By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, April 13, 2012 – The Whale were defeated by the Manchester Monarchs, 5-4 in a shootout, Friday night at the XL Center before a crowd of 5,639 in the Whale’s last regular-season home outing. Justin Azevedo scored twice for the Monarchs and Patrick Mullen netted the shootout winner to defeat the Whale in a see-saw battle.

The Whale were beneficiaries of the first pro points from Steve Moses, who scored twice for the Whale, and Christian Thomas, who scored once and added an assist.

“We got some good scoring,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “We probably should tighten it up a bit defensively but we got a point out of it.”

Despite the Whale carrying the offensive flow early in the game, the Monarchs would score twice before the opening period was half over.

Jake Muzzin would score first in unconventional fashion, his shot hitting off the end boards with the ricochet hitting off of the back of goaltender Chad Johnson’s (34 saves) legs and into the net. Robert Czarnik and Andrew Campbell were credited with the assists on the goal at 5:36.

The Monarchs would make it 2-0 7:48 into the frame, as Azevedo stole the puck in the Whale zone, and beat Johnson high to the glove side as he was left all alone in the slot. The goal was Azevedo’s 26^th of the season, coming unassisted.

The Whale finished the first period outshooting the Monarchs, 17-6, but were held scoreless during a pair of power-play opportunities, keeping them off the scoreboard.

Moses would strike for the Whale 5:25 into the second period, cutting the Manchester lead to 2-1 with his first professional goal and point against Manchester goaltender Martin Jones (31 saves). Moses finished off a rebound from Casey Wellman, with Wade Redden recording the secondary assist.

Moses would bring Connecticut even 12:46 into the period, tipping a Pavel Valentenko slapshot from the blue line off his pants and past Jones for his second goal of the night.  Wellman set up the play, passing to Valentenko at the point from below the left circle for his second point of the game.

The Whale would take a short-lived 3-2 lead with 4:25 to play in the second, as Kris Newbury’s shot beat a screened Jones for his 25^th goal of the season, assisted by Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Thomas. The point was the first of Thomas’ pro career in his fourth game with the Whale.

Manchester, however, would answer right back as Azevedo sent the game into the third period tied with his second goal of the night at 19:07.

Azevedo’s shot managed to sneak through Johnson, bouncing off his left skate and in. Longtime franchise foe Trent Hunter and Stefan Legein assisted on the power-play tally.

The back-and-forth struggle would continue into the third period, with Ray Kaunisto pushing a covered puck over the line to give Manchester a 4-3 lead at 3:18. Johnson appeared to have the puck smothered at the post, but Kaunisto pushed until the puck squeezed in.

The Whale would tie the game back up at four at 5:27, as Thomas ripped a shot from the point past Jones for his first professional goal, assisted by Newbury and Audy-Marchessault.

“It’s a weight off my back, getting that first one is always nice,” said Thomas. “But hopefully in the next game or next couple games I can get a couple more.”

That score would hold through the rest of regulation and an amazing 24^th trip to overtime for the Whale, as the teams went to the shootout for the first time in the season series.

Audy-Marchessault would get the Whale out to a 1-0 lead, but Marc-Andre Cliché and Mullen would score for the Monarchs to win the shootout, 2-1, and the game, 5-4.

The Whale will be back in action Saturday, when they make their only visit of the season to the Syracuse Crunch (7:30).

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Manchester Monarchs 5 (SO) at Connecticut Whale 4
Friday, April 13, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Manchester 2 1 1 0 – 5
Connecticut 0 3 1 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Manchester, Muzzin 7 (Czarnik, Campbell), 5:36. 2, Manchester, Azevedo 26   7:48. Penalties-Kozun Mch (cross-checking), 11:32; Hickey Mch (holding the stick), 17:33.

2nd Period-3, Connecticut, Moses 1 (Wellman, Redden), 5:25. 4, Connecticut, Moses 2 (Valentenko, Wellman), 12:46. 5, Connecticut, Newbury 25 (Audy-Marchessault, Thomas), 15:35. 6, Manchester, Azevedo 27 (Hunter, Legein), 19:07 (PP). Penalties-Grant Ct (slashing), 5:45; Campbell Mch (slashing), 16:17; Tessier Ct (high-sticking), 18:23.

3rd Period-7, Manchester, Kaunisto 7 (Meckler, Muzzin), 3:18. 8, Connecticut, Thomas 1 (Newbury, Audy-Marchessault), 5:27. Penalties-Valentenko Ct (boarding), 15:52.

OT Period- No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout – Manchester 2 (Azevedo NG, Vey NG, Cliche G, Mullen G), Connecticut 1 (Wellman NG, Newbury NG, Audy-Marchessault G, Thomas NG, Moses NG).
Shots on Goal-Manchester 6-11-18-3-1-39. Connecticut 17-10-6-2-0-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Manchester 1 / 3; Connecticut 0 / 3.
Goalies-Manchester, Jones 17-17-2 (35 shots-31 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 22-18-6 (38 shots-34 saves).
A-5,639
Referees-David Banfield (44).
Linesmen-Matt MacPherson (83), Luke Galvin (2).

