Manchester, NH, December 8, 2012 – Brandon Kozun had two goals and an assist, Linden Vey scored twice, and Andrei Loktionov added a goal and two assists, to lead the Manchester Monarchs to a 9-2 blowout of the Connecticut Whale Saturday night at Verizon Wireless Arena.

Andrew Bodnarchuk, Richard Clune, Jordan Nolan and Slava Voynov had a goal and an assist each for the Monarchs, and Peter Mannino made 23 saves.  Christian Thomas and Kelsey Tessier scored for the Whale and Tommy Grant assisted on both scores.

Connecticut spotted Manchester a 3-0 lead in a first period in which the Monarchs had a 15-5 shots on goal advantage.

Nolan, one of three players on the Manchester roster who played key roles in the parent Los Angeles Kings’ 2012 Stanley Cup win, scored his second goal in nine AHL games to open the scoring at 5:34.

Nolan took a pass from Clune, made a slick move to get around the Whale’s Sam Klassen and broke in alone on Connecticut starting goaltender Cam Talbot, whom he beat through the five-hole.

Bodnarchuk made it 2-0 only 1:47 later at 7:21, on a shot from the top of the circles, after an Andy Andreoff pass missed two other teammates’ sticks.

Clune poked the puck past Talbot at 12:06 for a 3-0 Manchester lead.  Nolan played the puck toward the front of the net from the right-wing corner off of Talbot, and Clune found the loose puck at Talbot’s left.

After Whale coach Ken Gernander called a timeout, Thomas got Connecticut on the board with 2:01 remaining in the period, with his sixth goal of the year.  J.T. Miller blocked an Andrew Campbell pass near the blue line and fed Grant.  Mannino stopped Grant’s try, but the rebound came to an unguarded Thomas at the right side of the goalmouth.

That momentum was squandered, though, only 47 seconds into the second period, when Kozun scored to make it 4-1 Monarchs.  After the Whale failed to break out of their zone cleanly, Talbot stopped Voynov’s shot from the right point but could not control the rebound, and Kozun poked it in.

Loktionov increased the lead to 5-1 at 7:08, after the Whale did not get the puck deep at the offensive blue line.  Mike Vernace blocked a pass to deny an initial Manchester rush, but the Monarchs got the puck right back and Loktionov fired it in from the left side of the slot.

That goal chased Talbot (17 saves) from the game and brought on Jason Missiaen, who would finish with four goals-against on 16 shots.

Tessier cut the margin to 5-2 at 2:57 of the third, jamming the puck past Mannino after Vernace slid it toward the net from the left point.  The goal was Tessier’s second in as many games, after he went his first 16 games without scoring.

Manchester would explode for four more, however, in the final 8:32 of the third.

Voynov buried a Kozun pass from the right side of the slot at 11:28, and then Kozun and Vey clicked 16 seconds apart starting at 14:12.

Vey finished the scoring with 2:09 left, converting a pass from Tanner Pearson, who also set up Vey’s first goal.

The nine goals-scored were a Monarch single-game record.

The Whale return to the XL Center Sunday afternoon for a 3:00 PM game against the Albany Devils.  As at all Whale Sunday home games, fans can take advantage of the Whale’s “Click It or Ticket Sunday Family Value Packs”.  Those include a ticket, a hot dog or a slice of pizza and a soda, all for only $18.

Tickets for all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

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Connecticut Whale 2 at Manchester Monarchs 9
Saturday, December 8, 2012 – Verizon Wireless Arena

Connecticut 1 0 1 – 2
Manchester 3 2 4 – 9

1st Period-1, Manchester, Nolan 2 (Clune, Weal), 5:34. 2, Manchester, Bodnarchuk 3 (Legein, Andreoff), 7:21. 3, Manchester, Clune 2 (Nolan, Bodnarchuk), 12:06. 4, Connecticut, Thomas 6 (Grant, Miller), 17:59. Penalties-Kolarik Ct (cross-checking), 0:06; Nolan Mch (slashing), 2:29.

2nd Period-5, Manchester, Kozun 6 (Voynov, Loktionov), 0:47. 6, Manchester, Loktionov 5 (Toffoli, Muzzin), 7:08. Penalties-Weal Mch (hooking), 16:18.

3rd Period-7, Connecticut, Tessier 2 (Vernace, Grant), 2:57. 8, Manchester, Voynov 5 (Kozun, King), 11:28. 9, Manchester, Kozun 7 (King, Loktionov), 14:12. 10, Manchester, Vey 5 (Pearson), 14:28. 11, Manchester, Vey 6 (Pearson), 17:51. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 6-15-4-25. Manchester 15-12-11-38.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 2; Manchester 0 / 1.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 8-7-0 (22 shots-17 saves); Missiaen 2-3-0 (16 shots-12 saves). Manchester, Mannino 4-1-0 (25 shots-23 saves).
A-5,245
Referees-Darcy Burchell (42), Jean Hebert (43).
Linesmen-Joe Andrews (32), Landon Bathe (80).

