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VERSUS

Ken Gernander’s post game mood this season has not always been the most pleasant. However, after defeating the Lowell Devils 6-2 and winning their second game in a row, the first time since a pair of wins against Providence in mid-January, Gernander was in much lighter spirits. When asked if there was anything different that he liked about these last two nights? The one time Wolf Pack captain didn’t hesitate with his answer “Two points at the end of the night.”

Prior to Friday night’s win against Springfield, the Wolf Pack had only won three times in their previous 21 games (3-12-5-1). “When you’re losing you look at things that went against you or what you you, but sometimes you create some of those things that go against you.” Gernander said. “Like tonight some of those penalties at the end of the game, if it was a tie game the other team power play scores well that’s too bad, or there were one or two turnovers that didn’t amount to goals-against that when you’re losing like ‘Oh that the breaks,’ or this or that. A lot of times you bring it on yourself or you make your own luck.“

The Pack fell behind on just one of those kind of breaks that Gernander was talking of. In trying to move the puck from out in front of his own net, Ryan Garlock practically handed the puck to Ben Walter, who’s made a career of scoring big goals against the Wolf Pack, and came in on a mini breakaway on Wolf Pack starter Chad Johnson (27 saves, 16-14-2). Walter surgically placed the puck just under the blocker of the Hartford goaltender.

“You always like to get the first goal, but it doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the world if you don’t.” Gernander said. The Pack had only scored first in seven of the last twenty-four games.

But the Pack were still a bit complacent until Dane Byers took care of that. The Pack captain completely leveled Alexander Vasyunov. Ex-Pack and current NY Ranger, Artem Anisimov’s childhood friend skated across the blue line with his head down. Byers crushed him with a shoulder-to-shoulder hit that likely concussed the Yaroslavl, Russia native as he stayed down on the ice for quite a while but eventually left the ice with help.

Not only did the hit jar the Lowell Devils’ left winger, but it woke up the Wolf Pack bench as well.

As the second period opened, the Hartford Wolf Pack looked like the fresher team that they were. Lowell had not arrived till early in the morning after playing a late game against Syracuse.

In the first minute, the Pack got on their collective horses and put pressure on their visitors. At 54 seconds, defenseman Rob Davison took an Interference call. Some sloppy passing almost ended up costing the Wolf Pack dearly as Matt Halischuk picked offa pass and had himself a one on one breakaway against Johnson.

Johnson, who had struggled losing a team record seven straight decisions until Friday night’s win in Springfield, rose to the occasion shutting Halischuk down.

Gernander saw that as one of many key moments in this game. “There’s turning points throughout the course of the game, so if they score a goal there that’s a turning point.” He said. “I think guys on the bench recognized that. Johnson’s save there was a big save it sparked the bench”

Just twenty-two seconds later, the Pack turned a good save into points on the board.

Ilkka Heikkinen moved a puck from the left point to the right where it found newcomer, Kris Newbury. The gritty center-iceman then fired a shot that hit the skate of Matt Taormina in front and bounced right to Byers. Pucks that find the Pack captain stick in that neck of the woods often wind up behind the net…so did this one. For the eighteenth time this season, he did just that as he smacked it past Mike McKenna (23 saves, 20-13-4) for the game equalizer.

2:41 seconds the Pack would get themselves the lead as Corey Locke would score his first of two on the contest when his persistence at whacking the puck off of McKenna paid off as the third time it went in past the Devils’ goaltender. Brodie Dupont got an assist and P.A. Parenteau would get his first of three helpers on the night.

At 7:44 Lowell managed to get back on the board, at least temporarily when Cory Murphy scored his third of the season on the power play off  a nice setup pass from Halischuk that made it impossible for Johnson to react fast enough.

But the final turning point came with just 54 seconds left in the second period.

Parenteau got the puck free along the left boards and fed Donald Brashear in the left side circle. Brashear then threw a shot at net and it hit McKenna and flipped into the air. Locke had great discipline to keep his stick under the crossbar  and knocked it into the net for his team leading 27th of the season.

For the 38-year old Brashear, it was his second assist and third point in 14 games since being sent to Hartford from New York.

Despite outshooting the Wolf Pack 10-8 in the final frame, the completely dead tired Devils squad just completely run over by the home team.

Locke made a great play to get the puck to Parenteau with a touch pass. Parenteau toe dragged the puck and created space for himself. The Hull, Quebec native moved in on the Lowell net and drew the defender to him. He also somehow got McKenna to move over as well and as soon as he saw the movement, Parenteau threaded the needle and put the stick right on Brodie Dupont’s stick for the easy slam dunk.

1:19 later the Pack did it again. Kris Newbury took a faceoff in the left circle of the offensive zone. He moved the puck forward to the left corner and retrieved it himself. He then threw a Mail Mary from the dead corner behind the line, at the net. The puck hit McKenna and deflected into the net off the Devils’ netminder.

11:22 saw the games final tally as former first round draft pick, Bobby Sanguinetti took a Newbury feed beneath the left circle and fired it on net. The puck hit a Devils defenseman on it’s way there and hit McKenna’s pads and slid in under the Devils netminder.

The Devils removed McKenna at that point, but it was too late and the Pack had the “W.”

For the Wolf Pack though, they got lackadaisical in their own end and began to take penalties, going shorthanded four times in the final six minutes.

“(Discipline) was a little bit lacking there at the end. I don’t care what the score is. I don’t think we needed some of those penalties that we took toward at the end.” Gernander said. “If it ends up being a goal-against that’s one thing, sometimes it ends up someone getting injured with a shot block or something like that and it’s a habit so you don’t want to take those kinds of penalties.”

“I thought we had a good game tonight. A lot of good things, It was nice to have a good effort tonight.”

Sanguinetti said the team was well aware of where they stand as the season has just 14 games left in it. “Guys were starting to realize that it’s going to end our season if we didn’t start to pick it up. It opened everybody’s eyes. We’re going to try and get on a roll here and just play our game and get into the playoffs.”

Parenteau seems to see it right on the nose. “We’re in a hole and we’re trying to dig ourselves out of it. It’s going to be tough, but I think we have the team to do it.

The great Bruce Berlet has a different view of things at Hartfordwolfpack.com. Our close friend, Gerry Cantelon has a story at eurohockey.net. Lowell’s perspective can only be found at LowellDevilsHockey.com.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS

LAST PLAYOFF SPOT STANDINGS:

SCHEDULE:

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is at Adirondack, Providence hosts Binghamton

SCOREBOARD:

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton dropped a shootout to Albany. Adirondack knocked off Providence 4-0 while Bridgeport again beat Norfolk in a shootout 3-2.

In other action, Lake Erie got two goals from Tom Preissing, but he was outdone by Jason Jaffray’s hat trick for Abbotsford who also got a goal from ex-Pack Garth Murray in a 5-3 win. Hamilton knocked off Grand Rapids 4-3. Ex-Pack Patrick Rissmiller had a goal for Grand Rapids.  Binghamton tripled up Portland 6-2. Hard to believe, but Hershey lost to Springfield in a shootout 5-4. Rochester knocked off Syracuse 5-3 on the road. Chicago also won in a shootout over Houston 2-1. San Antonio lost to Texas 5-4. Manitoba got doubled up by Rockford 6-3 and Toronto got by Milwaukee 3-2.

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.

* Brodie Dupont has his first three game scoring streak

* Excellent job by the sales staff as there was 7,654 in the XL Center. That’s the way the arena needs to be more often. What an atmosphere for a game.

* Johnson last won two straight contests in Mid January.

LINES:

Dupont – Locke – Parenteau
Byers © – Newbury – Weise
Soryal – Crowder – Grachev
Brashear – Garlock – Couture

Eriksson – Sanguinetti
Brouillette – Potter
Heikkinen – Nightingale

Johnson
Zaba

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Andres Ambϋhl – Healthy Scratch
Nigel Williams – Undisclosed Injury – Day-to-Day
Steven Valiquette – Hand Injury – Season over
Michael Sauer – Shoulder – Season over
Mike Hoffman – Shoulder – Season over
Brent Henley – Knee – Season over

THREE STARS:

1. HFD – C. Locke
2. HFD – P. Parenteau
3. HFD – K. Newbury

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Jamie Koharski (84)

Linesmen:
Brent Colby (7)
David Spannaus (8)

NEXT GAME:

Bob Crawford is on the air with the Pre-Game show at 6:30 Wednesday night when the Pack play a critical game with the Providence Bruins.

