When it rains, it pours. That’s what happened during the Dec. 4 Battle of Connecticut. It was a 3-1 game after the second, but the Hartford Wolf Pack scored three goals in the third to pull away with a 6-1 win over the Bridgeport Islanders. The Wolf Pack entered the game with four consecutive losses, and without a win on the road, so the performance was a statement for a team looking to make up ground in the Atlantic Division.
The game was highlighted by Alex Belzile’s hat trick, which “feels good, but it feels better to get the win on the road,” he noted after the game. The veteran forward has stepped up and found his shot to lift the offense, which entered the game averaging only 2.84 goals per game.
The offense has struggled this season, but if it improves, the team will make up ground in the standings, even without Brett Berard, who has seven goals and six assists. The young winger was called up from the American Hockey League (AHL) to play for the New York Rangers, which leaves the Wolf Pack without one of their top playmakers. “When a guy gets called up like that, it’s opportunities for other players,” Belzile noted, and it showed.
Belzile’s Role in the Offense
While Belzile has 12 assists, he’s a shooter from the wing and creates goals with his scoring instincts. His first two goals against the Islanders came with open looks from the face-off circle on the power play to boost a man advantage that ranks 29th in the AHL.
His third goal showed how he can take over a game. The Wolf Pack were on the power play, and with the puck at the point, Belzile skated to the net, anticipating a centering pass from the opposite wing. That’s how the play unfolded, and he deflected the puck into the net to let the hats fall on the ice (the game was in Bridgeport, so hats were at a minimum).
Belzile’s the veteran of the forward group. He sets the tone for the offense, and his play is reflected in the younger skaters on the ice. The Wolf Pack love to move the puck throughout the offensive zone and create open shots with cross-ice and centering passes. Belzile mentioned that “quick puck movement was key” to the win over the Islanders, and he leads the way as a passer from the wing.
Groulx’s Playmaking
There was a common theme in the game against the Islanders. Victor Mancini would have the puck at the point and pass it to Benoit-Olivier Groulx, who would find Belzile for the goal. Groulx had four assists against the Islanders, and aside from Belzile, he was the most impactful player on the ice.”Right now, Bo’s been giving me great passes. He’s a really great player, especially on the power play,” Belzile mentioned, and it helped fuel the three-goal outburst on the man advantage.
Groulx’s passing will take the Wolf Pack’s offense up a notch and, more importantly, bring life back to a power play that has been hapless all season. The strategy has been the same, using cross-ice passes as the cornerstone of the unit, but the execution is now better. “We’re doing the same things. We’re doing the same plays, and sometimes, the puck goes in,” Belzile noted.
With Berard in the NHL, Groulx must step up, create scoring chances and find open skaters from the wing. He has eight goals on the season, and when he’s not finding open looks off of Belzile passes, he’s often finding his linemate open on the other wing, something Berard was known for doing on the top line earlier in the season.
Rempe’s Continued Development
This season, Matt Rempe has been called up to the NHL roster for a game or two, playing a few minutes before being sent back down to the AHL to develop. It’s a common occurrence, as the Rangers hope he can provide a spark (or drop the gloves) for a team with a 4-6-0 record in their last ten games. He’s back with Wolf Pack for now, and the goal is that he can use his size and ability to become a well-rounded forward.
Forechecking and defense are Rempe’s strengths, providing the Wolf Pack with a great checking presence in the forward group. “A lot of it is about winning the battle,” Belzile noted, and Rempe, along with Jaroslav Chmelar, helps the team to win puck battles and gain possession. That said, Rempe’s becoming more comfortable and starting to figure out his role in the offensive zone.
After six games, Rempe scored a goal and an assist in the Nov. 16 win against the Providence Bruins for his first two points of the season. In the recent game against the Islanders, he scored his third goal from in front. He’s getting to the net and finishing his scoring chances, and he should become a key part of an offense looking to turn a corner.
Wolf Pack Aren’t Only Getting Offense From Forwards
The defense has struggled, allowing 3.45 goals per game, but they continue to create offense from the point. Casey Fitzgerald, Brandon Scanlin, and Matthew Robertson have combined for seven goals and 19 assists this season, and the entire blue line has made an impact.
Mancini had three assists against the Islanders, and Fitzgerald added an assist for his eighth of the season. The Wolf Pack don’t run their offense from the point, but when the puck finds the defensemen, they can find the open skaters and put the puck on the net.
The Wolf Pack needed a win to snap a four-game losing streak where they only scored eight combined goals. They can put together a run now and gain ground in the standings. While they are 9-8-2-1 and in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, they are one of the better teams in the division and have the pieces to make a push in the standings.
