By Bob Crawford

The Connecticut Whale’s Logan Pyett has always been a defenseman throughout his pro career, and thinks of himself as such.

He has also always been a productive source of offense from the backline, though, having put up 145 points in 288 career AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins prior to joining the Whale, and having led Connecticut blueliners in points for most of this season.

Mindful of that offensive acumen, the Whale coaching staff moved Pyett up to forward recently, when the Whale found itself short of bodies up front.  The change for Pyett started in Connecticut’s two wins up in St. John’s, Newfoundland two weekends ago, and continued through the team’s three-victory performance at home this past weekend.

Despite his good offensive instincts, Pyett admitted to feeling a little bit like a fish out of water after being shifted off the blueline.

“It’s definitely been different, kind of being a rover and playing all over, but I’m getting a little more comfortable playing forward,” the fourth-year pro said prior to the Whale’s 3-2 win over the Manchester Monarchs Sunday.  “It’s quite a change for me, I still feel a little lost out there in certain areas, and I’m sure it looks that way, but I’m just trying to do the best I can.  And we’re a little short forwards with injuries, so any way I can help the team and kind of fill a hole is what I’m trying to do.”

On the surface of it, one might think that going from the heavy goal-preventing responsibilities of being a defenseman to the relatively less-taxing role of playing forward would be an easy transition.  In actuality, however, there is quite a bit to think about.

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“It’s quite a bit different, in the offensive zone with the cycles (of the puck), and I keep telling my linemates, ‘just kind of bear with me,’” Pyett said.  “I’m trying to play it safe defensively and not get caught.  “It’s different when you’re on the other side of the puck, and you’re trying to go to the net from the corners instead of trying to defend guys coming out of the corner. 

“It’s weird, for sure, and like I said, I’m still a little bit lost at times and not really sure what to do with the puck when I get it down there, just hopefully somebody’s talking to me.  I’m getting a little more comfortable, and hopefully I can find myself back to D on a regular basis, but for now it’s going OK.”

One positive to going from blueline to frontline is that a player becomes the forechecker, as opposed to the forecheckee.

“That’s definitely a fun part of being a forward, getting in there and trying to disrupt it (the opponent’s defensive-zone play) and maybe hit some guys,” said Pyett.  “But forward’s hard work too, it’s a lot different game.  You’re doing a lot of skating, forward skating, anyway, and legs start burning, but it’s fun.”

It’s especially fun when it involves getting in on some scoring plays, which Pyett did in Saturday night’s 2-1 overtime win over the Norfolk Admirals.  He scored the Whale’s first goal on a first-period power play and then had an assist on Brandon Segal’s overtime game-winner.

The play that led to that Segal goal was started by the “fun part” that Pyett referenced.  In a rare three-on-three situation, he got in on the forecheck and bumped Admiral defenseman Jordan Hendry off the puck, causing him to fall into the boards.  Pyett then jumped on the loose biscuit and got it to fellow defenseman Sean Collins, who found Segal for game-ending score.

“I got a little fortunate,” Pyett said of his key forecheck.  “I was surprised he (Hendry) went down how he did.  I didn’t think I hit him or touched him very much, and the way the game was going, how they were calling penalties, I thought maybe for sure I was going to the box.  But I wasn’t going to worry about that, stay on the puck, and luckily Collins and Segal made a nice play to finish the game off for us.

“It felt great.  Like I said, I’m trying to get myself back to D here as quick as I can, so I’m trying to help out, and luckily I was able to produce a little bit (Saturday) night and help the team get a win.  And a lot of teams behind us have games in hand, so we have to keep getting these points and every game’s important.”

Pyett’s goal earlier in that game came with the Regina, Saskatchewan native back at his familiar point spot on the man-advantage unit.

“That definitely felt good too,” said Pyett of turning the red light on.  “I haven’t scored a goal in quite some time here, so kind of get the monkey off the back.  And yeah, I’m definitely comfortable out there on the power play.  There’s so many skilled guys on this team, it’s pretty easy to stand at the blueline and pass the puck around, which for the most part is all I do.  Hopefully we can continue to stay somewhat hot on the power play and find the back of the net the next few games.”

