SURPRISE ENDINGS 

   VERSUS   

Both the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Manchester Monarchs both got last second
goals to end periods, but it was the Pack’s last second heroics by Artem
Anisimov and second year pro Brodie Dupont in the third period with just 5.2
seconds remaining that gave the visitors a 3-2 win Sunday afternoon at the
Verizon Wireless Arena.

Last second heroics aside, this game was all about the remarkable play of
rookie netminder Matt Zaba. The Yorkton, Saskatchewan native has emerged from
relative obscurity to give the Pack a chance to win each night in between the
pipes and the team is responding. Zaba (35 saves) had a magnificent week. The
former Colorado College netminder posted a 3-1 record playing in four games
over five nights. During the span 6’1” 185 pounder has surrendered just six
goals while facing 125 shots posting an impressive .952 save percentage and 1.50
GAA and most certainly get serious consideration for the AHL First Star of the
Week. The only game he lost was a 1-0 shutout by Bridgeport last Wednesday.

Entering the final stanza of the game, the two teams were deadlocked at two
goals a piece. Manchester took advantage of the Pack’s fading stamina and just
ran ram shod over their guests pouring 21 shots on goal all stopped by Zaba in
the the third period.

As time was rapidly running out on them, the Pack took one last faceoff in
the Manchester zone to the left of goaltender Jonathan Bernier (25 saves). Corey
Potter fed his partner with a cross ice pass. Bobby Sanguinetti attempted to one
time the pass and partially fanned on it from the left point. The puck dribbled
into the left corner where Anisimov out hustled Monarch defenseman Davis
Drewiske to the puck. Anisimov, knowing time was running out, spun and fired a
shot on goal. The puck  hit bottom corner of the post and Bernier’s right skate
which ricocheted the puck perfectly to Dupont who was streaking up the slot. A
player who goes after “dirty goals,” Dupont got behind Alec Martinez and Brian
Boyle, who both had their backs to him, and rocketed a shot into the right
corner of the net over the glove of Bernier for the game winner.

The Pack came out of the gate quickly and pressed the attack on their hosts.
At 4:52, Boyle was called for slashing and sent off to the box to think about it
for two minutes. On the ensuing power play which had struggled the night before
going just one-for-ten, including 0-for three on two-man advantages, the Pack
wasted no time putting that behind them. 1:06 into their man advantage, the
team’s leading scorer put another point on the ledger. While stationed to
Bernier’s right, Parenteau used Vladimir Dravecky as a screen and put a low shot
off a great cross-crease pass from Anisimov, under the pads of Bernier for the
1-0 lead.

1:25 later the Pack struck again. Tommy Pyatt’s  outlet pass
sprung defenseman Dave Urquhart. The rookie then made a terrific rush up the
left wing and fired a hard shot on Bernier. The puck hit Bernier’s pad and
redirected to the right wing side where Mike Ouellette was all alone waiting.
The Kamloops, British Columbia native then deposited the rubber in the back of
the net past the helpless netminder. The goal was quite similar to  the game
winner against Portland from the night before. The goal gave the second
year Pack center his second point (1g, 1a) in the last three games.

In the second period Urquhart took an interference call at 3:26. Manchester
took advantage and 37 seconds later got on the scoreboard. Teddy Purcell, the
AHL’s reigning Rookie of the Year made a superb pass finding Boyle open on the
right wing side. His hard shot beat Zaba at 4:03 and brought Manchester to
within a goal.

The Monarchs got their last second excitement a period too soon as theirs
came ending the second period. It looked like the Pack were going to be headed
to the third frame up 2-1, but Oscar Moller, who’s already played 31 games with
the big club in LA and playing in only his fourth with Manchester, created some
room for himself as he came out from behind the net. As Moller came from behind
the left side of the net, Zaba braced to defend and hugged the post. Moller
lifted a shot that hit Zaba in the right shoulder and bounced over the netminder
knotting the score with just 6.5 remaining in the period. Gabe Gauthier picked
up his second assist of the game and David Meckler also received credit for a
helper as well.

