Top Rangers prospect caps furious comeback with overtime goal in Wolf Pack victory
It wasn’t enough for Brennan Othmann to score the tying goal late in the third period for the Hartford Wolf Pack in their American Hockey League clash with the Bridgeport Islanders on Wednesday. Nope, the New York Rangers first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft had to score the game-winner, too.
All in all a pretty darn good night for one of the Rangers top prospects. Othmann also assisted on Erik Brannstrom’s goal 2:05 into the second period that cut Bridgeport’s lead to 2-1 at the time. It was Othmann’s second three-point game of the season. The first was against Springfield on Oct. 18, one night before Othmann sustained an upper-body injury that sidelined him more than two months.
“I think we’re starting to see him find his form,” Hartford coach Grant Potulny said postgame. “Two huge goals. Your best players have to be your best players. Tonight, he stepped up.”
Othmann returned to the Hartford lineup Dec. 27 and scored a goal four nights later. The 22-year-old then went eight games without a goal. But now he’s on a heater, with seven goals in his past nine games.
Despite missing all that time, Othmann is fourth on the Wolf Pack with 10 goals in 23 games. As a rookie pro last season, Othmann was second on the team ninth among AHL rookies with 21 goals.
Related: Grading New York Rangers forwards at 4 Nations break in NHL schedule
Rangers top prospect Brennan Othmann looking to be ‘more of a shooter’
The Wolf Pack trailed the Islanders 3-1 in the third period when defenseman Connor Mackey scored his third goal at 12:34. Then it became the Othmann show. The power forward banged home a rebound of a Brannstrom shot at 18:31 with goalie Dylan Garand pulled for an extra attacker. That tied the game and senit it to overtime.
Othmann buried the OT winner off a 2-on-1 rush with Brett Berard at 4:18 to cap the comeback and help the Wolf Pack win their second straight after ending a seven-game skid Saturday.
“[Berard] with a blocked shot, I think that’s his first blocked shot in his career,” Othmann said of the forward’s effort in the defensive zone before the rush back the other way. “It had a nice bounce to me, and I just saw an opportunity to shoot the puck.”
Shoot the puck he did. Othmann wired it past Bridgeport goalie Henrik Tikkanen.
“I think that’s what I need to more, shoot the puck more and be more of a shooter, and get my confidence back doing that” Othmann explained.
Seven goals since Jan. 24 is a good way to build confidence. And feeling better physically sure helps, too.
“Just playing the right way, having confidence in myself,” Othmann shared. “You know, you miss 10 weeks, you got to take a little time to get going. It’s a big injury missing that many games and that many practices.”
But it’s clear Othmann is back on track. And just because Chris Drury is at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal doesn’t mean the Rangers general manager is unaware of the statement the top prospect is making.
It bears watching to see if Othmann, who played three NHL games in January of 2024, might get another NHL look down the stretch with the Rangers in a playoff push.
More About:New York Rangers News
Read This Next
