The Wolf Pack are in similar territory as last season. After doing better in the first half of the season, the group tapered off as the season progressed. Hartford is healthier and has dealt with fewer call-ups from New York this season. But after the club snapped a nine-game losing streak, the Pack found themselves back in the loss column to finish last week.

As we chug along February and approach the NHL trade deadline, Chris Drury and Rangers management must look ahead and prepare for the 2019-2020 season in Hartford. Getting players for the upcoming season for the Wolf Pack at the deadline is never a bad idea, especially considering this season is a washout unless the club goes on a lengthy winning streak.

Hartford is preparing for three games this week. The eighth-place Wolf Pack have a record of 20-25-3-3 for 46 points. In the conference, the group is last at 16 and is 29th in the league.

Discussion Time: Who’s to Blame?

Head coach Keith McCambridge has looked questionable as the season continued. Considering a better roster than last season, what is the issue? A trend that I have noticed is his unusual coaching during games is pulling goalies multiple times when the game is already over. For instance, during Friday’s 6-0 loss to the Syracuse Crunch, with about two minutes remaining in the contest, Hartford was down 4-0. He pulled the goalie and Syracuse scored. Then again moments later to make the game 6-0 Syracuse. Lias Andersson was on the ice late in the game, looking crushed mentally and lost. That is a red flag to me because one of your top prospects in Hartford should not look that way.

The question I have with Keith McCambridge is his actions. He could be hurting the prospects in Hartford with his actions. There is a noticeable regression than progression with some of the players. This was not the first time he pulled the goalie when the game was over. That concept seems unusual when you are down more than four goals.

Another eye-opener is benching your players during games. When the Pack are down and need a spark, often times he puts players such as Peter Holland (your leading scorer), Vinni Lettieri, or other prospects at the bottom in hopes to change the game. I see where Keith McCambridge comes from, however, I do not think that is the best way to go about games. The league is for development, not benching your top players.

Chris Drury has had his hands tied. As the Wolf Pack general manager, he is unable to do much on the fly. He can sign players, release, or trade for AHL players. However, the issue becomes how will he enhance the roster. He has not found the winning formula for the Wolf Pack. He has to work hand in hand with Jeff Gorton as well. After this season is completed, I am sure Chris Drury will be looking at everything in Hartford.

Hartford’s Reputation

The reputation for AHL teams also plays a role in players taking a liking to the organization, especially from an AHL veteran’s standpoint. You must have a likable coach in place, as well as a team that is known to win. Unfortunately, Hartford lacks a good reputation from the winning standpoint. When opposing teams enter the XL Center, they know Hartford is an easy opponent and will not be nervous facing them. Then, when the Pack are on the road, teams consider them as an easy opponent. This reputation began in the early stages of 2012. Five of last six seasons produced no playoffs, and from a player’s standpoint, Hartford is not an attractive destination.

John Gilmour Expected to Break Franchise Record

Defenseman John Gilmour’s 16 goals this season has crept him close to the all-time record for goals by a Wolf Pack defenseman. The record is held by Andrew Hutchinson, who netted 18 tallies back in the 2007-08 season. As the Rangers prospect’s contract is up, I expect him to return. He deserves it.

Also, on a side note, John Gilmour is second in the league in points by a defenseman. He has 16 goals, 21 assists for 37 points. He is two points behind the leader Zach Redmond of Rochester with 39 points. In addition, John Gilmour is second in AHL defenseman with goals.

Pack Tracks

• Peter Holland has goals in back to back games. He snapped a three-game drought. He still leads the team in points at 47.
• Hartford has given up 180 goals in 51 games. That ranks them last in the Eastern Conference. They are ranked 29th in the league in goals against.
• The power play continues to be “middle of the pack” in the league. Hartford is ranked 15th, converting at 18%. The group has given up 10 short-handed goals as well.
• The penalty kill is in the bottom portion of the league. The penalty kill is ranked 20th in the league, killing 80.6% of penalties. The group has scored six goals while down a man.
• Hartford has 25 games remaining in their season, 13 at home and 12 away.

Rangers Dealt Marek Mazanec

Tuesday afternoon featured a trade with Wolf Pack goalie Marek Mazanec. You can read about the trade here.

The move was unexpected as Hartford’s goalie situation was not the issue this season. I believe the move is for the future. The Pack has struggled this season and perhaps the Rangers are turning the page on this season in Hartford.

Brandon Halverson has played well in Maine and is now expected to stay in Hartford for the remainder of the season.

