By Bruce Berlet
WORCESTER, Mass. – The Eminem on the iPod played a little louder than usual in the Connecticut Whale locker room late Sunday afternoon.
But coach Ken Gernander’s injury-riddled, man-short team deserved some time to celebrate after a decisive statement victory over the Worcester Sharks before 3,730 at the DCU Center.
No last-minute theatrics needed this day. After successive dramas against the Springfield Falcons on Wednesday and Saturday nights, the Whale rolled to a comprehensive 7-2 win as they tied their season high for goals in their third consecutive victory.
Veteran defenseman Wade Redden had his first two-goal game since before the NHL lockout six years ago, and Dale Weise added a goal and two assists and Brodie Dupont a career-high four assists as the Whale (31-24-2-6) moved two points ahead of the Sharks (28-23-4-8) in the battle for the third and final guaranteed playoff berth in the Atlantic Division.
The Whale pressed from the start, survived a bit of a scare late in the second period and then put it away with a three-goal third period, starting with Redden’s two goals, as they earned at least a point for the eighth time in 10 starts. And they reached a high-water mark for the season of seven games over .500 despite being without eight regulars but shooting 7-for-19 against Daren Machesney, who had a 34-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the Charlotte Checkers Saturday night.
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“We look at the standings and kind of have our destiny in our own hands because we play the Sharks (three times),” said Dupont, who helped set up four of the Whale’s first five goals for personal bests for points and assists in a pro game. “We’re fully aware of where we sit and talk about the games during the week. Nobody wants to miss the playoffs again. This is a team that really pummeled us 9-2 last season when we were making our push. Sometimes those little things are hard to forget.
“It was a big win, and a big weekend, actually, because it’s playoff hockey now. The team played well together, (goalie Cam) Talbot played well and we got offense from all kinds of players (11 of 17 skaters). Our line (with Weise and Kris Newbury) played well because it was one of those nights where the puck was kind of finding us. We had a good jump in our step, so whenever there was a loose puck, we put ourselves in good positions to get the puck right back.”
Somewhat lost in the Whale’s offensive explosion was Talbot, who made 32 saves in his first AHL game since being injured in a 6-3 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Jan. 16. Talbot missed 13 games and then was 1-0-1 during a rehab stint with Greenville of the ECHL before backing up the New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist on Tuesday night and then returning to Hartford while Chad Johnson headed to Broadway.
Though Talbot admitted making a blunder when he wandered too far on the Sharks’ first goal by Cory Quirk, he had two stellar saves on Michael Swift and Matt Irwin late in the first period, when the Whale had a 2-0 lead, and then was alert early in the third period before the Whale assumed total control.
“That was a huge game for us, and we made a big statement,” Talbot said. “We got on them right off the bat and didn’t really lay back. I made kind of a dumb play coming out that one time, but the guys got a goal right after that. You like to see that as a goalie. They get one for you and it puts your mind at ease and lets you forget about the goal and keep playing. They did that after the second one, too, and we never looked back after that.”
The Whale started strong, as Machesney had to be sharp to make a right-pad save on Evgeny Grachev from the right circle at 4:18. But on the Whale’s second power play, Dupont picked off Nick Petrecki’s clearing attempt in the slot and fired a 35-foot shot that newcomer John Mitchell tipped past Machesney for his second goal in three games since being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday for future considerations.
The Whale made it 2-0 when Weise pushed the puck along the left boards to defenseman Pavel Valentenko, whose slap shot from the left point beat a screened Machesney to the far corner at 11:21.
Talbot then denied Swift in front at the right post with 6:05 left in the period and Irwin’s wide-open shot from 30 feet in the slot on a 4-on-3 Sharks power play.
The Whale increased their lead to 3-0 at 1:44 of the second period when a Sharks clearing attempt ricocheted in front to a wide-open Kelsey Tessier, whose blind back pass found a wide-open Grachev for an easy finish into an open net.