Seeing things from the blue line, Pyett has a healthy appreciation of what the Whale’s recent forward acquisitions, big wingers Brandon Mashinter and Nick Palmieri, have meant to the power play’s potency.

“Pucks go in the corner, you’ve got to battle, especially on entries,” Pyett said, “and they do a great job battling for pucks in the corner and getting possession for us, getting it up to us D-men, and especially in front of the net, battling for pucks there and screening the goalie, it’s very important.  Hopefully they can continue to do that well and use their size to their advantage.”

After switching back and forth between wing at even strength and the point on the power play, Pyett returned to defense in the third period of Sunday’s game, after Mike Vernace was injured.  That points up the value of a player who can move seamlessly back and forth between the two positions, and with Jyri Niemi still on the Whale roster and Steve Eminger still with three games potentially left on his conditioning assignment, Pyett is likely to spend some more time at forward this week, even if Vernace is unable to play.

The defensive unit is where Pyett’s heart is, however, and he feels that group has made tremendous progress.

“From the start of the year, we’ve said it ourselves, we’re (the defense) kind of the weak link on the team, I guess,” Pyett analyzed.  “Being an undersized group out there, with the exception of Mac (6-5, 215-pound rookie Dylan McIlrath), who was out for the first few months, we went through some struggles, but I think we’re starting to come together as a team, on the whole, a lot better.  But definitely the D have come a long way I think.”

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NEW YORK, February 18, 2013 –New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has recalled forward Brandon Mashinter from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Mashinter, 24, has tallied a point in each of the last three contests (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goals on Friday against Portland and yesterday against Manchester. He has registered five goals and six assists for 11 points, along with 23 penalty minutes in 14 games with Connecticut. Mashinter was acquired by the Rangers from San Jose in exchange for forward Tommy Grant and a conditional pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft on January 16. He posted a four-game point streak from January 20 at Providence to January 26 against Springfield, registering two goals and four assists over the span. Mashinter has recorded seven goals and nine assists for 16 points, along with 67 penalty minutes in 44 total games with Connecticut and Worcester this season.

The 6-4, 230-pounder has skated in 250 career AHL games over four seasons with Connecticut and Worcester, registering 59 goals and 60 assists for 119 points, along with 347 penalty minutes. At the time of his trade, he ranked fourth on Worcester’s all-time goals list and seventh on the team’s all-time points list. Mashinter established AHL career-highs in games played (79), goals (22), points (37) and penalty minutes (117) as a rookie in 2009-10. He became the first player in Worcester Sharks history to record double-digits in goals and fighting majors (13) in a single season, and one of two rookies in franchise history to surpass the 20-goal mark. Mashinter tied for third among AHL rookies in goals that season.

The Bradford, Ontario native has skated in 13 career NHL contests with the San Jose Sharks, making his NHL debut on December 29, 2010, at Minnesota. Mashinter was originally signed by San Jose as an undrafted free agent on March 3, 2009.

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NEW YORK, February 18, 2013 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with goaltender Cam Talbot on a new contract.

Talbot, 25, is 19-19-1 with a 2.52 goals against average, .919 save percentage and one shutout in 39 appearances with the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season. He leads the team in wins, goals against average and save percentage, and is tied for fourth in the league in wins and 11^th in save percentage. Talbot made 26 saves in a 2-1 win against Norfolk on Saturday to extend his current winning streak to a career-high-tying, four games, beginning with a 4-1 win on February 9 at St. John’s. On January 26, he established an AHL career-high with his 15^th win of the season, stopping 26 shots in a 3-2 victory against Springfield. Talbot also posted his first shutout of the season, and seventh of his AHL career, with a 25-save effort in a 3-0 win on January 4 against Adirondack.

