SHARKS SPEARED BY PACK 

VERSUS

The Worcester Sharks entered Friday night’s game at the DCU Center on a MAJOR roll; winners of six straight and over the previous 17 has amassed a record of 14-2-0-1. For the Hartford Wolf Pack, the road has been anything but kind to them. In their last eight they’ve gone 2-4-0-2 and for the season 6-11-0-2. Given those stats you would think the Pack were in for a long night, but numbers aren’t everything. It’s why they play the games. The Pack got two goals apiece from Dale Weise and 2010 Team Canada AHL All-Star Corey Locke backed by outstanding goaltending from Matt Zaba en route to a 5-2 win for the Rangers top farm club.

“We came out with a good start,” Weise said. “It was a big effort for our team and we played well.”

In seven of the last nine games for Hartford, they started off the contest pressing their opponent and getting solid early chances while doing just about everything Head Coach Ken Gernander expected of them only to ultimately find themselves trailing. This game made it eight of ten as T.J. Trevelyan put his team ahead 1-0 on a power play goal at 6:54. Derek Joslin took a shot from the high slot. The puck hit Zaba (29 saves, 2,2,1) and fell to the ice just in front of the crease. Corey Potter missed his assignment to pick up Trevelyan and the Mississauga, Ontario native popped it in right past the Pack’s netminder.

It only took the Pack 31 seconds to knot the score. Dane Byers made a sweet stick-to-stick pass to P.A. Parenteau that sprung the Pack right wing on a breakaway inside the offensive zone. Parenteau blew right by defenseman Matt Moore. Alex Stalock (31 saves, 20-9-1) made the initial stop but the puck rebounded right back into the slot. Ilkka Heikkinen, trailing the play, wasn’t picked up by Frazer McLaren and the defenseman blasted it past Stalock for his seventh of the season.

Zaba, starting his first game since December 5th in Wilkes-Barre (a 4-1 loss) and his first appearance in a game since December 6th when he relieved Steve Valiquette in the drubbing the team took in Hershey (9-2) on the 6th, had no signs of rust as the Yorkton, Saskatchewan native was simply spectacular all game long.

Zaba made two incredible saves within 28 seconds. The first came with 3:00 remaining in the period when the Pack netminder stonewalled T.J. Trevelyan from dead red and then Benn Ferriero skated away empty as well.

“We have to thank Matt Zaba. He was great tonight.” Weise said. “He was really impressive especially for a guy who hasn’t played in a month.”

But Stalock rose to the challenge in the first as well when he robbed Corey Locke on a breakaway sliding out of the crease into the slot to swallow up the Pack center’s shot.

The Pack power play, which entered the game slumping badly having only tallied six times in their last 73 tries over the previous nineteen games, came through at 5:24. Worcester baked themselves into a big hole taking consecutive penalties by Kevin Henderson and Nick Petrecki that gave the Pack a 36 second five-on-three man-advantage. It only took the Pack ten seconds to cash in.

Locke won the face off sending the puck back to Heikkinen at the point. Heikkinen sent the puck down to Parenteau stationed low on the left wing side. Defenseman Joe Callahan tried to cut off the passing lane in front of the net but dropped his stick. When he looked down and went to pick it back up, Parenteau flung the puck over over the stick to the right side where Locke was all alone and fired it backdoor into the net.

6:55 later came what would prove to be the game winner.

“I got kind of a late change,” Weise said describing his breakaway goal at 12:19.” (Defenseman Nigel) Williams made a great pass, probably the best pass I’ve seen all year, split the two ‘D’ and right on my tape. I kind of blew a tire going down and I thought the ‘D’ was going to catch me. I just got up and made a little move made a move stick handled to my forehand and put it in.” Weise’s shot hit Stalock in the glove. Simultaneously to getting the glove on the puck, Joe Loprieno crashed into his netminder and jarred it loose and the puck fell into the net. The Pack led 3-1.

The Pack entered the third with the lead for only the first time in five games (Dec. 27th vs Springfield).

Andrew Desjardins got into a shoving match with Bobby Sanguinetti after a whistle behind the Pack net at 2:05. For some reason, referee Nygel Pelletier whistled only Desjardins for roughing. it easily and probably should have been called against both.

If the Pack are going to make a serious move in the standings they’re going to need to take advantage of breaks like this. On this night they did.

Sanguinetti fired a blistering point shot that hit Stalock square in the chest. The puck dropped down to the crease. Byers, who makes a living in that neck of the woods, was falling and slid the puck over to his left to Locke. Locke then lifted the puck into the twine for his second and the Pack’s second power play tally of the game. The Pack had not scored two power play goals in the same game since December 18th against Toronto, a span of eight games.

Worcester didn’t surrender and put pressure on the Pack. Andres Ambϋhl took an elbowing penalty at 11:01 sending Worcester back to the power play for the fourth time.

