The Hartford Wolf Pack win on Friday night was one to remember, not because of the 6-0 drubbing but because of the fights. There were not one but two five-on-five line brawls, one of which featured Wolf Pack goaltender Spencer Martin going after Hunter Drew of the Bridgeport Islanders.
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Needless to say, the Battle of Connecticut was intense. The subplot was the way the Wolf Pack offense looked, scoring six times, which gives them 23 goals in the last six games. “It’s been a continuation of two weeks of good hockey,” head coach Grant Potulny noted after the game.
The offense has notably looked better with Trey Fix-Wolansky, the veteran forward, moving to center. It was an adjustment for the longtime winger who has been in the American Hockey League (AHL) for some time but one he’s handled to add a new dynamic to the Wolf Pack.
The Adjustment to Center
The center position is the toughest to learn, especially at the AHL and NHL levels. Elite centers must create scoring chances and find the back of the net while controlling the middle of the ice in all three zones. It’s why the smartest players on the ice are often the centers.
Fix-Wolansky hasn’t been a center regularly since his junior hockey days, and it’s forced him to adapt his game. “Maybe just slowing things down. Obviously, you’re in the middle of the ice, you get the puck a little bit more and transfer it more,” Fix-Wolansky noted after the recent game, one where he scored twice and added two assists.
The skill was always there, and it wasn’t what made the decision a difficult one. “He has all the offensive attributes that you look for in centermen, he can skate, he’s got a great stick, and he’s a smart player,” Potulny added when talking about Fix-Wolansky’s adjustment. The question was how he’d adapt to the other parts of the game. “The area you don’t know if how you’re going to do in your own end, can he stop the puck, is he committed to stopping the puck, and I would say check, check to all of that,” Potulny added.
It helps that Fix-Wolansky is a do-it-all forward, someone who scored but also defends and plays a physical brand of hockey. With Justin Dowling out of the lineup, the Wolf Pack need a veteran to step up and contribute in all situations. “I think he’s getting more comfortable there, so for the time being, I can’t see myself making any adjustments there,” Potulny mentioned with Fix-Wolansky centering the line and getting help from Brendan Brisson and Adam Sykora on his wings.
The Significance of Fix-Wolansky at the Center
With Dowling out, there’s a need for a top-six center. The move for the time being is for Potulny to play Dylan Roobroeck on the same line as Brett Berard, pairing the top two prospects on the team. Then, it’s about the Fix-Wolansky line with Brisson and Fix-Wolansky on his wings.
With Fix-Wolansky at center, that line and by default the offense is unlocked. The trio had four of the six goals in the 6-0 win over the Islanders and has been the most effective line for the Wolf Pack of late, with all three skaters working well with each other. “They all got a little something different, and they kind of mesh well together,” Potulny noted on the forward line.
It’s ironically what he said about the Dowling and Jaroslav Chmelar combo. The two skaters have contrasting skills, yet work well alongside each other. With Fix-Wolansky centering the best line for the Wolf Pack, it makes the other lines better but also gives them options. They can always move other skaters around, knowing they have Fix-Wolansky to save them from a lot of headaches.
Can Potulny’s Adjustment Work?
The Fix-Wolansky move to center quite literally fixes a lot of the issues with the Wolf Pack. The offense averages only 2.60 goals per game this season, yet is averaging 3.83 goals per game in the last six games. It’s also helped the play defensively and explains why the Wolf Pack have won four of their last six.
But the team needs more than just a line adjustment. The entire group must play well and, more importantly, buy in. The win against the Islanders was a promising sign, especially with the fight they showed. “One thing that’s consistent is we stick up for eachother” Spencer Martin noted after the game, one where he was in the middle of all the fights.
The Islanders tested Martin and the Wolf Pack by running into his crease. But the Wolf Pack stood up for themselves and wouldn’t let their opponent intimidate them. “If you don’t stand up for yourself, you’re going to get pushed around,” Potulny added, and that fight is what can will this team into the playoffs.
