DECISION TIME…

If the play of the Hartford Wolf Pack in the pre-season is any indication of what lies ahead, this group is going to be one formidable opponent. The Pack finished their pre-season 3-0-1-0 and they were the better team night in and night out even with the one overtime loss. After defeating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday night 7-0, they kept the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, off the scoreboard again Sunday. Martin Houle did the deed Friday, this time it was Matt Zaba in the net as the Pack took this one 3-0 at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell Connecticut.

Much like his performance in the first game, Zaba was huge in net. The Yorkton, Saskatchewan native made enormous saves on breakaways to Jason Pitton and Sean Bentivoglio in the first period and an even better one in the second on Jean Bourbeau. Zaba made 21 saves on the afternoon. Had there been voting for the “Three Stars of the Game,” surely he would have been the runaway first star.

In assessing the player most likely to be Miika Wiikman’s back-up when he returns to Hartford from the Rangers’ European trip, Head Coach Ken Gernander said, “I think he was a real poised goalie, not a lot of flash, but very in-control of his game. He’s very square to pucks. He’s made some very athletic saves when he had to, that last save at Trinity (preserving the 3-2 Pack win October 1st against Worcester) was the athletic one, but it’s kind of reassuring when a guy plays that solid, steady game and is always square to pucks.”

Dale Weise was solid in this final tilt of the pre-season. He would have been the game’s “Second Star” with a goal and an assist. Weise has been making a name for himself and impressing the coaching staff since he took part as one of the Rangers’ prospects in the tournament held last month in Traverse City, Michigan. Gernander likes what he’s seeing so far. “He’s been a strong performer since day one. He plays a simple game and when I say that I’m not downplaying or under-estimating his game. I mean he’s just a hard working, fun to watch kid.” Gernander elaborated, “He’s not a flashy, stick handler or a toe-dragger. He’s got the skills and abilities if he chooses to do so. I think he just likes to play a hard nose, up-and-down-wing-kind-of-a-game and he just doesn’t prefer to do it with all of the glitz and glamor. He has all the hand skills and the shooting ability to pay it off when necessary, but he plays a pretty close to the vest game.”

Greg Moore scored the Pack’s first goal of the contest at 5:39 of the second period with the team on the power play. Bobby Sanguinetti took a Hugh Jessiman feed and fired a shot from the right side. Sound Tigers starter Peter Mannino (22 saves) made the initial stop, but the puck ricocheted over to the weak side where Moore was all alone and fired it into the empty net from the left-wing circle.

The game’s second goal came off the stick of center-man Tommy Pyatt who finished an impressive pre-season with his third tally at 1:36 of the third period. Pyatt roofed a backhanded shot just over the stick of the Sound Tigers second goaltender of the game, Nathan Lawson (14 saves).

Rookie Defenseman Chris Murray helped his chances of earning a spot on the Pack with a terrific outlet pass that found a wide open Brodie Dupont along the right wing. Dupont masterfully got around his defender and found Weise crashing the net along the left side. Weise took a nice set-up pass from Dupont and lifted the puck over Lawson’s outstretched stick for the game’s final tally at 9:31 of the third period.

The Pack outshot the Sound Tigers 39-21 and potted one goal on seven tries while Bridgeport was blanked on five man-advantage opportunities.

Gernander answered a lot of questions about what he’s seen thus far from the group he’s working with at training camp. “You always start with the work and how receptive guys are to what you’re trying to teach. I thought from that perspective you couldn’t ask for more.” He said. “They all worked very hard. They all tried to adhere to what we were doing as a team and I think they all should be commended.”

But ultimately some players will have to be cut and some will be sent down to Charlotte which opens its camp on Monday. “Regardless of who goes to Charlotte, they’ll have a very good core of guys.” Gernander said smiling. “The message that I’ve given some of them, some of them have been released already, that in different years they’d be a reliable call-up, but I told them we expect them to be very successful in Charlotte given what we’ve seen here in Hartford. They’ve got to continue to push; they’re by no means out of the fold.” The Pack Head Coach said.

