AHL Hartford's Defense Offers Two-Way Value for Goalies – Hockey Writers – Hartford Wolf Pack

The Hartford Wolf Pack won their November 15th game, 4-2 against the Charlotte Checkers – they needed a win to turn their month around. They are 1-4 in their last five games and are in sixth place in the Atlantic Division. They took care of a good Checkers team with four goals coming from their defence.

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The defensive unit is far from the strength of the Wolf Pack. They are allowing 3.46 goals per game and have come into their own by allowing 10 goals in their last two games. However, there are some very good skaters on defense that could transform the unit, especially since Victor Mancini was recently brought back to the New York Rangers. This team hosts the Wolf Pack against the Checkers and will be a key part of their success this season.

The Wolf Pack's Two-Way Play

A noticeable difference in the way the defense played in the last game was the way they put the net. They were shooting the puck at the green line and hoping for the best and the best was the last thing they saw. Connor Mackey scored in the first period by sliding the puck from the blue line into the top corner of the net and Brandon Scanlin scored in the third period by shooting the puck from the point.

Mancini's goal symbolized the luck that came from putting the goal in when he shot it from behind the net and crossed the Checkers' goalkeeper, Chris Driedger, into the goal. Then came the exclamation point, when captain Casey Fitzgerald took the puck deep in the defense and fired it into an empty net to secure a 4-2 victory.

It wasn't just the scoring, but the way the defense used offense and possession to take over the game. Head coach Grant Potulny commented after the game that “They won't be able to score if we have the puck,” and the defensive players' ability to hold it in the offensive zone and keep it away from the Checkers went a long way in this game.

The offensive end of the ice skill will make the difference for the Wolf Pack, a team eager to move up in the Atlantic Division. However, strong play from the defense trumps skill. They should shut down opponents the way they did in their last game, allowing just two goals on 23 shots.

Wolf Pack Shutting Down Opponents

“I knew very well that they averaged 4.50 goals per game,” Potulny said of the Checkers, a team with one of the best offenses in the American Hockey League (AHL). The Checkers are an affiliate of the Stanley Cup winning Florida Panthers and have many forwards capable of adding offense to an NHL team. Stopping their offense was the priority and the Wolf Pack did just that.

The defense created a lot of turnovers and limited shots on net in part due to the way they played in the defensive zone. “We kept ourselves on the ice outside,” and Potulny made the skaters stop the Checkers from getting more dangerous chances. With Louis Domingue in net, the goal was to force difficult shots on net and play in the frame to prevent the Checkers from getting easy scoring opportunities.

Defensemen step up on both ends of the ice but the key is to shut down big offenses if they hope to be a force. They play fast and can create turnovers but the big thing is blocking shots and being in a good spot on defense. It's something the Wolf Pack is still working on.

Where Defense Can Improve

Inconsistencies are a problem, not just from game to game but within games as well. The Wolf Pack would eliminate the Syracuse Crunch in a 2-1 victory on November 6 and allow six goals on November 8 to the Rochester Americans. In addition, the defense will create an advantage in the defensive position and allow the opponent to easily shoot at the net or the position will allow the opponents an easy goal.

“We're not where we need to be all the time,” Potulny said of the AHL as a league compared to the NHL, but it couldn't be more true of the Wolf Pack's defense. They will allow teams to find shooting lanes and fill up on goals and that's why the defense, despite a solid game, is still one of the worst in the league.

The AHL versus the NHL is still fresh in every defenseman's mind, especially Mancini's. “That part of the step with speed, you have to make your decisions quickly,” and the small gap of the Wolf Pack that may have its defense from good to great, and many skaters in the unit can be NHL level. if they take their game up another note.

How This Team Will Help The Rangers

The Rangers still have a third team and a seventh defenseman to deal with. Zachary Jones is up and Chad Ruhwedel was called up from the AHL as an extra defenseman, but there are plenty of prospects who can step in and play those roles.

Scanlin is a 25-year-old who has stepped up all season. Fitzgerald was named captain of the Wolf Pack and along with scoring goals from distance, proved he could add a leadership presence to the lineup. Mancini was with the Rangers earlier in the season and is playing with the Wolf Pack as a travel swingman.

The Rangers have the best defense in the NHL. Adam Fox is a perennial Norris Trophy winner and K'Andre Miller is a defensive end. However, they can always use another deep skater to round out the unit and the Wolf Pack has a few to choose from.