#blakehillman

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers Assistant General Manager and Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager Ryan Martin announced today that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Blake Hillman on a one-year, standard AHL player contract. Hillman, 28, scored a career-high four goals and eleven assists for 15 points during the 2023-24 campaign, his second as a member of the Wolf Pack. He skated in 60 games with the club, also a new career-high. During the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, Hillman notched three points (1 g, 2 a) in ten games as the Wolf Pack advanced to the Atlantic Division Finals for the second consecutive season. The native of Elk River, MN, has skated in 89 regular season games with the Wolf Pack over his two seasons in Hartford. He recorded 20 points (4 g, 16 a) during that span. Additionally, Hillman has appeared in 17 Calder Cup Playoff games with the Wolf Pack, recording seven points (3 g, 4 a) and a +6 +/- rating. The 6’1”, 190-pound defenseman has appeared in 185 career AHL games with the Wolf Pack, Providence Bruins, Grand Rapids Griffins, Stockton Heat, and Rockford IceHogs, scoring 34 points (5 g, 29 a). He has also appeared in four NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring one goal. Hillman was selected in the sixth round, 173rd overall, by the Blackhawks in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The Wolf Pack will open the home portion of their 2024-25 schedule on Friday, October 18th, at the XL Center! Full-season tickets, 20-game plans, 12-game plans, and flex plans for the 2024-25 season are on sale now! Visit hartfordwolfpack.com or call 860-722-9425 for more details! About Oak View Group (OVG): Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues, and a client roster of arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues, either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since its inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOWLINGS Read the full article

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the club has assigned five players to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The club has assigned defenseman Nikolas Brouillard and forwards Karl Henriksson, Ryder Korczak, and Bobby Trivigno to the Wolf Pack. In addition, defenseman Blake Hillman has been released from his professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the Rangers and will report to Wolf Pack training camp. Brouillard, 28, appeared in 72 games with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls during the 2022-23 season. He tied his career-high with 39 points (6 g, 33 a) and set a new career-high in assists. The defenseman has appeared in 168 AHL games in his career with the Gulls & Toronto Marlies, scoring 92 points (22 g, 70 a). Henriksson, 22, dressed in 70 games with the Wolf Pack during his rookie North American campaign in 2022-23. He scored 17 points (7 g, 10 a), including two game-winning goals. Henriksson also dressed in eight games during the Wolf Pack’s run in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. The native of Malmo, Sweden, was selected by the Rangers in the second round, 58th overall, of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Trivigno, 24, scored 26 points (7 g, 19 a) in 57 games with the Wolf Pack during his rookie season in 2022-23. The native of Setauket, New York, finished tied for fourth on the Wolf Pack in +/- during the 2022-23 season, finishing with a +13 rating that was tops among rookies on the club. Korczak, 21, appeared in five games with the Wolf Pack during the 2022-23 campaign. On October 23rd, 2022, he debuted professionally against the Bridgeport Islanders at Total Mortgage Arena. In addition to his time with the Wolf Pack, Korczak skated in 48 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The native of Yorkton, SK, scored 69 points (28 g, 41 a), finishing fourth on the club in scoring. The Rangers selected him in the third round, 75th overall, of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Hillman, 27, scored five assists in 29 regular season games with the Wolf Pack during his first season with the club. He added four points (2 g, 2 a) in seven Calder Cup Playoff games with the Wolf Pack, including his first two goals with the club. The native of Elk River, MN, signed with the Wolf Pack on July 6th, 2022. He inked a one-year contract extension with the club on March 9th, 2023, for the 2023-24 season. The Wolf Pack kick off the home portion of their 2023-24 season at the XL Center on Friday, October 20th, when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. The full 2023-24 Wolf Pack schedule can be viewed here. For tickets, visit hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets, or call 860-722-9425. About OVG360: OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides a set of services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility, OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health and public safety, and more. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. NEW YORK RANGERS HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME   Read the full article

