RUBBER GAME 

   VERSUS    

Two late third period goals scored just 38 seconds apart propelled the Hartford Wolf Pack past the visiting Manchester Monarchs 2-0 before 4,451 at the XL Center Friday night.

Derek Couture scored what proved to be the game winner with just 3:06 remaining in the contest. The goal was his first as a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack since signing a Professional Try-Out contract with the team on October 31st.

“You need some secondary scoring and for Couture to get us a big game winner like that is great.” Head Coach Ken Gernander said. “I thought that line (Ryan Garlock, Chris Chappell and Couture) was real responsible all night and fore-checked real well and it was nice to see them get rewarded.”

Couture’s goal came as the fifth year veteran followed up a rebound of a blistering right circle blast off the stick of Justin Soryal with just 3:06 remaining in the game. The puck started to creep it’s way up the slot when the right winger found it and put it on net. Couture’s shot snuck through the five hole of starting netminder Jonathan Bernier (23 saves, 7-4-1) and trickled across the goal line for the tally.

“It’s an important shift after you score a goal,” Gernander said. “The other team wants to respond. It can be a turning point in the game how you respond after a goal or in the last minute of a period and there are areas where you have to heighten your awareness and your focus.”

Just after scoring the Couture goal, Gernander sent out his top line of Jordan Owens, Cory Locke and Dane Byers.

Byers, playing in his first game after a five-game stay with the parent New York Rangers, certainly made a splash in his first game back. A neutral zone turnover was picked up by Owens, who fed the left wing along the boards. Byers then led the Pack on a three-on-one odd man rush. The Pack assistant captain then looked off the defender and unloaded a quick release wrist shot from the left circle that found the short side under Bernier’s blocker.

The Pack would not have been in the position to win this one in the first place had it not been for another stellar game from netminder, Chad Johnson. Acquired by the Rangers in June for a fifth round pick, former Pittsburgh Penguin draftee, has improved steadily all season long.

Johnson (7-4-0, 26 saves) was solid throughout stopping all 26 shots he faced for his second career shutout.

“He had some real good saves for us down at the end there to keep it scoreless.” Gernander stated. “Then when we were preserving the lead there again, he came up big. It was a pretty well earned shut-out for him.”

“For anyone, the more you play the more comfortable you’re going to get. The whole team here, the chemistry has gotten better. We’re all getting used to each other and things are going a lot better.” Johnson said. “I’m getting a lot of help from the D and the forwards are coming back backchecking a lot better than we were and that’s certainly helping out.”

The third meeting in two weeks between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Manchester Monarchs started off much like the previous two as both teams jockeyed to establish control. Neither was able to get any solid footing or find much space.

The best scoring chances of the period all belonged to the Wolf Pack. Despite only taking six shots, they were all good pretty good chances.

At 9:24 Justin Soryal took a hard shot from the right circle. The puck hit Manchester starting goaltender Jonathan Bernier and deflected out to the left side. Andres Ambϋhl, who had just come off the bench, found the puck and drilled it hard on goal. Ambϋhl, who’s only tallied once to this point in the season, rang the puck hard off the crossbar.

The Pack’s next chance came 6:26 later while on a power play. Byers worked a terrific give-and-go with Dale Weise but Bernier got low to the ice and smothered a good hard shot from the Pack right winger.

It only took 9 seconds for the Pack to have another tremendous scoring chance. Locke, the AHL’s leading scorer, came down the slot and fired a rocket at Bernier from point blank range. Bernier clearly had a tough time with the shot but swallowed it and got his team out of the period with no score.

The second period was even tighter to the vest as both teams put a strangle hold on breathing room.

However, Byers got a great opportunity around the 3 minute mark with a follow up in front of the net that appeared to go in. “I think it hit two posts on that one,” Gernander said. “The ref was there and the goal judge and nobody signaled goal. I’m sure it was the right call.”

The Monarchs had one of their two best scoring chances of the night with just under a minute left in the second period. Drew Bagnall unloaded a bomb of a hard shot from high in the slot that Johnson was able to absorb without surrendering a rebound which could have been trouble given the traffic in front of him.

In the third period with the Monarchs buzzing there was a big scramble in front of Johnson. The puck had drifted between the legs of the Pack netminder and was looking to find it’s way into the net. With the puck loose in the crease, Johnson needed some help. “I think it was (David) Urquhart. He was right behind me clearing pucks.  Everyone has been doing a great job battling out there clearing pucks and blocking shots. It makes my job a lot easier.”

“It was just back and forth there.” Johnson said of the game. “It’s exciting hockey there the last five minutes, just back and forth. It’s exciting, especially getting the two points.”

Brian Ring substitutes for the ailing Bruce Berlet at Hartfordwolfpack.com. Coverage for Manchester, if you can call it that, can be found at UnionLeader.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

NOTES:

* The Wolf Pack’s Annual Bowl-A-Thon to benefit the hard work being done at Special Olympics Connecticut raised over $20,000.00. Congratulations to all who partook in such a great cause.

* The Pack are now 2-0-0-0 in games they enter the third period tied.

* Defeating the Monarchs extended the franchise’s 12+ year winning streak of winning games when they’ve led after three periods. The win also lengthened their run in failing to drop a single point when they outscore their opponents. Just checking to see if you’re paying attention.

* A belated congratulations to Ken Gernander who earned his 100th career win as Pack head coach on October 25th in the team’s 4-3 win over Worcester. Overall, the third year team leader from Coleraine, Minnesota has a career record of 105-60-5-12 (.577). Gernander ranks third thus far of the five coaches the Pack have had to this point in their existence.