Machesney temporarily kept the Sharks in the game when he made a brilliant glove save on a wide-open but snake-bitten Derek Couture. As often happens, the Sharks went the other way and made it 3-1 at 2:54. Tommy Wingels beat Redden to a clear-in pass, and Talbot came out to try to clear the puck, but it hit off Wingels and sat in the slot for an easy finish into an open net for Quirk at 3:21.
After Machesney made a good stop on Weise’s backhander at 7:22, Dupont lost the puck on a breakaway while being hooking without a penalty being called. Given that reprieve, the Sharks got to 3-2 when Brandon Mashinter jammed in his second rebound of Benn Ferriero’s shot with 4:09 left in the period.
But the Whale quickly responded with the game’s biggest goal as Newbury outworked Mike Moore for the puck behind the Sharks net and put a pass in front to Weise, who got inside Swift for a quick finish past an unsuspecting Machesney.
“When we cycled the puck down low, I thought we were all over them,” Talbot said. “The guys did a great job playing down low in both ends.”
Redden made it 5-2 when he took a drop pass from Weise and fired a 40-foot shot that beat a screened Machesney at 2:49 of the third period. Redden then made like Wayne Gretzky as he came out of the penalty box, took a pass from Francis Lemieux, deked Machesney to the ice with a brilliant fake and flipped a backhander into an open net at 7:16. It was Lemieux’s first point in six games with the Whale since being signed to a professional tryout contract Feb. 28 while leading the ECHL in scoring (73 points) with the Florida Everblades.
“The last three games we’ve had guys really step up and have big efforts,” Redden said. “Guys have come together and played so hard every shift, and I think that’s the key this time of the season, just going and battling all the time. We didn’t get rewarded a lot, just kind of squeaked out the last two games, but (Sunday) they started going in for us, so I think that’s a good sign.”
Hard-working Oren Eizenman capped the scoring against one of his eight former pro teams when he converted defenseman Blake Parlett’s brilliant diagonal pass from the left circle through the slot at 8:38. Valentenko got the secondary assist for his first two-point game as a pro to finish plus-4. Parlett scored his first AHL goal with 27.7 seconds left in overtime Saturday night to give the Whale a 2-1 victory over the Falcons. That came after Mitchell scored with 7.7 seconds left in regulation for a 3-2 win over Springfield on Wednesday night. Obviously stunned by such tough losses, the Falcons were buried 6-1 by the second-place Portland Pirates on Sunday to fall five points behind the Whale.
“Everybody knows what kind of situation we’re in, that we have to get third place because it’s going to be tough to catch (the fifth-place team) in the East Division,” Weise said. “It was a good team effort all around. We’ve got a lot of skilled players who had kind of got a little bit cold lately, and it was just a matter time of time before we broke out and scored. I think this is just a building block for us to have.
“I thought we were sharp from the get-go, and other than a five-minute lull in the second period, I thought we played a pretty solid game. We played the way we need to to win. We played simple, didn’t do anything crazy. A lot of our goals were just getting traffic and shooting from the point, and that’s what we have to do to score.”
Besides being eliminated from the playoffs two seasons ago, the Hartford Wolf Pack/Whale is 14-4-0-2 lifetime at the DCU Center vs. the Sharks, including 2-0-1 this season while amassing a 4-1-0-1 overall edge. Sunday was the Sharks’ second-worst loss at home to the 7-1 beating they got from the Wolf Pack on Dec. 8, 2007.
Though pleased with his team’s performance, Gernander knew there are still 17 games left in the regular season, including a home-and-home set with the Sharks next weekend.
“It was a big win on the road against a team we were tied with, so I was happy with the guys,” Gernander said. “There was a little bit of a glitch (in the second period), but for the most part, I thought we were pretty strong. The guys know the situation, but you remind them because that’s part of what you do. But that’s just kind of a little kicker at the end. You go over what you need to do, what you want to accomplish, special teams or whatever, and then say, ‘Now remember, boys, this is for a big two points.’
“It’s that time of year where teams are missing players. You do what you do, but I’m happy with the guys getting six big points this week against our nearest opponents in the standings. I think that’s a pretty good week.”
Pretty good, indeed.
LEADING SCORERS MISSING
The Whale and Sharks were missing their All-Star right wings and leading scorers.
