PENALTY…KILLERS 

     VERSUS     

It’s the same old story these days for the struggling Hartford Wolf Pack, no discipline leading to bad penalties and “We need to score more goals,” Head Coach Ken Gernander told reporters after both were the culprit in a third consecutive 2-1 defeat, their second straight in overtime, only this time to the Portland Pirates.

Putting pucks in the net, especially at key points in games, has been the overwhelming issue for the Wolf Pack all season long. Gernander cannot be criticized for not trying to find an answer. He’s searched high and low for a winning combination with what he’s been given to work with. It just hasn’t worked. For the sixth straight contest, the third year head coach mixed up his best players, forming different combinations in an effort to try and find some sort of an offensive spark. But even with all the changes, his troops have responded with a mere eleven goals total. Look back over the last nine games, the team has put just twenty-one pucks behind goaltenders.

This world has produced fewer more competitive people than Gernander. For the Minnesota native who played each shift like it was his last, as a coach, this can’t be easy.

“We need a little more commitment to either driving wide or shooting from the perimeter but with guys either net-front or committed to getting to the net. Changing the lines didn’t quite take. We have some nights where we try to load up a line and hope they can get the job done and maybe get some unexpected contributions. Tonight we tried to spread it out a little bit, but it didn’t necessarily pan out either.”

Tyler Ennis buried the Pack with 1:58 left in overtime when his wrist shot from between the circles beat Chad Johnson (23 saves, 14-12-2) high over the glove. Ennis got his opportunity because the Pack took bad penalties in the extra session. Just 57 seconds into the extra frame, P.A. Parenteau clearly got hit from behind by Mike Weber. Referee Frederic L’Ecuyer completely ignored the blatant cross check. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to Parenteau and his teammates that L’Ecuyer missed it since Weber had been running around doing it all game long and wasn’t called on it once.

Parenteau responded and then tangled with Felix Schutz sending both to the penalty box creating a three-on-three situation.

That didn’t last long however, as 13 year NHL veteran and three time Stanley Cup Champion, Mathieu Dandenault inexplicably roughed up Ennis and went to the penalty box just 24 seconds later. Since hockey doesn’t play three-on-two, Portland was awarded an extra attacker for two minutes and the teams played four-on-three. Corey Potter, Brodie Dupont and Illka Heikkinen did an admirable job protecting the net, but just after Parenteau and Schutz returned to the ice, Marc-Andre Gragnani fed Mark Mancari who found Ennis wide open for what became the game winner.

In what has become a very bad habit this season, the Pack surrendered the first goal of the game for the 37th time.

After playing a relatively even first period in which the Pirates outshot the Pack 11-9, nine minutes into the period, Potter turned the puck over in his own end to Kyle Rank and then hooked the Pirate winger ending a Pack power play and after 17 seconds of four-on-four gave the visiting team a 1:43 power play. It only took 39 seconds for the Pirates to put a puck past Johnson.

Mancari dumped the puck into the Pack zone from the right point and received it back when Johnson tried clearing it but failed. Mancari fed Gragnani on the left point. The two switched sides with Gragnani still controlling the puck. Gragnani saw that Dale Weise and Ryan Garlock had backed way back into the slot. With al that room, Gragnani moved to the top of the circle and wristed a shot on goal. There was a lot of traffic in front of the Pack goal. Paul Byron and Brad Larsen were in front of the Pack net as were Pack defenders Dandenault and Jared Nightingale. It’s highly unlikely that Johnson ever even saw the shot, let alone know the puck was coming. It was 1-0 on the power play goal.

But the Pack answered right back just 1:04 later, Heikkinen retrieved a puck in the left corner and fed it up the wall. Dupont picked it up just before the Pack blue line. As he left the zone, he was challenged by Matt Generous just in front of the center red line as Weise streaked up past them. Dupont banked it off the side board in a perfect spot for Weise to pick it up with speed. Weise flew right by Dennis Persson and with Rank rushing back to try and catch him, Weise charged up to Jonas Enroth (19 saves, 27-16-1) and slid it between his pads for his 19th of the season.

The score remained that way until Ennis ended it in overtime.

The best scoring chance for either team came midway through the third period. Rank led a three-on-two odd man rush into the Pack zone. The right winger entered the zone and blasted a shot from the from just above the right circle. Johnson, as has he’s struggled with at times this season, could not control the rebound and left it right in the slot. Matt Caruana beat Dandenault back and got to the puck first. The Pirate center got a stick on it and crashed into Johnson, but not before the rookie netminder blocked the puck out into the corner.

