VERSUS     

(We return with our regular coverage starting tonight)

BY: Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, March 30, 2012 – The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 3-0, Friday night at the XL Center.  Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe blanked the Whale with a 32-save performance, the fourth-straight defeat for the Whale (0-3-1-0).

The Penguins would strike fast and furious in the first period, tallying three goals in a span of 2:12 to get the jump on the Whale for good.

“It wasn’t a very good period,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “A lot of the things we talked about beforehand transpired, as far as what the [Penguins] are  going to bring to the table, and from our side of the things, the things we needed to bring to the table weren’t there for the first twenty minutes.

“We can’t spot teams a lead, teams that are ahead of you in the standings.”

The scoring began with former Whale Jason Williams’ score 6:49 into the opening period, Williams converting on the power-play as he snuck one past goaltender Chad Johnson (10 saves). Williams’ score, his 12^th of the season, was assisted by Colin McDonald and Geoff Walker.

Ben Street would tally his 26^th goal of the season less than a minute later at 7:23, corralling the puck and firing a shot over the catching glove of Johnson and into the top right corner of the net to quickly give the visitors a two goal lead. Nick Petersen assisted on the tally.

The Penguins would chase Johnson in favor of Cam Talbot (perfect with 18 saves) with their third goal of the period at the 9:01 mark, as Cody Wild’s shot had just enough on it to squeak through the pads of the Whale goaltender and in for his first goal of the campaign. Brian Gibbons and Ryan Craig both assisted on the goal.

The Whale would carry the flow of the game in the scoreless second period, outshooting the Penguins, 10-4. Munroe, however, kept Connecticut in check with several quality saves, including an up-close one-time opportunity by Ryan Bourque.

The Whale had three power-play opportunities in the second, but they would finish the first two periods zero-for-six with the extra attacker.

Despite playing another strong third period, the Whale could not push anything across against Munroe, as Connecticut was shut out at home, the second time they have been blanked in three games against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

The Whale take to the ice again Saturday night at the XL Center, when they host the Adirondack Phantoms in a key Northeast Division tilt (7:00 PM).

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 3 at Connecticut Whale 0
Friday, March 30, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

W-B/Scranton  3 0 0 – 3
Connecticut       0 0 0 – 0

1st Period-1, W-B/Scranton, Williams 12 (McDonald, Walker), 6:49 (PP). 2, W-B/Scranton, Street 26 (Petersen), 7:23. 3, W-B/Scranton, Wild 1 (Gibbons, Craig), 9:01. Penalties-Deveaux Ct (hooking), 5:32; MacIntyre Wbs (double minor – high-sticking), 12:19; Erixon Ct (holding), 15:16; Samuelsson Wbs (slashing), 18:02.
2nd Period– No Scoring.Penalties-Munroe Wbs (delay of game), 2:56; Deveaux Ct (high-sticking), 3:51; Walker Wbs (hooking), 5:27; Grant Wbs (tripping), 8:00; Walker Wbs (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:01; Newbury Ct (unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:01; Vernace Ct (interference), 14:17.
3rd Period– No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-W-B/Scranton 13-4-14-31. Connecticut 10-10-12-32.
Power Play Opportunities-W-B/Scranton 1 / 4; Connecticut 0 / 6.
Goalies-W-B/Scranton, Munroe 18-8-3 (32 shots-32 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 21-17-5 (13 shots-10 saves); Talbot 12-13-0 (18 shots-18 saves).
A-3,169
Referees-Jarrod Ragusin (54), Chris Brown (86).
Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Jim Briggs (83).

The post BLANKED – AGAIN first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CT Whale

Among the three most recent additions to the Whale roster, two, forward Andrew Yogan and defenseman Peter Ceresnak, were both Ranger draft picks and had been on the organization’s radar screen for at least a year.  The other, winger Steve Moses, though, was somewhat of an unknown commodity when he joined the Whale last week.

Early reviews are quite positive, however, for Moses, a Leominster, MA native who suited up for his first two pro games this past Saturday against Providence and Sunday at Bridgeport, after finishing a four-year career at the University of New Hampshire.

“I think he’s done a good job,” Whale head coach Ken Gernander said of Moses after Tuesday’s Whale practice.  “He’s a decent skater, he can get moving pretty good, he’s got some offensive skill.  The other night (in Bridgeport) he had five shots on goal, and I think he’s going to get more and more comfortable as things go along here.

“He’s a guy that looks to make a difference, he’s not feeling his way around getting the lay of the land.  He jumped right in, pretty tenacious guy.  I thought he had a good weekend.”

Moses did not have any points or penalty minutes in the two games, but did put seven total shots on net, after a Hockey East season in which he was by far and away the UNH leader in goals-scored (22) and tied for the Wildcats’ team lead in points, with 35 in 37 games.

“I think it’s gone pretty well,” Moses said Tuesday of his first professional action.  “I’ve had a lot of fun, been able to contribute some shots on net and definitely played more than I would have expected.  So it’s been a lot of fun, and I thank the teammates and the coaches for throwing me in and having some confidence in me.”

Even though the other jersey was the spoked P not the spoked B, it made for a great feeling for the Massachusetts-bred Moses for his first professional game to be against the Providence affiliate of the Stanley Cup-champion Bruins.

“That was pretty cool,” he said.  “I had just got here Thursday and worked out with the trainers Friday, so I didn’t know I was going to be playing until just before the game.  So it was pretty exciting, kind of a whirlwind weekend.  But certainly playing against Providence made it even more special, being the affiliate of the B’s.  It was a great experience, and I thank everyone in the organization for the opportunity.”

As for what the Whale coaching staff stressed to their newest player prior to his insertion into the lineup, Moses said, “They just try to tell me to keep it simple and do what I can do to help out the team.  We’ve just kind of gone over systems and how they want to play the game here, kind of just learning by doing right now and trying to get better every day.

“It’s not a whole lot different (than college), it’s a pretty simple game.  The games in the AHL are a little bit more structured, I think.  College guys are running around a little bit more, but the pros, it’s a little bit more of a simple game.  It’s been a little bit of an adjustment, but I feel like I’m getting a little more accustomed to it.”

Gernander’s take on Moses’ transition from the college game is, “I think he’s acquitted himself well.  I think he was probably recognized because of his speed and his offensive play, and you could see that that was evident in his game.  So the things that make him stand out he brought to the table this weekend.  There’ll be little things that pertain to the pro game that he’ll have to pick up or learn, but I think he’s a willing, energetic and receptive kid and it’ll come around pretty quickly for him.”

Moses had more than twice as many goals as the next highest-scoring Wildcat player this season, so he had to be thinking offense most of the time.  He understands, though, that in the AHL he will have to think more in terms of an all-around game.

“As you move up, you’ve got to fine-tune all the parts of your game,” Moses said.  “I certainly still want to be an offensive contributor here, and get pucks to the net, and try to score some goals at this level as well.”

In both of his first two Whale appearances, Moses has played on a line with Yogan, another youngster who is hoping to make a good early impression on the organization.  Although it’s kind of a “Mutt and Jeff”-type situation, with Moses being a lithe water-bug of a winger at 5-9 and 170 pounds and Yogan a big, 6-3, 203-pound centerman, Moses said he has already felt some chemistry with his new Major Junior-developed line-mate.

“He’s a great player, and he’s going to be a great player in this organization for a long time,” Moses said of Yogan.  “So it’s been nice to get some shifts with him.  He’s a big center and opens up some space for me, and it’s definitely been good.”

The other forward on the line with Moses and Yogan Sunday was Casey Wellman, who has already managed 21 goals and 41 points in 48 games this year between the Whale and the Houston Aeros.