The 6-3, 205-pounder has appeared in 95 career AHL contests with Connecticut/Hartford, posting a record of 44-43-4 along with a 2.65 goals against average, .913 save percentage and seven shutouts. He established a career-high with four shutouts in 2011-12, which tied for eighth in the league. Talbot posted shutouts in Game 1 (42 saves) and Game 2 (41 saves) of Connecticut’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Bridgeport in the 2012 Calder Cup Playoffs, to become the first goaltender in franchise history to record back-to-back postseason shutouts. His 42-save shutout in Game 1 on April 19, 2012, at Bridgeport also marked a franchise record for most saves in a postseason shutout.

Talbot made his professional debut in a relief appearance, stopping eight shots in 19 minutes of ice time on April 7, 2010, against Worcester. He posted his first professional win with a 41-save shutout, while making his first professional start on October 17, 2010, at Providence. With the shutout, Talbot became the first Connecticut goaltender to post a shutout in his first professional start, and he tied the Whale franchise record for saves in a shutout victory.

The Caledonia, Ontario native originally signed with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent on March 30, 2010, following a three-year collegiate career with the University of Alabama-Huntsville (CHA). Talbot was named the 2010 CHA tournament MVP and selected to the CHA All-Tournament Team after backstopping the Chargers to their second CHA tournament championship while in his final collegiate season.

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By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, February 17, 2013 – Brandon Segal set up two goals, 16 seconds apart, in the third period to help lead the Connecticut Whale to a 3-2 win over the Manchester Monarchs on Sunday afternoon at the XL Center. Connecticut, picking up its fourth straight win, won three days straight at home to put together a six-point weekend, which is essential as playoff time gets nearer.

The rate of play was down at first; the 5,143 in attendance had little to cheer or boo about. Then Connecticut’s Christian Thomas was sent off for hooking at 4:58.  With 35 seconds left in their man advantage, Manchester drew first blood.  Andy Andreoff started the play at the point, exchanging the puck with Tyler Toffoli on the bench-side wall. Finally, Toffoli drove it to the slot where Linden Vey was lurking backdoor. He tucked it behind Whale netminder Jason Missiaen for Vey’s 13^th of the year.

The closest Connecticut got to beating Manchester’s goalkeeper, Martin Jones, came when Micheal Haley banked a puck way ahead to himself, driving Jones’ crease with 80 seconds left, but being turned away.

Four minutes in to the second, with Manchester still leading 1-0, Mike Vernace was boarded hard on the backcheck by Anthony Stewart. Dylan McIlrath was there to stand up for his teammate and the two dropped the gloves. The power play wouldn’t produce much offense for Connecticut, as Toffoli found himself alone facing Missiaen, but put one off the pipe.

After the kill, the Whale managed to tie things up; Haley went cross-ice to Thomas, who released a wrister top shelf, earning his third goal of the weekend.

Toffoli, who finished with two points on the day, had a reply, however. With 53 seconds remaining in the period, he made a give and go with defenseman Nick Deslauriers at the point and rolled the circle. The low shot earned Toffoli his 24^th goal of the year.  Haley would have a doorstep try on Jones at the second-period buzzer but the 2-1 edge would stand.

The third period passed quietly, and things looked grim for Connecticut for nearly 14 minutes. A few chances from Andrew Yogan and Nick Palmieri woke the building up, and Connecticut started putting heavy traffic in front of Jones.

With 2:43 to go, Segal and Steve Eminger found themselves in a two on one situation. Segal pulled out wide and went cross-crease to Eminger with a nifty saucer pass. Eminger said afterwards, “Manchester played a good game, they worked really hard on the forecheck. On the goal, Segs [Segal] made a great play; he drove wide, made a nice pass, threw it flat.”

The momentum would turn out to be the difference for Connecticut; just 16 seconds later Segal found himself feeding yet another recent addition to the Whale lineup. This time it was Brandon Mashinter on the half-boards who started a give and go with the Whale’s de facto captain Segal. Taking the pass from out of the corner, Mashinter buried his seventh of the season on the far side to take a 3-2 lead. “We fought to the bitter end,” Segal, who earned First Star honors, said after the game, “Mish [Missiaen] played really well tonight; it’s hard for him coming in at the end of a three in three where the boys are tired.”

