SENATORS LEGISLATE AGAINST PACK POWER PLAY 

    VERSUS   

The Hartford Wolf Pack entered their game against the Binghamton Senators Wednesday night at the XL center with the top ranked power play in the AHL. Binghamton entered the game thirteenth in penalty killing. The power play went one-for-nine and the Pack eventually wound up losing in a shoot out 2-1 in front of a “crowd” of 1,731.  

In the last two games that they’ve played without P.A. Parenteau since his call-up to the New York Rangers, the Wolf Pack are now 2 for their last 18 on the power play. Include the game prior to Parenteau’s departure, and the team is just 3 for their last 24.

But even with all of the man advantage opportunities wasted, the Pack still had more than their share of scoring opportunities against starting veteran netminder, Andy Chiodo (3-6-0, 30 saves).

The Senators capitalized on a lackluster start to the game by the home team outshooting them 15-4 in the first period. Pack starter Chad Johnson (8-4-1, 35 saves)was not as sharp as he was in the two consecutive shutouts he was riding coming into the game. Shots were bouncing off of Johnson and winding up in front of the net. But the first 14 Senator shots didn’t hurt the team. The 15th did.

Rookie Evgeny Grachev took a hooking penalty at 17:02 and sent the Senators to their second power play. Just 24 seconds later, Martin St. Pierre’s point shot hit Johnson, but he could not control it. The puck fell into the crease where Denis Hamel took a second try. That puck hit Johnson and rebounded out a little further in the slot when right wing Ryan Keller was able to pounce and it and send it past Johnson ending a streak of 154:05 of time between opposition tallies. 

The Pack would have chance after chance to tie the score only to be stymied by Chiodo over and over.

“(The Senators) were able to bottle up the middle of the ice,” Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander said afterwards to reporters. “It was not by design, but it’s just the way the game goes sometimes.”

Things were looking pretty bleak for the Rangers representative in the American League until with just 3:22 remaining in the final stanza, Paul Crowder tied the contest.

Dane Byers, who now has a point in all three games since returning from a two-week call up with the Rangers and a six game streak overall, stole the puck while back-checking and rushed the puck up the left wing. He muscled himself around defenseman Erik Karlsson and turned right in the low circle. Byers made a nice centering pass under the stick of Tomas Kudelka and put it in the perfect spot for Crowder, who had beaten St. Pierre down the ice. Crowder’s redirect slid under Chiodo.

The Pack kept coming and were putting pressure on Chiodo and his Senator teammates. Illka Heikkinen had the team’s best chance when his wide open blast from the high slot with just 1:47 left in the period was able to be corralled by Chiodo.

So the teams went to overtime looking for the decider.

Gernander sent Brodie Dupont, Dale Weise, Bobby Sanguinetti and Heikkinen out to start the period. The Pack controlled the puck at the outset and were setting up their offense when Heikkinen fumbled the puck and was stripped by Hamel. The puck went back along the boards in their defensive zone where it was picked up by Josh Hennessey. The Sens left wing fired a perfect strike to the streaking Hamel who was pulled down by Heikkinen. The penalty, at just 49 seconds into overtime sent the Senators on their seventh man advantage. It became that much more dangerous because it would be a four on three power play for two of overtime’s five minutes.  A huge penalty kill by the Pack penalty killing units, Jordan Owens, Mathieu Dandenault and Corey Potter and Sanguinetti, Nigel Williams and an exceptional Dupont held off the opposition and gave them a chance to get to the shootout.

The Pack were overmatched in the shootout. Johnson was beaten by two of the three Senators he faced. Ryan Keller beat him high over the glove. Hamel came in fast on the Pack netminder and fired a tight wrist shot that blew right past him. Johnson did stop Kaspers Daugavins with a nice left leg pad save. Meanwhile for the home team, Crowder couldn’t even get a shot off losing the puck as he approached the net. Dupont and Weise both tried in vain to go five-hole only to see that effort erased by Chiodo. Evgeny Grachev had a chance to give the Pack a chance, but his shot was stopped with a pad save by Chiodo.

“Going on to the shootout it’s just too bad you can’t win, battling back like we did,” Johnson said afterwards of his first experience in the skills competition that decides games these days. “You get a point but when you battle back, you want to get the win.”

The loss dropped the Pack back to fourth place in the Atlantic division.

Brian Ring sits in for the ailing Bruce Berlet. (Get Well soon Bruce…The XL feels more like XS without you) Find the story at Hartfordwolfpack.com. If you care to hear what they are saying in the home of the Pack before moving to Hartford, coverage of the Senators can be found at pressconnects.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

NOTES:

* The much maligned Pack penalty kill has been outstanding of late allowing only 2 goals in their last 23 shorthanded opportunities. (86.9%) Over the last three games the team has moved from 28th overall to 24th with a conversion rate of 78.9%. The Houston Aeros lead the AHL with a 94.5% rate of success. The Pack are third in the AHL in shorthanded goals with 5 (2 by Weise). Chicago and Abbotsford each have 6.