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HARTFORD, CT, December 10, 2012 – Cigna and the Connecticut Whale are continuing their partnership to bring hockey to boys and girls ages 6 to 12 years in the Greater Hartford area.

The Cigna Hockey in the Streets program starts its second year with a series of one-hour clinics, beginning at six p.m., Monday, December 10, at The Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth and Family Center on 444 Albany Ave., Hartford. This program is available to groups and venues throughout the region.

Chuck Steedman, AEG Connecticut Senior Vice President & General Manager said, “AEG Connecticut is excited to carry on this tremendous program that significantly impacts the community. We strongly believe these type of programs are key to injecting excitement and energy into young hockey fans across the state. The Cigna Hockey in the Streets program had a very successful first year and we are eager to grow it in 2013. We are grateful to have committed partners in Cigna and The YMCA of Greater Hartford to help make this program a reality.”

“Both I and our players really enjoyed the Hockey in the Streets program last year,” said Whale head coach Ken Gernander. “The chance to go out and meet so many local kids, and to introduce the great game of hockey to many who had never played it before, was a great experience, and we feel like the youngsters and the players all got a lot out of it.  We are very much looking forward to doing it again.”

Cigna, a global health service company headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn., is a proud sponsor of the Connecticut Whale. Cigna is also a primary supporter of the YMCA of Greater Hartford, and its programs to develop the health and fitness of local youths.

"Part of what we do as a company is to help people in our communities improve their health and well-being. Teaming up with The Whale to bring hockey to children who may not otherwise learn the sport is a great way to help them develop lifelong healthy habits," said Mark Boxer, Cigna's Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer. "With professional athletes teaching them, the children will learn not just the game, but teamwork, leadership, and the determination needed to achieve their dreams. We're excited to continue our support of the Cigna Hockey in the Streets program and look forward to seeing the children shoot for the net."

“The YMCA of Greater Hartford is delighted to once again collaborate with CIGNA and the Connecticut Whale.  When community organizations work together, the opportunities for the development of our youth are endless,” said James Morton, President and Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA of Greater Hartford. “The Hockey in the Streets program not only teaches our kids the fundamentals of hockey, but emphasizes life skills such as team-building, leadership, personal responsibility, healthy living and the importance of giving back.”

In addition to fun and healthy competition, the Cigna Hockey in the Streets will offer greater Hartford kids a Healthy Hat Trick of goals:

1. Live Healthy. Eat right, stay active, and avoid dangerous activity.

2. Be Me. Study hard, respect yourself, and do everything you can to achieve your personal best.

3. Help Others. Spread your healthy outlook to your family, friends, and your community.

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By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, December 5, 2012 – After suffering three losses in three nights over the weekend, Connecticut Whale coach Ken Gernander was looking for a more “buttoned-up performance” Wednesday, and he got it, mostly.

Despite frequent trips to the penalty box, the Connecticut Whale pulled out a 4-2 win over the in-state rival Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the XL Center.  J.T. Miller scored his third and fourth goals of the year, while Kelsey Tessier netted his first.

It took all of 12 seconds for Kris Newbury to earn the game’s first minor for hooking, which was not the ideal start to the night fresh off the weekend that left the Whale a point behind the Bridgeport squad in the Northeast division standings.

Connecticut would not give up much ground during the penalty kill. They allowed three shots and turned the momentum in their favor once Newbury was released.

With a quality cycle from the Ryan Bourque- Tessier-Tommy Grant line developing early, the Whale scored first, on their first shot on goal. Grant slapped the puck down the wall behind Sound Tiger backstop Anders Nilsson. Bourque, after a grind on the end boards, found Tessier ahead of the short-side post. Tessier sent a far-side laser to mark his first of the season at 3:46.

Less than five minutes later, Hartford got another look at Bridgeport’s power play when Matt Gilroy closed his hand on the puck for a trip to the sin bin. Despite strong puck movement on the perimeter by the Sound Tigers, they could not generate any chances, other than steering one puck towards Cam Talbot as Gilroy was being released.

Penalties continued to stack up against Connecticut, with Sean Collins being sent off for hooking at 11:15. Once again, the Whale PK unit accomplished their primary goals of keeping shots to the outside while completely occupying the slot in their defensive end.

The fourth time was not the charm when Blake Parlett was found guilty of high-sticking with under five minutes left in the period. The Bridgeport game-tier came out of a half-board scrum when Colin McDonald got a feed from Nino Niederreiter, then left the puck in the high slot for a big drive from Jon Landry, a product of Division III Bowdoin College.

Brandon Segal answered 21 seconds later, with a mean snapshot of his own for his 6^th of the year.  Marek Hrivik earned the primary assist when he wedged the puck off the half boards, and Kyle Jean was credited with the secondary. The Whale took a 2-1 lead into the break.

The second period picked up right where the first left off with great transition hockey. Chris Kreider went coast to coast and hit Chad Kolarik with a handy pass in the first minute. Kolarik would ring it off the pipe.

