#MatthewHighmore

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SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS BLANK HARTFORD WOLF PACK

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – After a thrilling comeback victory in last night's contest over the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Hartford Wolf Pack returned to the XL Center on Saturday night looking for the weekend sweep. However, the Pack couldn't figure out veteran netminder Garret Sparks, who made 21 saves in a 4-0 decision for the T-Birds. Nikita Alexandrov potted the eventual game-winner for the Thunderbirds just over fourteen minutes into the opening stanza. Alexandrov deflected a pass from Scott Perunovich past the glove of Dylan Garand to give Springfield a lead they would not give up. The goal stood as Alexandrov's second game-winning tally in the campaign. The Thunderbirds tacked on a pair of goals midway through the second period. Mathias Laferriere and Adam Gaudette took a two-on-one rush opportunity into the Hartford zone. Laferriere opted to shoot the puck, which Garand denied. However, Garand couldn't hang onto the rebound, and Gaudette buried the puck into the Wolf Pack net to push the Springfield lead to two. Laferriere added a goal of his own just over a minute later. With Jake Leschyshyn in the box for interference, one of just two powerplays in the contest, Laferriere tipped a Matthew Highmore pass into the Hartford net, pushing the T-Birds lead to three. Highmore's assist was his team-leading 41st of the season. The Wolf Pack got a powerplay opportunity after Greg Printz was called for hooking at 3:38 of the third period, but Hartford could not capitalize on the man advantage. Hugh McGing capped off the scoring at 14:44 of the final stanza, lighting the lamp with a one-timer from just outside the right circle. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team's inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK PREPARE FOR HUGE WEEKEND

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack open their fourth and final three-in-three set of the season tonight as they welcome the Springfield Thunderbirds to town for the latest installment of the 'I-91 Rivalry'. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.  Tale of The Tape: This is the tenth of twelve meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Thunderbirds this season. The sides will meet Saturday night at the XL Center at 6:00 p.m. to wrap up a back-to-back set. The season series concludes on April 15th at the MassMutual Center. The Thunderbirds have won three in a row in the season series, recently taking a 4-2 decision in stunning fashion on March 17th in Hartford. Anton Blidh and Will Cuylle scored just 4:32 and 5:55 into the game to put the Wolf Pack ahead 2-0. That score would be through forty minutes, as Hartford largely controlled the game. The Thunderbirds managed only five shots in the third period but made them count. Will Bitten scored at 6:21 and 11:41 of the frame, potting each of the club's first two shots to tie the affair. Martin Frk blasted a point shot that was tipped by Matthew Highmore for the eventual game-winner on the powerplay at 14:39, while Bitten completed his hat trick into an empty net. The Wolf Pack are just 1-2-0-1 at home against the Thunderbirds this season and 2-5-0-2 against the club overall. The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, have points in eight of the first nine meetings with a record of 7-1-0-1.  Wolf Pack Outlook: In their last outing, the Wolf Pack scored a massive 3-2 victory on Saturday night against the Bridgeport Islanders. Cole Bardreau scored just 58 seconds in for the Isles, burying the night's first shot. However, the Pack settled things down and used a three-goal outburst in the second period to nab two points. Jonny Brodzinski tied the game 29 seconds into the second period on a powerplay, then Ryan Carpenter put Hartford ahead at 7:54 following a turnover in the Bridgeport zone. Brodzinski tacked on his second goal of the night at 17:06, converting on a partial breakaway. Ruslan Iskhakov got the Isles within one at 1:58 of the third, but the Hartford penalty kill would go three-for-three in the period, and Louis Domingue made ten saves to secure the win. On Tuesday, the Wolf Pack signed forward Brett Berard to an amateur tryout (ATO) for the remainder of the season. Berard also inked a three-year, entry-level deal with the parent New York Rangers (NHL) that starts with the 2023-24 season. He will wear #27. Cuylle leads the Wolf Pack in both points with 37 (21 g, 16 a) and goals with 21.   Thunderbirds Outlook: The Thunderbirds dropped their second straight game on Sunday, 3-2, in a shootout to the Providence Bruins in Rhode Island. The loss completed a 1-1-0-1 weekend for the club, who was swept in a home-and-home by the B's. Adam Gaudette opened the scoring 7:10 into the second period, giving the club a lead they took into the final frame. Joona Koppanen struck at 10:02 and 17:21, however, putting the Bruins in the driver's seat. Mathias Laferriere tied the game with a powerplay goal at 19:00, securing a big point for the T-Birds. However, overtime solved nothing, and the sides went to a shootout, where Koppanen completed his afternoon with the dagger in the third round. Vadim Zherenko made 53 saves in the shootout loss for the T-Birds. Zherenko is 6-0-2 in his last eight starts for the club. Frk leads the T-Birds in both points with 56 (27 g, 29 a) and goals with 27. His 27 goals are tied for fifth most in the entire AHL, two off the league lead.  