By Bruce Berlet
No Nick Fotiu, no Jack Carlson, no Curt Brackenbury, no Gilles Bilodeau from the New England Whalers days in the World Hockey Association.
No Stu Grimson, no Jim McKenzie, no Dave Schultz, no Torrie Robertson from the Hartford Whalers days in the National Hockey League.
No Dale Purinton, no Richard Scott, no Francis Lessard, no Brandon “Sugar” Sugden from the Hartford Wolf Pack days in the American Hockey League.
No problem, no problem, no problem, no problem for the new Connecticut Whale.
No, the Whale doesn’t have any heavyweights or major-league enforcers from yesteryear. Oh, Justin Soryal is a borderline candidate, and Devin DiDiomete is willing to toss’em with the best and biggest of ‘em even though he’s in the middleweight division.
So how in the name of Ed “Boxcar” Hospodar are the Whale’s 751 penalty minutes 86 more than the AHL runner-up Norfolk Admirals?
Well, just call the Whale Team Toughness. In 30 games this year, and especially since the Wolf Pack became the Whale on Nov. 27, Soryal and DiDiomete have been faithfully backed by Jared Nightingale, Kris Newbury, newcomer Stu Bickel and even Wade Redden. Yes, that Wade Redden. The guy who was constantly criticized for his lack of passion during two seasons with the New York Rangers but has brought his 996 NHL games and $6.5 million annual salary to Hartford and sometimes resembles the second coming of Martin Grenier.
Twice in the past few weeks, Redden engaged in fights, once when he came to the defense of blueline partner Pavel Valentenko after the Russian was slammed into the boards and another when rookie defenseman Tomas Kundratek and veteran center Kris Newbury came to Redden’s aid after he was run by the Springfield Falcons’ Nick Tarnasky, who has played 245 games in the NHL. Valentenko is trying to earn a NHL job that Redden is trying to regain, but that didn’t stop the 34-year-old from helping a teammate 11 years younger.
“It’s crazy that (Redden) is probably fighting more here than ever, but don’t think what he did didn’t go unnoticed by the guys on the bench,” said DiDiomete, who leads the AHL with 127 penalty minutes, two more than Lessard of the Binghamton Senators. “The guy has played almost a thousand games in the NHL and probably shouldn’t be in the AHL, and he’s sticking up for the young guys that are trying to get to where he was.
“That’s a respect thing, and all the other guys are pretty happy that he’s willing to put his body on the line for us. We’re obviously all here fighting for a job in the NHL, so we might as well stick up for each other and try to help each other out.”
Redden isn’t known for his pugilistic prowess, but after 13 years in the NHL, he understands what has to be done at times.
“I know some guys like to get out there and stir things up like DiDiomete and Soryal,” Redden said. “They take pride in playing hard and being tough, and I think that’s key and important on a team, though I don’t always think that it translates into fighting. Going hard and playing tough is definitely something that everyone can do.
“I remember when I got drafted by the (New York) Islanders (second overall in 1995) and having a meeting with the coaches. Al Arbour was there, and he had talked about toughness. He said the toughest guy that he ever coached was John Tonelli. It wasn’t like he fought a lot, but he’d be the first guy in the corner getting his nose in there. That’s the form of toughness that I think is important. (Wednesday) night Tomas took a few big hits, but he made the play. You have to put yourself in that position to take one for the team. It’s still that you have to take a hit to make a play.”
Whale coach Ken Gernander made plenty of worthwhile plays in his 14-year pro career, but he was usually in line for any Lady Byng-type awards for gentlemanly behavior. But he also wouldn’t back down from anyone and appreciated anyone backing him up, whether it was Purinton, Scott, Grenier or Sylvain Blouin.
Still, Gernander has spent a lot of the past two-plus seasons trying to get his Wolf Pack/Whale to cut down on bad penalties that can shift momentum and cause too few players to have to play too many minutes, which ruins a team’s rhythm and can cause fatigue and/or injury from overuse.
“The penalties that bother you most are the ones that put you shorthanded,” Gernander said. “I think we’ve been getting better in that regard as far as discipline and penalties that leave us shorthanded. I hope the rest of it is just attributed to team toughness and sticking up for one another.
