BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – Rookie Nick Jones scored twice as the Hartford Wolf Pack engineered a 2-1 pre-season win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a lively, spirited game at the Koeppel Community Center at Trinity College Friday afternoon.
The two teams complete the pre-season Saturday afternoon at 1 pm in a closed to the public pre-season game at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport before the New York Rangers – New York Islanders exhibition game at 7 pm.
The game-winning goal came as a result of some solid forechecking pressure by the Wolf Pack. Patrick Newell at the end of a shift was in the offensive zone and the turnover came to his stick quickly and dished it off to his linemate, veteran Matt Beleskey, who spotted a wide-open Jones, a right-handed shot on the left-wing side. Jones zipped it past Swedish rookie Linus Soderstrom 36 seconds into the third period. Jones was playing his first hockey in more than a year-and-a-half due to injury.
“It was a great play. (Newell) was in there and he got it to (Beleskey) and I had a lot of time and room to shoot and we had good forechecks for most of the game that got us some chances. We want to get it behind their D, and we were able to do that,” Jones, who was playing his first AHL pre-season game after getting in two NHL preseason games, said.
He certainly left an impression on new Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch.
“He’s a guy who that just continues to impress right from the start of Traverse City camp. He was one of, if not the best forwards there, for the Rangers,” Knoblach said “He went to the main Rangers camp. He earned not one, but two exhibition games, and comes here today in his first game and scores twice,” said Knoblauch.
The first goal at 13:46 of the first period was a typical Jones goal. He headed up skating and won the battle in the left-wing corner around a Sound Tigers defenseman and pushed it past starting Sound Tigers goalie, Czech rookie, Jakub Skarek.
“I was able to get by my guy. There was nobody else around the net, so I took the shot and it worked out. As a centerman, you have to be aware out there of everything. You gotta hold your head up to make those plays, got to get the puck first, and then I saw a little spot opening and got past him (the defenseman).” Jones said with a bright smile.
Ryan Dmowski and Newell picked up helpers on the play.
The move again had to catch the eye of the brass at the game and his head coach.
“Obviously, he has some skills, but what I think separates him is his determination. He works so hard. He’s not the fastest guy, the most skilled guy, but he just wins a lot of puck battles. He goes in the corner and he will come out with the puck and there’s not much room out there. He saw the opening and took it and if you want to score goals in this league you have to be determined and go to the net.”
Newell was another strong forward with two assists. He looks more at ease than he did on Wednesday in Danbury.
“He got off to a slow start in camp, but the more you watch him play, you can see how smart he is with the puck,” remarked Knoblach.
There was, of course, the game within the game as players competed to win the game as well as earning a roster spot. It wasn’t lost on Jones, who’s a rookie.
“Certainly, the first priority is to win the game, but we’re also competing against one another for a spot on the team. Nothing is guaranteed,” Jones, a college free-agent signing out of North Dakota, stated.
The Sound Tigers did make it interesting on a Wolf Pack turnover on the powerplay as the Sound Tigers, potted a shorthanded tally by former Sacred Heart University Pioneer, Connor Doherty.
Doherty was on the left-wing in a two-on-one with Kyle Thomas. Doherty converted a pass on the left-wing from Thomas and beat goalie Tom McCollum to the far side.
It was the only tally to beat the combo of Adam Huska and McCollum, who drew high-praise from Knoblauch for their afternoon of work. They made a combined 37 saves on 38 shots.
“The big story today was how well both goaltenders played. It could have been a different situation (if Bridgeport had scored on their chances), but Adam and Tom were good for us.
“Anytime you have solid goaltending, you get a chance. When we’re up 1-0, Adam made a save on a two-on-one, then McCollum on the four-on-three powerplay. Those saves were the difference in this game,” said Knoblauch.
The save by Huska was on Kyle Thomas, who went by Darren Raddysh, who was playing his off left side. Huska stopped former Yale forward, Ryan Hitchcock, as he split LoVerde and Crawley. Then McCollum first stopped Arnaud Durandeau at 11:17 and then Scott Eansor on the four-on-three with 5:33 left in the game.