Game Information:  WATCH: AHLTV LISTEN: Mixlr Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have 'Wolf Pack Pregame' starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. The Pack is back at the XL Center tomorrow night, March 25th, when the Thunderbirds return to town for the final time this season. The puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS VISIT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack continue a massive week of Atlantic Division tilts tonight when they welcome the rival Springfield Thunderbirds to the XL Center. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr.  Tale of The Tape: This is the ninth of twelve meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Thunderbirds this season. The sides will meet again a week from tonight on March 24th right back at the XL Center. That will open a back-to-back set, as the rivals will faceoff on March 25th, also in Hartford. The season series wraps up on April 15th at the MassMutual Center. The Thunderbirds have won two in a row in the season series, recently taking a 4-0 decision on March 8th. Mathias Laferriere opened the scoring 16:30 into the game, pouncing on a rebound for a powerplay goal. The goal would be enough on that night, as it stood as the game-winner. Matthew Peca tacked on insurance with a shorthanded goal 55 seconds in the middle stanza, while Matthew Highmore and Martin Frk both lit the lamp in the third period. Joel Hofer collected his second consecutive shutout against the Wolf Pack, making 31 saves. The Wolf Pack are just 2-4-0-2 against the T-Birds this season. Springfield has won two of three meetings in Hartford, including a 2-1 shootout decision on December 31st. Hartford’s lone win at home this season was a 2-1 shootout decision on November 9th.  Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack snapped their four-game losing streak with a comeback victory over the Bridgeport Islanders on Wednesday night, 7-5. Trailing 4-3 after two periods, the Wolf Pack scored four unanswered goals in the third to take a lead they never lost. Ryan Carpenter tied the affair 1:39 into the third period, while Tim Gettinger put Hartford ahead at 6:15. Jonny Brodzinski blasted home the eventual game-winner at 12:59, then Tanner Fritz hit an empty net at 17:08. Brodzinski (2 g, 1 a), Will Cuylle (1 g, 2 a), and Will Lockwood (3 a) all recorded three points in the win. Cuylle’s goal was his 20th of the season, while Lockwood’s three assists gave him his first multi-point game with the club. Ty Emberson also registered two helpers. The victory gave the Wolf Pack 61 points on the season, moving them within a point of the Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. Cuylle leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 36 points (20 g, 16 a) on the campaign. His 20 goals pace the club in that category.   Thunderbirds Outlook: The Thunderbirds rattled off their third consecutive victory on Saturday night, defeating the Laval Rocket 5-2. Frk and John Parker-Jones traded first period goals at 6:36 and 16:47, respectively, setting up a 1-1 tie heading into the final 20 minutes. That’s when Austin Osmanski played hero, lighting the lamp for the first time this season 3:59 into the final stanza to give the T-Birds a lead they would not lose. Frk extended the lead at 4:31, potting his second of the night and the eventual game-winner, while Hugh McGing also found twine. Frk completed the hat trick at 17:04, sinking a shot into the empty net. The Thunderbirds sit fourth in the Atlantic Division with 68 points on the season, seven points ahead of the Wolf Pack for a playoff spot. Frk leads the Thunderbirds in scoring with 53 points (26 g, 27 a) on the season. His 26 goals are the most among Thunderbirds skaters. Game Information:  WATCH: AHLTV LISTEN: Mixlr Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. The Wolf Pack return to action tomorrow night when they visit the Bridgeport Islanders for round ten of the ‘Battle of Connecticut’. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage of this crucial tilt will be available on AHLTV and Mixlr. The Pack is back at the XL Center next Friday, March 24th, when the Thunderbirds return to town. Join us for $2 beers and $1 hot dogs until the end of the first intermission. Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK LOSE SHOOTOUT TO SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS

By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack  SPRINGFIELD, MA – Louis Domingue made a season-high 42 saves, dazzling for 65 minutes on Friday night at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Joel Hofer was up to the task as well, making 27 saves of his own in a shutout effort to help the Thunderbirds to a 1-0 shootout victory. Matthew Peca broke a 1-1 tie in the top half of the seventh round of the shootout, snapping a shot over the glove of Louis Domingue to convert his first shootout attempt of the season. Bobby Trivigno had a chance to tie the game in the bottom half of the seventh round, but Hofer denied Trivigno to preserve Springfield’s second shootout victory over the Wolf Pack this season. The story on this night was the goaltenders. After a solid first road period in which they outshot the Thunderbirds 10-7, the Wolf Pack relied on their goaltender to help them navigate the final 45 minutes of action. Domingue made 16 saves in the second period, then turned aside 13 more shots in the final frame. Hofer had a solid final 45 minutes as well. The goaltender made eight saves in the second period and seven more in the final stanza, including several high-danger chances. Like Domingue, the Wolf Pack penalty kill had a night to remember. The Wolf Pack killed all five penalties taken on this evening, including a full two-minute four-on-three powerplay in overtime. Domingue was terrific in the extra session, making six saves, including a spectacular denial on Hugh McGing. After the penalty kill and Domingue navigated overtime, the Wolf Pack and Thunderbirds required a shootout for the third time this season. After the first ten shooters were unsuccessful, Matthew Highmore put the Thunderbirds ahead with a shot that beat Domingue. With the game hanging in the balance, the Wolf Pack turned to veteran defenseman Adam Clendening, who was making his debut with the team. Clendening beat Hofer by the glove, forcing a seventh round. Unfortunately for the Wolf Pack, that’s when Peca would strike to put the Thunderbirds ahead for good. Hofer would deny Trivigno to snap the Pack’s four-game winning streak. Hartford did, however, extend their point streak to five games. They are 3-0-0-1 on their current five-game road trip. The Wolf Pack conclude their longest road trip of the season tomorrow night when they visit the Bridgeport Islanders. The puck drop is set for 7:00 pm. The Pack return to the XL Center on Sunday, March 5th, for a matinee matchup with the Charlotte Checkers. The puck drop is set for 3:00 pm. To get tickets, visit hartfordwolfpack.com. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK AND SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS PRE-GAME

PRE-GAME REPORT: HARTFORD WOLF PACK AND SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS SET TO RENEW ‘I-91 RIVALRY’ By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Hartford Wolf Pack continue their five-game road trip tonight as they make the short trek north to Massachusetts for a mid-week battle against the rival Springfield Thunderbirds. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage is available on both AHLTV and Mixlr. Tale of The Tape: This is the sixth of twelve meetings between the Wolf Pack and the Thunderbirds this season. It is the third of six visits to the MassMutual Center for the Wolf Pack and the first since December 28th. The sides will next meet on March 3rd, back in Springfield. That will be the first of five meetings in March between the rivals. They’ll meet in Springfield on March 8th, then play at the XL Center in Hartford on March 17th, 24th, and 25th. The season series will come to a close on April 15th in Springfield. The Thunderbirds claimed a 2-1 victory in the last meeting between the rivals on New Year’s Eve. Will Bitten broke the ice 11:19 into the hockey game, snapping his tenth goal of the season by Louis Domingue. Matthew Robertson responded with his third goal of the campaign just 8:07 into the middle stanza, evening the affair. The Wolf Pack outshot the Thunderbirds 8-4 in the final twenty minutes, but Joel Hofer slammed the door shut to preserve a point for the visitors. After a thrilling three-on-three overtime, the sides headed to the shootout for the second time in the season series. This time, the Thunderbirds would prevail as Jake Neighbours scored the lone goal of the skills competition. Hofer, meanwhile, denied all three Hartford shooters. The Thunderbirds hold a record of 4-0-0-1 through the first five meetings this season. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, are just 1-3-0-1. The Thunderbirds have won both meetings in Springfield, outscoring the Wolf Pack by a 12-5 margin.  Wolf Pack Outlook: The Wolf Pack rattled off their second straight comeback victory on Sunday evening, stunning the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by a final score of 6-4. Trailing 3-1 after forty minutes, the Pack struck five times in the final frame to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Will Cuylle struck 7:16 into the period on the powerplay to make it a 3-2 game, but Garrett Wilson would complete the hat-trick for the Phantoms just 2:08 later, making it a 4-2 affair. Gustav Rydahl scored a hat-trick of his own, making it a 4-3 game at 12:50 and then tying the affair via a one-timer from the top of the crease at 15:32. Libor Hájek broke the tie at 18:00, while Turner Elson hit the empty net at 19:25 to cement the comeback victory. Hájek’s goal came after a scrum in front of the net, as Elson pushed the puck into the slot for the defenseman to fire home his first AHL goal since March 1st, 2020. After not winning a game all season when trailing by two goals or more in the third period, Hartford did it twice in less than 24 hours over the weekend. The Pack also defeated the Providence Bruins by a score of 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night after trailing 2-0 in the final frame. Tanner Fritz leads the Wolf Pack in scoring with 30 points (4 g, 26 a) on the season. Fritz’s 26 assists also lead the club in that category. He registered three assists in the third period of Sunday’s win. Cuylle, meanwhile, leads the club in goals with 16. Forward Bobby Trivigno has multiple points in back-to-back games. After scoring a goal and an assist on Saturday, Trivigno had two helpers in the third period on Sunday. The Wolf Pack are 6-0-0-0 when he scores two or more points in a game.  