“I’d rather be leading in a lot of other categories than penalty minutes, and I don’t know what it’s a byproduct of. But it’s almost trivial to me as long as guys are looking out for one another and nobody is taking liberties on our team.”
Gernander said the Whale has been hit with a lot of 10-minute misconducts, which is something that a team can be proud of but is sometimes the result of a scrum or brawl.
“The bottom line is we’re disciplined in terms that we don’t put our team down shorthanded where we’re killing penalties all night, that guys stick up for one another and we don’t get pushed around or run out of buildings,” Gernander said. “Those, to me, are more important than the actual numerical value placed on penalty minutes.
“I think we’ve gotten better as far as cutting down the number of power-play opportunities that we give, but I don’t think standing up for each other has necessarily been an issue all season, where teams have taken liberties on us. I just think maybe the circumstances of some of the games lately have built things up. But we had so many one-goal games early in the season where guys stick a little bit more to the nuts and bolts of hockey. It doesn’t get kind of goofy as far as trying to send a message for the next time you play somebody.”
But the Whale ran afoul of several ill-advised penalties in the third period of a 6-4 victory over Adirondack on Wednesday night, especially Dale Wiese’s tripping minor that gave the Phantoms a 5-on-3 for 1:46. Weise had scored what proved to be the winner on a power-play goal off Tim Kennedy’s brilliant pass into the slot, but Erik Gustafsson made Weise and the Whale pay with a power-play goal that got the Phantoms to 5-3 with 10:28 left.
Then Ben Holmstrom made the Whale really squirm when he scored another power-play goal with 3:15 left after Kundratek’s delay-of-game penalty for lifting the puck over the glass. But Mats Zuccarello scored into empty net with 26 seconds off Kris Newbury’s second assist, and the Whale were assured of extending their season-high winning streak to five games, the franchise’s longest since the Wolf Pack won seven in a row from Feb. 20 to March 4, 2009. The Whale (13-11-2-4) also increased their point streak to nine games (7-0-0-2), are 7-0-0-1 since being rebranded from the Wolf Pack on Nov. 27 and are two games above .500 for the first time since they were 3-1-0-1 after a 3-0 victory over Providence on Oct. 17.
At least some of the turnaround from a 1-9-1-2 slide can be attributed to the players being more energetic and aggressive.
“I don’t think it’s just the fighting aspect,” DiDiomete said. “I think the team is starting to work a lot harder and starting to win those one-on-one battles for the puck. Toughness isn’t just fighting. It’s having your skilled guys and everyone else finish checks and winning battles along the wall. That goes a long way, and when a team comes into town, you want them to think, ‘Hey, this is a tough team to play against. They have that never-give-up mentality.’ I think that kind of wears on a team.”
Those thoughts are demonstrated by the Whale winning their season opener at home and then going 0-5-2-0 in their next seven games at the XL Center. But entering a home game Friday night against the Sharks, the Whale has won five in row and is 6-1-0-1 in their last eight games at the XL Center.
“When you go to a place like Hershey, it’s a little intimidating with 10-12,000 people to play against because you know they’re always going to be on top of their game,” DiDiomete said. “Maybe we don’t have the fan support that Hershey has, but we sure have the hard-nosed style of game that I’m sure teams hate to come in and play against.”
It’s exactly what Gernander wants to see.
“I would like that when someone plays us they say, ‘Hey, that team is tenacious. They finish hits whenever available. They play a hard-nosed game, and yet they’re disciplined,’ ” he said. “I think if every guy plays that way, nobody is going to take exception to us. If you have one guy that does all the hitting and all the physical play, then we’ll send someone tough out after him and we’ll neutralize him and then see what they’ve got. You don’t ever want to be in that category.”
Teams can’t afford one-dimensional players who fight and do little, if anything, else. That’s especially the case down the stretch when teams are jockeying for playoff position and every point becomes even more critical.
“If a guy is going to play a physical, abrasive game, that’s great,” Gernander said. “But he also has to be able to play whistle to whistle.”
Nightingale, a defenseman, attributed the Whale’s high number of penalty minutes to the team’s poor start, which can cause players to try to provide a spark. But he acknowledged that without a heavyweight enforcer such as Purinton, Lessard or Sugden, a lot of guys “like to split up the load when something needs to be done.”