Upcoming Games

Wednesday, February 13th vs Toronto Marlies (Maple Leafs) at 7 pm, XL Center

• This is the second and final meeting of the season series between both organizations. The first meeting was in Toronto on October 20th as the Pack dropped a 3-2 decision.
• Toronto has points in their last six games and has won six of their last ten outings.
• The Marlies are third in the North Divsion with a record of 25-16-5-3 for 58 points.

Saturday, February 16th vs Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) at 7 pm, Webster Bank Arena

• This is the tenth and final meeting between both organizations. Hartford is 4-3-1-1 in the season series.
• Bridgeport is second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 28-18-4-2 for 62 points. The group enters the week winning two straight.
• Last time out, Hartford lost in the shootout against Bridgeport on February 4th in Hartford. The Pack built themselves a 2-0 lead only to have it washed away.

Sunday, February 17th vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) at 3 pm, XL Center

• This is the fourth of six meetings against the Penguins. Hartford is 1-2 in the season series. All three prior meetings were during the first two weeks of November.
• The Penguins are sixth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 24-21-4-1 for 53 points. Hartford is behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton by seven points.
• The Penguins are 5-5 in their last ten outings entering the week.

Moments ago, the Rangers announced that they have traded goaltender Marek Mazanec to the Vancouver Canucks for a draft pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Mazanec has spent nearly the entire season playing in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. In 20 games this season for the Pack, Mazanec had a 3.01 GAA and a .903 SV%.

Earlier today, the Rangers announced that they have recalled goaltender Marek Mazanec from the Hartford Wolf Pack. In addition, goaltender Alexandar Georgiev was sent to Hartford.

This move shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone with the Blueshirts playing just one game over the next 11 days. This will allow Georgiev to get some solid playing time while the Rangers are on their long hiatus.

As we hit 2019, Hartford is in the midst of an Atlantic Division battle for the top four spots in the division. And with the second half of the season fast approaching, the group must be ready to play hard and catch up in the American Hockey League standings if they want to be playing meaningful games in the latter portion of their schedule.

As we enter the first week of the year, Hartford is ranked sixth with a record of 15-15-2-2. The Pack are back at .500 after last weekend’s action. As we look ahead, here are updates with the latest in the Insurance City.

Standings Update

The Pack must dominate in the calendar month of January. Many games on the upcoming slate feature Springfield, Lehigh Valley, and Providence. The rivalry and divisional games are critical to gaining ground in the standings. Any combination of Hartford losing with the divisional rivals winning will cause issues down the road leaving Hartford a small buffer for missteps.

Suspensions Ends

Hartford last week had three players suspended. Everyone returns to the lineup for this upcoming weekend.

Peter Holland returned on Sunday against Springfield. He had a three-point performance to help the Pack win a wild one in overtime, 6-5. The veteran has six points in his last two outings.

Cole Schneider had a one-game suspension from last Thursday’s game. He is eligible to return this weekend as well. The captain has been consistent in the points column for the group and is an asset to the offense.

Steven Fogarty returns on Friday. Prior to his suspension, the forward had points in three straight (G, 5A). He has found his offensive game and will help the group this upcoming weekend.

One Timers

• John Gilmour broke a three game drought as he had a three point performance on Sunday against Springfield. He recorded the game winning goal along with three assists.

• Ville Meskanen has heated up offensively. The prospect had a three-point performance on Sunday. He also has points in five of his last seven games.
• Gabriel Fontaine has found some offense in the last two games, recording two goals and one assist. The defensive center has gotten minutes in offensive opportunities.
• Bobby Butler had points in back to back games for the first time this season on Saturday and Sunday. The veteran has struggled in the offensive aspect of the game. In 33 games, he has registered six goals and seven assists for 13 points. He was expected to produce more.
• The power play continues to be in the middle of the league, ranking 11th. The conversion rate is at 20.7%. The penalty kill on the other hand struggles. Hartford is ranked 16th, with giving up goals in the recent contests.

Defensive Struggles

A common theme in the games last week was Hartford giving up plenty of opportunities against them. Dustin Tokarski and Marek Mazanec had to face multiple impressive opportunities. Hartford gave up a short-handed game-winning goal and gave up five goals on Sunday, though they did win that contest in OT. The Pack needed a regulation win Sunday and did not convert on opportunities to get the two points at the end of 60 minutes and not give Springfield any. The defense is not consistent enough, similar to the offense. Some games they do well while others they have too many problems.

John Gilmour Becomes All-Star, Again!

Announced by the American Hockey League, defenseman John Gilmour has been selected to represent the Wolf Pack in the All-Star festivities in Springfield on January 27th and 28th. Last season was the prospect’s first year representing Hartford. He comes in as the defending champion of the Fastest Skater Event.

