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.

It’s go time. The regular season for the Wolf Pack begins on Friday night. The club has finalized their roster, which has the potential to make noise in the American Hockey League. I’m excited about this season since the organization has stocked up for the farm and the youth movement has begun in the big club.

Preseason Outcome

Hartford defeated Bridgeport by the final of 2-1. Shawn St. Amant registered both goals for the Pack. Brandon Halverson started in net and stopped 21 of 22 shots.

“I really liked our compete to loose pucks,” Wolf Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said. “We did a good job using our speed in the offensive zone to generate second and third opportunities.”

The Pack looked impressive in the outing as they had multiple chances and good transition. The players were playing with energy and precision from puck drop to the final buzzer and the Pack outshot Bridgeport 43 to 22.

Finalized Roster

The Pack have two goalies, eight defensemen, and 14 forwards.

Goalies: Marek Mazanec, and Dustin Tokarski.

Defense: Chris Bigras, Sean Day, John Gilmour, Libor Hajek, Ryan Lindgren, Rob O’Gara, Brandon Crawley, and Vince Pedrie.

Forwards: Lias Andersson, Bobby Butler, Steven Fogarty, Gabriel Fontaine, Tim Gettinger, Ryan Gropp, Peter Holland, Dawson Leedahl, Michael Lindqvist, Ville Meskanen, Shawn O’Donnell, Ty Ronning, Shawn St. Amant, and Cole Schneider.

Lines will be determined later in the week when they approach Friday’s game.

Who’s Cut?

The following players were sent down to Maine of the ECHL.

Goalies (3): Brandon Halverson, Chris Nell, and Connor LaCouvee

Defenseman (2): Derek Pratt and Scott Savage.

Forwards (6): Drew Melanson, Jason Salvaggio, Riley Bourbonnais, Alex Kile, Mike Marnell, and Brady Vail.

Upcoming Games

Week one of the AHL season features two home games for the Wolf Pack, and the first road game will be in the following week.

Friday, October 5th vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 7:15 pm, XL Center

• Hartford’s opening night.
• Providence has lost a few powerful players in the off-season from free agency.
• The first of ten games against the Bruins.  There are 20 points on the table in the season series.
• The Pack play Providence three times in October.

Sunday, October 7th vs Laval Rocket (Montreal) at 3:00 pm, XL Center

• Hartford plays Laval twice, one home and one away.
• The Rocket struggled last season. The organization lost ten games to finish the 2017-18 season for 58 points. They had the least amount of points in the league.
• The Pack will finish the season series within a ten-game span. The next outing will be on Wednesday, October 17th in Laval.
• The Pack went 0-1-1 in the season series last year.

Watch and Listen

You can listen to the Pack on the iHeartRadio app on your mobile device. On the desktop, you can listen through here. The Pack is on News Radio 1410 WPOP Hartford.

To watch, there is a cheap way! Follow the action on AHL TV. Hartford’s package to watch every game is $59.99. For home or away games with Hartford, the pricing drops to $39.99. There is also a monthly pass of $19.99 or a daily pass for $6.99.

AHL Rule Changes

There are minor tweaks this season for the AHL. However, the biggest change is when a team takes a penalty. This raises the stakes higher.

76.2 – Apparently a late addition: When a penalty leads to a power play, they will still face off in the defensive end of the penalized team. But now, the team going on the power play will get to pick at which dot they’ll face off, and the defending team won’t get to change after that. (Even if that draw comes to the neutral zone, whether because the team going on the power play iced the puck, or because its defensemen joined a scrum below the dots, the team going on the power play still gets to pick the dot.)

The Pack has to be smart when taking penalties. Otherwise, this could bite them in critical moments in the game. This is being tried in the AHL, and if successful, it could be in the NHL down the road.

Yesterday, Hartford Wolf Pack GM Chris Drury announced the signing of forward, Shawn O’Donnell. The grizzled veteran has been signed through an American Hockey League contract, which does not count against the Rangers contract limit.

