CANTLON: (FRI) CHECKERS KNOCK OFF PACK IN HARTFORD 4-1 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – In their first home game in two weeks, the Hartford Wolf Pack saw the Charlotte Checkers continue their season-long dominance over the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliates in a 4-1 win. The loss sent the Wolf Pack to their third straight defeat despite scoring three goals in the final ten minutes of the game.

After losing their first game against Hartford this season, the Checkers swept the next seven. All of their wins came in regulation.

The Wolf Pack (28-32-6-3) challenge the Belleville Senators in one of their last four home games of the season. Charlotte (46-15-7-1) hit the 100-point mark for tops in the AHL tomorrow in Bridgeport against the Sound Tigers in another Atlantic Division matchup and what could possibly be a division final playoff series.

“I like our first two periods,” Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said. “We kept it close. The third period we stopped moving our feet; stop making plays, and they made us pay. I don’t care what team you’re playing. I didn’t like that third period at all.”

The third period started out with some action. A big hit on Aleksi Saarela by Brandon Crawley, followed a shot by the Checkers’ Jake Bean trickled through and beat Brendan Halverson, and Ryan Lindgren dove for the puck along with a Charlotte player and covered it with his hand leading to a penalty shot that came at 2:43.

For the penalty shot, the Checkers selected rookie, Stelio Mattheos, who went for the left leg back kick, but Halverson didn’t bite and slid over to make the save and keep the game tied at one.

It could have been a momentum shifter for the Pack, but it wasn’t.

The penalty shot was Halverson’s fourth of his career and his third since his recall from Maine. The team record of five held by Chad Johnson.

The Checkers as they always did the season found a way to score.

Ross McKeown was at the left point and quickly wheeled Morgan Geekie’s pass to Saarela, who was alone in the right-wing circle. He fell down on his one-timer, but the shot hit at the point where the crossbar and post meet and made a distinctive ping. The puck laid behind Halverson and Andrew Poturlarski seemingly pushed it over the goal line turning the red light went on. Poturlarski pointed to Saarela immediately.

The video review by the off-ice officials confirmed that it was the original shot by Saarela that went in for his team-leading 25th goal of the season.

“He has a bomb of a shot, and to be honest, I wish he would use it more,” Charlotte head coach Mike Vellucci said.

It says quite a bit about the depth of the team when the team’s leading goal scorer doesn’t shoot enough.

The AHL‘s fourth-leading scorer, Poturlarski, helped put the icing on the cake. He took a terrific lead pass from Haydn Fleury, came in off the left wing and received too much space from Pack defenders and took a forehanded shot that Halverson saved, but Morgan Geekie got his stick on it for his 17th at 16:25.

Julien Gauthier then deposited his 21st into an empty net just 19 seconds later to end the Wolf Pack’s night, securing the Charlotte win.

“I’m very proud of this group. With the exception of one stretch, we have been very consistent and that shows the team commitment this year. It’s a mark they should all be proud of,” said Vellucci.

For the Wolf Pack, it was another third-period collapse, one of many they have suffered this season.

“We have had problems finishing out games all season. We did well in the first two periods, but the third? I don’t know what to say,” said Sean Day.

Despite just seven shots, the Wolf Pack exited the second period tied at one with a goal in the last minute of the period.

Just after Tim Gettinger was stopped on the sixth shot, the puck came up the wall. Ryan Lindgren grabbed it and fed Day at the right point. Gettinger stayed down low as a screen as Day’s shot beat former Pack netminder, Dustin Tokarski, to the short-side with 22.3 seconds left.

“It was a real good heads up play by Gettinger and a really good shot by Sean. It’s one of the few offensive zone pressures we put on them. We just didn’t put enough pucks on net to make them work hard though we played a good two periods of keeping them wide, but, again the third period can’t have that,” said McCambridge.

This play came after a near net gaffe with just under minute to play. Gropp crossed in front of the net and Mattheos knocked the puck off his stick and it just went wide on a startled Halverson.

No surprise Charlotte scored the game’s first goal.

The Checkers’ Steven Lorentz, who has spent most of the season with the Florida Everblades (ECHL), intercepted an outlet pass by Bobby Butler off the right wing boards at the blue line. He quickly fed Mattheos, playing his third game out of Brandon (WHL), and he got behind Darren Raddysh. The right-handed shooter was on the left wing and beat Halverson low, to the glove side at 3:03 for his first professional goal.

“He had a very strong night and he has played very well since he got here. It seems he has been here all season. He has quickly picked up the systems and he was involved all night,” said Vellucci.

The Pack offense was few and far in-between registering four shots on goal. The first came from rookie Nick Jones who was trying to stuff one in on the right wing side of the net. It was the only shot in the first ten-and-a-half minutes of the period. Day had a good left point drive stopped by Tokarski, who was loaned out to Charlotte on February 12th. The other solid chance was Gabriel Fontaine sporting full face cage off the left wing.

NOTES:

Defenseman Rob O’Gara returned to the lineup after missing 21 games with a lower body injury and resume wearing the A.

The Pack now have a three game losing streak and dip below .500 in their last 11 at 5-6-0-0

Charlotte goalie, Alex Nedejlkovic, is tops in the AHL among goalies in minutes played, wins and fourth in saves and tied with three others with four shutouts.

Charlotte’s Andrew Poturlarski in his second AHL season is fourth in overall in scoring with 65 points in 69 games with 23 goals and 41 assists. He led the season series between the two teams in scoring with (2-8-10) and former Ranger draft pick Alexsei Saarela was tops in goals with five and nine points.

Ryan Lindgren leads AHL rookies in PM with 92.

Rookies Ryan Dmowski (East Lyme/Gunnery Prep) wears jersey #10 and Nick Jones #17. Dmowski played at Gunnery a year after the Pack’s Terrence Wallin graduated from there.

Greg Chase wore #9 and Matt Register #6.

SCRATCHES:
Matt Beleskey (Day-to-Day – Lower body)
Chris Bigras (Ankle – Done for the year)
Josh Wesley (Healthy)
Dawson Leedahl (Upper-body, Week-To-Week)
Shawn O’Donnell (Healthy)
Julius Bergman (Healthy)

Gabriel Fontaine is playing with a full face cage. He was hurt in Syracuse and suffered some teeth loss and big cut near lip area when hit by the puck.

LINES:

Fontaine-Chase-Gettinger
Fogarty-Gropp-Meskanen
Butler-Jones-Ronning
Wallin-Dmowski-St. Amant

Lindgren-Raddysh
Day-Crawley
O’Gara-Register

Wolf Pack fan jersey of the night: #27 Jesper Fast and a real golden oldie #30 Dan Blackburn.