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack return to the XL Center in downtown Hartford for their second home game of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. The club will look to close out the Providence Bruins tonight and sweep their Atlantic Division Semifinals series. Hartford will advance to the Atlantic Division Final with a victory. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: The Wolf Pack and Bruins met ten times during the 2022-23 season, with Hartford winning the series 6-4. Both teams collected points in seven of the ten meetings, with the Wolf Pack going 6-3-1-0 and the Bruins posting a record of 4-3-3-0. However, the Wolf Pack won each of the final three regular season meetings and have since extended the winning streak to five games after victories in Games One and Two. In Game Two, Anton Blidh opened the scoring 6:17 into the second period, jumping on a rebound and firing the puck by Brandon Bussi. Moments later, at 9:43, Adam Clendening blasted a shot from the point through traffic and by Bussi for his first goal of the playoffs. The goal would stand as the game-winner. Luke Toporowski got the Bruins on the board with his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal at 13:14, but it would be the only offense for the Bruins. Dylan Garand made eight saves in the third period to cement the 2-1 victory, giving Hartford a 2-0 stranglehold on the series. Garand made 29 stops in the victory and improved to 4-0 in his brief Calder Cup Playoff career. Hartford won four of the five meetings between the Wolf Pack and Bruins at the XL Center this season, going 4-1-0-0. The Bruins were 1-3-1-0 in their five visits, collecting points in just two of the games. This is the sixth playoff series between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins and the first since 2015. The Bruins knocked the Wolf Pack out of the Calder Cup Playoffs in 1999, 2001, and 2007, while Hartford returned the favor in 2000 and 2015. The Wolf Pack won the 2015 Atlantic Division Quarterfinals series 3-2 over the Bruins. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack made it four straight victories to open the Calder Cup Playoffs and five in a row overall against the Bruins on Saturday night. Clendening's goal was his second career Calder Cup Playoff game-winning goal, and his first since April 21st, 2018, as a member of the Rockford IceHogs. Tim Gettinger recorded two assists in the victory, his first career multi-assist game in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Through four games during the postseason, the Wolf Pack have outscored opponents 12-1 at five-on-five. They recorded each of the first 12 five-on-five goals during their postseason trip. The club's +13 goal differential (16 GF, 3 GA) is the best of any team in the Calder Cup Playoffs entering action on Wednesday night. Blidh's +9 rating ranks him number one in the Calder Cup Playoffs in +/-. Each of the top five in +/- in the Calder Cup Playoffs plays for Hartford. Ty Emberson is second at +8, while Tanner Fritz (+7), Blake Hillman (+7), and Lauri Pajuniemi (+7) are all tied for third. Garand, meanwhile, leads the playoffs in both save percentage (.966) and goals against average (.75). Fritz leads the club in scoring six points (1 g, 5 a) through four games. Blidh, Emberson, Hillman, Pajuniemi, and Bobby Trivigno are all tied for the team lead in goals with two each. Bruins Outlook: The Atlantic Division champion Bruins enter tonight with their backs against the wall. The Bruins will try to avoid the same fate as last year when they were swept 2-0 in the Atlantic Division First Round by the Bridgeport Islanders. The Bruins have lost six consecutive playoff games, dating back to a 4-2 victory on April 21st, 2019, against the Charlotte Checkers. Toporowski leads the Bruins in goals through two games with one, while Justin Brazeau and Joona Koppanen are tied with him in points with one each. Brazeau's assist on Toporowski's goal on Saturday night was the first point in his Calder Cup Playoff career. Bussi, despite two losses, has a .950 save percentage and 1.53 goals against average through his first two appearances in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Game Information: WATCH: AHLTV LISTEN: Mixlr Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have 'Wolf Pack Pregame' starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Should the Wolf Pack win tonight, the club will advance to the Atlantic Division Final and await the Hershey Bears Vs. winner. Charlotte Checkers matchup. A Bruins victory, however, will force a Game Four. Game Four will occur at the XL Center on Friday, May 5th, at 7:00 p.m. For playoff ticket information, please visit HERE. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team's inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