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:

Lowell Devils 2 At Hartford Wolf Pack 6 – Status: Final

Mar 13, 2010 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Lowell 1 1 0 – 2

Hartford 0 3 3 – 6

1st Period-1, Lowell, Walter 20   7:54. Penalties-Locke Hfd (interference), 3:36; Cohen Low (roughing), 15:27; Taormina Low (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:28; Newbury Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:28.

2nd Period-2, Hartford, Byers 18 (Newbury, Heikkinen), 1:37 (pp). 3, Hartford, Locke 26 (Dupont, Parenteau), 4:18. 4, Lowell, Murphy 3 (Halischuk, Davis), 7:44 (pp). 5, Hartford, Locke 27 (Brashear, Parenteau), 19:06. Penalties-Davison Low (interference), 0:54; Dupont Hfd (slashing), 4:52; Potter Hfd (tripping), 7:37; Nagy Low (tripping), 7:59; Robitaille Low (picking up the puck), 10:41; Couture Hfd (roughing), 10:41; Garlock Hfd (roughing), 10:41; Robitaille Low (interference), 15:53; Dupont Hfd (goaltender interference), 16:00.

3rd Period-6, Hartford, Dupont 15 (Parenteau, Locke), 3:31. 7, Hartford, Newbury 13   4:50. 8, Hartford, Sanguinetti 7 (Newbury, Byers), 11:22. Penalties-Byers Hfd (tripping), 5:05; Murphy Low (tripping), 9:20; Soryal Hfd (tripping), 12:47; Locke Hfd (roughing), 16:06; Stoesz Low (roughing, roughing), 19:15; Garlock Hfd (roughing), 19:15.

Shots on Goal-Lowell 11-8-10-29. Hartford 11-11-8-30.

Power Play Opportunities-Lowell 1 of 8; Hartford 1 of 6.

Goalies-Lowell, McKenna 20-13-4 (29 shots-23 saves); Frazee 13-14-0 (1 shots-1 saves). Hartford, Johnson 16-14-2 (29 shots-27 saves).

A-7,654

MEANWHILE DOWN IN CHARLOTTE
VERSUS

*          *          *          *          *

More than 11,000 fans attended the fourth annual “Pink in the Rink” and were not disappointed as the Charlotte Checkers downed the Gwinnett Gladiators, 4-2, on Saturday evening.

The Checkers are now 10-2-1 in their last 13 home games and 4-0-1 in their last five overall.

Aaron Slattengren potted two goals and an assist while Mike Taylor chipped in with one goal and two assists. Ryan Munce stopped 28 of 30 shots en route to his 19th win of the season and fourth in his last five tries. Newly acquired defenseman Trevor Hendrikx became the fifth Checkers player this season to score a goal in his first game joining Ryan Crane, Mike Harder, Randy Rowe and Matt Stefanishion.

Mike Taylor put the Checkers ahead 1-0 with his third of the season just two minutes into the game. Devin DiDiomete started the play with a big hit behind the net freeing the puck up for Slattengren in the corner. Slattengren then passed to Taylor who one timed the puck from the top of the crease past Gwinnett goaltender Danny Taylor.

The Gladiators would tie it up four minutes later when Dan Sullivan banged the puck home from a scrum in front of the Charlotte net.

Just minutes later, the Checkers were assessed two penalties 16 seconds apart and Gwinnett went to work on a 5-on-3 power play. Munce was solid, however, and turned aside several good scoring chances to keep it a one-goal game.

Charlotte took its second lead of the game with four minutes left in the period on a goal by Slattengren, his 13th of the season. Taylor poke-checked the puck away from a Gwinnett defender in front of the net and Slattengren fired a wrist shot into the top right corner past Taylor.

Just a minute and a half into the second, the Checkers would score to make it a 3-1 game. Stefanishion laid a big hit on a Gwinnett defender before dishing the puck over the Andrew Carroll. Carroll then fed Hendrix who made no mistake and fired it home low-blocker side from the high slot for his first as a Checker.

