WHAT A NIGHT… 

Lots of Wolf Pack related news tonight.

Let’s start with the good news…

Evgeny Grachev has been assigned by the parent New York Rangers to the Wolf Pack.  This will help the Wolf Pack immensely on the front end at least for the time being. There could be more coming as, at least for the time being, both Aaron Voros and Brian Boyle will start the season in New York. They should both remain until Sean Avery recovers from his sprained knee.

What will be exceptionally interesting at that point is which of the two is sent to Hartford. Aaron Voros would have to clear waivers. He’s getting a million for this season and next and if he were claimed by another squad would leave a half million dollar whole in the cap for the next two years. On the other hand it would create more room than they have right now. Boyle would not half to pass through waivers and would not affect future seasons and costs the Rangers approximately the same cap hit as Boyle gets $525K. Voros’ departure would be a big question mark on how it might affect Marian Gaborik. It’s said that Voros is “Turtle” to Gaborik’s Vinny Chase of the TV show Entourage.

Who the Wolf Pack brain trust decide to keep around should make for an interesting season.

On the right side, the Pack are stacked. You have P.A. Parenteau, who seems revived and excited about getting to NY, so watch for him to light it up. Dale Weise, who is making a serious case for his own run for the City. Derek Couture, who had four goals in three games coming into Sunday’s action, Jordan Owens and Andres Ambuhl.

Down the middle there’s Paul Crowder, Patrick Rissmiller, Tyler Arnason and Tomas Zaborsky.

Up the left side, Grachev, Devin DiDiomete, Dane Byers, Brodie Dupont, Justin Soryal and possibly even Ryan Hillier.

On the backend they’re really solid.

Corey Potter and Bobby Sanguinetti are both on the verge of becoming NHL’ers. The returning dynamic duo from last season, David Urquhart and Michael Sauer, another of the Pack’s defenseman bidding for a spot in the NHL sometime soon. Ilkka Heikkinen impressed a lot of people in NY and should be NHL bound at some point. Trevor Glass has fared well and should make the team. Who the depth guy or guys are is anyone’s guess. The favorite at this point is most likely, Brent Henley.

This team is going to have size, talent and depth and should be considered a favorite in the division.

Here’s the official release on Grachev.

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has assigned forward Evgeny Grachev to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey  League (AHL).  The Rangers now have 22 players remaining in training camp, including two goaltenders, seven defensemen and 13 forwards.  The Blueshirts’ next practice is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, at 11:00 a.m. at the MSG Training Center.

PLAYERS ASSIGNED TO HARTFORD (AHL) ON 9/27/09:

Forward: Evgeny Grachev

PLAYERS STILL IN NEW YORK RANGERS TRAINING CAMP:

Goal: Henrik Lundqvist, Steve Valiquette

Defense: Michael Del Zotto, Matt Gilroy, Dan Girardi, Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, Alexei Semenov, Marc Staal

Forwards: Artem Anisimov, Sean Avery, Brian Boyle, Donald Brashear, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky, Marian Gaborik, Christopher Higgins, Ales Kotalik, Enver Lisin, Vinny Prospal, Aaron Voros

Now…

Having said they were a favorite for the division and reading how the team fared tonight might give you pause for concern. However, Head Coach Ken Gernander told Howlings after the Saturday night game that some sort of virus has been kicking it’s head through the locker room in recent days. He was also a bit concerned about three games in three night…

Now that said…and after you read what Bob Crawford released about the contest Sunday afternoon, a first place finish would hardly seem like a logical assumption… but we’re sticking to our statements.

Here it is…

   VERSUS   

Defenseman Michael Wilson had two goals and an assist, Brandon Mashinter scored a pair of goals, Dwight Helminen had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Vesce had four assists, as the Worcester Sharks handed the Hartford Wolf Pack a 10-2 defeat Sunday at the the International Skating Center of Connecticut, in the Wolf Pack's final 2009 AHL preseason contest.

Dan DaSilva and T.J. Trevelyan added a goal and an assist each for the Sharks, who were 4/4 on the power play.  Wolf Pack goals were scored by Tomas Zaborsky, Justin Soryal and Dale Weise.  Andres Ambuhl had two assists for Hartford.

The Wolf Pack finished the preseason 2-2-0 in four games.

The Sharks stormed the Pack in the first period, scoring five times against Hartford starter Matt Zaba and building a 5-1 lead.

