
Wolf Pack Weekend Preview: April 11th, 2024
April 11, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hartford Wolf Pack News Release
HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack have reached the penultimate weekend of the 2023-24 AHL season. The Pack can lock up their spot in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs as early as tomorrow night in the first of two games played this weekend.
If they can't lock it up on Friday night, another opportunity awaits them as early as Sunday afternoon.
Friday, April 12th, 2024, Vs. Springfield Thunderbirds (7:00 p.m.): The 'I-91 Rivalry' comes to the XL Center for the final time this season on Friday night. The Wolf Pack can punch their ticket to the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs with a regulation victory on this night.
The Thunderbirds have controlled I-91 as of late, winning each of the last four head-to-head matchups. In each of the last three meetings, the T-Birds have scored six goals. Most recently, it was a 6-2 triumph at the XL Center on March 29th. Jakub Vrana struck twice on the powerplay in the win, while Adam Gaudette was credited with the game-winning goal.
Before that, the Thunderbirds won 6-3 on both February 23rd at the MassMutual Center and on February 3rd in Hartford. Their first victory in this four-game winning streak head-to-head came on December 27th by a score of 3-1 in Springfield.
The Wolf Pack's last victory against the T-Birds came back on November 24th, when they took a 4-2 decision in Springfield. The T-Birds have won three of the four meetings at the XL Center so far, with Hartford's lone victory coming on November 15th by a score of 5-1.
Each team will enter Friday night looking to get back on track. The Thunderbirds have lost four straight games, all in regulation time, while the Wolf Pack are 0-5-0-1 in their last six outings.
Sunday, April 14th, 2024, Vs. Charlotte Checkers (3:00 p.m.): The eighth and final matchup in the season series between the Wolf Pack and Checkers takes place on Sunday afternoon at the XL Center.
The Checkers have won all seven of the prior meetings between the sides and eight straight overall dating back to last season. Five of their seven victories this season have come in regulation time, with the other two being overtime triumphs.
Mackie Samoskevich scored the overtime winner on both February 28th in Hartford and March 12th in Charlotte.
Spencer Knight has led the way for the Checkers in the season series, posting a record of 5-0-0 with a .964 save percentage and two shutouts. He blanked the Pack with 20 saves on March 13th and 19 saves on March 27th. He's made 106 saves on 110 shots, surrendering just four goals in five games.
The Checkers have outscored the Wolf Pack 23-5, holding a +18 goal differential in the seven games played thus far.
Samoskevich paces the scoring for the Checkers, having notched ten points (5 g, 5 a) in seven games.
Karl Henriksson leads the way offensively for the Wolf Pack, having scored four points (2 g, 2 a) in six games.
Quick Hits:
- The Wolf Pack's magic number to clinch a Calder Cup Playoff berth is four.
American Hockey League Stories from April 11, 2024
- The Canucks Open Their 4-Game Series Against The Wranglers With A 3-1 Win - Abbotsford Canucks
- Dansk Named AHL Man of the Year Team Winner - Calgary Wranglers
- Flames Re-Assign Jaden Lipinski to Wranglers - Calgary Wranglers
- Game Day: CGY vs ABB - Calgary Wranglers
- Cleveland Monsters Clinch Playoff Berth - Cleveland Monsters
- Monsters Clinch Playoff Berth with 6-4 Win Over Rocket - Cleveland Monsters
- Reign Home Finale vs. San Diego to Air Live on KVVB - Ontario Reign
- Drew Callin Named T-Birds' Man of the Year - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Brown and Zmolek to Reading - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- IceHogs Honor the Screw City this Saturday - Rockford IceHogs
- Grosenick Named Admirals Man of the Year - Milwaukee Admirals
- Evan Nause Rejoins Checkers - Charlotte Checkers
- Roadrunners Televising Saturday's Game on MY 18 - Tucson Roadrunners
- Ethan Cardwell Named San Jose Barracuda 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - San Jose Barracuda
- Brendan Perlini Named Checkers Man of the Year in the Community - Charlotte Checkers
- Zach Metsa Named Amerks' 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - Rochester Americans
- Providence Bruins Name Michael Callahan Team Winner of 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - Providence Bruins
- Lane Pederson Named Condors IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year - Bakersfield Condors
- Wouters Named Abbotsford AHL Man of the Year for Second Consecutive Season - Abbotsford Canucks
- Cameron Hebig Named Roadrunners Man of the Year - Tucson Roadrunners
- Phantoms Man of the Year Award: Adam Brooks - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Daniel Walcott Named IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - Syracuse Crunch
- Jacob Larsson Named Belleville Sens 2024 IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year - Belleville Senators
- Akil Thomas Named Ontario's IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year - Ontario Reign
- Dysin Mayo Named Silver Knights 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - Henderson Silver Knights
- Brendan Gaunce Named Cleveland Monsters 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - Cleveland Monsters
- San Diego Gulls Name Travis Howe as Club's IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - San Diego Gulls
- Jake Massie Named Hershey's 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year - Hershey Bears
- 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year Team Award Winners Announced - AHL
- Bardreau Named Bridgeport's IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - Bridgeport Islanders
- Kale Howarth Named IceHogs Man of the Year - Rockford IceHogs
- Jack St. Ivany Named Penguins' IOA/American Specialty Man of the Year - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Oligny Named Moose 2023-24 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year - Manitoba Moose
- Josiah Didier Honored as Griffins' Man of the Year - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Brett Berard Named Wolf Pack's IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year Award Winner - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Anaheim Ducks Sign Sam Colangelo to Two-Year Entry-Level Contract - San Diego Gulls
- Wolf Pack Weekend Preview: April 11th, 2024 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Lobdell Family Grants VIP Experience to Community Charities at Syracuse Crunch Games April 12 & 13 - Syracuse Crunch
- Blackhawks Recall Del Mastro from Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- T-Birds Sign F Ryan Smith to PTO - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Griffins Conclude Regular Season with Fan Appreciation Night - Grand Rapids Griffins
- San Diego Doubles-up on Bakersfield, 4-2 - San Diego Gulls
- Firebirds Hold off Reign - Ontario Reign
- Firebirds Win Pacific Division, Earn First Round Bye in Calder Cup Playoffs - Coachella Valley Firebirds
- Cardwell Scores Twice In Seesaw Win Over Knights - San Jose Barracuda
- Gulls Double-up on Condors, 4-2 - Bakersfield Condors
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.
Other Recent Hartford Wolf Pack Stories
- Wolf Pack Sign Forward Zakary Karpa to One-Year Deal
- Wolf Pack Continue to Expand Footprint with Strong 2024-25 Season in the Community and at the Box Office
- Dylan Roobroeck Scores 20th Goal as Wolf Pack Down Islanders 4-1
- Wolf Pack Conclude 2024-25 Season vs. Islanders
- Rangers Reassign G Talyn Boyko to ECHL's Tulsa Oilers