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Portland, ME, April 11, 2012 – The Portland Pirates got goals from Ashton Rome and Marc-Antoine Pouliot, and Peter Mannino made 34 saves, Wednesday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, as the Pirates defeated the Connecticut Whale, 2-1.

Marek Hrivik scored the only goal, his first point as a pro, for the Whale, who outshot Portland 35-27.  Nathan Oystrick had two assists for the Pirates.

“The focus is to keep playing well, to peak when we hit the playoffs,” Whale head coach Ken Gernander said.  “Tonight was a pretty good indication, I thought we worked pretty hard and generated a lot of shots, just didn’t score enough.”

The loss kept the Whale (36-26-7-5, 84 pts.) three points behind the idle Bridgeport Sound for the Northeast Division lead.  Connecticut clinched a spot in the playoffs with a win in their previous outing, a 1-0 road decision over the Hershey Bears Sunday.

The Whale controlled significant stretches of the first period Wednesday and outshot the Pirates 13-9, but it was the Pirates who got the only goal.

After Cam Talbot (25 saves) had shut out Hershey Sunday, the first shot he saw Wednesday got by him, on a Rome deflection.  Rome was able to screen Talbot to the goaltender’s right, and he tipped in Oystrick’s shot from the left point.

Some Whale penalty problems allowed Portland to make it a 2-0 lead at 13:36 of the second period.  Connecticut’s Tim Erixon was called for delay of game for shooting the puck over the glass at 12:53, and the Whale bench protested enough that a bench minor was called as well.

The Pirates capitalized 43 seconds later at 13:36, as Pouliot buried a perfect cross-crease feed from Brett Sterling.

The Whale’s best chance of the period came late in the session on a power play, when Casey Wellman got a shot past Mannino on the stick side, only to have the shot go off the goalpost.

The Whale enjoyed a 14-11 shots advantage in the third period, but could not solve Mannino until the Portland goaltender was only 2:39 away from a shutout.

The only Connecticut goal came when Jordan Owens was able to find Hrivik behind the net, and the rookie forward flipped the puck toward the front of the goal to Mannino’s left.  It hit off of a Portland defender and found its way just over the goal line at 17:21.

Mannino held strong after that, though, and the Whale finished the season series against the Pirates winless in four games on the road (0-3-1-0).

The Whale’s next action is the last Whale home game of the regular season, this Friday, April 13, as the Manchester Monarchs return to the XL Center for a 7:00 game.  That is Fan Appreciation Night, and the first 5,000 fans receive a green Whale bracelet presented by Xfinity.  Also, $5 Family Value combo meals are available.  For tickets visit www.ctwhale.com.  CT Whale action is presented by the Connecticut Lottery and sponsored by Aetna, CBT and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

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Connecticut Whale 1 at Portland Pirates 2
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 – Cumberland County Civic Center

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

1st Period-1, Portland, Rome 11 (Oystrick, Rundblad), 6:36. Penalties-served by Miele Por (bench minor – too many men), 2:41; Audy-Marchessault Ct (tripping), 15:57.

2nd Period-2, Portland, Pouliot 11 (Sterling, Oystrick), 13:36 (PP). Penalties-Louis Por (cross-checking), 1:33; served by Hrivik Ct (bench minor – unsportsmanlike conduct), 12:53; Erixon Ct (delay of game), 12:53; Tessier Ct (hooking), 15:25; Werek Por (tripping), 18:00.

3rd Period-3, Connecticut, Hrivik 1 (Bourque, Owens), 17:21. Penalties-Erixon Ct (hooking), 7:01.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 13-8-14-35. Portland 9-7-11-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 3; Portland 1 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 14-15-0 (27 shots-25 saves). Portland, Mannino 11-10-1 (35 shots-34 saves).
A-3,280
Referees-Francis Charron (46), Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Joe Andrews (32), Landon Bathe (80).

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By Bob Crawford

Steve Thomas, who would go on to score 421 goals and 933 points in 1,235 NHL games over 20 seasons, was overlooked coming out of an outstanding Ontario Hockey League Junior career.  That was largely due to one factor, size, or more accurately, lack thereof.  Thomas, who was nicknamed “Stumpy” for his lack of height, checked in at 5-9 and 170 pounds, distinctly undersized for the NHL of the early ‘80’s, when he was graduating from Junior.  As it turned out, though, every NHL team who passed on chances to select him in several drafts, or sign him as an undrafted free agent, would go on to regret it, after Thomas quickly proved himself with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent and became one of the grittier goal-scorers of his era.

So when another Thomas came along, Steve’s son Christian, the hockey world was not about to make the same mistake again, even though Christian inherited his dad’s smallish stature.

Christian followed Steve into the OHL, and in his draft year of 2010, coming off of a 41-goal, 66-point season with the Oshawa Generals, he only lasted into the second round, before the New York Rangers nabbed him with the 40^th overall pick.

Christian Thomas, who joined the Whale for his first taste of pro hockey last week, after he and the Generals were eliminated from the OHL playoffs, believes that it is easier now for smaller players to succeed in the pro game than it was when his dad was trying to break in.