“If you’re only going to get one goal, the margin for error is pretty slim,” Gernander spoke of after the game. “I don’t think we gave up a crazy amount of chances, but it’s just that the margin for error is a lot less when we’re not creating our own.”

It’s hard to see this team as it is playing right now as a playoff contender, but they are. Even with the loss, Bridgeport, who holds the last spot right now, lost badly to Hershey (who hasn’t) and the Pack trail their Connecticut neighbors by just two points and have a game in hand. IF the Pack are going to make any sort of realistic run at the playoffs, they’re going to have to do some serious soul searching and start playing like contenders.

Hartford has 19 games in which to prove to themselves and to those who care about them, to show they can start to play disciplined and not take foolish penalties and start finding the back of the net.

If they don’t, for the first time in team history the only hockey they’ll be playing is a video game.

Our professional role model, Bruce Berlet, deftly takes you into the emotions inside the locker room and speaks with Tyler Ennis who scored the game winner at Hartfordwolfpack.com. Gerry Cantelon, a great writer as well, filed a report for his European readers at Eurohockey.net.  The story from Portland will be at PressHeald.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET 

STANDINGS

SCOREBOARD:

Mathieu Perreault had four goals as Hershey humiliated the Sound Tigers 9-2…Chris Bourque, (1g, 3a), Steve Pinizzotto (0g, 4a), Alex Giroux (1g, 3a) and Keith Aucoin (1g, 3a), all had four points. Andrew Gordon had three (2g, 1a). Adirondack snuffed out Lowell in a shootout. Hamilton crushed Rochester 4-1. Albany knocked off Manchester 5-2. Norfolk got the best of ex-Pack Chris Holt in a shootout and won 3-2. Wilkes-Barre / Scranton got a hat trick from Chris Conner and tore apart the Providence Bruins 5-1. Abbotsford did the Wolf Pack a favor an knocked off Worcester 4-3 while in Lake Erie the Monsters beat up Grand Rapids 5-3. Springfield got a game winning goal with just 19 seconds left in regulation from ex-Pack Chad Wiseman as the Falcons beat Syracuse 2-1. Manitoba tripled up San Antonio 3-1 Rockford knocked off Peoria in a shootout 2-1. ex-Pack Hugh Jessiman had a goal in a game with no defense by either team as Milwaukee scored in OT with just 33 seconds left for a 7-6 win. Last but not least, it was Texas over Houston 5-2.

NOTES:

* If you have yet to sign up for our new service to our readers on Twitter, you’re really missing out on the most extensive coverage of the Wolf Pack and Checkers you’ll find anywhere. In addition to keeping you posted here on all major news stories, visit www.twitter.com/howlingstoday for in-game coverage of both Wolf Pack and Checkers games. Please “Follow” us on Twitter.

* Paul Betit reports that Albany is close to signing a deal to bring a team from the Northeast to replace the River Rats. Buffalo makes a lot of sense. Rumors also had the Sound Tigers talking to Albany as well. If the Sound Tigers do move that could spur a move by the Wolf Pack to Bridgeport. The logical move however, would seem to be Buffalo. Their affiliation with Portland ends at the completion of this season and that would bring their team much closer to the parent club. It’s highly unlikely that the Rangers are speaking to Albany.

* The Pack are 10-16-3-2 when being outshot by their opponents and 12-8-5-4 in one goal games. In games tied after two periods, Hartford finds itself 4-2-3-1. 

* in five games this season against Portland, the Pack have been outscored 23-14. The teams have split two overtime games.

* Special teams continue to destroy this team. Pack went 0-3 on the power play, 47 goals in 281 chances, for 16.7%. On the PK, they’ve allowed 60 goals in 291 opportunities for 79.4%.

LINES:

Byers © – Ambϋhl – Parenteau
Soryal – Crowder – Grachev
Locke – Dupont – Weise
Brashear – Garlock – Couture

Heikkinen – Sanguinetti
William – Dandenault
Potter – Nightingale 

Johnson
Zaba

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Devin DiDiomete – Healthy Scratch
Jordan Owens – Healthy Scratch
David Urquhart – Healthy Scratch
Kenny Roche – Healthy Scratch
Steven Valiquette – Hand Injury – Season over
Michael Sauer – Shoulder – Season over
Mike Hoffman – Shoulder – Season over
Brent Henley – Knee – Season over

THREE STARS:

1. POR – T. Ennis
2. HFD – C. Johnson
3. POR – J. Enroth

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Frederic L’Ecuyer (48)

Linesmen:
David Spannaus (8)
Luke Galvin (2)

NEXT GAME:

Sunday is now a HUGE contest. The Pack can’t seem to do anything right these days and yet they are only two points out of a playoff spot. AMAZING. It doesn’t get any easier as they start a five-game road starting in Lowell Sunday afternoon. They’ll then go to Hamilton and Toronto, Canada for games on Saturday and Sunday respectfully. Bob Crawford sets the scene from the broadcast booth with the pre-game show at starting at 4:30pm and game-time at 5:00pm Eastern.