As the puck was being brought up-ice on a delayed penalty, a fight broke out at center between Segal and Brandon DeFazio. The original penalty was going to be Segal for boarding. He was also given a fighting major. DeFazio received five for fighting and was ejected. He received a Game Misconduct for leaving the bench for an altercation.

During the ensuing power play a shorthanded chance sent Nilsson sprawling. McIver was called for interference as the Sound Tigers attacked in transition. Marek Hrivik’s hooking penalty cancelled out the abbreviated Whale power play after that.

The last five minutes of the second were all Bridgeport, though. They sustained pressure for most of the time and eventually capitalized. Johan Sundstrom fed Matt Donovan, who connected cleanly with John Persson in the slot. The quick wrister found the twine and the game was tied with 1:43 left  in the period.

Miller was awarded first star in the game, and rightfully so. His first of two goals came just 1:41 in to the third period. He notched the second of the night just three minutes later. Christian Thomas delivered to Micheal Haley. Haley fed the puck to the half boards where Miller fought off Jordan Hill and McIver. He made one more shake move on his way to the crease and walked around a helpless Nilsson for the score. Bridgeport would be forced to call a timeout.

Each team generated a few more flurries of chances. Cam Talbot fought off a puck that Newbury tipped. Newbury also fed Kolarik for a one-timer, on which Nilsson came up with a big save that gave his team a chance to stay in the game halfway through the third.

Penalties from Niederreiter for holding and Sean Backman for slashing late in the period would put Bridgeport out of it.

With the win, Connecticut moves one point ahead of Bridgeport in the division.

Talbot finished with 17 stops while Nilsson turned away 19 of the 23 he faced.

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Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2 at Connecticut Whale 4
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

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

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Tessier 1 (Bourque, Grant), 3:46. 2, Bridgeport, Landry 5 (McDonald, Niederreiter), 16:34 (PP). 3, Connecticut, Segal 6 (Hrivik, Jean), 16:55. Penalties-Newbury Ct (hooking), 0:12; Gilroy Ct (closing hand on puck), 8:27; Collins Ct (hooking), 11:15; Parlett Ct (high-sticking), 15:02; Sundstrom Bri (slashing), 17:28.

2nd Period-4, Bridgeport, Persson 6 (Watkins, Donovan), 18:17. Penalties-DeFazio Bri (fighting, game misconduct – leaving the bench), 1:58; Segal Ct (boarding, fighting), 1:58; McIver Bri (goaltender interference), 4:29; Hrivik Ct (hooking), 5:46.

3rd Period-5, Connecticut, Miller 3 1:41. 6, Connecticut, Miller 4 (Haley, Thomas), 4:39. Penalties-Niederreiter Bri (holding), 13:07; Backman Bri (slashing), 18:07.

Shots on Goal-Bridgeport 9-6-4-19. Connecticut 7-8-8-23.
Power Play Opportunities-Bridgeport 1 / 6; Connecticut 0 / 4.
Goalies-Bridgeport, Nilsson 4-4-0 (23 shots-19 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 8-6-0 (19 shots-17 saves).
A-2,028
Referees-Jon McIsaac (45), Geoff Miller (28).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Jim Briggs (83).

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HARTFORD, December 5, 2012:  AEG Management CT announced today that the Connecticut Whale’s December 22 home game at the XL Center vs. the Providence Bruins will be designated “Military Appreciation Night”.

There will be an auction held during the second intermission of the Military Appreciation Night game of a full set of Whale game-worn jerseys, with all auction proceeds going to the VFW of Connecticut.  Winning jersey bidders will have the opportunity to go on to the ice after the game, to be handed the jersey directly by the Whale player whose sweater they purchased.

Military Appreciation Night will also feature the Whale’s annual holiday “Teddy Bear Toss”.  Fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped soft toys to the game and, when the Whale scores its first goal of the game, fling them on to the ice to be donated to local children’s charities.  Teddy bears will be for sale in the XL Center atrium, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Also, in a special Military Appreciation Night touch, Tony Harrington, the beloved long-time national anthem voice of Hartford hockey, will return to sing the anthem before the Whale and Bruins face off at 7:00 PM.

Tickets for Military Appreciation Night, and all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, December 1, 2012 – It took sixty-four minutes and thirteen seconds for the Connecticut Whale and the Syracuse Crunch to reach a final score Saturday at the XL Center. The Whale fell 4-3 in overtime to Syracuse in the second of three games this weekend.

Both squads had lost road games the night before; the Whale a 4-2 decision in Providence that ended a four-game winning streak and the Crunch a 5-3 loss to the Penguins that marked their first regulation road loss on the year. Syracuse has now won 10 games on opponents’ ice.

Early in the first period gameplay was high tempo and with a major physical presence.

Radko Gudas was called for boarding on Kelsey Tessier near the midway point of the period and The Whale failed to get any shots on the power play.

The unfavorable shot count coupled with struggling special teams suggested the game might not bode well for Connecticut.

Christian Thomas, however, walked out of the corner, into the crease and opened the scoring as he roofed his fifth goal of the season.

