GRACHEV, RUSSIAN TIGER TAMER 

     VERSUS    

Goals by Dale Weise and Evgeny Grachev in the third period led the Hartford Wolf Pack to their first time in 14 tries when trailing after two periods, knocking off their in-state and franchise rival Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3-2 in front of 4,718 at the XL Center Saturday night.

“I just shot it,” Grachev said after the game to reporters of his game-winner and second of the night. “Usually when you look for something you never score.”

With exactly five minutes remaining in the final stanza, Grachev battled below the goal line against defenseman Mark Flood, and ex-Pack Captain Greg Moore and came away with the puck. Grachev made his way into the right face-off circle, spun and fired a low, hard shot on net. On it’s way to the net, the puck hit Flood’s stick and redirected through the legs of starting netminder Scott Munroe.

Grachev had his most involved game of the season, both on the scoresheet and not. He was physical and banged bodies, won puck battles as he did on the game winner and would probably have still won the game’s First Star honor had someone else scored the game winner.

The line of Grachev, Brodie Dupont in center and Dale Weise on the right were Pack Head Coach Ken Gernander’s best line of the night by a country mile. Battling and doing all the dirty work down low and along the boards like some possessed gravel pit workers, the group earned the new nickname, “The B-E-D-ROCK Line” (Brodie, Evgeny, Dale). It was their physicality and their puck control all night that kept them in the contest and led the charge back from trailing 2-1 entering the third period.

“We just went back to working hard, putting in pucks,” Weise said after the game. “We got some good bounces.”

At 9:05 of the third, much like Marion Gaborik’s goal earlier in the day at Madison Square Garden against the Carolina Hurricane’s, (Ironically enough the team that used to be the Hartford Whalers), this one came after a scramble in front as well. After Dupont took a Michael Sauer feed and fired a shot on net, Weise who was crashing the net looking for a rebound, was cross-checked from behind by Tyler Haskins and fell in the crease near Munroe (24 saves, 10-8-1). Weise got back to his feet, found the puck, turned and fired a backhander past the Tigers netminder. Munroe complained in vain to referee Shaun Davis that he had been interfered with. Instead he should have barked at his centerman for knocking the opposition into the crease instead of getting better positioning on the opposing player.

“They tried to clear it, but the puck was just sitting there,” Weise said describing his tenth of the season and the goal that knotted the game. “I tried to get as much on it as I could and the net was empty.”

The Pack took an early lead in the first period.

Devin DiDiomete rushed the puck up left wing and drew a hooking call from Moore and put the Pack power play on the ice.

Weise fed Nigel Williams the puck at the right point. Williams then fired a hard cross ice pass low to the left side. Grachev got his stick on it from the left side of the slot and redirected it past Munroe at 4:57 of the first period.

Pascal Morency took a beating from Jared Nightingale in the first of their two fights on the night at 6:09. Nightingale would win the second fight as well landing the far better shots but got wrestled to the ice after he got tangled up in his shirt at 15:23.

The Tigers came out of the locker-room with a lot of energy that the Pack were not able to meet in the second period.

Just 1:33 into the second frame, the Pack could not get the puck out of their own zone. Attempt to clear after attempt to clear was turned away by Tiger attackers. The Pack were scrambling in their own zone when the puck found Jesse Joensuu behind the net on the right side. Joensuu’s centering pass hit the skate of Pack center Paul Crowder and past the stick of Sauer right to the Tiger’s Trevor Smith in the slot. Smith does a spin-a-rama with the puck and fires a bee-bee roofing it past Chad Johnson. The starting netminder for Hartford was returned to the Pack prior to the game to get some work in before returning to New York to back up Henrik Lundqvist.

Taking penalties have plagued the Pack all season long and in this one it was no different. After P.A. Parenteau took a lazy hooking call chasing out of the offensive zone, Corey Potter wound up taking a double minor for a high stick just 44 seconds later giving the Tigers a 1:16 of five-on-three power play time.

It only took the Tigers 12 seconds to cash in.

Mark Flood, who had a very productive and active game on the Tigers defense, put his third of the season into the twine past Johnson (23 saves, 11-7-2) with a high, short side shot that the Pack goaltender didn’t see as he was screened by Greg Mauldin on the shot. Assists on the goal went to Mark Katic and Moore.

Brian Ring files this game report at Hartfordwolfpack.com.  Michael Fornabaio does his magnificent work again from inside the Sound Tigers dressing room. Read about it at CTPost.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET 

STANDINGS:

 NOTES:

* Congratulations to the Springfield Falcons on ending their 17 game winless streak (0-12-4-1).  Behind Devan Dubnyk’s work between the pipes, the Falcons were able to surrender but a single tally to the Providence Bruins, Trent Whitfield and got goals from Rob Hisey and Colton Fretter en route to a 2-1 home win Saturday night.

* The Pack have been lights out both when leading, now 10-2-0-1 after the first period, 14-1-0-1 when leading after two. Conversely they have not exactly been the type of team to come from behind either. They’re 1-6-1-2 when trailing after one and 1-11-0-2 when behind entering the third period. In case you’re curious how they’re doing in ties, they’re 7-5-0-1 when tied after one and 3-1-1-1 when tied after two.

* Grachev’s two goals were his fourth multi-point game of the season, his first since back-to-back nights against Providence (Nov. 6th) and Bridgeport (Nov. 7th). It also ended a six goal pointless drought and was probably his most involved game of the season.

* The Pack limited Bridgeport to just two shots on goal in the third period matching Bridgeport’s lowest total of the season in the final frame matching their performance the night before against Providence. For the Pack it was their best defensive effort in that capacity since limiting Portland to just one shot in the second period of their contest on Nov. 27.

