Howlings

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES...

 VERSUS  

The Hartford Wolf Pack bench seemed like the AHL equivalent of musical chairs Saturday night. Head Coach Ken Gernander experimented with just about every combination possible looking for a spark to ignite the fire for his offensively struggling team. About the only player not sent out for a shift was the night's backup netminder Miika Wiikman. While none of the combinations particularly stood out, second year forward Jordan Owens and rookie goaltender Matt Zaba did. Owens goal with just 30.8 seconds left and Zaba tremendous performance in net gave the team all they needed for a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the previously red-hot winners of six straight games, the Manchester Monarchs (9-7-0-3) before 5,819 at the XL Center in Hartford.

After the horrendous third period collapse against Bridgeport the previous night surrendering four goals in the third period, the first time they'd allowed that since December 12,2007, the Pack could have "turtled" and the season might have collapsed. However, demonstrating the type of coaching that was so reminiscent of the type of player he was with the Wolf Pack (9-9-0-2), Gernander moved his team forward in what may prove to be a turning point game for the 2008-2009 season.

The first period was a very sloppy affair with little flow and few opportunities. The period resembled the early rounds of a heavyweight boxing match where the two participants were feeling each other out to see what they brought to the game. Gernander saw there was nothing happening offensively yet again and began mixing and matching players to start the second period. The same problems that have hurt the Pack all season. lack of discipline and taking bad penalties reared themselves up again. At 9:52 rookie David Urquhart took a slashing penalty sending their 23rd ranked penalty kill unit onto the ice. With 24 seconds remaining on the penalty kill, Corey Potter took a very undisciplined cross-checking penalty sending Manchester to a two man advantage. Just after the penalty to Urquhart expired, Marty Murray moved the puck to Justin Azevedo. The Manchester Center fed the AHL's reigning Rookie-Of-The-Year, Teddy Purcell at the top of the slot. Purcell unloaded a rocket of a shot that may have deflected a bit off of Pack defenseman Brian Fahey, beating a screened Zaba to the glove side giving the Monarchs a 1-0 lead. The way the Pack has struggled offensively it seemed at the time that that could have been enough. It wasn't.

Zaba stood tall on a number of strong scoring opportunities the rest of the period. With 3:48 remaining in the period Azevedo led an odd-man rush down the left side with linemate Purcell coming down the right. Azevedo threw the puck at the net. The rising shot blew past Zaba (26 saves) to the right. Purcell, making the play look like a basketball alley-oop,swatted the puck out of the air. Zaba following the puck slid across and swallowed the puck into his chest stopping what more than likely would have been the back-breaker.

This game was all about the third period. With Gernander still playing Scrabble with his lines, the team continued to press for the tying goal. Their best chances were both thwarted by Monarch netminder Jonathan Bernier. Mike Ouellette had a tremendous chance at 6:08 when his shot from the crease was covered by Bernier. But the biggest stop of game came on a chance by Owens. With the Pack buzzing like a swarm of killer bees, Bernier found himself down on his stomach and virtually out of the play. Owens meanwhile had the puck and fired it on net. Bernier reached up with his glove and stabbed it out of the air. Owens told reporters after the game that he and Bernier, a former LA Kings first round pick, talked about it as the two skated back to the bench during a break in play. “I knew he made a big save and so did he, so I asked him if he’d be a good guy and give that one to me the next time because I’m in a bit of a slump,” Owens said with a smirk.

The Pack were not done pressing the attack. The Pack got a power play opportunity at 13:03 when David Meckler took a very undisciplined hooking call. Bernier stood tall on the ensuing face-off as Artem Anisimov got a terrific opportunity to score just eight seconds later stopping the young Russian center from point blank range. However, the stop just held off the inevitable as 27 seconds later, the Pack would tie the score. Bobby Sanguinetti on the right point fed Fahey on the left. Fahey put everything he had into a blast that was headed wide of the cage. That was until Greg Moore beautifully deflected the shot which hit the post and slid beneath Bernier for the Maine native's sixth of the season.

With a breath of fresh air in the lungs of the team, the Pack charged forward and put on their most relentless and continuous pressure of the season. It looked like Manchester would weather the storm and head to overtime till fate changed that. On one of the endlessly changed lines that found Moore centering rookie Devin DiDiomete and Owens, Moore wound up with the puck on a turnover by the Pack's blueline and fed DiDiomete who gave the puck to the streaking Owens who entered the zone three-on-two. With Manchester defensemen Drew Bagnall and Alec Martinez defending, Owens was looking to feed Moore who was alone in the slot.

“I got lucky that there was a defensive breakdown by them,” Owens said after the game. “I was planning to pass to (Moore) who was wide open, but as soon as the defenseman (Bagnall) saw that, he went up on him so I knew I had to shoot. I had lots of time and closed my eyes and shot. Getting robbed early in the game was on my mind, but I’ve been working pretty hard and the bounce came for me.”

The "Shot-Heard-'Round-The-Arena" came from the right circle and found the opening in the five-hole between the rookie goalie’s legs. It was clearly visible on the faces of this young, struggling Pack team that this was a huge goal for the team.

“We had good perseverance,” Gernander told reporters after the game. “And there was good perseverance on Jordan’s part. It shows pretty good character to fire the puck like that after the heck of a save made on him the previous time.”

Zaba was also incredible throughout the game particularly in the third period, his strongest stopping Russian rookie defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov at 8:36 with a flashy glove save.

Bruce Berlet once again proves why he is one of the finest sports writers in the country with solid coverage at HartfordWolfPack.com while the Manchester tale is told in an uncredited story at the UnionLeader.com.

For stats on the game there is always the GAME SUMMARY and the OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET.

NOTES:

* Owens goal broke a dry spell of 11 games without a goal dating back to an October 22nd 5-4 shootout loss in Worcester.

* The win was the first time the Pack were able to come from behind and win after trailing entering the third period (1-6-0-2).

* Outshooting their opponents has not been a key factor as the team is now 4-5-0-1 in such scenarios. But they did manage to improve their record to 5-3-0-2 in one-goal games.

* Anisimov's streak of points in seven straight games came to an end.

* DiDiomete's assist on the game winning goal was his first professional assist to go along with two goals.

* After tallying points in 12 of 14 games, P.A. Parenteau has now been held off the scorer's sheet for two consecutive games. That's the first time for the Canadian winger since the start of the season when he went blank for the first four games.

* Ex-Pack forward Garth Murray was sent to the AHL by Ex-Pack General Manager Don Maloney of the Phoenix Coyotes where he will join the San Antonio Rampage. Once there he will be joined by teammates including Ex-Pack goaltender Al Montoya, ex-Pack defenseman Dylan Reese, ex-Pack forward Alex Bourret, and Ex-Pack forward Francis Lessard. Any chance the AHL might consider changing the team's nickname to the San Antonio Wolf Pack West?

* More ex-Pack news as last season's Wolf Pack Captain was traded today from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Dallas Stars in exchange for winger Lauri Tukonen who is currently playing in the Finnish Elite League

* The Charlotte Checkers' power play seems to be alive and well as they tallied for four goals while up a man on their way to a 6-2 whipping of the Augusta Lynx. Ryan Hillier had two goals. Lee Falardeau, (remember him?) had a goal and an assist as did Mike Bayrack and Tomas Zaborsky. Jeff Jakaitis stopped 31 of 33 shots for the win.

