Head-to-head:
This is the first of two meetings on the season between the Wolf Pack and Crunch, the top affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Syracuse’s only regular-season visit to the XL Center. The two clubs will complete the two-game set February 9 in Syracuse. The Wolf Pack swept a two-game season series with the Crunch last year, winning 2-1 in a shootout here in Hartford December 16 and 5-4 in Syracuse five days later. Syracuse’s Adam Erne had 2-3-5 in the two games, to lead both teams in scoring, and Adam Tambellini (2-0-2) was one of five Wolf Pack players tied at two points apiece. All-time vs. the Crunch the Wolf Pack are 15(W)-10(L)-2(T)-2(OTL)-1(SOL) in 30 meetings, and have won the last five games between the two teams. At home, Hartford is 9(W)-3(L)-1(T)-2(OTL) vs. Syracuse, with four straight wins.
Wolf Pack Notebook:
The Wolf Pack (14-15-3-3, 34 pts., .486) put a three-game losing streak to bed last night, with a 3-2 win at Providence. The Wolf Pack took a 3-0 lead into the third-period, then survived a two-goal Bruin rally in the final stanza. Marek Mazanec made 37 saves to help the Wolf Pack to the victory, improving to 5-1-1 since joining the team. Steven Fogarty gave the Wolf Pack a lead they would never relinquish with a goal only 1:20 into the game, and Chris Langkow also scored in the first, exactly six minutes later. That was his first Wolf Pack goal, and gave him a point in consecutive games (1-1-2) for his first time with Hartford. John Gilmour’s goal 2:55 into the second period ended up being the game-winner, after he was named Thursday to the Atlantic Division team for the upcoming 2018 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica. Gilmour has three points (1-2-3) in the last two games and 4-7-11 in the last nine. Joe Whitney had an assist last night, extending a point-scoring streak to three games (2-1-3), and Gabriel Fontaine also had a helper, giving him at least a point in five of the last six (2-4-6).
Crunch Notebook:
This is the second of five straight road games for the Crunch (18-12-1-2, 39 pts., .591), who have been off since a 5-0 win New Year’s Eve in Binghamton. That was Syracuse’s second shutout of the season, both of which have been authored up by rookie netminder Connor Ingram, who posted his second clean sheet in his last four appearances, with 29 saves. Fellow first-year pro Alexander Volkov had his second straight two-goal game, and another rookie, Mitchell Stephens, also scored twice. Team scoring leader Matthew Peca’s (7-19-26 in 33 GP) first-period goal was the only scoring in the first 40 minutes, before the Crunch put up a four-spot in the third. Dennis Yan had two assists, and Carter Verhaeghe added an assist, stretching a point-scoring streak to 12 games (4-11-15), which is tied for the longest in the AHL this season. After starting 4-9-1-2, the Crunch has won 14 of 17 games since Thanksgiving Eve.
Last Night in the AHL:
Wolf Pack 3 @ Providence 2 Rockford 3 @ Grand Rapids 5 Lehigh Valley 2 @ Toronto 3 (SO) Laval 2 @ Utica 5
Belleville 1 @ Binghamton 6 Bridgeport 2 @ Rochester 3 (OT) Springfield 2 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scr. 4 Manitoba 3 @ Chicago 4 (OT)
Iowa 3 @ Milwaukee 4 (SO) Bakersfield 2 @ Texas 3 (OT) Ontario 3 @ Tucson 4 San Jose 0 @ San Diego 5
San Antonio 2 @ Stockton 1 (SO)
Today/Tonight in the AHL (all times Eastern):
Bridgeport @ Toronto (4:00) Charlotte @ Hershey (7:00) Cleveland @ Rockford (7:00) Laval @ Binghamton (7:05)
Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (7:05) Providence @ Springfield (7:05) Belleville @ W-B/Scr. (7:05) Grand Rapids @ Chicago (8:00)
Manitoba @ Iowa (8:00) Bakersfield @ Texas (8:00) San Antonio @ Stockton (9:00) Ontario @ Tucson (9:05)
San Jose @ San Diego (10:00)
New York Rangers Notebook:
The parent New York Rangers (21-14-5, 47 pts.) are at Arizona tonight (8:00), before their first-ever visit to Vegas tomorrow night (9:30). New York is looking to bounce back from a 5-2 loss at Chicago Wednesday night in their last action, after taking a 3-2 overtime decision from the Buffalo Sabres Monday, in the Winter Classic at Citi Field. Nick Holden and Mika Zibanejad scored the Ranger goals Wednesday, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 30 of the 33 shots he faced in the New York net.
Today/Tonight in the NHL (all times Eastern):
NY Rangers @ Arizona (8:00) St. Louis @ Philadelphia (1:00) Edmonton @ Dallas (3:00) Carolina @ Boston (7:00)
Vancouver @ Toronto (7:00) Tampa Bay @ Ottawa (7:00) Minnesota @ Colorado (9:00) Anaheim @ Calgary (10:00)
Nashville @ Los Angeles (10:30)