WOLF PACK WEEKEND RECAP: MARCH 4TH, 2024
Mar 4, 2024
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack opened the month of March in style, collecting four big points. The Pack have won back-to-back games for the first time since January 26th and 27th and sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 28-17-6-1.
With 20 games remaining in their season, the Wolf Pack sit just a point behind the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for third place in the Atlantic Division.
Friday, March 1st, 2024, Vs. Laval Rocket (2-1 W): For the third time this season, the Wolf Pack picked up two points when scoring less than three goals. Both of their tallies on Friday night came early, as Brandon Scanlin and Brett Berard had the Wolf Pack up 2-0 just 13:56 into the game.
Scanlin blasted his eighth goal of the season 3:06 into the game, converting a drop pass from Turner Elson. Berard’s goal, his team-leading 18th, came on the powerplay at 13:56. The rookie forward curled into the left-wing circle and snapped his sixth game-winning goal of the campaign into the back of the net.
Dylan Garand collected his career-high 14th victory of the season, making 32 saves. Garand made ten saves in the third period, including two off of dangerous looks from the slot.
The victory earned the Wolf Pack a split in the season series against the Rocket. The Wolf Pack went 2-2-0-0 in the head-to-head matchup, while the Rocket posted a record of 2-1-0-1.
Sunday, March 3rd, 2024, @ Providence Bruins (5-2 W): The Providence Bruins had won five consecutive games and hadn’t lost a Sunday afternoon home game all season. Both of those streaks ended on Sunday afternoon.
Karl Henriksson, who missed two games with an upper-body injury, returned to the lineup and scored 43 seconds in to give the Pack a 1-0 lead. The goal was the fastest to start a game on the road this season for Hartford.
Ian Mitchell tied the game for the Bruins at 6:17, converting the club’s first shot of the afternoon. His bid from the point found its way through traffic and by the glove of Garand.
Bryan Yoon restored the lead for good 1:58 into the middle stanza, stepping into a drive just inside the blue line. The goal was Yonn’s first in the AHL. Cameron Hillis collected an assist on the goal, his first with the Wolf Pack.
Berard, a Providence native and former Providence College Friar, extended the lead to 3-1 at 6:02. After a shot from Michael Callahan missed the net and rocketed out to center, Berard gained possession and sped into the offensive zone. His quick release fooled Brandon Bussi and found twine. His 19th goal of the season would stand as the game-winner.
Anthony Richard drew the Bruins within one at 5:39, but both Anton Blidh (17:39) and Elson (18:33) would hit the empty net to cement two points for the Pack.
The Wolf Pack’s victory evens the season series at four games apiece.
Quick Hits:
- Thanks to his two goals over the weekend, Berard leads the Wolf Pack with 19 tallies on the season. That puts him tied for third in the AHL with Coachella Valley’s Shane Wright. Berard is five goals behind Texas’ Logan Stankoven, who leads all rookies.
- Berard’s seven game-winning goals are second among rookies. Only Tucson’s Josh Doan (eight) has more.
- Nikolas Brouillard recorded an assist on Berard’s powerplay goal Friday night and Henriksson’s tally on Sunday afternoon. Thanks to those two assists, Brouillard has an assist in six of the Wolf Pack’s last eight games.
- On Sunday, Yoon became the fifth Wolf Pack player this season to record his first goal in the AHL. He joined Berard, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sýkora, and Ryder Korczak.
- Thanks to his two victories over the weekend, Garand is now 4-1-0 in his last five starts with a .931 save percentage. Garand is tied for 15th in the AHL in victories this season.
- The Wolf Pack currently sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with 63 points. They are one point behind the third-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with three games in hand. The club is also three points up on the fifth-place Charlotte Checkers with two games in hand.
The Week Ahead:
- Friday, March 8th, 2024, Vs. Providence Bruins (7:00 p.m., XL Center, $2 drafts & $2 hot dogs, PJ Stock bobblehead night courtesy of Xfinity)
- Saturday, March 9th, 2024, @ Bridgeport Islanders (7:00 p.m., Total Mortgage Arena)
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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.