Hartford Wolf Pack Weekly: Zac Jones immediate impact; Nathan Sucese, Lucas Edmonds heat up
The Hartford Wolf Pack snapped a four-game losing streak (0-3-1-0) Saturday with a 6-5 win against Providence. That win came Hartford dropped their first two games last week, losing 5-3 to Springfield on Wednesday, followed by a 4-1 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday.
Jaroslav Chmelař’s three-point performance helped Hartford win a thriller against Providence to end their skid.
The seventh-place Wolf Pack (21-25-5-1, 48 points) are nine points behind sixth-place Spingfield for the final playoff spot in the American Hockey League’s Atlantic Division. The Wolf Pack have a significant hill to climb to make the playoffs and are 3-5-2-0 in their past 10 games.
Related: Rangers assign disgruntled, seldom-used defenseman to Hartford on conditioning stint
Hartford Wolf Pack news-n-notes
Zac Jones — photo courtesy of Hartford Wolf Pack
Zac Jones immediate impact in short stint
The New York Rangers assigned Zac Jones to Hartford on a conditioning stint, and the timing couldn’t have been better for a beat up Wolf Pack blue line. The 24-year-old played two games this weekend, paired with veteran defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, and playing in all game situations 5v5 and on special teams.
Wearing No. 13 in Hartford, where he was an AHL All-Star two seasons ago, Jones minus-3 against Springfield, and Ruhwedel finished minus-2.
In the Wolf Pack’s lone win last week, Jones scored a goal, led the defense corps with four shots and was plus-2. His partner, Ruhwedel also benefited from playing with Jones, recording two points (one goal, one assist) and a plus-3 rating. Defensively, Jones was sound in his own end and blocked a few shots, too.
Jones recalled by the Rangers from his conditioning stint Monday. He has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 28 games with the Rangers this season and was the extra defenseman after being replaced by Urho Vaakanainen on the third pair.
Nathan Sucese steps up
Nathan Sucese has four points (two goals, two assists) in his past three games. That’s significant because the 28-year-old forward is heating up after the Wolf Pack lost forward Benoit-Oliver Groulx, who’s week to week with an unspecified injury. As a result, Sucese was given an opportunity to skate with Anton Blidh and Alex Belzile in the top six, and he’s fit right in.
Sucese registered 17 shots in three games, including a team-high seven on Saturday. He had the second highest total Wednesday (six), followed by tied for a team high on Friday (four). Furthermore, Sucese recorded a primary assist on goals scored by Blidh and Belzile. Sucese must play consistently to ensure his spot remains in the top six, of course. He’s had a difficult season, largely in the bottom six and been in and out of the lineup.
Lucas Edmonds provides solid depth
Acquired by the Rangers on Jan. 25, Lucas Edmonds is off to a good start with Hartford. The 24-year-old forward has four points (three goals, one assist) in five games. He’s established himself as a versatile forward, and coach Grant Potulny has used him on several lines. Edmonds is also playing well on the penalty kill since arriving the Tampa Bay Lightning organization.
Edmonds’ quiet game has benefited the Wolf Pack. He does the little aspects of the game well and is disciplined. Another plus to his game is his defense. He keeps his game simple, blocking passing lanes and ensuring the puck clears the zone without potential turnovers. If he remains healthy, Edmonds could become a key contributor to the Wolf Pack. But, he’s been injury prone in the past, so his health is always in question.
Upcoming Games
All games can be watched on AHLTV and listened on Mixlr.
Friday, February 28 vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Blues) at 7pm, XL Center
- This is the 10th and final meeting this season. Hartford is 2-7-0-0.
- Springfield is 26-19-2-3 for 57 points. They are sixth in the Atlantic Division and 10th in the Eastern Conference. The Thunderbirds are 7-2-0-1 in their past 10 games. They are on a three-game regulation winning streak.
- Matthew Peca leads the Thunderbirds with 42 points (21 goals, 21 assists) and is tied for 16th in the AHL. Next is Matt Luff with 41 points (16 goals, 25 assists).
Saturday, March 1 vs Utica Comets (Devils) at 6pm, XL Center
- This is the second and final meeting. Hartford lost the first game on Jan. 15, 7-3.
- Utica is 19-24-4-2 for 44 points. They are seventh in the North Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. The Comets are 5-3-2-0 in their past 10 games.
- Nolan Foote leads the Comets with 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists). Next is Brian Halonen with 29 points (19 goals, 10 assists).
Sunday, March 2 vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 4:05pm, Amica Mutual Pavilion
- This is the eighth of 10 meetings in the season series. Hartford is 3-4-0-0.
- Providence is 29-17-4-1 for 63 points. They are tied for second in the Atlantic Division and tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference (both with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). The Bruins are 6-4-0-0 in their past 10 games.
- Vinni Lettieri (18 goals, 24 assists) and Georgii Merkulov (13 goals, 29 assists) are tied for the team lead with 42 points. Next is Patrick Brown with 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists).
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