END OF THE PRESEASON 

      VERSUS    

By Bruce Berlet

In keeping with the theme of change surrounding the Hartford Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale franchise this season, captain Dane Byers decided on a new look, a shaved head.

Some stubble has begun to show, but one thing hasn’t changed: Byers still loves to play a physical game and go to the net.

The starting line of Byers, Kris Newbury and newcomer Jeremy Williams set a more aggressive tone than what the Wolf Pack showed against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Saturday night. In fact, Byers picked up a roughing penalty only 1:26 into the game, which was 13 seconds after Evgeny Grachev scored.

More importantly, Byers netted three goals, two off passes from Newbury, as the Wolf Pack beat the Worcester Sharks 5-2 in their preseason finale at Champions Skating Center.

“I was very satisfied because the guys played hard,” said Byers, who didn’t play Saturday night in a 5-4 loss to the Sound Tigers. “We were ‘in your face’ more, and after the first period, they didn’t seem to want anything to do with us. If we can do that for longer stretches this season, I think it’s going to help us.”

Grachev, expected to produce more in his second pro season after moving from wing to center, gave the Wolf Pack a 1-0 lead at 1:13 when Brodie Dupont forced a turnover to the lanky Russian, who one-timed the puck past Alex Stalock, whose 39 victories last season were one shy of the AHL rookie record for goaltenders.

But just 48 seconds later, Dan DaSilva tied it on a power play, poking James Macou’s rebound past Chad Johnson (29 saves).

Byers scored his first goal off the first of Newbury’s three assists at 3:59 of the second period, but the Sharks again retaliated quickly as Justin Braun one-timed a shot to the top corner 38 seconds later.

But Byers put the Wolf Pack ahead to stay, taking a pass from Nigel Williams and scoring on a breakaway with a minute left in the period. The secondary assist went to Jeremy Williams, who is no relation to Nigel and was an assistant captain with Newbury.

Byers completed his hat trick when he deflected in Newbury’s centering pass 1:18 into the third period. After the Sharks pulled Stalock (18 saves), Newbury made a classy move when he elected not to shoot into an empty net and passed to rookie Kelsey Tessier for the clinching goal with 1:33 left. Tessier, signed to an AHL contract this season after four years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, earned plenty of plaudits in the preseason while playing all three forward positions, killing penalties and getting some time on the power play in all four games.

“I’ve put him in just about every position possible,” Gernander said of Tessier, who often killed penalties with former Quinnipiac University standout Brandon Wong. “Because he competes so well and has a pretty good head on his shoulders, he hasn’t let me down.”

Though youngsters such as Tessier, Wong, Marc-Olivier Vallerand and Bretton Cameron continued to make final roster cuts that much more difficult, Gernander was pleased the Wolf Pack atoned for an awful start Saturday night in which they allowed five goals in the first period. But other than that period, the Wolf Pack outscored the opposition 17-3 while winning three of four games heading into their 14^th season opener Saturday night at 7 against the Charlotte Checkers, their former ECHL affiliate and one of the AHL’s two new teams.

“We asked for a better start than we had in Shelton (Saturday night), and obviously I think we started better,” Gernander said. “I think our competitive level was a lot closer to where it needs to be. They had a fairly substantial roster (all but three regulars), so there was legitimate AHLers across the way and I think a lot of guys played well.”

It was a much better feeling than Gernander had after a 9-2 loss to Worcester in the preseason finale last year. The Wolf Pack then failed to reach the playoffs for the first time, but Gernander has a different outlook this year.

“I’m obviously pretty optimistic,” Gernander said. “We added four pretty good players today, and then you throw (veteran defenseman) Wade Redden into the mix, we’re adding five guys to a team that played pretty well. I think we’ve elevated our skill level on defense and upfront, and as guys in their second and third years mature, that level of maturity should enhance our level of play.”

The crowd included Howard and Karen Baldwin, the leaders of Whalers Sports and Entertainment, which has taken over business operations of the Wolf Pack and is working to revitalize the local hockey market, rebrand the product and get another NHL team in Hartford. The Wolf Pack are expected to become the Connecticut Whaler around Thanksgiving.

Comings and Goings

The Rangers reassigned young defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko to Wolf Pack, along with forwards Dale Weise and Mats Zuccarello, who were recalled Saturday to play in Ottawa as the Rangers rested seven key players.

McDonagh and Valentenko were part of a trade that sent center Scott Gomez to the Montreal Canadiens on June 30, 2009. The 21-year-old McDonagh and center Derek Stepan, who made the Rangers, turned pro in July after helping the University of Wisconsin reach the NCAA title game. The 23-year-old Valentenko is a rugged Russian blueliner who played with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in 2007-08, when he was named the team’s top rookie. On Oct. 30, 2008, it was reported Valentenko had defected from the Bulldogs and signed a three-year contract with Moscow Dynamo just days after he was given permission by the Bulldogs to go home to Russia for an indefinite period to deal with family issues. He played in only 19 games the last two seasons because of the family matters and shoulder surgery.

