Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Brody Lamb on 6-game point streak
Coming off a 30-point (14 goals, 16 assists) season in his fourth-year at the University of Minnesota, Brody Lamb is off to an impressive start to his professional hockey career with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The 22-year-old forward carries a six-game point streak into this week, and has six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games since he joined Hartford on an Amateur Tryout (ATO) on Mar. 14.
Lamb also signed an entry-level contract with the Rangers two days prior, and that will kick in next season.
The New York Rangers fourth round pick (No. 104) in the 2021 NHL Draft tied Trey Fix-Wolansky for longest point streak with Hartford this season. Fix-Wolansky had his six-game run from Feb. 22 to March 7.
Rewarded for strong play, Lamb joined the Wolf Pack’s top line on Sunday, paired with Brendan Brisson and Justin Dowling. He also received an opportunity on the first power-play unit, joining Fix-Wolansky, Dowling, Brisson, and Scott Morrow.
Lamb was involved in Hartford’s two goals last weekend. On Saturday, Lamb recorded his first power-play assist, when he carried the puck into the offensive zone, then passed it to Bryce McConnell-Barker for the goal.
Then on Sunday, Lamb attempted a shot on net. After Brandon Scanlin recovered the puck, the players exchanged passes, and Scanlin rifled a shot from the blue line through a maze of players into the cage, with Lamb earning an assist.
Despite a limited sample size, Lamb is showing potential to become a big addition for the Wolf Pack next season, and perhaps for the Rangers down the road. He leads the Wolf Pack in points-per-game average (0.86), and is one of four players on the active roster with a plus rating (plus-two).
Hartford Wolf Pack News-n-Notes
Playoff push stagnant
Losers in four consecutive games (0-2-1-1), the Wolf Pack’s Calder Cup Playoff hopes are on thin ice with eight games remaining in the season. They were swept by the Charlotte Checkers in a two-game set, losing 2-1 in overtime on Saturday, and 2-1 in the shootout on Sunday. Despite securing two-points, Hartford remains six points out of a playoff spot.
The eighth-place Wolf Pack (24-32-5-3, 56 points) play a pair of games this coming weekend, when they visit Bridgeport on Friday and host Hershey on Saturday.
Brett Berard suffers injury setback
Brett Berard – photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
Forward Brett Berard could miss the remainder of the regular season, since he’s week to week with an upper body injury. Initially listed day to day beginning March 14 after taking warmups, he has not played in over two weeks and missed seven games.
This is a tough blow for the Rangers prospect given his role in Hartford, where he consistently played in the top-six forward group. Berard has 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 41 games this season, one-point shy of last year’s total (23 points). His void comes at a time when Hartford is leaning on additional forwards for scoring with Adam Sýkora and Jaroslav Chmelař up with the Rangers.
Justin Dowling returns
A welcomed addition, Dowling returned to the lineup on Friday after missing 11 games with an upper-body injury. Upon returning, the veteran was inserted on the Wolf Pack’s top line, centering Brisson and Fix-Wolansky / Lamb (both players swapped last weekend). Despite not playing in a month (his last game prior to injury was Feb. 28), Dowling did not look out of place as he recorded five shots in his first game, followed by one in the second. He also appeared on the Wolf Pack’s first power-play unit.
Tied for third on the Wolf Pack in scoring (29 points) with Sýkora, Dowling provides Hartford a reliable center who’s able to win face-offs, generate offense, and be a veteran leader.
Wolf Pack host community initiatives
Juuso Parssinen – photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
The community is at heart for the Wolf Pack’s front office. A recurring promotion, they hosted “Sensory Inclusivity Night” at PeoplesBank Arena on Saturday. The night featured softer music at low volume, a quieter goal horn, and a sensory area with activities. In addition, the Wolf Pack partnered with Miracle League of Connecticut, inviting the non-profit to the game. They also hosted a book drive, benefiting schools in the Hartford region.
The 6,977 fans in attendance Saturday witnessed a low-event game, featuring two goals in regulation and a fight that happened in the first period. Charlotte’s Brian Pinho opened the scoring with a short-handed goal. Then, Dylan Roobroeck dropped the gloves with Charlotte’s Mackenzie Entwistle after he committed a big hit on Fix-Wolansky. Afterwards, McConnell-Barker tied the game. It was quiet up until overtime when Pinho recorded his second goal of the game, and the winner.
On Sunday, the Wolf Pack hosted “Connecticut Children’s Night”, partnering with Connecticut Children’s Hospital for the second time this season. The night featured specialty warmup jerseys designed by the kids from the hospital. Furthermore, a portion of ticket sales went to the hospital’s foundation, along with money raised from the jersey auctions.
The 6,834 fans in attendance saw another low-event game, similar to Saturday. This time, both goals in regulation were scored in the second period. Charlotte’s Jack Devine scored first on the power play, followed by Scanlin’s goal. It was scoreless until the shootout when Pinho scored in the third round, giving the Checkers another win.
Upcoming Games
All games can be viewed on AHLTV and heard on Mixlr.
Friday, April 3 vs Bridgeport Islanders (New York) at 7:00pm, Total Mortgage Arena
- This is the 10th of 12 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 4-5-0-0 against Bridgeport.
- Bridgeport is 28-28-3-5 (64 points), fifth in the Atlantic Division and 10th in the Eastern Conference.
- Matt Luff leads the Islanders with 49 points (17 goals, 32 assists). Next is Adam Beckman with 45 points (26 goals, 19 assists).
Saturday, April 4 vs Hershey Bears (Capitals) at 6:00pm, PeoplesBank Arena
- This is the fourth and final meeting in the season series. Hartford is 3-0-0-0 and seeks a sweep against Hershey.
- Hershey is 28-27-6-3 (65 points), fourth in the Atlantic Division and tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference (with Rochester).
- Ilya Protas leads the Bears with 55 points (27 goals, 28 assists), tied for 13th in the AHL scoring race. Next is Andrew Cristall with 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists).
