Down But Not Out: Hartford Hopes To Extend Atlantic Division Finals Series

HERSHEY, Pa. - Following a Game 2 loss in Hershey Saturday night, the Hartford Wolf Pack exited Giant Center and headed home down two games to none in the best-of-five Atlantic Division Finals series - one more defeat away from the end of their playoff run.

It's not the time of year to care much about moral victories, but the Wolf Pack were much improved in Game 2 compared to the  6-1 setback in the opening game of the series. Some of that certainly had to do with getting goaltender Dylan Garand back from the New York Rangers after the NHL club pulled up Garand from Hartford just hours prior to puck drop in Game 1 on Thursday.

"I think we need to continue to stay the course," Hartford interim head coach Steve Smith said after Saturday's 4-2 loss in Game 2. "We did a lot of good things [in Game 2]. I thought, clearly, Dylan [Garand] coming back in our net gave us a boost in energy. I feel like the guys did a lot of simple things," he added, after mentioning after Game 1 that his team needed to simplify their game.

Still, even with their starting goaltender and leader in net, the Wolf Pack simply appeared to be outgunned by a deeper, more talented Hershey Bears squad that finished the regular season with the AHL's best record - an astonishing 53 wins and 111 points in 72 games.

"He's a big part of the team, like, he's been great so far in playoffs and he helped us win games," Wolf Pack forward Anton Blidh said of Garand in the net. "So, yeah, it was nice to have him back"

The margin for error for Hartford moving into Wednesday's Game 3 on home ice is nonexistent. But according to Wolf Pack forward Anton Blidh, the team isn't ready to call it a year just yet.

"There's another game," Blidh said after Saturday's loss in Game 2. "It's the first to three [wins]. We have to go back to Hartford, and be better."

Smith added the cliche that the toughest game to win in a series is the one that ends your opponent's season. He's certainly hoping his team can stave off elimination and force a Game 4 Friday night.

"The elimination game is always toughest for the guys that are trying to win it, right?," Smith asked rhetorically. That final closeout game puts the pressure on them and hopefully, they'll feel a little bit of pressure and we can put some pressure on them early. Hopefully our crowd will get us into the game, we can get off to a good start and we'll just move forward to shift by shift."