Head Coach Ken Gernander had praises for the humble Segal, “If you go through his goals there’s not a lot of muffins in there; you know, a sixth goal in a 6-1 game. He’s involved in big goals and it’s a product of either his play or just the whole team package or both.”

In the last two and a half minutes, Manchester managed to get Jones out of the net but couldn’t produce the goal they needed. Jones got out of the net with 82 seconds left, and finished with 26 saves. Missiaen had a strong day as well, turning aside 27 of 29. Connecticut will host the St. John’s IceCaps on Wednesday night at 7pm at the XL Center.

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Manchester Monarchs 2 at Connecticut Whale 3
Sunday, February 17, 2013 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Manchester 1 1 0 – 2
Connecticut 0 1 2 – 3

1st Period-1, Manchester, Vey 13 (Toffoli, Andreoff), 6:24 (PP). Penalties-Thomas Ct (hooking), 4:58; Huxley Mch (hooking), 6:44; Segal Ct (tripping), 17:09.

2nd Period-2, Connecticut, Thomas 13 (Haley, Parlett), 7:34. 3, Manchester, Toffoli 24 (Deslauriers, LoVerde), 19:06. Penalties-Stewart Mch (boarding, fighting), 4:05; McIlrath Ct (fighting), 4:05; Johnson Mch (interference), 12:31.

3rd Period-4, Connecticut, Eminger 1 (Segal, Collins), 17:17. 5, Connecticut, Mashinter 7 (Segal), 17:33. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Manchester 8-12-9-29. Connecticut 12-7-10-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Manchester 1 / 2; Connecticut 0 / 3.
Goalies-Manchester, Jones 12-18-3 (29 shots-26 saves). Connecticut, Missiaen 6-4-1 (29 shots-27 saves).
A-5,143
Referees-Jean-Philippe Sylvain (16).
Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Derek Wahl (46).

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By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, February 16, 2013 – In their second of three home games this weekend, the Connecticut Whale closed out their season series with the Norfolk Admirals with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win Saturday at the XL Center. Brandon Segal potted the game winner two minutes and eight seconds in to the extra period in a rare three-on-three situation, breaking a tie that held up since the first period.

The teams spent no time feeling each other out; just 62 seconds in to the squads’ fourth and final matchup of the regular season Sean Collins sat for boarding. Near the end of the kill, Kelsey Tessier picked Jordan Hendry’s pocket on the blueline and looked to replicate his shorthanded goal from Friday night, aiming for the five hole but being turned away by backstop Igor Bobkov.

Whale goaltender Cam Talbot answered with two big stops on Dan Sexton when the puck deflected in front as the penalty expired, and those plays by Bobkov and Talbot would set the tone for the night.

Norfolk got on the board first with a goal from Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond. At 15:42, a bad angle try snuck past Talbot’s left pad. Mat Clark and Sami Vatanen assisted the Levis, Quebec native’s ninth of the year. Talbot spoke on the goal after the game, “After that goal I tried to settle down. Maybe should have had that one, I was looking away and I left my post. Just picked myself up and tried to stop the rest.”

Two minutes later, Devante Smith-Pelly was called for hooking, and the Whale converted their second man-up try. Mike Vernace catalyzed the goal, knocking down a Norfolk clearing try at the line. He wrapped it underneath for Brandon Mashinter, who returned the pass on the half-boards. Vernace steered it to the middle where Logan Pyett had breathing room in the high slot. He backpedaled and let go a heavy slapshot to earn his fifth of the season and tie the game at one apiece.

The two teams would both rack up penalty minutes in a scoreless second. Steve Eminger played a solid period, hitting the pipe two and a half minutes in, and breaking up a three on one as time wound down.

The Whale kill was busy again in the third as well, but ended up a perfect seven for seven on the night. In the last minute of the period, Bobkov came up with a handful of tremendous saves, including one moving right to left on a Mashinter-Kris Newbury connection.