“I think we played pretty well as a group,” Moses said.  “I think the team had 40-something shots on net (Sunday), their goalie played really well.  Hopefully in the upcoming weekend we can finish some more of our chances.  I know myself and some other guys definitely had some chances we could have buried, and maybe if we did that the outcome would have been different, but overall I think it was a pretty good 60-minute effort for the boys.”

As an undrafted college free agent, Moses had no obligation or connection to any particular pro team.  The opportunity with the Ranger organization, however, did not come right out of the blue.

“They’d (the Rangers) just been in touch with me throughout the season,” he said, “and my agents and I felt like this was a great opportunity to come here, and I think they liked me as a player and were going to give me a good opportunity.  So it was a good situation, and I’m glad that I made the decision to come here for an ATO.”

The situation for the Whale does seem like a good one for Moses, particularly in that the Whale’s forward depth has been somewhat in a state of flux all season, and took a hit recently when Mats Zuccarello was recalled by the Rangers and then suffered a broken wrist.

“We’re going to need to get more scoring,” Gernander said, “whether you want to call it secondary scoring, or from an unexpected source like this that can come out of college and maybe get us a goal here or there.  So anybody that can generate offense for us is going to get opportunity, and the other side of the coin, as long as you’re not a liability defensively there’s going to be room for you.”

Regardless of what happens with his pro career, Moses is grateful for what was an excellent college hockey experience in the Granite State.

“That (his UNH career) was the best four years of my life,” he said.  “(Head) Coach (Dick) Umile and the UNH coaching staff does an awesome job every year bringing in players, and the fans, and the community of UNH, loves hockey.  It’s packed in that building (the Whittemore Center) every night and they really treat us well, and I’ve really got to thank the UNH community.  It was just an awesome time, and college hockey is really a great experience, to play in Hockey East.”

The fact that the Wildcats are the biggest thing in town in the University’s home in Durham, NH creates a positive pressure to perform, according to Moses.

“By senior year I was really expected to lead the guys in the offensive department,” he said, “and it was kind of a pressure that I had come to enjoy and a role that I like to be in.

And though he has left Durham for now to begin a pro career, Moses’ studies remain important to him, as they have been throughout a college tenure that has seen him twice earn Hockey East All-Academic Team honors.

“My teachers and professors have been pretty helpful with me leaving school and being able to send some work and trying to finish up my degree here in the last couple months of my senior year,” Moses said.  “So they’ve definitely been supportive in me leaving school to pursue my career as a hockey player, but certainly it’s important that I try to get my degree as well.”

Moses’ relatively diminutive size certainly played a role in his never being drafted, but it certainly did not impede his Hockey East production, as Moses finished his Wildcat career with 85 points in 115 games his last three years, after a 13-point freshman campaign.  He does not see it as a big obstacle in the pro ranks either.

“With the new rule changes and the elimination of a lot of the clutching and grabbing and the obstruction,” Moses said, “guys that can move their feet and skate well certainly have a bit of an advantage, and that’s something that I try to pride myself on, and certainly try not to let size get in the way of me striving to reach my goals and dreams.”

Those goals and dreams began when Moses was a young tyke in Leominster, which is within shouting distance of Worcester, home of the AHL’s Sharks and a league stronghold since the 1994-95 season.

“It was the IceCats (playing at Worcester’s DCU Center) when I was a kid, and I went to a bunch of games when I was a young kid,” Moses said.  “And then as I got into playing hockey, my weekends were taken up by my own games, so I couldn’t go quite as much, but certainly was a fan of the American Hockey League growing up, and it’s pretty cool to be playing in the league now.”

BELL FIRING THE BISCUIT

Whale veteran defenseman Brendan Bell had ten shots on goal in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss in Bridgeport, which was decided by Sound Tiger blue-liner Matt Donovan’s power-play goal with two seconds remaining in the OT session.  Those ten shots were a pro career high for Bell, who had one assist in the game, and two more than any Whale player had put on net in a single game this season.  The Whale as a team equaled a season high with their 45 shots in Sunday’s contest, and interestingly, the other two previous times that Connecticut had put 45 shots on net in a game, the October 15^th home opener and November 18, were both also against the Sound Tigers….Bell’s fellow veteran, and fellow former Toronto Maple Leaf and Marlie, Kris Newbury also reached a personal milestone over the weekend.  Newbury’s late-game power-play goal in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Bruins was his pro career-high 23^rd of the season, surpassing the 22 he scored with the Marlies in 2005-06.

THREE-GAME WEEKEND

The Whale play three games in three days at home this weekend, hosting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Friday night (7:00 PM faceoff), Adirondack Saturday night (7:00) and Providence Sunday afternoon.  Faceoff for that Sunday game has been moved up to 2:00, to accommodate an arena concert changeover at the XL Center.  Friday’s game features a special meal combo deal that is available at all Friday home games for the rest of the regular season, as a hot dog and a 12-ounce soda costs only $5.  Saturday, meanwhile, will feature a game-worn jersey auction to benefit the March of Dimes.  Green game-worn jerseys of Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Lee Baldwin, Bell, Francois Bouchard, Tim Erixon, Chad Johnson, Jared Nightingale, Wade Redden, Andre Deveaux, Tommy Grant, Sam Klassen, Chris McKelvie, Newbury, Jordan Owens, Blake Parlett, Cam Talbot, Scott Tanski, Kelsey Tessier, Andreas Thuresson, Pavel Valentenko and Aaron Voros will be up for bids….This is the second time in three weeks that the Whale has played “three in three” at home.  Prior to this year, that had been done only twice in the franchise’s first 14 seasons of existence….Erixon, who has missed the Whale’s last five games while on recall to the parent New York Rangers, was a healthy scratch in the Blueshirts’ 3-2 win at Minnesota last night.  Ranger head coach John Tortorella, though, told the New York media that was not because he was unhappy with Erixon’s play, but because he wanted to get Anton Stralman, scratched the previous five games, out of the press box.  Stralman played 19:45 last night, and Erixon has averaged 13:00 in the 18 games he has played in a Ranger uniform this year.

The post HAWK’S VIEW – MOSES ARRIVES IN THE LAND WITH PROMISE first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

The Whale only managed one point out of three games this past weekend, but maintained a two-point lead over Bridgeport for first place in the Northeast Division.  The Whale fell to Portland, 4-1, on Friday night at home, then dropped a 3-2 decision to the P-Bruins the following night in Hartford. Connecticut gathered one point in a 4-3 overtime road defeat to the Sound Tigers to close out the weekend Sunday.  Kris Newbury and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault led the Whale offense with a goal and two assists each on the weekend.

This week:

• The Whale host three opponents in three days this weekend, starting with a date against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night at the XL Center (7:00 PM faceoff). The next night, the Adirondack Phantoms come to town for their final Northeast Division clash of the season with the Whale (7:00), and the Whale close out the weekend’s action on Sunday with another tilt against the Providence Bruins.  That game faces off at a special time of 2:00 PM.