“There are a lot of smaller players now, hopefully that won’t hurt, the way I play,” he said Sunday, prior to suiting up for his second pro game, a 1-0 Whale win at Hershey.  “But big or small guy, you have to be better at other things, more aware on the ice and use other parts of your game better, shoot the puck and be quick.  And I find that the way I play is fine like that.”

Steve Thomas, who has moved into the player-development arena since retiring after the 2003-04 NHL season and now serves as the player development coordinator for the Tampa Bay Lightning, served as a valuable role model for his son.  Christian was going on 12 years old when Steve hung up the skates, so Christian got a good chance to study how dad got things done.

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”He was a really hard worker, he got in on the forecheck, he had a good shot,” Christian remembered of Steve.  “So hopefully I can play kind of like he did and get stuff going.

“He had a great career, never drafted, so he always gives me some tips, especially here in the ‘A’ (AHL).  He helps coach the Norfolk Admirals (the Lightning’s AHL affiliate), so he knows what it takes here, and he gives me some tips.”

That includes a joking reminder now and again of how the old fella had to battle his way up from being ignored by the NHL, while the youngster has the advantage of having been a high-round pick.

“He was never drafted, he made it on the Leafs there as a tryout, so he always lets me know how hard he had to work,” Christian said.  “And hopefully I can be half the player he was.”

Christian Thomas has already accomplished the feat of surpassing Steve’s OHL goal-scoring best, as Christian lit the lamp 54 times in 66 Generals games in 2010-11.  The most Steve ever scored as a Junior was 51.  Now Christian hopes to translate that production to a new level of competition.

“In Juniors I had good linemates to set me up,” he said, “but here, all the opportunities I get I’m just going to shoot the puck as hard as I can and as well as I can, and hopefully I can get some goals.

“I’m here just to play my game and play how I play in Juniors, and hopefully I can do that here and create some opportunities.”

That will be more of a challenge in the AHL than in the OHL, as Thomas noticed in his first Whale game, a 3-0 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday.

“It was a lot quicker,” Thomas said.  “Guys were a lot bigger and stronger, but the first period was kind of feeling the play.  Second, third period, I thought it was great, I had a lot of fun out there.”

Whale head coach Ken Gernander feels that Thomas has fit in well in the Whale lineup.

“I thought the first night, in Wilkes-Barre, he showed a lot of hustle, a couple of good bursts of speed chasing loose pucks through the neutral zone,” Gernander said.  “He’s had some shots, but he’s going to have to find ways to get them on net, they’ve been fronted or guys get a piece of them, but in practice he can certainly shoot a puck.  So we’re looking forward to seeing him rip a couple on net.”

As far as finishing chances and burying the puck, which was Thomas’ bread and butter in the OHL, Gernander is keeping his expectations measured.

“It’s not like the start of the season, where you can spend a training camp getting him acclimated, maybe work him into a power play or what have you,” said Gernander.  “We’re challenging for playoff spots and now for playoff positioning, and he’s probably not going to jump right on to your top power play, which he would probably be used to in his Junior environment, being the go-to guy there.  Just from an opportunity standpoint, probably not what he was used to in Junior, and he’ll just have to find ways of getting it done five-on-five.  But if the opportunity presents itself, he’s someone of interest that could possibly get some special-units play.”

Also playing his first pro game that night in Wilkes-Barre was Thomas’ fellow Ranger draftee, centerman Shane McColgan, who signed an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement with the Whale the same day Thomas joined the roster.  Although McColgan is a Western Hockey Leaguer, so he and Thomas do not know each other well as players, Thomas says he feels some kinship with the California-born McColgan.

“We’re the same size,” Thomas said, “I met him at training camp, I think we play kind of the same game.  He’s a passer, he works hard, he’s quick too.  I think if we play our games here, we’ll do stuff well.”

Thomas spoke on Sunday after a fairly lengthy Whale pregame meeting before the game in Hershey.  When asked if the game plan imparted was more complex than he was used to in the Junior ranks, he responded that the concepts seemed universal.

“It’s about the same thing,” Thomas said.  “Every team’s got their strategy, every team’s got their systems.  I think the systems here are pretty similar to in Junior hockey, and the way he (Gernander) wants us to play is pretty similar as well.”

It’s already been a long season for the 19-year-old Thomas, but his main goal in his tour with the Whale is to extend it for as long as he can.

“Just playing as many games as possible,” Thomas said about his objective, “try to generate some offense and not make too many mistakes out there.”

Gernander’s playing career overlapped with Steve Thomas’, and although their paths did not cross often, Gernander sees a lot in Christian Thomas of what he remembers of the elder Thomas’s game.

“Neither one was really big,” Gernander said, “so you’re going to have to really fight hard and compete for loose pucks and for body positioning and things like that.  And I think he (Christian) does that pretty well, uses his quickness to get in underneath bigger guys, and his body to protect the puck and support the puck.  Hes still young too, and he’s going to mature and get stronger physically.  He might not get taller or bigger in stature, but I think he’ll mature physically, and become a little bit stronger as he matures.  He’s going to be a good, competitive, hard-working player.”

