CANTLON: (SAT) THUNDERBIRDS DOUBLED UP BY PACK 

Wolf Pack Entertain Thunderbirds

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – Joey Keane paced the Wolf Pack with a three-point effort as they scored four goals in the third period to pull away from the Springfield Thunderbirds to win by the count of  6-3.

The Wolf Pack continue their scorching play at home in raising their record at the XL Center to 18-1-0-2 on the season.

The Wolf Pack also maintained its hold on first place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 26-10-4-5 for 61 points. Hershey kept pace with a 4-1 over Bridgeport at the Webster Bank Arena.

The two teams square off tomorrow night at the Mass Mutual Center at 7 pm.

“We came out good in the first, we were sluggish in the second too many penalties we just didn’t get any rhythm. The third period was much closer to how we want to play and we played much better,” remarked head coach Kris Knoblauch.

In the third, the Wolf Pack were able to score early in the period to regain a one-goal lead.

Vitali Kravtsov picked up his second assist of the night and made a dead stop in the right-wing faceoff circle after winning a one on one battle and then sent a perfect cross-ice lead pass that Phil Di Giuseppe skated into and deftly redirected his 14th goal into the net.

“That was a sweet play he got it right to me. He’s gonna be a special player,” remarked DiGiuseppe

The Wolf Pack didn’t stop there they restored a two-goal lead as Ryan Dmowski potted his second of the night off the left with his shot going off the arm of Thunderbirds goalie Philippe Desrosiers and into the net at,

“It was a two on one and it was a weird bounce.  Behind the net, he put it out in front went off his foot and I just got it and it went right through his arm. I didn’t even see it go in till I heard the (goal) horn,” said Dmowski.

The second period was choppy between penalties, offsides and play stoppages and the fourth line didn’t get the ice time they got some in third and made it count.

“You control what you can control. When we got the call we went out and did our best every shift,” Dmowski remarked.

Knoblauch is happy with the fourth line contribution.

“McBride, Newell, and Dmowski that’s the second game in which they set up and important goal in the third period. They set up the game-winner in our last game before the break (Lehigh Valley) tonight Dmowski picks up with two goals.

They deserve more ice time they way they have been playing and contributing.”

Then Joey Keane capped his three-point night going in on a right-wing move after Thunderbirds turnover he seemed to be too deep almost behind the goal line sent the shot it went off the right post and off Desrosiers skate and into the net for a 5-2 Wolf Pack lead and the crowd was roaring a the Wolf Pack were pouring it on.

“We got all four lines going tonight were able to push deep in their zone and made our shots count once we got that first one by Ryan we took control of the game,” said Keane.

Springfield didn’t quit as their forechecking forced Yegor Rykov was hit behind the net by Jack Rodewald to turn the puck over to the Thunderbirds Jonathan Ang who spotted Rodrigo Abols parked in front of the net and flipped his third goal of the season into the net at 16:09 to make it 5-3.

The Wolf Pack insurance goal and rarely do empty netters mean something, but this one did.

Matt Beleskey outraced two Thunderbirds Ethan Prow and veteran Paul Thompson dove forward falling down with a one-hand swipe put in the insurance tally with 43.9 seconds left for the final score of 6-3.

Keane was amazed by effort on the play.

“That was unbelievable he was behind those two guys and he hustled past them I didn’t think he had a chance great play by a veteran.”

Head coach Kris Knoblauch was highly complimentary of the effort.

“That insurance goal was big for us and he fought hard to get it for us. Nobody on the team is happier to see Beleskey score because of what he means to our dressing room. He is such a great team guy everybody on the bench was yelling for him,”.

The second period was a tight-checking affair though Springfield had some strong time in the Hartford zone.

Jonathan Ang had a quality right-wing bid stopped by Husk just after a Mason Geertsten left point drive was kicked aside by Desrosiers.

Springfield finally made an offensive foray count as they tied the game at two.

Took the turnover by and came across the Wolf Pack blue line in a quick transition and sent a drop pass to Thomas Schmetisch who walked in off the right point and buried his fourth of the season five-hole on Adam Huska at 16:23.

The Wolf Pack came roaring out of the gate grabbing a 2-0 lead in the first period.

AHL All Stay Joe Keane did his best Vinni Lettieri impression top of the left-wing circle took the right point feed from his season-long defense partner Mason Geerstan with the blast that was stopped with a left pad save by Philippe Desrosiers, but the big rebound went right to Ryan Dmowmski (Old Lyme/Gunnery Prep) and he fired a 30 footer inside the right post past the left leg of Desrosiers.at 9:25.

It was Dmowski’s first of the year and his first goal in two months.

“It’s been too long of a while for me,” remarked Dmowski.

Then “Ovi” Lettieri showed Keane how it’s really done as the two practice mates hooked with Keane’s right point pass and Lettieri sent a rocket into the upper part of the net that the rookie Desrosiers could only wave.  It was Lettieri’s 19th of the season at 11:24.

“There were a lot good plays and Keane was one of them sliding the puck over to me, He has own spot at the top of the circle gotta get my own there,” laughed Lettieri taking the Ovechkin reference in good stride “no way do I have the shot he has and it’s one of those little things he does. That’s why he is one of the greatest goal scorers of all time.”

Earlier in the evening Ovechkin surpassed Rangers great Mark Messier on the goal-scoring list and is now five away from the magical 700 plateaux.

Knoblauch just smiled about his two All-Star amigos.

“The goal Vinni scored and Keaner made the pass to him they practice that play probably 45 times a practice. Every single day after practice that one-timer on the powerplay. Vinni comes up with another big goal,” remarked Knoblauch breaking into a broad wide grin.

The Thunderbirds answered back on the powerplay at 13:24 as Ethan Prow’s right point shot was stopped by starter Adam Huska, but came right to Alexsei Heponiemi who sent a smart short pass to an open Dryden Hunt and he banged in his ninth of the year into the open right side at 13:24.

It looked if Springfield had tied the game at 15:21 as the Springfield put big pressure on Huska who stopped Rodrigo Abols from 10 feet out and then, Joel Lowry, he never had control of the puck till came barreling off the left-wing and knocked the puck and Huska over the goal line and dislodged the net.

The referees ruled the net was off the pegs before the puck crossed the goal line.

The hockey gods were smiling.

The Pack had three late quality chances to get another two-goal lead Steven Fogarty hit the posy with 2:27 left in the period, then Matt Beleskey with 29 seconds left and Patrick Newell off the right-wing just before the period expired.

LINES:

Gettinger-Kravtsov-Lettieri
O’Regan-Fogarty-Di Giuseppe
Jones-Gropp-Beleskey
McBride-Newell-Dmowski

Hajek-Raddysh
Keane-Geersten
Rykov-LoVerde

SCRATCHES:

Nick Ebert (lower body, day to day)
Boo Nieves (flu, day to day)
Jeff Taylor (healthy)
Gabriel Fontaine (shoulder surgery-season ending).

NOTES:

Rearguard Yegor Rykov likely suffered a broken nose when hit with an errant puck that force the ice crew to come out to clean up a large amount of blood about 10 feet from the Wolf Pack bench in the first period.

He didn’t put on a full visor for the rest of the game.

We’ll see how it is in Springfield tomorrow.

-The AHL announced today that next year’s AHL All-Star Classic is in Laval, Quebec.

If you haven’t gone to Laval yet make your plans now located just outside of Montreal easily accessible by the Metro Orange line by 25 minutes leaving from the Bell Centre location and arriving at the end of the Montmorency line in Laval with Place Bell Arena across the street from the Metro station.

Montreal will also be the site for this summer’s NHL Entry Draft.

-Knoblauch’s return from California was interesting, to say the least.

“I started in Ontario our plan never showed up. We go to the other airport the plane has mechanical difficulties and we finally leave late. Get to Minneapolis and we miss our connecting flight. It was a long day.”

-UCONN picked up an important Hockey East win in New Hampshire beating UNH 7-4.

Jonny Evans recorded his second hat trick of the season and five points and freshmen Alexander Firstov had a goal and three assists.

UCONN raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first minutes before the Wildcats clawed their way back to tie at three with three power play tallies.

The Huskies with two late second period goals pulled ahead and never looked back.

The two teams play at the XL Center at 4:00 pm on Saturday and it’s a televised gamer on NESN.