Jeremy Williams, who started the day sharing the Whale’s scoring lead (25 goals, 19 assists) with Newbury, missed his second game of the season with an injury sustained Wednesday night. The Whale played one man short for the second consecutive game because centers Todd White and Ryan Garlock, wings Chad Kolarik and Chris McKelvie and defensemen Michael Del Zotto, Tomas Kundratek and Jyri Niemi remained on the injury list.
The Sharks’ Jonathan Cheechoo (47 points), a 56-goal scorer for the San Jose Sharks in 2005-06, missed his fourth game in a row because of a sore back. The Sharks also scratched Tony Lucia, James Marcou, Jody Pederson, Jamie McGinn and Andrew Desjardins, who was called up by the San Jose Sharks.
BRUTAL ROAD SCHEDULE FINALLY ENDS TUESDAY
The Whale completes a demanding stretch of 10 road games in 12 starts Tuesday night when they visit league-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (45-17-0-0), which has won nine of 12 games after a 4-1 victory over the Hershey Bears that increased their East Division lead to eight points over the two-time defending Calder Cup champions.
The Penguins are missing three of their top five scorers – center Dustin Jeffrey (17 goals, 28 assists) and wings Nick Johnson (20, 19) and Eric Tangradi (18, 15) – because of a plethora of injuries to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they still have plenty of firepower in left wing Brett Sterling (20, 21), center Ryan Craig (16, 22), left wings Tim Wallace (16, 16) and Chris Collins (11, 16), center Joe Vitale (8, 19) and former Wolf Pack defenseman Corey Potter (2, 25). And they’ve allowed an AHL-low 141 goals thanks largely to the goaltending tandem of All-Star Brad Thiessen (27-6-0, 1.87 goals-against average, .924 save percentage, six shutouts), the AHL goalie of the month in February, and veteran John Curry (18-11-0, 2.49, .903, one shutout).
The Penguins, who started the season with nine straight wins, will be out to avenge the lopsided loss at the XL Center on Jan. 16. After Tuesday night, the Whale plays 10 of their final 16 regular-season games at the XL Center, starting Friday night against Hershey. … Former Hartford Wolf Pack wing Alexandre Giroux was recalled from the Oklahoma City Barons by the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and scored in a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Giroux tipped Linus Omark’s shot from the right circle behind Brian Elliott at 8:36 of the second period, prompting Avalanche coach Joe Sacco to replace Elliott with Peter Budaj. “It was just a tip-in and we were lucky to get it done,” said Giroux, who took a 2 p.m. flight out of Oklahoma City and arrived in Denver a few hours before the opening faceoff. “Everyone wants to be in the NHL, so I was really excited about it.” Giroux, 29, was second in the AHL in scoring (29 goals, 30 assists in 61 games) to former Wolf Pack center Corey Locke of the Binghamton Senators (18 goals, 54 assists). Giroux signed a free-agent contract with the Oilers on July 3. … The AHL’s Clear Day deadline, when all 30 teams must submit 22-man lists, is Monday at 3 p.m. Only those players listed on a Clear Day roster are eligible to play in the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs unless emergency conditions arise as a result of recall, also can add signed junior players or players on amateur tryout contracts, but only after their respective junior or college seasons are complete.
JERSEY AUCTION TO BENEFIT MARCH OF DIMES
Saturday could be a hat trick of pleasure and benefit for Whale fans. They not only can watch their favorites in a key game against Worcester, but they also can win players’ jerseys and help a great cause at the same time.
During the game, fans can bid on jerseys on display throughout the evening. Winners will be announced at the end of the game and invited on the ice to receive their jersey, meet the players and have photos taken. Proceeds will benefit the March of Dimes, which works to help develop stronger, healthier babies. The auction has raised nearly $20,000 in the first two years.
“The annual jersey auction has been a great event for our March of Dimes family and the hockey community,” said Deb Poudrier, executive director of the March of Dimes Greater Hartford Division. “The Whale organization has been an incredible supporter of the March of Dimes, not only with the jersey auction but as a March for Babies sponsor and team as well. They truly are a great community partner.”