Friday, March 30 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

• This is the third of four clashes on the campaign between the Whale and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
• As at every remaining Friday-night Whale home game in the regular season, fans can take advantage of a special meal combo deal at this game.  A hot dog and a 12-ounce soda is only $5.
• The Whale have split two meetings with the Penguins so far this season, winning once in a shootout in Wilkes-Barre before dropping a 3-2 overtime decision at the XL Center in their last head-to-head action on Jan. 27.
• Jonathan Audy-Marchessault has scored once against the Penguins this season, also tallying a shootout winning goal against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in just his second professional game on October 9.
• Former Whale Jason Williams has scored twice for the Penguins against his old club to pace Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
• The Penguins lost two out of three games this past weekend with defeats to Adirondack and St. John’s, but salvaged the weekend with a 5-3 win over Springfield on Sunday.
• Television – this game features the second of three live “Whale TV” telecasts on CPTV Sports, presented by Webster Bank, with Bob Crawford and Garry Swain at the mikes.  CPTV Sports is available on Comcast cable channels 185, 187 and 744 and on the Cox Communications cable system channel 144.
• Radio – CT Whale “Rockin’ Hockey”, live with Mark Bailey, on “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, and on-line at CTWhale.com.

Saturday, March 31 vs. Adirondack Phantoms at the XL Center, 7:00 PM

• There will be a Whale game-worn jersey auction at this game, to benefit the March of Dimes.  Green game-worn jerseys of Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Lee Baldwin, Brendan Bell, Francois Bouchard, Tim Erixon, Chad Johnson, Jared Nightingale, Wade Redden, Andre Deveaux, Tommy Grant, Sam Klassen, Chris McKelvie, Kris Newbury, Jordan Owens, Blake Parlett, Cam Talbot, Scott Tanski, Kelsey Tessier, Andreas Thuresson, Pavel Valentenko and Aaron Voros will be up for bids.
• The Whale meet the Adirondack Phantoms Saturday night in their final meeting of four head-to-head tilts this season.
• Connecticut has taken two of three meetings with the Phantoms on the season, winning the last two since dropping the first game of the season to Adirondack in October.
• Kris Newbury tallied a hat trick in that first game, a 6-3 Whale loss October 8, and has added two assists for five points in action against the Phantoms. Denis Hamel has tallied four points (1-3-4) against Connecticut this season, with Mike Testwuide tallying two goals and an assist.
• The Phantoms have won three straight games after snapping a three-game losing streak, putting them two points behind the Syracuse Crunch for eighth place, the last playoff spot, in the Eastern Conference.
• Former Wolf Pack Matthew Ford tallied three goals and an assist for four points this weekend for the Phantoms. Rookie Jason Akeson leads the Phantoms in scoring with 49 points on the season (11-38-49).
• Radio – CT Whale “Rockin’ Hockey”, live with Bob Crawford, Garry Swain and Mark Bailey, on “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, and on-line at CTWhale.com.

Sunday, April 1 vs. Providence Bruins at the XL Center, 2:00 PM

• Faceoff time for this contest was moved up to 2:00 PM from its original scheduled start time of 3:00 PM.
• The Whale clash with the Providence Bruins on Sunday for the second time in eight days, looking to snap a four-game skid against the P-Bruins.
• Connecticut started the season series with three straight wins against Providence, but has dropped all four since (0-3-0-1), including last Saturday’s 3-2 decision.
• Kris Newbury has tallied seven points (3-4-7) against the Bruins this season, while Carter Camper has gathered four goals and two assists against the Whale for Providence.
• The Bruins ride a four-game winning-streak into this week’s action, having edged Portland, 2-1, in a shootout on Sunday to close out their weekend.
• Providence has closed to within two points of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, in a virtual tie with the Adirondack Phantoms.
• Radio – CT Whale “Rockin’ Hockey”, live with Bob Crawford, Garry Swain and Mark Bailey, on “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, and on-line at CTWhale.com

“Whale TV”, presented by Webster Bank:

The following special “Whale TV” selections are available this week to Comcast Xfinity on Demand customers throughout New England, in the “Get Local” folder of Comcast’s On Demand Service:

• Andrew Yogan Interview (Whale Special Events folder) – New York Ranger 2010 fourth-round draft pick Andrew Yogan, sits down with Bob Crawford, the voice of the Whale, to talk about being one of the latest additions to the Whale roster and Yogan’s excellent season in the Ontario Hockey League this year.
• Whale vs. Providence Game (Game of the Week folder) – an edited re-broadcast of the Whale’s XL Center battle with their arch-rivals the Providence Bruins from this past Saturday night.
• Every week, CPTV Sports will air an edited re-broadcast of a Whale game, on “Whale TV Replay”.  CPTV Sports is available on Comcast cable channels 185, 187 and 744 and on the Cox Communications cable system channel 144.
• This Tuesday night at 7:00 PM, Whale TV Replay will feature a re-broadcast of the energetic clash between the Whale and P-Bruins Saturday night.

Recent Transactions:

• Blake Parlett – Reassigned by the NY Rangers from the Whale to Greenville (ECHL) March 22
• Steve Moses – Signed by the Whale to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement March 23
• Peter Ceresnak – Signed by the Whale to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement March 21
• Andrew Yogan – Signed by the Whale to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement March 21

Whale Tales:

• Fans can take advantage of multiple opportunities to put in auction bids on Whale game-worn jerseys this week.  White Whale game-worn jerseys of Sean Avery, Stu Bickel, Ryan Bourque, Erik Christensen, Carl Hagelin, John Mitchell, Wojtek Wolski, Jeff Woywitka and Mats Zuccarello are up for auction on E-bay through this Tuesday, March 27 at 12 noon.  Green game-worn jerseys of Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, Lee Baldwin, Brendan Bell, Francois Bouchard, Tim Erixon, Chad Johnson, Jared Nightingale, Wade Redden, Andre Deveaux, Tommy Grant, Sam Klassen, Chris McKelvie, Kris Newbury, Jordan Owens, Blake Parlett, Cam Talbot, Scott Tanski, Kelsey Tessier, Andreas Thuresson, Pavel Valentenko and Aaron Voros will be auctioned off at the Whale’s home game this Saturday, March 31 vs. Adirondack, to benefit the March of Dimes.
• The Whale will be hosting a “CT Whale Trail Pub Crawl” this Saturday, March 31, from 3:00 PM to the 7:00 PM faceoff of their game that night at the XL Center vs. the Adirondack Phantoms.  The Pub Crawl will go through five fine downtown Hartford establishments: the Federal Café, 84 Union Place; Pig’s Eye Pub, 356 Asylum St.; The Tavern Downtown, 100 Allyn St.;  The Russian Lady, 191 Ann Uccello St.; and McKinnon’s Irish Pub, 114 Asylum St., before ending at the XL Center for the Whale game.  The cost to join the Pub Crawl is $20 for the general public and $10 for Whale ticket plan holders, and that includes a ticket to the March 31 Whale game and a blue Whale-tail scarf.  There will be $2 Bud, Bud Light and Bud Light Platinum drink specials, and two Big Gig tickets, a Whale merchandise prize pack and a Budweiser prize pack will be raffled off at each Pub Crawl location.  A portion of the proceeds from the Pub Crawl will benefit the March of Dimes.  For Pub Crawl tickets, visit CTWhale.com or call the Whale office at (860) 728-3366.
• Whale season seat-holders who reserve their full-season 2012-13 Whale tickets by April 13 will receive access for four people to the luxurious CT Whale Director’s Suite at the XL Center, for one Whale 2012-13 home game.  This allows the opportunity to watch the game alongside Whale executive personnel and special guests, and to enjoy all of the high-end amenities of the Director’s Suite.  Additionally, all Whale full-season 2012-13 subscribers who purchase by April 13 will receive a custom-made, high-quality season ticket-holder jersey fleece.  The jersey fleece will be exclusive to Whale full-season ticket-holders, and will feature a “Season Ticket Holder 2012-13” patch that designates it as a unique item.  For more information on purchasing Whale season tickets, call (860) 728-3366, visit the Season Ticket Holder table behind Section 101 at a Whale home game or log on to CTWhale.com.
• College students can get discounted tickets to Whale weekday games with the Whale’s “Ditch the Dorms” deal.  For Monday through Friday home games, students who show a valid student ID at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center can get $2 off Upper Level tickets and $5 off Lower Level seats.
• Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats, mini plans and great group discounts, visit CTWhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

The AHL’s Connecticut Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin and Howard Baldwin, Jr.. The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

Since 1972, the CT Lottery has generated nearly $21.4 billion in sales and has transferred more than $7.2 billion to the state’s General Fund. Prizes have exceeded $12.3 billion. Purchasers must be 18 years or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-346-6238. For more information about the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, visit CTLottery.org.