LINES: (To start anyway)

Dupont - Anisimov - Weise

Soryal - MOORE - Parenteau

DiDiomete - Ouellette - Ford

Owens - Pyatt - Sugden

Denisov - FAHEY

POTTER - Sanguinetti

Sauer - Urquhart

Zaba

(Assistant Captains in BOLD CAPS)

SCRATCHES:

Graham - (Healthy)

Byers - Knee - (Season)

THREE STARS:

1. HFD - 46 Jordan Owens
2. HFD - 30 Matt Zaba
3. MCH - 62 Teddy Purcell

ON-ICE OFFICIALS:

Terry Koharski (10), Referee
Luke Galvin (2), Linesman
Paul Simeon (66), Linesman

 

NEXT GAME:

Can the Pack build on the dramatic victory when they take to the road to visit Providence against the second place Bruins? Game time is 4:05.

NOT PAYING THE POWER BILLS

  VERSUS   

The Wolf Pack fired 46 shots on goal Friday night and it wasn't enough as Sound Tiger netminder Yann Danis stopped all but one of them en route to a 4-1 Bridgeport victory before 6,471 at The Arena at Harbor Yard. Even with all the shots on net, the real story of this game once again was the team's inability to score with the man-advantage and protect goaltender Miika Wiikman (21 saves) when the team was shorthanded. 

The Pack led this game 1-0 from the 13:47 mark of the first period after Artem Anisimov, who has points in eight of his last nine and six consecutive games, beat Danis from in front of the net. The second year Russian center drove hard down the slot and took a loose puck in front of the net after Mike Ouellette attempted a shot from behind the goal line. Anisimov got his stick on it and redirected the pass roofing it over Danis' shoulder. It would be the last celebration of the night for the visitors.

The difference maker in this one was clearly the Pack's continued ineptitude on special teams. The Pack entered the game ranked twentieth on the power play and twenty-second on the penalty kill and they clearly demonstrated why. Referee François St. Laurent was more than happy to give the Pack chances whistling the Sound Tigers for six infractions. The Wolf Pack didn't capitalize on any of them, rarely even getting set in the offensive zone before the Sound Tigers would clear the puck, or the game's First Star, Danis would stop whatever attempts they did muster. Conversely, the absolutely abysmal penalty killing ultimately did them in as the Tigers took advantage twice on four chances. 

The Sound Tigers tied the game at one each in the third period as the game's Second Star, Ben Walter, found the puck on the right side of the doorstep after a two-on-one rush with the game's Third Star, Tyler Haskins, had been denied by Wiikman. Walter lifted the puck over Wiikman's shoulder as the goalie reached to retrieve the puck.

Midway through the third period, Tigers defenseman Jaime Fraser was hurt in a collision chasing a puck behind the Sound Tigers' net and needed to be helped off the ice. Once play resumed, rookie David Urquhart took an ill-advised roughing penalty and the flood gates broke open on the team from the Capitol City.

The penalty kill started superbly with terrific pressure by Ouellette and Jordan Owens, who pinned the Tigers into their own end for almost 30 seconds. Ouellette left the ice on a change with Greg Moore, and Owens remained on. Mike Iggulden moved the puck up ice giving way to Walter who drew another Pack penalty, a hooking call, this time on Cory Potter. Walter then put the puck in front of the net after it appeared that the Pack had touched up. The puck found Travis Smith in front who's shot hit Wiikman and then batted it in over Wiikman for the go-ahead goal. Wolf Pack head Coach vehemently argued the call with St.Laurent but to no avail an the goal stood as Potter headed to the penalty box.

A mere 19 seconds later Blake Comeau took a Dustin Kohn feed and turned the puck over to 37-year old Mike Sillinger, a 16+ year NHL veteran on a three game injury rehab assignment in Bridgeport, blew right past P.A. Parenteau and put a hard rising shot from the slot that flew across the body of Wiikman and into the net.

The Pack went back to the power play at 14:16 after the Tigers had taken their sixth penalty of the evening, a Too Many Men On The Ice call. As the power play was coming to another fruitless close, defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti lost the puck at the right blue line and fell down as he tried to outrace Haskins for the puck. Haskins then came in alone on a breakaway against Wiikman and was beaten by a terrific backhanded shot into the top of the net for the final score.

Wolf Pack General Manager Jim Schoenfeld was in the building taking in the game and commented afterwards, "The power play could have won it for us." Schoenfeld held a lengthy meeting with Gernander after the game. Gernander emerged saying “We played really good for two periods, but we missed the big play,” the Head Coach said. “You have to have desperation when you’re up 1-0 to cash in those opportunities, and that’s where we fell short. You can use a big (penalty) kill, a big save, and then you have the power-play situation.

“Danis played well and things kind of fell apart at the end, but there were opportunities earlier to maybe finish and get some insurance goals." Gernander said. "Now we have to get right back at it (Saturday night). I don’t think you want to change anything five-on-five, but I think the special teams may need to be a little more desperate and we’ve got to pay off our chances.”

Bob Crawford has the game recap at HartfordWolfPack.com while Michael Fornabaio has the Sound Tiger perspective at CTPost.com.  

For the stat lover in all of us see the GAME SUMMARY and the OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET.

 

NOTES:

* The Wolf Pack have not allowed four goals in a period as they in the third against the Tigers Friday night, since the third period of a December 12, 2007 game when they suffered a 6-1 shellacking in Hartford by the Houston Aeros. Former Pack goaltender Al Montoya was in net that night.

* In case you're keeping track, the Pack and Tigers are now tied a game apiece in the competition for the Geico Cup, given to the winner of the season series between the two teams. The Pack have not lost the series since the Cup contest was initiated in the 2004-2005 season.

* The Pack are now 22-8-0-2 lifetime against their neighbors to the South. 

* With the third period collapse, the Pack lost their perfect record when leading after two periods and are now 7-1-0-1 and interestingly enough are 3-5-0-1 when outshooting their opponents. In three goal games the team is 1-3-0-0.

* The Pack's 46 shots on goal easily beat the team's previous high shot totals of 37 which they did twice (opening night, Oct 11 vs Springfield, a 4-3 loss and Nov 16 a 5-3 win against Lake Erie)

* Wiikman was back in net after missing two games with an undisclosed injury.

*** Petr Prucha, unless he refuses to do so, could well be in a Wolf Pack uniform by mid next week. The Rangers would be hoping that the conditioning assignment will help the young Czech recapture the magic he had in his rookie season when he scored 30 goals. Since a conditioning assignment is ten days, bringing him in on Wednesday would get the fourth year pro five games worth of action and may help resuscitate his confidence and scoring touch. In his brief stay in Hartford in 2004-2005 in the two games he played in, Prucha scored two goals and had one assist.

LINES:

Soryal - MOORE - Parenteau

Dupont - Anisimov - Weise

DiDiomete - Ouellette - Ford

Owens - Pyatt

Graham - FAHEY

Sanguinetti - POTTER

Sauer - Denisov

Urquhart

Wiikman

(Assistant Captains in BOLD CAPS)

SCRATCHES:

Sugden - Healthy

Byers - Knee - (Season) 

THREE STARS:

1. BRI - 35 Yann Danis
2. BRI - 9 Ben Walter
3. BRI - 10 Tyler Haskins

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

François St. Laurent (38), Referee
Glen Cooke (6), Linesman
Kevin Redding (16), Linesman 

NEXT GAME:
Saturday at home against the surging, third place Manchester Monarchs (9-6-0-3) who are on a 6-0-0-0 run. Meanwhile the last place Pack are 4-5-0-1 in their last ten and have a record of 8-9-0-2. Game time is 7pm.

