CRAWFORD’S CORNER

Bob Crawford takes us inside the Wolf Pack for a look at the week ahead.

WOLF PACK WEEKLY: October 14 – 19, 2008

The Wolf Pack started their 2008-09 season by splitting a pair of home games this past week. Saturday night’s season opener at the XL Center saw the Wolf Pack storm out to a 3-0 first-period lead over the Springfield Falcons, only to have the visitors come back and score the final four tallies of the contest and hand the Pack a 4-3 defeat. Sunday in Hartford, in the first game of this season’s GEICO Connecticut Cup series, the Wolf Pack outlasted the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 2-1 in a shootout. Brodie Dupont and Artem Anisimov each had assists in both games, and Anisimov scored the shootout-winning goal on Sunday.

This week:
The Wolf Pack hit the road for the first time this weekend, journeying to the Province of Ontario for a pair of games. The Pack visit the Hamilton Bulldogs for a 7:30 game this Friday, October 17th, and then travel on to Toronto to battle the Marlies on Saturday night (7:00).

Friday, October 17th at Hamilton (Copps Coliseum), 7:30 p.m.
• Head Coach Don Lever’s Bulldogs swept their first two games of the season, winning a pair of games in Winnipeg over the Manitoba Moose, 3-1 on Friday and 5-3 on Saturday.
• 11th-year pro goaltender Marc Denis, a veteran of 348 career NHL games, played both of the first two games for the Bulldogs and allowed a total of only four goals on 68 shots.
• The Wolf Pack and Bulldogs split a pair of games last season, the Bulldogs taking a 2-1 decision in Hamilton and the Pack winning by a 3-2 score 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.

Saturday, October 18th at Toronto (Ricoh Coliseum), 7:00 p.m.
• The Wolf Pack and Marlies met for the first time last year, and both teams won on the other’s home ice. The Pack prevailed, 4-3 in a shootout, in their first-ever visit to Toronto, and the Marlies were 5-2 winners in their maiden voyage to the XL Center.
• The Marlies, who won the North Division last year with 50 wins and 109 points, registered one standings point in their first two games this season. They lost 2-1 in a shootout to Binghamton at home on Friday and dropped a 4-3 decision at Lake Erie on Saturday.
• Defenseman Richard Petiot, with a goal and an assist, was the only multiple-point scorer for Toronto in its first two contests.
• 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.

Recent Transactions:
Brandon Sugden – signed to Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement by the Wolf Pack October 9th.

(Bob Crawford photo courtesy of Hartfordwolfpack.com)