CANTLON: HARTFORD WOLF PACK WEEKEND PREVIEW
BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will get a solid test of the resurgence in their play tonight as they play host to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins now sit in second place in the Atlantic Division and fourth overall in the conference with a record of 15-7-1-0. The Baby Penguins also have a two-game winning streak.
“They are a very good team,” Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said. “They have a lot of balance. They sit where they are in the standings for a reason. For us, it’s about playing the right way as we have of late, and play with consistency and make sure we’re also collecting points along the way with getting eight-out-of-a possible-ten points in our last five games. That helps us along with learning and growing (as a team) and helps impact our play.”
McCambridge gave his players a maintenance day off on Thursday.
The Wolf Pack record stands at 10-12-3-2 (25 points) putting them in seventh place, just two points behind the Hershey Bears and one point behind the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Games between the Penguins and the Pack have always been both entertaining and unpredictable over the years. A street-fight-like pre-game brawl nearly happened in 2005. In one of Mike Sullivan’s last AHL games as a head coach, Wilkes-Barre rallied from a 5-1 deficit to win 6-5 in overtime dull is not a word to describe their meetings.
The uptick in the Pack’s play has several components. The most noticeable has been the team’s physical play. It has gone up several notches and is paying off with wins.
“From where we were at the beginning of the season, we do check better. For some guys, it’s a bigger part of their game than others. As a group identity, we have made strides in that area and with that, we’re getting separation and more chances in the offensive zone and defensively we’re more difficult on opposing players. It does force more turnovers and has created more chances for us in the offensive zone and we create more penalties taken on us. It’s more the style we want to play.”
Vinni Lettieri’s play as a centerman who can also play wing has pushed the team forward. He has 10 goals and his versatility has become his calling card.
“He has quickness and he isn’t afraid to shoot the puck. The first three strides are most important in the National League and at this level. Versatility is a good thing for a pro athlete and he has provided that for us. When he played wing with (Filip) Chytil and whenever we have needed a center, he has been able to step in. He played center throughout college. It’s a lot easier to go from the middle to the wing than vice versa and he has that versatility in his back pocket,” remarked McCambridge.
Increased play from offseason signings such as Cole Schneider (two goals against his former team in Rochester) a revived captain in Joe Whitney has helped as they were signed to help the offense as the young players developed.
“They have a responsibility to have their games in the area where we signed them for with their contracts. They’re going to have ups-and-downs during the season, but it’s nice to see those guys get their game back on track.”
The play on the backend has improved with Tony DeAngelo seeming far more comfortable than he was at the beginning of the season
“When he was sent down, you did expect a little downtime. He too has been able to get his game back on track. He has given us some big minutes, He is in his third season as a pro. It’s a real credit to him and he gets the tempo back up in all three zones. (On the) power-play, he’s really comfortable and he has gotten himself acclimated to what he needs to do at the American Hockey League level to make himself known and on the radar for the parent club,” McCambridge said.
DeAngelo is on his third team in three years.
Players who come down to the AHL always have to adapt to change.
”In all my years as a coach, whether it’s training camp or during the season, every player adjusts differently (to their being sent down). Some guys it takes a month, some two or three games and some plug back into the way they were playing in the National (Hockey) League. Every player is at a different point in their career and the mental mindset is going to be different to adjust.”
The sole lineup change goaltender Chris Nell reassignment to the Adirondack Thunder.
“We had two rookies though (Alexandar) Georgiev had a bit more experience having played overseas in Finland. It’s a feeling out process how they handle the workload, adjust to the shooters in the American Hockey League and whether it benefits their development to stay here or go to the ECHL. Nell stole some games for us early and he has had some games where you’re going to have a learning curve. He goes to Adirondack to work on his game. They were looking for a goalie, so with a logjam in Greenville, they’re only so many spots to go around. A lot of good goalies come out of the ECHL too, and he will play in important, quality minutes.”
McCambridge approaches those types of conversations with great care.
“I talk to players who are in Nell’s situation like I would want some coach to speak to my son and you want it to be handled professionally and properly. They have family and friends too. They like and want to get better.”
NOTES:
The weekend kicks off in the XL Center Atrium with the Suffield-based party band, Hear For The Party. They will set the pre-game tone with an ‘80’s-fueled-set of hits beginning at 6:00 pm and they’ll play until just before game time.
Filip Chytil is off to Buffalo to participate with the Czech Republic World Junior team. While on the WJC training camp he’ll be gone until potentially January 5th or whenever the Czechs are done.
“It’s a great experience for him to play with his countrymen against some of the best competition in the world in their age bracket,” McCambridge stated.
Chytil has fully recovered from his cervical neck sprain that he suffered on a hit in Toronto by Andreas Johanssen.
Dan Catenacci (lower body) is out for Friday and is listed day to day.
Wilkes Barre/Scranton features several of ex-Wolf Pack and CT Whale. Those players include Chris Summers, Ryan Haggerty, and Christian Thomas – a potential Team Canada Olympic team participant.
Goalie Steve Michalek (Glastonbury/Loomis Chaffe) was recalled by Minnesota from Iowa and was the back up in Alex Stalock’s 28 save shutout.
The AHL announced former Bridgeport head coach Scott Pellerin (currently Toronto’s Director of Player Development) and Craig Cunningham (Arizona Coyote scout) are the honorary captains for the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica.
Ex-Pack, Akim Aliu, who was in camp with Ontario before being cut has signed with HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia-SLEL).
Brian Morgan of UCONN is loaned out from Pensacola (SPHL) to Reading (ECHL).
Former Quinnipiac University goalie star Eric Hartzell signs with Quad City (ECHL) after starting the year with HK Nitra (Slovakia-SLEL).
The guy who succeeded him at QU, Michael Garteig, goes from Utica (AHL) to Kalamazoo (ECHL).
Ex-CT Whale and Ranger, Wojtech Wolski, was traded from the struggling Kunlun (China-KHL) to his old Russian team Mettalurg Magnitogorsk (Russia-KHL).
Chayse Primeau, the second oldest son of ex-Whaler Keith Primeau, is currently with Dubuque (USHL) and makes a commitment to the University Nebraska-Omaha (NCHC) for next fall.
One of Primeau’s teammates is Tyce Thompson (Orange, CT/Salisbury Prep), the son of ex-Pack defenseman and current Bridgeport head coach, Brent Thomson. He is also the younger brother of Tage Thompson (Orange/UCONN) currently with San Antonio.
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