Hartford Wolf Pack vs Springfield Thunderbirds playoff preview

The Hartford Wolf Pack’s final game of the regular season was on Saturday, featuring a 1-0 shutout loss against their closest rival the Springfield Thunderbirds, who snapped the Pack’s 8-game winning streak.

Prior to the completion of Sunday’s slate, the Wolf Pack had two scenarios for the opening round of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. They could play the opening best of three series against Springfield or the Charlotte Checkers. Once Providence beat Springfield, it set the stage for Hartford to face the Thunderbirds.

Hartford concluded the regular season with a record of 35-26-4-7 for 81 points. That ranked the group 5th in the Atlantic Division, 6th in the Eastern Conference, and 13th in…