Syracuse goaltender Riku Helenius, who was not especially busy in the first period, shut down a big 2-on-1 opportunity early in the second. Whale backstop Cam Talbot replied with a save of his own as Syracuse looked to score in transition. Talbot would finish with 42 stops, and Helenius saved 24 of the 27 he faced.

Shortly after hitting the pipe on a breakaway, Richard Panik stripped Talbot behind the net handling a puck and came within inches of converting the shorthanded chance.

Helenius made another big save on Micheal Haley later on, but Blake Parlett ripped a one-timer from the left point, off a pass delivered by Brandon Segal, that beat the Finnish goaltender moments later to give the Whale a 2-0 edge with 6:07 to play in the second.

With exactly two minutes left in the period Segal was sent off for roughing. The power play was negated 13 seconds later by Philip-Michael Devos’ hooking minor and 4-on-4 play ensued. As the last minute of the period came up, Talbot made a handful of saves and then managed to keep the puck out with a strong goa- line effort.

Marek Hrivik, who was physical through the first two periods, scored his second power play goal of the year at 3:03 of the third, after Chad Kolarik fed Kris Newbury. Newbury’s shot found its way to Hrivik and the Whale went up 3-0.

Syracuse opened the door back in to the contest when Tyler Johnson walked in on Talbot from the circle. Johnson maintained his place atop the league’s goal-scoring charts with his 14^th of the season. With 13:23 to play, the Crunch were on the board.

A dot to dot one-timer five minutes later was Panik’s 10^th of the year from Devos, and Panik would score again in the same minute for number 11. Panik picked up the puck at neutral ice and slipped one past Talbot’s stick side at 13:20. The goal was also Panik’s 20^th point of the season.

Syracuse shot the puck 17 times in the third period and wore Connecticut down heading in to overtime. One puck hit the iron 90 seconds in to the extra period and Mark Barberio finished the game with 46.7 seconds left to play.

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Syracuse Crunch 4 (OT) at Connecticut Whale 3
Saturday, December 1, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Syracuse 0 0 3 1 – 4
Connecticut 1 1 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Thomas 5 (Haley, Miller), 18:49. Penalties-Gilroy Ct (holding), 1:13; Gudas Syr (boarding), 8:39; Barberio Syr (tripping), 15:45.

2nd Period-2, Connecticut, Parlett 1 (Segal), 13:53. Penalties-Gudas Syr (interference), 8:03; Segal Ct (roughing), 18:00; Devos Syr (hooking), 18:14.

3rd Period-3, Connecticut, Hrivik 2 (Newbury, Kolarik), 3:03 (PP). 4, Syracuse, Johnson 14 6:37. 5, Syracuse, Panik 10 (Devos), 12:45. 6, Syracuse, Panik 11 13:20. Penalties-Johnson Syr (roughing), 1:24; Parlett Ct (roughing), 1:24; Barberio Syr (hooking), 2:22; Barberio Syr (interference), 8:27.

OT Period-7, Syracuse, Barberio 4 (Conacher), 4:13. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Syracuse 11-12-17-6-46. Connecticut 7-8-11-1-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Syracuse 0 / 2; Connecticut 1 / 6.
Goalies-Syracuse, Helenius 5-2-0 (27 shots-24 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 7-6-0 (46 shots-42 saves).
A-3,459
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (49).
Linesmen-Kevin Redding (16), Luke Galvin (2).

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Providence, RI, November 30, 2012 – Jamie Tardif scored twice, and David Warsofsky and Alden Hirschfeld had a goal and an assist each, Friday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center Providence, as the Providence Bruins defeated the Connecticut Whale by a score of 4-2.

Chad Kolarik scored both Connecticut goals, both assisted by Kris Newbury.  The loss snapped a four-game Whale win streak and dropped Connecticut to 9-8-1-0 (19 pts.) on the year.

Providence controlled play for much of the first period, but the Whale got the only goal, on their first shot of the game.  That came at 7:40, as the red-hot Kolarik got his seventh of the year.

Newbury passed the puck out of the right-wing corner to Kolarik in the slot.  Bruin goaltender Niklas Svedberg (24 saves) got a big piece of Kolarik’s one-timer but could not stop it, as it slid through his pads.

Providence had an even bigger edge in play in the second period, outshooting the Whale 20-9, and the Bruins would tie the game at the 2:47 mark.  The Whale’s Matt Gilroy blocked a shot by Justin Florek, but the puck came right to Hirschfeld, who pounced on it and snapped a shot from the slot past Connecticut goaltender Cam Talbot (33 saves).

The two teams then combined for three goals in a span of 3:05, starting at 12:48, when Kolarik gave the Whale a short-lived 2-1 lead with his second of the game, courtesy of a big break.  Kolarik’s shot was stopped by Svedberg, but Providence defenseman Garnet Exelby accidentally knocked the rebound into his own net.

The goal gave Kolarik the team lead at eight, and was his sixth in the last four games.

The Bruins tied it up only 1:56 later at 14:44, as Tardif deflected in a shot by Simsbury, CT native Tommy Cross, playing his first game of the year for Providence up from South Carolina of the ECHL.  Cross’ former Boston College teammate, Chris Kreider, tried to block his shot, but it hit Kreider before going off of Tardif and past Talbot.

