Hartford Wolf Pack weekly: Casey Fitzgerald leads scoring barrage from defensemen
Returning from a two game road-trip, the Hartford Wolf Pack addressed concerns about their recent play with victories against the Charlotte Checkers (4-2) and Providence Bruins (4-2) over the weekend. As a result, the New York Rangers AHL affiliate began their six-game homestand on a positive note, with the club now 7-1-0-0 at the XL Center this season.
In particular, the defense corps responded after the addition of Victor Mancini, who scored against Charlotte Friday, after being assigned to Hartford by the Rangers.
However, Wolf Pack coach Grant Potulny continues to have work ahead of him because their power play is still in a massive drought, now 0-for-36, and the forward group was very quiet offensively. Matt Rempe scored their only goal by a forward this past weekend.
Gearing up for the week ahead, Hartford is third in the Atlantic Division, ninth in the Eastern Conference, and 15th in the AHL with a record of 7-5-1-1 (.571) for 16 points.
Related: First-hand look at Rangers defenseman prospect Drew Fortescue
Hartford Wolf Pack latest
Victor Mancini – photo courtesy of Hartford Wolf Pack
Defense corps steps up
Prior to Rempe’s goal against Providence on Saturday, the Wolf Pack had seven straight goals scored by defensemen. The offense was driven by Casey Fitzgerald and Connor Mackey, who each scored two goals this past weekend. In addition, Brandon Scanlin, Blake Hillman and Mancini chipped in with one apiece. Though Matthew Robertson was held without a goal, he did contribute a pair of assists. Case McCarthy (healthy scratch) and Ben Harpur (serving suspension) were out of the lineup and not part of the offensive breakthrough from the blue line.
The defense corps had 16 of Hartford’s 49 shots on goal in the past two games. Fitzgerald leads Wolf Pack defensemen with three goals and nine points this season.
Shifting to defense, the Wolf Pack allowed four goals against in two games. This is an improvement since they allowed 10 goals against the prior weekend (in two games). The overall team defense helped goalies Louis Domingue and Dylan Garand by cutting down shots against, 23 shots by Charlotte and 34 by Providence.
In the past six games, Hartford held opponents to two goals or less four times, so it was good to see the Wolf Pack get back on track this past weekend.
Too many penalties
Potulny must address the Wolf Pack’s undisciplined play. The Wolf Pack had 10 penalties called against them, five in each outing, taking away from their own positive momentum time and again. For instance, Hartford had a penalty in three straight calls in the first period against Charlotte resulting in the Checkers tying the game early. The Wolf Pack were unable to generate much offensively until in the late stages of that period, after things settled down with the penalties.
Against Providence, Hartford had four straight calls against them resulting in it being outshot 24-15 in the first two periods. Despite Hartford getting looks on the penalty kill, this is not sustainable. Through 14 games, Hartford was short-handed 57 times. That is the 11th highest amount in the league.
Louis Domingue’s turnaround
Louis Domingue — Photo courtesy of Hartford Wolf Pack
Earning his second win of the season and snapping a personal four-game losing streak, Domingue had a strong game against Charlotte, stopping 21 of 23 shots. After a rocky start to the season when he allowed three or more goals in each of his first four games, Domingue is beginning to find his game. In two of his past three starts, the veteran goalie surrendered only two goals and looked sharp.
The win against Charlotte is a confidence booster since the Checkers were 3-0-0-1 on the road and had two losses in regulation entering the game. Tying into the Wolf Pack’s penalty troubles, Domingue shined when the pressure was on. He was able to make saves when needed and handled continued pressure throughout the game. Domingue improved to 2-4-1 with a 3.84 goals-against average and .879 save percentage. Not great, but better.
News and notes
- Hartford released veteran Adam Erne from his Professional Tryout (PTO). The forward appeared in t10 games, recording one assist and eight penalty minutes.
- Brett Berard, Adam Sykora, and Ryder Korczak each recorded two assists over the weekend.
- Dylan Garand improved his record to 5-1-1 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .915 save percentage, allowing two goals in the win against Providence.
Upcoming Games
All games can be watched on AHLTV and listened on Mixlr.
Tuesday, November 19th vs Charlotte Checkers (Panthers) at 11am, XL Center
- This is the third of eight meetings in the season series, which is tied one win apiece. The clubs will meet again in Charlotte on January 18 and 19.
- Entering the week, Charlotte is 7-4-0-1 for 15 points. The Checkers are fourth in the Atlantic Division and 10 in the Eastern Conference. They are on a two-game skid (0-2-0-0).
- Forward Kyle Criscuolo leads the Checkers with 14 points (six goals, eight assists). Aidan McDonough (nine goals, four assists) and Ryan McAllister (five goals, eight assists) are tied for the second most points with 13 apiece.
Saturday, November 23rd vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Blues) at 6pm, XL Center
- This is the third of 10 meetings in the season series, which is even through two games. Hartford’s next away game will be against Springfield on Nov. 30, when the Wolf Pack look for their first road win of the season.
- Entering the week, Springfield is 6-8-1-0 for 13 points. The Thunderbirds are seventh in the Atlantic Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference. They are on a three-game point streak (2-0-1-0) and have wins in three of their past five games.
- Dalibor Dvorsky and Marcus Sylvegard are tied for the Springfield lead in points with 11. Both forwards have six goals and five assists. Nikita Alexandrov is third with 10 points (five goals, five assists).
Sunday, November 24th vs Bridgeport Islanders (New York) at 4pm, XL Center
- This is the third of 10 meetings in the season series. The series is tied at one win apiece. The clubs meet again on Dec. 4 in Bridgeport.
- Entering the week, Bridgeport is 4-9-1-1 for 10 points. They are eighth in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders won two straight, defeating the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears 6-1 and the solid Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 5-2.
- Brian Pinho leads the Islanders in points with 16 (10 goals, six assists). Chris Terry is second in scoring with 14 points (one goal, 13 assists).
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