Bob Crawford has the recap at Hartfordwolfpack.com and for the Manchester
perspective there is John Habib’s story in the UnionLeader.
Habib reminds readers
that Avery played three games for the Monarchs during the 2003 season when he
was property of the LA Kings in yet another profile of Avery.

GAME
SUMMARY and OFFICIAL
SCORERS SHEET

NOTES:

* 5,137 were announced to be in attendance at this afternoons contest. The
only way that’s accurate is if they were including courting the residents of
nearby homes in the area. The building appeared to have less than 2,000 based
upon the camera angles they gave out to viewers.

* While Matt Zaba signed with the Rangers organization as a free agent on
August 20, 2007, ironically, he was originally drafted by the parent club of the
Monarchs, Los Angeles in the 8th round (231st overall) in 2003.

* Keep up with this if you can… Manchester’s Marc Andre Cliché was originally
drafted by the Pack’s parent club, the NY Rangers in the second round, 56th
overall in the 2005 NHL Entry draft. Cliché faced off for the first time against
the man that came back to the Rangers on February 5, 2007… Sean Avery. In case
you’re curious, the rest of that deal saw the Rangers receive Avery and John
Seymour (all together now…WHO?) and sent Jason Ward, Jan Marek, Cliché and a
2008 third round draft choice out West. The pick was later traded by Los Angeles
(Manchester) to Buffalo (Portland) and became Minnesota native and Eastview High
School defenseman Cory
Fienhage.

* Dupont’s game winner was his third such goal of the season. That ties him
for third on the team with Corey Potter and Greg Moore. Jordan Owens has four
game deciding goals and Artem Anisimov leads the team with five game
winners. 

* At one point in tonight’s Rangers v. Toronto game there was the rare sight
of two ex-Wolf Pack teammates squaring off in the face off circle against
one-another when Blair Betts stared down and beat Dominic Moore.

* The Pack are holding second place because they’re strength of team defense
and because they are now 18-10-1-3 against the Atlantic division.

* The 21 shots fired on Zaba by Monarch players in the third
period reestablished their season high of 20 shots on goal allowed in a period. The previous high came in a game with Hamilton on December 20, 2008. They lost
that game at home 6-2.

* Inside the numbers: 15-5-0-1 when leading after one, 10-5-0-0 when tied
after two periods of play 15-11-1-2 when outshot by their opponents and improve
their record in one goal games to 15-7-2-3. They’re also 5-1 now against
Manchester on the season.

LINES:

Dupont – Anisimov – Parenteau @

Avery – Rissmiller – Weise

Zaborsky – Ouellette – Pyatt

DiDiomete – MOORE © – Ford

Sanguinetti – Potter @

Nightingale – Fahey

Urquhart – Sauer

Zaba

SCRATCHES:

Denisov – Suspension

Soryal – Hand – Five weeks

Sugden – Healthy

Byers – Knee – Season

Owens – Oblique strain. “I’ll be ready for Wednesday night.” The Pack forward
told Howlings.

THREE STARS:

1. HFD – 9 Brodie Dupont
2. HFD – 30 Matt Zaba
3.
MCH – 28 Gabe Gauthier

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Andy Thiessen (47), Referee
Joe Ross (92), Linesman
Scott Whittemore
(96), Linesman

SCOREBOARD WATCHING:

Bridgeport did the Pack a favor knocking off Portland 5-2 in an afternoon
matinee while Lowell upended Worcester in OT 4-3. Springfield made a game of it
but lost in Providence 5-4.

STANDINGS:

                                        Games    W      L      OT   SOL 
PTS

SCHEDULE:

No games on Monday anywhere, but on Tuesday Providence is on the road in
Manchester to take on the Monarchs at the Verizon Wireless Center.

NEXT GAME:

The Pack take their three game winning streak on the road to Pennsylvania
where they will face off against the East Division’s second place team, the
Wilkes Barre / Scranton Penguins led by ex-Pack and AHL All-Star Jeff Taffe at
the always packed Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza. The Pack beat the Penguins
at the XL Center in their only meeting this season 4-1 back on January 24th.