The Hartford Wolf Pack struggled to start the season, and that’s putting it lightly. After the Nov. 15 loss to the Laval Rocket, they were 3-7-2 and on a seven-game losing streak. That felt like rock bottom for the team, and it probably was (it was so bad that head coach Grant Potulny wasn’t made available afterward). The Wolf Pack needed a bounce back and got one. More importantly, they get their first statement win of the season.
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They hosted the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins on Nov. 21 and trailed 2-1 early in the second period. The Penguins have the second-best record in the Atlantic Division, and as a great team in the American Hockey League (AHL), they are making a lot of teams look silly. The Wolf Pack not only came back, they pulled away at the end to win the game 5-2.
For a team that has the second-worst record in the Atlantic Division, the Wolf Pack needed this performance. The big win is one they can build on with the hopes of turning their season around, especially since they are starting to find their identity.
Wolf Pack Offense is Finally Clicking
The Wolf Pack entered their Friday night game with one of the league’s worst offenses. They averaged only 2.43 goals per game and only eclipsed the four-goal mark twice. “If you looked at the guys in our lineup, you’d be shocked to find out this was our first game like that,” Trey Fix-Wolansky noted after the five-goal night from the Wolf Pack. The talent is there but the compete and effort weren’t this season, something Potulny noted multiple times after the rough losses earlier in the month.
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The offense started to make strides on Tuesday against the Springfield Thunderbirds, scoring three goals in the comeback win. The latest game is where the Wolf Pack found an identity. It starts with the players stepping up. Brett Berard is starting to score and delivered the knockout punch with his goal in the third period. Anton Blidh scored a week ago against the Rochester Americans and found the back of the net in the latest game as well. Throw in the players who have stepped up all season, like Trey Fix-Wolansky and Gabe Perreault, and the Wolf Pack have an especially strong group.
Where they are generating offense has also changed in recent games. The Wolf Pack are getting shots from the point to allow deflected and redirected pucks to find the back of the net. “Any time you get the puck from low to high, get it to the net with guys to the net, you’re gonna have a good chance to score,” Fix-Wolansky noted after the recent game. Hockey might be a game of luck but a team can create its own good luck and that’s what the Wolf Pack are doing in recent games.
Wolf Pack Are Buying in
The theme of the seven-game losing streak was the inability to close out games. The Wolf Pack troubles began on Oct. 31 with a back-to-back against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where they led in the third period in both games yet lost 4-3 in overtime. They culminated in a 3-1 lea,d resulting in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Rochester Americans.
The common issue was that the Wolf Pack wouldn’t stick to the process and the plan that Potulny had for them. Potulny needs the team to buy into his system and not only forecheck but also get pressure and good quality shots. That wasn’t happening during the losing streak.
The recent win saw the Wolf Pack play the brand of hockey that suited them. They sped up the pace and played a rush-based game to close out strong. “It was a fast-paced game in the third, and I think we’re at our best when we’re skating,” Potulny noted afterward. The Wolf Pack were the team applying pressure late, and it showed with a strong third period, which saw them outscore the Penguins 2-0.
Callum Tung Changes Their Outlook
Callum Tung was thrown into the fire on Kids’ Day. The Tuesday game against the Thunderbirds was a strong debut in the net that saw him on the winning end of it. It’s easy to write off that game, an 11 AM start time game against the worth team in their division (and possibly the AHL).
The lastest performance is proof that the Wolf Pack have something special in Tung. “He’s had a ton of growth. He has a calm demeanor, he’s very athletic,” Potulny stated and the demeanor was on display when he faced 22 shots in the first period. Without Tung, the Wolf Pack lose that game 5-2 and instead they won it by that margin.
Tung is a unique goaltender for the AHL. His athletic plays is par for the course but his flexibility and angels to the puck at him size isn’t. What stands out is his ability to cover up pucks, something Potulny noted after the game. “He made the game easier on himself by letting pucks stick to him, he controlled rebounds,” It’s an interesting note considering the rebound are where Dylan Garand, the primary starter, has struggled this season.
Tung’s play is forcing the Wolf Pack to make a tough decision wit their goaltending. Spencer Martin is expected to join the team and they’ll have four goaltenders on their roster. It’s why one of them, at minimum will get sent down to the ECHL. It’s also why AHL fans have their antennas up for a possible trade. Tung is the hot hand and the bottom line is that Potulny must stick with him.
The Grain of Salt From Hartford’s Win
The Wolf Pack played a talent-drained Penguins team. This isn’t the same team that beat the Wolf Pack 3-1 on opening night. It’s also not the same team that stomped them 5-2 a week later. It’s a team that is depleted of talent, especially in the net with Sergei Murashov in the NHL. Tung receives a lot of praise for him night in the net yet there’s a chance he loses the game if he’s battling Murashov on the other side.
It’s also worth adding that the Wolf Pack didn’t play the right way, especially in the first period. In their recnet wins, they’ve stumbled out of the gate only to crawl back into things. They won’t get away with that when they play the rest of their division.
The Wolf Pack are a team that have a lot to work on. This is far for a complete product. The good news is that they are working on their issues. The Wolf Pack are slowly finding their footing at a time when teams are realizing whether they will be good this season. Their game against the Phantoms on Saturday night will be a true test of how much progress they’ve made.