Roster Moves

• Ryan Gropp, Drew Melanson, and Sean Day called up to Hartford from Maine.
• Vince Pedrie reassigned from Hartford to Maine.
• Lias Andersson joins Hartford after a lengthy stint with New York.

Upcoming Games

The group will have a three in three this weekend. Two games are home while one is on the road.

Friday, January 4th vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 7:15 pm, XL Center

• The end of the back to back games against Springfield. Hartford is 1-1 in the season series against the Thunderbirds. Last time out, Hartford won 6-5 in overtime on Sunday.
• Springfield is three points ahead of Hartford in fifth place.
• Springfield lost five straight and seven of their last ten games.

Saturday, January 5th vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) at 7 pm, XL Center

• This is the second meeting in the season series against Lehigh Valley. The first meeting was on October 24th in Hartford as the Pack dropped a 7-3 decision.
• The Phantoms have won six of their last ten outings and sit third in the Atlantic Division.
• Greg Carey of Lehigh Valley leads the Phantoms in points (34). That puts him tied for sixth in the league for total points.

Sunday, January 6th vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 3:05 pm, Dunkin’ Donuts Center

• This is the sixth of ten meetings between the rivals. Hartford has had success in the season series, going 4-0-1.
• Providence enters the week one point behind Hartford. The Bruins have lost seven of their last ten games.
• Hartford has collected nine out of ten possible points while only giving up two to Providence.

The Wolf Pack enter the final full week of 2018 with three additional games to close out the year. After snapping a five-game losing streak, Hartford has found their way once again as they collected all six points last week. The impressive weekend was a confidence booster for the group and helped the club to climb back up in the standings slowly. The Wolf Pack are .500 with a record of 14-14-1-2 for 31 points, putting the club sixth in the Atlantic Division.

Standings Outlook

The competitive and tight Atlantic Division continues to show how tough it is for Hartford to climb back up once they fall. Despite being in sixth place, the competition is stiff. Only a handful of points separate seventh place Providence from second place Bridgeport. The Wolf Pack are four points behind Springfield and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to tie for the final playoff spot.

The good news is that Hartford faces Springfield multiple times in the next few weeks, along with Bridgeport. The rivalry games prove to be critical this season. A win helps, while a loss puts the club further down in the playoff race. We are nearing the halfway point of the season as the race is just getting started. You cannot count any team out this early on.

Depending on the outcome of other games, Hartford could be in a solid spot if they extend their winning streak entering Thursday’s contest with Bridgeport. Charlotte is the only team out of reach from Hartford, unless the Checkers hit a lengthy losing skid.

The group assembled in Hartford has proven they are capable of winning and playing fantastic. We have seen in past games where the group is firing on all cylinders but we’ve also seen other games where the group falls apart. Consistency is key. I am hoping they can go on a lengthy point streak to help their cause for later on in the season.

Peter Holland Out Two Games; Shenanigans in Rochester

On Wednesday morning, the American Hockey League announced that forward Peter Holland is suspended for two games. He is out on Thursday and Saturday, a home-and-home series with Bridgeport. He will return to the lineup on Sunday against Springfield.

“Hartford Wolf Pack forward Peter Holland has been suspended for two (2) games as a consequence of an illegal check to the head of an opponent in a game at Rochester on Dec. 21.

Holland was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 28.1 (supplementary discipline). He will miss Hartford’s games Thursday (Dec. 27) at Bridgeport and Saturday (Dec. 29) vs. Bridgeport. “

American Hockey League

This was unexpected on my end. Last weekend’s game against Rochester was heated. Peter Holland did not receive a penalty for his checks in either game on Friday or Saturday. However, Rochester forward Yannick Veilleux was suspended two games as well.

“Rochester Americans forward Yannick Veilleux has been suspended for two (2) games as a consequence of his actions in a game vs. Hartford on Dec. 22.

Veilleux was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 28.1 (supplementary discipline). He will miss Rochester’s games tonight (Dec. 26) at Cleveland and Friday (Dec. 28) vs. Toronto.”

American Hockey League

Rochester’s forward nearly caused a full-out brawl after he jumped Rangers prospect, Ryan Lindgren. You can see the sequence of events here, plus seeing head coach Keith McCambridge yelling at Rochester’s coach during the incident. On Friday, Bobby Butler was blindsided by a hit and the scrappy playing continued. Despite playing only a four-game season series, there has been dislike built up on both sides.

Hartford’s Goalies Perform

Dustin Tokarski played on Wednesday against Providence, earning a 3-0 shutout win (29 saves). He helped the group snap a five-game losing streak. Then on Friday, the veteran played a strong game against Rochester, stopping 28 of 30 shots. Dustin Tokarski won six straight when starting for Hartford, bringing his record up to 7-3-1 with a 2.95 GAA and .909 SV%.