Here are the team’s coach’s career records and winning percentage.

(W-L-T-OTL-SOL)

EJ McGuire – (1997-98) – (1998-99)  (81-55-17-7-0, .506%)

John Paddock – (1999-00) – (2001–02) (131-74-25-11-0, .543) Calder Cup Championship in 2000

Ryan McGill – (2002-03) – (2004 –05) (127–73-27-13-0, .529%)

Jim Schoenfeld – (2005-06) – (2006-07) (95-53-0-5-7, .605%)  

* Corey Locke was held off the scorer’s sheet for the first time in five games.

* Dane Byers has points in four straight (3g, 2a, 5pts)

* The Pack are 2-2-0 in games decided by two goals and 3-3-0 in games decided by one goal.

* 5-1-0-0 when they are outshot and 4-6-0-0 when they outshoot their opponents.

MEANWHILE DOWN IN CHARLOTTE

    vs.    
 
CHECKERS END TWO-GAME SKID WITH WIN OVER ELMIRA

Rookies Play Big Role In 4-2 Victory

The Charlotte Checkers ended a two-game losing streak with an exciting 4-2 victory over the East Division-leading Elmira Jackals. Julien Brouillette scored the game-winning goal and was named the first star of the contest in front of a home crowd of just over 6,000 at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Rookie forwards Andrew Carroll, Matt Schepke and Jean-Philipp Chabot combined for four points and Miika Wiikman stopped 22 of 24 shots for the victory. Twin brothers, and Elmira scoring leaders, Tyler and Justin Donati led the way offensively for Elmira with two points apiece and ex-Checkers goaltender Chris Holt stopped 42 shots in a losing cause.

Charlotte opened the scoring 90 seconds into the game on a great short-handed effort by rookie forward Andrew Carroll. Carroll out-muscled an Elmira defenseman behind the net, took a pass from Jean-Philipp Chabot and backhanded a shot into the top corner past Chris Holt.

Just over 10 minutes later Charlotte would add to their lead on a goal by Matt Schepke, his fourth in four games. Tyler Doig carried the puck into the zone and saucered a pass to Schepke who then tucked it in between the legs of Holt. Chabot picked up the other assist and the goal came at the 11:47 mark of the first period.

The Checkers made it a 3-0 game less than two minutes later on an incredible individual effort by defenseman Julien Brouillette. Brouillette, doing his best Bobby Orr imitation, carried the puck into the zone and dished it off before skating back to the blueline and firing a one-time slap shot past the Elmira netminder.

Elmira would get on the board less than one minute into the second period. Elmira forward Tyler Donati took a pass from Maxime Gratchev in the slot and beat Wiikman glove side for his sixth of the season.

The Jackals then cut the lead to one goal on a slap shot by Chanse Fitzpatrick. The power play tally, his team-leading 10th of the season, was assisted by both Donati brothers.

Charlotte held a 27-17 shot advantage through two periods of play.

Late in the third period, the Checkers were slapped with two penalties and went on a 5-on-3 penalty kill. The Jackals pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker but were unable to solve Wiikman. As time expired on the last penalty, Checkers defenseman T.J. Reynolds sprung out of the penalty box, took a pass from Kenny Roche and shot the puck into the empty net to seal the victory.

The Checkers (5-3-1-0) will now travel to Charleston to face the Stingrays before returning to Time Warner Cable Arena on Sunday to host Elmira again. Game time is 5 p.m. and ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com

Head Coach Derek Wilkinson (199-164-35) needs one more win for 200 career coaching victories…Michel Leveille leads the team in scoring with 11 pts (6g, 5a) in 9 games…Matt Ford remains with Lake Erie (AHL) and defenseman Ethan Graham is with Norfolk (AHL)…Ryan Munce, Trevor Glass and Randy Rowe are all on the 21-day injured reserve.

LINES:

Byers – Locke – Owens

Grachev – Dupont – Weise

Soryal – Crowder – Ambϋhl

Garlock – Chappell – Couture 

Heikkinen – Sanguinetti

Potter – Williams

Dandenault – Urquhart

Johnson

(Assistant Captains Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

P.A. Parenteau – Recall with NY Rangers

Devin DiDiomete – Conditioning in Charlotte

Michael Sauer – Upper Body, Day-to-Day

Brent Henley – Healthy

THREE STARS:

1. HFD – 28 Derek Couture
2. HFD – 29 Chad Johnson
3. MCH – 45 Jonathan Bernier

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Chris Ciamaga (41), Referee
Kevin Redding (16), Linesman
Derek Wahl (46), Linesman

NEXT GAME:

The Pack get on the bus in the afternoon and head up to Worcester, Massachusetts where they will go swimming with the Sharks at 7:05.

SCORE-SHEET:

Manchester 0 0 0 – 0
Hartford 0 0 2 – 2
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Potter Hfd (tripping), 2:03; Westgarth Mch (interference), 5:49; Westgarth Mch (elbowing), 14:57.
2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Kolomatis Mch (hooking), 2:45.
3rd Period-1, Hartford, Couture 1 (Soryal, Garlock), 16:54. 2, Hartford, Byers 3 (Owens), 17:32. Penalties-Byers Hfd (hooking), 9:19.
Shots on Goal-Manchester 9-9-8-26. Hartford 6-11-8-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Manchester 0 of 2; Hartford 0 of 3.
Goalies-Manchester, Bernier 7-4-1 (25 shots-23 saves). Hartford, Johnson 7-4-0 (26 shots-26 saves).