Then, only 1:09 after that, Warsofsky gave Providence its first lead of the game at 15:53, as his drive from the left wing circle went just inside the post to Talbot’s left.

Tardif’s second of the game made it a two-goal lead for the Bruins on a power play at 5:15 of the third.  Zach Trotman carried the puck down the left-wing side and fired a shot that Talbot stopped, but Tardif, driving towards the net up the middle, knocked the rebound into the net.

Kolarik was denied a second hat trick in three games with 1:40 to go, when referee Tim Mayer ruled that the net had been dislodged behind Svedberg before Kolarik put the puck in.  Mayer also awarded Kolarik a penalty shot, determining that a Bruin defender had knocked the net off intentionally, but Kolarik’s attempt missed wide of the goal.

The Whale now play seven of their next eight games at home, starting with a Saturday-night battle with the Syracuse Crunch at the XL Center.  That game faces off at 7:00, and the first 3,000 fans receive a Whale poster, courtesy of SuperCuts.

Tickets for all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

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Connecticut Whale 2 at Providence Bruins 4
Friday, November 30, 2012 – Dunkin' Donuts Center

Connecticut 1 1 0 – 2
Providence 0 3 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Kolarik 7 (Newbury, Hrivik), 7:40 (PP). Penalties-Cross Pro (cross-checking), 6:27; Kreider Ct (holding), 14:58; Pyett Ct (fighting), 18:03; Robins Pro (cross-checking, fighting), 18:03.

2nd Period-2, Providence, Hirschfeld 2 (Florek, MacKinnon), 2:47. 3, Connecticut, Kolarik 8 (Pyett, Newbury), 12:48. 4, Providence, Tardif 5 (Bourque, Cross), 14:44. 5, Providence, Warsofsky 2 (Trotman, Hirschfeld), 15:53. Penalties-Haley Ct (fighting), 7:22; Bartkowski Pro (fighting), 7:22.

3rd Period-6, Providence, Tardif 6 (Trotman, Warsofsky), 5:15 (PP). Penalties-Kolarik Ct (tripping), 4:08; Klassen Ct (boarding), 5:57; MacDermid Pro (hooking), 12:29.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 9-9-8-26. Providence 10-20-7-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 3; Providence 1 / 3.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 7-5-0 (37 shots-33 saves). Providence, Svedberg 8-4-0 (26 shots-24 saves).
A-8,396
Referees-Tim Mayer (19).
Linesmen-Brian MacDonald (72), Todd Whittemore (70).

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HARTFORD, November 29, 2012:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that forwards Andrew Yogan and Jason Wilson have been reassigned from the Whale to its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Yogan, a rookie and a fourth-round (100^th overall) selection by the parent New York Rangers in the 2010 NHL Draft, has one goal and 11 penalty minutes in 11 games this season with the Whale, and had missed the last four contests due to injury.  Wilson, who was also a 2010 Ranger pick (fifth round, 130^th overall), has just been cleared to play, after sitting out the Whale’s first 17 games due to injury.  Last season with Greenville, Wilson had 4-10-14 totals, with 102 PIM, in 56 games.

The Whale start a three-game weekend tomorrow night, Friday, November 30, with a trip to Providence to take on the Bruins (7:05 PM faceoff, “Beethoven Radio” AM 1290, www.ctwhale.com).  Then, Connecticut is home both Saturday and Sunday, vs. Syracuse and Springfield respectively.  Saturday’s game against the Crunch faces off at 7:00 at the XL Center, and the first 3,000 fans receive a free Whale poster from SuperCuts.  The Whale and Falcons face off at 5:00 on Sunday, and, as at all Sunday Whale home games, fans can take advantage of “Click It or Ticket Family Value Packs”.  Those consist of a ticket, a hot dog or a slice of pizza and a soda, all for just $18.

Tickets for all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center, are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

Season tickets for the Whale’s 2012-13 AHL season are also available. For information on season seats, and all of the Whale’s many ticketing options, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 548-2000 to talk with an account executive today.

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Springfield, MA, November 25, 2012 – Ryan Bourque’s goal with 15.6 seconds left in the third period gave the Connecticut Whale a 3-2 win over the Springfield Falcons Sunday at the MassMutual Center.

The victory extended a Whale win streak to four games and lifted Connecticut to two games above .500 for the first time on the season, at 9-7-1-0 for 19 points.

With the game seemingly headed for overtime, Kelsey Tessier broke up a Matt Calvert feed inside the Whale zone and sent Bourque up left wing.  Bourque unloaded a shot from an extreme angle, and it found its way between Springfield goaltender Paul Dainton’s right arm and his body for the winner.

Bourque also had an assist for the Whale, which also got goals from Matt Gilroy and Marek Hrivik.  Jason Missiaen made 32 saves in the Connecticut net, after Cam Talbot had started the previous 11 straight.  Sean Collins scored both Springfield goals, with Jonathan Audy-Marchessault assisting on both, and Dainton stopped 23 shots.

