Jan 8, 2024
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack kicked off the 2024 calendar year with three road games in four days. The club played their first Thursday night game of the season against the Bridgeport Islanders, then trekked to Pennsylvania for a pair of contests.
Although the weekend ended in defeat, the Wolf Pack came away with two victories over divisional opponents to begin the New Year.
Thursday, January 4th, 2024, @ Bridgeport Islanders (3-2 W): Artem Anisimov scored his first regular-season goal as a member of the Wolf Pack since 2009 just 1:13 into the third period to break a 2-2 tie on Thursday night. The goal would stand as the game-winner, Anisimov’s first with Hartford in the regular season since March 27th, 2009, at Albany.
Matt Rempe opened the scoring 2:28 into the contest, while Brett Berard buried a powerplay goal from the right-wing circle 4:29 into the middle frame.
The Wolf Pack went one-for-one on the powerplay, while their penalty kill stood strong with a four-for-five effort.
Dylan Garand picked up his second win at Total Mortgage Arena this season, making 28 saves.
The win was the Wolf Pack’s second straight victory, both coming over the Islanders. It marked the first time since December 1st and 2nd, both against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, that Hartford had won back-to-back games.
This was also the second straight game in which the Wolf Pack used an early third-period goal to break a 2-2 tie. They pulled the same trick on the Isles at the XL Center on December 30th.
The Wolf Pack are now 2-0-0-0 at Total Mortgage Arena this season and have won five straight games in Bridgeport.
Saturday, January 6th, 2024, @ Hershey Bears (5-3 W): It was a physical, intense, emotional game on Saturday night at the Giant Center in Hershey as the Wolf Pack and Bears met for the first time since the 2023 Atlantic Division Final last May.
Jake Leschyshyn got the Wolf Pack on the board 11:30 into the game, pushing home a rebound on the powerplay for his second goal of the season.
The defending Calder Cup Champions tied the game just over six minutes later via a double deflection, then took a 3-1 lead early in the second period. In just 39 seconds, a 1-1 game became a 3-1 lead for the Bears when Jimmy Huntington and Henrik Rybinski lit the lamp at 1:37 and 2:16, respectively.
Despite facing the top team in the AHL this season, who on top of being the defending Calder Cup Champions also had a six-game…
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