The back-to-back on their home ice was a test for the Hartford Wolf Pack. They played two games against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and it would how how close, or far, they are from competing in the American Hockey League (AHL). The two overtime losses were a case in point that the Wolf Pack are improving but still a tier below some of the best teams in the league.
The Wolf Pack earned two points from the weekend. They’ve earned points in their last four games to move out of last place in the Atlantic Division. At the same time, they lost two games that they could have and should have won. Yet, they allowed the Phantoms to tie both games late and win them in overtime. “Last night’s game was one we could have won; tonight was a game we should have won,” Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny stated after the latest game.
The Wolf Pack are making progress. They are taking small steps toward contention. “You have to look at the totality of where this team is going and what we’re building,” Potulny added. The problem is that they are taking small steps when other teams are sprinting, and it’s leaving them behind in the dust.
Dylan Roobroeck is Coming Into Form
The top-six center has struggled to start the season. Dylan Roobroeck looked a lot like the 2024-25 version of himself on Nov. 1, the version that scored 20 goals and was a key part of the roster. Roobroeck scored a goal and an assist while establishing a physical two-way presence in the game.
The rough start can’t be blamed on him. Sure, there are a few missed plays or shifts where he could have delivered but didn’t. “He’s still trying to figure out that bump in minutes,” Potulny noted after the Nov. 1 overtime loss, and it ties into his role. He entered the AHL as a fourth-liner and is now a top-six center expected to carry his line.
However, his early-season struggles are in part because of his linemates and the constant shuffling of the wingers. Turnover is commonplace in the AHL but for Roobroeck, a power forward not known for his skating, it’s pivotal to find the right players who can work off of his strengths.
With Jaroslav Chmelar, another power forward, spending a lot of time on his wing, it has allowed him to find a rhythm. With Roobroeck getting hot and the Wolf Pack top six putting it all together, they are starting to win games with their offense, something they couldn’t say a season ago.
Wolf Pack Checking & Structure Are There
Under Grant Potulny, the Wolf Pack are a forechecking team first. The offense often comes from the forecheck, and it’s where they set the tone. The Wolf Pack are finally playing with structure and forechecking with a purpose. A few of their goals in the back-to-back came off turnovers in the offensive zone, where the puck found an open skater with a clear shot on the goal.
It’s allowed the Wolf Pack to earn points and make up ground in the standings. In the first two or three games, they weren’t setting the tone and instead allowed the opposition to control the pace of play. It’s why the Wolf Pack started the season 0-3, and it looked like a difficult season was ahead. They’ve gone 3-1-2 since, with their ability to chip and chase while forcing turnovers in the offensive zone, leading the way.
Perreault is a Star to Build Around
The question entering the season was whether Gabe Perreault could skate. Likewise, as a smaller skater, would he get pushed around and become an irrelevant, skilled player? He’s removed all doubts early on and instead raised the question of what more he needs to do to get a call-up to the NHL and be a third liner on the New York Rangers? His two goals over the weekend showcased his ability to score in multiple ways.
His first goal in the Friday night game saw him flying down the wing on the rush and firing the puck into the back of the net. The next night, he went to the dirty areas to find the puck and the goal. It’s given him four goals in four games and five on the season.
But it’s not just the scoring that’s made a difference. Perreault is proving he is also a reliable playmaker, with five assists on the season. He can find the open skaters from the wing and open up the offense. It’s allowed the Wolf Pack to build their offense around the winger and his talent.
Yet, The Wolf Pack Aren’t Good Enough
The reality is that good teams find ways to win close games. They don’t blow leads late in games and in overtime, they adjust to win, even if it’s 3-on-3 hockey. The Phantoms found ways to win, and it’s why they are 6-3-1 and at the top of the Atlantic Division.
They say hockey is a game of luck. “That’s hockey sometimes,” Potulny noted after the recent game. There are good bounces and bad ones, where the breaks go your way one game and then the other way the next. At the same time, good teams create their own good luck. The Phantoms got the puck in deep and dared the Wolf Pack to make a mistake, and they did.
The bright spot is that the Wolf Pack are earning points. They are moving up in the standings as a team that looked like it was in trouble early on. They are building something in Hartford but they aren’t building it at the same pace as some of the other teams in their division.