First picture Moore shooting on Danis; Second picture is Brodie Dupont racing in on net; Third is Tommy Pyatt with the puck behind Danis; Fourth is Parenteau squashing Dustin Kohn against the glass

(All Photos courtesy of Christian Abraham of the Connecticut Post)

WOLF PACK WEEKLY

WOLF PACK WEEKLY: November 24 – 30, 2008

The Wolf Pack’s first four-games-in-five-days stretch of the season yielded a 1-2-0-1 record last week. On Wednesday night at home, the Pack built leads of 1-0 and 2-1 against division-leading Portland, but the Pirates rebounded to score the final three goals of the contest and defeat the Wolf Pack, 4-2. The Pack then stormed back from a 3-1 third-period deficit on Friday at home against Lowell, tying the score on a pair of Artem Anisimov goals, the second coming with less than seven seconds left in regulation. That gained the Wolf Pack a standings point, in what would end as a 4-3 shootout loss. On Friday night in Portland, the Wolf Pack handed the Pirates only their second regulation defeat in 16 games on the season, thumping their hosts by a score of 6-2. The momentum did not carry over, however, into Sunday’s visit to Providence, in which the Bruins prevailed over the Wolf Pack, 6-3. Anisimov was the week’s top performer for the Pack, with three goals and two assists for five points in the four games.

This week:

The Wolf Pack celebrate Thanksgiving with a second straight three-game weekend. The Pack make their first GEICO Connecticut Cup visit to Bridgeport on Friday for a 7:00 game. Saturday night is the Wolf Pack’s only home date in a stretch of eight games, as the Manchester Monarchs invade the XL Center at 7:00. The first 3,000 fans that night receive a Wolf Pack beanie cap. The Pack then travel to Providence for a second straight Sunday, facing off with the Bruins at 4:05.

Friday, November 28^th at Bridgeport (Bridgeport’s Arena at Harbor Yard), 7:00 p.m.

· This game is the second installment of this year’s GEICO Connecticut Cup series between the Wolf Pack and Sound Tigers. The Pack captured the first battle, 2-1 in a shootout, October 12^th at the XL Center, in their second game of the season.

· The Sound Tigers have the most points in the AHL, and have failed to get a standings point only four times in their first 20 games (14-4-0-2, 30 pts.).

· Mike Iggulden (11 goals, nine assists) and Kurtis McLean (six goals, 14 assists) are tied for tops on the Bridgeport club in scoring, both with 20 points in 20 games.

· The Wolf Pack were 3-2-0 in five visits to Bridgeport last season.

· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Saturday, November 29^th vs. Manchester at the XL Center, 7:00 p.m.

· The first 3,000 fans through the doors for this game will take home a free, exclusive Wolf Pack beanie cap.

· This game will also feature a winter accessories drive. Fans are asked to bring gently-used winter clothing to the game to be donated to Hartford Project Homeless Connect.

· The Monarchs have won their last three games and are three points behind the Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division standings, with a record of 6-6-0-3 for 15 points.

· Last season’s AHL Rookie of the Year, Teddy Purcell, has goals in four of his last five games (4-3-7), after being held to 2-3-5 in his first ten outings.

· The Wolf Pack took the first game between these two clubs on the season, winning 4-1 on October 25^th in Hartford.

· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Sunday, November 30^th at Providence (Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence), 4:05 p.m.

· This past Sunday’s 6-3 win over the Wolf Pack in Providence lifted the Bruins’ record to 11-6-1-0 for 23 points. They are in second place in the Atlantic Division, three points behind Portland.

· Vladimir Sobotka tallied a pair of goals, including the game-winner, for the Bruins in Sunday’s contest, Martin St. Pierre chipped in a goal and two assists and rookie Brad Marchand had three helpers.

· Radio – this is the second Wolf Pack broadcast of the year on the 50,000-watt AM powerhouse, WTIC NewsTalk 1080. Bob Crawford and WTIC NewsTalk 1080’s Scott Gray will be at the mikes. The action can also be heard live in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Recent Transactions:

Patrick Rissmiller – recalled by the New York Rangers from conditioning loan to the Wolf Pack, November 24^th.

Chris Murray – loaned by the Wolf Pack to Charlotte (ECHL) November 18^th.

Maxime Daigneault – recalled by the Wolf Pack from Charlotte November 22^nd.

Pack Tracks:

The Wolf Pack has announced an exciting new ticket-pricing promotion, effective now through January 2^nd. Starting immediately, adult tickets for every home game through January 2^nd will be available for as low as $10 each. Individual tickets for Wolf Pack games are on sale now at the XL Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations including Macy's at the Buckland Hills Mall and at the Westfarms Mall. Tickets may also be charged by phone at (860) 525-4500, (203) 744-8100, (203) 624-0033 or (413) 733-2500 or online at www.hartfordwolfpack.com. Season tickets, six, 10 and 20-game packages, coupon books and group tickets are also available. Contact 860-548-2000 for more details.

The first 3,000 fans into the Wolf Pack’s home game Saturday, December 13^th will receive a free Miika Wiikman bobblehead doll, courtesy of Click it or Ticket. That night’s game is a 7:00 faceoff against the Pack’s I-91 rivals the Springfield Falcons.

Fans can take advantage of a fantastic ticket deal, and come to three prime Saturday-night Wolf Pack games, by purchasing the Wolf Pack’s “Holiday Hat Trick” package. The three games in the Holiday Hat Trick are: Saturday, January 3^rd vs. Hershey, Saturday, January 17^th against Providence, and Saturday, January 24^th vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The package price for blue-level seats, a $57 value, is only $39, and red-level packages, a $69 value, are only $48. Plus, you get a free Wolf Pack hat with your Holiday Hat Trick purchase. Order on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com, or by calling the Wolf Pack ticket office at 860-548-2000.

The Wolf Pack’s annual “Scout Sleepover” is coming up Saturday, January 24^th at the XL Center. The Pack host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins that night at 7:00, and all scouts, family and friends are invited to the post-game sleepover. The special Scout Sleepover offer includes a ticket to the game, a post-game skate (bring your own skates), a post-game movie and the special Wolf Pack scout patch, and costs only $14 per person. To order Scout Sleepover tickets, call the Wolf Pack ticket office at 860-548-2000.

The Wolf Pack has a new broadcast partnership this season with WTIC NewsTalk 1080 and WTIC-FM. All of the Wolf Pack’s regular-season and playoff games will air on 96.5 WTIC-FM’s HD 2 channel and will be streamed on-line at www.wtic.com . Select games will be carried live on the 50,000-watt AM powerhouse, WTIC NewsTalk 1080. And, as part of the partnership, all Wolf Pack full season ticket accounts will receive a free HD car radio, with installation from JoDi’s Sound Center, courtesy of the two stations and the Wolf Pack. To purchase your season seats, contact the Wolf Pack ticket office at 860-548-2000.

TRACK THE PACK AT WWW.HARTFORDWOLFPACK.COM

BYE-BYE RISSMILLER

One of the most productive members of the Wolf Pack these past few games has been recalled by the Rangers. Patrick Rissmiller, who has cleared waivers twice and who was on a conditioning loan in Hartford is now back in New York. This is an interesting scenario because as much as the Pack has struggled to put the puck in the net, losing Rissmiller is a big blow. It also creates a further logjam in New York.