Newbury and Rod Pelley were put in the box for coincidental roughing minors 1:49 in to overtime. With three skaters on per side, Segal won a neutral zone draw and Sean Collins fed the puck down the wall for Pyett to break in. From the end boards, Pyett shoveled a pass to Collins, who quickly crossed it for Segal. Segal had to take two swings at it, but the rebound left out by Bobkov gave the Whale’s number 26 his seasons 14^th to seal the deal. “It was a great pass by Collins and a great forecheck by [Pyett],” Segal said afterwards. “It was a great win and we want to keep it going. Bobkov played great for them, Talbs (Talbot) too, gotta love playing games like that. And we can’t get too high or too low, it’s cliché but it’s true. Every point is so important.”

Head Coach Ken Gernander, speaking of the goal and the game, said, “[Segal] clutched it for a little bit but had enough poise to find the empty net there. Five-man units were tricky tonight with all the penalties.

Talbot would finish with 26 saves in his 39^th appearance of the year, while Bobkov turned away 33 of 35. The goaltenders earned Second and Third Star honors, respectively. Connecticut will be back in action Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. against the Manchester Monarchs to close out the three-game home weekend.

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Norfolk Admirals 1 at Connecticut Whale 2 (OT)
Saturday, February 16, 2013 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Norfolk 1 0 0 0 – 1
Connecticut 1 0 0 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Norfolk, Letourneau-Leblond 2 (Clark, Vatanen), 15:42. 2, Connecticut, Pyett 5 (Vernace, Mashinter), 18:45 (PP). Penalties-Collins Ct (boarding), 1:02; Brittain Nor (roughing), 9:25; Smith-Pelly Nor (hooking), 17:35.

2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Yogan Ct (high-sticking), 2:46; Mitchell Nor (fighting), 6:26; Haley Ct (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating), 6:26; Kurtz Nor (fighting), 9:09; McIlrath Ct (fighting), 9:09; McMillan Nor (tripping), 12:58; Pelley Nor (hooking), 16:24; Yogan Ct (hooking), 17:52.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Yogan Ct (interference), 2:53; Parent Nor (holding), 9:29; Pyett Ct (goaltender interference), 9:29; Collins Ct (hooking), 12:26.

OT Period-3, Connecticut, Segal 14 (Collins, Pyett), 2:08. Penalties-Pelley Nor (roughing), 1:49; Newbury Ct (roughing), 1:49.

Shots on Goal-Norfolk 11-7-9-0-27. Connecticut 14-6-11-4-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 0 / 7; Connecticut 1 / 5.
Goalies-Norfolk, Bobkov 10-14-0 (35 shots-33 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 19-19-1 (27 shots-26 saves).
A-5,825
Referees-Trent Knorr (44), Chris Brown (86).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Derek Wahl (46).

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NEW YORK, February 16, 2013 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has recalled forward Chris Kreider from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Kreider, 21, registered one shot on goal in Connecticut’s 4-1 win last night against Portland. He returns to the Rangers where he has registered one goal and one assist for two points, along with four penalty minutes and a plus-two rating in seven games this season. Kreider tallied a point in consecutive games, including his first career regular season point with a goal on February 5 at New Jersey and his first career regular season assist on February 7 against the New York Islanders, after missing the previous five games, including four games due to injury. He made his NHL regular season debut in the season opener on January 19 at Boston.

The 6-3, 230-pounder established an NHL record for most postseason goals (five) and points (seven) by a player before skating in a regular season game during the 2012 playoffs. Kreider tied for first among NHL rookies in goals and power play goals (two), second in game-winning goals (two) and power play points (two), and ranked fourth in points during the playoffs. He also tied for third on the team in playoff goals, first in power play goals and second in game-winning goals. Kreider made his NHL debut on April 16, 2012, at Ottawa in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, becoming the first player to win an NCAA title and make his NHL debut in that year’s playoffs since 1990.

The Boxford, Massachusetts native was originally selected by the Rangers as a first round choice, 19th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

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By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, February 15, 2013 – In their sixth of eight matchups for the 2012-2013 season, the Connecticut Whale skated to a 4-1 victory over the Atlantic division-leading Portland Pirates Friday night at the XL Center.