The Whale, who had never led in two previous losses to Springfield, opened the scoring just 2:23 into Sunday’s game, on Gilroy’s sixth goal of the season and third in the last three games.

Tommy Grant worked the puck out of the left-wing corner to Gilroy, and he weaved across the slot before jamming the puck past a sprawling Dainton.

Springfield tied it at 6:29, with Collins poking his own rebound past Missiaen and into the Whale net, after Collins stepped out from below the goal line to Missiaen’s left.

It took the Whale only 1:38 to regain the lead, as Hrivik, who had nine assists in 14 games but no goals, scored his first of the year at 8:07.  Dainton stopped Blake Parlett’s drive from the right point, but the rebound deflected right to Hrivik at the bottom of the left circle, and he banged a shot into the top corner.

That lead stood up until the 15:11 mark of the second period, when Collins scored his second of the game to tie it for the Falcons.  David Savard sent Collins down left wing with a pass, and Collins was able to speed outside the Whale defense and fire a shot off of Missiaen and up under the crossbar.

The Whale are now off until this Friday night, November 30, when they finish a stretch of seven out of nine games on the road with a visit to Providence to take on the Bruins (7:05 PM faceoff, “Beethoven Radio” AM 1290, www.ctwhale.com).  After that, seven of the next eight for the Whale are at home, starting with a battle this Saturday against the Syracuse Crunch.  That game faces off at 7:00, and the first 3,000 fans receive a Whale poster, courtesy of SuperCuts.

Tickets for all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

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Connecticut Whale 3 at Springfield Falcons 2
Sunday, November 25, 2012 – MassMutual Center

Connecticut 2 0 1 – 3
Springfield 1 1 0 – 2

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Gilroy 6 (Bourque, Grant), 2:23. 2, Springfield, Collins 3 (Johansen, Audy-Marchessault), 6:29. 3, Connecticut, Hrivik 1 (Parlett, Kolarik), 8:07. Penalties-Johansen Spr (high-sticking), 3:58; Collins Ct (delay of game), 9:15; Drazenovic Spr (checking to the head), 16:59.

2nd Period-4, Springfield, Collins 4 (Savard, Audy-Marchessault), 15:11. Penalties-Erixon Spr (tripping), 6:10.

3rd Period-5, Connecticut, Bourque 4 (Tessier), 19:44. Penalties-Segal Ct (tripping), 8:13; Newbury Ct (interference), 11:12.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 10-5-11-26. Springfield 9-12-13-34.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 0 / 3; Springfield 0 / 3.
Goalies-Connecticut, Missiaen 2-2-0 (34 shots-32 saves). Springfield, Dainton 1-2-1 (26 shots-23 saves).
A-2,898
Referees-Chris Ciamaga (24), Graham Skilliter (48).
Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Rich Patry (52).

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By Wil Goldsholl

Hartford, CT, November 24, 2012 – Chad Kolarik scored a goal in each period Saturday Night at the XL Center, as the Connecticut Whale knocked off the Norfolk Admirals by a count of 5-2.

The matchup was third of four meetings between the two squads this season; Norfolk won the first two in an October weekend sweep. The defending Calder Cup champions were just a point behind Connecticut in the Eastern Conference prior to the loss.

The Whale began the first period with several minutes of sustained pressure. “There’s no perfect hockey game… The togetherness tonight was where we needed to be and we’ll continue to work on the mistakes”, Coach Ken Gernander said of the performance.

John Kurtz was called for interference immediately after a face-off in Norfolk’s attacking end at 2:21, and Connecticut capitalized. Marek Hrivik went in to the corner and shoveled a backhand pass to Kolarik in the slot. Frederik Andersen came up with the first two stops but Kolarik jammed the third try past Andersen’s right pad to take the lead 19 seconds into the man advantage. The goal was Kolarik’s fourth of the season.

Norfolk had their first power play opportunity with just over nine minutes to play in the first, on Hrivik’s tripping minor. Kolarik saw a quick shorthanded chance, and Emerson Etem came as close to scoring as Norfolk would in the period when he hit the elbow over Cam Talbot’s glove side.

Norfolk killed one more penalty when Matt Smaby was called for crosschecking, and the Whale would take the 1-0 lead in to the first intermission.

The steady physicality from the first period boiled over in to the second when John Mitchell landed on top of Cam Talbot after a broken chance. Norfolk survived the third PK on the goaltender interference minor.

Mitchell again found his way to the penalty box, guilty of boarding Matt Gilroy just three minutes after his release. Brandon Segal took immediate exception to Mitchell’s tactics and they dropped the gloves. Segal would receive an instigator and ten minute misconduct in addition to the fighting major, which negated what would have been a fourth Whale power play of the night.

Kurtz scored his first of the year and cut Whale the lead in half 7:56 in, when Chris Wagner collected a rolling puck in open space. Talbot got his blocker on the initial drive from the circle and Kurtz finished to an open net.