It's entirely possible that Petr Prucha, who has been scratched for the last six consecutive games, could be the next player sent to Hartford. Prucha is clearly struggling to rediscover the form that made him such a highly productive rookie in which he scored 30 goals. Sitting this long for a player like Prucha will be a big kick in the confidence, and if he is to make a contribution, especially given the $1.6mm in cap space he eats up, or to make him have some value to trade, he will need to find his scoring touch and get back in to game shape.

Don't rule out the possibility that either Rissmiller or Dan Fritsche could be permanently sent to Hartford. Both would have to clear waivers and if they did would stay, much like Thomas Pock and Andrew Hutchinson did last season, for the rest of the way. Both could be plucked off the waiver wire and cost the Rangers half the salary cap space so they would stay a the Rangers cannot afford to give up the cap space.

More on this should there need be.

Here is the official release.

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that forward Patrick Rissmiller has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Rissmiller, 30, recorded seven assists in six games with Hartford. He registered two multiple-assist contests during his stint, collecting two assists on November 16 at Lake Erie and two assists on November 22 at Portland. Rissmiller tallied at least one point in five of six games with the Wolf Pack. The 6-4, 215-pounder has appeared in two games with the Rangers this season. He made his Rangers debut on October 11 at Philadelphia after signing with the club as a free agent on July 1.

The Blueshirts return to action tonight, November 24, when they will face off against the Phoenix Coyotes at Madison Square Garden (7:00 PM). The game will be broadcast live on the MSG Network.

TROUBLE BRUIN FOR WOLF PACK

 VERSUS 

 

You could easily say that the Hartford Wolf Pack's Sunday afternoon 6-3 loss to The Providence Bruins was the result of playing their fourth game in five nights and they were just out of gas for the final period and you'd be right. You could say the loss was the result of the team's inconsistent efforts, their struggles with playing a full sixty minute game, choose whatever you like. The bottom line is that Sunday's abysmal third period performance where they surrendered three goals is particularly disturbing given the incredible performance the night before against first place Portland.

The Pack, much as they have through 18 games this season, got desperate and clawed their way back into this contest after digging themselves yet another two-goal deficit over the first half of the first period.   Vladimir Sobotka scored the first of his two goals of the game at 6:53 off a scramble in front of the net after Johnny Boychuk's point shot rebounded in off of the Czech's skate. Less than three minutes later the Baby B's hung a second tally on Matt Zaba (19 saves) on a shot that he should have had. Zaba would certainly want to have this weak one back as he failed to hug the right corner post on a close up shot that Zach Hamill put right past him.

The two goal lead lasted only thirteen seconds as Devin DiDiomete got his first professional goal and point. After getting a pass from rookie defenseman David Urquhart, DiDiomete rushed up the right wing and unloaded a shot that ripped the black out of the puck with a blast from the face off circle that went right through Kevin Regan's legs. DiDiomete had gone through his first nine games without a point.

The Pack took advantage of back-to-back penalty calls to the B's Jeff Penner and Jeremy Reich at 4:01 into the second period. The resulting five-on-three man advantage was able to capitalize. P.A. Parenteau, to this point in the season has been the Pack's best player, controlled a wide shot from Bobby Sanguinetti that ricocheted off the boards and right to him. After settling the puck Parenteau showed patience and waited Regan (27 saves) out. When the netminder flinched, Parenteau lifted the puck over him for his tenth of the season knotting the score.

The game remained tied for almost eight minutes until some solid forechecking work down low by Brad Marchand and Martin St. Pierre the B's combined with the Pack's inability to clear the puck, broke the deadlock. Penner's far side shot from the left wing deflected off the skate of a Pack defenseman through Zaba's legs.

The Pack entered the third period still very much into this game and trailing just 3-2. The team, however, that emerged from the Pack locker room was toasted.

The B's knew they had a tired team on their hands and pressed hard to start the period. They almost seemed to know that if they pushed them hard enough the team would crack and they did.

At 6:28 Sobotka got what proved to be the game winner when he took a terrific pass from Martin Karsums which split the Pack defensive tandem of Brian Fahey and Vladimir Denisov breaking in alone and beating Zaba with a well placed low shot.

Just 30 seconds later the B's struck again. This time Peter Schaefer took advantage of a delayed penalty call and the Pack scrambling again in their own end as he got the puck down low from Kevin Schaeffer and roofed it over Zaba.

As much as the team deserves criticism for poor play, they also deserve credit when they do things right. Even trying to skate with the world's weight in their legs, and as tired as they were, the team did not quit.

A turnover gave the puck to Artem Anisimov, who has put points on the ledger in six straight games (3g, 5a). Anisimov fed Justin Soryal who then took off for the net and drew a penalty with a great rush up ice and fired a shot on net. The puck rebounded off Regan's pads right onto the stick of Dale Weise who quickly fired it past Regan for his third of the season, ending an eight game drought for the rookie right wing cutting the lead to 5-3.

St. Pierre ended the scoring at 16:21 when he put away the sixth of the afternoon off a feed from Jordan Knackstedt. St. Pierre was plus-4 for the game and earned every bit of his Second Star of the Game status.

While the Pack did outshoot the B's 30-25, the power play continues to be a major concern going 1-for-9 on the day.  The team seems to have lost the "power" in their man advantage opportunities posting an anemic 14-for-93 for 15.05%.

For the stat fans, there is the GAME SUMMARY and the OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET.

The Wolf Pack posted a brief recap of this game at HartfordWolfPack.com and for the Providence perspective, there is none since apparently there wasn't a reporter there to write anything.

NOTES

* Not surprisingly, Artem Anisimov and P.A. Parenteau lead the team in Plus/Minus at a plus-6

* DiDiomete got into his first professional fight when he took on fellow rookie Jordan Knackstedt which featured very few punches and was essentially a draw though DiDiomete did wrestle Knackstedt down to the ice.

* The loss ended the Pack's two-game road winning streak.

* The Pack play five of their next six games on the road. The Pack are off till Friday night on the road in Bridgeport with their only respite at home coming Saturday night with a contest against Manchester.   They then play four straight on the road.

* The Pack have not won or lost two in a row since winning three straight between October 24 - October 29. They haven't lost two straight since their Canadian swing through Hamilton and Toronto in mid October.

* The Pack are now 0-6-0-2 when trailing after two periods and 3-4-0-1 when out-shooting their opponents.

* The Charlotte Checkers won a tight 1-0 battle against the Gwinnett Gladiators on a goal by Mike Taylor

 

LINES

Owens - Rissmiller - Parenteau

Dupont - Anisimov - Weise

Soryal - MOORE - Ford

DiDiomete - Pyatt - Sugden

FAHEY - Denisov

Sanguinetti - POTTER

Urquhart - Sauer

Zaba

SCRATCHES

Wiikman - Undisclosed - Day-to-Day

Byers - Knee - Season

Ouellette - Healthy

Graham - Healthy

THREE STARS

1. PRO - 10 Vladimir Sobotka
2. PRO - 39 Martin St. Pierre
3. PRO - 12 Brad Marchand

ON ICE OFFICIALS

Nygel Pelletier (41), Referee
Chris Aughe (74), Linesman
Bob Bernard (4), Linesman

NEXT GAME

Friday, November 28th in Bridgeport against the much improved Sound Tigers at 7pm

60 MINUTES

 Tonight on Sixty Minutes...