Kreider Joins Rangers

Chris Kreider, the Rangers’ first-round pick (19^th overall) in the 2009 NHL Draft, who just finished helping to lead Boston College to the NCAA Championship, had his first practice with the Rangers Wednesday, thereby triggering the start of the entry-level NHL contract that he agreed upon with the parent club on Tuesday.  When asked by the New York media about his decision to sign now and not wait until the summer, Kreider said, “There were several different ways to look at it, but they (the Rangers) were pretty adamant about getting started and getting down here as soon as possible. I wanted to do that. I wanted to help any way I could.”

It will be interesting to see how much Kreider will be able to help the Rangers’ forward group, and how soon he might get in the lineup.  One thing is clear, Ranger head coach John Tortorella will not be feeding the fires of any speculation.  “We’re happy he’s here and he’s a Ranger, from there, we go day by day,” Tortorella told the New York reporters. “I’m not going to tell you our lineups. But this is a young man that we feel has a great future and it started with us today. So he’s signed, he’s with us and we move along about our business.”

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HARTFORD, April 11, 2012:  Whalers Sports & Entertainment president and COO Howard Baldwin, Jr. today announced a special ticket discount for Connecticut Whale home games in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs.

Fans can purchase two Upper Level XL Center tickets for first-round Whale home games for only $10.  Also, all Whale full-season seat-holders will receive four free lower-level tickets for each home game in the first round, and all mini-plan-holders will be offered two complimentary tickets for each first-round home game.

To take advantage of the complimentary ticket opportunity, season seat-holders and mini-plan-holders are asked to contact their account representative in the Whale office at (860) 728-3366.

The Whale have secured a spot in the 2012 Calder Cup playoffs, the franchise’s 14^th postseason appearance in its 15 years of existence, but the first-round opponent, and schedule, has yet to be determined.  Game dates and times will be announced as soon as they are finalized.

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 www.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 www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

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HARTFORD, April 10, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that six players have been added to the Whale roster from Connecticut’s ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Goaltender Jason Missiaen, forwards Jeff Prough, Chris McKelvie and Jason Wilson, and defensemen Blake Parlett and Lee Baldwin, have all been summoned from Greenville, whose season ended with a first-round playoff defeat at the hands of the Florida Everblades.

Missiaen, a 6-8, 220-pound rookie out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, finished the ECHL season tied for fourth among league backstops in shutouts with three, while compiling a 22-13-0 record, with a 2.71 goals-against average and a 91.6% save percentage.  He was 0-1 in one playoff appearance with Greenville, allowing four goals on 33 shots.

Prough has played 17 games with the Whale this season, scoring one goal and serving six minutes in penalties, and tallied 18 goals and added 29 assists for 47 points in 47 games with Greenville.  The fourth-year pro out of Brown University netted a goal and was +2 in his only playoff appearance for the Road Warriors.

McKelvie skated in 38 AHL games with the Whale this year and had two goals and three assists for five points, along with 42 PIM.  In 11 regular-season outings with the Road Warriors, the second-year pro registered three goals and two assists for five points, and he added a goal and an assist in three playoff games.

Wilson, a fifth-round selection (130^th overall) by the parent New York Rangers in the 2010 NHL Draft, struck for four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 56 regular-season games for Greenville, in his rookie year as a pro, and had the third-most penalty minutes on the club, with 102.  A 6-2, 205-pound native of Toronto, Ontario, Wilson was scoreless in one playoff contest for the Road Warriors.

Parlett, a second-year man out of the Ontario Hockey League, logged 54 games in a Whale uniform this season and amassed 14 points, with four goals and 10 assists, and 34 PIM.  In 12 Road Warrior games in the regular year, Parlett notched a goal and six assists for seven points, plus 17 PIM, and he added one assist and four penalty minutes in three playoff games.

Baldwin played 16 games with the Whale this year, his second in the pro ranks, posting two penalty minutes and ten shots on goal, and the 6-4, 205-pounder saw action in 45 regular-season contests with the Road Warriors, producing totals of six goals and 12 assists for 18 points, along with 27 PIM.  In three ECHL playoff outings, Baldwin was scoreless with two PIM.

The Whale return to action tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 11, when they travel to Portland to take on the Pirates in a 6:30 PM game (“The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com).  The Whale then wrap up the home portion of their regular season on “Fan Appreciation Night” this Friday, April 13 at the XL Center (7:00), hosting the Manchester Monarchs.  Five-thousand fans at that game will receive a green Whale bracelet, courtesy of Xfinity.  There is also a special Friday-night food combo deal available, as a hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5.

Tickets to Fan Appreciation Night are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.

For information on Whale season seats and mini plans, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

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Hershey, PA, April 8, 2012 – Hershey, PA, April 8, 2012 – Cam Talbot made 24 saves for his second shutout in his last three starts Sunday, as the Connecticut Whale defeated the Hershey Bears, 1-0, at Giant Center.  Defenseman Pavel Valentenko’s second-period goal was the only score of the game.

The Whale victory, combined with the Adirondack Phantoms’ 4-2 home loss to the Rochester Americans, clinched a playoff spot for the Whale.

“It was a great game, back and forth, I thought,” said Talbot, who also blanked the Adirondack Phantoms last Saturday night in Hartford, with 26 saves in a 3-0 win.  “Both teams had some good chances, but I thought we did a great job eliminating their top guys from a lot of scoring chances, (AHL leading scorer Chris) Bourque and (Kyle) Greentree and their first line.  They were around the net but really didn’t get a whole lot of quality scoring chances.  I think the defense did a great job of clearing out rebounds for me and boxing out when I needed to see the puck.”

The victory improved the Whale’s record to 36-25-7-5 for 84 points, and moved them to within three points of idle Bridgeport for the Northeast Division lead.

An evenly-played first period ended scoreless, with the best chance for either team coming near the 12:00 mark, when Bourque sent the puck up the slot to Mike Carman, but Carman’s deflection went off the goalpost to Talbot’s right.

Hershey ended up with an 8-7 shots advantage coming out of the first, helped by a pair of late penalties against the Whale that gave the Bears’ league-leading power play (25.9% coming into the game) two closely-spaced chances.  Talbot held strong, however, denying a pair of close-in bids by Greentree just before the end of the period.

The Whale finally broke the scoreless deadlock at 7:59 of the second period.  After Kelsey Tessier won a faceoff from Hershey’s Andrew Carroll, linemates Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Casey Wellman combined to deflect the puck back to Valentenko at the right point, and Valentenko’s slapshot beat Hershey netminder Dany Sabourin (25 saves) to the stick side.

The Whale and Talbot, who notched his fourth shutout of the year and ran his record to 14-14-0, made that lead stand up the rest of the way.  The Whale got a break with 6:57 left in the third, when Carman received a major penalty for spearing Connecticut defenseman Tim Erixon, but they never threatened on the long power play.  Then, with Sabourin on the bench for an extra attacker, Valentenko was called for kneeing at 19:33, but the Whale were able to survive that, despite the Bears having a six-on-four skater advantage with the goaltender pulled.

“It’s a load off the guys’ minds, to clinch a playoff spot with three games to go and we can kind of relax on that,” Talbot said.  “But we have to remember that there are still two teams trying to catch us for sixth (in the Eastern Conference).  We obviously want to stay in that sixth spot and not move down, so we still have three more games to go and hopefully six more points.”

“We’re obviously excited,” added Whale head coach Ken Gernander.  “We’ve got one week left in the season to fine-tune a few things and get cranking here, but we’re definitely excited to clinch a playoff spot.”

The Whale’s next action is Wednesday night in Portland against the Pirates, a game that faces off at 6:30 PM (“The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com).  The last Whale home game of the regular season is this Friday, April 13, as the Manchester Monarchs return to the XL Center for a 7:00 game.  That is Fan Appreciation Night, and the first 5,000 fans receive a green Whale bracelet presented by Xfinity.  Also, $5 Family Value combo meals are available.  For tickets visit www.ctwhale.com.  CT Whale action is presented by the Connecticut Lottery and sponsored by Aetna, CBT and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

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Connecticut Whale 1 at Hershey Bears 0
Sunday, April 8, 2012 – Giant Center

Connecticut 0 1 0 – 1
Hershey 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Greentree Her (tripping), 7:33; Thuresson Ct (roughing), 16:35; Hrivik Ct (bench minor – too many men), 19:00.

2nd Period-1, Connecticut, Valentenko 5 (Audy-Marchessault, Wellman), 7:59. Penalties-Wellman Ct (cross-checking), 8:54; Schilling Her (holding), 17:35.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-McNeill Her (tripping), 7:30; Bell Ct (high-sticking), 7:56; Valentenko Ct (roughing), 8:56; Vernace Ct (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:56; Kundratek Her (interference), 8:56; Mitchell Her (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:56; Rechlicz Her (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:56; Carman Her (major – spearing, game misconduct – spearing), 13:03; Valentenko Ct (kneeing), 19:33.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 7-10-9-26. Hershey 8-9-7-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 4; Hershey 0 / 5.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 14-14-0 (24 shots-24 saves). Hershey, Sabourin 18-12-5 (26 shots-25 saves).
A-8,753
Referees-Graham Skilliter (48), Chris Ciamaga (24).
Linesmen-Scott Pomento (25), Scott Adams (20).

Wilkes-Barre, PA, April 7, 2012 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins goaltender Scott Munroe shut out the Connecticut Whale for the third time on the season, and second in just over a week, Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, making 27 saves in a 3-0 Penguin win.

Munroe also blanked the Whale last Friday night in Hartford, with 32 stops in another 3-2 verdict.

Rookie defenseman Simon Despres had the game-winning goal and an assist for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, which also got goals from Bryan Lerg and Geoff Walker.  Chad Johnson made 24 saves in the Whale net, including one on a Nick Petersen penalty shot at the end of the second period.

