HARD TIMES 

     VERSUS     

If it’s not one thing, it’s another…

If the Hartford Wolf Pack stand any chance at all of making the American League playoffs, they’re going to need their star players to elevate their games. That’s not news. General Manager Jim Schoenfeld knows it. Head Coach Ken Gernander knows it and most of all, the Pack’s players know it.

After a disappointing 2-1 loss to first place Portland, the Pack looked to get back on the winning track on the road against the Lowell Devils. Unfortunately for the New York Rangers top farm team, it seemed like only P.A. Parenteau, Corey Locke and Bobby Sanguinetti were the only ones that got that message. Parenteau answered the call to elevate his game with his second hat-trick of the season. Locke and Sanguinetti each chipped in with two assists.

Once again, rookie goaltender Chad Johnson, who carried the team through the early part of the season, had his sixth straight poor outing. While early in the season he looked confident and “quiet” between the pipes. He gave up rebounds, but they were controlled. Now the Calgary native looks totally unsure of himself and is fighting the puck each time it’s shot at him. Sunday afternoon the Pack were excellent in keeping the shots on goal to a minimum. In the first period they only gave up five. By the 4:57 mark of the second, it was just seven. Unfortunately for the Wolf Pack, of the seven Johnson (23 saves, 14-13-2) faced, he gave up goals on three of them.

In the first period, with Jared Nightingale in the penalty box on a high sticking call at 3:22, it only took Lowell ten seconds and one shot to register a goal. Matt Taormina got his first of two helpers on the day when his slap shot from the left point was redirected by Nick Palmieri past Johnson.

It only took the Pack 3:34 to respond with a goal of their own.

Brodie Dupont out worked Lowell defenders down low behind the goal line and got the puck to Locke. The Pack center, playing wing in an effort to ignite a struggling offense, found Parenteau with a centering pass alone in the slot. Parenteau in turn put his first goal in the net since returning from a concussion that kept him out of 16 games right past Devils goaltender Jeff Frazee (27 saves, 13-13-0).

In the second period, Lowell broke the tie just 2:01 into the period. Matt Halischuk created his own breakaway after he poked a loose puck away from Sanguinetti at the right point. The Devil winger took off for a breakaway and beat Johnson for fifth of the season.

It only took another 2:56  before the Devils made Johnson pay his due. This time it was Michael Swift who took advantage of another Hartford mistake and buried a high shot over Johnson’s glove.

Tempers were running high. At 16:53 a small melee broke out as Andres Ambϋhl and Swift squared off at the same time as Derek Couture and Oliver Magnan exchanged punches. All four went off to the sin-bin for a five-minute respite.

But then Frazee went to clear a puck out of his own end but wound up throwing it into the stands for a Delay of Game penalty and sending the struggling Pack power play unit onto the ice for their second man-advantage of the game at 18:34.

Parenteau positioned himself just inside the left circle and one timed a laser beam cross-ice pass from Locke and beat Frazee high with just 51.2 left in the period.

Ordinarily this would be a major turning point pulling within a goal with less than a minute to go in a period. But as has been the case with the Wolf Pack all season long, a lack of discipline and unchecked emotion cost the team as Dupont got into a shoving match with Frazee and drew a roughing penalty for his efforts sending the Devils out for a fourth power play.

Illka Heikkinen went to clear the puck out of the Pack defensive zone, but Taormina kept it in. He then fired a shot from the slot that was blocked on it’s way to the net. The seeing eye puck though found the stick of Ben Walter who turned and tapped it into the net for what would prove to be the game winner with just .6 seconds left in the period.

The Pack did all they could to try and take the play to the Devils.

Locke went into the box for diving on Walter’s hook at 13:40. 58 seconds later Matt Corrente went into the box on a hooking call that created a 1:02 four-on-three power play. With 4:45 remaining in the contest, Parenteau completed his hat trick with a blast that went high over Frazee’s glove.

