OVER AND OUT

      VERSUS     

ROUND ONE – GAME  SIX

Propelled by two Dan DaSilva goals, a weak effort by the defense to clear their own zone and another slow start in the first period, the 2008-2009 Hartford Wolf Pack season came to an end with a 5-3 road loss to the Worcester Sharks before 2,413 Saturday night. After starting out on such a promising note that saw the Rangers’ AHL affiliate grab a two games to none lead, the Sharks rallied behind the outstanding play of goaltender Thomas Greiss (27 saves) and swept the final four games eliminating the Pack from the first round for their third straight time, and fourth in the last five seasons.

The Pack ended the regular season winning their first division crown since the 2003-2004 season and entered the race for the Calder Cup as one of the AHL’s hottest teams going 19-4-1-1 over the last 25 games of the season primarily on the back of magnificent goaltending from Matt Zaba (28 saves) and when called upon, Miika Wiikman. But the team could not overcome the loss of standout right wing P.A. Parenteau. The French Canadian sustained a concussion on March 27th in a road game in Albany, played just two games after that and, “wasn’t feeling like myself.” He was rightfully shutdown by the organization after the April 1st game against his former team in Portland with the hope that the concussion symptoms would pass. Unfortunately for the soon to be unrestricted free agent and his teammates, those symptoms never fully passed. There was a brief opening when Parenteau felt well enough to attempt to get back on skates for a practice, but afterwards the symptoms returned and he was unable to play again.

The Wolf Pack were clearly not the same team without Parenteau in the lineup. In five-on-five play, the team was unable to, with but a few exceptions, sustain puck control and pressure in the offensive zone. They didn’t have a major scoring threat apart from second year center Artem Anisimov (34-44-81 in 80 games) for Worcester to concern themselves with. Anisimov, without the benefit of Parenteau’s presence, did not have a good playoff. The young Russian AHL All-Star had but two goals and sported a minus-4 in the six game series.  The Pack power play, which by nobody’s standard was ever a consistent or dominant threat over the course regular season, scoring just 66 goals in 377 man-up situations (17.5%, 13th overall), was just dreadful during the playoffs. The power play unit scored just four power play goals in 32 chances (12.5%). Many of those chances could have turned games and even possibly the series in a different direction.

A major contributor to the series defeat was an abysmal playoff by veteran Brain Fahey. Brought in to replace last season’s MVP, the departed Andrew Hutchinson, Fahey just never was able to live up to expectations.  Ex-New York Ranger and current Manitoba Moose forward, Jason Krog said that while the two were teammates on the 2007-2008 Calder Cup Champion Chicago Wolves, Fahey was known to his teammates as “Mr. Intensity.” Somehow that nickname never materialized based upon his play in Hartford. Fahey’s playoff series was nothing short of dreadful. The Glenville, Illinois native turned the puck over constantly in his own end and was burned defensively it seemed at every turn. In the 6-0 loss in game four, Fahey, along with the equally awful Jared Nightingale, as a defensive tandem, were on the ice for five of those goals. The Pack assistant captain contributed put nothing offensively into the scorer’s sheet and posted a team worst minus-5 for the series. Nightingale, along with Jordan Owens, Tommy Pyatt and Anisimov all posted a minus-4 for the series.

In game six, just as it was in game five, the Pack came out slowly and got themselves behind the eight-ball early. Early on, the Pack could not handle the forecheck pressure the Sharks threw at them. They just could not clear the puck out of their own zone. Rookie Paul Crowder had a chance to grab a loose puck at the blue line with a Shark point-man down, but over-skated the puck and momentarily took himself out of the zone. This gave DaSilva the chance to find defenseman Kyle McLaren open for a shot. McLaren’s shot from the right circle rebounded off of Zaba into the slot. No one bothered to pick up Andrew Desjardins crashing the net and the Shark center blasted it over Zaba’s stick side blocker for a 1-0 lead for the Sharks at 3:53.

Rookie defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti fired a hard shot from the right point that Dane Byers deflected in past Greiss on the power play at 6:31 just forty seconds after Brad Staubitz took a roughing penalty tying the score.

But the Sharks just kept coming and the Pack had no defensive answer. A pair of goals just 2:12 apart broke the game open for the home team. While neither goal was  ultimately the game winner, it put the Pack into a position they didn’t want to be in; a two-goal deficit to a very hot Sharks team. 

Lukas Kaspar got the first of the two at 12:17. The Shark left wing carried the puck up into the Pack zone with little to no resistance and fired a low, bad angle shot that hit either Fahey or Byers who were busy double teaming McLaren in front of the net got by Zaba. Then at 14:29 Vladimir Denisov, playing in only his second game of the series, made a bad outlet pass on the right side turning the puck over in the defensive zone. With Fahey also on the right side and all over McLaren who had intercepted the puck, the Shark defenseman spun on the Pack veteran D-Man and whipped a pass across the ice to Denisov’s vacated left side where DaSilva was all alone to slam it into the open net side before Zaba could get back. Just like that it was 3-1 at the end of the first.

The Pack came out determined in the second period and Dale Weise would score his first of two on the night and bring the Pack back to within a goal at 5:53. After Sanguinetti recovered the puck in the Pack zone, his outlet pass to Brodie Dupont started a breakout. Dupont fed Weise who rushed the puck with speed into the Sharks’ zone. McLaren backed off Weise as he got closer to Greiss. Weise then uncorked a great low hard shot from just inside the right face off circle that beat Greiss to the far corner of the net.