The loss dropped the Whale to 35-25-7-5 on the year and, combined with Adirondack’s 5-3 win at Albany, kept Connecticut’s magic number for clinching a playoff spot at three points.

The only goal of a fast-paced first period came at the 12:16 mark, when Despres scored his fifth of the year for the Penguins.  Cal O’Reilly fed a pass out of the right-wing corner to Despres high in the slot, and he snapped a shot past Johnson, who was screened by Penguin forward Paul Thompson.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton had a big early edge in shots in the first, but by the end of the period, the Whale had an 11-10 advantage in that department.

The Penguins upped their lead to 2-0 only 49 seconds into the second frame, as Lerg scored on a breakaway for his 26^th of the season.  A Kris Newbury pass got away from Brendan Bell at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton blueline to allow Lerg to break in alone, and he slipped a backhander just past Johnson’s left skate.  Then, on their first power play of the game, the Penguins scored again at 5:18, only eight seconds after Andre Deveaux was whistled for hooking.  Former Whale Jason Williams found Walker with a seeing-eye pass from the right-wing boards, and Johnson had no chance to stop Walker’s tap-in from the left side of the goalmouth.

Johnson prevented the Penguins from coming out of the second period up 4-0, when he stopped Petersen’s penalty shot opportunity with no time left on the clock.  Referee Graham Skilliter awarded Petersen the penalty shot as time expired, when he was hooked off the puck on a break-in by Jonathan Audy-Marchessault.  It was the second penalty shot Johnson has faced on the year, and he has stopped both.

The Whale were not able to build on that effort, despite outshooting the Penguins 12-6 in a scoreless third period.

The game featured the pro debuts of forwards Christian Thomas, a second-round New York Ranger draft pick in 2010, and Shane McColgan, who was taken in the fifth round by the Rangers in 2011.  Both players joined the Whale Wednesday from the Canadian Junior ranks, Thomas from the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals and McColgan from the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.

The Whale finish up a three-game weekend Sunday in Hershey against the Bears (5:00 PM faceoff, “The Rock” 106.9 WCCC-FM, www.ctwhale.com).  The Whale’s last home game of the regular season is this Friday, April 13, as the Manchester Monarchs return for a 7:00 game.  That is Fan Appreciation Night, as the first 5,000 fans receive a green Whale bracelet presented by Xfinity.  Also, $5 Family Value combo meals are available.  For tickets visit www.ctwhale.com.  Presented by the Connecticut Lottery, sponsored by Aetna, CBT and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

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Connecticut Whale 0 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 3
Saturday, April 7, 2012 – Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

Connecticut 0 0 0 – 0
W-B/Scranton 1 2 0 – 3

1st Period-1, W-B/Scranton, Despres 5 (O’Reilly, Thompson), 12:16. Penalties-Bortuzzo Wbs (kneeing), 13:28; Tanski Ct (fighting), 16:06; Grant Wbs (fighting), 16:06.

2nd Period-2, W-B/Scranton, Lerg 26 0:49. 3, W-B/Scranton, Walker 18 (Williams, Despres), 5:18 (PP). Penalties-Deveaux Ct (hooking), 5:10; Samuelsson Wbs (hooking), 6:08; Nightingale Ct (high-sticking), 9:05; Petersen Wbs (hooking), 11:55; Deveaux Ct (tripping), 13:34.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-O’Reilly Wbs (tripping), 0:30; Deveaux Ct (roughing, misconduct), 8:26; Nightingale Ct (fighting), 8:26; Bortuzzo Wbs (fighting), 8:26; McDonald Wbs (cross-checking, misconduct), 8:26; Bell Ct (hooking), 18:24.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 11-4-12-27. W-B/Scranton 10-11-6-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 4; W-B/Scranton 1 / 4.
Goalies-Connecticut, Johnson 22-18-5 (27 shots-24 saves). W-B/Scranton, Munroe 19-9-3 (27 shots-27 saves).
A-7,901
Referees-Graham Skilliter (48).
Linesmen-Francis Trempe (56), Alex Stagnone (7).

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By Brian Ring

Hartford, CT, April 6, 2012 – The Connecticut Whale defeated the Manchester Monarchs, 2-1 in overtime, Friday night at the XL Center in Hartford. Casey Wellman scored the overtime winner for Connecticut, backing a 32-save, First-Star performance from goaltender Chad Johnson.

Ryan Bourque scored in regulation for the Whale, while Linden Vey had the only goal of the contest for the Monarchs. The win improved the Whale to 5-0-0-0 against the Monarchs this season.

“We’re obviously happy with the finish and the two points,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “But there were some points in the first and definitely in the second where we needed to play with more emotion and more desperation.

“[Johnson] was strong and kept us in there when we were a little bit lacking in emotion.”

The Whale took the first lead of the game 9:52 into the opening period, as Bourque redirected Andreas Thuresson’s wrist shot past Manchester goaltender Martin Jones (29 saves) for his sixth goal of the season. Jordan Owens picked up the secondary assist on the score.