“We have team toughness and play hard, so sometimes you have to face the music, especially in this league,” said Nightingale, whose 94 penalty minutes are third on the team and seventh in the league. “We have a handful of guys who won’t back down from anybody. Guys try to make a splash when they get in the lineup, and whatever way they can have an effect on the game is just a reflection of our team character. Guys want to make an impact in any way they can, even guys who aren’t known for dropping the mitts.
“But it’s not only that. Guys just compete hard, and I think the fighting is just a byproduct. For some guys, that’s your role and what you get paid to do. It’s just like any other job. It’s just part of what comes with it, and the guys whose role that is, know that’s why they’re on the ice. That’s not the only thing they do, but I think it’s a very important factor on a team.
“I’m not saying heavyweights aren’t important on a team, but we just don’t have one, so it brings a team together. Guys have to rely on other people.”
Not surprisingly, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound DiDiomete said players such as Providence Bruins tough guy Brian McGratten can be pretty intimidating but doesn’t go around hitting players or scaring anyone off the ice. DiDiomete is more scared of players such Newbury, who is known for solid checks and being able to back it up and willing to fight if someone does “anything stupid.”
“That’s kind of the mentality we have,” DiDiomete said. “We play a hard, solid game and back each other up. There’s not going to be too many teams that want to do any stupid stuff against us. It’s great that everyone stands up for each other, and we’re a pretty tight-knit group. It’s awesome for team chemistry, and over the last month, you can see that it’s really showing on the ice.”
DiDiomete pointed to a Dec. 4 game against Worcester when the Sharks’ Andrew Desjardins slammed Whale left wing Brodie Dupont head-first onto the ice after his helmet had come off. Within seconds, DiDiomete, Soryal, Nightingale and Ryan Garlock were taking on any Shark within arm’s length. DiDiomete, Soryal and Nightingale received game misconducts and Dupont couldn’t continue, but the Whale rallied from three one-goal deficits and won 4-3 in a shootout in their most inspiring and gritty game of the season.
“We had three-four guys sticking up for one guy,” DiDiomete said, “and I think that sets a pretty good tone and sends a pretty good message to Worcester that that’s not clean hockey and we’re not going to put up with that.”
Soryal, whose 112 penalty minutes are second on the team and third in the league, loves to mill around any potential trouble, looking to be the team’s public defender at the drop of a glove.
“We definitely have a good team toughness factor going on,” Soryal said. “We have a good group of guys that have stepped up and taken it upon themselves that we’re not going to be a team that’s going to be pushed around. We want teams to know that when they come in the XL Center or we’re on the road that they’re going to be in for a dogfight.
“We’ve got a few guys like myself, Nightingale and DiDiomete, but it goes right down the line. Even our more skilled guys are hard-nosed players who go in and crash and bang. You see it when a guy like Newbury drops the mitts or Weise hits to hurt.”
When reminded of Redden’s recent bouts, Soryal smiled and said, “Yeah, you look at Wade Redden’s fight card, and he’s only fighting at least light heavyweights. But that’s what we have, a no-fear team that’s willing to step up. We’re showing teams that if you’re going to run around or going to do anything dirty that it doesn’t matter who’s on the ice, somebody is going to step up and make you accountable for it.
“I think it’s definitely an identity that we’re looking to run with, and it has helped us. The last few weeks we’ve really stuck together and been winning, so I think it goes hand in hand. It brings the team closer together, and I think definitely the last few weeks that we’ve really been jiving pretty good because we know everyone has each other’s back, so it goes a long way.”
Soryal said sticking together can have a snowball effect.
“One guy starts something and the other guys follow, and it trickles all the way down,” he said. “We couldn’t really buy a goal for a little stretch, but now it seems like everyone is chipping in and been able to get some offense going, so I think guys are a little looser on their sticks, making nicer plays, our passing is crisper and we’re getting our head up looking for each other and making the most of our opportunities.
“So it’s not all toughness out there. We definitely have our skilled guys stepping up and putting the puck in the net. And being healthy and having all of your players at the right time is a big thing, too.”