“Instead of trying to make too many passes and high risk plays, a lot of times you’re served with a little bit of grease and simple plays.”

“We’ve addressed (it) as a team,that we have to play a full 60 minutes.”

I'm Katie Couric. I'm Steve Kroft. I'm Scott Pelley. I'm Morley Safer. I'm Bob Simon. I'm Lesley Stahl. I'm Harry Smith. I'm Mitch Beck. That story and Andy Rooney tonight on "60 Minutes."

 VERSUS 

The Hartford Wolf Pack are a team that has known success in their 11+ year history. They've been to the mountain top winning the championship in 1999-2000. This the 2008-2009 season has been at it's best, a challenge. They're a much younger and inexperienced team, who've struggled to find their own identity and compete against some of the better teams in the American Hockey League. Often they've been competitive for long periods of time but ultimately falling short as errors, lack of discipline and a variety of other errors have interfered with their ability to sustain the level of excellence needed to win for a full 60 minutes.

Saturday night, following a hard home loss in a shootout to an inferior Lowell Devils team, the Pack took to the road to face the top team in their division, the Portland Pirates, a team that had only suffered one loss in regulation through 16 games this season. With the Wolf Pack's number one goaltender, Miika Wiikman sidelined with an injury, the burden fell to Matt Zaba (27 saves), a confident young netminder still trying to find his place at the AHL level.

With 5,028 fans filling the Cumberland County Civic Center Arena in Portland, Maine, the young Pack took to the ice. It didn't take long before the visitors from Connecticut's capitol city fell behind. At 3:36 Pirate enforcer Jimmy Bonneau raced along right wing into the Pack defensive zone after getting a pass from defenseman Mike Kostka. Bonneau stepped into the puck and launched a hard low shot that Zaba got in front of with his pads. However the resulting rebound careened right up the slot where Pirate center Felix Schutz was waiting and he rifled the puck right past Zaba. Just like that the Pack trailed 1-0.

However, something was different on this night. Instead of getting down on themselves, this Pack team actually lifted their game.

"They did score the first goal, but with stuck with the plan," Pack leading scorer P.A. Parenteau told reporters afterwards. “We’ve addressed (it) as a team,that we have to play a full 60 minutes.”

Second year Head Coach Ken Gernander, “We didn’t change design after the first goal, we just stuck to the game plan."

One of the primary problems for this year's addition of the Wolf Pack is taking too many penalties, and with a penalty killing unit that entered the game 23rd in the AHL in efficiency rate, this has, more often than not, spelled trouble. It looked like this could be the start of the young Pack unraveling as they took two consecutive penalties, one to Tommy Pyatt for hooking, and then a bad call to Vladimir Denisov by referee, Chris Brown, for interference. Instead of wilting however, this night the team rose to the occasion and didn't give Portland's 8th rated power play anything that approached a solid opportunity to score.

A huge stop shortly after the two kills ended by Zaba injected energy into the team and they pressed the attack. Portland defenseman Marc Andre Gragnani wilted under the offensive onslaught by the Pack's next shift and took a holding call at 12:33 sending the Pack's struggling 23rd ranked power play unit onto the ice.

It wouldn't be a struggle much longer.

At 13:18 Pack defenseman Michael Sauer, just back after a long recovery process from a torn ACL suffered in the playoffs last season, took a feed from his defensive partner Cory Potter in the right face-off circle and unloaded a bomb of a shot that found its way through traffic and into the net behind goaltender Adam Dennis (22 saves). The Pack would never look back.

With the second assist on the Sauer goal, Parenteau now has points in eight of the last nine games.

2:14 later, rookie Devin DiDiomete would get onto the score sheet. Assistant Captain Brian Fahey blasted a shot from the right point out near the blue line. DiDiomete, not afraid to go into the rough spots on the ice, was in position to deflect the shot past Dennis for his first professional goal and first point as a professional. DiDiomete told reporters afterward, “I’m young and I need to be patient. (But) it’s nice to get the first one under my belt. Hopefully I can get a few more.” Fahey and Patrick Rissmiller, who has been very effective on his conditioning stint with six assists in the five games he's played in since being sent to Hartford by the parent New York Rangers.

“Brian had a great shot from the point,” The rookie forward told the press in the locker room. “Coach (Gernander) has been telling me to go to the net. Luckily enough for me I got a stick on it this time and it went it.”

Portland entered the second period pressing the young visitors and hit a post on an early shot. At 5:58 they drew a penalty on Brodie Dupont. It was their fourth power play opportunity. Trouble loomed on the horizon...for Portland.

Denisov took a Fahey pass in the neutral zone and rushed the puck up ice. Artem Anisimov, who has been on fire of late, followed his Russian countryman into the offensive zone shorthanded. Denisov saw Anisimov separate from the defender and put the puck in front of the net. Anisimov reached out and deflected it past the glove of Denis. It was the first shorthanded goal of the season for the Wolf Pack and good for a 3-1 lead.

Zaba continued to play brilliantly and erased a number of Pack errors. None shone more brightly then his stop of 7:45 of the second period on Shutz's breakaway that was snuffed by Zaba.

Justin Soryal got onto the scorer's sheet himself with his third of the season when his shot from the right circle at 17:09 found the back of the net. The goal was a direct result of phenomenal fore-checking by the Pack forwards; none more so than Rissmiller who stole the puck and fed Soryal in the right circle for the goal.

The score was 4-1 as the two teams headed for the locker room at the end of two periods. The only question remained was whether the Pack would continue to play as they had to that point or would they revert to the play that had gotten them in such trouble in the past, by letting up in the third period.

The first place Pirates led by former NHL great, Kevin Dineen, were not going to mail the third period in. Dineen's teams just don't do that. They pressed the young Pack early and a tremendous save by Zaba on Derek Whitmore established that this Wolf PAck team, on this night anyway, was not going to go away quietly.

The Wolf Pack got only their second man-advantage opportunity of the game at 8:01 when Marek Zagrapan took a holding call. The Pack made him pay for the indiscretion.

Just 1:02 into their power play, Potter made an outrageous fake along the left half boards leaving Shutz lying on the ice watching as the Michigan native skated to the slot and fired a laser beam that the screened Dennis could do no more than wave at as it past his glove. Greg Moore, who played a solid game especially in the face-off circle, and Parenteau got the assists. It was 5-1 and the Pack had scored on their first two power plays, a feat they had not accomplished all season.

The Pirates kept on coming though.

The penalty killers erased a Anisimov holding call, the sixth Portland man-advantage, without incident. The Pirates would still get their chances.

Zaba came up strong again just after the penalty to Anisimov expired. Potter was stripped by Zagrapan in the neutral zone. The Slovakian center came in alone on the Pack net guardian, who made a sprawling save to stop the puck. It wouldn't be enough though as just moments later a "funky" goal was scored off his back from behind the net off the stick of defenseman Michael Funk at 12:29 bringing the home team a little closer at 5-2.

Any thoughts of a comeback were eliminated when Matt Ford, who has been playing very hard after being recalled from Charlotte last month, got his first goal and professional point on a rebound of a Jordan Owens shot off a Pyatt feed at 17:32.

Gernander was pleased with the effort of his young team. “A lot of times less is more. Instead of trying to make too many passes and high risk plays, a lot of times you’re served with a little bit of grease and simple plays.

(TICK...TICK...TICK...TICK...TICK)

For more on the story, there is the GAME SUMMARY and the SCORERS SHEET.

