
Wolf Pack Look to Snap Skid against Thunderbirds
December 19, 2021 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hartford Wolf Pack News Release
HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack will look to get back into the win column this afternoon when they return home to the XL Center to conclude a three-in-three weekend against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Today's puck drop is set for 3:00 p.m.
Tale of The Tape:
This is the sixth of twelve meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Thunderbirds during the 2021-22 AHL regular season. This is the second of six meetings between the foes at the XL Center this season and concludes a home-and-home set that opened last night at the MassMutual Center. The Thunderbirds have taken three of the first five meetings in this series.
The sides split each of their first four meetings, starting with the T-Birds taking a 2-1 decision on October 16th. The Wolf Pack got their revenge on November 12th, claiming a 6-4 victory at the MassMutual Center. Hartford also claimed a 5-3 victory on November 26th, erasing a 2-0 deficit with four second period goals. Defenseman Anthony Bitetto had the winner for Hartford. The T-Birds evened the series the very next day, taking a 4-2 decision on home ice thanks to four unanswered goals of their own after falling behind 1-0. Forward Nikita Alexandrov had the winning tally.
Last night, the Wolf Pack struck first again but could not parlay the momentum into a victory. Instead, the T-Birds took a 6-4 decision with forward Keean Washkurak scoring the winning goal.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
The Wolf Pack have dropped four consecutive decisions (0-3-0-1), and as a result now sit in second place in the Atlantic Division. The Pack opened the scoring in last night's loss, with forward Patrick Khodorenko redirecting home his second goal of the season. Forward Tim Gettinger tied the tilt 2-2 at 12:14 of the second period, but the T-Birds scored the next three goals to take a 5-2 lead.
Forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Morgan Barron each scored in the third period, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback in the 6-4 loss.
Brodzinski leads the team with 19 points (8 g, 11 a) on the season. He and Barron lead the team in goals with eight each on the campaign. Goaltender Keith Kinkaid leads the way in goal with a 9-1-1 record. He was assigned back to Hartford by the New York Rangers yesterday. Kinkaid went 1-0-0 during his NHL stint.
Forward Tanner Fritz did not record a point last night but has points in eleven of his last 14 games since scoring his first goal on Halloween day.
Hartford surrendered two shorthanded goals last night, the first time that has happened this season. Each of Hartford's last three shorthanded goals against have come against the Thunderbirds. The Wolf Pack also registered a season-high 53 shots on goal in the loss.
Thunderbirds Outlook:
The Thunderbirds snapped a four-game losing streak with last night's 6-4 victory over the Wolf Pack. It was their longest skid of the season. The T-Birds had been shutout in three consecutive games before Drew Callin got them on the board at 16:36 of the first period last night. The goal snapped a scoring drought of 197:03.
Each of the top four Thunderbirds' point producers are currently with the parent St. Louis Blues. F's Hugh McGing and Mackenzie MacEachern lead active skaters with 13 points each. MacEachern tied a franchise record with five points (3 g, 2 a) in last night's win. That is the most points a single player has scored against the Wolf Pack in a game this season. It's also the first hat-trick that the club has allowed.
Forwards Matthew Peca, Logan Brown, and Nathan Walker are with the Blues. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren leads the way in goal with eight victories this season but is also with the Blues.
Game Information:
WATCH: AHLTV
LISTEN: https://mixlr.com/hfd-wolf-pack/
Join us for our inclusivity night. This game will include softer music at low volumes and a sensory room for those who need a quiet space. In addition, we also have CT-DOT Hat Trick Packs available for purchase! Packs include three tickets, three hot dogs, and three fountain sodas! Tickets and Hat Trick Packs are still available at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.
American Hockey League Stories from December 19, 2021
- Abbotsford Canucks Fall Just Short in Loss to Silver Knights - Abbotsford Canucks
- Silver Knights Beat Canucks, 3-1, in First Ever Lucky Launch - Henderson Silver Knights
- Amerks Close out Road Trip with Comeback Win over Hershey - Rochester Americans
- Bears Take Two out of Three on Weekend After Loss to Amerks - Hershey Bears
- Wolf Pack Storm Back from 3-0 Hole to Shock Thunderbirds 4-3 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- T-Birds Come Away with Point in Hartford - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Islanders Beaten at Charlotte - Bridgeport Islanders
- Blue Jackets Recall Defenseman Jake Christiansen from Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Wolves Regain Three Players - Chicago Wolves
- Late Surge Pushes Checkers Past Islanders 3-1 - Charlotte Checkers
- Coyotes Recall Speers and Jenik from Tucson Roadrunners - Tucson Roadrunners
- Blue Jackets Assign Defenseman Jake Christiansen to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Defenseman Fredrik Claesson to Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- Wolf Pack Look to Snap Skid against Thunderbirds - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Dan Renouf Reassigned to Griffins - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Game Preview: Americans at Bears, 5 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Joe Snively Recalled by Hometown Washington Capitals - Hershey Bears
- Kolyachonok Nets Second Overtime Game-Winner As Roadrunners Defeat Reign 4-3 - Tucson Roadrunners
- Barracuda Net Four in the Third, Down Gulls 4-1 - San Jose Barracuda
- Teddy Bear Toss Gone Lone Highlight in Tough Loss - San Diego Gulls
- Heat Offense Ignites in 5-2 Win over Colorado - Stockton Heat
- Reign Edged by Tucson in OT - Ontario Reign
- Big Second Period Propels Heat to 5-2 Win over Colorado - Colorado Eagles
- IceHogs Comeback Falls Short; Stars Hang on for 3-2 Win - Rockford IceHogs
- Stars Enter Holiday Break with 3-2 Home Win against Rockford - Texas Stars
- Wilson Scores Late Equalizer in Wild Finish - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Amerks Rally in Third, Top Phantoms in Shootout - Rochester Americans
- Bailey, Lockwood Lift Canucks to Overtime Win over Henderson - Abbotsford Canucks
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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