BETTER LATE THAN NEVER 

(For those of you wondering why it's taken me so long to get today's post up on line, it's because I entered the arena last night not feeling too great and by the third period I was in full flu mode. I'm still not feeling well at all but want to try and at least get you some thought about the game.)

 
  VERSUS  

The Hartford Wolf Pack returned to action Friday night after taking the past several days off for the holiday break. The rink rust was apparent as the team started slowly and by the time they regained their collective legs it was too late dropping a 3-1 decision to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers before the largest crowd of the season, 7,097, at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

"They came out hard. It's their home building," Head Coach Ken Gernander said.

Miika Wiikman came out ready to compete right from the drop of the puck and he had to as the Tigers challenged every puck handler and were successful in creating plays as a result.
"I think we could have made some more solid plays from the start there," Gernander said. "Turnovers usually generate offense going the other way."

Ben Walter, just back from a stay in NY with the Islanders, tested Wiikman at 4:30 and then turnovers led to not one, but two breakaways for Trevor Smith. Wiikman (14 saves) stood tall to the challenges.

But the sustained pressure by the Tigers was bound to bear fruit at some point. With the Pack continually struggling to clear their own zone or mount any sustained offensive pressure of their own early, at 14:41 the Tigers broke through. Jeremy Colliton and Walter put pressure on the defense and Jesse Joensuu saw Jamie Frasier open and Frazier got a gift tapping the crossbar over Wiikman for his third of the season.

The Tigers continued to keep the pressure on and with just 1:07 left in the first their efforts paid dividends for a second time.

Colliton get his second assist when he picked up a turned over puck and sprung Walter and Joensuu loose down right wing. Walter left a beautiful drop pass for Joensuu. The Finnish left wing skated out to the high slot and dropped a canon of a shot on his countryman beating Wiikman high to the glove side.
The Tigers dominated and dictated the tempo and controlled the puck in the first and out shot the Pack 10-8 and led 2-0.

In the second period, the Pack found their legs and began to seize control of the game.

At 9:51 two players who'd been off the score sheet for the past 13 games got back as Justin Soryal picked up a loose puck and made a solid outlet pass to Dale Weise who brought the puck into the zone with speed and Artem Anisimov on his wing. Anisimov fires a bullet of a shot that cleanly
beats Lawson over the glove.

The Pack dominated the second period. The TIgers didn't even get off a shot over the last eight minutes of the period. THey kept the drought strong for the first 5:18 of the third, making a full 13:18 of no shots on goal for Bridgeport.

Early in the third period Jordan Owens did his best impression of Shaquille O'Neil as his attempt to drive a shoulder into Kurtis McLean missed and he shattered the glass atop the boards sending fans in the area scrambling. Fortunately other than a couple of minor injuries, nobody was hurt. After the game, which was delayed nearly twenty minutes as the crew installed new glass, Owens said of the experience, "I went for the hit and missed." He said. "Fortunatley it didn't hurt."

The Tigers defense rose to the pressure the Pack were applying and Michael Haley, who's played 10 games with the Tigers since joining them in early November, scored his first goal after Jason Pitton outmuscled Vladimir Denisov behind the net and made a sweet centering pass that Haley backhanded underneath Wiikman for what would prove to be the game's final goal.

Bob Crawford has the recap at HartfordWolfPack.com while the talented Michael Fornabaio has the Bridgeport perspective in the CTPost.com.

GAME SUMMARY and the OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

NOTES:

* In NY Michael Rozsival had some personal family issues that required
his attention, so the Pack's Corey Potter has been recalled and will
play for the Rangers at "The Rock" in New Jersey.

Here's the official release:

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today
that defenseman Corey Potter has been assigned to the Wolf Pack.

Potter, 24, has skated in one game with the Rangers this season. He made his
NHL debut on December 7 vs. Calgary. The 6-3, 200-pounder registered two goals
and nine assists for 11 points, along with 30 penalty minutes in 24 games with
Hartford prior to his recall on December 14. He ranked second on the team among
defensemen in goals (two) and points (11), and was tied for second among Wolf
Pack blueliners in assists (nine). The Lansing, Michigan native has recorded two
multiple-point games this season, including a multiple-assist effort on October
22 at Worcester.

LINES:

Owens – Ouellette – Pyatt

DiDiomete – Rissmiller – PARENTEAU

Soryal – Anisimov – Weise

Dupont – MOORE – Stefanishion

Graham – Potter

Denisov – Sauer

Sanguinetti – Nightingale

Wiikman

(Assistant Captains in BOLD CAPS)

SCRATCHES:

Fahey – Concussion – Day-to-Day

Sugden – Healthy

Byers – Knee – Season

Urquhart – Healthy

THREE STARS:
1. BRI – 18 Micheal Haley
2. BRI – 9 Ben Walter
3. BRI – 52 Nathan Lawson

ON-ICE OFFICIALS:
Jeff Smith (49), Referee
Brent Colby (7), Linesman
Kevin Redding (16), Linesman

NEXT GAME:
Saturday night the Pack play their second of three straight and seven of nine on the road as they visit Springfield to take on the Falcons. Game time is 7pm.