Led by two scores from young gun Christian Thomas, Connecticut shot early and often, and were stingy on the defensive side of the puck. With help from veteran blueliner Steve Eminger, who has 457 career NHL games under his belt, the Whale allowed just six shots in the first period; Cam Talbot would finish with 23 saves.

Portland backstop Chad Johnson, who signed with the Pirates’ NHL parent club, the Phoenix Coyotes, over the summer after playing 49 games with Whale last season, saw a lot of action early. After surrendering two goals in the first 20 minutes, he was replaced by Mike Lee, who had made only three AHL appearances in the season prior to Friday. Johnson retired with 12 saves.

In a chippy first period, the Portland offense was quiet. The Coyotes’ top affiliate couldn’t get the puck to Talbot on their first power play, when Chris Brown drew a hooking call on Kris Newbury.

The teams exchanged checks and chances near the 12-minute mark, and as Kelsey Tessier got hammered by Boris Valabik behind Johnson’s net, the New Brunswick-born Tessier found Thomas for his first of the night at 8:49. Mark Louis would sit for roughing on the same play.

After a successful penalty kill, Portland replied. Alexandre Bolduc found the rebound of a Michael Stone shot to net his 18^th of the season at 11:40. Andy Miele earned the secondary assist on the game-tying goal.

Play got hairy late in the first, as a series of Portland penalties gave Connecticut sustained five-on-three time. The Pirates’ kill unit came up with another successful effort, but with 1:50 to play in the period, Newbury fought off Louis on the wall and fed Brandon Mashinter on the doorstep for an easy put away. Mashinter went on to say, “It was a good 60 minutes,” with a passing nod to Head Coach Ken Gernander’s mantra for the season. “Eminger is poised back there, (Chris) Kreider (returned to the Whale by the parent New York Rangers Friday afternoon) has great hands and he’s fast. Both those guys are NHL ready and it’s good to have them.”

The second period went by in the same fashion for just over 10 minutes. At 10:44 Louis got his stick in the midsection of a Whale forward for another hooking minor. Kreider sat for hooking moments later to negate the power play. Talbot came up with his 10^th and 11^th saves on Stone shooting from the circle, and the period went by without a score.

Opening the third, Lee came up with a sprawling save.  Micheal Haley went off for boarding Valabik 51 seconds in. Connecticut killed off the man-down situation and Nick Palmieri had two great looks at the net, as Lee was stretched out on scrambles in front immediately after play returned to even strength.

Thomas struck again at 4:43 for his 12^th of the season. Blake Parlett fed Sam Klassen and Klassen found Thomas in the neutral zone. Thomas walked in and let go an absolute bomb from the right circle to give the Whale a 3-1 edge. Thomas said after the game, “I’m feeling good, better than in the beginning of the season and things are just starting to click. We got a lot of shots and that’s something G (Gernander) always tells us before games.”

Gernander spoke highly of Thomas and the team as well, “The Thomas-Hales (Haley)-Tess (Tessier) line has been important to our success as of late. Thomas is more proactive, taking more initiative. Our younger kids are making strides, trades are giving us a new look, we have size and a different dynamic to the club. We’re meshing. One of our more complete games.”

Physicality stayed high in the third; Dylan McIlrath crushed Phil Lane in the defensive end but was called for charging at 8:57. All of nine seconds later, Klassen and Haley combined to feed Tessier. Breaking in alone, Tessier was, as he said after the game, “thinking five-hole the entire way,” and converted exactly that way for his season’s 11^th.

With a handful of penalties and misconducts handed out after a scrum with 3:48 left, the Whale was able to shut down and finish off Portland, 4-1. Lee would finish with 24 saves on 26 shots faced in 40 minutes.  Talbot got his 18^th win of the season with 23 saves in the Whale net.

