CANTLON: WOLF PACK RETURN HOME 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Their Hartford Wolf Pack’s recent four-game road trip didn’t yield the desired points result, but regardless, there was still progress made on the young season as the team sits atop the entire AHL, two feats the team has not accomplished in over six years.

A three-in-three this weekend begins with two home games starting Friday night at 7:15 pm with the Hershey Bears, who last season, owned the Wolf Pack Pack as they won five-of-their-six games and taking all three in Hartford. As part of a hockey doubleheader Saturday night, one of last weekend’s opponents, the Belleville Senators, take the ice at 7:30 pm following a UConn hockey game.

On Sunday afternoon, the team gets on the team hits the bus to travel to Providence for their first meeting with the Bruins at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center at 3:00 pm.

“We got only two out of a possible six points, which isn’t good. We lost two in the shootout and didn’t score in either of the shootouts. The positive was that we did score late to force overtime and we have several of these (games) where we haven’t given up. We have persevered and shown desperation. We just need to play an entire game like that,” remarked head coach, Kris Knoblauch.

While the shootout is a gimmicky way to decide a hockey game, it does factor in a team earning points and the Pack have had an early season struggle with it.

The Wolf Pack worked on it at the end of Wednesday’s practice.

“Usually you have three or four guys in this. We have one player, we think has a really good move, but let’s face it, the advantage is to the goalies. They know what to expect and right now the coaching staff is looking to see who is comfortable, and today we practiced it and think we have a better understanding,” commented Knoblauch.

Pack captain, Steven Fogarty, has seen the low times in Hartford. He takes a philosophical approach to the early season success and the lessons that still need to be learned.

“This a very good league, and your not going to win every game, but we have had a pretty good run here. Its great to see how we battled back to force overtime. Those were two good teams (Laval and Belleville) and we picked up two points. This weekend’s its three different teams and the opportunity is there.”

Goalie Igor Shesterkin is off to a great start. One reason is that he is just as competitive in practice as he is in a game as he just gave up a single tally while his counterpart, Adam Huska, registered just two.

As a player, it has to be tough to practice something you’re struggling with when you are going up against two players who are playing as well as Shesterkin and Huska are.

“He (Igor) give us a lot of confidence back there in net, as does Adam, who has played well. Igor’s numbers speak for themselves. When you’re playing against some of the best, you hope you learn a few things that will make it easier against the other (goalies) when you get the chance,” Fogarty said with a laugh.

The Wolf Pack power play is clearly in a funk. They have registered just 4 tallies in 50 chances and sit at the bottom of the AHL at a hideous 8.0%.

“Two things come to mind regarding our power play, our entries and our passing. Those two areas have failed us. We’re not getting into the zone cleanly, or often enough. In the offense zone, you just to have to make simple passes and you want to move fast. To move fast you have to pass the puck.

“When you have both of those going, you’re gonna be in position to take some good shots. The first two steps, we haven’t gotten a passing grade yet,” Knoblauch, who has been known as having strong power play credentials, stated.

One player on top of his game with his shot is Vinni Lettieri. Despite leading the team with 10 points in 12 games, he’s off to a slow start. His usual lights-out positioning, and powerful shot on the power play has not been in evidence. He’s registered three goals total and just a 9.1% shooting percentage.

“When you’re a goalscorer like him, you want him to take shots, but not low percentage shots that can lead to puck turnovers. You have possession and you take a shot that is not likely to go in you’re then expending energy going back down to defend or retrieve the puck back.

“Against Belleville, he had six shots, five, which were outstanding (chances), one hit the goalie in the shoulder, and another chance just went over the crossbar. That Vinni that I saw shooting in Belleville is the Vinni that I want.”

Knoblauch has no complaints about his goaltending tandem, nor should he. What’s not broken doesn’t need fixing. Shesterkin will start Friday with Huska in the net on Saturday night.

NOTES:

The Pack’s first injury belongs goes to veteran Matt Beleskey (upper body) who will be out for the weekend. His injury led to the recall of Ryan Dmowski (Old Lyme/Gunnery Prep) from the team’s ECHL affiliates, the Maine Mariners, where he had five points in six games.

The Pack PK is doing very well. They are ranked sixth best in the league at 88.6%.

The Hershey lineup is complete with Joe Snively (Yale University), who has been overhauled from last season.

The back-end of a home-and-home between UConn and Boston College will be at 3:30 pm on Saturday with the possibility of seeing Darien CT-native, Darien-native, Spencer Knight (Avon Old Farms), As a former NHL first-round draft pick for the Florida Panthers when the Eagles takes on the Huskies.

UConn is in of the year.

Belleville got ex-BC Eagle Colin White from Ottawa yesterday while Cole Cassels, son of the ex-Whaler Andrew Cassels,  He had a goal and an assist against Hartford last week.

Another Ex-BC Eagle, and the youngest son of Hartford Whalers’ great Ulf Samuelsson, Adam Samuelsson, has signed with a Canadian major junior team, the Sudbury Wolves (OHL). They drafted him in 2016 in the fifth round (95th overall) in the OHL Priority Draft.

He was playing with USHL Sioux City Musketeers after leaving BC last year. He can no longer play US collegiate hockey.

Former Wolf Pack, Dylan McIlrath, was recalled from Grand Rapids by the Detroit Red Wings and played against the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. The Blueshirts took the game 5-1.

Riley Stillman, the grandson of ex-New Haven Nighthawk, Bud Stefanski, was returned to the Springfield  Thunderbirds by the Florida Panthers.

Ex-CT Whale, Jayson Megna, was sent down to the Colorado Eagles (AHL) from the parent Colorado Avalanche.

Ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Justin Taylor, heads up from Kalamazoo (ECHL) to the Utica Comets.

Ex-Yale Bulldog, Ryan Hitchcock, who played 52 games with Worcester (ECHL) and 36 AHL games with Bridgeport, has announced his retirement from pro hockey according to CT Post’s Mike Fornabaio.

Another ex-Yale Bulldog, Ted Hart, is loaned from Peoria (SPHL) to Maine (ECHL).

Ex-Pack, Josh Wesley, was reassigned to Tulsa (ECHL) from San Antonio.

Ex-Danbury Trashers Drew Omicioli (Loomis Chaffe Prep) is the new junior head coach for the South Shore Kings (USPHL).

Tyler Boucher, the son of former NHL goalie, Brian Boucher, and a former Avon Old Farms Winged Beaver, is now playing for the US National Development Team-USNDTP (USHL) and the US National U-17 Team. Boucher has committed to Boston University (HE) for 2021-22.