2-0 IS STILL 2-0

With Howlings unable to attend last night’s contest between the Wolf Pack and Sound Tigers, Bob Crawford was kind enough to provide us with a nice game summary. Howlings will be in attendance for tonight’s contest.

  VERSUS  

Hartford Wolf Pack 4, Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2

Cromwell, CT, September 25, 2009 – Rookie defenseman Trevor Glass scored two goals, and Derek Couture added a goal and an assist, as the Hartford Wolf Pack ran their AHL preseason record to 2-0 with a 4-2 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday night at Champions Skating Center.

Tony Romano had both of Bridgeport’s goals.  Tyler Arnason chipped in two assists for the Wolf Pack.

The Wolf Pack jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, on goals by Couture and Corey Locke.

Couture notched his third goal in two preseason games at 6:20.  Couture broke in on a two-on-one with Tomas Zaborsky and jammed Zaborsky’s pass underneath Bridgeport starting goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris.

Locke, playing his first game of the preseason, then scored on a five-on-three power play at 8:55, beating Grumet-Morris with a sharp-angle shot from the right-wing faceoff circle.

Hartford outshot Bridgeport 11-3 in the opening frame, but the Sound Tigers would enjoy a 30-16 advantage in that department over the final two periods.

The two teams traded goals in the second, the Wolf Pack scoring on a four-on-four and the Sound Tigers replying with a power-play tally.

Rookie defenseman Trevor Glass pounded home a slapshot from the top of the right circle at 17:12 for a 3-0 Hartford lead.  That was against relief goaltender Juha Toivonen, who relieved Grumet-Morris at the 9:42 mark.

Bridgeport got on the board for the first time at 19:03, with Jared Nightingale off for cross-checking.  Tony Romano buried a chance from right outside the goal crease of Wolf Pack netminder Chad Johnson, making his first Pack appearance.

After that late goal in the second, Romano scored again at the 1:00 mark of the third frame to make it 3-2, but that would be as close as the Sound Tigers would get.

Glass tallied his second of the game at 4:34, when Arnason set him up at the left side of the crease on a two-on-one.  That made the final 4-2.

Johnson made 31 saves in the Hartford net.  Grumet-Morris allowed two goals for Bridgeport on 13 shots, and Toivonen took the loss with two goals-against on 14 shots.

The Wolf Pack wrap up their home preseason action this Sunday, September 27 at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury at 3:00 PM, hosting the Worcester Sharks.  The Wolf Pack’s 2009-10 regular-season home schedule kicks off Saturday, October 10 at the XL Center against the Springfield Falcons (7:00).  Once again this season, tickets to the home opener are only $10 each.

Champions Skating Center

Bridgeport 0 1 1 – 2

Hartford 2 1 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Hartford, Couture 3 (Zaborsky), 6:20. 2, Hartford, Locke 1 (Urquhart, Weise), 8:55 (pp). Penalties-Bourbeau Bri (holding the stick), 3:52; Findorff Bri (bench minor – too many men), 7:47; Gannon Bri (hooking), 8:14; Glass Hfd (holding), 12:36; Lesperance Bri (roughing), 15:05.

2nd Period-3, Hartford, Glass 1 (Owens, Arnason), 17:12. 4, Bridgeport, Romano 1 (DiBenedetto, Figren), 19:03 (pp). Penalties-Findorff Bri (holding), 0:35; Soryal Hfd (slashing, roughing), 0:35; Gruenke Bri (slashing), 3:14; Lucyk Hfd (hooking), 4:25; Findorff Bri (hooking), 8:17; Owens Hfd (hooking), 10:52; Klementyev Bri (fighting), 13:27; Weise Hfd (fighting), 13:27; Romano Bri (hooking), 15:45; Dupont Hfd (interference), 16:29; Nightingale Hfd (cross-checking), 18:12.

3rd Period-5, Bridgeport, Romano 2 (DiBenedetto, Figren), 1:00. 6, Hartford, Glass 2 (Arnason, Couture), 4:36. Penalties-Sellars Bri (fighting), 1:00; Weise Hfd (fighting), 1:00; Couture Hfd (roughing), 10:34; Nightingale Hfd (hooking), 16:47.

Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 3-11-19-33. Hartford 11-8-8-27.

Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 1 of 8; Hartford 1 of 7.

Goalies-Bridgeport, Grumet-Morris 0-0-0 (13 shots-11 saves); Toivnen 0-1-0 (9:42 second, 14 shots-12 saves). Hartford, Johnson 1-0-0 (33 shots-31 saves).

Referee- Francis Charron.

Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Luke Galvin (2).