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Portland Pirates 1 at Connecticut Whale 4
Friday, February 15, 2013 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

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

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Thomas 11 (Tessier, Haley), 8:39. 2, Portland, Bolduc 18 (Stone, Miele), 11:40. 3, Connecticut, Mashinter 6 (Newbury, Vernace), 18:10. Penalties-Newbury Ct (hooking), 5:09; Valabik Por (roughing, roughing), 8:05; Mashinter Ct (roughing, roughing), 8:05; Louis Por (roughing), 8:39; Rechlicz Por (interference), 12:17; Stone Por (delay of game), 14:02; Bolduc Por (closing hand on puck), 14:46.

2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Louis Por (hooking), 10:44; Kreider Ct (hooking), 12:11; Jean Ct (tripping), 15:22.

3rd Period-4, Connecticut, Thomas 12 (Klassen, Parlett), 4:43. 5, Connecticut, Tessier 11 (Haley, Klassen), 9:06 (SH). Penalties-Haley Ct (boarding), 0:51; McIlrath Ct (charging), 8:57; Shinnimin Por (goaltender interference), 11:27; Rechlicz Por (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:24; Goncharov Por (slashing), 14:47; Bolduc Por (slashing, misconduct), 16:12; Valabik Por (roughing, misconduct), 16:12; Haley Ct (roughing, misconduct), 16:12; Tessier Ct (hooking), 18:29.

Shots on Goal-Portland 6-9-9-24. Connecticut 14-12-14-40.
Power Play Opportunities-Portland 0 / 6; Connecticut 0 / 8.
Goalies-Portland, Johnson 14-10-0 (14 shots-12 saves); Lee 3-0-0 (26 shots-24 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 18-19-1 (24 shots-23 saves).
A-4,441
Referees-Ryan Fraser (14).
Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Brent Colby (7).

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NEW YORK, February 15, 2013 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has assigned forward Chris Kreider to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Kreider, 21, has registered one goal and one assist for two points, along with four penalty minutes and a plus-two rating in seven games this season. He tallied a point in consecutive games, including his first career regular season point with a goal on February 5 at New Jersey and his first career regular season assist on February 7 against the New York Islanders, after missing the previous five games, including four games due to injury. Kreider made his NHL regular season debut in the season opener on January 19 at Boston.

The 6-3, 230-pounder established an NHL record for most postseason goals (five) and points (seven) by a player before skating in a regular season game during the 2012 playoffs. Kreider tied for first among NHL rookies in goals and power play goals (two), second in game-winning goals (two) and power play points (two), and ranked fourth in points during the playoffs. He also tied for third on the team in playoff goals, first in power play goals and second in game-winning goals. Kreider made his NHL debut on April 16, 2012, at Ottawa in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, becoming the first player to win an NCAA title and make his NHL debut in that year’s playoffs since 1990.

The Boxford, Massachusetts native was originally selected by the Rangers as a first round choice, 19^th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

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NEW YORK, February 13, 2013 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has assigned defenseman Steve Eminger to the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL) for conditioning.

Eminger, 29, has skated in four contests this season, having made his season debut on January 23 against Boston. He has not dressed in six of the Rangers last seven games. Eminger is four points shy of 100 career NHL points, having registered 19 goals and 77 assists in 457 career regular season games.

The Woodbridge, Ontario native was acquired by the Rangers from Anaheim in exchange for Aaron Voros and Ryan Hillier on July 9, 2010. He was originally selected by the Washington Capitals as a first round choice, 12th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

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By Bob Crawford

The Herb Brooks-coached 1982-83 New York Rangers got big playoff performances from an undersized line featuring Mark Pavelich and Rob McClanahan, both of whom had played for Brooks on the famous 1980 U.S. Olympic team, along with canny Swedish import Anders Hedberg.

That line was known as “The Smurfs”, and it led the Blueshirts, a .500 team during the regular season, to a stunning first-round sweep of the Patrick Division-champion Philadelphia Flyers.

Some 30 years later, a Connecticut Whale front line evoked images of the Smurfs this past weekend, as a grouping of Kelsey Tessier centering Micheal Haley and Christian Thomas helped the Whale to a pair of convincing road victories in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

The Whale beat the St. John’s IceCaps 4-1 on Saturday night, and then posted a 7-3 triumph on Sunday afternoon, equaling their biggest offensive output of the season.  The Haley-Tessier-Thomas line scored on the Whale’s first shot in both games, and combined to generate five of the 11 goals the team scored in the two contests.

The majority of that offense came off of strong play down low in the offensive zone, too, despite the fact that  Haley, the tallest of the three on the line, measures only 5-10, and Tessier and Thomas check in at 5-9, 177 and 5-9, 170, respectively.

Haley joked before Sunday’s game that, “I’m not usually the tallest on a line,” but dismissed the suggestion that physical size should have bearing on whether a player can exert impact as a forechecker.

“Size doesn’t mean too much to me,” Haley, who packs a compact 204 pounds on his 5-10 frame, said Wednesday.  “As long as you’re in (on the opponent’s defense) and you’re hitting and disrupting, that’s a good forecheck.”

Whale head coach Ken Gernander agreed, saying, “Tess (Tessier) is a pretty stocky player, Hales (Haley) has some beef, he’s not afraid to mix it up, and a lot of times it’s more about anticipation and body position than actually having to physically outmatch somebody or overpower somebody.  If you can beat them to the puck and get body position, more times than not you’ll be OK.”

“It’s a pretty eclectic mix,” Gernander added about his new vertically-challenged combination, “when you’ve got Haley, he’s got a little bit of beef, and he’s kind of underestimated as far as his scoring, he can put the puck in the net, given opportunities.  Christian Thomas isn’t near the same player he was two months ago, he’s really come on.  He’s using his speed to recover pucks, or to be first on pucks, he’s drawing penalties, bumping people off pucks with body position, then he’s able to make plays.  And Tess has, for large part, been a third, fourth (-line) role player and penalty-killer, and now he’s getting a little bit of taste of some offensive opportunities, and making the best of things.”

The sixth-year pro Haley has always been known as a physical player, the kind who can use strength and will to disrupt opposing defensemen in the Whale’s offensive zone.  He is quick to point out, however, that his two physically slighter linemates deserve full marks for using their quickness and smarts to give the IceCaps fits.

“They don’t need to crush people, but as long as you’re separating them from the puck and stealing the puck, that’s a forecheck,” Haley said.  “Not everybody’s going to be the guy that hits them (enemy defenders) hard, but as long as you’re on them quick, they don’t have time to think.”

Thomas, the rookie and second-round 2010 New York Ranger pick, won a number of important puck battles during the Whale’s successful Newfoundland weekend, and echoed Haley’s thoughts about how to make a forchecking impact as a smaller player.

“Big or small, you just have to get there, make contact and interrupt their progress, the bigger guys, take away their hands and you can get that puck,” Thomas said.

Thomas had his first three-point game as a pro in Saturday’s win, with a goal and two hard-earned assists, and then helped set up Haley for a goal only 68 seconds into Sunday’s game, giving the Whale a lead they would never relinquish.  That continued a dynamic uptick in Thomas’ play, which he credits to making consistent use of his excellent foot speed.

“I just try to tell myself to keep moving my feet out there,” Thomas said.  “Smaller guy, you move your feet, you’re hard to handle out there.  I think I’m a pretty quick guy, so when I get my feet moving I can get to pucks first, and get some space and make some plays.”

The entire line did a good job of making plays in the two wins over the IceCaps.  It is one thing to generate chances with eager puck-hawking, but quite another to turn them into scores, and the line was opportunistic in finishing the chances they created.  In Haley’s battle-tested view, that’s more a matter of better luck than anything else.

“They’re (goals) just going in now,” he said.  “Ride the wave as long as you can, I guess.”

Indeed, the Haley-Tessier-Thomas threesome has only been together for two games, and the way things go in the AHL, it’s certainly not unlikely that it won’t stay together long enough to acquire an enduring nickname like “The Smurfs”.  With the four points the Whale grabbed up in St. John’s being so key in the team’s playoff drive, though, whether or not it remains intact, the smallish unit has undoubtedly made an outsized impact on the Whale’s fortunes.

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