on Wednesday night for going to the hard areas, as the puck glanced off Rempe while he was in the crease making life difficult for Alex Lyon.
In case you missed it, the Wolf Pack saw three transactions this week. First, the New York Rangers reassigned F Ryder Korczak to the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Korczak will certainly play a key role for a good Warriors team and will get a chance to build on a career year in juniors in 2021-22. The Rangers also reassigned D Hunter Skinner from Hartford to ECHL Jacksonville, bringing the number of defensemen on the Wolf Pack roster down to seven.
Lastly, the Wolf Pack recalled F Cristiano DiGiacinto from loan to ECHL Jacksonville. DiGiacinto will wear his familiar number 96 with the Wolf Pack.
Don’t forget, we are on the road this season! Be sure to tune in on both Saturday and Sunday on AHLTV and Mixlr for the Wolf Pack’s battles against the Bears. To hear my call on AHLTV, simply select “away audio” for both games this weekend. Hope you can join us from Chocolatetown!
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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.