Kolarik replied with his second of the night, tucking in a rebound just before the midway point in regulation time. Logan Pyett got the secondary assist and Hrivik picked up his second of three helpers. Hrivik totaled five points, all assists, in the two-game weekend.

Norfolk showed signs of life on offense following a late power play, but Talbot held up in net and received an ovation as the Whale led 2-1 through two.

Kolarik’s sixth of the season earned him his first hat trick as a Whale just over a minute into the third period, when he was once again the right place at the right time. Kris Newbury fed Hrivik, whose wrist shot slipped between Andersen’s legs and stalled a foot from the goal line. Kolarik would fight his way to the rebound for his third of the night from Hrivik. “I’m feeling 95%. Finally. I’m seeing the ice well, making crisp passes. And the puck is starting to go in, which is always a big confidence booster,” said Kolarik, who lost all of last season to injury.

Tommy Grant scored 74 seconds later, taking a high-to-low pass from Kelsey Tessier to make it 4-1.

Etem roofed one to the stick side with a snappy release to cut the deficit with six and a half to play, but Newbury would hit an empty net from his own goal line to seal the deal.

Talbot would finish with 29 stops on 31 shots against, while Andersen was even busier, stopping 33 of the 37 that he faced.

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Norfolk Admirals 2 at Connecticut Whale 5
Saturday, November 24, 2012 – XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Norfolk 0 1 1 – 2
Connecticut 1 1 3 – 5

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Kolarik 4 (Hrivik, Thomas), 2:40 (PP). Penalties-Kurtz Nor (interference), 2:21; Hrivik Ct (tripping), 10:56; Smaby Nor (cross-checking), 17:13.

2nd Period-2, Norfolk, Kurtz 1 (Wagner, Lindholm), 7:56. 3, Connecticut, Kolarik 5 (Hrivik, Pyett), 9:28. Penalties-Mitchell Nor (goaltender interference), 0:37; Mitchell Nor (boarding, fighting), 5:45; Segal Ct (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating), 5:45; Vernace Ct (closing hand on puck), 14:40.

3rd Period-4, Connecticut, Kolarik 6 (Hrivik, Newbury), 1:04. 5, Connecticut, Grant 7 (Tessier, Bourque), 2:18. 6, Norfolk, Etem 4 13:26. 7, Connecticut, Newbury 7 18:46 (EN). Penalties-Lindholm Nor (closing hand on puck), 6:27; Hendry Nor (boarding), 8:53; Kurtz Nor (roughing), 11:20; Vatanen Nor (misconduct – abuse of officials), 18:46; Holland Nor (fighting, game misconduct – secondary altercation), 19:11; Maroon Nor (fighting), 19:11; Miller Ct (fighting, game misconduct – secondary altercation), 19:11; Parlett Ct (major – charging, fighting, game misconduct – charging), 19:11.

Shots on Goal-Norfolk 10-11-10-31. Connecticut 15-10-13-38.
Power Play Opportunities-Norfolk 0 / 3; Connecticut 1 / 6.
Goalies-Norfolk, Andersen 4-5-0 (37 shots-33 saves). Connecticut, Talbot 7-4-0 (31 shots-29 saves).
A-5,041
Referees-Trevor Hanson (47).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Luke Galvin (2).

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Bridgeport, CT, November 23, 2012 – The Connecticut Whale scored four third-period goals Friday night at Webster Bank Arena, to wipe out a 5-3 deficit and defeat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers by a score of 7-5.

Chris Kreider scored a pair of goals for the Whale, including the game-winner, for his first multiple-goal game as a pro, and Matt Gilroy also scored twice.  Chad Kolarik had a goal and two assists, and Kris Newbury added a goal and an assist.  Johan Sundstrom had two goals and an assist for Bridgeport, which also got a goal and two assists from David Ullstrom and a goal and an assist from John Persson.

The win was the first in three tries for the Whale against Bridgeport, and got Connecticut back to the .500 mark at 7-7-1-0 for 15 points.

For the third time in three games between the two teams, the Whale jumped out to a two-goal lead, only to see Bridgeport come back.

Kreider got the Whale on the board early, scoring at 1:39 of the first.  Kreider moved down left wing and snapped a shot just over Bridgeport goaltender Anders Nilsson’s catching glove.

Tommy Grant then scored his sixth goal of the year, good for a share of the team lead, at 12:23, to give the Whale a two-goal edge.  Kelsey Tessier worked the puck out of the left-wing corner to the front of the net, and Kolarik got a poke at it.  Kolarik’s try was blocked right to Grant at the right side of the goalmouth, and Grant had plenty of room to put it past Nilsson (27 saves).

The Sound Tiger power play, though, got that goal back only 2:04 later, with Blake Parlett in the penalty box for boarding.  Aaron Ness passed the puck from the right point to Ullstrom below the faceoff dot, and Ullstrom was able to get Whale netminder Cam Talbot (36 saves) to come off the post, before firing a shot into the top shelf on the stick side.

The period ended with the Whale up 2-1, but Bridgeport got a pair early in the second frame to jump ahead.