Vey would answer for the Monarchs, tying the game for Manchester 12:23 into the first. Vey found himself open in front of the Whale netminder Johnson, as he put home his 18^th goal of the season. Brandon Kozun and Nick Deslauriers were credited with the assists.

Neither team would break the one-all tie in the second period, and Johnson was sharp in keeping the Monarchs off the board in the frame.

The Whale were outshot, 17-9, in the second, and 24-18 through two periods, as the Monarchs were able to sustain several bursts of attack in the Connecticut zone.

Neither team would mount much attack in the third period either, but the Whale would take control of the majority of the play as they outshot their guests, 12-8, in the last frame of regulation.

Johnson and Jones were both on point through three periods, forcing the two clubs to battle into overtime for the first time this season.

Wellman would finally knock the puck just over the line past Jones 1:16 into the extra session to net the overtime victory for Connecticut, with Brendan Bell and Wade Redden tallying the assists after the puck trickled past Jones.

The Whale will be back in road action Saturday, when they face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (7:00 PM).

The Whale’s last home game of the regular season is next Friday, April 13, as the Monarchs return for a 7:00 game.  That is Fan Appreciation Night, as the first 5,000 fans receive a green Whale bracelet presented by Xfinity.  Also, $5 Family Value combo meals are available.  For tickets visit ctwhale.com.  Presented by the Connecticut Lottery, sponsored by Aetna, CBT and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

To continue reading, please click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Manchester Monarchs 1 at Connecticut Whale 2 (OT)
Friday, April 6, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Manchester 1 0 0 0 – 1
Connecticut 1 0 0 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Bourque 6 (Thuresson, Owens), 9:52. 2, Manchester, Vey 18 (Kozun, Deslauriers), 12:23. Penalties-Vey Mch (slashing), 13:35.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Kaunisto Mch (roughing), 4:21; Newbury Ct (roughing), 4:21.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Muzzin Mch (slashing), 0:12; Bourque Ct (hooking), 8:23.

OT Period-3, Connecticut, Wellman 23 (Bell, Redden), 1:16. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Manchester 7-17-8-1-33. Connecticut 9-9-12-1-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Manchester 0 / 1; Connecticut 0 / 2.
Goalies-Manchester, Jones 16-17-2 (31 shots-29 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 22-17-5 (33 shots-32 saves).
A-4,294
Referees-Chris Cozzan (18), Darcy Burchell (42).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Paul Simeon (66).

By Bob Crawford

Slovakian-born winger Marek Hrivik was a bit of a surprise addition to the Connecticut Whale’s roster last weekend, and the call to join the Whale came as somewhat of a surprise to him as well.

“The day before (coming to Connecticut), I was supposed to leave to go back home (to Slovakia),” Hrivik said after Wednesday’s Whale practice.  “My flight was 2:30, and they let me know at 12:00 that they want me here in Hartford.  So I said, ‘for sure, I’m coming.’  It was kind of a quick decision.”

And the 20-year-old Hrivik, who signed an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement with the Whale just before making his pro debut in Saturday’s 3-0 home win over the Adirondack Phantoms, had virtually no time to think about it before he was suddenly in uniform in an important late-season AHL game.

“It’s all about adjusting as quick as possible,” Hrivik said.  “I just came here and went for a nap and went for a game.  I did feel good out there, that’s the main thing, and we did get two points out of the game, so that’s great.

“It’s going pretty well.  It’s a really good team and the guys are helping me a lot.  I just have to adjust a little bit to the style of hockey.  It’s quicker, stronger, so I just have to win some battles in the corners and bury my chances.”

Whale head coach Ken Gernander, who wasted no time in giving Hrivik a chance to show what he could do in the AHL, has been pleased with the 6-1, 197-pound youngster’s effort so far.

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“I’ve thought he’s shown himself well,” Gernander said Wednesday.  “He’s got a little bit of size to him, he makes good decisions both with and without the puck, and with the puck he’s fairly poised as well.  I think once he gets a little more acclimated to the pace of play here at the pro level, he’s going to be able to convert on some of these offensive chances.  He’s kind of been in and around the net there with a couple of shots, and made some passes that were close to scoring chances but didn’t quite come to fruition, but as time goes by, he’ll probably cash in a little bit here.”

It’s not often that an undrafted tryout player can come to a pro team that is in the middle of a heated battle for playoff position and immediately earn quality ice time, but that is what Hrivik has accomplished.  That was after a season in which he tallied 29 goals and 70 points in only 54 games for Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Moncton Wildcats, his third straight solid QMJHL campaign.  Those three years were an excellent preparation for his transition to pro, according to Hrivik.

“The Wildcats are pretty much run as a pro team,” he said.  “Everything we have there is on a high level and first-class, and the owner takes care of us very well and we have great coaches there.  So I was pretty much ready for the next step, and we had a lot of meetings and stuff, so it was very close to what it is here.”

The Whale coaching staff was unfamiliar with Hrivik before he arrived in their locker room, but several of Hrivik’s new teammates knew him from the Quebec League, both from having played with him and against him.  One familiar face was Kelsey Tessier, whom the Wildcats acquired from the Quebec Remparts late in Hrivik’s first year, 2009-10, on the way to a QMJHL championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup.

