Hartford Wolf Pack Are Playing Smart Hockey in Time for Late Playoff Push

The 5-2 Hartford Wolf Pack win on Tuesday night was a reminder that, just when they are ready to be counted out, they surprise everyone and win a big game. The Charlotte Checkers are one of the best teams in the Atlantic Division and the American Hockey League, yet the Wolf Pack upset them on the road to remain within striking distance of a playoff spot. 

This version of the Wolf Pack is different. It’s not a more skilled group, and it’s arguably worse than it was before the trade deadline. That said, the Wolf Pack are playing the right way, and it’s allowing them to stay in the hunt, trailing both the Bridgeport Islanders and the Springfield Thunderbirds by only four points. 

The trade deadline is always a chaotic time, and that’s no expectation for the AHL players. Aidan Thompson was in San Diego at the Rockford IceHogs morning skate when he found out he had to pack up everything and head to Hartford. Keep in mind, there are no direct flights from San Diego to Hartford, so the 24-year-old forward had to take a connecting flight across the country and spend 11 hours traveling to join the team. 

Now, Thompson is a regular in the lineup, and he adds something different. He’s a playmaker on the wing who, notably, adds a smart element to his game. His smart play is something the Wolf Pack have lacked all season. 

Thompson sets the time, and the entire team follows. The Wolf Pack have looked better since his arrival and have been more responsible with the puck, and it showed in their five-goal performance against the Checkers on Tuesday night.  

Trey Fix-Wolansky’s move to center has changed a lot for the Wolf Pack. The move happened out of necessity with Justin Dowling out of the lineup, yet it’s given the team a top line to lean on and, more importantly, it’s allowed Fix-Wolansky to make an impact in the middle of the ice. He had a six-game stretch where he scored seven goals and six assists, and the recent game saw him score twice to lead the way in the win. 

The question head coach Grant Potulny had before the switch was whether he could defend the position, and he’s not only done so, but he’s turned defense into offense. “I think when you’re in the middle of the rink, you have more opportunities to get around pucks,” Potulny noted in a conversation with The Hockey News, and it’s made Fix-Wolansky’s game fit with the position change. 

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With Fix-Wolansky at center, the Wolf Pack can move everyone else down in the lineup. Dylan Roobroeck, who is having a sophomore slump, has less pressure to carry a top-six line. Carey Terrence, a defense-first center, plays the third line well. While the Wolf Pack miss Dowling’s playmaking, they are finally winning games up the middle. 

This is a last-place team for a reason or many reasons to be specific. They don’t defend well and lack the scoring depth needed to catch up in the standings. Plus, the injuries are starting to pile up at the worst time, and it’s why Brody Lamb, a college signee, is suddenly a vital player in the team’s playoff hopes. 

And in spite of that, the Wolf Pack are only four points out of a playoff spot, so they remain within striking distance. The key for them is to steal a few games, like the one they stole against the Checkers. The only other thing they must hope for is a collapse from the Islanders or Thunderbirds, two teams that are more than capable of doing so.