The Hartford Wolf Pack secured two wins in three games over the weekend, but the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate faced a setback with the loss of a key player. Top prospect Brennan Othmann suffered an upper-body injury during a 5-4 overtime victory against Bridgeport on Saturday, leaving the game in the second period and missing Sunday’s match as well. The Wolf Pack, with a record of 2-1-0-1, has not yet provided any updates on his condition.
Othmann had a strong performance the previous Friday, scoring two goals in a 6-5 home win over Springfield, but was injured during a play involving a check from Bridgeport’s Calle Odelius while on a 2-on-1 rush with Alex Belzile.
The 2021 first-round draft pick has accumulated four points (two goals, two assists) over three games, following a preseason in which he recorded four points (one goal, three assists) across six games with the Rangers. Additionally, defenseman Matthew Robertson and forward Nathan Sucese are dealing with day-to-day injuries. Robertson has one assist in three games, while Sucese has yet to score in his only game this season.
Grant Potulny achieved his first victory as Hartford’s coach on Friday, but the team’s two-game winning streak came to an end on Sunday with a 4-0 shutout against Bridgeport. Overall, winning two out of three games is a solid outcome, particularly considering Hartford’s offensive performance on Friday and Saturday. Forward Brett Berard scored twice on Saturday, bringing his total to four goals and six points in four games, while forward prospect Jaroslav Chmealr had a standout three-point game (two goals, one assist) on Friday. Bo Groulx also achieved a personal best with four points (two goals, two assists) on Saturday.
Defensively, however, Hartford has struggled, allowing a total of 17 goals over four games, which ranks them among the teams with the highest goals against in the AHL. They have conceded at least four goals in each outing. Potulny emphasized the need to enhance team defense, focusing on reducing turnovers, scoring chances, and shots on goal. Opposing teams like Springfield and Bridgeport have exploited defensive lapses, often taking advantage of space and poor positioning by Hartford’s defenders.
Despite having an experienced defense, Hartford must improve its defensive strategies while the offense continues to perform well, ranking 11th in the AHL with 14 total goals. The team cannot rely on scoring four or more goals frequently to secure victories.
Looking ahead, Hartford’s schedule includes a matchup against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m. at the XL Center, marking the second encounter of the season after a prior 4-3 shootout loss on October 12. Lehigh Valley holds a 1-2-0 record after losing two games to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins following their victory against Hartford. Samu Tuomaala leads the Phantoms with three points (one goal, two assists), with notable contributions from Anthony Richard and Rodrigo Abols in their earlier game against the Wolf Pack.
The Wolf Pack will then face the Springfield Thunderbirds on Sunday, October 27 at 4 p.m. at the XL Center. This will be the second of ten meetings this season between the teams, following Hartford’s win on October 18. Springfield enters the week with a 2-3-0 record, having recently split a home-and-home series with Providence. Rookies Dylan Peterson and Dalibor Dvorsky currently lead Springfield in points with four each.