The Wolf Pack weren’t able to solve Frazee again.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another…

Bob Crawford called this one for the Wolf Pack network and then wrote it up for Hartfordwolfpack.com. For the Lowell perspective there really is only only source to go to would be at LowellDevilsHockey.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET 

STANDINGS

SCOREBOARD:

The Hershey Express continues to roll. The Bears defeated Wilkes-Barre / Scranton in a shootout 2-1. Lake Erie also won in a shootout over ex-Pack Patrick Rissmiller and his two-goal game 6-5. Norfolk beat Syracuse 3-2. Chicago doubled up Rockford 4-2 while Milwaukee and Hugh Jessiman won convincingly 4-0 over Peoria. It was Portland doubling up Albany 4-2. It was San Antonio knocking off Texas 5-3. Popular ex-Pack Jeff Taffe had two goals including the winner in overtime for Rochester at home over ex-Pack netminder Chris Holt and Binghamton 4-3. The Pack’s next opponent, Hamilton, knocked off their Sunday challenger Toronto 5-1.

NOTES:

* If you have yet to sign up for our new service to our readers on Twitter, you’re really missing out on the most extensive coverage of the Wolf Pack and Checkers you’ll find anywhere. In addition to keeping you posted here on all major news stories, visit www.twitter.com/howlingstoday for in-game coverage of both Wolf Pack and Checkers games. Please “Follow” us on Twitter.

* There were quite a few Wolf Pack alumni that just completed competing in the Vancouver Olympics. Of course Andres Ambϋhl just returned after playing for Switzerland. There was also Ivan Baranka and Marcel Hossa for Slovakia. Finland had Jarkko Immonen. Vladimir Denisov was on the Belarusian roster while one-time Pack forward John Tripp was there playing for Germany despite being born in Canada. Former Pack blueliner Fedor Tyutin was on the Russian roster, and of course Ryan Callahan played for Team USA. Bob Crawford informed Howlings and it’s readers that Callahan is not the first Pack graduate to play for Team USA. “Others who have played for both the Pack and the US Olympic Team include: Ted Donato, Peter Ferraro, Tim Sweeney and Mike York.  Only York played on the Olympic team subsequent to his Wolf Pack tenure, which amounted to three games in 1998-99 at the end of his college career.”

* The Pack don’t have a winning record in games decided by two-goals (4-6-0-0) or three-goals (4-6-0-0) when being outshot (10-16-3-2) or when trailing after either the first (3-15-1-2) or second periods (2-24-0-2). On the plus side of the ledger, the Pack is 12-9-5-4 in one–goal games, 16-11-2-2 when outshooting their opponents, 14-2-1-1 when leading after one and 20-1-2-1 when leading after two and 16-9-3-2 in the comforts of the XL Center.

LINES:

Locke – Dupont– Parenteau
Brashear – Garlock – Grachev
Byers © – Crowder – Weise
Owens – Ambϋhl – Couture

Heikkinen – Nightingale
Brouillette – Dandenault
Urquhart – Sanguinetti 

Johnson
Zaba

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Devin DiDiomete – Healthy Scratch
Corey Potter – Healthy Scratch
Nigel Williams – Healthy Scratch
Kenny Roche – Healthy Scratch
Steven Valiquette – Hand Injury – Season over
Michael Sauer – Shoulder – Season over
Mike Hoffman – Shoulder – Season over
Brent Henley – Knee – Season over

THREE STARS:

1. LOW – B. Walter
2. HFD – P. Parenteau
3. LOW – M. Taormina

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Terry Koharski (10)

Linesmen:
Joe Ross (92)
Bob Bernard (4)

NEXT GAME:

Off to the gold medal winning nation to take on Hamilton and Toronto, next Saturday and Sunday respectfully. Bob Crawford will have the pregame starting at 6:30 and 3:30pm respectfully with game-times at 7:00 and 4:00pm Eastern.

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

If you can attend the home games, they 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 or from your cell phone or computer visit www.twitter.com/howlingstoday for complete live in-game coverage.

SCORE-SHEET:

Hartford Wolf Pack 3 At Lowell Devils 4 – Status: Final

Feb 28, 2010 – Paul E. Tsongas Arena

Hartford 1 1 1 – 3

Lowell 1 3 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Lowell, Palmieri 19 (Taormina, Walter), 3:32 (pp). 2, Hartford, Parenteau 14 (Locke, Dupont), 7:06. Penalties-Nightingale Hfd (high-sticking), 3:22; Dandenault Hfd (hooking), 12:13; Swift Low (tripping), 16:58.