On the penalty kill, Byers was up high and blocked Callahan’s shot. The puck came right back to the Worcester defenseman and he fired it a second time. Zaba had plenty of traffic to have to look through and never saw the puck as it went past him for Callahan’s fourth of the season.

Devin DiDiomete continued his really solid play and appeared to be rewarded at 14:37. Derek Couture came up along the right wing and fired a shot towards the goal. DiDiomete beat Moore getting back and was being dragged down as the puck fell into the crease off Stalock. DiDIomete clearly got his stick on it and knocked it past the Shark netminder for what would have been his first of the season. After initially calling it a goal, Pelletier ended up conversing with the other officials and ended up reversing his decision and calling it no-goal.

“I was driving to the net and Coutsey (Couture) found my stick. I was in the middle of the net and on the goal line when I hit it so I don’t know any way how it couldn’t be a goal.” DiDiomete said. “I couldn’t see anything because as the puck hit my stick the defender (Moore) was dragging me down so it was tough for me to see, but I felt the puck hit my stick and there was no possible way it couldn’t have gone in the net.”

“What’s more important to me is that we got the two points. That’s more important than my scoring a goal.” DiDiomete added.

The world corrected itself it seemed after that blown call just 55 seconds later as Weise got his second of the game.

“I started to get jump on their D-Man saw Desjardins playing on the point and I kind of jumped him a little bit.” Weise said. The puck squirted out of the zone and Weise beat Callahan to the puck and came in on Stalock. “I went to my go-to on the breakaway and went five-hole and it worked,” The goal was Weise’s fourth over the last four games and his thirteenth of the season.

The Pack travel to Albany Saturday to take on the River Rats and will look to get some consistency of effort and take home another road win.

Bob Crawford shares insight from the radio booth and files this report at Hartfordwolfpack.com.  Bill Ballou has the Worcester perspective in a more prose fashion at Telegram.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS:

NOTES:

* The Pack have standings points now in nine of the last eleven games (7-2-0-2) and moved up from out of the playoff picture in sixth to in the hunt again in fourth place. They are just two points out of second and eight out of first. The Pack have a game in hand on both Lowell (2nd place) and Manchester (First place).

* Heikkinen’s goal was his second in the last four games and he now leads all Pack defenseman in goals with seven. Heikkinen sits 12th overall among defenseman with 23 points (7g, 16a). Sanguinetti is eighth with 25 points (6g, 19a). Jonas Junland of the Peoria Rivermen leads all D-men with 28 points (9g, 19a).

* The Pack evened up their record at 4-4-0-0 in games decided by 3 goals.

LINES:

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

Potter – Williams
Heikkinen – Sanguinetti
Urquhart – Sauer

Zaba
Valiquette

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Jared Nightingale – Healthy Scratch
Ryan Garlock – Upper Body Injury – Undisclosed
Mike Hoffman – Undisclosed injury – Day-to-Day
Chad Johnson – On recall with the NY Rangers
Mathieu Dandenault – Lower Body – Three – Four weeks
Jordan Owens – Facial Injury – Indefinite
Brent Henley – Knee  – Season

THREE STARS:

1. HFD – C. Locke
2. HFD – P. Parenteau
3. HFD – D. Weise

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Nygel Pelletier (41)

Linesmen:
Brian MacDonald (72)
Chris Libett (19)

NEXT GAME:

It’s off to Albany for the team’s only trip up to New York’s capitol to challenge the River Rats who defeated the Pack 2-1 in a shootout at the XL Center.

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:

Hartford Wolf Pack 5 At Worcester Sharks 2 – Status: Final

Jan 8, 2010 – DCU Center

Hartford 1 2 2 – 5

Worcester 1 0 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Worcester, Trevelyan 7 (Joslin, DaSilva), 6:54 (pp). 2, Hartford, Heikkinen 7 (Parenteau, Byers), 7:25. Penalties-Couture Hfd (interference), 6:14; Couture Wor (slashing), 8:11; Henderson Wor (hooking), 14:08.

2nd Period-3, Hartford, Locke 16 (Parenteau, Heikkinen), 5:24 (pp). 4, Hartford, Weise 12 (Williams), 12:19. Penalties-Henderson Wor (hooking), 3:50; Petrecki Wor (interference), 5:14; Parenteau Hfd (roughing), 9:11; Urquhart Hfd (fighting), 13:04; DaSilva Wor (fighting), 13:04; Potter Hfd (slashing), 19:25.

3rd Period-5, Hartford, Locke 17 (Byers, Sanguinetti), 3:10 (pp). 6, Worcester, Callahan 4 (Mashinter, McGinn), 12:46 (pp). 7, Hartford, Weise 13   15:32. Penalties-Desjardins Wor (roughing), 2:05; Petrecki Wor (hooking), 7:51; Ambuhl Hfd (elbowing), 11:01; Moore Wor (hooking), 17:43.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 13-16-7-36. Worcester 9-11-11-31.

Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 of 7; Worcester 2 of 4.

Goalies-Hartford, Zaba 2-2-1 (31 shots-29 saves). Worcester, Stalock 20-9-1 (36 shots-31 saves).

A-2,829

MEANWHILE BACK IN CHARLOTTE

VERSUS

CHECKERS JUMPED BY K-WINGS
Two Quick Second-Period Goals Propels Kalamazoo To 2-1 Victory

The Charlotte Checkers made their first ever trip to Michigan and were edged, 2-1, by the Kalamazoo Wings on Friday night. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for Charlotte, who falls to 7-6-2 on the road this season.

Andrew Carroll recorded his third goal in four games and Ryan Munce stopped 25 of 27 shots in a losing cause for the Checkers. The game’s three goals were scored in a span of 1:06 in the second period.

Despite several scoring chances and power plays for both teams in the first period, neither could generate any offense and the score remained knotted at 0-0 heading into the locker room.

Kalamazoo opened the scoring just over six minutes into the second frame on a goal by Mathieu Curadeau. Curadeau, using a Checkers defenseman as a screen, took a wrist shot from just inside the left circle that beat Munce over the glove. The goal was Curadeau’s 13th and was assisted by Louis Liotti and Will Colbert.

The Checkers would tie the game 33 seconds later when Andrew Carroll skated into the zone and blasted the puck past Ryan Nie on the glove side for his 13th of the year. Jean-Philipp Chabot and Mike Taylor picked up assists on the play.

The celebration wouldn’t last long, however, as Kalamazoo jumped ahead 33 seconds later on a goal by Matt Jones. Jones skated into the Checkers zone and took a harmless-looking slapshot that seemed to fool Munce on the blocker side.

Charlotte applied some late pressure, however, Nie stopped everything that came his way to preserve the 2-1 victory.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow night at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo.

The Checkers (18-11-4-0) will continue their northern swing in Kalamazoo and Toledo before returning home to host the Gwinnett Gladiators on Wednesday. Game time is 7 p.m. and ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS:

NOTES:

* Ryan Munce (.922) ranks 2nd  in save percentage among all ECHL goaltenders…

* Tyler Doig ranks 6th in ECHL scoring with 38 points (9g, 29a)…

* Andrew Carroll has three goals in his last four games…

* Miika Wiikman has only one regulation loss in 11 games this season (7-1-2)…

* T.J. Reynolds has six points in his last six games, leads all ECHL defensemen with 137 penalty minutes, and is second in overall ECHL plus-minus with a +19 rating…

* The Checkers are 10-3-1 in their last 14 home games…

* Charlotte has only one regulation loss in 17 tries when scoring first (12-1-4)…

* Trevor Glass and Chris Chappell are on the 21-day injured reserve.

LINES:

Doig – Leveille © – Slattengren
Burki – Harder – Schepke
Chabot – Taylor – Carroll
Marshall

Graham -Ward
Berube – Reynolds
Brouillette – Schaeffer

Munce
Wiikman

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

THREE STARS;

1. KAL – M. Curadeau
2. KAL – R. Nie
3. CHR – A. Carroll

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Keith Kaval (20)

Linesmen:
Bob Marcis (94)
Ray King (39)

NEXT GAME:

The second of back-to-back games on Saturday night with the Kalamazoo Wings (First place, 20-9-4-0) and then on to Ohio Sunday to face the Toledo Walleye (Third place, 18-13-1-3).

You can buy tickets for any Checkers game home or away at Ticketmaster.com.

Should you want to watch this very exciting team from the comfort of your computer chair, all Checkers games are available on B2Live.

SCORE-SHEET:

Charlotte Checkers 1 At Kalamazoo Wings 2 – Status: Final

Jan 8, 2010 – Wings Stadium

Charlotte 0 1 0 – 1

Kalamazoo 0 2 0 – 2

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Mason Kal (tripping), 1:19; McGinnis Kal (hooking), 3:27; Carroll Chr (fighting – major), 16:09; Willis Kal (fighting – major), 16:09; Graham Chr (holding), 16:51; Burki Chr (high-sticking), 19:58.

2nd Period-1, Kalamazoo, Curadeau 13 (Liotti, Colbert), 6:16. 2, Charlotte, Carroll 13 (Chabot, Taylor), 6:49. 3, Kalamazoo, Jones 12 (Daavettila, Fournier), 7:22. Penalties-Chabot Chr (roughing), 8:14; Lloyd Kal (slashing ), 16:22.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Reynolds Chr (roughing, slashing ), 0:37; Lloyd Kal (roughing), 0:37; Lloyd Kal (slashing ), 13:28; Graham Chr (holding the stick), 14:19.

Shots on Goal-Charlotte 7-8-5-20. Kalamazoo 8-10-9-27.

Power Play Opportunities-Charlotte 0 of 4; Kalamazoo 0 of 5.

Goalies-Charlotte, Munce 5-6-1-0 (27 shots-25 saves). Kalamazoo, Nie 10-4-1-0 (20 shots-19 saves).

A-3,394