CATCH THE WHALE AT CTWHALE.COM

The post WHALE WEEKLY: March 26 – April 1, 2012 first appeared on Howlings.

VERSUS     

(We apologize as we’re unavailable for our normal direct CTWhale coverage for the next couple of games due to scheduling conflicts…)

BY: Brian Ring

The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-3 in overtime, Sunday afternoon at the Webster Bank Arena. Matt Donovan scored the game-winning goal for Bridgeport with two seconds left in overtime with the Sound Tigers on the power-play.

Andre Deveaux, Mike Vernace and Tommy Grant each scored for Connecticut.

“It’s obviously getting a little redundant, pretty frustrating to come in after games and say your margin of error is going to be so slim and they’re going to be one-goal games, you’ve got to do a little better job securing the puck,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander.

“It gets a little bit frustrating.”

The in-state rivals would combine for five goals in the first period alone, as the Sound Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals in a span of 1:54.

Scott Howes scored first for the home team, as he stuffed his tenth of the season between the left pad of Whale goaltender Cam Talbot (32 saves) and the goal post at 9:09. Tyler Gron and Justin DiBenedetto were handed out assists on the game’s opening tally.

The Sound Tigers doubled their lead at 11:03, when Rhett Rakhshani blistered a shot past Talbot after the Whale failed to clear an initial chance from the zone.

Vernace brought the Whale within a marker at the 12:35 mark, registering his first Whale goal with a slapper from the top of the circles beating the SOund Tigers gatekeeper, Kevin Poulin (42 saves). Kelsey Tessier and Scott Tanski earned points with their both assisted on the goal. For Tessier it was his 17th of the season and for Tanski, he notched number five.

Connecticut erased their deficit on the power-play at 16:47, after Brendan Bell’s slap-shot from the blue line was tipped by Grant and the puck with eyes, to steal a baseball reference, found its way past Poulin for the equalizer. Grant’s 11th goal of the season was assisted by Bell and Wade Redden.

The Sound Tigers sent the game into the second period with a 3-2 lead over their intra-state rivals. After the Whale turned aside an odd-man rush, Steve Oleksy earned his first career AHL goal with 54 seconds remaining, slipping the puck past Talbot.

Despite the Whale dominating play and outshooting Bridgeport in the second period, 14-8, and receiving the only two power-play opportunities of the frame, neither team scored in the minutes 21-40.

Deveaux scored a huge goal to tie the game for the Whale, and ultimately buy them a standings point at 7:08 of the third period. The Whale forward found the puck in the midst of a scrum in front of Poulin and put it into the back of the cage.

The Whale carried a power play into overtime, but were unable to capitalize and found themselves shorthanded after Kris Newbury was whistled for hooking with just 44 seconds remaining in the extra session.

It seemed like the game was destined for a shootout, but Donovan’s shot through traffic in front of the Whale net distracted Talbot long enough to put win the game winner into the net with a mere two seconds left.

It could have been worse for the Whale, despite losing, the Bridgeport win cut the lead of the Ranger’s AHL affiliate in the Northeast Division to just two points. Bridgeport now also has a game in hand on their upstate rivals. That game will be made up on Tuesday against the Worcester Sharks who lost Sunday 5-1 to the Manchester Monarchs.

The Whale next return to action Friday (03/30), when they host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the XL Center (7:00 PM).

We’ve said it many times, Mike Fornabaio does one of the best jobs ANYWHERE in covering his team. Here’s his report on Sunday’s game in the CTPost.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS:

(Conference)

(Division)

(Standings provided by TheAHL.com)

* Steve Zipay of Newsday reports on his Twitter account that the Rangers have stated that Mats Zuccarello will have surgery on his fractured left wrist tomorrow morning.

LINES:

Audy-Marchessault – Newbury – Deveaux 
Grant – Tessier –Tanski
Bourque – Owens – Thuresson
Wellman – Yogan – Moses

REDDEN – Nightingale
Bell – Klassen
Valentenko – Vernace

Talbot
Johnson

(Captain in CAPS / Assistant Captains are Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Francois Bouchard – Broken Wrist – Indefinite
Chad Kolarik – Knee – (Can’t Play Due To Roster Issue)
Peter Ceresnak – Healthy Scratch
Sean Avery – Healthy Scratch
Jeff Prough – Healthy Scratch

THREE STARS:

1. BRI – K. Poulin
2. BRI – S. Oleksy
3. BRI – M. Donovan

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Tim Mayer (19)

Linesmen:
Luke Galvin (2)
Brent Colby (7)

NEXT GAME:

This is NOT the time to be slumping and the Whale are. They will have a week to rediscover whatever it was that they were ding right and correct whatever it is that Ken Gernander and his staff think they need to do to fix it. The Whale will be home on Friday to face the always tough, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before facing the Adirondack Phantoms on Saturday and finish out the weekend with a chance to redeem themselves against Providence when the Bruins come to the XL center. Friday and Saturday will have 7pm game times and Sunday is at 3pm. You can hear all the action with Bob Crawford on WCCC.com starting at ten minutes before game time.

To watch the game live, you can purchased it for $6.99 at AHL-live.

For Ticket information for all home games, call (860) 548-2000.

Too far away or can’t make it? Listen live at WCCC.com or from your cell phone or computer you can get all the live action via our Twitter page:@HowlingsToday for all games both home and away.

SCORE SHEET:

CT Whale 3 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4 (OT) – Status: Final OT
Sunday, March 25, 2012 – Webster Bank Arena

Connecticut  2 0 1 0 – 3
Bridgeport     3 0 0 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Howes 10 (Gron, DiBenedetto), 9:09. 2, Bridgeport, Rakhshani 15 (Ness, Landry), 11:03. 3, Connecticut, Vernace 3 (Tessier, Tanski), 12:35. 4, Connecticut, Grant 11 (Bell, Redden), 16:47 (PP). 5, Bridgeport, Oleksy 1 (Donovan, Marcinko), 19:14. Penalties-Vernace Ct (slashing), 12:56; Donovan Bri (hooking), 15:19; Marcinko Bri (holding), 16:59.

2nd Period– No Scoring.Penalties-Oleksy Bri (high-sticking), 6:11; Katic Bri (tripping), 15:59.

3rd Period-6, Connecticut, Deveaux 20 (Valentenko, Newbury), 7:08. Penalties-Wishart Bri (high-sticking), 10:05; Backman Bri (hooking), 19:21.

OT Period-7, Bridgeport, Donovan 9 (Katic, Rakhshani), 4:58 (PP). Penalties-Newbury Ct (hooking), 4:06.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 14-14-13-4-45. Bridgeport 16-8-9-3-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 6; Bridgeport 1 / 2.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 12-13-0 (36 shots-32 saves). Bridgeport, Poulin 18-17-4 (45 shots-42 saves).
A-7,573
Referees-Tim Mayer (19).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Brent Colby (7).

The post SPECIAL TEAMS COST WHALE STANDINGS POINT first appeared on Howlings.

VERSUS     

(We apologize as we’re unavailable for our normal direct CTWhale coverage for the next couple of games due to scheduling conflicts…)

BY:  Brian Ring

The Connecticut Whale were defeated by the Providence Bruins, 3-2, Saturday night at the XL Center before a crowd of 5,794. Craig Cunningham had a goal and an assist and Josh Hennessy had two assists to lead the Bruins in scoring, with Zach Trotman providing the game-winner.

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Kris Newbury both scored and had an assist for Connecticut, which lost its fourth straight game to the Bruins.

“This time of year you need points, it doesn’t matter how,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “Our margin of error is such right now that given the time of year and the style we have to play, teams are going to create their own offense and it’s going to be tooth and nail.”

Audy-Marchessault opened the scoring 8:10 into the opening period with his 23^rd goal of the season, blasting a shot from the point past Bruins goaltender Anton Khudobin (33 saves). The goal was assisted by both Newbury and Wade Redden.

The Whale outshot the Bruins, 12-9, in the first period, with the home team carrying much of the offensive play. Khudobin contributed a key save on Andrew Yogan which kept the game 1-0 headed into the second period.

Cunningham would tie the game for Providence just 41 seconds into the second frame, taking advantage of a five minute power-play awarded after a boarding call on Yogan. Cunningham received a pass from Hennessy at the blue line and cut in past the Whale defense, breaking in on Whale goaltender Chad Johnson (28 saves) and scoring on the backhand.

The Bruins would stake themselves to a 2-1 lead with 5:01 left to play in the second, as Kirk MacDonald blasted a shot from the high slot through Johnson. Hennessy earned his second assist of the night on the goal, with Jared Staal notching the secondary helper.

Providence would strike again on the power-play 4:18 into the third period, as Trotman tallied his first professional goal in his first pro game to make it 3-1, providing the eventual game-winner. Trotman put a shot through traffic over Johnson, with assists going to David Warsofsky and Cunningham.

Newbury would get the Whale to within 3-2 on the power-play with 30 seconds to play, but a miracle comeback was not in the making, and the Whale fell by the same score.

The Whale close out this weekend’s action on Sunday afternoon, when they visit the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (3:00) at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard.

The Providence Bruins have even less coverage than the Whale do. Here’s the only news source on the game…just from their website.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS:

(Conference)

(Division)

(Standings provided by TheAHL.com)

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* Most interesting stat of the week comes from our good friend, and one of the best beat writers we know, Mike Fornabaio at the CTPost:

“In current, modern, points-for-all, bonus-points for OTL and SOW, there is only one Eastern Conference team below points-.500 right now, Binghamton. But if you translate those all back to W-L-T, the way it was pre-1994, only five are over.500: Norfolk (44-19-5), St. John’s (35-24-7), Wilkes-Barre (31-24-12), Hershey (30-24-12) and… Bridgeport (28-27-10). Standings under those terms: BPT 66, HFD 64, ADK 62, SPR 60, ALB 59; NOR 93 (yes, 93; they have only four bonus points right now), WBS 74, HER 72, SYR 62, BIN 55; SJ 77, MCR 66, WOR 61, POR 60, PRO 58.”

* Based upon how the standings sit right now, the Whale’s first round playoff opponents would be the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Right now what’s at stake for the Whale is who has home ice advantage. Assuming things remain where they are.

* AHL PARADY? Currently in the standings, you have NINE teams that are within SIX points. Nothing I set in stone right now. Starting with Bridgeport at 73 points, just three behind the Whale with a game in hand, Manchester and Syracuse are seven and eight but trail the Sound Tigers by just two points. Springfield follows them in ninth just three points back at 68 and then the log jam. Worcester, Adirondack, Portland, Albany and Providence all have 67. This isn’t over folks. The Whale need to get wins. If they don’t they could not only not finish third, but they could wind up on the outside looking in.

LINES:

Grant – Tessier –Wellman 
Audy-Marchessault – Newbury – Deveaux
Bourque – Owens – Tanski
Moses – Yogan – Thuresson

REDDEN – Nightingale
Valentenko – Vernace
Bell – Klassen

Johnson
Talbot

(Captain in CAPS / Assistant Captains are Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Francois Bouchard – Broken Wrist – Indefinite
Chad Kolarik – Knee – (Can’t Play Due To Roster Issue)
Peter Ceresnak – Healthy Scratch
Sean Avery – Healthy Scratch
Jeff Prough – Healthy Scratch

THREE STARS:

1. PRO – 14 Craig Cunningham
2. PRO – 11 Josh Hennessy
3. CT – 18 Jonathan Audy-Marchessault

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Ryan Hersey (46)

Linesmen:
Brent Colby (7)
Marty Demers (79)

NEXT GAME:

The Whale have a crucial battle on Sunday afternoon in Bridgeport with the Sound Tigers. If there has been a MUST WIN game all season, this one is it. The Sound Tigers trail the Whale by three points with a game in hand. They need to win this one and win it in regulation. If they lose in regulation, they will find themselves in a real dogfight just to make the playoffs. (See above).

You can hear all the action Sunday afternoon with Bob Crawford on WCCC.com starting at 2:50pm.

To watch the game live, you can purchased it for $6.99 at AHL-live.

For Ticket information for all home games, call (860) 548-2000.

Too far away or can’t make it? Listen live at WCCC.com or from your cell phone or computer you can get all the live action via our Twitter page:@HowlingsToday for all games both home and away.

SCORE SHEET:

Providence Bruins 3 at Connecticut Whale 2 – Status: Final
Saturday, March 24, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Providence      0 2 1 – 3
Connecticut   1 0 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Audy-Marchessault 23 (Newbury, Redden), 8:10. Penalties-McKelvie Pro (fighting), 14:12; Owens Ct (fighting), 14:12; Yogan Ct (major – boarding, game misconduct – boarding), 18:55.

2nd Period-2, Providence, Cunningham 18 (Hennessy, Warsofsky), 0:41 (PP). 3, Providence, MacDonald 9 (Hennessy, Staal), 14:59. Penalties-No Penalties

3rd Period-4, Providence, Trotman 1 (Warsofsky, Cunningham), 4:18 (PP). 5, Connecticut, Newbury 23 (Audy-Marchessault), 19:31 (PP). Penalties-Audy-Marchessault Ct (charging), 3:48; Robins Pro (holding), 6:32; Miller Pro (high-sticking), 10:05; Ridderwall Pro (fighting), 11:42; Valentenko Ct (fighting), 11:42; Camper Pro (holding), 18:25.

Shots on Goal-Providence 9-15-7-31. Connecticut 12-15-8-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Providence 2 / 3; Connecticut 1 / 3.
Goalies-Providence, Khudobin 21-17-3 (35 shots-33 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 21-16-5 (31 shots-28 saves).
A-5,794
Referees-Ryan Hersey (46).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Marty Demers (79).

The post WHALE BRUIN TROUBLE first appeared on Howlings.

VERSUS     

BY: Bruce Berlet

The Portland Pirates, involved in a wild, multi-team chase for the final Eastern Conference playoff spots, parlayed goals from four different players and 29 saves from Peter Mannino into a 4-1 victory Friday over the Whale at the XL Center.

“If there was a loose-puck race, more times than not, they came up with it,” Whale head coach Ken Gernander said. “I thought we had some poor decisions where we turned pucks over and paid the price. A couple of times we go to check, they move the puck and we don’t maintain our defensive position and allow them to get the rebound.”

The victory moved the Pirates (30-28-3-4) into a tie for 10^th place with Worcester and Albany with 67 points, one behind Syracuse and Springfield, which each won Friday night and share the eighth and final playoff berth. Meanwhile, the Whale (33-22-5-5) saw their lead in the Northeast Division sliced to three points over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who lost 3-2 in a shootout at Springfield. The Whale had been 14-5-1-0 in their previous 20 games and were an AHL-best 19-6-2-4 at home, including the three wins over the Pirates.

But the Pirates had the edge in every area Friday night, and coach Ray Edwards was especially pleased with the defensive effort after a tough 5-4 shootout loss five days earlier in which Portland rallied from a two-goal deficit, only to lose the lead on All-Star Jonathan Audy-Marchessault’s goal with 2:05 left in regulation.

“We played solid,” Edwards said. “We’re a team that’s desperate, and I thought we played with some desperation. We needed the points more than them. … You knew they were going to push, and we didn’t handle it every well, but we got through it and Mannino made a couple of good saves. Sunday we were game, but there were so many momentum shifts that at times we looked really good and at times looked really tired. I didn’t mind our game because we out-chanced them 16-14 and liked a lot of what we saw. The problem is that when you play three games in three days there’s a lot of mental mistakes. Tonight I thought we were way better defensively and gave us way less chances. When we did, Petie was there for us.”

Both teams had good chances early as Whale rookie wing Ryan Bourque hit the post at 1:42, Mannino made a good stop on Audy-Marchessault off a 2-on-1 at 3:39 after Pirates defenseman Tyler Eckford fell and Whale goalie Chad Johnson slid across to rob All-Star Brett Sterling on a one-timer from the left circle at 4:36.

But on an ensuing rush, the Pirates took a lead they would never relinquish. Ashton Rome’s shot from the left circle missed the net and caromed off the end boards to the right circle to Jordan Szwarz, whose centering pass/shot deflected off Whale defenseman Sam Klassen’s skate and was stopped by Johnson. But the rebound went directly into the slot to a wide-open Rome for easy finish into an open net for his ninth goal at 4:52.

Johnson (23 saves) then kept it close when he denied a wide-open Kenndal McArdle in front at 9:44 and got his right pad on All-Star Andy Miele’s close-in bid with 7:38 left in the period on the Pirates’ first power play.

But the Pirates broke open the game with two goals 73 seconds apart early in the second period. Sterling gave Portland a 2-0 lead when he stole the puck from Audy-Marchessault at the blueline, broke in alone and converted his own rebound at 7:09 for his 26^th goal of the season, fourth in eight games since joining the Pirates on March 3.

Moments later, former New York Rangers prospect Ethan Werek dug the puck away from Whale defenseman Mike Vernace behind the net, circled into the right circle and fired a shot that hit defenseman Pavel Valentenko’s right elbow and beat Johnson to the far side at 8:22. It was Werek’s eighth goal of the season and fourth in three games.

Mannino was sharp to deny rookie Andrew Yogan weaving down the slot at 2:21 in his first game in his second go-around with the Whale. Then less than three minutes later, Pirates defenseman Mark Louis dove across to make the save of the game, stopping a wide-open Yogan with Mannino down and out of position.

“I thought I had a little more time,” Yogan said. “I should have bared down a little more.”

Given those reprieves, Alexandre Bolduc sealed the win when he scored his third goal of the season on a breakaway, beating Johnson between the legs at 9:32.

The Whale then got their first major break and ended Mannino’s shutout when Audy-Marchessault won a faceoff that Casey Wellman touched to Redden, whose slapshot from the left point deflected off Eckford’s stick and into the net for his third goal with 8:05 left.

But the Pirates weren’t to be denied on this night.

“Sometimes when bounces don’t go your way you got to find a way to get through that,” Redden said. “Tonight we didn’t do enough good things to get the win. There were some good times and a lot of poor times.

“We had times where we played in their zone, but we didn’t sustain it. We spent too much time in our end and were sloppy.”

YOGAN MAKES SEASON DEBUT WITH WHALE

Yogan made his season debut with the Whale, after he and defenseman Peter Ceresnak signed amateur tryout contracts with the Whale on Wednesday from the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes.

Yogan ended his junior career with a “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” of four goals, one assist and a fight in an 8-6 victory over Oshawa and right wing Christian Thomas, the Rangers’ second-round pick in 2010 who had a goal and an assist. Yogan also was plus-4 and had a game-high seven shots, but since the Petes (27-34-3-4) had been beaten out of the final playoff spot in the last week of the season by Thomas and the Oshawa Generals, he and Ceresnak headed for Hartford, signed the ATO agreements and began practicing with the Whale on Wednesday. Thomas, meanwhile, had one goal Thursday night as Oshawa was routed 8-2 by top-seeded Niagara, led by four first-round draft picks, including Ryan Strome, selected fifth overall by the New York Islanders in 2011. Strome had one goal and two assists and the IceDogs were 5-for-8 on the power play as they amassed a 51-35 shot advantage. They took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 6-1 romp Friday night.

Yogan, a 20-year-old from Boca Raton, Fla., was named OHL Player of the Week after getting four goals and four assists and being plus-4 in three games to finish March with 17 points in seven games. The Rangers’ fourth-round pick in 2010 finished the season with career highs in goals (41), assists (37) and points (78) and was plus-8 with 96 penalty minutes in 66 games to end a five-year OHL career with 96 goals, 90 assists and 287 penalty minutes in 240 games with the Windsor Spitfires, Erie Otters and Petes.

Yogan got several weeks of pro experience a year ago. After missing most of last season with an injury, the 6-foot-3, 203-pound Yogan had two goals and earned No. 1 star in his pro debut, a 4-3 loss to Bridgeport on April 9. He also had an assist in his other Whale appearance the next night, a 6-3 loss to Norfolk.

The 6-3, 209-pound Ceresnak, the Rangers’ sixth-round pick in 2011 from Trencin, Slovakia, had six goals, nine assists, 64 PIMs and was minus-1 in 61 games in his first junior season.

On Friday, the Whale signed right wing Steve Moses to an ATO. Moses, 22, of Leominster, Mass., tied for the team lead in scoring with the University of New Hampshire with a career-high 36 points, including a career-high 22 goals, in 37 games. Moses passed his physical Friday but was scratched, along with Ceresnak and injured wing Francois Bouchard.

TWO IN, TWO OUT FOR PIRATES

Right wing Brett MacLean (36 points) and defenseman Nathan Oystrick (31), the Pirates’ third- and sixth-leading scorers, returned to the lineup after missing one and five games, respectively, because of injuries. But the Pirates were without captain Dean Arsene (family matter), a former defenseman with the Hartford Wolf Pack, and right wing Ryan Duncan, who needed 45 stitches during 41/2 hours of surgery at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford to repair lacerations to his face after Wellman’s skate accidently grazed him early in overtime of a 5-4 shootout loss Sunday. Duncan, tied for fourth on the Pirates in scoring (32 points), skated with the team for the first time Friday morning since the incident but wasn’t ready to play.

“It was scary at first, but everybody did a great job here and made me feel comfortable,” Duncan said. “Once I found out that it wasn’t so serious, I got lucky and was pretty fortunate. It could have been a lot worse. I got a few stitches in there, which was the only painful part, but since then, it has been pretty painless and I’m on the road to recovery. My breathing is good, so there’s nothing bad except for the cut.”

Duncan hopes to play Saturday night when the Pirates visit Manchester, but he commended Wellman before leaving Hartford.

“Wellman texted me that night,” Duncan said. “That was very nice. He knows and I know that it was an accident, but that just shows what kind of guy he is, very classy. It made me feel good, and hopefully I eased his mind a little bit, too. He shouldn’t be worrying about it. It’s just an accident.”

The Pirates also scratched defensemen Maxim Goncharov (upper body) and Harrison Ruopp, centers Colin Long (concussion) and Justin Maylan, left wing Spencer Bennett and former Wolf Pack wing Ryan Hollweg (knee surgery). Ruopp, a third-round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2011, and Maylan, a free agent and teammate of Ruopp with the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League, signed ATOs on Thursday.

On Friday, the Coyotes signed free-agent forward Scott Arnold to a two-year, entry-level contract. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Arnold had 10 goals, eight assists and 42 penalty minutes in 33 games with Niagara University of the Atlantic Hockey Association last season. Arnold, 21, a native of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, had 26 goals, 14 assists and 91 PIM in 67 games with the Purple Eagles and his sophomore year after battling and beating testicular cancer last summer. He’ll start with the Coyotes but could join the Pirates for the playoffs.

WHALE HOST PROVIDENCE SATURDAY NIGHT, AT BRIDGEPORT ON SUNDAY

The Whale ends a five-game homestand Saturday night when they host Providence before visiting Bridgeport on Sunday afternoon after a NCAA men’s hockey tournament regional is played at Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard on Friday and Saturday.

The Whale are 3-2-0-1 against the Bruins, winning the first three meetings and losing the last three, and 4-2-2-1 against the Sound Tigers entering the final game of the GEICO Connecticut Cup season series. The Bruins (29-30-3-4), who beat visiting Manchester 5-2 Friday night, are a longshot for the playoffs with the next-to-worst record in the Eastern Conference and are without center/captain Trent Whitfield, recalled by the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. He was replaced by center Max Sauve, a nemesis for the Whale in the past.

The Sound Tigers (32-24-3-6) are in a 0-5-0-3 slide after a stunning 20-2-0-2 run that vaulted them from last to first in the division. … The Norfolk Admirals beat the visiting Albany Devils 2-1 to establish the longest winning streak in the AHL’s 76-year history with their 19^th consecutive victory. They had shared the record with Syracuse, which won 15 in a row at the end of the 2007-08 season and three at the start of 2008-09. The Admirals’ 19-game streak is two better than the NHL record held by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

RANGERS LOSE GAME, ZUCCARELLO

Drew Stafford had two goals and an assists and Ryan Miller made 26 saves as the Buffalo Sabres beat the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers 4-1 Friday night. The loss prevented the Rangers from tying the St. Louis Blues for the NHL overall points lead with 101.

The Rangers also lost AHL All-Star wing Mats Zuccarello, who fractured his left wrist when hit by a shot in the first period and will be sidelined indefinitely. Zuccarello, recalled from the Whale on March 11, turned away from a shot by Sabres defenseman Jordan Leopold and was struck at 8:48. After nudging the puck, he immediately skated to the bench with his left arm hanging limply at his side and gingerly climbed over the boards. Zuccarello had two goals in 10 games with the Rangers during two recalls.

On the positive side, Erixon, recalled from the Whale last week, got his first NHL point when he assisted on Brian Boyle’s goal that tied it at 1 at 9:32 of the second period. Henrik Lundqvist had 22 saves for the Rangers.

Bruce pulled double duty also filing the story for Portland in the Press Herald.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

STANDINGS:

(Conference)

(Division)

(Standings provided by TheAHL.com)

SOUNDS OF THE GAME:

Ken Gernander: 

Wade Redden: 

Andrew Yogan: 

Chad Johnson: 

VIDEO:

Game Highlights:

Ken Gernander Post-Game Press Conference:

NOTES:

* Our most heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery to Mats Zuccarello. Here’s hoping that “The Norwegian Hobbit” can make a speedy recovery and be a part of the Rangers post season playoffs.

LINES:

Grant – Tessier –Audy-Marchessault
Wellman – Newbury – Deveaux
Bourque – Owens –  Tanski
Prough – Yogan – Thuresson

REDDEN – Nightingale
Valentenko – Vernace
Bell – Klassen

Johnson
Talbot

(Captain in CAPS / Assistant Captains are Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Francois Bouchard – Broken Wrist – Indefinite
Chad Kolarik – Knee – (Can’t Play Due To Roster Issue)
Peter Ceresnak – Healthy Scratch
Sean Avery – Healthy Scratch
Steve Moses – Healthy Scratch

THREE STARS:

1. POR – P. Mannino
2. POR – B. Sterling
3. CT – W. Redden

ON ICE OFFICIALS:

Referee:
Chris Brown (86)

Linesmen:
Kevin Redding (16)
Derek Wahl (46)

NEXT GAME:

The Whale have now dropped two straight and need to get back on the stick, pardon the pun. The Providence Bruins return to the XL Center before the Whale head to Bridgeport for a crucial battle on Sunday afternoon. You can hear all the action Saturday with Bob Crawford and Garry Swain in the booth and Mark Bailey ice-side on WCCC.com starting at 6:50pm.

To watch the game live, you can purchased it for $6.99 at AHL-live.

For Ticket information for all home games, call (860) 548-2000.

Too far away or can’t make it? Listen live at WCCC.com or from your cell phone or computer you can get all the live action via our Twitter page:@HowlingsToday for all games both home and away.

SCORE SHEET:

Portland Pirates 4 at Connecticut Whale 1 – Status: Final
Friday, March 23, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Portland            1 2 1 – 4
Connecticut  0 0 1 – 1

1st Period-1, Portland, Rome 9 (Szwarz), 4:52. Penalties-Audy-Marchessault Ct (slashing), 10:25; Oystrick Por (high-sticking), 16:31.

2nd Period-2, Portland, Sterling 26   7:09. 3, Portland, Werek 8 (MacLean, Rundblad), 8:22. Penalties-Sterling Por (interference), 9:03.

3rd Period-4, Portland, Bolduc 3   9:32. 5, Connecticut, Redden 3 (Wellman, Audy-Marchessault), 11:55 (PP). Penalties-Bolduc Por (interference), 5:36; Louis Por (roughing, roughing), 8:27; Klassen Ct (boarding, roughing), 8:27; Oystrick Por (interference), 11:50.

Shots on Goal-Portland 11-8-8-27. Connecticut 9-10-11-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Portland 0 / 1; Connecticut 1 / 4.
Goalies-Portland, Mannino 7-7-1 (30 shots-29 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 21-15-5 (27 shots-23 saves).
A-3,467
Referees-Chris Brown (86).
Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Derek Wahl (46).

The post DESPERATE PIRATES FILET WHALE first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Whale has signed forward Steve Moses to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement.

Moses, a 5-9, 170-pound native of Leominster, MA, just completed a four-year Hockey East career at the University of New Hampshire.  The 22-year-old Moses led the Wildcats in goals, and tied for second among Hockey East skaters, this season with 22, and also added 13 assists for 35 points, good for a tie for the Wildcats’ team leadership in that department.  He also served 16 minutes in penalties.  Over his four seasons in a UNH uniform, Moses totaled 47 goals and 51 assists for 98 points, along with 65 PIM, in 148 games.

The Whale take the ice at the XL Center tonight, hosting the Portland Pirates in a 7:00 PM game.  Fans can take advantage of a special food combo deal, available for all remaining Whale regular-season Friday-night home games, as a hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5.  The Whale also play at home tomorrow night, Saturday, March 24 at 7:00, locking horns with the Providence Bruins.

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at CTWhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit CTWhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

The AHL’s Connecticut Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin and Howard Baldwin, Jr..  The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

Since 1972, the CT Lottery has generated nearly $21.4 billion in sales and has transferred more than $7.2 billion to the state’s General Fund. Prizes have exceeded $12.3 billion. Purchasers must be 18 years or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-346-6238. For more information about the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, visit CTLottery.org

(Stats provided by hockeydb.com)

The post MOSES PARTING THE ICE IN HARTFORD first appeared on Howlings.

One thing that we did not do sufficiently in the course of our conversation with Jeff Jacobs was to emphasize that, while the financial terms of the XL Center lease agreement have been a significant burden to our business, the AEG staff have been excellent operational partners to work with.  Everyone responsible for assisting us in putting on the Whale games has been consistently responsive to our day-to-day needs and has given a top-notch effort in helping us to ensure that our games remain the best in local sports entertainment, and that the fan experience at Whale home games is unmatched.

It bears noting, too, that prior to the agreement with WSE to take over business operations of the Wolf Pack in September, 2010, AEG and Northland put significant effort and capital into building the Wolf Pack brand.  From continuing to make ticketing options more fan-friendly and affordable to putting considerable man-hours and energy into game-night entertainment and promotions, Northland/AEG did put plenty of resources behind the battle to make the Wolf Pack a success at the gate.

The deal to make WSE the business operator of the AHL team also was, at its essence, a move by AEG that was motivated by a genuine concern for the best interests of the franchise going forward, a change that was made with the aim of giving the team its best chance for business prosperity.  As we emphasized in our talk with Jeff, we entered into the terms of that agreement willingly and under no deception, so we certainly bear, and accept, a fair share of the blame for the fact the lease has become burdensome to WSE.  The bottom line is, we have learned much in our nearly two full seasons of operating the team, and we are as confident as ever that the Whale can have a great long-term future, if we can come to an agreement with AEG on a tweak of the financial model.  We have great confidence, also, in the keen business sense that the AEG brain-trust possess, and that we will be able to agree on a re-made rent structure that makes good sense for all concerned.

There is one more season left on the Whale’s lease deal with the XL Center, and that is next AHL season, 2012-13.  We remain totally committed to negotiating a long-term agreement that makes financial sense for the Whale to be viable at the XL Center for years to come, as we continue our steadfast pursuit of our goal of bringing the Hartford hockey market to its greatest possible level of prominence.  That is the long-term vision, and we are optimistic that a deal can be reached soon that affords us not only that chance for long-term success, but also a better financial situation for the year remaining on our existing deal.  Regardless of whether or not any accommodation is made for next season, however, we are one-hundred percent committed to fulfilling the last season of our agreement, and guaranteeing that the Whale will play at the XL Center for the 2012-13 AHL season.  We will honor our commitment to the great hockey fans of the Hartford market in good faith, and we will pour every ounce of our collective energy into good-faith negotiations to secure a long-term business deal that firmly solidifies, and enhances, the future of pro hockey in downtown Hartford.

Sincerely,

Howard Baldwin, Sr., Chairman/CEO
Howard Baldwin, Jr., President/COO
Whalers Sports & Entertainment

The post HOWARD BALDWIN SPEAKS OUT ABOUT WHALE first appeared on Howlings.

WHALE SIGN PAIR OF RANGER DRAFT PICKS TO ATOs

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Forward Andrew Yogan, Defenseman Peter Ceresnak Added from OHL Peterborough

Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the team has signed forward Andrew Yogan and defenseman Peter Ceresnak to Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreements.

Both Yogan, a fourth-round (100th overall) draft pick of the parent New York Rangers in 2010, and Ceresnak, who was selected in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2011 draft by the Rangers, come to the Whale from the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Yogan saw his first pro action at the end of last season with the Whale, and scored a pair of goals in his pro debut, a First-Star effort in a 4-3 loss to Bridgeport April 9.  The 6-3, 203-pound Coral Springs, FL native also had an assist in his other Whale appearance, giving him a total of three points in two AHL games.  This season, the 20-year-old Yogan led the Petes in goals, points and plus/minus, with 41 goals (tied for sixth in the OHL) and 37 assists for 78 points, along with a +8, in 66 games.  His 96 penalty minutes tied for second on the Peterborough team.  In 240 career OHL games with the Windsor Spitfires, Erie Otters and the Petes, Yogan totaled 96 goals and 90 assists for 186 points, plus 287 PIM.

This year was the first North American season for Ceresnak, 19, who hails from Trencin, Slovakia.  The 6-3, 209-pounder scored the second-most goals among the Petes’ defensemen, with six, and also added nine assists for 15 points, while serving 34 minutes in penalties, in 61 games.

The Whale are back in action this Friday night, March 23, hosting the Portland Pirates at the XL Center in a 7:00 PM game.  Fans can take advantage of a special food combo deal, available for all remaining Whale regular-season Friday-night home games, at that game.  A hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5.  The Whale also play at home this Saturday night, March 24 at 7:00, locking horns with the Providence Bruins.

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at CTWhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit CTWhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

The AHL’s Connecticut Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin and Howard Baldwin, Jr..  The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

Since 1972, the CT Lottery has generated nearly $21.4 billion in sales and has transferred more than $7.2 billion to the state’s General Fund. Prizes have exceeded $12.3 billion. Purchasers must be 18 years or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-346-6238. For more information about the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, visit CTLottery.org.

The post RANGERS DRAFT PICKS SIGN WITH WHALE first appeared on Howlings.

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Three Live Telecasts to Air on CPTV Sports

Whalers Sports & Entertainment (WSE) announced today a revised “Whale TV” telecast schedule for the Connecticut Whale.

The dates of the three remaining live games on the five-game Whale television schedule, which is presented by Webster Bank, have been changed, and the telecasts have been moved to CPTV Sports.

“This is a natural expansion of our growing relationship with CPTV,” said Mark Willand, WSE senior vice-president of business operations.  “With this arrangement, we have the ability to broadcast replays of the games, create pre-game and post-game shows and produce a high-quality live broadcast.  In addition, CPTV’s significant reach will ensure that most of our fans can enjoy these live games.

“With Hartford AHL hockey having been off the television airwaves for over five years, this major growth of our TV efforts has been exciting and rewarding.  However, we’ve also had to make a few adjustments as we continue to learn what works best for this marketplace.  We are excited to be able to bring five live games to the Hartford market and we hope to expand this TV schedule in 2012-13 and beyond.”

Two Whale telecasts have already aired on WCCT-TV, and the three planned WCCT games that remained have been switched to CPTV Sports.  The new CPTV Sports telecast dates are:

• Friday, March 23 vs. Portland Pirates
• Friday, March 30 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
• Friday, April 6      vs. Manchester Monarchs

All three of these XL Center games face off at 7:00 PM.

CPTV Sports already carries a “Whale TV Replay” game of the week each Tuesday night at 7:00, and the Whale TV package also includes eight re-broadcasts on Comcast’s Xfinity on Demand.  CPTV Sports is available on Comcast cable channels 185, 187 and 744 and on the Cox Communications cable system channel 144.

Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at CTWhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit CTWhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

The AHL’s Connecticut Whale is operated by Whalers Sports and Entertainment, a Hartford-based sports marketing and event firm founded by Howard Baldwin and Howard Baldwin, Jr..  The team is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers.

Since 1972, the CT Lottery has generated nearly $21.4 billion in sales and has transferred more than $7.2 billion to the state’s General Fund. Prizes have exceeded $12.3 billion. Purchasers must be 18 years or older. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-346-6238. For more information about the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, visit CTLottery.org.

The post “WHALE TV” CHANGES COURSE first appeared on Howlings.