OUT____ (FILL IN THE BLANK)______ 

       VERSUS      

ROUND ONE – GAME FIVE

After blowing a two game lead on the road in a rather unflattering manner (an double overtime loss in game three and a humiliating 6-0  thrashing in game four), the Hartford Wolf Pack returned home hoping to recapture the momentum they had early in the series. Unfortunately while the Pack raised their level of play in the second and third period (especially), from the previous night, the Sharks took advantage of an early let down and terrible first eight minutes to start the game and the Pack surrendered three goals, including two by veteran Patrick Traverse. The Sharks won the game 3-1 in front of 1,857 at the XL Center. With the win, the Sharks took a three games to two lead in this best of seven series and can move on to the second round with a win Saturday afternoon at home.

Brodie Dupont, who has a had a good season, told the press that he has watched his team struggle the last few games and especially at the start of this one. “We came out flat, didn’t go at them as hard as we wanted to, and were doubting ourselves after the 6-0 loss,” the Wolf Pack left winger said. “It was kind of like, ‘Here we go again.’ We just have to calm down and get back to our game. They’re a hard-working team, so when they get a lead, they don’t allow too many odd-man rushes and tend to clog up the middle. So getting a good start is real important against them.”

That didn’t happen in this one, that’s for sure.

Penalties once again hurt the Pack. Just 5:37 into the first period Michael Sauer was called for interference putting the Pack in their second shorthanded situation of the game. But 19 seconds into the man-advantage, Traverse got his first of two when his shot from the left point beat starter Matt Zaba (23 saves) on the short side over the stick. Vladimir Denisov, back from injury and in his first game of the series, may well have screened Zaba from having seen the shot. Riley Armstrong and Dan DaSilva had the assists.

Head Coach Ken Gernander was not a happy camper in his post game time with the press. “Our penalty kill has been pretty good, but we just put them on the power play too many times and eventually they’re going to convert,” the former team captain and now head coach said. “Maybe they weren’t necessarily retaliatory penalties, but any penalties of any kind are undisciplined unless you’re trying to prevent a score.”

It didn’t take long, just 1:19 later, when Traverse again took advantage of a huge ht by Brad Staubitz which created a loose puck that was picked up and fired on net by Traverse and deflected on the way into the net by T.J. Fox.

After a slew of penalties that included giving the Pack a 41 second five-on-three that they did nothing with, Traverse picked up the puck in the slot and skated around the Pack players and ripped the Sharks’ eleventh straight unanswered goal beating Zaba to the short-side and over the glove.

Meanwhile in the second period the Pack raised their battle level and took the game to their visitors from Massachusetts, but even with that they were outmatched by the defensive play of Worcester and were still outshot in the period 10-9.

In the third period the Pack came out and played desperation hockey and played almost the entire period in the offensive zone. They just could not solve Sharks starter Thomas Greiss (27 saves). It wasn’t like they didn’t have their chances either. With 8:12 left the Pack found themselves with a healthy 1:26 of five-on-three power play time but could only bury one with two men off the ice. However when Artem Asimov took a Corey Potter feed and put puck in front of the net Dane Byers was able to finally get one into the twine. The official scorer gave Sanguinetti the primary assist but that will be changed at some point.

“We came up with pretty good answers in the third working the puck low in the zone and being more patient in terms of not trying to jam it into places,” The Pack’s head coach from Minnesota said to the media. “Zaba had two great games to start the series, and Greiss has come on to play better hockey. After Zabs was so good the first two games, we took too many penalties and then we got better. The penalties didn’t cost us in the first two games, but it reared its ugly head again tonight.”

Gernander realizes what it’s going to take to get his team back into the winning groove, “We have to play a complete 60 minutes like (the third period), and we can square the series up,” Gernander said. “We’re going to have to work to get our goals, but tonight we were just a little too undisciplined in the first period.”

If the Pack are going to move forward they are going to have to win on the road in Worcester on Saturday night to force a Game seven in Hartford next Monday. Dupont is confident that the Pack can get it done. We just have to come at them with everything we’ve got. We finished first (by five points in the Atlantic Division) for a reason. We can win. We have character, we came back (from last place in December) and now we’re going to try to steal one (in Worcester). We worked for the home-ice advantage, so we just have to get the job done Saturday. We know we can play with these guys, so now we just have to get back to working hard, build off all the positives from the last period and get a good start. That’s a must with teams playing it so tight defensively.”

Bruce Berlet took in the action and files his insightful report at Hartfordwolfpack.com. Bill Ballou gloats in the telegram.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

NOTES:

* We need to revise information we put out yesterday where we may have erred. According to our source for all things concerning the prospects, Jess Rubenstein of The Prospect Park, "(Mike) Del Zotto is only 18 and does not
turn 19 until June which makes him ineligible to join the Wolf Pack this
season. According to the sources I have, to join the AHL this season would
have to be Del Zotto's overage year and he would have had to have turned 20 before Dec 31
or have played four seasons in the CHL. He only has three."

Speaking of the other available Rangers prospects, Rubenstein adds, "(Evgeny) Grachev can join Hartford since he
was drafted out of Europe and (Tysen) Dowzak can come becuase he is 20, but not Del Zotto."

Thank you Jess and our apologies on the error.

* The Pack have scored one goal in the last nine periods including overtime. Overall it’s 9-1 in the last two games.

* The loss of P.A. Parenteau in this series is being felt the most on the power play. It has looked atrocious and has been nothing short of embarrassing going just 3 for 28 or 10.7%. The only reason the Pack are this close is that Worcester’s power play has been equally inept at 3/32 giving the Pack a 90.6% efficiency rate.

* Attendance for the playoffs has once again been dreadful for Hartford. In three home games they’ve drawn a total of 6,669. Hershey drew 6,339 in one home game and Manitoba drew 15,671 in two games. Bridgeport has had three home games (two were in Nassau Coliseum, but they drew 13,997. The league average is 3,801 and the Pack are doing 2,223.

* With the Pack’s backs up against the wall on Saturday night, their chances are going to solely depend on if they can get Parenteau back from his concussion, and there’s no way to know whether that can happen or not, and as bizarre as this might sound, see if they can get Mike Del Zotto to come in and pump some life into the defense.

* Should the Pack lose this round whether it be in the sixth or a seventh game it would be their third consecutive first round exit in the Atlantic Division playoffs.

LINES:

Dupont – Anisimov – Rissmiller

Byers – Ouellette – Owens

Pyatt – Moore © – Weise

Bell – Crowder – McBride

Sanguinetti – Denisov

Kundratek – Potter @

Urquhart – Sauer

Zaba

SCRATCHES:

Fahey – Healthy

Nightingale – Healthy

Stich – Healthy

Loverock – Healthy

Parenteau – Concussion – Day-to-Day

Zaborsky – Shoulder – Season

Soryal – Hand – Season

Glass – Healthy

Sugden- Healthy

Gaulton – Healthy

THREE STARS:

1. WOR – 2 Patrick Traverse
2. WOR – 29 Thomas Greiss
3. WOR – 13 T.J. Fox

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Terry Koharski (10), Referee
Paul Simeon (66), Linesman
Chris Low (88), Linesman

AHL PLAY OFF BRACKETS

(ALL SERIES ARE BEST OF SEVEN)

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE / RESULTS: