By Zachary Grenier

Hartford, CT, October 26, 2014 – The Hartford Wolf Pack (4-2-1-0) snapped a two-game losing streak when they defeated the Norfolk Admirals (2-5-0-0) 3-0 Sunday afternoon at the XL Center.

Mackenzie Skapski recorded a shutout in his first career AHL start, with 16 saves on the night.

“A shutout is a shutout,” said Hartford Coach Ken Gernander.  “I think one or two timely saves kind of kills the other team’s energy or momentum and can certainly build some momentum for our guys on the bench.”

Timely saves were exactly what the Pack needed, as they limited the shots that the Admirals took in each period, (three, eight and five, respectively).

“Those are sometimes the toughest games to play in,” said Skapski, who was the First Star of the game.  “You see your team really all over them and you really have to hang in there because one goal in that game and it changes the momentum and you never know what happens.”

Hartford drew first blood when an Admiral turnover in the neutral zone lad to Conor Allen finding Danny Kristo for a breakaway.  Kristo came down on former Wolf Pack goaltender Jason LaBarbera and beat him on a straight five-hole shot.

“It’s huge (getting the early lead),” said Sunday’s Third Star Justin Vaive.  “Especially at home, on a Sunday in a three-in-three (third game in three days. “Definitely getting that quick lead gives some momentum to us and we’ve been there before.  When you get scored on quick on a Sunday, it definitely demoralizes the team a little bit and it’s a lot tougher to come back from that.”

Ryan Bourque added to the sinking of the Admirals in the second period when Dylan McIlrath found him in front of the net.  Bourque, who had his back to the net when the puck found his stick, turned and fired a wrist shot that beat LaBarbera over his right shoulder to put the Pack up 2-0.

Half way through the second period, the special teams for both teams found themselves with more than their fair share of ice time, with five Norfolk penalties and four Hartford penalties in the second period alone, but neither team was able to capitalize on their man advantage.

In the third period however, Hartford’s power-play unit extended the Pack lead when Vaive found the back of the net for the first time this season.  Vaive, a 6’4” 210 pound left winger, put his big frame to use in front of the net when Kristo fired the puck, and the 6’4” winger was able to tip it through LaBarbera’s legs.

“I know that’s where they want me to go (because) I’m a bigger guy so it definitely pays off to be in front of the net,” said Vaive.

The Wolf Pack are now off until this Saturday night, November 1, when they travel to the new PPL Center in Allentown, PA to meet the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.  Faceoff is 7:05 PM, and all of the action can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack’s next home outing is Sunday, November 1, as the Worcester Sharks pay a visit to the XL Center for a 3:00 game.  The Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack” is again featured on Sundays this year, and has been expanded to Wednesday and Thursday home games as well.  The Family Value Pack features two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.

Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

Norfolk Admirals 0 at Hartford Wolf Pack 3
Sunday, October 26, 2014 – XL Center

Norfolk 0 0 0 – 0
Hartford 1 1 1 – 3

1st Period-1, Hartford, Kristo 2 (Allen), 9:22. Penalties-Bailey Nor (interference), 1:57; Wagner Nor (cross-checking), 5:19; Miller Hfd (tripping), 6:02.

2nd Period-2, Hartford, Bourque 3 (Haggerty, Bodie), 3:22. Penalties-Kerdiles Nor (fighting), 3:58; Haggerty Hfd (roughing, fighting), 3:58; Kurtz Nor (tripping), 8:54; Manson Nor (roughing), 9:54; Winchester Nor (tripping), 11:32; Tarnasky Hfd (high-sticking), 13:43; Winchester Nor (roughing), 17:46; Tarnasky Hfd (roughing), 17:46.

3rd Period-3, Hartford, Vaive 1 (Kristo, Fast), 10:48 (PP). Penalties-Leblanc Nor (goaltender interference), 9:13.

Shots on Goal-Norfolk 3-8-5-16. Hartford 6-10-13-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 0 / 3; Hartford 1 / 6.
Goalies-Norfolk, LaBarbera 1-2-0 (29 shots-26 saves). Hartford, Skapski 1-0-0 (16 shots-16 saves).
A-2,094
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (49), Ben Moser (3).
Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Paul Simeon (66).

Albany, NY, October 25, 2014 – The Hartford Wolf Pack built leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the first period Saturday at the Times-Union Center, but the Albany Devils scored the last four goals of the game to post a 5-2 win, and a sweep of a home-and-home with the Wolf Pack.

Scott Timmins scored the game-winning goal for Albany and had an assist, and Joe Whitney, Darcy Zajac and Raman Hrabarenka also scored.  Rod Pelley added an empty-net goal, and Brandon Burlon had two assists.

Conor Allen had a goal and an assist for the Wolf Pack and Ryan Bourque also scored.  J.T. Miller added two assists.

“We had a good first period, that was one of our better ones this season, but we didn’t maintain it, unfortunately,” Allen said.  “They got a couple goals in the second that took away from our momentum, and we can’t let that bother us going forward.  We’ve just got to keep playing and stick to the plan.  I think we got away from it a little bit in the second, but if we play like we did in the first, we can win a lot of games this year.”

After never leading in a 7-3 home loss to the Devils the night before, the Wolf Pack drew first blood at 8:06 of Saturday’s first period.  Albany goaltender Scott Wedgewood (26 saves) stopped Allen’s shot from the right point, taking the puck high off of his chest, but the rebound dropped down to his left, and Bourque banged it in.

That lead lasted until the 17:44 mark, when Whitney, who also scored in Friday night’s game, tied things up for the Devils.  Timmins knocked down Mat Bodie’s aerial pass near the Wolf Pack blue line, and fired a shot that Hartford goaltender Jason Missiaen (28 saves) stopped.  The rebound came to Whitney at the left-wing side of the goalmouth, though, and Whitney finished the play.

Only 46 seconds later, however, the Wolf Pack regained the lead on Allen’s second goal of the year.  Miller carried down the right-wing side and threaded a perfect pass through traffic to the left faceoff dot to Allen, whose one-timer easily beat Wedgewood at 18:30.

The Devils would turn the tables in the second period, scoring a pair of goals 1:18 apart starting at the 4:18 mark.

Zajac scored shorthanded to make it 2-2 at 4:18, after Danny Kristo attempted to drop the puck back to Allen at the right point.  The pass missed Allen and Zajac broke in alone, putting a shot past Missiaen on the glove side.

Then, at 5:36, Timmins scored from a bad angle for what turned out to be the game-winner.  Timmins flung the puck at the goal post from below the goal line on the left-wing side, and it appeared to slip between Missiaen’s right skate and the post, trickling into the net for a 3-2 Albany lead.

That remained the score heading into the third period, and Hrabarenka made it a two-goal Albany edge with a power-play goal at 3:09 of the third.  With Oscar Lindberg in the penalty box for tripping, Hrabarenka took a pass from Burlon, moved to the top of the left-wing circle, and put a snap shot through a screen and past Missiaen.

The Wolf Pack pulled Missiaen with 2:24 remaining, but could not dent Wedgewood, and Pelley iced the game by hitting the empty net from deep in his own zone with 9.4 seconds left.

The Wolf Pack are right back in action Sunday on home ice, taking on the Norfolk Admirals in a 3:00 game at the XL Center.  The Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack” is again featured on Sundays this year, and has been expanded to Wednesday and Thursday home games as well.  The Family Value Pack features two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.

Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

Hartford Wolf Pack 2 at Albany Devils 5
Saturday, October 25, 2014 – Times Union Center

Hartford 2 0 0 – 2
Albany 1 2 2 – 5

1st Period-1, Hartford, R. Bourque 2 (Allen, Miller), 8:06. 2, Albany, Whitney 2 (Timmins), 17:44. 3, Hartford, Allen 2 (Miller, Haggerty), 18:30. Penalties-McPherson Alb (holding), 20:00.

2nd Period-4, Albany, Zajac 1   4:18 (SH). 5, Albany, Timmins 3 (Bernier, Burlon), 5:36. Penalties-Lindberg Hfd (hooking), 0:03; McKelvie Alb (hooking), 2:27; McIlrath Hfd (elbowing), 5:50; Thompson Alb (interference), 5:50; Helgeson Alb (interference), 12:52; Sislo Alb (boarding), 14:32.

3rd Period-6, Albany, Hrabarenka 3 (Burlon, Boucher), 3:09 (PP). 7, Albany, Pelley 1 (Sestito), 19:50 (EN). Penalties-Lindberg Hfd (tripping), 1:25; Kristo Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 7:18; Lindberg Hfd (tripping), 9:30; McPherson Alb (slashing), 13:00.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 11-7-10-28. Albany 9-9-16-34.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 5; Albany 1 / 4.
Goalies-Hartford, Missiaen 1-2-0 (33 shots-29 saves). Albany, Wedgewood 2-0-0 (28 shots-26 saves).
A-2,777
Referees-Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Kevin Redding (16).

By Zachary Grenier

Hartford, CT, October 24, 2014 – Ben Thomson and Mike Sislo scored two goals apiece, and Joe Whitney and Scott Timmins both had a goal and an assist, to lead the Albany Devils to a 7-3 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday night at the XL Center.

The loss was the first regulation defeat in five games on the season for the Wolf Pack (3-1-1-0, 7 pts.), who got goals from Marek Hrivik, Chris Bourque and J.T. Miller, and two assists from Jesper Fast.

The Wolf Pack were in an early deficit after Albany’s Thomson deflected a Dan Kelly slap shot from the left point, to put the Pack down 1-0 just 4:14 into the game.

“We’ve definitely talked about having better starts and having better first periods and I think we play better as the game goes on,” said Hartford assistant captain Ryan Bourque.

Hartford’s Hrivik tied the game up less than two minutes later, at 5:53, with a shorthanded goal, a slap shot from the right faceoff circle after Hrivik received a pass from Joey Crabb on a two on one.

With 8:43 left in the first Albany’s Paul Thompson, the AHL’s leading goal-scorer put the Pack down 2-1 when he put up his seventh of the season by beating Jason Missiaen, with another deflection of a left-point shot by Kelly.

Yet again, the Wolf Pack quickly tied the game up; this time it was Chris Bourque just 58 seconds after Thompson’s goal.  Bourque worked a give-and-go with Fast that led to Bourque’s sliding back-hander that beat Devils’ goaltender Keith Kinkaid (27 saves).

“We came back more than once, but you can only do that so many times,” said Hartford coach Ken Gernander.

It was not until the 11:01 mark of the second period that either team scored again.  Whitney got the puck at the side of the net after a blocked shot in front and put it home to put the Devils up 3-2.

Thomson dug a bigger hole for the Wolf Pack 2:50 into the third, when he capitalized on a Pack turnover in the defensive end, beating Missiaen with a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle to make it 4-2.

“You’ve got to manage your puck,” said Gernander.  “You might not always be able to make a tape to tape pass or have an available outlet, but it’s got to be put in to an area that allows us to recover.”

Timmins added to the Albany lead with 12:55 left in the third, when he got his second goal of the year to make it 5-2.

J.T. Miller cut the Devils’ lead to two, when he capitalized on a Wolf Pack power play at 8:39 with a wrist shot from the faceoff dot that rang off of the iron and in.

After Miller’s goal, however, the Devils would tack on two more, both by Sislo.  He scored his fourth of the year at 10:10 to make it a three-goal Albany lead, and then added an empty-netter for the final margin at 19:28.

“It’s almost a benefit to have three games in a weekend,” Bourque said, “because you definitely have two games Saturday and Sunday to make up for tonight.”

The Wolf Pack and Devils complete a home-and-home Saturday night at the Times-Union Center in Albany, with faceoff at 5:00 PM.  All of the action of that game can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack’s next home outing is this Sunday, October 26 at the XL Center, as the Norfolk Admirals visit for a 3:00 game.  The Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Pack” is again featured on Sundays this year, and has been expanded to Wednesday and Thursday home games as well.  The Family Value Pack features two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.

Tickets for all 2014-15 Wolf Pack home games are now on sale at the XL Center ticket office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.

To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info.

Albany Devils 7 at Hartford Wolf Pack 3
Friday, October 24, 2014 – XL Center

Albany 2 1 4 – 7
Hartford 2 0 1 – 3

1st Period-1, Albany, Thomson 1 (Kelly, Hrabarenka), 4:14. 2, Hartford, Hrivik 2 (Crabb), 5:53 (SH). 3, Albany, Thompson 7 (Kelly, Whitney), 11:17. 4, Hartford, Bourque 1 (Fast), 12:15. Penalties-Fast Hfd (holding), 0:28; McIlrath Hfd (holding), 4:32; Wohlberg Alb (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:05; Bourque Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:05.

2nd Period-5, Albany, Whitney 1 (Sestito, Timmins), 11:01 (PP). Penalties-Pelley Alb (slashing), 6:15; Burlon Alb (fighting), 9:02; Kristo Hfd (fighting), 9:02; Thomson Alb (roughing), 9:28; McIlrath Hfd (roughing, roughing), 9:28; served by Boucher Alb (bench minor – too many men), 12:01; Pelley Alb (holding), 17:52; Bourque Hfd (tripping), 19:52.

3rd Period-6, Albany, Thomson 2   2:50. 7, Albany, Timmins 2   7:05. 8, Hartford, Miller 2 (Bodie, Fast), 8:39 (PP). 9, Albany, Sislo 3 (Zajac), 10:10 (SH). 10, Albany, Sislo 4 (Boucher), 19:28 (EN). Penalties-Lindberg Hfd (roughing), 4:57; McPherson Alb (double minor – high-sticking), 7:47; Zajac Alb (interference), 11:56; Wohlberg Alb (interference), 16:04.

Shots on Goal-Albany 7-9-11-27. Hartford 8-11-11-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 1 / 5; Hartford 1 / 7.
Goalies-Albany, Kinkaid 3-0-1 (30 shots-27 saves). Hartford, Missiaen 1-1-0 (23 shots-17 saves); Skapski 0-0-0 (3 shots-3 saves).
A-3,216
Referees-Ryan Murphy (5), Ben Moser (3).
Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Luke Galvin (2).