2nd Period-3, Lowell, Halischuk 5 (Davison), 2:01. 4, Lowell, Swift 14 (Sestito), 4:57. 5, Hartford, Parenteau 15 (Locke, Sanguinetti), 19:08 (pp). 6, Lowell, Walter 18 (Taormina), 19:59 (pp). Penalties-Nightingale Hfd (hooking), 12:05; Ambuhl Hfd (fighting), 16:53; Couture Hfd (fighting), 16:53; Magnan Low (fighting), 16:53; Swift Low (fighting), 16:53; Frazee Low (delay of game), 18:34; Dupont Hfd (roughing), 19:08.

3rd Period-7, Hartford, Parenteau 16 (Heikkinen, Sanguinetti), 15:15 (pp). Penalties-Garlock Hfd (kneeing), 4:15; Palmieri Low (double minor – high-sticking), 6:18; Locke Hfd (diving), 13:40; Walter Low (hooking), 13:40; Corrente Low (hooking), 14:38; Weise Hfd (cross-checking), 19:58.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 8-12-10-30. Lowell 5-16-6-27.

Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 of 5; Lowell 2 of 6.

Goalies-Hartford, Johnson 14-13-2 (27 shots-23 saves). Lowell, Frazee 13-13-0 (30 shots-27 saves).

A-5,119

MEANWHILE DOWN IN CHARLOTTE

     VERSUS           

CHECKERS STOPPED BY HOT GOALTENDER AGAIN, LOSE 4-2 
Wiikman Returns; Kalamazoo Extends Home Unbeaten Streak To 13 Games

The Charlotte Checkers out-shot and out-chanced the Kalamazoo Wings and came up empty-handed as they dropped a 4-2 decision on Sunday afternoon.

The Checkers got some help prior the game as goaltender Miika Wiikman was returned from Hartford (AHL), however defenseman Julien Brouillette, who leads all Charlotte blueliners in points, was called up to the Wolf Pack. Wiikman made 24 saves in a losing cause in his first start since Jan. 29, a 5-2 win over Johnstown.

With the loss, the Checkers drop to sixth place in the American conference, one back of Florida with two games in hand. Charlotte holds an eight point lead over ninth-place Gwinnett in the hunt for playoff positioning as the top eight teams in the conference qualify for postseason action.

Kalamazoo got things going early when Brian McGuirk stepped over the blueline and beat Wiikman over the blocker side and off the crossbar for the 1-0 lead. The goal was unassisted and was McGuirk’s fourth point in four games against the Checkers.

Charlotte answered back just two minutes later when Michelle Leveille decided not to shoot and fed a nice pass over to Tyler Doig. Doig then one-timed the puck into the empty net past a sprawling Kalamazoo goaltender to tie the game.

Shortly after the Checkers’ tying goal, Wings forward Darryl Lloyd beat Wiikman but the goal was waved off because of a high-sticking infraction.

The disallowed goal would benefit Charlotte as Kevin Schaeffer scored a shorthanded marker less than a minute later. The goal came at the 8:27 mark of the first period and was Schaeffer’s third in the last four games and second shorthanded tally in the last three contests.

With less than five minutes to play in the period, the Checkers were assessed a holding penalty and Kalamazoo went to work on the power play. Just 10 seconds into the man advantage, Wings forward Dean Strong let a shot go that beat Wiikman glove side to tie the game at 2-2.

The second period was all Checkers as they outshot Kalamazoo 14-6 but were unable to solve goaltender Ryan Nie.

Early in the third, and already a man down, Charlotte was assessed another penalty and the Wings were given a 5-on-3 advantage. They would make no mistake on the power play as Wings captain Sam Ftorek, the son of former NY Ranger Robbie Ftorek, fired a slap shot into the back of the net for the one-goal lead.

Ftorek then put the Wings up 4-2 when he broke into the Checkers zone and beat Wiikman over the glove for his 12th of the season and some insurance. The goal was too much for Charlotte as the team fell for the second night in a row despite outshooting the Wings 35-28.

The Checkers (30-19-6) will return home on Wednesday, Mar. 3 to host Cincinnati. The puck drops at 7 p.m. and ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS: