HARTFORD, CT – The AHL exists for a reason, and Patrick Khordorenko is a perfect example of why.

The 22-year-old product of Michigan State via Walnut Grove, CA, is learning in his hockey apprenticeship on the farm at the XL Center.

The regular season schedule has finally started to be more player-friendly for Khordorenko and his Wolf Pack teammates.

“It’s feeling more like a pro schedule than a college schedule, which of course, I’ve been used to.”

During his four years at Michigan State playing in the Big 10 conference, “steady,” was the optimal word for Khordorenko’s play. He had four multiple-point games in his freshman season that increased to eleven as a senior. He progressed from being a Second Team All-Big 10 conference player to the First team. He also saw more ice time including PP and PK work, plus holding his regular five-on-five slot at center.

“Every year I tried to get better. My freshmen year was a very big adjustment, learning the team schemes, and the conference had so many good teams and players learning to play against them.

“Everything was so much different from playing junior league hockey. It was like going into a real men’s league. I had to get better quickly and worked on a different part of my game every year, and this year is just the same.”

KNOBLAUCH IMPRESSED

Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch likes a lot of things the Khordorenko has shown thus far.

“He is very coachable. If he made a mistake, he’ll recognize it and ask, ‘What did I do wrong? What can I do better?’ That’s half the battle, and when a player is open to that, it makes it easier to help correct the issue and work on it.

“He has a lot of different skill sets. He’s a natural center, can take draws, and has good size. I see him working here in the AHL for two or three years and then be ready for the next level; whether that’s here with the Rangers or elsewhere remains to be seen. I think he has very good upside,” remarked Knoblauch.

For the centerman, he accepts what comes with the game.

“You wanna fix issues in your game no matter what. Coaches can see it best and put you on the right path to the next level, and that’s our goal here. When we all step out on the ice, we want to be the best players we can be. We’re trying to work on things every day.”

The team’s recent nine-game winless streak taught him one early lesson.

“We have to keep our foot on the gas every shift. If you take it off at this level, a mistake is capitalized on quicker. In college or junior, you can take a shift off and not notice it. You can’t do that here. You see the consequences quickly.”

KNOWING YOUR ROLE

Centermen have a heavy role to play on both the offensive and defensive side.

“As a center, you have to play every position it seems and learn the quickest. Gotta help our D with the breakout, where they set up defensively, help the forwards up high if somebody is down low, and the center has to be quickest to adapt to new circumstances. I think I’m getting the handle of it now, and I’m setting my teammates up for better scoring chances as a result of it,” Khordrenko said.

His short pass in the last game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to Paul Thompson on his goal best illustrates his development and skill set.

“Communication is a big thing too, and I’m still learning. You learn how to switch out when to maybe stay high in the (offensive) zone to when to go down low. Getting good communication with the defense and your goalies, it’s all a work in progress. It’s a much different, more involved defensive system than I had in school. You learn where the hash marks are, and a center can move more freely, you’re kind of a little bit of rover.”

IDOLS GROWING UP

The Detroit Red Wings great center, Pavel Datsyuk, is a player whom he admired growing up.

“He’s so patient with the puck and seemed to slow the game down so well. He seems to create something out of nothing every time he touched the puck. He was very good on faceoffs, and he wasn’t the biggest guy, but was strong on the puck and always seemed to make his teammates better.”

An economics major, Khordrenko signed last spring as a free agent after concluding a four-year career as a Spartan. He has shown future promise. He will bring his 6’3 frame to Broadway or one of the other 31 NHL possible destinations.

“I had several offers, but the Rangers seemed to be the best fit for me.  I think they were gonna help me play, learn the game, and in two or three years, go to the next level.”

COVID IMPEDES PROGRESS

He played one game, and then the shutdown hit.

“It was very strange, but there’s not much any of us could do about it. I got to spend a lot of time with my family. Because of hockey, I hadn’t been around a lot, so that was a big plus.”

The 24-game schedule in his first pro season has not been the kind of full pro schedule that most collegians must face. In fact, it’s basically been an MSU schedule.