The Rangers had summoned Weise and Zuccarello as coach John Tortorella rested forwards Ryan Callahan, a former All-Star wing with the Wolf Pack, high-scoring Marian Gaborik, Sean Avery and Alexander Frolov against the Senators. Others who sat out were No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist and the No. 1 defensive pairing of Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, both of whom played with the Wolf Pack.

Weise and Zuccarello also were recalled because forwards Vinny Prospal (knee) and captain/Trumbull native Chris Drury (broken left index finger) will start the season on injured reserve. Drury is expected to miss three or four games, while Prospal could be sidelined for several weeks.

Zuccarello, the leading scorer and MVP in the Swedish Elite League last season, got his first point on an NHL rink when he scored a third-period goal to tie it at 5. The Norwegian dynamo (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) had scored his first goal in North America in a 3-0 victory over the Albany Devils on Wednesday night. Weiss had an assist and lost a fight with Nick Foligno, son of Mike Foligno, who played 15 seasons in the NHL (1979-80 to 1993-94) and is now an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks.

“I felt better today than I had in the other games,” Zuccarello said after the game. “It’s nice to come back and let the big guns rest. … It’s been nice (in Hartford). It’s a great group of guys, and I like it so far. I think even though I did better today and got some offense, it’s good for me to get a little more confident on this (larger) ice (surface) and get to feel the hockey played here in (North America). Being (in Hartford) is no problem for. I’m ready to work hard.”

The Rangers still have 25 players in camp, but Drury and Prospal being on IR puts them at the limit. Among those still on the roster are former Wolf Pack defenseman Michael Sauer, who missed out on possibly playing in the NHL for at least part of the last two seasons because of knee and shoulder injuries that sidelined him for long stretches. He also had to clear waivers to get to Hartford, and Rangers officials were afraid that he might be claimed. McDonagh and Valentenko did not have to clear waivers but could end up back with the Rangers if the parent team makes a trade for the season opener Saturday night in Buffalo.

While four players arrived from the Rangers, four left town. Defenseman Steve Black was released from his tryout contract, and goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris and forwards Mark Voakes and Brendan Connolly were assigned to the Greenville Road Warriors, who had signed the trio to ECHL contracts but allowed them to try to earn AHL deals with the Wolf Pack.

The Wolf Pack still have 29 players (two goaltenders, 11 defenseman and 16 forwards, including Devin DiDiomete, out for another month after major hip surgery) but are likely to keep seven defensemen and 13 or 14 forwards, depending on what the Rangers do.

The inflated numbers will remain at least through the next practice Tuesday, but some bodies are almost certain to leave after that since Greenville opens training camp Wednesday.

But Gernander likes his current situation much more than the past.

“I don’t know exactly what we’re going to do until the Rangers decide what they’re going to do,” Gernander said. “But I’m comfortable with what we’ve got here right now, and it’s nice to have so many good players that we have to pare down rather than just cut guys. One area where we’ll be better than we were last year is character, competitiveness and tenacity. At the core, we’re trying to develop something as our identity.”

Wolf Pack 5, Sharks 2

Worcester 1 1 0 — 2
Hartford 1 2 2 — 5
First period: 1. Hartford, Grachev 2, 1:13. 2. Worcester, DaSilva 1 (Marcou, Mashinter), 2:01 (pp). Penalties: Byers, Hfd (roughing), 1:26; Mashinter, Wor (roughing), 3:32; Hunt Wor (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:11; Grachev, Hfd (roughing), 14:57.
Second period: 3. Hartford, Byers 1 (Newbury, Tessier), 3:59. 4. Worcester, Braun 1 (Zalewski), 4:37. 5. Hartford, Byers 2 (N. Williams, J. Williams), 19:00. Penalties: Petrecki, Wor (interference), 12:10; Stalock, Wor (high-sticking), 13:42; Baldwin, Hfd (hooking), 16:06; Braun, Wor (holding), 19:11.
Third period: 6. Hartford, Byers 3 (Newbury, N. Williams), 1:18. 7. Hartford, Tessier 2 (Newbury, Klassen), 18:27. Penalties: Wong, Hfd (hooking), 3:57; Leach, Wor (hooking), 13:36.

Shots on goal: Worcester 14-11-6–31. Hartford 7-11-5–23; Power-play opportunities: Worcester 1 of 4; Hartford 0 of 6; Goalies: Worcester, Stalock 0-1-0 (23 shots-18 saves). Hartford, Johnson 2-0-0 (31-29). Referee: Mark Lemelin. Linesmen: David Spannaus, Luke Galvin.