Late in the second period, Gwinnett cut the Checkers’ lead in half when defenseman Drew Paris caught a lucky break, skated around a defender and beat Munce high over the glove for his 11th of the year.

The Gladiators showed some desperation in the third period, down by a goal, and fired all they could at Munce, however the Charlotte goaltender stopped everything that came his way.

With less than 10 seconds left and Gwinnett’s goaltender pulled for the extra attacker, Taylor made a good play along the boards to keep the puck alive and Aaron Slattengren fired it into the empty net for the 4-2 victory.

The Checkers (33-20-7) will host Gwinnett again tomorrow (Sunday) for the inaugural “Pooch Party”. The puck drops at 2 p.m. and ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com. Season tickets for the inaugural 2010-11 AHL season are now on sale and 40-game packages start as low as $200.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS:

NOTES:

* The Checkers are 4-0-1 in their last five games and 10-2-1 in their last 13 at home

* David Marshall has four goals in the last three games

* Matt Schepke leads the team with a +18 rating

* Aaron Slattengren has seven points (2g, 5a) in the last five games

* Andrew Carroll leads the team with 24 goals and leads the ECHL with four shootout-winning goals

LINES:

Taylor – Leveille © – Slattengren
Schepke – Carroll – Marshall
Doig – Tkaczuk – Stefanishion
DiDiomete

Urquhart – Schaeffer
Ward – Hendrikx
Berube – Crane

Munce
Kreutzer

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Randy Rowe – Recall in Lake Erie
Matt Ford – Recall in Lake Erie
Julien Brouillette – Recall in Hartford
Ethan Graham – Recall in Texas
Kenny Roche – Recall in Providence
T.J. Reynolds – Undisclosed Injury – 2-3 Weeks
Chris Snavely – Upper Body – 2-3 weeks
Trevor Glass – Back Surgery – Season over
Codey Burki – Undisclosed – Season over
Chris Chappell – Shoulder Surgery – Season over

THREE STARS:

1. CHR – A. Slattengren
2. CHR – M. Taylor
3. CHR – T. Hendrikx

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Steve Patafie (29)

Linesmen:
Mathieu Chenier (71)
Mark Hamlett (81)

NEXT GAME:

Sunday sees the Checkers complete the sweep that they really needed against last place Gwinnett. Game time Sunday afternoon is 2pm. Jason Shaya will be at the Time Warner Cable Arena with all the action.

For live in-game coverage from your cell phone or computer, we’ll have the action for you at www.twitter.com/howlingstoday.

You can always 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:

Gwinnett Gladiators 2 At Charlotte Checkers 4 – Status: Unofficial Final

Mar 13, 2010 – Time Warner Cable Arena

Gwinnett 1 1 0 – 2

Charlotte 2 1 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Charlotte, Taylor 3 (Slattengren, DiDiomete), 2:15. 2, Gwinnett, Sullivan 13 (McLean, Hurley), 6:20. 3, Charlotte, Slattengren 13 (Taylor, Marshall), 16:05. Penalties-Urquhart Chr (interference), 8:32; Hendrikx Chr (hooking), 8:48; Miller Gwt (tripping, fighting – major), 17:27; Berube Chr (fighting – major), 17:27.

2nd Period-4, Charlotte, Hendrikx 7 (Doig, Tkaczuk), 1:26. 5, Gwinnett, Paris 11   15:26. Penalties-Fritsch Gwt (high-sticking – double), 1:26; Stefanishion Chr (double – roughing), 1:26; Crane Chr (interference), 4:52; Mifsud Gwt (slashing ), 14:04; Paris Gwt (high-sticking), 16:26.

3rd Period-6, Charlotte, Slattengren 14 (Taylor), 19:51 (en). Penalties-DiDiomete Chr (high-sticking), 2:01.

Shots on Goal-Gwinnett 9-9-12-30. Charlotte 7-14-10-31.

Power Play Opportunities-Gwinnett 0 of 4; Charlotte 0 of 3.

Goalies-Gwinnett, Taylor 17-12-2-3 (30 shots-27 saves). Charlotte, Munce 18-13-2-1 (30 shots-28 saves).

A-11,023