But DaSilva would score what would prove to be the series winner when the Pack, as they had struggled with all series long, found themselves shorthanded with a man in the penalty box. This time it was Tommy Pyatt who took an undisciplined elbowing penalty in the neutral zone. On a very similar play to his first goal, DaSilva took a cross slot feed from below the right goal line from Jason Demers and crushed it into the twine in the back of the cage past a helpless Zaba. The tally restored the Sharks’ two-goal lead that they would never relinquish.

Despite playing a much more spirited and effective period, the Pack entered the third no better off than they did the second trailing by two on the road.

With their backs against the wall, the Pack came out and gave it their best shot to try and rally from behind. But after Sanguinetti was stripped of the puck in his own zone creating an odd man rush in the defensive zone, Devin DiDiomete did his best to help, but when he dove to try and block a Logan Couture shot from the right wing side, the rookie slid into his netminder with the puck under him and crashed into Zaba and the back of the net. It was a valiant effort, but it was the backbreaking goal.

Weise added his second of the contest with just 67 seconds remaining on a beautiful play. Perhaps displaying the kind of offensive skill that has been coming out over the second half of the season, Weise confidently carried the puck from the right wing side behind the Sharks net and came out around the defense and from just inside the right side of the slot blew a low hard shot through Greiss’ five-hole for what would prove to be the Pack’s final goal of the season.

After the congratulatory handshake, the Pack head off into the summer and the Sharks advance to take on the Providence Bruins who defeated the Portland Pirates four games to one. That best of seven series begins Tuesday night in Providence.

Bob Crawford recounts the event at Hartfordwolfpack.com. Bill Ballou revels in the home team victory and glorifies what was a very questionable hit at it’s best, to Wolf Pack captain Greg Moore, as the turning point in the game at telegram.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

NOTES:

* While the Pack were eliminated, there was some good that came out of it. Dane Byers returned to the lineup and played well, 3-1-4 in the six games and was good in front of the net. Dale Weise, who played better once getting comfortable with the AHL game over the second half of the regular season, emerged as a future player to be reckoned with scoring three goals and adding an assist and was a physical presence as well. Jordan Owens proved that he is an impact player as well. Owens who had a very good regular season, was all over the ice and potted a goal and two assists. The rearguard duo of Bobby Sanguinetti and Corey Potter both continued to mature their respective games. Potter scored a goal and had three assists while Sanguinetti was the team’s playoff scoring leader with a goal and four helpers.

* While the season is over for the Wolf Pack, coverage of the team by Howlings does not end. We will be on top of all things concerning the Hartford Wolf Pack throughout the summer and will have complete coverage of the NHL draft with Jess Rubenstein of The Prospect Park.

* The Rangers organization should do themselves a favor and let Nik Zherdev and his RFA status walk or trade him. The team would be better served by giving P.A. Parenteau an opportunity to play an entire season in the NHL. He's a proven scorer that can also kill penalties. Parenteau is probably the best power play quarterback this franchise has ever had. If given the opportunity in New York, the French Canadian could be a difference maker and a consistent one at that. Add in the fact that he earns a whole lot less than anything that Zherdev would be getting in his contract and this becomes a no-brainer.

LINES:

Byers – Anisimov – Rissmiller

Pyatt – Ouellette – Owens

Dupont – Moore © - Weise

DiDiomete – Bell - Crowder

Sanguinetti – Potter @

Denisov – Fahey @

Urquhart – Sauer

Zaba

SCRATCHES:

Parenteau – Concussion – Season

Soryal – Hand – Season

Zaborsky – Shoulder - Season

McBride - Suspended

Gaulton – Healthy

Glass – Healthy

Kundratek - Healthy

Loverock - Healthy

Nightingale - Healthy

Stich – Healthy

Sugden- Healthy

THREE STARS:

1. WOR - 23 Dan DaSilva
2. WOR - 29 Thomas Greiss
3. WOR - 14 Frazer McLaren

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

David Banfield (44), Referee
Scott Whittemore (96), Linesman
Brian MacDonald (72), Linesman

AHL PLAY OFF BRACKETS

(ALL SERIES ARE BEST OF SEVEN)

EASTERN CONFERENCE	Conference Rank		Record
ATLANTIC DIVISION SEMI-FINALS
(1) Hartford Wolf Pack	4
(New York Rangers)
(4) Worcester Sharks	8		Won 4-2
(San Jose Sharks)
(2) Providence Bruins	5		Won 4-1
(Boston Bruins)
(3) Portland Pirates	7
(Buffalo Sabres)
EAST DIVISION SEMI-FINALS
(1) Hershey Bears	1		Win 4-0
(Washington Capitals)
(4) Philadelphia Phantoms	6
(Philadelphia Flyers)
(2) Bridgeport Sound Tigers	2
(New York Islanders)
(3) Wilkes Barre / Scranton Penguins	3		Win 4-1
(Pittsburgh Penguins)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
NORTH DIVISION SEMI-FINALS
(1) Manitoba Moose	1		Won 4-2
(Vancouver Canucks)
(4) Toronto Marlies	6
(Toronto Maple Leafs)
(2) Hamilton Bulldogs	3
(Montreal Canadiens)
(3) Grand Rapids Griffins	4		Lead 3-2
(Detroit Red Wings)
WEST DIVISION SEMI-FINALS
(1) Milwaukee Admirals	2		Won 4-0
(Nashville Predators)
(4) Rockford Icehogs	7
(Chicago Blackhawks )
(2) Peoria Rivermen	5
(St. Louis Blues)
(3) Houston Aeros	7		Tied 3-3
(Minnesota Wild)