Wolf Pack Weekly: The Rough Three in Three
The Wolf Pack struggled last weekend, earning just one of a possible six points; having lost three straight, going 0-2-0-1. There are some positives and negatives to take in the three games they played. Hartford’s overall record is 3-3-0-1 and the penalty kill continues to perform well. The power play struggled on Friday but got back to its normal-self on Saturday and Sunday. Next weekend will be critical for the group to get back on track.
Specialty Teams
The penalty kill is one of the consistent areas for this year’s group. They are ranked sixth in the American Hockey League for the penalty kill and third in the Eastern Conference. Hartford has killed 88.6% of penalties.
The power play has it’s up and down moments, but overall, the performance has been good for the club. They are ranked sixth in the league and fourth in the Eastern Conference, operating at 23.3%. For instance, Friday’s game had six power plays which the Pack could not convert on. On Saturday and Sunday, they notched a total of four power-play goals in six opportunities.
Abundance of Roster Moves
The past few days have been busy for the organization, and the Hartford roster continues to be ever-changing. Saturday had the first move, with forward Matt Puempel being traded to Detriot, in exchange for Ryan Sproul. The Pack lost an offensive forward and gained an extra guy for the blue line. Sproul should debut on Friday against Bridgeport.
The second move was defenseman Garrett Noonan getting sent down to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL. The move put Hartford back at seven defensemen.
Tuesday was active. The Rangers announced that they played Adam Cracknell on waivers. He cleared and will be joining the Pack. In addition, Tony DeAngelo was sent down by the Rangers to Hartford. Currently, there are eight defensemen with Hartford, but another move is expected to happen soon to bring down the total back to seven. This organization cannot afford to healthy-scratch any prospects.
Later in the evening on Tuesday, the Rangers announced that Cristoval Nieves has been called up. He looks to help the struggling Rangers and provide more help on center.
Notes
- Filip Chytil had an awkward collision with a Penguins player on Saturday night in the second period and did not return to the game. He was also scratched on Sunday. His injury is considered minor and he should be back over the weekend.
- Brandon Crawley and Vince Pedrie recorded their first pro goals on Sunday against Bridgeport.
- Alexandar Georgiev played on Saturday and held down the crease well. He faced 44 shots on net in the shootout loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The game was his second start of the season.
Upcoming Weekend
Hartford has another three games in three days this weekend. They are home on Friday and are in Pennsylvania on Saturday and Sunday.
- Friday, October 27th vs Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) at 7:15 pm, XL Center
- This finishes a home-and-home series with Bridgeport. The first meeting was on last Sunday, which the Pack lost. A fast start with a full effort will benefit Hartford. The Sound Tigers had total control in the previous meeting beating the Wolf Pack 6-3.
- Saturday, October 28th vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Flyers) at 7:05 pm, PPL Center
- The Phantoms won four straight games after losing their first two. The first meeting between the clubs resulted in a Wolf Pack win, 2-1 in the shootout. The offensively talented Phantoms will test Hartford again.
- Sunday, October 29th vs Hershey Bears (Capitals) at 5:00, Giant Center
- Hershey is off to a slow start, winning one game out of six they have played this season. The Bears faced a significant roster turnover in the offseason. This is the third game in three days for Hartford, and it will test the prospects again on handling a lot of games in a short amount of time.
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