Hartford Monthly Report October 2022: Despite Slow Start, Wolf Pack Find Their Footing

HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack found themselves 0-2-1-1 entering the final weekend of October.

While Hartford was held off the win column, the group began to find their game and recorded two wins in the third week of the American Hockey League (AHL) season to conclude the month.

Veteran goaltender Louis Domingue and Rangers prospect Dylan Garand each recorded a win in their third appearance in net.

Hartford’s blueline improved tremendously, which boosted Hartford’s successful ending to the month after struggling mightily in the first four games of the season.

The offense has found the back of the net in each of Hartford’s six games and their magic continued.

Entering November, the Wolf Pack are 2-2-1-1 for six points. That ranks the club seventh in the Atlantic Division and 11th in the Eastern Conference entering November's games.

Let’s dissect the latest from the New York Rangers AHL affiliate.

Defense Overcomes Adversity

Hartford’s young defensive core returns this season after a whirlwind 2021-22 season that featured highs and lows for the core. While the young Ranger prospects gained experience, they had a few deficiencies in the first two weeks of the season, resulting in reliance on Hartford’s goaltending.

The first four games featured high scoring affairs. Despite the Wolf Pack registering multiple goal games, the defense was unable to help keep the puck out of the net. The Wolf Pack gave up three plus goals in all four of those games, including a season high of five thus far against the Bridgeport Islanders on October 23rd (5-2 loss).

In the lone overtime loss to Charlotte (4-3 loss) on October 14th , the Wolf Pack struggled against the Checkers forwards. Louis Domingue and Dylan Garand had to bail out the Wolf Pack’s defensive hiccups in each game, giving Hartford a chance to stay in the game.

The core struggled with positioning and adopting to situations. For instance, Hartford faced numerous odd man rushes in each game, and the defense being out positioned when opposing teams were pressuring and have room in a high scoring area of the ice. They were slow and reactive to the on-ice sequences, as opposed to proactive.

Another deficiency was the transition from defense to offense as the Wolf Pack struggled with that, especially with the passing. Plays were often broken up and eventually the opponent had the puck, or the play goes the other way and Hartford gets off guard which result in a potential goal against.

After a week’s worth of practices and going over video footage, Hartford’s coaching staff mentored the defensive core and attempted to correct their defensive mistakes. You must give credit to the coaching staff as Hartford played a strong game, with everyone on point in the last two games in October.

As a result, Hartford snapped their four-game losing streak and secured two wins.

Early-Season Turning Point?

Hartford’s first win occurred on October 28th against the Hershey Bears. Louis Domingue stopped 19 of 21 shots.

In the following day, the Wolf Pack secured a 3-2 overtime win against the Charlotte Checkers. Dylan Garand recorded his first win in the professional ranks, stopping 24 of 26 shots.

In each game, the Wolf Pack were ready to play. Hartford scored first, they never trailed, and the defense held strong to help the goaltenders. The offense continued to perform well and generated numerous strong opportunities. Hartford recorded 27 shots against Hershey and 31 against Charlotte.

On the defensive aspect, the core became aggressive, forcing mistakes for opponents which resulted in a couple of odd man rushes for Hartford. The Wolf Pack also generated a partial breakaway. The transition game was noticeable. While the forward group pitched in defensively when the opposing teams were pressuring, the defense was in sync for positioning, reading plays, and able to help get the puck out of the zone.

The number of blocked shots were noticeable too. Ben Harpur, Gustav Rydahl and a couple of other players pitched in to ensure the opponents had a hard time shooting, along with clogging the blocking lanes. In Hartford’s first four games, blocked shots were not often or noticeable for attempts.

One of Hartford’s traits thus far is taking a good number of minor penalties early on. The club is playing aggressive. However, they are taking too many penalties at times. The penalty kill became busy early in the season.

In the game against Charlotte, the third period was tough for Hartford as the Checkers registered 16 shots alone in the frame. The Wolf Pack also gave the Checkers four power opportunities.

One remarkable moment of the game that will boost the club’s confidence and defensive core was the kill on Hartford’s first five on three penalty. Will Cuylle and Jonny Brodzinski had a penalty in the same sequence, which resulted in a whole two-minute, two-man advantage for Charlotte. The penalty kill unit kept cool and cleared the puck numerous times.  In addition, the club became comfortable in the high-pressure situation. At one point the group nearly generated a minor chance to get a shot on net against Charlotte’s Mack Guzda. The Wolf Pack had another five on three penalty kill that was less time and were able to kill one of two.

Dylan Garand performed well, making strong saves when Hartford was short-handed and stood tall when the Checkers were pressuring throughout the game, especially in the third. He had his work cutout for him in the tight contest against Charlotte.

Andy Welinski secured Hartford’s second win in overtime, 47 seconds into the extra session.

After a tight and tense game, looking back at the game on the night before against Hershey was another solid outing. The Wolf Pack maintained control and gave Hershey trouble all throughout the night in all zones of the ice. The offense kept peppering Hershey’s Fucale with strong chances and the defense kept the Bears forwards at bay.

When the Bears pressured after their first goal of the game, Louis Domingue was spectacular. Despite both goaltenders recording losses prior to the weekend, they are playing well. While stats may not indicate that, they are reliable thus far for the club. The performance was what Hartford needed to begin rolling and build up their confidence.

Forwards and Defensemen Buzzing

The least of worries for the club was offense. The Wolf Pack have talented veterans and prospects to produce good offensive results nightly.

Hartford was held to one goal in their second game of the season. The rest of the games featured Hartford scoring between two to four goals, with three plus goals scored in four of the six games. Last season there was struggles with offense on inconsistencies.

The Wolf Pack addressed that front this summer. Captain Jonny Brodzinski leads the team in offense with six points (two goals, four assists) after the first month of the season. Veteran Turner Elson is second with five points (one goal, four assists). Rangers prospect Will Cuylle is tied for third with Andy Welinski and Matthew Robertson with four points.

Bobby Trivigno recorded a two-point performance on October 28th against Hershey, registering a goal and assist.

Lauri Pajuniemi recorded three goals on the season and has looked impressive offensively, utilizing his one timer and has shown the ability to snipe.

Veteran C.J. Smith recorded two goals and one assist thus far and is expected to increase in his production as the season progresses.

Defenseman Matthew Robertson recorded four assists in four games (two games with two assist nights) prior to his injury that has him 'day-to-day'.

The Wolf Pack’s production is coming from various sources. While Brodzinski and Elson are leading the Pack, the contribution is coming from across the board, from forwards to the defensive group. That is promising and portrays the potential of the group offensively.

The Outlook

The Wolf Pack found their spark in the final weekend of October. If that holds, and the group remains consistent in November, I would not be surprised to see them competing for the first or second spot in the competitive Atlantic Division.

They have the potential to do so. Hartford has the offensive capability on a nightly basis to do damage. If the defensive core holds and they remain consistent to help Hartford’s goaltenders, then the club could be dangerous in the upcoming stretch.

Be on the lookout to see how the standings unfold as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins started the season performing well. The Bridgeport Islanders are creeping upward in the standings. After a slow start for the Springfield Thunderbirds, they are beginning to roll. The division will be exciting to see who comes out on top!

The Wolf Pack are playing in 11 games on the docket for November. They play five home games and six on the road. November’s slate features Springfield twice, Hershey four games, Charlotte twice, and Bridgeport twice. The Wolf Pack will face Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for one game.