October Observations: Veterans Leading The Pack

Hartford, CT – The month of October featured a promising start to the Wolf Pack’s 25th anniversary season. The talented roster produced a 5-2-1 record in the first month of play.

November will feature further divisional challenges as the club will face Bridgeport (three games), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (one game), Springfield (three games), Providence (two games), and Hershey (one game).

Points in the Atlantic Division will add up quickly. The division is competitive and there are early signs that the Wolf Pack can compete well. Leading the charge in the season are the veterans in Hartford, which had significant outcomes in games.

Oh Captain! My captain!

The 28 year old forward brings reliable offense and mentoring to the young Wolf Pack roster. Jonny Brodzinski has yet to miss a beat offensively as he is registering a point per game. October featured the captain registering a point in seven of eight games.

In addition to providing offense, Brodzinski is great in the locker room and mentoring prospects in situations throughout each game. The Wolf Pack gave up the first goal of the game in seven of eight games last month. Despite the struggles of scoring first, the group found a way to get back into each game and grind it out in games which offense was not easy to come by. Brodzinski pushed hard in each game to jumpstart offense, which was followed by other players in the game.

As a result, Hartford has begun to generate offense consistently as October progressed. In the first two weeks of the season, the Wolf Pack struggled with overall chances and shooting. The recent handful of games had a different result, as the club is outshooting opponents.

Anthony Greco Boosts Offense

The 28 year old veteran brought his “A” game to the club on a nightly basis. Greco peppers goalies on a nightly basis, leading the team in shots in the month of October (29). The forward was rewarded as he was able to notch eight points, tied with Brodzinski for the team lead in points at the conclusion of October. He was also registering a point per game as well. The speedy winger uses his offensive skillset well, being able to develop sequences or be able to get the puck on net. Greco can be an energy booster for the club and has lead by example on consistency of offensive pressure.

Tanner Fritz’s Two Way Game

Despite registering three points last month, Fritz has proved as a reliable asset in both ends of the ice. The defensive minded forward is a face off specialist and reliable on the penalty kill. He continues to play a two way game to the best of his ability, keeping plays simple and is not afraid to give opponents trouble in Hartford’s defensive end.

Prior to joining Hartford, Fritz spent four full seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (now Islanders). He was known for giving Islanders prospects mentorship and played the game with heart and soul.

Keith Kinkaid Solid

The veteran goalie has been lights out for Hartford. Kinkaid recorded a record of 4-0-1 with a 1.73 goals against average and a .943 save percentage last month. Furthermore, he is two for two in the shootout, stopping 10 of 10 shots.

Kinkaid is reliable in net for the Wolf Pack and gave the club a fighting chance on a nightly basis. Adam Huska is the backup goalie and has performed well. Kinkaid is a good mentor to Huska as both players upped their game in the crease. Competition is strong and has resulted in a battle on who performs best in net. Tyler Wall has not played for Hartford and was not sent to Jacksonville of the ECHL. Despite not getting games in, Wall is able to be around Kinkaid for mentorship and continues to practice with the group.

Anthony Bitetto Mentors Young Blue Line

Hartford has two veterans on the blue line. Anthony Bitetto and Jeff Taylor are the oldest defenseman.

However, Bitetto brings in NHL experience and is one of the staples in Hartford to start the season. He continues to mentor Hartford’s young and talented defensive core. The defenseman played with an edge to his game, forechecking and hitting opponents. He is not afraid to get physical and get into the dirty areas. Despite a few hiccups, Bitetto has earned the trust of Hartford’s coaching staff to play on a nightly basis. Jeff Taylor is the eighth defenseman, which resulted the defenseman to play in one game thus far (opening night).

Down the Road…

Hartford’s roster was constructed well in the off-season. They have depth in their defensive core and head coach Kris Knoblauch has found the right balance for this team thus far. The forwards are beginning to find consistent chemistry, which has sparked the veterans to perform well.

As for the prospects, they are finding opportunities as well.

Morgan Barron, Tim Gettinger, and Tarmo Reunanen are the top prospects in the early stages of the season. They each have found their game offensively and continu to assist the team in the offensive zone.  Each of these prospects has the opportunity to be called up, which has happened already for Barron. After all, they are one phone call away from NHL action and will get their chances when the opportunity comes knocking on the door with the Rangers.

Zac Jones began to find his game towards the end of the month which is promising to see.

Ty Ronning continues with his strong efforts in each contest, but has fallen short with production.

Lauri Pajuniemi is adjusting to North American ice and has potential to dominate the AHL.

If the younger players are able to find their games and get further confidence, then the Atlantic Division has to watch out. Hartford is doing well at the start the season and could be further lethal if additional players begin to dominate in the league.

There's a lot of optimism and potential surrounding Hartford after one month of the 2021-22 season. Let’s see what November brings.