“It was a bit unusual for the professional level, and you look forward to more games, but this what we have, so we just have to go with-it’s been crazy for sure.”

The whole season has been very different.

‘You don’t have (the) full camaraderie away from the rink. Everybody is friendly in the locker room and on the ice, and a few of us have roommates, but it’s been very, very different.

To go out as a team to say…go bowling, you can’t do it.  It sucks, but we’re not alone on this.”

MOVING ABOUT

The Khordorenko’s migrated to Michigan with Patrick as his hockey development blossomed. He began to skate with the US Development team (USNDTP).

He played for the U-17 and U-18 teams before heading to Lansing, MI, and MSU.

His father, Alex, a recreational hockey player, introduced his son to the sport in what was then known as a non-traditional hockey market. That no longer is the case in the Western US.

They grew up east of Oakland, CA, in the town of Walnut Grove, to the north of what is now an AHL city, Stockton, and about an hour from the NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

Like many of his California peers, if you wanted to play hockey, you had to drive or fly to play your sport; local rinks were not in abundance, nor teams to play on either. The I-5 drive was a very common feature for California youth players.

“Playing in California was different. You had to travel roughly an hour away from my home just for practice. In Michigan and Minnesota, you are likely to have one in your backyard. I moved in my freshmen year of high school; the rinks were a lot closer.”

NEWELL, A CALIFORNIA TEAMMATE

Teammate Patrick Newell, a Southern California native, was happy to have someone in the locker room with a CA on his birth certificate.

“(Hockey) is definitely growing. More rinks are available than when I was growing up. I remember going to tournaments in LA playing at the Kings practice facility (in El Segundo, the current COVID home rink for the Ontario Reign).

“I went to Arizona once, and we played where Arizona State now plays (the Oceanside Arena}. A lot of small places. It was tough to find ice, but it was manageable.

“We’re playing at the small rink (New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts) against the Bruins; it kinda reminds me of it.

“My Dad did a lot for me growing up, driving me to so many of those places.”

THE FUTURE

When asked about the potential of a Western-based US college hockey conference, Khordorenko said, “They have money there. Those schools can handle it, and there is a lot of D-1 caliber players in California. I think it is coming.”

From California, Michigan, and Hartford, the hockey dreamin’ maybe become a reality for Khordorenko.

COLLEGE SIGNINGS

The college signing binge continues, and the transfers and grad transfers are also starting.

23 of the current 48 Division-I signees (50 total Division-I and Division-III) as of Monday are underclassmen.

The latest signing sees lefty-shooting, junior forward, Sampo Ranta of the University of Minnesota signing with the Colorado Avalanche. Ranta has the size, shot, and ability to be a scorer at the NHL level.

Hockey has 16 pro signees; the Big 10 has 13, NCHC has eight, AHA has five, the ECACHL has four, and Division I independents with two. The WCHA has yet to lose one.

Some media reports have the transfer portal for college hockey nearing 200 players. Players are leaving trying to maximize earning power with what may be a coming NHL recession post-COVID. The financial picture may see a drag on salaries and operational expenses.

EXTRA ELIGIBILITY

Another issue is the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility to ALL college players after having a season taken from them by the Covid-19 pandemic. These players may see a sort of college hockey free agency as they go to where they believe will get them on a better team or more ice time.

School transfers are likely to continue to pick up as Notre Dame picked up Cornell’s goalie, Matt Galajda. Tim Theocharidis of Bowling Green went to Arizona State. Three grad transfers have been made including Kevin O’Neil going from Yale University (ECACHL)  to UCONN (HE).

These moves will affect incoming players who have made commits to schools for 2021-22 who now may have oversold their scholarship allotment. That could force some to wait another year to play if junior eligible in the Canadian Junior A ranks or in the US either with the USHL or NAHL.

ECHL

The ECHL has three new teams in Iowa, Georgia, and Trois-Rivieres, Quebec debuting. The ECHL North Division returns to action in the fall, and their rosters are going to need to be filled.

We’re at the beginning of tumultuous upheaval in hockey for colleges that will eventually affect the junior game in a different way combined with the coming NHL Seattle expansion draft with an April 12th trade deadline upcoming next week-keep the pen and paper handy to keep track of all the coming transactions !!

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

HOME

The post CANTLON’S CORNER: KHORDORENKO LEARNING first appeared on Howlings.

HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack will entertain the Charlotte Checkers Friday night before departing for four games on the road over the next two weeks. They will not return home until January 24th against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The Wolf Pack winning streak grew to five-games and in the process, tying their season-best mark after a 2-1 win over the Hershey Bears at the Giant Center before 10,240 on a Wednesday night.

Hartford’s leading scorer, Vinni Lettieri, has six points in his last five games. He also has scored a goal three straight scored the game-winning goal, his 14th, with 53.9 seconds left in the game. Goalie Adam Huska stopped 26 of 27 shots. The Wolf Pack was held to just 15 shots but made the two that scored led them to victory.

Boo Nieves continues his strong play and has garnered seven points in his last six gamers.

The Wolf Pack holds the top spot in the Atlantic Division with a record of 22-8-2-5 (51 points) and now are four points ahead of Hershey and six ahead of the Providence Bruins.

For Hershey, this was just their second loss in their last 15 games.

The team has undergone some serious roster changes in the past month and with the exception of a small blip of a five-game losing streak, they have maintained a strong level of consistency at home, late in games, and against key divisional rivals.

The Wolf Pack are 15-1-2-5 at home and are unbeaten with taking a lead after two periods at 14-0-1-2. They’ve won all five games thus far against Providence who they were battling for first place before being supplanted by Hershey.

LIFE WITHOUT IGOR

Goaltender Igor Shesterkin is on recall by the New York Rangers and made his NHL debut with a 5-3 victory against the Colorado Avalanche. Shesterkin got off to a tough start giving up goals on his first two shots. To be fair, all three goals he surrendered he wasn’t totally responsible for. One was a tip-in, another a breakaway from Nathan MacKinnon and a wide-open goal on the right-wing.

Shesterkin followed that up with a superb showing stopping 46 of 49 shots in a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils as ex-Wolf Pack, Tony D’Angelo piled up five points, including the first hat-trick since the Hall of Fame Brian Leetch (Cheshire) had in a playoff game in 1995. It was only the third in team history and the first two were Reijo Ruotsolainen (1982) and Dave Maloney (1980).

Shesterkin was very sharp in the third period stopping a pair of scoring chances from Avalanche defensemen Samuel Girard and Calder Trophy candidate, Cale Makar.

No doubt Shesterkin will have a long NHL career, but the Rangers also have two competent, capable NHL goalies in future Hall-of-Famer, Henrik Lundquist, and ex-Pack, Alexander Georgiev.

Carrying three goalies is difficult at any level of hockey, with one netminder always on the outside looking in, and likely unhappy.

The Rangers have been anticipating their fifth-round draft choice in 2012. He had superb KHL numbers and has finally arrived in North America.

Shesterkin’s deal to come to North America was struck in the spring when the Rangers negotiated a European (KHL) clause in his deal that kicked in at halfway mark of the AHL season. It was eclipsed by several games, and the NHL season clause has been met, and he could return to Russia without penalty.

The NHL trade deadline is February 24th, just seven weeks away. Lundqvist’s age, salary, and no-movement clause make it HIGHLY unlikely he’s going anywhere, and the market for Georgiev isn’t clear at this point.

Shesterkin is likely to see more action at the NHL level. It is possible but perhaps unlikely, that Shesterkin, who does not need to pass through waivers, will get sent to Hartford to playing time when Lundqvist and Georgiev are in the net.

There will be a lot of rumors and a lot of news coming out of New York that will effect Hartford as the deadline approaches and the Rangers decide if they should be a buyer or a seller at the deadline and how to supplement the success currently going on in the Connecticut capital.

MESSAGE FROM SWEDEN

Lias Andersson was last seen departing on a plane from Bradley International Airport after the Wolf Pack’s two-game road trip to Charlotte.

He hasn’t been seen since until the next day after he’d left the team that through his agent it became public that Andersson had requested a trade. He was suspended by the Rangers and there has been radio silence until Wednesday.

Andersson gave an interview with the Swedish sports news service, SVTP Sports (their version of ESPN/TSN).

Uffe Bodin, the Editor-In-Chief of newsme.com, tweeted this translated information.

The troubling tweet raises some serious questions and cast some serious aspersions and insinuations that could have profound impacts going forward for Andersson having any hope of returning to the Rangers or to any organization contemplating acquiring him.

Was Andersson injured toward the end of his self-imposed departure from Hartford?

What was this alleged incident that occurred that made things untenable for him to stay in Hartford?

His assertion about “feeling safe” depicts some untoward work environment in Hartford, was there any?

Is he using the team-issued suspension after leaving the team as some faux reasoning for sitting in Sweden and not practicing in Hartford or Cromwell with the Wolf Pack?

Was he handling or coping with the rigors of pro hockey and being a number seven overall draft pick very well?

Based on his play and this move the answer would be no.

Andersson could be making a fatal career mistake here.

The NHL is a very closed society. While the teams are on ice rivals and there’s a union as a league and when one seeks to overturn the order of things, they don’t like it very much.

Especially from a player in his first three years of an NHL deal that he and his agent signed off on and approved by both the NHL and the NHLPLA.

Teams are not likely to take on a player who jumps ship when he’s under-performing at the NHL and AHL level on an entry-level contract.

There is hockey graveyard littered with first-round busts and players whose ego’s got the better of them.

Andy, as he was known, was not a malcontent by several accounts, but self-imposed pressure to live up to his number seven overall status is a part of the equation that has him in Sweden and not Hartford.

One veteran NHL scout said on the condition that they not be named, about Andersson.

“I spoke to our GM about him, and he said, ‘It’s not his fault he was drafted seventh when maybe 27 or 37 was more appropriate. He has to understand that he isn’t a top-six forward, but a bottom-six forward. I think he’s a salvageable player at age 20, but he has to change his self-appraisal of his skill set.”

On what could be likely his last ever Wolf Pack goal, he was contemplating a Filip Forsberg (Nashville) move on a breakaway coming off the right-wing.

For Andersson, if he’s to have an NHL career, this walkout needs to end immediately.

NOTES:

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers made an AHL deal with the Utica Comets where they sent oft-injured forward, John Stevens Jr. to the Comets for future considerations. Stevens is the son of ex-Hartford Whaler, AHL Hall of Famer, and current Dallas Stars, Assistant Coach, John Stevens Sr.

Drake Rymsha, the son of ex-New Haven Nighthawk, Andy Rynsha, was sent from Ontario (AHL) to Ft. Wayne (ECHL).

How about trading your nephew?

All-time Wolf Pack great, and head coach, John Paddock, who’s the current GM and VP of Hockey Ops for the Regina Pats (WHL) sent his nephew, Max, to the Prince Albert Raiders yesterday. That won’t be awkward at the Christmas Table

Goalie Nick Malik, the son of ex-Whaler, Ranger, and Beast of New Haven defenseman, Marek Malik, is leaving home for North America.

He played primarily with HC Frydek-Mistek (Czech Republic Division-2) where his father is the assistant coach this season. His Czech Elite League (CEL) rights are with HC Ocelari Trinec where he played two games.

The younger Malik got in some time for the Czech Republic WJC team in the just-completed tournament but has decided to head to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) for the rest of the year.

The Greyhounds drafted him in the CHL Import last June in the first-round (50th overall). All CHL teams are involved in the draft.

He was eleventh pick (168th overall) in the NAHL Draft by the Muskegon Lumberjacks as well last year

Ethan Cardwell, the nephew of former New Haven Knights, Matt Cardwell, was traded from the Saginaw Spirit (OHL) to the Barrie Colts (OHL) as part of a five-player trade at the junior trade deadline.

Logan Stephenson, the son of former Whaler, Bob Stephenson, goes from ASC Corona Brasov (Romania-EBEL) to HKM Zloven (Slovakia-SLEL) for the rest of the season.

The post CANTLON: PACK PREPARE FOR BUSY WEEKEND first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – For Shawn O’Donnell, Hartford has been his home away from home and he’s back for another shot at making the Hartford Wolf Pack.

“I couldn’t be happier about signing back in Hartford. A quality organization, I spent several years here, and I really like the players we have here and getting the opportunity to show what I can bring to the team,” O’Donnell, entering his sixth pro season, said.

For O’Donnell, this is a third time he will be making a bid to be on the team.

His first go-round in The Insurance Captial of the World was in 2013. He was a training camp walk-on there on an invitee basis after playing at St. Mary’s University (AUAA).

O’Donnell made the team again 2015-16 but was a healthy scratch for 36 games as part of a numbers game and internal decisions by the Rangers. Last season, he was a signee due to injuries, but after playing just a period-and-a-half, he suffered an injury himself, a broken cheekbone that sidelined him for six weeks. Upon his recovery and medical clearance, he was then reassigned to Cincinnati (ECHL).

“Certainly, now is a different time, but I had a few ups and down, but I had some very good times here and really, without Hartford, I couldn’t have gotten my pro career started without it and to get another chance here, it really is overwhelming, and I’m ready for the challenge,”

After last year’s brief audition he’s grateful.

“I was so happy last year when I got the call and then a thousand-in-one chance, a freak accident happens. In the game of hockey, things like that happen. You obviously don’t want it to happen to you, but it did. I’m just fortunate enough to get another chance,”.

Being in Cincinnati, O’Donnell was accorded a lot of ice time and he made the full use of it.

“It was good,” O’Donnell said. “I got a lot of ice time, and really got to work on different elements of my game and you pick up confidence too.“

After picking up 44 points in 46 games with the Cyclones, “I was playing in all types of situations and ice time makes a difference. I was able to ramp up my game and play in situations that I might not get at the AHL level, and when you get an opportunity, take advantage of it.”

O’Donnell returns to a Rangers club in full-rebuilding-mode including a whole new coaching staff in New York headed by David Quinn.

“It’s all an exciting thing that the Rangers are doing here in Hartford. We’re going to have a lot of young prospects here and the future is bright. My role is clearly one to help in that process. Coming in as an older guy, I have to lead by example. To help them along and get them to understand the (hockey) culture here and create an environment where everything goes in the right direction,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell’s camp has clearly made it hard for the Rangers not to give him the one-way deal he was seeking. These days in the business of hockey, those contracts are the like $5,000 poker chips at a casino.

“Odie has been our best player in camp, energetic and he ranked number one in our on-ice and off-ice testing, and conditioning getting off on a good footing and that catches your eye right away. His skating is very solid and you look at him you can slot him on a second or third line because of his skating and energy.

“He has experience, which is a plus, and he is the perfect off-ice player we want. A real quality person that will benefit us,” McCambridge said with a very broad smile.

The structure of training camp has changed since his first game here. There were four exhibition games that year. This year, they’ll be just one after the Wolf Pack were forced to cancel a game because of a shortage of players. Last year, the game at Koeppel was canceled because the plexiglass and boards didn’t meet the required standards under the CBA agreement.

The timeframe to impress a coach has clearly shrunk and the metrics have also changed.

“It’s one of those camps where we are a little short on bodies right now. Its been a bit of a strenuous and taxing camp on the guys, and its one of those things. It happens, and you always have changes and unique situations in pro hockey. All you do is bring your best effort and everybody has been working hard.”

Adaption has been the mantra for several years now, and with a whole new coaching crew in New York, the Rangers are clearly trying to narrow their selections down to the CBA magic number of 23. They have 40 players in camp meaning 17 players will need to find a new home by next Thursday’s home and regular-season opener against Nashville.