Marek Mazanec played on Saturday and helped get Hartford a win, stopping 40 of 41 shots for the victory. Despite not playing in over a month, the veteran goalie held his ground well. Check out a few of his saves from Saturday. The goalie faced 23 shots on net in the first from Rochester.

Marek Mazanec improves his numbers to 5-5-2 for a 3.01 GAA and a .899 SV%. The game on Saturday was one of the best performances I have seen from the veteran goalie.

The Offense Heats Up

• Peter Holland had a three-point night on Saturday against Rochester. He registered two goals plus one assist and leads the team in points with 27.
• Cole Schneider has points in three straight and points in the last 10 of 13 games. In that span, he collected seven goals and seven assists for 14 points.
• Since returning from New York, Steven Fogarty has points in three of his last four games. The forward collected one goal and five assists for six points.
• John Gilmour continues to contribute offensively from the blue line as the prospect has points in the 11 of 16 games (4G, 10A).
• Ville Meskanen continues to add to his points total notching assists in his three of his last four games.
• Vinni Lettieri had back to back multi-point games over the weekend. The prospect has five points in his last two games (2G, 3A).
• Ryan Lindgren has assisted on goals in three of the last four games.

Tim Gettinger Injured From First Pro Fight

On December 19th against Providence, talented Rangers prospect Tim Gettinger had his first fight in the professional ranks. Unfortunately, he did not fare well as he took on Providence’s toughest guy on the roster, Chris Breen. Tim Gettinger left the game after the fight and will be out for an unknown amount of time as he may have a concussion.

Upcoming Games

Thursday, December 27th vs Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) at 7:00pm, Webster Bank Arena

• This is the sixth meeting in the season series against Bridgeport. Hartford is 3-2 against the Sound Tigers.
• Bridgeport won the last contest in regulation, 2-1.
• Bridgeport won their last seven of ten outings, but have dropped two of their last three games.
• Hartford is ten points behind the Sound Tigers.

Saturday, December 29th vs Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) at 7:00 pm, XL Center

• This is the seventh of ten meetings on the season series against Bridgeport.
• In the last home-and-home series, Hartford swept Bridgeport on November 23rd and 24th.

Sunday, December 30th vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 3:00 pm, XL Center

• This is the second of ten meetings against Springfield. The Thunderbirds won the first meeting 6-2 on October 28th.
• Hartford is behind Springfield by four points.
• Springfield has lost their last seven of ten games.

The Wolf Pack gear up for another week’s worth of games before the league enters holiday break.  Hartford has three games on tap after returning from a trip to Charlotte.  Unfortunately, the losing streak continued for the Wolf Pack.  Entering this week, Hartford has dropped five straight games.  This bumps Hartford to a record of 11-14-1-2 for 25 points.  That puts the club in 7th place in the Atlantic Division.

Alexandar Georgiev Plays Before Call Up

Prior to the call up to New York on Sunday, the Rangers young goaltender played in five straight games with Hartford.  The prospect had a few impressive games bunched in with a few struggling ones.  The playing time gave a chance for the young goalie to shake off his rust before playing in any games with the Rangers.  In the span of five games, the prospect went 0-5.  Keep in mind that his record is also due to Hartford’s struggles in their own zone.  The Pack’s blue line has struggled as of recent and was unable to help Alexandar Georgiev much.  In eight games this season, his record is 2-6 with a goals against average of 3.30 and a save percentage of .890.

When Will Marek Mazanec Play?

When the Rangers assigned Alexandar Georgiev to Hartford, it was assumed that Marek Mazanec will sit.  He has sat for too long.  Prior to Alexandar Georgiev playing, Marek Mazanec has not played since November 18th against the Rochester Americans.  That is over a month of no playing time.  Despite just practices, he needs game action.  Now he has the opportunity to play before the holiday break.  I expect him and Dustin Tokarski to play this week.  Dustin Tokarski has not played since December 1st and he could be rusty as well.

Transactions

Hartford will receive Dustin Tokarski and Matt Beleskey prior to Wednesday’s game.  They both had a strong impact for the Pack during their four game winning streak.

Cristoval Boo Nieves will be up in New York two to four weeks as Jesper Fast is out.  Alexandar Georgiev is back up with New York as well to take back his backup role.

Standings

Here is a look at the standings entering the week.

As you notice, Hartford has slipped in the standings by plenty of points.  The Pack must play catch up as soon as possible.  Otherwise, they will have a tough time playing the second half of the season.  The Pack will face the divisional rivals frequently after break (Providence, Bridgeport, Springfield twice).  If the club puts together a nice winning streak, they could be back in business in a couple of weeks.

