WOLF PACK WEEKLY: March 29-April 4, 2010

The Wolf Pack (31-31-6-5, 73 pts.) won two of their three games this past week, to stay alive in the Eastern-Conference playoff hunt.  The Pack posted third-period, home-ice comebacks both Friday night against Adirondack, a 3-2 shootout victory, and Saturday night vs. Bridgeport, in a 4-3 win.  They were unable to fashion a third consecutive revival Sunday in Portland, though, and lost a 3-2 decision to the Pirates.  Dale Weise (two goals and two assists) and Kris Newbury (four assists) set the pace offensively for the Wolf Pack during the week, with four points apiece.

This week:

Standing nine points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Wolf Pack jump back into action this Wednesday night at the XL Center against the first-place Worcester Sharks (7:00 PM faceoff), in a game that was originally scheduled for the following night.  The Wolf Pack then host their last Guida’s Family Value Night game of the year Friday vs. Lowell (7:00), before traveling to Springfield to meet the Falcons Saturday night (7:00).

Wednesday, March 31 vs. Worcester at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

· This game was moved from its originally-scheduled date of this Thursday, April 1.

· As with all Wolf Pack Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday-night home games, this night features $3 domestic drafts and snacks in the XL Center Atrium.

· The Wolf Pack are 4-1-0-0 in five games this year against the Atlantic Division-leading Sharks, and in the one game they lost, a 6-4 defeat in the teams’ last meeting March 10 in Worcester, they led 3-2 going into the third period.  The Pack have won both of their previous home games vs. the Sharks, 4-3 on October 25 and 4-2 on February 20.

· At 46-22-2-3 for 97 points, Worcester has a three-point lead on second-place Portland in the Atlantic.  The Sharks have won nine of their last 11 games.

· Worcester goaltender Alex Stalock’s 37 wins (37-16-2, 2.63, 90.8, 3 SHO) are the most ever by a rookie backstop in the AHL, but Stalock is 0-3-0 with 13 goals-against on 83 shots (4.35, 84.3) on the year against the Wolf Pack.

· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Friday, April 2 vs. Lowell at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

· This is the Wolf Pack’s last Friday-night Guida’s Family Value Night home game of the season.  Family Value packages start as low as $45 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Wolf Pack souvenir.  Guida’s Family Value Night packs are available at the XL Center box office and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

· The Devils (36-28-4-6, 82 pts.) enter the week tied with Bridgeport for fourth place in the Atlantic Division, which is the division’s last guaranteed playoff spot, after going 1-2-0-1 in their last four games and 4-6-0-2 in their last 12.

· This game completes an eight-game season series between the Wolf Pack and Lowell.  The Pack are 4-3-0-0 in the first seven games of the series, and 2-1-0 at the XL Center.

· Second-year forward Michael Swift (21-28-49 in 70 GP) is on a six-game point-scoring streak for the Devils (7-3-10), with goals in five of those games, and has climbed to within three points of team scoring leader Ben Walter (20-32-52 in 72 GP).

· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Saturday, April 3 at Springfield (MassMutual Center), 7:00 PM

· The Falcons remain last overall in the AHL with a record of 24-36-11-4 for 63 points, nine points behind seventh-place Providence in the Atlantic.

· 19-year-old Jordan Eberle, a first-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2008, had a goal and two assists in the last clash between the Wolf Pack and Falcons, a 4-3 Springfield win March 20, and has rolled up three goals and five assists for eight points in six games since joining the Falcons out of the Western Hockey League.

· The Wolf Pack are 4-2-2-0 in eight previous meetings with the Falcons this season, but Springfield has won three of the last four.  This is the last of five Wolf Pack visits to Springfield, where the Pack are 2-1-1-0 on the year.

· Radio – live with Bob Crawford in HD on WTIC’s 96.5 HD 2 and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and www.wtic.com.

Pack Tracks:

The Wolf Pack’s last regular-season home game, Saturday, April 10 against the Springfield Falcons (7:00 PM faceoff), is “Fan Appreciation Night” at the XL Center.  The Wolf Pack players will be wearing specialty jerseys that night, and the jerseys will be given away to lucky fans after the game.  Also at Fan Appreciation Night, the Wolf Pack will honor former Pack coach John Paddock for his recent induction into the AHL Hall of Fame.

At every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday-night Wolf Pack home game for the balance of the regular season, fans can enjoy $3 drafts and snacks in the XL Center Atrium.  Also, the Comcast Coliseum Club features a “Warm-up Menu”, with $3 domestic drafts and appetizers, before every Wolf Pack home game at the XL Center.

Individual tickets for Wolf Pack games are on sale now at the XL Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations including Macy’s at the Buckland Hills Mall and at the Westfarms Mall. Tickets may also be charged by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.  Information on all of the Wolf Pack’s many terrific ticket options, including group discounts, season tickets, partial plans, Birthday Bash packages and more, is available by calling the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 548-2000, and on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com.

Once again this season, the Wolf Pack are partnering with WTIC Radio to air Wolf Pack hockey action.  All of the Wolf Pack’s regular-season and playoff games will air on 96.5 WTIC-FM’s HD 2 channel and will be streamed on-line at www.wtic.com. Select games will be carried live on the 50,000-watt AM powerhouse, WTIC NewsTalk 1080. 

The AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack is operated by Northland AEG LLC, a joint partnership between Northland Investment Corporation and AEG Facilities.  The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

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