* Of Grachev’s nine goals this season, four have come against the Tigers. He leads the two teams in points head-to-head with 4g, 1a 5pts in 5 games between the two franchise rivals. 

* The Pack are 3-0-0-2 this season against Bridgeport.  In the last five years the Pack have been dominant against the Islanders top farm club with a 29-12-0-4 record.

* Ryan Garlock appeared to get hurt pretty badly at 14:57 of the first period. Garlock hit the boards in the offensive zone awkwardly with his elbow and shoulder and when he got to the bench was clutching his wrist and appeared to be in a great amount of pain. He left for the locker room and did not return. If he is injured, the Pack will be down another forward as they already are short three, Mike Hoffman, Justin Soryal and Jordan Owens. Unless one of those three, and Owens is the only one of the three that can play center, is available the Pack will either have to recall someone from Charlotte or play a player short. They are already using a defenseman (Nightingale) to fill a forward position.

LINES:

Byers © – Locke – Parenteau
Grachev – Dupont – Weise
Ambϋhl – Crowder – Couture
DiDiomete – Garlock – Nightingale

Heikkinen – Sanguinetti
Potter – Williams
Urquhart – Sauer

Johnson

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Mike Hoffman – Undisclosed injury – Day-to-Day
Matt Zaba – On recall with the NY Rangers
Mathieu Dandenault – Lower Body – Three – Four weeks
Jordan Owens – Facial Injury – Indefinite
Justin Soryal – Facial Injury – Indefinite
Brent Henley – Knee  – Season

THREE STARS:

1. HFD – E. Grachev
2. HFD – D. Weise
3. BRI – J. Joensuu

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Shaun Davis (31)

Linesmen:
Brent Colby (7)
Paul Simeon (66)

NEXT GAME:

After this dramatic win, it’s good that the Pack will be back on the ice just 18 hours later for their only home meeting of the season against the Syracuse Crunch (Columbus Blue Jackets). Ex-Pack players Dylan Reese & Dave Liffiton will be there as will ex-Ranger Dan Fritsche. Incidentally, Fritsche will team with Bobby Sanguinetti of the Wolf Pack when both represent PlanetUSA in the 2010 Time Warner Cable AHL All-Star Classic in two weeks in Portland, Maine.

To watch the game live, you can purchased it for $6.99 at AHL-live.

If you can attend the cost is as little as $10 a ticket, why not just go? For Ticket information call (860) 548-2000.

Too far away or can’t make it? Listen live at WTIC.com.

SCORE-SHEET:

Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2 At Hartford Wolf Pack 3 – Status: Final

Jan 2, 2010 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Bridgeport 0 2 0 – 2

Hartford 1 0 2 – 3

1st Period-1, Hartford, Grachev 8 (Williams, Weise), 4:57 (pp). Penalties-Morency Bri (slashing), 0:00; Weise Hfd (cross-checking), 0:00; Moore Bri (hooking), 3:30; Morency Bri (fighting), 6:09; Nightingale Hfd (fighting), 6:09; Grachev Hfd (tripping), 7:11; Morency Bri (fighting), 15:23; Nightingale Hfd (fighting), 15:23; Haley Bri (slashing), 15:28; Parenteau Hfd (tripping), 15:28; Joensuu Bri (cross-checking), 16:15; Bentivoglio Bri (roughing), 18:38; Moore Bri (roughing), 18:38; Westgarth Bri (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:38; Parenteau Hfd (roughing), 18:38; Potter Hfd (roughing), 18:38.

2nd Period-2, Bridgeport, Smith 11 (Joensuu, Mauldin), 1:33. 3, Bridgeport, Flood 3 (Katic, Moore), 7:00 (pp). Penalties-Parenteau Hfd (hooking), 6:04; Potter Hfd (double minor – high-sticking), 6:48.

3rd Period-4, Hartford, Weise 10 (Dupont, Sauer), 10:55. 5, Hartford, Grachev 9 (Heikkinen, Sanguinetti), 15:00. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 10-13-2-25. Hartford 10-9-8-27.

Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 1 of 4; Hartford 1 of 2.

Goalies-Bridgeport, Munroe 10-8-1 (27 shots-24 saves). Hartford, Johnson 11-7-2 (25 shots-23 saves).

A-4,718

MEANWHILE BACK IN CHARLOTTE

 Had the night off and don’t officially begin the 2010 portion of their 2009-2010 season until Sunday afternoon (January 3rd) when take on the Gwinnett Gladiators at 2pm at home in the Time Warner Cable Arena. But it wasn’t a totally quiet day for the boys down under.

Here’s the official release:

SCHEPKE LOANED TO ALBANY; DOYLE TRADED 

 Rookie All-Star Called-Up; Goaltender Sent To Alaska

Charlotte Checkers head coach and general manager Derek Wilkinson announced today that rookie forward Matt Schepke has been loaned to the American Hockey League’s Albany River Rats. In addition, goaltender Frank Doyle was traded to the Alaska Aces for future considerations. As per club and league policies, the terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Schepke, 25, leads all Checkers rookies with 17 points (10g, 7a) and, on Thursday, was named to the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game in Ontario, California.

It is the second AHL call-up for the native of Warren, MI as he played in one game with the Hartford Wolf Pack last season, registering four penalty minutes.

Doyle, 29, appeared in five games with the Checkers this season, posting a 3-2-0 record with a 3.42 goals against average and .896 save percentage.

With the subtraction of Doyle, the Checkers have solidified the goaltending position with Miika Wiikman and Ryan Munce sharing starting duties.

The Checkers (16-10-4-0) will host the Gwinnett Gladiators today at Time Warner Cable Arena. Game time is 2 p.m. and ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com.