DYLAN GARAND RECORDS FIRST CALDER CUP PLAYOFF SHUTOUT AS HARTFORD WOLF PACK BLANK PROVIDENCE BRUINS 1-0 IN GAME ONE By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Packmaden made a terrific effort on Friday night, holding the Providence Bruins to just 14 shots on their way to a 1-0 victory in Game One of their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals series. The 14 shots were the fewest in a single Calder Cup Playoff game in franchise history. The opening period was a feeling-out process for the two well-rested clubs. The Wolf Pack were playing their first game in a week, having last suited up in their 7-1 Game Two victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds last Friday night. The Bruins, meanwhile, had 12 days off after earning a bye through the First Round thanks to winning the Atlantic Division title in the regular season. The sides managed only a few chances each in the opening 20 minutes, with Hartford outshooting Providence 10-3. The second period saw Hartford again outshoot Providence, this time by a 13-6 margin. The Wolf Pack would also generate the first and only goal in the middle stanza. Blake Hillman collected the puck inside his blueline and flipped it up ice for Bobby Trivigno. Trivigno entered the zone with possession on the left-wing side, dashing toward the Bruins' goal. Trivigno pulled up to the right of Brandon Bussi and sent a backhand pass to Adam Sýkora, but the pass grazed off a defender and into the goal at 15:23. The goal was Trivigno's second of the Calder Cup Playoffs and stood as his first career Calder Cup Playoff game-winning goal. Sýkora was credited with an assist on the goal, the first of his North American career. Hartford stood tall defensively in the third period, holding the Bruins to just five shots on goal and sometimes tilting the ice. Dyland Garand stopped all five shots sent in his direction, ending the night with his first career Calder Cup Playoff shutout. Garand is 3-0 during his first foray into the Playoffs. The Wolf Pack will face the Bruins in Game Two of the Atlantic Division Semifinals of the Calder Cup Playoffs tomorrow night at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. The Pack return to the XL Center for Game Three of the best-of-five series on Wednesday, May 3rd. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit HERE .innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health, public safety, and more. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team's inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. See the Wolf Pack goal HERE HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – For the sixth time in franchise history, the Hartford Wolf Pack are set for a playoff series against Providence Bruins. The sides kick off the series tonight with the first of a back-to-back set at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: The Wolf Pack and Bruins met ten times during the regular season, with Hartford winning the season series 6-4. Hartford collected points in seven of the ten meetings, posting a record of 6-3-1-0. Despite losing the season series, the Bruins did manage to grab points in seven games as well, going 4-3-3-0. The Wolf Pack took the last meeting between the foes on April 8th, scoring a 5-3 decision in Providence that clinched the club a Calder Cup Playoff berth. Turner Elson opened the scoring 2:42 into the game, converting a backdoor feed from Zac Jones for his 14th goal of the season. The Bruins answered back at 6:31, however, as Josiah Didier fired a shot from the point that beat Dylan Garand. Luke Toporowski gave the Bruins their first and only lead of the game at 10:54, rifling home his 14th goal of the season. Elson pounced on a rebound at 16:46, burying his second goal of the night to send the game to the intermission tied 2-2. Hartford regained the lead for good at 6:03 of the middle stanza, as Ryan Carpenter found a rebound and beat Kyle Keyser for his 21st goal of the season. Libor Hájek tacked on the insurance marker at 2:21 of the third, stepping into a blast from the left-wing circle. Didier scored his second goal of the night at 8:33 of the third to make things interesting, but Tanner Fritz hit an empty net to solidify the victory. The Wolf Pack have won three straight in the season series. They took a 3-2 overtime decision at the XL Center on February 18th and a 5-0 decision on home ice on March 31st prior to their 5-3 win on the road on April 8th. This is the sixth playoff series between the Wolf Pack and the Bruins and the first since 2015. The Bruins knocked the Wolf Pack out of the Calder Cup Playoffs in 1999, 2001, and 2007, while Hartford returned the favor in 2000 and 2015. The Wolf Pack won the 2015 Atlantic Division Quarterfinals series 3-2 over the Bruins. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack swept the defending Eastern Conference Champion Springfield Thunderbirds 2-0 in their Atlantic Division First Round series. Hartford completed the sweep with a 7-1 drubbing of their rivals in Game Two at the XL Center on Friday, April 21st. The win gave the Wolf Pack their first playoff series victory since 2015 when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Seven different Wolf Pack scored in the Game Two victory, with Wyatt Kalynuk being credited with the game-winning goal. Kalynuk’s goal was his first as a member of the Wolf Pack. Fritz (1 g, 2 a) and Anton Blidh (1 g, 2 a) both recorded three points in the victory, while Zac Jones and Turner Elson each recorded a pair of assists. Garand made 19 saves for his second career Calder Cup Playoff victory. Fritz leads the Wolf Pack in playoff scoring with six points (1 g, 5 a) through two games. That ties him with Coachella Valley’s Kole Lind (3 g, 3 a) for the playoff scoring lead. Fritz does lead the Calder Cup Playoffs in points-per-game with a 3.00 mark through two games. Meanwhile, Ty Emberson, Blake Hillman, and Lauri Pajuniemi lead the Wolf Pack in goals with two each through two games this postseason. Both Emberson and Blidh are +8 through two games, tied for the Calder Cup Playoff lead in +/-. In fact, seven of the top ten league-wide in +/- are Wolf Pack. Fritz, Hillman, and Pajuniemi are tied for third at +6, Jones for sixth at +5, and Tim Gettinger for ninth at +4. Bruins Outlook: The Bruins have not played since they defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds by a final score of 7-3 on April 16th. They will go 12 days between the end of their regular season and the start of their Calder Cup Playoff journey. The Bruins were one of two teams in the Atlantic Division, along with the Hershey Bears, to earn a bye through the First Round of the playoffs. Providence finished with a record of 44-18-8-2, good for 98 points, and the Atlantic Division regular season championship. The Bruins also finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference and will have home ice throughout the Eastern Conference portion of the playoffs as a result. The Bruins finished third in the AHL, behind only the Calgary Wranglers (106 points) and the Coachella Valley Firebirds (103 points). Rookie forward Georgii Merkulov led the Bruins in points with 55 (24 g, 31 a) in 67 regular season games. His 24 goals also led the Bruins in that category. Goaltender Brandon Bussi, meanwhile, led the way in goal for Providence with a 22-5-4 record in 32 games as a rookie. He was 0-0-1 against the Wolf Pack. Game Information: WATCH: AHLTV LISTEN: Mixlr Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Game Two of this Atlantic Division Semifinals series goes tomorrow night, right back in Providence, at 7:05 p.m. The series shifts to the XL Center in Hartford on Wednesday, May 3rd, for Game Three. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. For playoff ticket information, please visit HERE. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – For the first time since 2015, playoff hockey returned to the XL Center, as the Hartford Wolf Pack hosted the rival Springfield Thunderbirds in Game Two of the First Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Seven players scored as the Pack routed Springfield 7-1, completing the sweep and advancing to the Atlantic Division Semifinals series. Wyatt Kalynuk potted the eventual game-winner for the Wolf Pack 10:48 into the game. Anton Blidh forced a turnover behind the Springfield net and found Tanner Fritz in the left-wing circle. Fritz quickly snapped the puck to Kalynuk at the blue line, setting up the chance. Kalynuk stepped into a shot and blasted a howitzer through traffic that Joel Hofer never saw. The goal was Kalynuk's first as a member of the Wolf Pack, his first career playoff goal, and his first game-winning goal. Additionally, the assists by Fritz and Blidh were the second points of eventual three-point nights for the duo. Fritz tallied six points (1 g, 5 a) in the two-game series, the most for either team. Fritz's first point was the icebreaker 8:03 into the