* Corey Locke still leads the AHL in scoring with 25 points in 18 games. (9g, 16a). Sanguinetti is tops among D-Men and 6th overall with 19pts (6g, 13a)

* Locke has points in seven of his last eight (3g, 12a)

* Johnson is now 11th overall among goalies with a 2.07GAA and a .928%

* The two teams had not played in Hartford in three years prior to this game and the Pack have lost the last four contests the most recent coming on October 3rd, a 5-3 defeat in upstate NY.

* Crowder’s goal was his first in 12 games. His last came Oct 16 against Portland.

MEANWHILE DOWN IN CHARLOTTE:

    Versus   

CHECKERS POWER PLAY DROWNS STINGRAYS 

The Charlotte Checkers recent power play troubles seemed to vanish on Wednesday as they scored three goals with the man advantage and downed the South Carolina Stingrays, 7-0. Tyler Doig led the way offensively with one goal and four assists and Miika Wiikman stopped all 36 shots he faced for his 10^th career shutout.

Charlotte struck first for the fifth game in a row on a goal by leading scorer Michel Leveille, just over nine minutes into the game. Leveille gained the zone and fired a shot between the legs of a Stingrays defenseman and past South Carolina goaltender Todd Ford for his eighth of the year.

The Checkers would add two more, 30 seconds apart, before the end of the period, including a power-play goal by Kenny Roche and an even-strength tally by rookie Andrew Carroll. Carroll has now scored a goal in each of his last four games.

Just 19 seconds into the second period, Roche streaked down the left wing and beat Ford with a wrist shot for his second of the game and fourth of the season, increasing the Checkers lead to four.

The power play kept clicking as Doig and Devin DiDiomete each scored with the man-advantage midway through the second, making it a 6-0 game. Doig took a pass from Leveille and let go a one-timer that beat Ford, while DiDiomete tipped a Daniel Tkaczuk shot into the top corner of the net.

Just over six minutes into the third, the Checkers would put the game away on Tkaczuk’s first goal of the season. Doig dished a pass to Tkaczuk in front of the net who then made a nifty move and tucked the puck around the Stingrays netminder for the seventh and final goal of the game.

Wiikman stopped 15 third-period shots for the shutout, while Ford stopped 23 of 30 in a losing cause for South Carolina.

The Checkers (7-3-2-0) will host Johnstown on Friday and Saturday at Time Warner Cable Arena. Game times are 7 p.m. and ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com.

Notes: Head Coach Derek Wilkinson recorded his 200^th win on Sunday…Tyler Doig now has nine points (1g, 8a) in his last four games…Michel Leveille leads the team in scoring with 17 pts (8g, 9a) in 12 games…rookie Andrew Carroll has a goal in each of his last four 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 – Couture

Chappell – Garlock – Ambϋhl

Heikkinen – Sanguinetti

Dandenault – Urquhart

Potter – Williams

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. BNG – R. Keller
2. BNG – A. Chiodo
3. HFD – C. Johnson

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Ian Croft (87)

Linesmen:
David Spannaus (8)
Rich Patry (52)

NEXT GAME:

The Pack don’t have the time to think how this one got away. They get right back out there again tomorrow night when they entertain the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

SCORE-SHEET:

Binghamton 1 0 0 0 – 2

Hartford 0 0 1 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Binghamton, Keller 10 (Hamel, St. Pierre), 17:26 (pp). Penalties-Smith Bng (hooking), 3:22; Dandenault Hfd (hooking), 6:07; Grachev Hfd (hooking), 17:02; Svendsen Bng (holding), 19:20.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Kinrade Bng (interference), 2:34; Bannister Bng (hooking), 8:51; Sanguinetti Hfd (charging), 10:55; Smith Bng (tripping), 13:21; Locke Hfd (interference), 14:32; Couture Hfd (high-sticking), 19:17.

3rd Period-2, Hartford, Crowder 3 (Byers, Locke), 16:38 (pp). Penalties-Lowry Bng (elbowing), 2:58; Potter Hfd (cross-checking), 9:40; Bass Bng (hooking), 12:02; Baier Bng (fighting), 15:15; Soryal Hfd (fighting), 15:15; Bass Bng (holding), 16:19; Daugavins Bng (hooking), 17:53.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Heikkinen Hfd (holding), 0:49.

Shootout – Binghamton 2 (Keller G, Hamel G, Daugavins NG), Hartford 0 (Crowder NG, Dupont NG, Weise NG, Grachev NG).

Shots on Goal-Binghamton 15-8-10-3-1-37. Hartford 4-10-16-1-0-31.

Power Play Opportunities-Binghamton 1 of 7; Hartford 1 of 9.

Goalies-Binghamton, Chiodo 3-6-0 (31 shots-30 saves). Hartford, Johnson 8-4-1 (36 shots-35 saves).