The March of Dimes is the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Visit www.marchofdimes.com or www.nacersano.org for the latest resources and information.
HOCKEY MINISTRIES NIGHT AT WHALE GAME
Hockey Ministries International Northeast is sponsoring 2011 Faith & Family Night at the Whale’s game against the Charlotte Checkers on March 25. Upper bowl seats are $10, and Scarlet Fade will perform a postgame concert.
To order tickets, contact AHL Chapel Coordinator Rick Mitera at 860-817-6440 or rmitera@hockeyministries.org. When someone buys a ticket through Hockey Ministries, they receive a $2 coupon for parking. For more information on Hockey Ministries, visit www.hockeyministriesnortheast.org.
WHALE TO HONOR HOWE FAMILY ON MARCH 26
The Whale will host “Howe Family Night” at the XL Center on March 26 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The No. 9 of “Mr. Hockey,” one of seven numbers in the XL Center rafters, will be lowered and then raised and re-retired as he and his sons, Mark and Marty, whom he played with for seven seasons in Houston and Hartford, look on. The matriarch of the family, Colleen Howe, who died in 2009, will be honored.
“That old (jersey) is a little worn,” Baldwin Jr. said. “I think we’ll have a big crowd. I love Ronnie Francis (the only Hall of Famer to play mostly with the Whalers), but Gordie is the one who put the team on the map. He needs to have the respect of the people coming out to see him, and it’ll be a great opportunity for it.”
Howe’s No. 9 is in the rafters with the Whalers’ No. 2 (Rick Ley), 5 (Ulf Samuelsson), 10 (Ron Francis), 11 (Dineen) and 19 (John McKenzie). Gernander’s No. 12 is the only number to be retired in the 14-year history of the AHL team.
The Howes played together for the first time with the Houston Aeros in 1973 before coming to Hartford and signing with the World Hockey Association’s New England Whalers in 1977. Howe ended his legendary 32-year career in the Whalers’ first NHL season (1979-80), when he had 15 goals and 26 assists and was named a NHL All-Star for the 23rd time while helping the Whalers make the playoffs at 52 years old.
Fans who did not attend the Whale’s game against Providence at Rentschler Field in East Hartford because of the weather can redeem their tickets for one to “Howe Family Night” or another game of their choice. If fans want to redeem a ticket, they should contact Baldwin at hlb@whalerssports.com.
WHALE 7, SHARKS 2
Connecticut 2 2 3 – 7
Worcester 0 2 0 – 2
First period: 1. Conn, Mitchell 3 (Dupont), 8:56 (pp). 2. Conn, Valentenko 2 (Weise, Dupont), 11:21. Penalties: McLaren, Wor (tripping), 4:28; Bickel, Ct (fighting), 7:53; Mashinter, Wor (cross-checking, fighting), 7:53; Bickel, Ct (roughing), 14:13; DaSilva, Wor (roughing), 14:13; Redden, Ct (boarding), 14:28.
Second period: 3. Conn, Grachev 15 (Tessier), 1:44. 4. Wor, Quirk 3 (Wingels), 3:21. 5. Wor, Mashinter 12 (Ferriero, Sullivan), 15:51 (pp). 6, Conn, Weise 13 (Newbury, Dupont), 16:33. Penalties: Redden, Ct (cross-checking), 14:45; Grachev, Ct (cross-checking), 17:20.
Third period: 7. Conn, Redden 6 (Weise, Dupont), 2:29. 8. Conn, Redden 7 (Lemieux, Tessier), 7:16. 9. Conn, Eizenman 4 (Parlett, Valentenko), 8:38. Penalty: Redden, Ct (delay of game), 5:08.
Shots on goal: Connecticut 7-6-6-19. Worcester 10-12-12-34; Power-play opportunities: Connecticut 1 of 2; Worcester 1 of 4; Goalies: Connecticut, Talbot 9-3-2 (34 shots-32 saves). Worcester, Machesney 2-3-1 (19-12); A: 3,730; Referee: Chris Cozzan; Linesmen: Chris Aughe, Todd Whittemore.