first period. Blidh entered the offensive zone and sent a pass to Lauri Pajuniemi in the slot. Pajuniemi found Fritz powering towards the goal, and the veteran forward beat Hofer by the glove to give the Wolf Pack a lead they would not lose. The tally was Fritz's first career playoff goal. Kalynuk potted the eventual game-winner at 10:48, but the Wolf Pack were far from done. Ty Emberson tallied his second goal in as many games just over two minutes later. Fritz held the puck just beyond the left circle and fired a cross-ice pass to an open Emberson. Emberson walked in before ripping a wrist shot through the five-hole of Hofer to put the Pack up by three. The Thunderbirds got on the board in the final minute of the opening stanza. Kalynuk was sent to the box for hooking, initiating the game's first powerplay. Nikita Alexandrov attempted to jam the puck into the Hartford net, but Dylan Garand denied the attempt. Instead, the puck bounced to Will Bitten, who fired a shot that deflected off the pad of Garand and into the net, putting the Thunderbirds on the board. Unfortunately, the goal would be the only blemish on Garand's record, as the rookie netminder denied 19 of the 20 Thunderbird's shots. Hartford continued to pour it on in the middle stanza. Brady Lyle was sent to the box for tripping at 2:18, giving the Wolf Pack their first and only powerplay opportunity of the night. Turner Elson powered into the offensive zone and found Bobby Trivigno in the slot. Trivigno promptly lit the lamp with a shot by the glove of Hofer to extend the Hartford lead back to three. The tally was Trivigno's first playoff goal. Blake Hillman followed up, scoring his second goal in as many games at 6:30 of the second period. An extended sequence in the Springfield zone ended with Zac Jones corralling the puck along the left wall. Jones snapped a pass to a wide-open Hillman, who walked in and uncorked a shot from the right circle that Hofer could not stop. Hillman, who did not have a goal during the regular season, has scored in both of Hartford's playoff contests. The Wolf Pack tacked on a pair of empty-net goals in the final stanza. Blidh put Hartford up by five at 13:34. The Wolf Pack were forced to play four-on-six hockey, with Jones in the box for delay of game and the extra attacker on in favor of Hofer. Blake Hillman controlled the puck along the back wall and rimmed it around the boards to clear. A footrace for the loose puck ensued between Blidh and Scott Perunovich. Blidh tripped, got back up, and redirected the puck into the empty net. The goal was Blidh's third point of the night. It was the first time Hartford hit the empty net while short-handed this season. Tim Gettinger capped off the scoring with another empty net goal at 15:02. It was the first playoff goal and point for Gettinger, the longest-tenured member of the Wolf Pack who has played 237 games in Hartford. Five minutes later, Hartford completed the sweep and advanced to the Atlantic Division Semifinals. The Wolf Pack will face the Providence Bruins in the Atlantic Division Semifinals of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The series begins at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence on Friday, April 28th. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. The Pack return to the XL Center for Game Three of the best-of-five series on Wednesday, May 3rd. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team's inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will host their first Calder Cup Playoff game at the XL Center since May 27th, 2015, this evening. The Wolf Pack welcome the Springfield Thunderbirds to town for Game Two of their best-of-three Atlantic Division First Round series. Hartford leads the series 1-0 and will advance to the Atlantic Division Semifinals with a victory. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: The Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds met 12 times during the 2022-23 regular season, with the Thunderbirds winning nine of those games and collecting points in ten of the 12 outings. They posted a record of 9-2-0-1. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, accumulated points in five of the 12 meetings, posting a record of 3-7-0-2. After only winning once at the MassMutual Center in six tries during the regular season, the Wolf Pack scored a dominant 6-1 victory in Game One in Springfield on Wednesday night. Lauri Pajuniemi opened the scoring 3:37 into the contest, giving Hartford a lead they never lost. Both Zac Jones and Pajuniemi would strike in the second period immediately after successful penalty kills. Jones was sprung in on a breakaway at 6:02, burying the eventual game-winner fresh out of the box. Pajuniemi also found himself on a breakaway after serving a minor penalty. He snapped home his second goal of the game at 10:43, making it 3-0. Blake Hillman made it 4-0 at 19:54, taking a backdoor pass from Bobby Trivigno and firing home his first goal as a member of the Wolf Pack. Both Ryan Carpenter and Ty Emberson would tack on goals in the third period, while Adam Gaudette scored the T-Birds' lone goal on the powerplay at 11:44. This is the first playoff series between the Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds. Hartford previously played three playoff series against the Springfield Falcons (1999, 2000, 2003), posting a series record of 2-1. Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack, despite having eleven players make their Calder Cup Playoff debut, opened the postseason in style on Wednesday night. Both Emberson (1 g, 2 a) and Tanner Fritz (3 a) scored three points in the victory. In addition, Frtiz's three assists tied the franchise playoff record for assists in a game. He is the 21st player to record three helpers in a playoff game for the club and the first since Chris Bourque did it on May 15th, 2015. May 15th, 2015, also marks the last time the Wolf Pack won a Calder Cup Playoff game before Wednesday night. Dylan Garand made 24 saves in his professional playoff debut, picking up his first Calder Cup Playoff victory. Pajuniemi also dazzled in his debut, scoring his North American career's first two playoff goals. Fourteen different Wolf Pack players recorded a positive +/- differential in Game One, with Emberson leading the way with a +5 rating. Jones, meanwhile, was credited with the game-winning goal. It was his first Calder Cup Playoff game-winner. Emberson (1 g, 2 a) and Fritz (3 a) lead the Wolf Pack in playoff scoring with three points each through one game. Pajuniemi's two goals pace the club in that department. Thunderbirds Outlook: The defending Eastern Conference Champions must win tonight to keep their season alive. The Thunderbirds did not face elimination in last spring's Calder Cup Playoffs until the Eastern Conference Final against the Laval Rocket. They swept their first two series, defeating both the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Charlotte Checkers in the Atlantic Division Semifinals and Final, respectively. As a result, the T-Birds had a bye through the First Round in 2022. Gaudette's goal at 11:44 of the third period was his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal in his playoff debut. Brady Lyle and Nikita Alexandrov were credited with the assists. The T-Birds penalty kill was strong in Game One, killing all three Hartford powerplays. In 13 games against Hartford this season, the Thunderbirds have successfully killed 88.64% of Wolf Pack powerplays. Game Information: WATCH: AHLTV LISTEN: Mixlr Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have 'Wolf Pack Pregame' starting live at 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. If necessary, Game Three of this Atlantic Division First Round series will take place tomorrow, April 22nd, at 7:05 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. For playoff series and ticket information should the Wolf Pack advance, please visit hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team's inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings SPRINGFIELD, MA - The Hartford Wolf Pack received three-point games from Ty Emberson and Tanner Fritz, two goals from Lauri Pajuniemi, 24 saves from Dylan Garand, and put forth a total sixty-minute effort in a 6-1 win in Game One over the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Wolf Pack, who picked the right time for their best game of the season, can wrap up the series at the XL Center on Friday. Puck drop is at 7:05 PM. In the third period, the Pack closed out Game 1 with an early tally to make it 5-0. Will Cullye was at the left side of the net and shuffled a pass out to Ryan Carpenter, who was down on his left knee in a shooter's position. Carpenter popped his first postseason goal this season and 12th career AHL playoff goal at 3:35. Carpenter's exuberance at the goal prompted a strong fist pump. Defensively, the Wolf Pack quickly extinguished any thought Springfield may have had thought of making a comeback with their foot firmly on the gas pedal. The only Thunderbirds tally in the contest came on the power play. It ended a PK kill streak of 29 straight for the Pack. Righthanded shooting Adam Gaudette put a shot off his back foot and put it past Garand at 11:44. BEST DEFENSE IS A STRONG OFFENSE The Pack kept the offensive pressure on with a hat trick bid by Pajuniemi that Hofer stopped with his blocker before Adam Clendening had a drive stopped. Garand faced spaced-out activity in the first two periods but was tested in the third