Wolf Pack Clinch First Calder Cup Playoff Berth Since 2015

On Saturday evening, the Hartford Wolf Pack punched their ticket to the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, defeating the Providence Bruins 5-3. The scoring started for Hartford just under three minutes into the game as Turner Elson scored his 14th of the season. Wolf Pack defenseman Zac Jones was skating hard down the ice and was able to send a backdoor pass to Elson that he would then burry behind Bruins’ goaltender Kyle Keyser. However, following the goal Providence would score two quick goals to take a 2-1 lead midway through the opening period until Elson lit the lamp for his second goal of the game. Hartford’s overall play improved after the second goal by the Bruins, as they forced a couple of turnovers. Eventually, the puck would find Elson, and he then fired a shot from the top of the crease that would beat Keyser once again.

The lone goal of the second period came off the stick of Ryan Carpenter as he buried a rebound off the initial shot from Tim Gettinger, giving the Wolf Pack the lead and one they wouldn’t lose for the remainder of the game. The Wolf Pack scored two goals in the third period: Libor Hajek and Tanner Fritz. However, the Bruins would net another one this time, scored by Josiah Didier.

As the final horn sounded, the Wolf Pack had claimed victory via a final score of 5-3, thus clinching their first playoff berth since 2015. Currently, the Wolf Pack sit in 6th place in the Atlantic Division with 79 points, with them one behind the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Springfield Thunderbird, and Charlotte Checkers. The Wolf Pack will return to the XL Center for the final time in the regular season on Friday, April 14th, as they welcome in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with puck drop scheduled for 7 pm.