Wolf Pack Back In The Race In Atlantic Division

HARTFORD, CT - The Wolf Pack continue to find themselves pushing for a Calder Cup Playoff spot as the group reconvenes after the 2023 American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star Classic in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, in the final playoff spot.

While the New York Rangers' AHL affiliate improved over the course of the last two months, their competition remains stiff as the Atlantic Division continues to be hotly contested on a nightly basis.

Hartford compiled a 6-3-2-1 record in the month of January. The club moved up as high as sixth place, the final playoff spot in the division. The group held sixth for two straight weeks while on a seven-game point-streak. Then, Hartford fell between seventh and eighth after losing to Bridgeport and Syracuse in the last week of January.

Things appeared to be heading in reverse for the Wolf Pack after a third straight loss - last Wednesday to Providence - but the team rebounded with back-to-back wins heading into All-Star weekend, including a big 8-2 win in a proverbial "four point" game vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in their final game before the All-Star break.

As we are underway in the second half of the season, Hartford must be optimistic about the remainder of the season. December was a turning point for the organization. Another plus was the Wolf Pack maintaining a point streak after losing missed opportunities in the first couple of games in the run.

After dropping two games in the first week of January on the road despite having a two-goal lead, Hartford regained their confidence and pushed further after sweeping the Checkers in Charlotte. As Wolf Pack fans know, the club struggles to find wins at “fort never win”. Well, that may not be the case any longer as Hartford pulled two strong wins against the Checkers. Last season, the Wolf Pack won their first game in franchise history in Charlotte too.

Further reflecting on January's slate, this was the toughest month of the season as the Wolf Pack  competed against the Providence Bruins for five games. Add in Syracuse, Utica, Bridgeport, and Charlotte and Hartford had to find ways to secure points.

Considering the story of the season, I see the club remaining competitive in second half of the season. The question that remains is how the Wolf Pack fare in February as Hartford will is facing teams that are around them in the standings. It is a fight for positioning from third to eighth as a few points separate most of the teams in the division. At one point, there was a four-way tie for fifth.

The Atlantic Division will continue to be grueling on teams in the division as every game is critical, especially from the Wolf Pack’s perspective.

Veterans Lead the Way

The offensive production continues to be led by Hartford's veterans.

Ryan Carpenter is the most noticeable on a nightly basis. In addition to his offensive contributions, the veteran has seen significant ice time, playing on the power play and the penalty kill. In high stake situations, you will often see Carpenter ready to perform, either pushing for offense or being pivotal in a defensive zone draw.

Carpenter leads Hartford in the point per game column (0.92) and is ranked thid on the roster for points. While Turner Elson and Tanner Fritz are ahead, the fascinating aspect is the number of games played as the players ahead of him have doubled the amount of games.

Carpenter, in 24, games secured 11 goals and 11 assists. Elson leads the club with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 45 games. Fritz has 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 40 games.

Carpenter was inserted into the lineup mid-season and immediately provided an offensive punch. It's exactly what Hartford needed. Prior to his arrival, the Wolf Pack lacked offensive instinct and struggled, especially on the power play. Carpenter entered February on an eight-game point-streak.

Pivoting to Elson, the forward had a productive January. He secured three goals and four assists in that span and had a five-game point-streak. The veteran also is aggressive in the offensive zone, generating quality shots and help setting up plays the Wolf Pack were able to convert on.

Focusing on Fritz, the veteran had a superb January as he collected two goals and six assists. Fritz has found his offensive spark in December after having a quiet and a struggling start to the season. He continues to produce offense and has become reliable for the Wolf Pack. In addition to his upward swing of offense, Fritz is critical to the face-off draws and can win draws in crucial moments of the games.

In addition to his offensive aspect, Fritz can also be reliable on the defense end as his two-way game has a good skill set all around.

The Rangers boosted Hartford further as the Wolf Pack received their captain on January 22 . Jonny Brodzinski did not miss a beat. In fact, the captain has points in all seven games he's suited up for Hartford since returning from the NHL, with three goals and eight assists in that span.

Tim Gettinger returned to the lineup from his wrist injury and will be getting back into the groove. Gettinger is also another key cog for the offense.

On the injury front, C.J. Smith is considered week to week with no timetable to return.

The Rangers elected to send Sammy Blais to Hartford for a two-week conditioning stint. That paid dividends for Hartford as Blais took advantage of the opportunity to refine his game and regroup before he returned to New York. Blais finished with four goals in five games with the Wolf Pack.

Struggling Power Play On The Rise?

Despite Hartford’s power play ranked last in the AHL (operating at 14.9% at the close of the month), the Wolf Pack appeared to be gradually improving on that front. Hartford registered four power play goals in the last three games of January. In total last month, the Wolf Pack recorded 10 power play goals in 12 games (10/50 = 20%)

The first half of the season was a significant struggle for the special teams units. The Wolf Pack were unable to convert on opportunities. In the last two months, the unit has improved. However, despite the struggling conversion rate and being ranked last in the league in the metric, Hartford is beginning to heat up on the man advantage.

Zac Jones, Ryan Carpenter, and the return of Jonny Brodzinski boosted the power play with their performances and as a result, the Wolf Pack are converting on more of the opportunities.

The units can add to Hartford's momentum if they remain consistent.

The Outlook

February will be another critical month for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The opponents slate feature huge games against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (two), Bridgeport Islanders, and the Springfield Thunderbirds.

These three teams are clubs Hartford is chasing and are fighting with for the last couple of playoff spots in the division. In addition, all but two of the team's 10 games in February are against teams within the division.

Hartford cannot afford to lose in regulation or bleed points. The stakes continue to be high as the Wolf Pack look to regroup after a bump in the road in the last week of January with defensive struggles. There is opportunity for Hartford to get a couple of wins against opponents that are near the Wolf Pack in the standings. This will be important, especially the season series outcome and for potential tiebreakers in the standings down the road.

The Wolf Pack have work to do if they want to win those season series matchups, especially against Bridgeport and Springfield.