The Hartford Wolf Pack and Springfield Thunderbirds played in a game that lived up to its rivalry billing. It was tight and defensive-minded in the first two periods of play, and then the two teams exchanged four goals in the third period to force the game into overtime. After seven shootout rounds, the Wolf Pack came out on top with a 4-3 win to slowly gain ground on the rest of the Atlantic Division.
Related: What’s Behind the Hartford Wolf Pack’s Offensive Resurgence?
This team has played playoff hockey for months, yet the latest game particularly had the feeling and atmosphere of a playoff game. “And you’re playing playoff hockey in front of a big crowd,” head coach Grant Potulny noted after the game, where every goal had the XL Center going wild. “We scored to tie the game, and it was so loud, and that’s energy for the bench.”
The Wolf Pack remain in seventh place in the Atlantic Division despite the win. That said, when the game tights up, they step up and deliver, especially in the one-score games. “That’s how it’s going to be and that’s how it’s been, we’ve probably been in as many one-goal games as anyone in the league” Potulny noted on a team that’s played in close games and is showing they can play playoff hockey in a push for a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Hartford Plays a Physical Game
When the Wolf Pack play, especially at the XL Center, they forecheck and slow the game down. It’s common in the American Hockey League (AHL) to see the game be more precise and tighter, yet that’s the identity of this team, regardless of who is on the ice.
The Thunderbirds are a better team this season than the Wolf Pack and have notably played better in recent games. They’ve bought into head coach Steve Konowalchuk’s system, and it has them averaging 3.31 goals per game. The problem with the Thunderbirds is that their style is fast-paced hockey that isn’t suited for these tight games. The Wolf Pack are built for games like these, and it showed as they controlled the latest game.
The playoffs are when the games tighten up. Space is hard to find, and every mistake could become costly. These are the games where great teams can score but also forecheck and defend, especially at the forward position. The Wolf Pack do just that. Blake Hillman, who scored the shootout-winning goal, mentioned, “We’re just trying to be a real hard and physical team, and defense leads to offense.” Hillman, a defenseman who has played forward at times this season, knows the value of great two-way hockey firsthand. He’s had to play the two-way game by default, but the rest of the team has followed his lead to become a well-rounded roster.
The Offense Isn’t Great, It’s Great When Needed
The Wolf Pack have a below-average offense, one that averages only 2.83 goals per game. Yet, when they needed to find the back of the net, they woke up late in the game and did just that. They scored twice in the third period, with one goal coming late off the stick of Anton Blidh for his team-leading 17th goal of the season.
The team has found plenty of clutch goals this season, and the recent game is not the first time the offense woke up in the third period and started finding the back of the net. It’s not even the first time this month the offense has done this, as they trailed 3-1 on Feb. 12 to the Bridgeport Islanders only to score two late goals and win the game 4-3 in overtime.
The game-winning goal against the Islanders came from Brennan Othmann, who was recently called up to the NHL and is playing for the New York Rangers. While he’s not on the Wolf Pack roster at the moment, the team has plenty of star players putting in the work to get them some much-needed wins.
Brett Berard is known for his speed and skill, making him and Othmann a great connection when the two are on the same line. Against the Thunderbirds, he once again was out-skating everyone on the ice, but that’s not what stood out. He was delivering hard hits throughout the game and set the tone with his forechecking.
“Brett’s a speed-based player with energy,” Potulny noted after the win over the Thunderbirds. Usually, the fast skaters who don’t play physical hockey don’t make it in the AHL, and that’s why Berard has stepped up as a forechecker. “He earned all those chances late in the game by playing the right way early in the game,” Potulny stated, and despite being left off the scoresheet, “It’s coming, he can have a game tomorrow where he has four points because he’s right there.”
Late in the overtime period, Berard had the puck and a breakaway with a chance for that big moment, but he was denied by Thunderbirds goaltender Colten Ellis. However, his play across the board not only will lead to goals but also sets the tone for the rest of the team.
Without Matt Rempe in the lineup, the star players must make their marks and play the physical game. They are the leaders of this roster. When they are playing defense and delivering the hits, the rest of the team follows suit, and they earn wins like the one they just had against the Thunderbirds.
But Is It Too Late?
With a 6-5 win over the Providence Bruins on Feb. 22 and a 4-3 win against the Thunderbirds, the Wolf Pack have two wins in a row and are starting to turn a corner as the calendar flips to March. The problem is that they are in a hole that is tough to climb out of. They trail the Thunderbirds by eight points in the standings and are 11 points behind the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Even if the Wolf Pack go on a run, they need some help to secure a playoff spot.
It makes the recent win a tough one since they allowed their divisional rival to earn a point as the game went into overtime. “It was important to get a win,” Potulny noted after the game. “We’re in a position where we just have to keep getting points in the bag and moving forward.” It shows where the Wolf Pack are these days. They need some help, but they can only control what they can control.
The good news is that the Wolf Pack have a pivotal stretch ahead and an opportunity to make up some ground. Their next game is on March 1 against the Utica Comets, followed by a Sunday, March 2 road game against the Providence Bruins. Then they face the Islanders, a team with 12 wins this season, on March 5. Taking two of the next three or sweeping the upcoming slate will have the Wolf Pack only a few points behind their divisional rivals for a playoff spot.
“It’s not going to be easy coming down the stretch here, but it’s playoff hockey now. Every game is gonna be close, every game matters, so making sure we get off to good starts and get as many points as we can,” Hillman noted after the latest game. That said, this team is built for the close game, and if they manage to make the playoffs, they’ll be the team nobody wants to face, with great goaltending, forechecking, and clutch scoring leading them.
