The Hartford Wolf Pack have one of the worst offenses in the American Hockey League (AHL). They average only 2.60 goals per game, and it’s one of the many reasons they sit in last place in the Atlantic Division. It also reflects poorly on the last-place New York Rangers and the organizational failure that has the fans frustrated.
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The Wolf Pack have turned things around lately. In the past three games, they’ve scored 13 goals with four or more in each game. It’s allowed them to win three straight, including a dramatic 12-round shootout victory on Saturday night. It’s been a rough season for the Pack, yet things are improving, notably on the offensive end for a team looking to make a late-season push for the playoffs.
Wolf Pack Are Turning Defense Into Offense
A handful of the Wolf Pack goals have come off the rush. “We shortened the rink to generate some odd-man rushes,” head coach Grant Potulny noted after the recent win. It’s a sign that they can create turnovers and turn them into offense. Yes, the aggressive mindset in the defensive zone results in goals the other way but it’s given them a spark for an offense that’s lacked one all season.
The Wolf Pack are a team that operates best in space. Certainly, that’s the case with Trey Fix-Wolansky and Brennan Othmann, the two skilled forwards who connected on the fourth goal in the recent game with a two-on-one rush chance. They are getting the rush chances thanks to their defense and making the most of them. “The way we’re playing zone defense, we’re able to turn pucks over and turn them back quickly,” Fix-Wolansky added after the game.
The rush offense isn’t sustainable in the AHL. The games slow down and tightens up down the stretch, making it hard to find space. However, the few chances the Wolf Pack are getting, they are making the most of them.
Defense is Helping The Offense
The defensemen are helping out the offense with their play in the neutral zone and at the point. Two of the goals against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday night came from their blue liners getting the puck to the net. “The first two were the deep shots, and we got a bounce on one of them,” Potulny added after the recent win.
Likewise, the first goal on the Feb. 21 game against the Belleville Senators came from the defense. Brandon Scanlin took the puck in the defensive zone and carried it up the ice to set up a breakaway goal the other way to not only give the Wolf Pack the early game momentum but also allow them to go on a heater offensively.
The defense has been better overall lately, for that matter. Yes, they give up scoring chances but they’ve been a talented unit, and it shows. The Travis Dermott addition has helped them, and likewise, Scanlin is playing his best hockey. “I think our movement in the offensive zone, I think our defense has gotten more involved,” Fix-Wolansky added when talking about what’s changed, and the defense opening things up has given them that extra spark.
Wolf Pack Are Getting an NHL Boost
It’s helped having Othmann and Brett Berard in the lineup at the same time. Both wingers have been up and down from the NHL and AHL all season, and lately, have spent a handful of games with the Wolf Pack. The duo has added an extra layer of scoring to the offense and, more importantly, allows forwards like Dylan Roobroeck and Jaroslav Chemlar to play a more defensive and forechecking role in the forward unit.
The Rangers sent both skaters down recently, and they can get called back up any day but presumably, they’ll stay with the AHL team until the trade deadline. For both players, it’s a good thing as they’ll get more ice time while helping out the Wolf Pack, who want to instill a winning culture.
Some lines are also starting to form some chemistry that’s been building up all season. The Justin Dowling and Chmelar duo has been particularly dynamic lately, even though they’ve spent a lot of time together this season. Potulny talked about the duo all season, noting that they have contrasting skill sets yet work well together, and it’s paying off late in the season.
It’s been a rough season for the Pack. That said, they are only six points out of the fifth-place spot in the Atlantic Division and are in a good spot to make up that ground. If they do, it will come from strong play offensively, which they’ve shown capable of doing lately.