Persson scored his fifth of the season at 1:36 to make it a 2-2 game.  After a Whale breakout pass failed to click, Ullstrom fed a pass off of right wing into the slot and Persson shoveled it past Talbot from close range.

Sean Backman then gave the Sound Tigers a 3-2 lead at 4:11.  The Sound Tigers turned the puck quickly after breaking up a Whale pass at the Bridgeport blue line, and Backman put on a burst of speed to get past the Connecticut defense before beating Talbot over the catching glove.

Newbury, back in the Whale lineup after missing the previous two games with an injury, tied it back up for the Whale at 8:19, just two seconds after a Whale power play expired.  Newbury finished off a perfect give-and-go with Kolarik, who found Newbury in front for a shot past Nilsson’s stick side.

The second period ended in a 3-3 deadlock, but the Sound Tigers would jump in front again early in the third, with the Persson-Sundstrom-Ullstrom line clicking twice more.

Sundstrom finished the play both times, first at 4:02, when Talbot was jammed up and a loose puck came right to Sundstrom at the left side of the goal crease for an easy finish.  Then, Bridgeport was rewarded for crashing the crease again at 7:36, when Sundstrom backhanded in a rebound from right on top of Talbot.

Down 5-3 at that point, the Whale would come storming back, starting with a goal by Gilroy at 8:33, just 57 seconds after Sundstrom’s second goal.  After being stopped by Nilsson seconds earlier, Gilroy launched a second drive from the left point, and the shot found its way past Nilsson with Tessier screening.

Kolarik tied the score at 13:30 after Newbury won a faceoff.  Parlett lifted the puck toward the back of the net, and the Whale got a break when it hopped off the end boards right into the goal crease.  Kolarik was the first to see it, and he jammed it behind Nilsson.

The Whale grabbed the lead 1:57 later, as Kreider got his second of the game on a shot from the slot.  Sean Collins made a strong play at the left point to out-battle a Sound Tiger and keep the puck in, feeding to Logan Pyett and the right-wing faceoff dot.  Pyett’s pass gave Kreider time to measure his shot, and his hard salvo went by the stick side of Nilsson, who had lost his stick.

Gilroy then sealed the issue on a power play at 17:54.  Marek Hrivik passed across the slot from the left faceoff dot to Gilroy, and his high shot went under the crossbar behind Nilsson.

The Whale are back on home ice at the XL Center Saturday night, hosting the defending Calder Cup-champion Norfolk Admirals, and fans can enjoy a doubleheader of hockey action at the XL Center.  Prior to Whale vs. Admirals at 7:00, the UConn Men’s Hockey Huskies will take on Air Force in an NCAA Division I hockey battle.  That game faces off at 3:30, and one ticket is good for both the college game and the Whale game.  The XL Center will serve as UConn’s home ice for Hockey East contests when the Men’s Huskies join the nation’s most prestigious conference in 2014-15.

Tickets for all Whale regular season home games at the XL Center are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, through TicketMaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

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Connecticut Whale 7 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5
Friday, November 23, 2012 – Webster Bank Arena

Connecticut 2 1 4 – 7
Bridgeport 1 2 2 – 5

1st Period-1, Connecticut, Kreider 3 (Segal), 1:39. 2, Connecticut, Grant 6 (Tessier, Kolarik), 12:23. 3, Bridgeport, Ullstrom 3 (Ness, Sundstrom), 14:27 (PP). Penalties-DeFazio Bri (holding), 3:23; Newbury Ct (fighting), 8:06; Watkins Bri (fighting), 8:06; Jean Ct (holding), 9:26; Parlett Ct (boarding), 14:15.

2nd Period-4, Bridgeport, Persson 5 (Ullstrom), 1:36. 5, Bridgeport, Backman 1 (Clark), 4:11. 6, Connecticut, Newbury 6 (Kolarik, Pyett), 8:19. Penalties-Haley Ct (fighting), 0:24; Gallant Bri (fighting), 0:24; McIver Bri (interference), 6:17; DeFazio Bri (hooking), 11:41.

3rd Period-7, Bridgeport, Sundstrom 4 4:02. 8, Bridgeport, Sundstrom 5 (Persson, Ullstrom), 7:36. 9, Connecticut, Gilroy 4 (Bourque, Miller), 8:33. 10, Connecticut, Kolarik 3 (Parlett, Newbury), 13:30. 11, Connecticut, Kreider 4 (Pyett, Collins), 15:27. 12, Connecticut, Gilroy 5 (Hrivik, Jean), 17:54 (PP). Penalties-Parlett Ct (roughing), 14:03; Niederreiter Bri (roughing), 14:03; Backman Bri (slashing), 16:49.

Shots on Goal-Connecticut 9-10-15-34. Bridgeport 11-18-12-41.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 4; Bridgeport 1 / 2.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 6-4-0 (41 shots-36 saves). Bridgeport, Nilsson 4-1-0 (34 shots-27 saves).
A-8,285
Referees-Chris Cozzan (18).
Linesmen-Paul Simeon (66), Brent Colby (7).

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