Hartford Wolf Pack Offense Will Be Fine Without Brett Berard – Hockey Writers – Hartford Wolf Pack

When it rains, it pours. That's what happened during the battle of Dec. 4 of Connecticut. It was a 3-1 game after the second, but the Hartford Wolf Pack scored three goals in the third to come away with a 6-1 victory over the Bridgeport Islanders. The Wolf Pack entered the game with four straight losses, and without a win on the road, so the performance was a statement for a team looking to make a berth in the Atlantic Division.

The game was highlighted by Alex Belzile's hat trick, “it feels good, but it feels better to get a win on the road,” he said after the game. The veteran stepped up and got his shot to lift the offense, which entered the game averaging just 2.84 points per game.

The offense is struggling this season, but if it improves, the team will reach the top, except for Brett Berard, who has seven goals and six assists. The young player was called up to the American Hockey League (AHL) to play for the New York Rangers, leaving the Wolf Pack without one of its top players. “If a boy is called like that, it is an opportunity for other players,” Belzile commented, it showed.

Belzile's role in the case

Although Belzile has 12 assists, he is a shooter from the wing and creates goals with his love of goals. His first two goals against the Islanders came on open looks from the faceoff circle on the power play to boost the AHL's 29th-ranked man advantage.

His third goal showed how he can take over the game. The Wolf Pack were playing a big role, and with the puck in the air, Belzile skated to the net, waiting for a mid-range pass from the other wing. And so the game went on, then he deflected the puck over the net to let the hats fall to the ice (the game was in Bridgeport, so the hats were small).

Belzile is a veteran in the leading team. He sets the tone for the offense, and his play is reflected in the younger skaters on the ice. The Wolf Pack likes to move the puck all over the offensive zone and create open shots with ice and intermediate passes. Belzile noted that “quick puck movement was the key” to the Islanders win, and he leads the way as a wing passer.

Groulx's play

There was a common theme in the game against the Islanders. Victor Mancini would have a point on the point and passed it to Benoit-Olivier Groulx, who would get Belzile a goal. Groulx had four assists against the Islanders, and outside of Belzile, he was the strongest player on the ice.” Right now, Bo was giving me good passes. He is a top quality player, especially on the power play,” said Belzile, which helped fuel the three goals for a man.

Groulx's passing will boost the Wolf Pack and, more importantly, bring life back to a power play that has been lacking all season. The strategy was the same, using cross-ice passes as the unit's cornerstone, but the execution was now better. “We do the same things. We make the same plays, sometimes, the puck goes in,” Belzile commented.

With Berard in the NHL, Groulx must step up, create scoring opportunities and find open skaters from the wing. He has eight goals this season, and if he doesn't get an open look on Belzile's passes, he often finds an open teammate on the other wing, something Berard has been known to do in the senior lineup at the start of the season.

Continuous Development of Rempe

This season, Matt Rempe was called up to the NHL roster for one or two games, playing a few minutes before being sent back to the AHL to develop. It's normal, as the Rangers hope to provide a spark (or drop the gloves) on a team that has a 4-6-0 record in its last ten games. He's back with the Wolf Pack now, and the goal is for him to use his size and ability to be a well-rounded forward.

Forechecking and defense are Rempe's strengths, providing the Wolf Pack with a good forechecking presence in the forward group. “A lot of it is about winning the battle,” Belzile noted, and Rempe, along with Jaroslav Chmelar, helped the team win puck battles and earn a legacy. That said, Rempe is getting more comfortable and is starting to find his role in the attack.

After six games, Rempe had a goal and an assist in Nov. 16 against the Providence Bruins for his first two points of the season. In a recent game against the Islanders, he scored his third career goal. He gets to the net and finishes his scoring chances, and should be a key part of an offense looking to turn the corner.

The Wolf Pack Aren't The Only Outrage From The Front

The defense is struggling, 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, while Fitzgerald added his eighth assist of the season. The Wolf Pack doesn't move its offense from the point, but if the puck finds defenders, it can find open skaters and put the puck in the net.

The Wolf Pack needed a win to snap a four-game winning streak in which they have scored a combined eight goals. They can put together a run now and earn a spot in the top flight. Although 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 for the top spot.