with the expected pushback as Nikita Alexandrov was stopped. Then down the stretch, Garland stopped Matt Peca, Gaudette twice, and then Martin Frk. Springfield Head Coach Drew Bannister pulled Hofer with 4:21 left. The Wolf Pack did everything incredibly well. Garand tried for the empty net goal but came up short. The Pack finally tacked on the sixth and final goal as Emberson launched a 200-foot flip shot that found the back of the empty net at 18:38. It clinched his third point of the night for both he and Fritz and the final score. SECOND PERIOD The second period saw the Pack control the pace of the game. Coming out of the penalty box, Zac Jones was wide open. He took a backhanded pass on the left wing from Will Lockwood, went to the forehand, and tucked it around Hofer's right pad at 6:02. It gave the Pack a 2-0 lead. The Pack penalty kill held Springfield without a shot, and the MassMutual crowd was audibly groaning and irritated with their Thunderbirds. The Pack played quality defense and were counter-attacking at will. FIRST PERIOD Frk was stopped early, followed at 1:20 by Anton Blidh, who fed Blake Hillman. He was stopped. Blidh had a solid chance on a turnaround just off an offensive zone draw. The Pack made it 3-0 as Pajuniemi registered his second goal of the night, the second time that a player had just exited the penalty box. The whole play came off a Blidh block shot that left him prone on the ice. The puck caromed off him right to Pajuniemi. The shot hurt Blidh, who went down the runway back to the locker room afterward. He returned 15 minutes later. On the next shift, Springfield’s Tyler Tucker tried some rabbit punches on Pajuniemi, earning him a minor. Springfield’s Matt Highmore was left enraged, and the crowd was confused by an odd delay of game call, but the Pack was not about to turn down the five-on-three power play, confusing as it might have been. Carpenter went wide with a backhander. Another strange call for hooking to Turner Elson left him bewildered and frustrated. Referees Jim Curtin and Mike Dietrich gave him four minutes for the hooking call and then tacked on unsportsmanlike conduct. With 13:30 left, Hugh McGing was stopped by Garand, but Blake Hillman was cross-checked from behind into the net. It earned Will Bitten a penalty, and a small scrum ensued. FIRST PERIOD In the first period, during the first five minutes, forechecked the Thunderbirds hard. They outshot them and scored first to level an early dent in Hofer’s armor. Pajuniemi was the recipient of a perfect tape-to-tape pass from the left-wing boards by Emberson. He moved in and from thirty-feet out, fired it over Hofer on the blocker side, ending his personal shutout streak of 206 minutes against the Wolf Pack. The perfect road period began with strong forechecking from Bobby Trivigno and Karl Henriksson. Eight minutes in, Trivigno went down the right wing was stopped. A sterling opening 20 minutes for the Pack included 11 shots and they held the Thunderbirds to just two shots, equaling a season-low mark in Bridgeport in a 9-0 win.  LINES: Cullye-Carpenter-Elson Gettinger-Edström-Lockwood Henriksson-Sýkora-Trivigno Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh Jones-Emberson Hillman-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Garand Gahagen #35 SCRATCHES: -Talyn Boyko #40 -Matt Rempe (upper body, day-to-day) -Louie Roehl #4 (healthy) -Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) -Brett Berard #27 (healthy) -Cooper Zech #37 (healthy) -Matt Robertson (upper body, out for the first round of the playoffs) -Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery). -C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season) NOTES: The USA U-18 Team is about to embark on the World U-18 championships in Basel and Ajoie, Switzerland, on April 20-23. Finland named their roster. The team is coached by former Yale assistant Dan Muse and one of his assistants is ex-Pack, Chad Kolarik. Players include former Mid-Fairfield U-16 team players Sal Guzzo and Ryan Fine, who played together at Don Bosco Prep (NJPREP). The Canadian U-18 squad coaches are ex-Springfield Falcon coach Jeff Truitt (Prince Albert-WHL), and one of his assistants is an ex-Danbury Trasher, Bruce Richardson (Blaineville-Boisbrand-QMJHL). The XL Center had a tough day today, despite the Wolf Pack playoff appearance.  On Monday, the long-time supervisor of the night cleaning crew, Pat Rudolph, passed away after a brief illness. Pat was always polite and kind. Sadly, she joins a sad club of  XL employees over 50 years of age to suffer from or pass from some form of cancer. RIP to Pat, and may God comfort your family during this difficult and painful time. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME   Read the full article