The Hartford Wolf Pack blew a 2-0 lead on Tuesday, falling to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a shootout. This marked Hartford’s eighth-straight loss in what has been a dreadful season. The Wolf Pack rank dead last by points percentage in the AHL’s 16-team Eastern Conference and 29th out of 31 teams overall.
The AHL is a finicky league. NHL clubs heavily prioritize NHL performance (of course), and that’s often at the expense of its AHL club via call-ups and trades. Rosters consist of an eclectic group of players that changes practically every week. What’s more, the focus is on player development even if it sometimes comes at the expense of winning.