Gernander stated that in the AHL there will be opportunities for some of these guys to play with the Wolf Pack. “You know how things go over the season between injuries, trades, call-ups and what have you. We think we have had a pretty good group we can draw from and for the most part that it’ll be predicated on play. (So) nothing is ever final. There are guys going to Charlotte that if they’re playing great and the need arises we’ll have them back.” Gernander did not want to disclose who some of those players might be until he was able to tell them himself, but did say that “There’s probably going to be some guys going to Charlotte tomorrow and then we’ll be pretty close to our opening day roster.”

Other evaluations came in a variety of shapes and sizes.

As far as the line combinations (see below) that the team used in this game being an indicator of how the team will line up opening night, Gernander stated that won’t necessarily be the case. “We might tweak things a bit. These combinations were something we threw together specifically for tonight. Sometimes you’re looking for different things you want to see if this guy given different line-mates can elevate his game or see if this guy can play it more defensive, so we’re still looking at where these guys can fit together into our fold. “

The defense, in spite of youth and inexperience has been solid and cohesive during the three exhibition games. Gernander is taking a precautious perspective. “It’s just pre-season. It’s going to be a whole ‘nother ball of wax on Tuesday. I’ll go back to guys working hard and being receptive to what we’re trying to do and if they continue that way all season long now you’ve got something. You can mold guys and work with them and they’ll gain the respect of their teammates because of it and then everyone will start to be a cohesive group.”

One D-Man looking to make an impression is a “comeback” player of sorts and a familiar face, Maxim Kondratiev. Of the young Russian, Gernander is unsure how he fits in with the team or even if he wants to be here. “We’ll have to discuss it organizationally where we are with Maxie. Quite frankly we’ll have to sit down with him and ask him. He came to the Rangers for a try-out. We’ll have to see if he’s interested in playing in the AHL and where his heart is.”

Kondratiev was part of the Brian Leetch trade with Toronto in 2004. Gernander didn’t see much of a difference in his game from when he was here back then. “He’s always been a pretty poised guy with the puck. And actually, because of that poise, he surprises guys because he plays physical as well. They just assume he’s a puck mover and he looks kind of slight out there and what have you but he competes and finishes checks and he’s got a lot of smarts and reads plays well.”

So far in the pre-season, Kondratiev has been teamed with former first round draft pick, Bobby Sanguinetti. “We’ll have to see how that all unfolds,” Gernander said. “For the time being he’s a guy who’s been around. He’s had some experience in North America, some of it in the NHL, some of it in the AHL. He’s a bit older…and offers some experience to go along with Bobby.”

The last question going into the start of the season is leadership, as in who will take the Captaincy now that Andrew Hutchinson has moved on. In Sunday’s contest, Moore, P.A. Parenteau and Dane Byers each wore an “A.” Last season the team held out quite a while in replacing fan favorite Craig Weller. “I’m glad we waited last year,” Gernander said. “It took us a long time last season to find a Captain. It took ‘Hutch’ a little time to feel his way around and I thought he was an excellent choice and then we go and lose him. We’re just going to see how things unfold and see how things emerge. We’re not going to name one tomorrow. You also don’t know if (Corey) Potter or (Brian) Fahey, they’ll be joining us (Monday), if maybe they’re the kind that’s going to take that role.”

LINES

Soryal – Anisimov – Parenteau
Byers – Moore – Jessiman
Dupont – Pyatt – Weise
Owens – Ouellette – Jamtin

Sanguinetti – Kondratiev
Dowzak – Murray
Denisov – Graham

Zaba

NOTES

* Howlings will be posting the cuts as soon as we are informed by the team.

* NY Islanders Hall-of-Famer, and one time NY Rangers Head Coach Bryan Trottier was on the bench for the Sound Tigers.

(Ken Gernander photo courtesy of hartfordwolfpack.com)