A FAMILIAR FACE

Shawn O’Donnell is a familiar face and name to Wolf Pack fans. The 30-year-old veteran joined the organization late last season to play one game before his injury through a Professional Tryout deal. Prior to joining Hartford, O’Donnell spent the entire season with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL notching 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points in 46 games. He also had 26 penalty minutes. The rugged winger has cut down on his time spent in the box as he had higher amounts in past seasons.

A 30-year-old native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, O’Donnell has suited up for 135 career AHL games with the Wolf Pack and the Milwaukee Admirals, totaling seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points, plus 220 penalty minutes. In 110 career ECHL contests with the Cyclones, Florida Everblades and Greenville Road Warriors, he has registered 37 goals and 61 assists for 98 points, along with 84 PIM.

Shawn O’Donnell joined Hartford previously for the 2013-14 season and left the group after the 2015-16 season.

O’Donnell, a sixth-year pro, has skated in 129 games with the Wolf Pack over parts of four seasons, including one game in 2017-18. In his Wolf Pack career, the 6-1, 192-pound O’Donnell has contributed seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points, while serving 208 minutes in penalties.

Welcome back, Shawn!

PRESEASON SCHEDULE UPDATE

Due to the Rangers not making cuts until after Thursday’s game, the Wolf Pack was forced to cancel their preseason game this Friday against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The Pack will play one preseason game on Saturday at 1 pm against Bridgeport. Currently, the Pack has a few forwards and defensemen with three goalies. The Rangers should be able to make cuts before Saturday’s contest.

Wolf Pack general manager Chris Drury announced the training camp schedule for the organization. Hartford will receive additional players from New York when more cuts are announced by David Quinn and the Rangers. The club will begin training camp with a few invitees and players from New York.

Schedule

The training camp opens on Saturday, September 22 at the XL Center in Hartford. Day one is on ice testing, while other days include practice and off-ice workouts. During the day of the preseason games, the non-game group will have practice while the other group will not as they prep for the game. Here is the full schedule:

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Who’s Here?

Currently, Hartford has the first cuts of players from the Rangers along with invitees. In addition, a few Maine players are on the training camp list as well.

The Wolf Pack will open training camp with a roster of 17 players, 10 forwards, four defensemen and three goaltenders:

The Wolf Pack will open training camp with a roster of 17 players, 10 forwards, four defensemen and three goaltenders:

Goal (3): Connor LaCouvee, Brandon Halverson, Chris Nell

Defense (4): Sean Day, Vince Pedrie, Derek Pratt, Scott Savage

Forwards (10): Riley Bourbonnais, Alex Kile, Dawson Leedahl, Mike Marnell, Drew Melanson, Shawn O’Donnell, Ty Ronning, Shawn St. Amant, Jason Salvaggio, Brady Vail

More players will be in the training camp at a later date. The cuts made by Hartford will not begin until after the first preseason game.

Preseason Dates

As a reminder, Hartford plays back to back games:

• Friday, September 28th vs Bridgeport at 1:00 pm
• Saturday, September 29th vs Bridgeport at 1:00 pm

The first cuts from the Packs training camp will likely be after the first game. Stay tuned for updates as they unfold. Hartford will have to submit their finalized roster either Wednesday, October 3rd or Thursday, October 4th to the American Hockey League. The season opens up on Friday, October 5th.

Fierce Competition

As the Rangers make their cuts, the training camp in Hartford will become highly competitive. The group will have motivated, young, talented prospects to make the roster in the AHL. The league is the second best in North America.  Players on an invitation, such as Shawn O’Donnell who comes to training camp as a grizzled veteran will have a tough time battling for a spot against the Rangers fresh youth. Shawn O’Donnell is an ex-Pack player who played with the organization from the 2013-14 season to the 2015-16 season. The forward joined Hartford last season through a professional tryout agreement, playing in one contest with the Pack before being released.

As for other invitees, they will also have to bring it if they want to be considered a spot. From the top line to the fourth, there is limited space for everyone. If any prospect cannot crack Hartford’s lineup, they will be re-assigned to Maine and participate in their training camp.

It will be interesting to see who ends up where throughout the organization.

