Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Brendan Brisson steps up offensively
Losers in seven of their past 10 games (3-6-0-1), the Hartford Wolf Pack, dropped two games last week before finally getting into the win column.
The AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers was shut out for the third time this season, 4-0 by Bridgeport on New Year’s Eve. The Wolf Pack followed up with a 4-1 loss to Providence on Friday.
Hartford rebounded with a 4-1 win over Bridgeport on Saturday. Brendan Brisson (two goals, one assist) and Scott Morrow (two assists) led the charge with multi-point performances.
Three days later, the Rangers recalled Morrow and goalie Spencer Martin following injuries to two of the biggest stars in the organization, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin. The Rangers also reassigned forward Brett Berard to the Wolf Pack.
Hartford is three points out of the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, tied for seventh (11-15-4-1, 27 points) with the Bridgeport Islanders.
Hartford Wolf Pack News-n-Notes
Brendan Brisson steps up offensively
Brisson is heating up for the Wolf Pack. The first-round pick (No. 29 overall) by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Draft, has five points (three goals, two assists) in his past three games, and his nine goals are second most on the Wolf Pack. Brisson also leads Hartford with five power-play goals.
It’s a nice bounce back after he scored seven goals in 61 AHL games last season for Hartford and Henderson, and none in nine games with the Golden Knights.
The Wolf Pack are 27th out of 31 AHL teams with 81 goals scored this season, so they need even more production from Brisson, a fourth-year pro. The 24-year-old scored 19 goals for Henderson in 2023-24, and had 18 the season before with them. So, there’s reason to believe he reach and/or surpass those totals this season.
Brennan Othmann finding more consistency in minors, extends point streak
Brennan Othmann extended his personal point streak in the AHL to four games (three goals, one assist) after the Rangers sent him back down to Hartford after the new year. The 23-year-old forward scored the Wolf Pack’s lone goal Friday, followed by an assist Saturday. Othmann has seven points (five goals, two assists), including at least one in six of nine games with Hartford, including a two-point performance on Nov. 26.
Despite starting the season without a goal in 12 games, Othmann now has five goals, tied for fifth on the team with Bryce McConnell-Barker.
Though Othmann’s future in the organization is uncertain amid struggles in the NHL (zero points, minus-3 in six games this season), he’s finally finding consistency with Hartford. Whether the Rangers plan to trade Othmann or continue to hope he can help them down the road, his improved play is nothing but a good turn of events.
Carey Terrance beginning to find confidence
Carey Terrance — photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
It’s been a struggle offensively for Carey Terrance in his rookie pro season with Hartford. The 20-year-old center has four points (three goals one assist) in 31 games, after the Rangers acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks in the Chris Kreider trade this past summer.
He scored his third goal Saturday, Hartford’s first of the game, and his first since Oct. 25, a span of 25 games. Perhaps more goals are on the way, because Terrance looks more confident and is shooting the puck much more frequently as of late.
In his first 26 games, Terrance averaged 0.65 shots per game, equating to 17 shots. Over his past five games, he recorded 11 shots on goal, an average of 2.20 per game. He posted a season-high four on Jan. 2, and a previous high of three Dec. 27.
Playing primarily a bottom-six role for the Wolf Pack, Terrance is in the midst of a quiet season, though the Rangers really like the intangibles he brings away from the score sheet. They also recognize that Terrance has scoring ability, evidenced by his seasons of 30, 29, and 20 goals when playing for Erie of the Ontario Hockey League.
Upcoming Games
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Friday, January 9 vs Springfield Thunderbirds (St. Louis) at 7:05pm, MassMutual Center
- This is the sixth of 10 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 4-1-0-0 against Springfield.
- Springfield is 12-13-4-2 (30 points), sixth in the Atlantic Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
- Matt Luff leads the Thunderbirds with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists). Next is defenseman Calle Rosen, who has 20 points (four goals, 16 assists).
Saturday, January 10 vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 7:30pm, PeoplesBank Arena
- This is the fourth of 10 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 0-2-1-0 against Providence.
- Providence is 23-6-1-0 (47 points), tied for first in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
- Patrick Brown leads the Bruins, and is fifth in the AHL, with 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists). Next is Georgii Merkulov with 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists).
Sunday, January 11 vs Bridgeport Islanders (New York) at 3:00pm, Total Mortgage Arena
- This is the sixth of 12 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 2-3-0-0 against Bridgeport.
- Bridgeport is 12-16-2-1 (27 points), tied for seventh in the Atlantic Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference with Hartford.
- Joey Larson (12 goals, nine assists) and Alex Jefferies (seven goals, 14 assists) are tied for the Bridgeport lead in scoring with 21 points apiece.