“Hrivik was my rookie, he came from Europe,” Tessier remembered from that year.  “Big player, very offensive, he turned into a two-way player.  Seeing him these last two games (with the Whale), he has improved a lot.  Great speed, he went wide around the defense once, and his shot got a lot better.  So he’s more of an all-around player now.

“He was on the second line (with Moncton in 2009-10) with (Nicolas) Deschamps (Anaheim second-round pick, now with the Toronto Marlies) and (Randy) Cameron (the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer that year), two great guys, and I think he learned a lot, and he’s improved the last few years, from what I’ve seen in practice since he’s been here.  He contributed a lot for the Wildcats when I was there, and now he’s doing real well here.”

For his part, Hrivik was happy to see an old friend in the Whale locker room, and had good memories of his previous experience playing with Tessier.

“He was a very good addition for our team back in ’09-’10,” Hrivik said.  “He was a very good leader in Moncton, and he seems to be a leader here in Hartford too.  It’s great if you come to the team and you know someone, it’s going to help you out with the stuff around the city, so that’s very good.”

Fellow Whale winger Ryan Bourque, who spent the last three seasons with the Remparts, got an eyeful of Hrivik in the QMJHL from the opposing side.

“When you play in that league, the CHL, you’ll see a lot of European players and they’ll be very offensive,” Bourque said.  “But the thing that I noticed most about Marek was that he could bring a two-way game to the table, with both his defensive play and his offensive play.  I think through that you see his speed and skill that he can bring, and I think you saw a little bit of that in the two games that we played this weekend.  It was really nice to see, and I think he’ll be a good addition to the team.”

From Hrivik’s point of view, the respect flowed the other way too when Moncton played Quebec, which also featured the talents of Whale second-leading point-scorer Jonathan Audy-Marchessault.

“There is always a big rivalry between Moncton and Quebec, and they were their best players,” Hrivik said.  “Marchie (Audy-Marchessault) was one of the top scorers in the league, and Bourqueie was a very good player too.  You always think about, what kind of players are they in the (locker) room too, if you are playing against them, and now you get to know them.”

Another player from the Whale roster whom Hrivik already knew is defenseman Peter Ceresnak, a fellow Slovakian import who joined the Whale March 21 after completing his Ontario Hockey League season with the Peterborough Petes.

“We trained the whole summer, before the season, so we know each other very well,” Hrivik said of himself and Ceresnak.  “That’s another good thing, that there is another guy here who can speak the same language as me.”

Not that language has been an issue since the personable Hrivik arrived in Hartford, or in his three years in Moncton.  Despite living so far from home at such a young age, Hrivik has taken the adjustments in stride.

“You just have to learn as quick as possible the things that are different,” he said.  “You have to make sure you know their language, you understand what the coaches are saying in the meetings and stuff.  Then you have to adjust to the style of life here, the food is different, so there are a lot of things you have to take care of, and just make sure that you are ready for playing your games.”

Interestingly, Gernander has not only given Hrivik a good look in the two games since his signing, he has also played him mostly on the same line with another young player getting his first taste of the pro level on a tryout, former University of New Hampshire Wildcat Steve Moses.  The two new additions are both eager to make impressions quickly, and have meshed together well.

“He’s a great player,” Hrivik said about Moses.  “He’s got great skill and speed.  So he kind of jumps into the empty spots and I’m kind of a playmaker so I can find him in empty spots, so hopefully we’ll have some success.”

AHL All-Star Teams Announced

Neither the Whale nor their Nutmeg State rivals the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the top two teams in the Northeast Division, were represented on the 2011-12 First and Second All-Star Teams, which were released today.  The First Team consisted of Oklahoma City’s Yann Danis in goal, defensemen Mark Barberio of league-leading Norfolk and Paul Postma of St. John’s, left-wing Chris Bourque (Ryan’s older brother) of Hershey, his teammate, Keith Aucoin, at center and Syracuse’s Kyle Palmieri on right wing.  The Second-Team goaltender was Ben Bishop of Binghamton (formerly of Peoria), Rockford’s Brian Connelly and Clay Wilson of Abbotsford were the defensemen and the forwards were Norfolk’s Cory Conacher (left wing), T.J. Hensick of Peoria (center) and South Windsor, CT native Jon DiSalvatore of Houston (right wing).  The All-Star selections were voted on by coaches, players and media in each AHL city.

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HARTFORD, April 5, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Whale has returned forward Jeff Prough on loan to its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Prough has registered one goal and six penalty minutes in 17 games on the year with the Whale, and the fourth-year pro out of Brown University has 18 goals and 29 assists for 47 points in 47 games.

The Whale’s next action is a home game at the XL Center tomorrow night, Friday, April 6, vs. the Manchester Monarchs.  Five-thousand fans at that game will take home a free Whale team poster, courtesy of AT&T the Real Yellow Pages.  There is also a special Friday-night food combo deal available, as a hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM.

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 www.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 www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.

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