WHALE HOSTS SHARKS IN FINAL PRE-CHRISTMAS HOME GAME
The Whale’s return to the XL Center on Friday night for its final home game before Christmas against the Sharks (15-8-1-4) could be intriguing after the teams’ last meeting, the Whale’s 4-3 shootout victory after being short four players for more than a period and overtime. It included five fights and 138 penalty minutes, 91 to the Whale.
The Sharks are 5-1-0-1 in their last seven games and three points ahead of the Whale, who are 1-1-0-1 against coach Roy Sonmor’s team. The Whale is 6-1-0-1 at the XL Center since going 1-5-2-0 in their first eight home games and another reason they’ve climbed out of the Atlantic Division cellar and within four points of co-leaders Manchester and Portland.
The Sharks’ leading scorer is right wing Jonathan Cheechoo, who had 56 goals with the San Jose Sharks in the 2005-06 season and is tied for sixth in the AHL in points (11 goals, 19 assists in 28 games) and has goals in back-to-back games (two) and four of his last six (four). He shared the sixth spot with Newbury, who has four goals and 26 assists, which shares the AHL lead with Michal Repik of the Rochester Americans. The Sharks’ Alex Stalock (13-7-0-2, 2.80 goals-against average, .905 save percentage) is usually tough on the Whale.
It’s a Guida’s Family “Value Night.” Family value packages start as low as $48 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 online at www.ctwhale.com. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free poster of Dupont. Fans can meet Santa in the XL Center atrium from 6-7 p.m. during which time carolers also will be entertaining. … Howard Baldwin Jr., the newly appointed president and chief operating officer of Whalers Sports and Entertainment, has a new Twitter account that is accessible to Whale fans at howardbaldwinjr. … Fotiu, a former Wolf Pack assistant coach and one of the biggest fan favorites in the history of the Rangers and New England and Hartford Whalers because of his toughness, will sign autographs in the XL Center atrium Dec. 29 from 6-7 p.m. before the Whale plays Portland and coach Kevin Dineen, the last captain of the Whalers. … Fans can give the gift of Whale hockey during the holiday season. The Whale Hockey Pack of six dark green undated flex tickets and one Heritage Connecticut Whale hat is $122, a savings of $38. Six yellow undated flex tickets and one hat are $74, a savings of $14. Holiday packages are available through Jan. 3 at the Fan Center behind Section 101 in the XL Center or by calling 860-728-3366 or visiting www.ctwhaleshop.com. … The Whale has moved the starting time of their Jan. 1 game against the Providence Bruins from 7 p.m. to 5 p.m. so it doesn’t conflict with the University of Connecticut football team playing Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, which starts at 8:30.
SCHOENFELD LAUDS ZUCCARELLO, OTHER WHALE PLAYERS
Rangers assistant coach/Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld told the New York media that Zuccarello has the necessary qualities to make it to the NHL this season. And “The Norwegian Hobbit” might be on the way if the Rangers suffer any more injuries after former Wolf Pack wing Ryan Callahan broke his right hand blocking Kris Letang’s shot Wednesday night in the first period of a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins and will be out six weeks.
“(Zuccarello) is as creative a player as there is in that league (AHL), for sure,” Schoenfeld said, “and more creative than many in this league (NHL).”
As Zuccarello has adapted to the North American style of play and smaller ice surface, that creativity has been a hindrance at times as teammates have to adjust to his game.
“He makes unexpected passes, he’ll make unexpected plays,” Schoenfeld said. “So if you’re more of a meat-and-potatoes, straight-line guy, it might not be a great marriage. So what happens is the players in Hartford that are playing with him have become more aware that a pass can be coming at any time. They’re reshaping their awareness of what to do playing with him, and he is realizing that North American game, so he’s moved a little off is European way and they’re meeting more halfway.”
Zuccarello and Newbury have formed a nice ESP while playing mostly with Dupont. Newbury has a Whale season-high, seven-game point streak (three goals, 11 assists), including four consecutive multi-point games. Zuccarello has four goals and one assist in the last three games to move to a tie for second in the league in goals (13) and a tie for third in points (23). Dupont has two goals and three assists in five games since returning from a leg laceration.