To watch the game live, you can purchased it for $6.99 at AHL-live.

If you can attend the home games, they cost is as little as $10 a ticket, why not just go? For Ticket information call (860) 548-2000.

Too far away or can’t make it? Listen live at WTIC.com.

SCORE-SHEET:

Portland Pirates 2 (OT) At Hartford Wolf Pack 1 – Status: Final OT

Feb 27, 2010 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Portland 0 1 0 1 – 2

Hartford 0 1 0 0 – 1

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Schutz Por (roughing), 5:39; Weise Hfd (boarding), 7:14; Turnbull Por (cross-checking, fighting), 13:25; Nightingale Hfd (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating), 13:25.

2nd Period-1, Portland, Gragnani 9 (Mancari), 11:39 (pp). 2, Hartford, Weise 19 (Dupont, Heikkinen), 12:43. Penalties-Potter Hfd (holding), 9:17; Parenteau Hfd (interference), 14:09; Nightingale Hfd (high-sticking), 15:50; Cowan Por (cross-checking), 17:37.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Turnbull Por (roughing), 3:49; Couture Hfd (roughing), 3:49; Garlock Hfd (roughing), 3:49; Cowan Por (interference), 5:25; McCormick Por (roughing), 14:48; Parenteau Hfd (roughing), 14:48.

OT Period-3, Portland, Ennis 19 (Gragnani, Mancari), 3:02 (pp). Penalties-Schutz Por (roughing), 0:57; Parenteau Hfd (roughing), 0:57; Dandenault Hfd (roughing), 1:21.

Shots on Goal-Portland 11-4-8-2-25. Hartford 9-6-5-0-20.

Power Play Opportunities-Portland 2 of 6; Hartford 0 of 3.

Goalies-Portland, Enroth 27-16-1 (20 shots-19 saves). Hartford, Johnson 14-12-2 (25 shots-23 saves).

A-4,733

MEANWHILE DOWN IN CHARLOTTE

     VERSUS           

Charlotte Checkers 2 At Kalamazoo Wings 5 – Status: Final

Feb 27, 2010 – Wings Stadium

Charlotte 1 0 1 – 2

Kalamazoo 3 1 1 – 5

1st Period-1, Kalamazoo, Strong 5 (Lloyd), 1:06. 2, Charlotte, Stefanishion 16 (Tkaczuk), 3:41. 3, Kalamazoo, McGuirk 10 (Featherstone), 13:52 (sh). 4, Kalamazoo, Cleaver 22 (Landry, Curadeau), 18:53 (pp). Penalties-Lloyd Kal (slashing ), 4:24; McGuirk Kal (delay of game), 5:34; Daavettila Kal (high-sticking), 13:35; Crane Chr (hooking), 18:00.

2nd Period-5, Kalamazoo, Asselin 8 (McGuirk, Cleaver), 13:43. Penalties-Bezeau Kal (tripping), 4:30; Berube Chr (slashing ), 11:01; Doig Chr (slashing ), 14:59; Versteeg Kal (tripping), 17:49.

3rd Period-6, Kalamazoo, Fournier 19 (Lloyd, Cleaver), 11:28 (pp). 7, Charlotte, Marshall 15 (Schepke, Ward), 19:53 (pp). Penalties-Stefanishion Chr (roughing), 4:33; Versteeg Kal (roughing), 4:33; Morrow Kal (interference), 7:35; Reynolds Chr (interference), 10:11; Schaeffer Chr (hooking), 10:37; Featherstone Kal (slashing ), 18:00.

Shots on Goal-Charlotte 18-8-13-39. Kalamazoo 15-11-12-38.

Power Play Opportunities-Charlotte 1 of 7; Kalamazoo 2 of 5.

Goalies-Charlotte, Munce 15-12-1-1 (38 shots-33 saves). Kalamazoo, Duchesne 9-4-3-2 (39 shots-37 saves).

A-3,858