Upcoming Games

Hartford will have one at home and two on the road.

Wednesday, December 19th vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 7pm, XL Center

• This is the fifth meeting out of ten in the season series against Providence.  Hartford is 3-0-1 in the pivotal series match up.
  
• Providence is in 6th in the Atlantic Division and ahead of Hartford by four points.  The Bruins are also 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Providence’s Anders Bjork has points in his last six of seven games.  He notched one goal and seven assists for eight points.

Friday, December 21st vs Rochester Americans (Buffalo) at 7:05pm, Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial

• This is the second of four meetings against the Americans.  The first meeting was on November 18th as Hartford dropped a 4-3 decision.
  
• Rochester leads the North Division with 38 points.  The Americans have won their last seven of ten games and enter the week winning two straight.
• Rochester’s Zach Redmond is first for points in AHL defensemen.  He has 14 goals, 10 assists for 24 points.

Saturday, December 22nd vs Rochester Americans (Buffalo) at 7:05pm, Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial

• This is the third of four meetings between the clubs.  After Saturday’s game, the final match will be in Hartford on February 2nd.
  
• Hartford is 4-8-0-2 on the road while Rochester is 10-5 at home.
  

After winning four straight games, the Wolf Pack have hit a bit of a slump. Last week saw the Pack lose all three of their contests in regulation, as the once-surging club has stumbled and will look to break out of their slump this week. As a result, Hartford fell to seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 11-12-1-2 for 25 points. The point percentage also dips below the .500 mark to .481. This week features two games against the impressive Charlotte Checkers.

Standing Updates

Here is a look at the standings entering the week.

Luckily for Hartford, they aren’t the only club on a losing streak, with teams ahead of Hartford dropping a few games as well. The standings have more spread than last week, however, Hartford is not out of the race for any of the top four spots. To tie with the fourth place Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Hartford is separated by five points. This would also tie them with the third place Springfield Thunderbirds who have the same amount of points. The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are also in reach as well for the Pack. Any combination of the upper-tier teams losing in regulation, plus points collected by Hartford, will reduce the margins. The standings in the Atlantic Division shifts dramatically weekly. We will see how the standings look after this weekend.

Alexandar Georgiev Continues Playing

The young Rangers prospect has played in three straight games for Hartford.  Unfortunately, he has lost all three starts in net. For the season, Alexandar Georgiev is 2-4 with a 3.71 goals against average and a .884 save percentage while with the Wolf Pack.

Last week, the prospect has stopped 85 of  98 shots. The prospect gave up two goals to Bridgeport, five against Charlotte, and six against Hershey. The prospect came up big periodically in each game, while in other moments he wasn’t equal to the task.  He needs to find his groove again before getting recalled to New York.

Marek Mazanec has not played since November 18th against Rochester. The veteran goalie needs to play as soon as possible since he has not seen any game action in almost a month. Keith McCambridge had a good goalie rotation system until recently with Hartford’s winning then losing streaks. You do not want a goalie to not play for an extended period of time. Marek Mazanec could also get rusty as practice and warmups can only do so much for a goalie.

Defensive Struggles

Hartford’s blue line has struggled as of late. The group has not helped out Alexandar Georgiev in moments when each team is pressuring the club in the defensive zone. There have given up too many odd-man rushes and consistent breakouts from the opposing team. The core also does not do enough to block the passing lanes or make it difficult for the opposing team. They must improve and help the Pack break their losing streak.

Notable Notes

• Rob O’Gara struggled on the blue line on Friday against Charlotte. The veteran found himself a healthy scratch on Saturday against the Hershey Bears.
  
• John Gilmour had his first career tilt with Hershey’s Beck Malenstyn. The Rangers prospect dropped the gloves due to the play. Beck Malenstyn drilled Ryan Lindgren to the boards, aimed towards the head area and was given a five minute major for a check to the head. In addition, he was given five for fighting, plus a game misconduct. Gilmour answered the bell to protect his teammates. Props to John Gilmour stepping up. Ryan Lindgren did not return after the hit.
• Hartford will be on the road for five of their next six games.
• Hartford’s power play is ranked 11th in the American Hockey League.  The power play operates at 20.9%. The penalty kill is ranked 22nd in the league, killing 78.9% of penalties against.
• Hartford has played 26 of 76 games of the season. The season is chugging along with plenty of unknowns.

Transactions

• Cole Schneider and Matt Beleskey were called up to New York last week, but have been returned to the Pack.
• Hartford added Alex Kile and Terrence Wallin from Maine on December 6th.
• Ryan Gropp was assigned to Maine on December 3rd.
  