There is also Dan Hickling's perspective at HartfordWolfPack.com and the Portland point of view from Paul Betit at the Press Herald. Betit gives no credit to the Wolf Pack for their outstanding effort instead seeing the loss purely as Portland's own fault.

NOTES

* The six goal output was the most by the Pack this season. In fact the Pack have not scored that many goals since a ten goal output on March 29th against Springfield at the XL Center last season.

* Parenteau played for Portland from 2005-2006 to 2006 -2007 prior to joining the Hartford Wolf Pack as a free agent.

* Greg Moore is a native of Lisbon, Maine and played his college hockey at the University of Maine.

* Maxime Daigneault was recalled from Charlotte to back up Zaba and he too played for Portland when the Pirates were the Washington Capitals affiliate in 2004-2005.

* There was a fight in the game, if you can call it that, between Jimmy Bonneau and Hartford's Brandon Sugden. It was dull and much more of a wrestling match. Bonneau did get the decision with the takedown.

* Portland's top offensive threat, Mark Mancari, who was called up by the parent Buffalo Sabres did not play. Mancari entered the game with 13 points (7g, 6a) in his last six games.

* Portland center Nathan Gerbe continued his own hot streak with an assist giving him 13 points (5g, 8a) over the last 8 games.

* The Pack are now 7-0-0-0 when leading after two periods

 

LINES

Owens - Rissmiller - Parenteau

Soryal - MOORE - Ford

Dupont - Anisimov - Weise

DiDiomete - Pyatt - Sugden

POTTER - Sanguinetti

FAHEY - Denisov

Urquhart - Sauer

Zaba

 

SCRATCHES

Wiikman - Injury undisclosed - Day-to-Day

Byers - Knee - Season

Graham - Healthy

Ouellette - Healthy

THREE STARS

1. HFD - 30 Matt Zaba
2. HFD - 5 Brian Fahey
3. HFD - 18 Patrick Rissmiller

ON-ICE OFFICIALS

Chris Brown (86), Referee
Landon Bathe (80), Linesman
Jeremy Lovett (78), Linesman

NEXT GAME

Sunday afternoon at 4pm versus the Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins AHL Affiliate) in Providence

(Parenteau and Gernander photos courtesy of HartfordWolfPack.com and Sixty Minutes photos courtesy of CBS.com)

NEW KID IN TOWN

The Wolf Pack today recalled Maxime Daigneault to guard the nets from Charlotte. Daigneault is not exactly tearing it up at the ECHL level. He's posted a 1-6-0 record with a 3.70GAA and an 88.8% at the ECHL level no less.

This is a highly curious move. Could Miika Wiikman be hurt? Maybe Matt Zaba, he's hurt? Are they both hurt? Why are my feelings hurt? Someone has to be hurt if they're bringing up a goaltender with such unimpressive numbers. Truth is that Wiikman is a bit nicked up and Zaba will get the start in net tonight.

The Pack takes to the ice and look to right the ship at 7pm Saturday night.

Howlings will bring you in with the details of the game afterwards.

In the meantime, here's the official release:

Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has summoned goaltender Maxime Daigneault from its ECHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.

Daigneault, who is not related to Wolf Pack assistant coach J.J. Daigneault, signed an AHL contract with the Wolf Pack before to being assigned to the Checkers prior to the start of the Wolf Pack season. A fifth-year pro, Daigneault had appeared in seven games with Charlotte, going 1-6-0 with a 3.70 goals-against average and an 88.8% save percentage. He split last season between the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and the Cincinnati Cyclones, with whom he won an ECHL championship. Daigneault was 4-5-0 in nine games with Milwaukee, with a 2.53 GAA and a 90.9% save percentage. Two of his four wins were by shutout. In 14 games with Cincinnati, the St.-Jacques-le-Minuer, Quebec native compiled an 11-3-0 record, a 2.62 GAA and a 90.5% save percentage, with one shutout.

A second-round draft pick (59^th overall) by the Washington Capitals in 2002 out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Daigneault has appeared in 56 career AHL games, with Portland, Hershey and Milwaukee. His overall AHL record is 30-14-3, with a 2.64 GAA, a 90.9% save percentage and five shutouts. In 80 career ECHL outings, the 24-year-old, 6-3, 203-pounder has logged a 39-27-10 mark, with a 3.11 GAA, A 90.4% save percentage and three shutouts.

OUT SHOT IN SHOOT OUT

  VERSUS

Is it too soon to start hitting the panic button on the Hartford Wolf Pack’s season? Afterall, they’re just sixteen games into a long 80-game season, but after viewing how the team is playing of late, it’s getting close.

The Pack needed a win Saturday night, but instead got hammered in a shootout dropping a 4-3 decision to the Lowell Devils before 4,271 at the XL Center in Hartford. The Rangers’ top farm team did fight hard in the third period to rally back from two two-goal deficits. However it took a terrible play by the Devils Brad Mills to give the Pack the chance to tie the game when he took a horrible high sticking penalty sending the tip of the blade of his stick under the visor of Brodie Dupont’s helmet opening an ugly gash on the side of his head giving the Pack a four minute advantage with just 1:07 remaining.

With just 6.1 seconds remaining in regulation, Artem Anisimov tied the score with his second goal of the game off a beautiful deflection of a Cory Potter shot from the right boards past Lowell goaltender, rookie Jeff Frazee (30 saves). The goal at least gave the home team a standings point. But to be fair, had they not played such a lackluster effort prior to that against what is clearly an inferior team, it might not have had to come to that.

“It was gutsy to tie it at the end, but we’re still striving for some consistency,” Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander told reporters in the locker room after the game. “Desperation is one emotion, but we’ve got to find a different emotion that works for you to play the first two periods. You can’t wait until your backs are against the wall and use that as a tool because teams are too good.”

Miika Wiikman, who had played a pretty solid game to that point, was horrendous in the shootout. He faced six shooters and only stopped one shot. Tyler Eckford scored twice as the Pack made a valiant effort and even came back from a goal down in the shootout. Unfortunately after scoring on his first attempt, Anisimov was unable to when he went on the second of his back to back attempts and the Devils won the shootout 5-4.

The Pack had trouble controlling the puck all evening. In the first period, Wiikman (19 saves) was forced to pull the team’s collective bacon out of the fire twice just within the game’s first ten minutes. Wiikman’s positioning was solid on a shorthanded breakaway by Ryan Murphy just 1:40 into the contest and again on Eric Castonguay’s attempt at the 9:59 mark as both missed the net.

While the Pack did manage to control play for most of the first period, their only real scoring chance came when the game’s First Star, Anisimov hit the post with a hard shot at 15:36.

The Pack’s inability to have a real finisher on the roster besides P.A. Parenteau was more evident in the second period. At 1:30 Brodie Dupont missed on an empty net in front of him after Frazee had fallen and slid away from the net. The Pack had possession as Frazee scrambled to get back into position, but the team never took a shot. Even when Frazee did manage to get back, he did so without a stick and the Pack were unable to take advantage.

Wiikman then stood tall as once again, clumsy puck handling nearly cost them. At 3:17, Ethan Graham was stripped by Second Star of the Game, Alexander Vasyunov who seemed to have all day to take the puck unchallenged and walk up the middle of the ice with it and fire a shot on Wiikman. The Swedish netminder made a beautiful save and clamped down on the attempt keeping the game scoreless.

Two more failed two-on-one breakaways for the Pack came up empty. The first on a Greg Moore and Parenteau rush at 4:00 and then later Dale Weise and Anisimov came up empty on their bid at 10:27.

Former Wolf Pack player, now Lowell Devil Chad Wiseman broke the deadlock at 11:19 when he threw the puck in front of the net from the right point and it was deflected in past Wiikman by Michael Swift. For Wiseman it was his fifth point in six games since signing with Lowell.

Another former Wolf Pack player, Pascal Rheaume took a puck away from Michael Sauer at 19:08 and broke in on an odd man rush but again, Wiikman put the threat down with some smart, well positioned play.

It is probably a better than 50-50 bet that Wolf Pack Head Coach wasn’t his normal humble, quiet self talking to his team between the second and third periods. Gernander essentially rearranged all four lines and sat Brandon Sugden the entire period.

At first, it clearly didn’t help.

Just 58 seconds into the third period Jon DiSalvatore took advantage of a poor defensive decision by both Cory Potter and Bobby Sanguinetti as both chased the puck to one side of the net. DiSalvatore took a feed from Vasyunov, who won the battle against both the Pack defensemen, and skated around to Wiikman’s right. DiSalvatore initially tried to tuck it under the Pack netminder, but with no defense to contend with was able to recover the puck and lifted it over Wiikman despite his best effort to contain him. Just like that the Pack trailed by two.

Right after that goal, it must have set off a panic button in the young Pack players minds, as a different team emerged at the face off. With the puck at the Devils own blueline, Moore picked up a loose puck and charged down the left wing boards, splitting the Devils’ defenders, and beat Frazee  with a beautiful shot low to the right post cutting the lead in half.

But again, poor defensive play in their own end at 5:09 put them back down by two goals as Vasyunov was left all alone with both Potter and Sanguinetti out of position when DiSalvatore stripped Mike Ouellette in his own end and found the young Russian alone on the left porch. Wiikman had no chance and it was 3-1.

The line combinations that Gernander sent out finally paid off at 13:38 of the third when, while on a delayed penalty, Weise came up the right wing with speed and got behind the Devils defenders and centered a terrific pass to Anisimov, who was being pulled down from behind. However, Anisimov got enough of his stick on the pass to deflect it between Frazee’s legs.

The Pack still struggled to get the puck behind Frazee, who was standing on his rookie head, keeping the Pack at bay. At 14:50 he made a tremendous stop on a Weise shot from a great Patrick Rissmiller feed.

The Pack then bungled a great three-on-one shorthanded breakaway opportunity when they got overanxious and entered the zone offside.

The AHL’s new rule of only one minute penalties in OT cost the Pack dearly. Mills’ infraction, which still had 1:53 left on it was reduced in overtime to 54 seconds. The Pack sent out their most experienced players in an attempt to end, Moore, Rissmiller, Parenteau and Fahey. However they were unable to muster any real solid scoring opportunities and after four shots on goal by each time over the five minute extended period.

“Every game is going to have ebb and flow, but it’s a tough road to hoe when you’re always trying to come from behind and give a last-ditch effort,” Gernander said. “We’re pleased with a lot of the stuff we saw in the third period, but we’ve got to have that for closer to 60 minutes.”

Bruce Berlet reports with his usual pin point perfection at HartfordWolfPack.com while for the Lowell perspective there is a small blurb in the Lowell Sun.

For the stat hungry, there is of course the GAME SUMMARY and the OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET.

NOTES

* The Pack attendance of 4,271 was higher than their average of 3,713 after 11 home games. They’re currently 18th in attendance overall. For those still dreaming of seeing an NHL franchise in Hartford, it’ll NEVER happen with numbers like that.

* There are currently three former ex-Pack players in the top 15 in scoring (Alexander Giroux at 6th, Jeff Taffe at 9th, and enigma Jamie Lundmark at 13th). Not one current Pack player is there. Parenteau is tied with nine others for 21st with 17 points. Artem Anisimov is tied with eight others for 31st with 16 points.

* Speaking of former Pack players, Al Montoya, the second highest winner in net in Hartford history, is currently sporting stat s of a 1-8 record with a 3.37GAA and a .875%. His replacement, Miika Wiikman, sports a 6-6-2 record with a 2.66GAA a .908%, is second overall in minutes with 857 and fourth in saves with 377.

* The Pack are now 23rd overall in both the power play (13.6%) and penalty kill (80.4%).

* After winning three-in-a-row at the end of October, the Pack are 3-4-0-1 since then.

LINES
RISSMILLER - MOORE – Parenteau
Dupont – Anisimov – Weise
Owens – Ouellette – Ford
Soryal – Pyatt – Sugden

Denisov – FAHEY
Potter – Sanguinetti
Graham – Sauer

Wiikman

(Assistant Captains in BOLD CAPS)

Revised lines in the third period
Soryal – Moore – Owens
Dupont – Pyatt – Parenteau
Ford – Ouellette – Sugden (Hardly got off the bench)
Rissmiller – Anisimov – Weise (was by-far the best trio)

SCRATCHES
Byers – Knee (Season)
DiDiomete – Healthy
Urquhart – Healthy

THREE STARS
1. HFD - 42 Artem Anisimov
2. LOW - 9 Alexander Vasyunov
3. LOW - 14 Jon DiSalvatore

ON ICE OFFICIALS
Nygel Pelletier (41), Referee
Derek Wahl (46), Linesman
David Spannaus (8), Linesman

SHOOT-OUT RESULTS
DEVILS:
7 Tyler Eckford – Stick Side – Goal
20 Ryan Murphy – Faked out - Goal
14 Jon DiSalvatore – 5-Hole – Goal
21 Pascal Rheaume – Over stick - Goal
12 Rod Pelley – Middle of chest - No Goal
7 Tyler Eckford – Over the stick - Goal
Total: 5

WOLF PACK:
18 Patrick Rissmiller - 5 Hole - Goal
17 Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau – Glove save - No Goal
47 Tommy Pyatt – Faked out - Goal
15 Greg Moore – Backhand - Goal
42 Artem Anisimov – Backhand - Goal
42 Artem Anisimov – Pad Save - No Goal
Total: 4

NEXT GAME
Saturday night in Portland against the first place Pirates at 7pm

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

  VERSUS

After playing in their 15th game of the season Wednesday night, there are two primary indicators of where the 2008 - 2009 edition of the Hartford Wolf Pack are at this point in their development. The team lacks a secondary scoring threat and they are taking too many penalties that are leading to too many power play goals against. Both were on display and both cost them the game at the XL Center as 2,286 watched the Pack waste two leads and drop a 4-2 decision to the first place Portland Pirates.

At this point, someone besides P.A. Parenteau is going to have to step up and start putting the puck in the net on a consistent basis. While Parenteau has been carrying this team offensively on his back right now, there doesn’t appear to be anyone on the roster that is a scoring threat. In last night’s contest, after a period of end-to-end action in the first period that was just about as evenly played as a game can get, Parenteau broke through with a fabulous defection goal past Pirate netminder, Adam Dennis (34 saves).

Brian Fahey, absolutely put everything he had into his shot from the right point at 53 seconds of the second period. Parenteau, cutting across the crease, got just enough of the puck to redirect its flight path giving the Pack their first lead of the contest. Parenteau’s goal was his sixth in the past seven games. He’s also logged six assists over the same span. Parenteau has truly demonstrated how effective a threat the young Hull, Quebec native, can be. Based upon his solid play in training camp as well as his ice performance to this point in the season, the right wing has certainly demonstrated that he’s worth the Rangers giving him an opportunity, when one is available, at the next level.

However, there is no other player on the Pack roster giving any indication that they are enough of a threat for their opponents to key on. Eventually, the opposition is going to shift their defensive schemes around and blanket Parenteau and when they do the Pack will be in big trouble if someone else does not step up.

The drop off in scoring after Parenteau is significant. Parenteau is currently ranked 19th in the AHL in scoring with his 17 points, (9g, 8a). The Pack’s second leading scorer is Artem Anisimov. His 14 points sits him 52nd in the AHL. However, Anisimov is not a goal scoring threat. He has only two goals. With 12 assists, the young Russian center has absolutely demonstrated the ability to make plays in the offensive end. Combined with his solid work in the faceoff circle along with being a hard worker in the defensive zone he will get a call from the Rangers sooner rather than later. However, the fact is that his talents seem to indicate that his future is more as a third or fourth line center at the NHL level.

If anyone is going to step up, it’s going to be the player currently third on the Pack’s scoring list, Greg Moore. Based upon the abilities he showcased last season, Moore is one of the few proven offensive threats the Pack have on their roster. Moore’s contribution of 26 goals and 40 assists made him a constant threat on the ice. It was for that reason he received so many call ups to New York by the Rangers. But this season, with the exception of a few games where he seemed to be getting his touch back, Moore has been nearly invisible offensively. The 6’1” 210 pounder is currently ranked 104th overall in the AHL with four goals and six assists. If they are going to improve on their current fourth place standing, ten points behind first place Portland, then Moore is going to be looked to for more of the heavy lifting of putting pucks in the net than he’s made to this point.

Second lesson learned as the team approaches the quarter-pole, is that this team is just going to have to get more discipline on the ice. This is a young team learning how to play at this level. They are also not exactly blessed with being fleet of foot, so positioning and on-ice intelligence are going to be a must for the team to be successful. There is no doubt whatsoever that this is an excellent Pack coaching staff who will drill this into their defensive corps. Wednesday night however, this simply was not the case. The Pack wound up shorthanded four times which the Pirates used to their full advantage lighting the lamp on three of them.

Their first goal came less than seven minutes after the Pack broke through for the first goal. Portland defenseman, Chris Butler scored after Michael Sauer was unable to clear the puck from his end. Left Wing Mathieu Darche took possession of the puck, swung it around to center Marek Zarapan who fed Butler at the high slot. Butler unloaded a laser beam shot past goaltender Miika Wiikman (25 saves) and knotted the score at 7:71.

But the levy broke soon after that as the Pirates broke through when Jordan Owens and Sauer took penalties 14 seconds apart which led to the games first star, Portland left winger, Tim Kennedy’s 5-on-3 tally from the top of the left circle.

Darche, the games second star, scored just 1:27 later after Pack defenseman Cory Potter put a puck into the stands for a delay of game penalty creating a second consecutive 5-on-3 shorthanded situation. Kennedy saw Darche completely alone in front of Wiikman. Kennedy fed Darche and the veteran left winger finished for his seventh of the season.

“We took five straight penalties in the second, so that was the story,” Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander told reporters after the game. “I’m not crazy about giving up power-play goals every game, and I’m not crazy about the penalties we take. But it’s not news to us. We continue to address it and work on it.”

Fahey sees a silver lining in the penalty taking cloud. “It’s part of the learning curve that’s coming a little slower than we want it to,” The Pack’s veteran d-man said. “But it’s better to have this happen now so in the second half of the season we can shut teams down.”

For the Pack to make any sort of a run at the playoffs, the penalty killers must improve on their dismal 79.2% success rate. The team currently ranks 26th out of the 29 AHL franchises. The team is also fifth in the league in total penalty minutes taken at 408 and find tied for 11th in shorthanded chances with 96.

Their failure to keep pucks out of the net when shorthanded is compounded by their failure to score when they have their own man-advantage opportunities. The Pack is only converting on a hideous 13.3% of their power play chances placing them 23rd in the league. This problem is magnified by their lack of power play opportunities. Because they are shorthanded so often they tend not to be on the attack as much as the teams they’re facing, but being ranked 24th with just 75 chances after 15 games played is not helping the cause either.

The Pack did manage to convert one of their four power play opportunities Wednesday night. Tommy Pyatt scored the Pack’s second goal from the right circle at 10:43 with a weak backhanded shot that seemed to confuse Dennis and slid between his pads for Pyatt’s second of the season.

Matt Ellis ended the night with a pool cue shot from his own end that scored into the empty Pack net with just 55 ticks left.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

Bruce Berlet has his summary at HartfordWolfPack.com while for the Portland perspective there’s an AP report at Mainetoday.com.

NOTES

* The Pack outshot Portland 32-29 for the game.

*Patrick Rissmiller, on a conditioning stint from the Rangers, played his first home game after tallying three assists in two road games.

* Dennis was especially impressive breaking up a Rissmiller & Mike Ouellette 2-on-1 shorthanded breakaway in the second period.

* Portland is incredibly hot right now. They entered the game on a 9-0-1-0 run. The Pirates lone hiccup was a 3-2 overtime loss to the Pack at the XL Center on October 29.

* The Pack’s record in the last ten is 6-4-0-0. (6-4-0-0 at home and a bleak 1-3-0-1 on the road)

* Wiikman is third in the AHL in minutes played at 793 and fourth in saves with 358

* Interesting observation worth mentioning Rangers beat writer, Sam Weinman in his Rangers Report blog for the Journal news:

“Meanwhile, either the decision is out of Tom Renney’s hands or he hasn’t given it much thought, but when I asked the coach about calling up a player from Hartford so that he could occasionally sit down a struggling defenseman — pick one of several — the coach said he didn’t have the latitude right now to do so.”

The question comes in that is the latitude for cap reasons, or more likely the case is that none of the defense is playing well enough to warrant the call up from the parent club. Most likely it’s a combination of the two.

LINES

Dupont – Anisimov – Ford
RISSMILLER – MOORE – Parenteau
Owens – Ouellette – DiDiomete
Soryal – Pyatt – Weise

FAHEY – Denisov
Potter – Sauer
Sanguinetti – Graham

Wiikman

(Assistant Captains in BOLD CAPS)

SCRATCHES

Sugden – Healthy
Urquhart – Healthy
Byers – Knee (season)

THREE STARS

1. POR - 10 Tim Kennedy
2. POR - 21 Mathieu Darche
3. HFD - 5 Brian Fahey

ON-ICE OFFICIALS

Terry Koharski (10), Referee
Rich Patry (52), Linesman
Kevin Redding (16), Linesman

NEXT GAME

Home Friday night November 21st versus the Lowell Devils at 7pm

MURRAY DEMOTED

WOLF PACK ASSIGN DEFENSEMAN CHRIS MURRAY TO CHARLOTTE

Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has loaned defenseman Chris Murray to its ECHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.

A second-year pro out of the University of New Hampshire, Murray has skated in 12 games this year for the Wolf Pack, contributing four assists and registering 19 penalty minutes and a +4.

The Wolf Pack return to action tomorrow night, Wednesday, November 19th, at the XL Center, taking on Coach Kevin Dineen’s Portland Pirates.  Faceoff is 7:00, and starting with this game, adult tickets can be purchased for as low as $10 each.  This offer is good for all Pack home games through January 2nd.

(This lends us to think that since the team does not have  any extra  defenseman on the AHL level another move may be immanent)