WOLF PACK WEEKEND PREVIEW: FEBRUARY 15TH, 2024
Feb 15, 2024
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack are set to embark on the most difficult portion of their 72-game regular season schedule. Starting tomorrow, the Wolf Pack will play six games in eight days. The club will face two three-in-three stretches, the first of which takes place this weekend.
It’s a stretch that will test the Wolf Pack’s resolve as they look to secure the club’s second playoff berth in as many seasons.
Friday, February 16th, 2024, Vs. Laval Rocket (7:00 p.m.): The Laval Rocket will fly into Hartford on Friday night for the first time since January 15th, 2022. That night, Keith Kinkaid made 31 saves to collect his first shutout of the season as the Wolf Pack blanked the Rocket 4-0. Austin Rueschhoff scored twice in the win, including the game-winning goal just 1:36 into the contest.
This is the first of two visits to the XL Center for the Rocket, who return on March 1st to wrap up the season series.
The sides split the first two games at Place Bell back in December. The Wolf Pack picked up a 4-3 victory on December 8th in the shootout, with former Rocket captain Alex Belzile playing the role of hero for Hartford.
The next afternoon, the Rocket cruised to a 5-1 decision that snapped their nine-game losing skid.
Saturday, February 17th, 2024, @ Bridgeport Islanders (7:00 p.m.): The ‘Battle of Connecticut’ returns to the spotlight on Saturday night in Bridgeport. It’ll be the seventh of ten meetings between the sides this season, and the fourth of five at Total Mortgage Arena.
The Wolf Pack have won five of the first six meetings against the Islanders, and each of the last four. Most recently, the Wolf Pack scored a 4-1 victory in their 2,000th game in franchise history on February 9th. Brennan Othmann recorded the game-winning goal.
The Wolf Pack are a perfect 3-0-0-0 in Bridgeport this season and have won each of their last five trips to Total Mortgage Arena. Dylan Garand is 3-0-0 against the Islanders this season, with all three appearances coming on the road.
Garand has picked up a 37-save shutout (November 10th) and 34-save shutout (January 20th) at Total Mortgage Arena. He owns a .980 save percentage in the head-to-head series.
Sunday, February 18th, 2024, @ Providence Bruins (4:05 p.m.): The Pack wraps up their three-in-three weekend on Sunday afternoon at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. This will be the seventh of ten meetings between the Wolf Pack and Bruins this season.
The B’s evened the season series at 3-3 last Saturday night when they scored a 4-1 victory over the Wolf Pack at the XL Center. Patrick Brown scored the game-winning goal 1:42 into the second period, while Jayson Megna potted the Bruins’ eighth shorthanded goal of the campaign.
This is the Wolf Pack’s first trip to Providence since November 12th, 2023. That game marked the head coaching debut of interim head coach Steve Smith. He took over for Kris Knoblauch that morning.
The Wolf Pack are 1-0-1-0 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion this season. They won 3-2 in the shootout on opening night back on October 13th. Hartford currently has a six-game point streak (4-0-2-0) at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Including the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, the Wolf Pack are 6-0-2-0 in their last eight trips to Rhode Island.
Quick Hits:
- Following their six-in-eight stretch, the Wolf Pack will have 23 games remaining on their schedule. Of those 23 games, only five will be against teams from the North Division. The Wolf Pack will host the Rocket on March 1st and the Utica Comets on March 16th. They’ll visit the Rochester Americans on March 20th, the Toronto Marlies on March 23rd, and the Belleville Senators on March 24th.
- On Wednesday, the parent New York Rangers (NHL) assigned forward Tyler Pitlick to the Wolf Pack. Pitlick will wear #71 with the club.
- Pitlick is a veteran of 196 career AHL games with the Oklahoma City Barons and Bakersfield Condors. He has recorded 85 career points in the AHL (28 g, 57 a).
- Pitlick also has ample playoff experience in the AHL. He’s dressed in 31 career Calder Cup Playoff games, all with the Barons. He notched 13 points (4 g, 9 a) in that time, and helped the Barons reach the 2012 and 2013 Western Conference Final.
- Also on Wednesday, the Rangers recalled forward Alex Belzile from the Wolf Pack. The veteran forward currently leads the Wolf Pack in points with 37 (14 g, 23 a). His 14 goals are also tied for the team lead with rookie forward Brett Berard.
- The Wolf Pack enters this weekend fourth in the Atlantic Division with 53 points. They sit four points behind the third-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (57) and three points up on the fifth-place Charlotte Checkers (50).
- The Wolf Pack currently has five games-in-hand on the Penguins and four games in hand on the Checkers.
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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 playerdevelopment 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.