Rangers Prospects in Maine

The Maine Mariners continue to chug along in their inaugural season in the ECHL. The Mariners are fifth in the North Division with a record of 12-9-0-1 for 25 points. The Rangers’ ECHL squad is looking to climb higher in the standings with the help from Ranger prospects in Maine. Let’s take a look at a few highlights and stats.

Ryan Gropp in three games has two goals and one assist including the game-winning goal last week.

Brandon Halverson is performing well with Maine. He continues to make impressive saves and keeps the Mariners in each contest. The prospect has played in 14 games with a record of 8-5. His goals against average is 2.90 with a .921 save percentage.

Ty Ronning has four goals, two assists for six points in seven contests. 

Sean Day has found his offensive game with three goals, nine assists for 12 points in 14 games with the Mariners.

Upcoming Games

Hartford travels down to Charlotte, North Carolina to take on the Checkers twice.

Thursday, December 13th vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina) at 7pm, Bojangles’ Coliseum

• This is the third of eight meetings against Charlotte. Hartford is 1-1 in the season series entering the week.
  
• Hartford has never won in Charlotte against the Checkers.
• Charlotte won their last seven of ten games, including a three-game winning streak.
• Hartford is 14 points behind the first place Charlotte Checkers.

Saturday, December 15th vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina) at 6pm, Bojangles’ Coliseum

• The fourth meeting between each club.
• After Saturday’s game, Hartford will not return to Charlotte until March 23rd and 24th.
• Hartford returns home on December 19th to host the Providence Bruins.
  

The Wolf Pack are chugging along as of late. Last week proved to be huge for the club as they collected all six points up for grabs. This brings the group above .500 and into third place in the competitive Atlantic Division. Hartford has swept the home-and-home series against Bridgeport and defeated their other rival, Providence.

Entering this week, the Wolf Pack are 10-9-1-2 for 23 points. In the Eastern Conference, Hartford is ranked fifth. Impressive, right? The club went from losing a stretch of eight of ten games to winning six of their last ten. The boys are buzzing! Let’s take a look at the latest updates.

Vinni Lettieri Dominates After Demotion

Last week was productive for the talented Rangers prospect. Vinni Lettieri was the hero of the week in helping the Wolf Pack collect wins. He has shown strong offensive instincts and is proven to dominate the American Hockey League. This held true since joining the Wolf Pack.

Vinni Lettieri has three goals, two assists in three straight games in Hartford. He also recorded a shootout tally that was the game winner.

Last Wednesday, Vinni Lettieri notched his first goal of the season. This was a beauty, going coast to coast.

On Friday, he recorded both goals for Hartford in regulation. Here’s the first goal of the night.

The second of the night was the tying goal.

Then he ended the night with the game-winning shootout tally.  On Saturday, the forward collected two assists to help in Hartford’s 3-1 victory against Bridgeport.

Gilmour Finds His Touch

John Gilmour has found his game after he stepped up in the Pack’s school day game on November 14th. Since then, he has continued to show up on the points sheet and became the player that Hartford needed him to be. The prospect defenseman is on a two-game point streak (G, 2A). However, he has three goals and five assists in the last seven games for eight points.

The offensive defenseman continues to help build Hartford’s struggling power play with goals such as these.

Peter Holland Also Finds His Touch

In similar timing to John Gilmour, the veteran has found his game and is continuing to deliver, despite a slow start to the season. Holland has points in six straight games (2G, 6A) for eight points.  This puts the veteran forward tops in total points for the club with 19.

Here’s his latest goal from last Saturday’s game.

The Cole Train Chugs

Hartford’s captain Cole Schneider has had a sluggish start to the season. As a result, head coach Keith McCambridge has bumped the forward to the fourth line as of late in an attempt to wake up the forward. As a result, Cole Schneider has become a better player and is earning points in his limited ice time. The captain has notched points in five straight games, compiling two goals and four assists.

As many remembered last year, Joe Whitney was the captain for Hartford last season. He did not produce and was also bumped to the fourth line. As a result, he was traded to Hershey. This is not the case with Cole Schneider as he has proven that he wants to play better and stick with the group. He should be bumped up depending on the thinking of Keith McCambridge.

The hard work pays off. The captain has to help contribute regardless of which players he is with. This was the case when he got the assist on the whole fourth line crashing the net and causing ruckus afterward.

Dustin Tokarski Improves

The struggling veteran goaltender made strong strides last week. Dustin Tokarski has started three straight games in net and won each start. This improves his record to 4-3-1 with a goals against average of 3.43 and a save percentage of .896. At the beginning of the season, the veteran goalie struggled and had no confidence in net when he gave up multiple goals that could have been stopped.

