VERSUS
Personal matters prevented us from witnessing Wednesday night’s 5-3 key victory over the Portland Pirates. Bruce Berlet did take in the action and files this report (also available at Hartfordwolfpack.com)
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Trying to be fancy in the second period nearly cost the Hartford Wolf Pack a three-goal lead.
But returning to the basics in the third period led to 18 of their 31 shots and clinching goals by Jordan Owens and Devin DiDiomete that assured a 5-3 victory over the Portland Pirates before 2,245 at the XL Center Wednesday night.
“In the second, they showed a little more willingness to forecheck, finish checks and get the puck deep, and we tried to maybe cut a few corners,” Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander said. “The message (in the second intermission) was to get pucks deep and finish hits as opposed to the aerial passes in high-risk areas.”
The Wolf Pack (42-26-3-3) have won three in a row and six of seven to clinch a 12th consecutive playoff berth and at least second place in the Atlantic Division, which they now lead by four points over idle Providence. The Wolf Pack finished with seven wins in eight meetings with the Pirates (35-30-3-6), including the last six.
“It’s a fickle sport, but right now things are moving in the right direction,” Gernander said.
But it appeared the Pirates might rally for a fourth consecutive victory in the second period, when they outshot the Wolf Pack, 10-3. But Gernander got his message across before the final 20 minutes, and the Pirates fell into a tie for third with Worcester and only one point ahead of Manchester. The Sharks and Monarchs both won Wednesday night.
“They took it to us in the second period, but we just tried to do too much,” said Wolf Pack wing Mark Bell, who scored a shorthanded goal and assisted on DiDiomete’s goal. “All we talked about after the second period was that we had to simplify our game, and we did that. Some guys have a ton of skill and can stickhandle through, but most of us just like to get it down deep and use our speed and drive wide.
“I think the simpler we play, the better we play, and usually that’s how you win hockey games. It’s not always the team that has the most talent, especially this time of year. They’re fighting for their (playoff) lives, so we had to bear down and not turn the puck over so much.”
The Wolf Pack took the lead for good when Vladimir Denisov converted Owens’ rebound at 1:41. Brock McBride got the secondary assist for his first pro point since signing an amateur tryout contract March 25 after finishing his career at St. Lawrence University.
Brodie Dupont made it 2-0 at 7:00 when he deflected Brian Fahey’s shot from the left point past Jhonas Enroth (26 saves). The Wolf Pack nearly made it 3-0 at 8:15, but Jared Nightingale’s shot hit the post.
Matt Zaba (32 saves and winner of five in a row) kept it a two-goal game with a brilliant save off Marek Zagrapan cruising down the slot alone with 6:28 left in the period.
On the Pirates’ second power play, Enroth stopped Bell’s breakaway at 2:36 of the second period. But 24 seconds later, Bell made it 3-0 off a 2-on-1 with Artem Anisimov.
The Pirates got on the board at 6:42 when Zagrapan scored on a breakaway backhander off a giveaway by former Pirates forward P.A. Parenteau.
Then on the Pirates’ third power play, Zaba made two bang-bang saves on 30-foot shots from the slot by Mark Mancari with 3:59 left. But the Pirates won the ensuing faceoff and Colin Murphy stuffed in a bad-angle shot off Zaba’s pad seven seconds later.
Enroth made a stellar save off Dupont 1:28 into the third period, but the Wolf Pack broke it open with two goals in 40 seconds. First, McBride got the puck to Owens, who made a brilliant move around defenseman Dennis Persson and put a shot between Enroth’s legs at 4:45. DiDomete made it 5-2 with a backhand conversion of shot by defenseman David Stich, making his pro debut after signing an ATO on Monday after three seasons with Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The Pirates then scored their second power-play goal as Tim Kennedy, who was named to the AHL all-rookie team with teammate Nathan Gerbe earlier in the day, one-timed Persson’s centering pass past Zaba at 11:24.
Enroth made good saves off Michael Sauer and Tommy Pyatt in the final 51/2 minutes, but the Wolf Pack had already done enough damage.
“We weren’t happy with our second period, but I thought we bounced back in the third, so we’re happy with the two points,” Gernander said.
For the Portland perspective there is a wire service report at pressherald.com and Portlandpirates.com.
GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET.
LINES:
Bell – Rissmiller – Parenteau
Dupont – Crowder – Anisimov
Pyatt – McBride – Owens
DiDiomete – Sugden
Fahey – Sanguinetti
Urquhardt – Sauer
Denisov – Nightingale
Stich
Zaba
SCRATCHES:
Potter – Recall with Rangers
Ouellette – Flu – Day-to-Day
Moore – Concussion – Indefinite
Zaborsky – Shoulder – Season
Soryal – Hand – Season
Byers – Knee – Undetermined
Weise – Broken Thumb – Day-to-Day
THREE STARS:
1. HFD – 22 Mark Bell
2. HFD – 20 Brock McBride
3. HFD – 46 Jordan Owens
ON ICE OFFICIALS:
Jamie Koharski (84), Referee
Kevin Redding (16), Linesman
David Spannaus (8), Linesman
SCOREBOARD WATCHING:
The Pack opened up their biggest lead on first place of the season to four points as Providence was idle. Worcester moved back into the playoff picture by knocking off the hapless Falcons 3-2 in overtime on the road in Springfield. Manchester, which holds a game in hand on the Sharks kept pace with a shootout win at home against the visiting Lowell Devils, who believe it or not can still creep back into the playoff picture, also by a 3-2 score.
STANDINGS:
Rank Team GP W L OTL SOL PTS
| x-1 | Hartford Wolf Pack | 75 | 43 | 26 | 3 | 3 | 92 |
| 2 | Providence Bruins | 74 | 40 | 26 | 2 | 6 | 88 |
| 3 | Portland Pirates | 74 | 35 | 30 | 3 | 6 | 79 |
| 4 | Worcester Sharks | 75 | 38 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 79 |
| 5 | Manchester Monarchs | 74 | 35 | 31 | 0 | 8 | 78 |
| 6 | Lowell Devils | 74 | 33 | 32 | 2 | 7 | 75 |
| 7 | Springfield Falcons | 75 | 23 | 40 | 8 | 4 | 58 |
| x | Clinched playoff spot |
NEXT GAME:
Critical contest that will likely determine if the Pack win the Atlantic Division. The Pack enter the game winners of three straight and six of seven. Providence has struggled a bit of late and have lost their last two, one in a shootout to the Pack last Saturday in Hartford.
COMPARATIVE REMAINING SCHEDULE:
Hartford Providence
Day Date Opponent Rank Record Vs Day Date Opponent Rank Record Vs
Fri 3-Apr at Providence Second 3-3-1-0 Fri 3-Apr Hartford First 4-2-0-1
OFF DAY Sat 4-Apr Portland Third 4-4-0-0
Sun 5-Apr Lowell Sixth 2-3-0-1 Sun 5-Apr Manchester Fourth 2-2-1-1
Wed 8-Apr at Manchester Fourth 5-1-1-0 Wed 8-Apr at Lowell Sixth 4-5-0-0
Fri 10-Apr at Lowell Sixth 2-3-0-1 Fri 10-Apr at Portland Third 4-4-0-0
Sat 11-Apr Springfield Seventh 7-1-0-1 Sat 11-Apr at Worcester Fifth 7-0-1-0
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