Don’t look now, but the Hartford Wolf Pack have won four of their last five games. In a season with more lows than highs, featuring some brutal losses earlier in the season, the Wolf Pack are starting to find their footing.
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This season is a long one, like any in the American Hockey League (AHL). Just when a team looks like it’s building up momentum and, in the Wolf Pack case, they look poised to turn a corner, the rug gets pulled out from underneath them. The Wolf Pack remain at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with the second-worst record, but the hot streak is worth monitoring, especially since they are winning games in a way that should get them to the playoffs.
Garand is Carrying The Wolf Pack
Dylan Garand is an elite goaltender by AHL standards. He struggled out of the gate and didn’t look like himself in those early-season starts. In November, he started five games and allowed 17 goals. He’s made the big saves in his recent starts. While Garand allowed three goals on Jan. 16 and four in the Jan. 20 game, his stops late gave the Wolf Pack two much-needed wins.
Then there was his recent start against the Bridgeport Islanders, where he stopped 21 shots to secure a 3-2 victory. Wolf Pack head coach Grant Potulny noted earlier in the season that he provides big rebounds, which can allow the defense to break out the puck and start up the offense. That style of goaltending works when the defense works around that strength, and that’s what’s happened in recent games.
Garand isn’t an NHL goaltender. It’s why the New York Rangers called up Spencer Martin as the backup with Igor Shesterkin on injured reserve. However, his style and ability to work in the chaos make him a great AHL goaltender and a reliable option to lean on down the stretch.
Depth is Stepping Up
In the first two months, the Wolf Pack leaned on Gabe Perreault and Trey Fix-Wolansky. When those two skaters had an off night or were taken out of the game by the opposition, the team had no answers. With Perreault called up to the Rangers, the Wolf Pack needed the depth to deliver, and it has done so lately.
Fix-Wolansky is still leading the way, with 15 goals and 11 assists, including two passes in the recent game to set up goals for the Wolf Pack. “When he goes, we go. He’s done this in this league for a long time,” Potulny mentioned after the recent game.
That said, the forward lines are starting to come together, or more accurately, they are getting depth from the group. Jaroslav Chmelar is a power forward who is playing on the same line as Justin Dowling, a speed-based player. Dylan Roobroeck, who was forced into a top-six center role early on, is centering a line with Daniel Walcott on it to give the Wolf Pack a better checking presence.
“It’s nice when a line can complement another. That’s what I look for, how they work with each other,” Potulny noted after the recent game. The Wolf Pack has a combination that is clicking and allowing them to control games.
Potulny’s Message is Translating
The Wolf Pack are forechecking, playing with structure, and are smart with the puck. “I thought we did a good job of coming through the neutral zone. I thought we did a good job of breaking the puck out,” Potulny noted after the game, and the Wolf Pack’s ability to handle the puck has come a long way since the start of the season.
The defense is also bought into the structure, where they limit shots and play the rebounds well. It’s allowed them to close out games with the lead, something they had an issue with in the past. “A theme is we’ve been giving up a ton of breakaways, and tonight we gave up zero,” Garand noted after the game.
The Wolf Pack is in a fight with the Islanders and the Springfield Thunderbirds at the bottom of the division. They’ve looked hapless multiple times this season, but maybe, just maybe, they are putting it all together. “I certainly hope so,” Potulny stated after the fourth win in five games. They have a tough one ahead against the Toronto Marlies, and as a team that’s struggled in the second game of back-to-backs, it will be telling of where they stand.