However, this past week was different.  Dustin Tokarski stopped 87 of the 93 shots he faced. He has made the saves when needed to keep Hartford in the game, especially on Wednesday against Providence and Friday against Bridgeport.

Let’s hope he can keep this up. This is going to be interesting as he has become hot. The competition for who will play each game will be higher. Originally, Marek Mazanec had split even time with Dustin Tokarski. Then Marek Mazanec was the starting goalie. Now with Dustin Tokarski becoming hot, there will be a change once again.

Atlantic Division Standings

Here is the current situation with the standings.

Hartford is in a great position.  However, the issue is the games at hand for the Wolf Pack. The group has played the most games out of any team in the division. Hartford will only play one game this weekend to allow other teams to catch up. By the day of the game on Saturday, Hartford may go down a spot or two depending on the outcomes of other contests.

The Charlotte Checkers are too far ahead in the standings to worry about. The Wolf Pack are ten points behind the Checkers. Unless the Checkers have a downfall, then first place is out of reach currently.

Bridgeport is still in reach for the Pack. Hartford is winning the season series 3-1 and there are six games remaining in the season series. Any combination of Hartford winning and Bridgeport losing would benefit the Pack. Bridgeport is only one game less to Hartford as well.

Springfield is behind Hartford by a point with four games in hand. However, the Thunderbirds are struggling as of late after a dominating start to the AHL season. Springfield has lost six of their last ten games. In addition, Hartford only faced the Thunderbirds once out of the ten-game season series. Points are still on the line against Springfield.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are also a point behind Hartford. The Phantoms are generally a dominant team in the AHL. This season proves to be different. Despite Hartford getting outplayed in the first meeting against Lehigh Valley, the Phantoms since have struggled. The Phantoms has lost the last five of ten games. Lehigh Valley is a team that is normally atop the standings. As similar to Springfield, points are on the line in the season series as the Pack only played them once out of eight meetings.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Providence Bruins, and Hershey Bears are only at a few games at hands against Hartford. Currently, those teams are close to the Pack, but they need other scenarios to happen if they want to compete against the top tier teams of the division. I am not worried about those three at the moment looking at the standings.

Notable Notes

• Dustin Tokarski had the primary assist in the game-winning goal against Providence last Wednesday.
• Hartford has shown their rough edge as of late. The gloves have been dropped in three straight games.
• Matt Beleskey had a good week. He notched two goals on Wednesday followed by one assist on Saturday.

• After the completion of the home game on Saturday against Charlotte, the Pack will be on the road in the next seven of ten meetings.
• A highlight of the away games consists of two meetings with Charlotte that are back to back in the same week. Hartford will see Charlotte a total of four times in December.
• Hartford faces the Rochester Americans in back to back games before Christmas.
• The Pack will face Bridgeport twice at Webster Bank Arena.

Teddy Bear Toss

Last Saturday featured the annual teddy bear toss game for Hartford. Score the first goal and the toys will go flying for Toys for Tots. On Monday during the second intermission of the Rangers game, I found myself on MSG150! I definitely needed help to get over my bear over the glass!

https://twitter.com/LoongIslandGal/status/1067238360257826817

Here is the original video that is longer from the night.

Here is another view…

Ty Ronning Update

Rangers prospect Ty Ronning had himself a night last Saturday with the Maine Mariners. The prospect recorded a hat trick plus two assists for a five-point night against the Manchester Monarchs. That is encouraging to see as he needed a confidence booster.

Roster Moves

• Chris Nell was moved from Maine to Greenville of the ECHL on 11/20.
• Vince Pedrie was assigned to Maine on 11/23.
• Tim Gettinger has been up and down.  Currently, he is with Hartford.

Upcoming Games

There is just one game on tap for this weekend.

Saturday, December 1st vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina) at 7 pm, XL Center

• The first of eight meetings between the clubs.
• The Checkers are first in the league with wins and points (16 wins, 33 points).
• The Checkers enter the week winning three straight. They have lost four games in regulation and one in overtime.
• This is a test for Hartford. The Pack last season went 2-6 against Charlotte. Both wins were at home while Hartford was swept away, going 0-4.

Looking back at last week for the Hartford Wolf Pack, let’s just say it was not pretty. The Pack have struggled after starting the season on a good note. What’s happening was unexpected, considering the roster coming into the 2018-19 season. However, a majority of these guys are young and will see highs and lows. How low? That will remain to be seen. Hartford resumes play over the weekend as they continue a five-game road trip before returning to home. Entering the weekend, the Wolf Pack recorded a record of 4-6-1 for 9 points. That sits the group tied for fifth place in the Atlantic Division, and the Pack is hoping to snap a four game losing streak.