Hartford enters the weekend with a three-game winning streak, after snapping a three-game losing streak last Friday against Utica. All three victories were in overtime, with Filip Chytil ending the game against Utica and Vince Pedrie on Sunday against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Then, on Wednesday, Cole Schneider notched the game-winning goal against Utica. After multiple roster moves by the organization, the Wolf Pack have found life after their slump. Let’s check out what is happening in Wolf Pack world.

Standings Update

Entering the weekend, Hartford is 18-20-3-3 for 42 points (.477 point percentage), putting the club sixth in the Atlantic Division.

You may think Hartford is in trouble, and they are to a certain extent. However, the fight for the top four spots for post-season action is within range for the club. The Charlotte Checkers hold the fourth and final playoff spot in the division. They have registered 49 points for a .583 point percentage, with Hartford seven points behind the Checkers. The hill is steep, but not impossible to climb. The schedule has great timing for the Wolf Pack to catch up with Charlotte as the Pack will face the Checkers twice this weekend. Hartford could inch four points closer to Charlotte.

Looking at the teams that separate the Wolf Pack and Checkers, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers are ahead of Hartford by six points for fifth. The Sound Tigers have built themselves room for error. If Hartford can go on a lengthy point streak or winning streak, they would be well in the fight for fourth. The third-place Providence Bruins have 52 points. The Phantoms are in second with 55 points but have a lower Points Percentage (.640 PTS%) than the first place Penguins with 54 points and a .675 PTS%.

Injury Updates

Similar to the New York Rangers, Hartford had an injury bug as well, and the Wolf Pack are hoping to regain a few players back in the upcoming weekend. Here are the current players out. Returning players from the injury list include Lias Andersson, Dan DeSalvo, and Steven Fogarty.

• Marek Mazanec – Left the game after falling awkwardly when making a save on Friday. There is no timetable for return. He left with pains on his right leg, putting no weight on it.
• Shawn O’Donnell – Injured in his first game back with Hartford on Friday. Had facial injuries and he should be back shortly.
• Ryan Sproul – He is out after a late injury on Friday. No word on his status.

Transactions

• Lias Andersson was added to the roster on January 15th.
• Shawn O’Donnell was added to the roster January 18th. The Wolf Pack are looking for more grit in the lineup. Shawn O’Donnell was with the team between 2013-2016, as an old face returns for his second run with the club.
• Chris Langkow was added as another center for Hartford. He played in two games over last weekend. Added on the 19th, and released on the 22nd. The forward spent time in Hartford earlier in the season.
• The Rangers called up Anthony DeAngelo and Dan Catenacci on the 19th, though Catenacci was sent back to Hartford on the 25th.
• Brandon Halverson makes his first appearance to Hartford this season through a call up.
• In addition, Sergey Zborovskiy debuted in a Hartford uniform this past weekend too on the blue line.

Remembering an old Friend

Former Whale forward Andrew Carroll suddenly passed away on Monday at the age of 32. Andrew Carroll played in Hartford in the 2009-10 season and the 2012-13 season. In addition, he played in Greenville in the 2009-10 season and the 2013-14 season. Thank you for the memories and rest in peace.

Game Notes From Wednesday

For the first time in franchise history, Hartford has won three straight games in overtime.  Lias Andersson was paired with Gabriel Fontaine and Adam Chapie. The young forward was getting back into the groove. Filip Chytil extends his point streak to three games. In addition, he’s notched points in four of the last five games (2G, 4A). Alexandar Georgiev has won two straight in net as well.

Upcoming Schedule

Friday, January 26th vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina), 7:15 pm, XL Center

• This will be the second meeting of the season with Charlotte. The last time these teams met was on opening night for Hartford on October 6th. Charlotte grabbed the win in the first meeting with a late goal, 5-4. Since then, Charlotte has been a streaky team, surging periodically. The Checkers have floated around the middle of the standings in the Atlantic Division. Both Charlotte and Hartford enter the weekend winning four of their last ten games.

Saturday, January 27th vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina), 7:30 pm, XL Center

• The game is “Stick it to Cancer Night”.  Proceeds from the game will benefit the American Cancer Society.
• Charlotte is 11-9 on the road entering the weekend.

Editor’s Note: AHL playoff seeding is done based on points percentage and not by total points.