WOLF PACK’S RALLY COMES UP SHORT IN 4-2 LOSS TO ISLANDERS
Apr 3, 2026BRIDGEPORT, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack dropped their fifth straight game on Friday night, 4-2 to the rival Bridgeport Islanders at Total Mortgage Arena.
The Wolf Pack surrendered three goals in the first period, digging themselves an early hole that proved to be too large to overcome.
Daylan Kuefler opened the scoring 4:49 into the game. Victor Eklund won a footrace in the left-wing corner of the Wolf Pack zone, then flung a pass to Kuefler at the bottom of the left-wing circle. Kuefler cut to the net, went to the backhand, and beat Spencer Martin for his ninth goal of the season.
Cam Thiesing made it 2-0 at 14:16. Liam Foudy danced through the offensive zone before setting up along the right-wing boards. Foudy then sent the puck to the point for Thiesing, who sent a shot to the net. Thiesing’s bid beat a screened Martin for his ninth goal of the campaign.
Marshall Warren’s sixth goal of the season at 18:07 made it 3-0. After a failed clearing attempt, Warren received a pass from Eklund at the top of the left-wing circle. He ripped a shot by Martin’s glove to put an exclamation mark on the frame.
The Wolf Pack drew within two goals at 5:54 of the second period when Trey Fix-Wolansky fired a shot into traffic. Fix-Wolansky blasted a puck from the right-wing point that clipped Henrik Tikkanen and crossed the line to make it 3-1.
The goal was Fix-Wolansky’s team-leading 27th of the season.
Halfway through the period, the Wolf Pack went to a five-minute power play when Luke Rowe was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for an elbow to the head of Carey Terrance. Less than a minute into the power play, however, Fix-Wolansky was assessed a five-minute major for an illegal check to the head that forced the sides to play four-on-four.
Both Fix-Wolansky and Rowe’s nights ended with the additional game misconducts tied to the major penalties.
Early in the third period, the Wolf Pack drew it to a one-goal game. A turnover ended up on the stick of Bryce McConnell-Barker, who carried into the left-wing circle and snapped a shot that Tikkanen denied. The rebound popped right back to McConnell-Barker, however, and he beat Tikkanen for his eleventh goal of the season at 2:56.
The Wolf Pack’s push continued, as they fired 15 shots on Tikkanen. The Islanders’ netminder would not relent, however.
Matthew Highmore ended the intrigue at 18:47, hitting the empty net for his 15th goal of the season.
The Pack is back at the newly renovated PeoplesBank Arena on Apr. 4 when the Hershey Bears come to town. The puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m., with ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ set to begin at 5:45 p.m. on AHLTV on FloHockey and Mixlr. Tickets are available here.
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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 PeoplesBank Arena. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Will Cuylle, and Matt Rempe. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, and TikTok.