Not So Hot Veteran Goaltending

In an area that was expected to give the Pack a fighting chance in every game, that omen was broken last week. Dustin Tokarski has not been himself since last Wednesday’s game against his former team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The well known goalie gave up four goals in five shots in the opening 4:36 of the first period. Marek Mazanec played the remainder of the game, giving up three goals on 28 shots.

Saturday and Sunday proved more of the same in the crease. Mazanec was unable to make saves to keep the Pack in the game despite a back and forth contest. Marek Mazanec stopped 25 of 30 shots on Saturday night against Bridgeport. Dustin Tokarski played on Sunday, stopping 33 of 38 shots.

The goaltending has to improve. The duo was off to a good start, bailing out the club as the Pack coughed up the puck frequently and had excessive turnovers. Last week was not a good week. However, this is a team game and you cannot only fault the goalies. The defense also needs to be addressed. Let’s hope both goalies can regain their confidence and are able to carry the team with good leadership and experience.

Defense? That’s Missing

The defense had tremendous struggles last weekend. One game was winnable, but the other two were blowouts. That is unacceptable. The Rangers are rebuilding and the prospects have to prove their value for the big club. How can you prove yourself if the defensive core is struggling and not producing? This makes the Rangers wonder what’s going on, considering that it is a rebuilding year. The Wolf Pack must be better than New York, not the opposite. Development is key. I understand the young troops are learning, however, not learning from mistakes that cost goals and losing three games in a row is concerning. The defensive group needs to step up as a whole. They’re struggling and must figure that out.

Last week, Hartford gave up 18 goals in three games. How much did the Wolf Pack score? Just nine.

Head Coach Keith McCambridge had made a few changes to the lineup regarding healthy scratches. He has also mixed up the lines in hopes for better chemistry.

It’s still early in the season to sound the alarm. I want the team to fix their issues and continue to compete in the fierce Atlantic Division. The weekend will be difficult for the group as well. They will have to play at full capacity.

Pack Tracks

• Lias Andersson’s point streak was snapped on Wednesday night. Prior to last Wednesday, the forward registered points in two straight contests.
• Shawn O’Donnell was the lone bright spot last weekend. The gritty veteran registered two goals on Wednesday followed by a goal on Saturday. He was impressive in his limited minutes on the third and fourth lines.
• The +/- has wide range for the club. Shawn O’Donnell and Gabriel Fontaine leads with a +6, while  Bobby Butler, John Gilmour, and Peter Holland are-9. Between the two ranges, it seems almost evenly spread out.
• Tim Gettinger recorded a goal and one assist for two points last weekend.
• Everyone appears healthy. So far this season, there has been minor injuries for the group.

Upcoming Games

The Pack started their road trip last Sunday in Springfield. This weekend features a trip to the Keystone State for the first three games in three nights weekend.

Friday, November 2nd vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh), 7:05pm at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

• The first meeting with the dominate Penguins in the American Hockey League. This begins a six game season series.
• Last season, Hartford went 3-1-1-1 against the Penguins. In the prior season, the club was swept in the season series.
• Wilkes-Barre/Scranton enters the week going 5-2-0-1 for 11 points. The Penguins are 3rd in the Atlantic Division.
• Garrett Wilson leads the Penguins in points with seven. American Hockey League rookie Sam Miletic is second at six points.

Saturday, November 3rd vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh), 7:05pm at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

• The Pack finish back to back games against the Penguins on the road. This is unusual in the league with the scheduling. The Pack has back to back games on the road again with the same team (Lehigh Valley) later on in the season.
• Hartford is 2-4 on the road while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 2-2.

Sunday, November 4th vs Hershey Bears (Washington), 5:00pm, Giant Center

• The meeting kicks off another six game season series. The Pack went 2-4 last season, despite facing a struggling Bears team.
• Hershey’s record is identical to Hartford’s, going 4-6-0-1. Both clubs enter the week tied in points of nine.
• The Bears won two straight when they finished last weekend.
• Liam O’Brien leads the Bears in points with seven.

The Rangers announced moments ago that goaltender Alexandar Georgiev has been recalled from Hartford.

As was expected when he was sent to the AHL, Georgiev got some action over the weekend, playing two games for the Rangers minor league club on their road trip through Canada. Georgiev hadn’t seen any ice time since he started in Carolina when the Blueshirts fell 8-5 down in Raleigh. Georgiev will be the Blueshirts backup going forward, and Marek Mazanec will be heading back to Hartford.