The onslaught started 1:13 into the game, when Will Colbert beat Zaba from the right-wing side of the crease, after breaking two-on-one with Vesce, who was +5 in the game.  Logan Couture made it a 2-0 lead on a power play at 10:07, before ex-Wolf Pack Helminen forced Soryal into a turnover and fed Mashinter at the left-wing side of the goal mouth at 13:23, to up the advantage to 3-0.

Tomas Zaborsky got the Wolf Pack on the scoreboard on a power play at 16:57, taking a pass from Ambuhl and snapping a shot past the glove of Shark goaltender Ryan Nie.  Worcester answered just 41 seconds later, though, as Wilson's slapshot snuck just under the crossbar behind Zaba at 17:38.

The Sharks widened it to a 5-1 margin at 19:33 on a power-play tip-in, as Helminen deflected in a shot from the left point by Nick Petrecki.

It took Worcester only 1:10 of the second period to make it 6-1, as Trevelyan greeted relief goaltender Chad Johnson with a jam-in from the right-wing side of the crease.

Soryal got that back for the Wolf pack at 17:29, walking around a Shark defender just inside the blue line and beating Nie with a deke.  The Sharks again got a goal in the final minute of the period, though, as DaSilva scored at 19:03 on a breakaway opportunity.

Worcester started fast again in the third period, as Mashinter netted his second of the game at 1:32.  Trevelyan set Mashinter up with a cross-slot pass from right to left.  Wilson's second of the contest made it 9-2 at 7:53, and the Sharks hit double-digits on a goal by Tom Morrow at 12:02.

The Wolf Pack power play clicked for a second time in five chances at 13:46 for the final margin, with Weise deflecting in a shot by Dave Urquhart.

Worcester outshot the Pack 40-33 in the game, and Nie made 30 saves to get the win.  Zaba took the loss for Hartford with five goals-against on 13 shots, and Johnson allowed five on 27 shots.

The Wolf Pack’s 2009-10 regular-season home schedule kicks off Saturday, October 10 at the XL Center against the Springfield Falcons (7:00).  Once again this season, tickets to the home opener are only $10 each.

Worcester Sharks 10 at Hartford Wolf Pack 3

Sep 27, 2009 – International Skating Center

Worcester 5 2 3 – 10

Hartford 1 1 1 – 3

1st Period-1, Worcester, Colbert 1 (Vesce), 1:13. 2, Worcester, Couture 1 (Helminen), 10:07 (pp). 3, Worcester, Mashinter 1 (Helminen), 13:23. 4, Hartford, Zaborsky 1 (Ambuhl), 16:57 (pp). 5, Worcester, Wilson 2 (Zalewski, Liotti), 17:38. 6, Worcester, Helminen 1 (Petrecki, Zalewski), 19:33 (pp). Penalties-Helminen Wor (interference), 5:53; Henley Hfd (cross-checking), 8:42; Wilson Wor (interference), 15:12; Locke Hfd (hooking), 18:57.

2nd Period-7, Worcester, Trevelyan 1 (Vesce), 1:10. 8, Hartford, Soryal 1 (Ambuhl), 17:29. 9, Worcester, DaSilva 1 (Vesce, Nie), 19:02. Penalties-Jones Wor (fighting), 1:32; DiDiomete Hfd (fighting), 1:32; Jones Wor (hooking), 2:55.

3rd Period-10, Worcester, Mashinter 2 (Trevelyan), 1:32. 11, Worcester, Wilson 3 (DaSilva, Vesce), 7:53 (pp). 12, Worcester, Morrow 1 (McCarthy, Wilson), 12:02 (pp). 13, Hartford, Weise 1 (Urquhart, Heikkinen), 13:46 (pp). Penalties-Wilson Wor (holding), 2:19; Sanguinetti Hfd (roughing), 7:03; Couture Hfd (holding), 10:05; DaSilva Wor (interference), 12:23.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 13-14-13-40. Hartford 11-15-7-33.

Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 4 of 4; Hartford 2 of 5.

Goalies-Worcester, Nie 1-1-0 (33 shots-30 saves). Hartford, Zaba 0-2-0 (13 shots-8 saves); Johnson 1-0-0 (27 shots-22 saves).

Referee-Francis Charron (46).

Linesmen-David Spannaus (8), Paul Simeon (66).