Schoenfeld also noted the improving young defensive corps, which has made life easier for goalies Chad Johnson and Cameron Talbot, who have allowed only 15 goals in the last eight games, including five shorthanded.
“We’ve got five – for all intents and purposes – first-year defensemen,” Schoenfeld said. “I would include Valentenko in that, even though he was (in the AHL) a few years ago. He went back to Russia, and he didn’t play much. He was injured. So he’s coming back, and you’ve got McDonagh, you’ve got (Jyri) Niemi, you’ve got Kundratek, (Lee) Baldwin. These guys, this is their first kick at the can, and they’ve all shown marked improvement pretty much since camp. That’s what you look for there. You see it more there, generally, than here, because they have a longer way to go. When you’re there every day, you might not see it, but I get there once a week or so – sometimes I’ll go and watch practice. It’s amazing to see the progression.”
The Rangers hope that progress continues as they are down to one healthy scratch with Callahan’s injury, which came on the night that captain/center and Trumbull native Chris Drury played his first game since Oct. 15 after re-breaking his left index finger. Drury played more than scheduled (14:32) because of Callahan’s injury and earned kudos from coach John Tortorella, who had to frantically shuffle line combinations.
“It was great to have (Drury) back, blocking shots,” Tortorella said. “He’s got (guts) as big as a building.”
Callahan’s injury is thought to be similar to the one sustained last year by his linemate and former Wolf Pack center Brandon Dubinsky, who was sidelined from Nov. 7 to Dec. 14 with a broken hand sustained blocking a shot.
“My heart goes out to him” Drury said of the Rangers’ second-leading scorer and a teammate on the silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic team in February. “It was a hell of a block, but that’s how we have to play. But it’s hard to see a guy go down like that.”
Tortorella momentarily sagged behind the bench when trainer Jim Ramsay informed him of Callahan’s injury. But Tortorella wasn’t feeling sorry for himself or the team after the stirring comeback victory.
“That’s a huge injury,” Tortorella said. “I’ll say it once, that’s a huge injury, but we have to get by it and find a way to win. Someone else has to step up, take the minutes and fill that hole. “We handled ourselves pretty well through some injuries this year, and this is another one we have to handle.”
Todd White took Callahan’s spot for Thursday night’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes, but tough guy Derek Boogaard is still out with a shoulder injury, leaving Matt Gilroy, who played five games with the Wolf Pack last season, as the only extra. Gilroy is normally a defenseman but also has played at forward, which is probably why the Rangers didn’t recall anyone from the Whale on Thursday.
KYPREOS, KOLZIG NAMED ALL-STAR HONORARY CAPTAINS
Former Hartford Whalers and Rangers wing and enforcer Nick Kypreos and Olaf Kolzig were named honorary captains for the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic on Jan. 30-31 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.
Kypreos began his professional career with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, getting 24 goals, 20 assists and 101 penalty minutes for the Calder Cup champions as a rookie in 1987-88. He played 442 NHL games with the Whalers, Rangers, Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of the Rangers’ Stanley Cup championship team in 1994. He now is a hockey analyst for Rogers Sportsnet.
Kolzig played goal in parts of six seasons in the AHL after being drafted by the Capitals in 1989. He backstopped the Rochester Americans to the Calder Cup finals in 1993 and then won the title with Portland in 1994, when he was named the MVP of the Calder Cup playoffs. Kolzig went on to play 719 NHL games in 17 years, winning the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s outstanding goaltender in 1999-2000 and the King Clancy Trophy for his humanitarian service in 2005-06. He also was a member of Germany’s Olympic hockey team in 1998 and 2006.
Previous honorary captains have included former Whalers coach Bill Dineen and his son, Kevin, now coach of the Pirates; Larry Pleau, the first player drafted by the New England Whalers; and former Rangers forwards Marcel Dionne, Adam Graves and Joey Kocur and Rangers director of player personnel Gordie Clark. … Former Wolf Pack center Corey Locke of the Binghamton Senators leads the AHL in scoring with 11 goals and 23 assists in 26 games. He’s one point ahead of former New Canaan High and Taft School-Watertown standout Max Pacioretty of the Hamilton Bulldogs, who has a league-high 17 goals and 15 assists.
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