Thunderbirds Outlook: The Thunderbirds also concluded their three-in-three weekend positively with a victory on Sunday. The T-Birds edged the Bruins 3-2 in Rhode Island. Georgii Merkulov gave the Bruins a lead 17:23 into the hockey game, but the T-Birds scored twice in the middle frame to take their own lead. Former Bruin Brady Lyle tied the affair 5:43 into the second with a powerplay goal, then Mitchell Hoelscher put the T-Birds ahead with his sixth goal of the season at the 8:43 mark. However, Justin Brazeau responded for the home side, striking at 18:36 to send the game to the third period deadlocked at two. That’s where Hoelscher would strike for the second time, popping home the game-winning goal at 5:34. The win earned the Thunderbirds a 1-1-1-0 record on the weekend. Matthew Highmore leads the Thunderbirds in points with 46 (12 g, 34 a) on the season. He is currently with the parent St. Louis Blues (NHL) after being recalled late last week. Martin Frk leads active skaters with 44 points (19 g, 25 a). Forward Adam Gaudette, acquired via trade on Friday from Toronto, leads the club in goals with 20.  Game Information:  WATCH: AHLTV LISTEN: Mixlr Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack, Alex Thomas, will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:50 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr. To hear Alex’s call of the game, click the ‘away audio’ button when selecting tonight’s game. The Wolf Pack continue their road trip on Saturday night when they make their lone visit of the season to Syracuse to take on the Crunch. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. The Pack is back at the XL Center on Sunday, March 5th, when they welcome the Charlotte Checkers to town for a 3:00 p.m. puck drop. Join us on ‘Youth Jersey Giveaway Day’ and be sure to stick around postgame for autographs with Wolf Pack players. Tickets are available at hartfordwolfpack.com. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS MAKE HISTORY

By: Sam Zis, Howlings Springfield, MA – The Springfield Thunderbirds set a franchise record with their seventh straight win after defeating the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4-2 at the MassMutual Center on Friday night.   The T-Birds started quickly. After missing a high-quality scoring opportunity in the first minute, Keean Washkurak found the back of the net just four minutes into the game. The sneaky wrister found its way past the Penguins' starting goaltender, Taylor Gauthier. A recent AHL All-Star selection Matthew Highmore continued the early offense with a power play goal halfway through the first period. Highmore caught a pass from Matthew Peca and threaded the needle with a beautiful between-the-legs play past Gauthier.  With 2:45 left in the first, the Penguins cut the lead in half with a power play goal of their own. The Thunderbirds took a controversial Too Many Men penalty, which the Penguins capitalized on off a crazy double-deflection goal that was awarded to Colin Swoyer. At the first intermission, the Penguins were outshooting the Thunderbirds 14-10, despite trailing on the scoreboard 2-1. Springfield came out of the gates hard to start the second period. The Thunderbirds dominated play and peppered Gauthier with quality shots but couldn’t solve him. The Penguins didn't get their first shot on goal in the period until a slapshot into the glove of Thunderbirds goaltender Vadim Zherenko with only 8;42 left in the second period. The Thunderbirds' domination in the second period resulted in a power play goal with 5 minutes to play in the period as American Hockey League veteran Martin Frk buried a slapshot top shelf past Gauthier for his 16th of the season. The Thunderbirds flipped the shot total on the Penguins 25-22 after 40 minutes.  The Thunderbirds aimed to defend their lead in the third period; but, the Penguins had different ideas. Only 4 minutes into the period Penguins forward Alex Nylander snipped a blast past Zherenko to cut the lead down to one. With the Penguins pressing, the Thunderbirds found themselves on their heels being forced to fend off a flurry of shots only two minutes after Nylander's goal. The physical game heated up as the period progressed. The Penguins were frustrated by their lack of scoring chances, due to a smothering defensive performance by the Thunderbirds.  The Thunderbirds sealed the deal with Peca's empty-netter with 44 seconds left in the game. After the game, T-Birds Head Coach Drew Bannister praised his leadership group and the team's hard work. Washkurak's energy and physical play were very impressive throughout the contest. Bannister described him as, “a workhorse from day one.”  The Thunderbirds look to extend their streak to eight Saturday night when they face off against the Bridgeport Islanders in the team's highly popular, "Springfield Isotopes game."  SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS HOME Read the full article