The player who will make the player personnel decision hard for GM Chris Drury and company is training camp tryout, Mason Geertsen. He showed all of his defensive zone strengths and the physicality they like to see.
Geertsen was able to use short passes to get the puck out of the defensive zone that led to several rushes, and he made quick recoveries in the defensive zone to stifle Sound Tiger offensive opportunities.
The big man showed he can hit and answer a challenge.
At 7:06 of the second period, he caught rookie Erik Brown along the center ice boards felling him with a big hit. He fell awkwardly and suffered a left leg injury as he crawled his way to center ice. He was unable to stand and was helped off the ice with the aid of his teammates and medical staff.
On the ensuing draw, AHL vet Ben Thomson, at 6’3, switched to the right-wing and some chatting went on with the 6’4 Geertsen. When they got into the Wolf Pack zone, the gloves came off. The two big men had a solid, testy scrap. It was one of three Wolf Pack fights in the game and the first three of the entire pre-season including Traverse City.
“To say he was solid would be a true understatement,” complimented Geerstsen. “He is a stay-at-home defenseman and you’re not gonna see a lot of offense from him. Today, he was very physical and got in some very good hits, got in that fight, but also he got the puck up ice with nice little plays and his puck skills are very good.
“I don’t know what his future is with the team, or what’s gonna happen with getting a contract, but we’ll see over the next few days,” commented Knoblauch.
Note to Drury. Have a contract in hand for him Saturday afternoon. The Wolf Pack need a guy like him on the team.
The Pack nearly broke the game open late in the first period with Brandon Crawley hitting the crossbar at 16:35 and Danny O’Regan, playing in his Wolf Pack game, connected with the pipes on a strong right-wing rush with 2:12 left in the first period.
Across the way, Sound Tigers head coach and one time Wolf Pack defenseman, Brent Thompson, was philosophical after their first pre-season game.
“I was happy with our compete level. There are some things we have to clean up in our own end. I think our young guys did well. We put pressure on them and didn’t connect on our chances, but they had a more veteran squad than we are. I think it was a good first step.”
NOTES:
Knoblauch indicated he felt the Wolf Pack could get up to three forwards and a defenseman from the Rangers by the end of the weekend as the Rangers work to their CBA cap required roster size of 23.
One forward cleared waivers and was assigned, Steven Fogarty. Despite his strong play, Ryan Dmowski (Old Lyme) was sent to the Pack’s ECHL affiliate’s, the Maine Mariners. This is strictly a numbers game with defenseman Johnny Coughlin also released and heading to the Maine Mariners with Dmowski.
LINES:
Nick Jones-Matt Beleskey-Lewis Zerter-Gossage
Danny O’ Regan-Ryan Gropp-Jake Elmer
Patrick Newell-Ryan Dmowski-Shawn McBride
Tim Gettinger-Connor Brickley-Ville Meskanen
Defense:
Joey Keane-Mason Geertsen
Darren Raddysh-Jeff Taylor
Brandon Crawley-Jeff LoVerde
Beleskey was in an ornery mood with two fights. The first was with defenseman Justin Murray, at 1:21 of the second period. The other was with defenseman Mike Cornell at 12:31 of the third period off a net-front battle. He drew the extra two leading to a four-on-three power play for the Sound Tigers.
O’Regan had a Massachusets prep high school opponent, Liam Feeney from Dexter Academy watching him in Trinity College. O’Regan played for St. Sebastian’s.
Nic Pierog (Canterbury Prep) skated for Bridgeport while Travis St. Denis (Quinnipiac University) cleared waivers and has joined Bridgeport.
Ex-Sound Tiger, Steve Olesky, signed a PTO deal with the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Remember former Sound Tiger goalie David Leggio? He who famously and deliberately pushed the net off the moorings on a Springfield Falcons two-on-none breakaway to force a penalty shot on November 3, 2014. He stopped Dana Tyrell on that the penalty shot. Well, he has been signed to a try-out deal by the Springfield Thunderbirds. Leggio also pulled the same move in a German DEL league game for EHC Munich against the Fischtown Penguins Ross Mauerman on December 9, 2017.
