PACK BITE SHARKS 

  VERSUS 

The Hartford Wolf Pack opened the audition process for the 2009-2010 team in impressive style smothering the visiting Worcester Sharks 4-1 at Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity College Wednesday night in the first preseason game for both teams.

The team’s overall effort impressed Head Coach, Ken Gernander. “There were a lot of positives.” He said. “I was pleased with a lot of the aspects of our game. I thought we finished checks well. I thought we were good on face-offs. We did a lot of the little things very well. I thought everybody played really well.”

Devin DiDiomete was the sole regular skater from last season’s team to take to the ice as Gernander and his staff took a look at lots of fresh faces. The returning DiDiomete certainly demonstrated all the assets that he brings to the franchise. The Stratford, Ontario native was effective both with the puck and without. The 5'11" 200 pounder was hitting and crunching bodies on every shift, all over the ice. In the second period, he “fought,” if you can call it that, Shark defenseman Michael Wilson. DiDiomete absolutely hammered his 6’1” 195 pound opponent right into the ice. Complete no-contest.  

For the rest of those wearing the Rangers top AHL affiliate’s colors, it was time to make an impression on their perspective Coach and many did.

Rookie Andrew Carroll, certainly was among them.

Like the Pack’s third year head coach, Carroll also hails from Minnesota. His shorthanded goal at 17:11 “…was set up by his (Carroll’s) extra effort.” The Minnesotan born coach said. The extra effort Gernander refers to was Carroll fighting off two defenders deep in the Sharks corner on the PK. “He ragged the clock.” The Pack’s long time captain said. “He held the puck in his feet down low on a penalty kill, (then) got it to the point.” There he found DiDiomete waiting. The Left Wing then fired a hard, low shot on net. Carroll, “then battled his way to the net front for a pretty gritty rebound. So that was top marks to him as far as second effort.”

Also impressive was Tomas Zaborsky. The Banska Bystrica, Slovakia born center returned to the Pack after missing a good portion of last season due to a nasty shoulder injury that required pretty evasive surgery. “Obviously the shoulder is not an issue right now. I thought he played well in the middle of the ice.” Gernander said. Zaborsky centered a line with Derek Couture who netted two of the team's four goals and rookie Ryan Hillier who had two assists. “I thought the whole line was effective. Couture had the two goals and Hillier had a decent game and I think as a unit they did well.”

While the shots were even, 13 apiece, in the first period, the Pack completely ruled the roost. After Worcester's Steve McClellan took a hooking call at 11:35, the Pack went to work on the power play. 1:15 later, at 12:50, left wing Chris Chappell took a centering pass from Ryan Garlock in front of Ryan Nie (34 saves) and beat the Shark netminder low to the left side.

Just 2:16 later, Hillier fed Zaborsky who in turn made a magnifcent pass to Couture and the Calgary native but it into the twine past Nie bank-style off of Shark defenseman Jon Landry's leg.

After completely manhandling the visiting Sharks in the second period and outshooting them 13-4  but not putting one past Nie, the Pack broke through for their third goal, Couture's second, off an odd man rush. Hillier put a shot on net that Nie should have handled but didn't and left the tasty morcel right in front of his net that Couture slammed right past him.

Ryan Munce, who went all the way for the home team, stopped 25 shots and lost his bid for the shutout with just 2.1 remaining in the game when a weak shot from the left circle by Evegeni Saidachev on the power play slid into the net. It was a weak goal to surrender, but overall a good performance from the Mississauga, Ontario native who will most likely be sent to Charlotte to protect the Checkers' net. Who joins him there is yet to be decided. Miika Wiikman, Matt Zaba and Chad Johnson are all vyying for the two goaltending positions in Hartford.

“It’s going to be tough come the time when you have to make some decisions on these guys," Gernander said. "I thought for a work out and all those things they were all great. It’s going to make for some tough decisions.”

LINES:

LaCouture – Crowder – Ambuhl

Schepke – Garlock – Chappell

DiDiomete – Doig – Carroll

Hillier – Zaborsky – Couture

Kundratek – Stich

Pokulok – Ward

Klassen – Henley

Munce