“Camps are always tough everybody is battling for jobs. Everybody is trying to make an impression. We all come ready to go. You always being evaluated with this camp you might get a better look with fewer guys here either it’s all good it’s a part of hockey.”

His preparation for training camp came from back home in Nova Scotia. O’Donnell got to work with the Cole Harbour All-Stars, local natives, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Brad Marchand. It’s a great advanced summer hockey camp.

“I’m just very fortunate to live a town where we have three great NHL players come there and to be around them and pick up some tips. To be around world-class talent like them easily the top five or 10 players in the world. Watching how they prepare and see the way they move and see the game. I can’t put a value on being out there with them.

“They’re all great about helping you out there and to be a part of it. To watch their level and pace they play at, up close, is impressive how they operate at that speed is incredible.”

But was O’Donnell able to teach them a thing or two?

“No! No, I didn’t do any instructional lessons for them,” O’Donnell said with a laugh.

O’Donnell spent some time in Vancouver vacationing, summer training in Cole Harbour, and now he will make Hartford – his winter hockey home.

The post CANTLON’S CORNER: O’DONNELL BACK FOR ANOTHER SHOT WITH THE PACK first appeared on Howlings.

      VERSUS      

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

SPRINGFIELD, MA – Thomas Schermitsch’s early third-period goal turned out to be the game-winner as the Springfield Thunderbirds upended the Wolf Pack 4-2 in a Sunday mid-afternoon meeting at the Mass Mutual Center.

The loss left the Pack (7-8-2-1) with their third straight loss (all divisional). The team is 1-4-2-0 in their last six (3-5-2-0 in their last 10). The Pack is tied with Springfield with 17 points each in the Atlantic Division and in the conference. The Wolf Pack maintain a slight edge in percentage points (.405 to .386) with two fewer losses, holding on to seventh place in the division to avoid being cellar dwellers.

“Trying to find a way to get two points in a three-game set, a three-in-three with an afternoon game versus a team that didn’t play last night. We’ve got to find a way to win these games,” Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said.

The two teams will battle again on Wednesday night at the XL Center at 7 pm.

The Thunderbirds (8-13-1-0) saw Schemitsch tally come off furious Springfield’s offensive zone pressure. Schemitsch snapped one past Georgiev’s glove hand under the crossbar popping the water bottle from the bottom of the right-wing faceoff circle at 4:46.

Moments before Georgiev (35 saves) made a stupendous save on Alexandre Grenier. The Pack netminder stretched as far as he could to make a paddle stick save on Grenier who looked back in disbelief that the red light wasn’t on.

Georgiev made several more important stops including one on Anthony Greco on a clean break in with a right pad save on a backhand attempt and Grenier again to keep the game at 3-1.

The Pack used the in-game commercial promo timeout and ice clearing in the third period to their advantage to create two quality offensive forays made possible by winning the offensive zone draw.

The first one saw Filip Chytil stopped on the doorstep by goalie Harri Sateri (27 saves) the second time though it resulted in a goal.

The Pack climbed back to within one at 3-2. Adam Chapie came from around the Thunderbirds net and snapped a quick pass from the left wing circle to a hard-charging Ryan Gropp, who was in the slot area and fired his second of the season through a maze of players at 13:28.

“That was a beautiful move by Chapie and a good hard shot by Ryan to get that puck up.”

The Thunderbirds Dmitri Malgin closed the door on any last-second miracle with an empty-netter with 1:39 left in the game.

“I wouldn’t call this a (losing) streak I would call this part of the development process,” said McCambridge, who bristled at the suggestion of a losing streak.

The final dagger in the team’s heart was the surrender of another late period power play goal. The play to create it was one of the best in the AHL so far this season.

Jayce Hawryluk, a Pack thorn in its side the past two seasons, was along the goal line. Hawryluk made a spectacular no-look pass that sailed through the crease to Blaine Byron, who was screaming in from the back door on the right wing, Hawryluk snapped his fourth goal into the open short-side with 58.3 seconds left in the period establishing a two-goal lead at 3-1.

McCambridge wasn’t happy with Graves’ slashing penalty that allowed for the goal to be scored.

“That’s a bad penalty by Ryan there. There was no need for that. It comes at the end of the second period which is a crucial part of hockey when goals like that are scored (at that time), it’s hard to climb out of,” said McCambridge.

Adam Tambellini had a strong left-wing rush the next shift but was denied with four seconds left in the period.

After a scoreless, sleepy first period whose biggest excitement was a two-on-zero break on Georgiev. Francois Beauchemin had exited the penalty box and went in with Dmitri Malgin on the left wing. Malgin had intercepted Vinni Lettieri’s pass. Incredibly Beauchemin missed the net.

“We have to be more aware on plays like that. We have to manage plays like that better. It’s at the end of a power play and we turn the puck over in the front of the penalty box (and) we have to be aware somebody is coming out of the box and stuff like that has to be learned,” McCambridge said.

With 1:09 left in the period, Springfield’s Ed Wittchow buried captain Joe Whitney at center ice in front of the penalty box area. The play set off a scrum as Vince Pedrie came to his aid and he wound up wrestling with Tony Turgeon.

As the period ended, assistant captain Eric Selleck waited at the center red line before departing. He had words to Wittchow he would be looking for his number later.

Springfield got the game’s opening goal at 2:50 in the second period. Beauchemin flipped a rebound, top-shelf over a prone Georgiev off a shot by Hawryluk. Garry Valk set the whole play up able to weave unchecked at the top of the zone he went right side to left and sent the cross ice pass to Hawryluk.

The Pack tied the game at one as Scott Kosmachuk scored his third goal just as a Wolf Pack powerplay expired. He was able to quickly find his own rebound and buried it over a prone Harri Sateri who made the initial stop at 7:38.

The play was engineered by Lettieri who used his speed and saw his shot ping-pong off Kosmachuk who then had his two whacks at the puck. Credit Anthony DeAngelo who kept the puck in the zone and fed Chyil who got the puck to Lettieri.

“That was a good play by Scott to go to the net. We were at the end of powerplay chance and he got himself in a good position.”

The Thunderbirds were able to get several more serious odd-man rushes. It was Georgiev who kept the game tied because he rejected bids from Anthony Greco, just sent back from Florida, Maxim Mamin, ex-CT Whale Tim Erixon, and Wittchow.

Selleck off the draw searched out and had a solid toe-to-toe exchange battle with Wittchow at 15:23 as payback on the Whitney hit.

The Pack struggles with an in-game sense of urgency and consistency is glaring and noticeable.

“There is a learning curve with consistency is part of trying to become a good NHL hockey player and we’re lacking the execution. Guys have to execute those plays because it’s not a lack of caring at this level you have to execute the passes,” commented McCambridge of his troops.

Any way you slice it the execution, urgency and performance have got to start to get better as valuable points are slipping away as they have the last two years early in the season.

NOTES:

For a second night, scratches were Dan Catenacci and Brandon Crawley. Steven Fogarty was not dressed as well.

Wolf Pack Lines:

Chytil-Kosmachuk-Schneider
Gropp-Lettieri-Cracknell
DeSalvo-Tambellini-Whitney
Selleck-Fontaine-Chapie

Defense:

Gilmour-Sproul
Graves-DeAngelo
Pedrie-Pionk

The weekend schedule left McCambridge puzzled. “To play a team like Hershey, who didn’t play the night before, and then Springfield, who didn’t play last night (back-to-back) in my 20 years of the AHL, was unusual. You hope this will even out in the latter part of the season.”

Wolf Pack jersey of the night was a #17 Domenic Moore jersey

Congrats to the Pack’s Equipment Manager, Craig Lewis. He and his wife, Kaitlyn, celebrated the birth of their second son, Connor, on Monday. So two-thirds of a line combination?

“No, a defensive pairing for now,” Lewis said jokingly.

Mother and son are doing well.

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The post CANTLON: (SUN) PACK DROP ANOTHER ONE TO SPRINGFIELD first appeared on Howlings.