Category Archives: hartford wolf pack

LeNeveu Helps Wolf Pack Past Phantoms, 4-1

Hartford, CT, February 4, 2014 – Oscar Lindberg and Danny Kristo had a goal and an assist each, and David LeNeveu made 24 saves Tuesday night at the XL Center, as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Adirondack Phantoms by a score of 4-1.

Hartford Wolf PackIt was the second straight win, and third in the last four games, for the Wolf Pack, who also got goals from Bretton Stamler and Darroll Powe.  Tye McGinn scored the only Adirondack goal.

“We had an early goal and some big saves and I think for the most part our defense was really strong,” Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander said.

The Wolf Pack (17-23-0-5, 39 pts.) have now won four straight in the season series with the Phantoms, against whom they are 6-1-0-1 in eight meetings on the year. 

The two clubs combined for three goals in the first 5:11 of the game, and the Wolf Pack would come out of the first period leading 2-1.

After the Phantoms had scored inside the first minute of the game the last two times they and the Wolf Pack had met, Hartford got a goal from Kristo only 23 seconds into Tuesday’s game.  Lindberg’s shot from the left circle was denied by Adirondack goaltender Cal Heeter, but Kristo pounced on the rebound, stickhandled around Heeter and slid the puck into the net.

The Phantoms tied the game only 3:13 later, at 3:36, on the game’s first power play.  With Kyle Beach off for elbowing, McGinn buried his sixth goal in the last six Adirondack games, off the rebound of a Jason Akeson shot.

LeNeveu made a sharp save on a one-timer from the left circle by Akeson, but LeNeveu could not control the rebound.  Both Ben Holmstrom and McGinn got whacks at the loose puck, and McGinn was able to jam it inside the post to LeNeveu’s left.

The Pack responded just 1:35 after that, when Lindberg scored at 5:11.  Kristo forechecked the puck loose behind the net to Micheal Haley, and Haley found Lindberg in front for the finish past Heeter.

LeNeveu preserved the lead with a left-pad save on a Chris VandeVelde shorthanded breakaway around the 12-minute mark.

Hartford would add a pair of goals to its lead in the second period, making it a 3-1 advantage at 7:48 on Stamler’s first career AHL goal.  Stamler came down from his defense position to help the forecheck in deep, and stopped between the hash marks on his way back to the blueline, jumping on the rebound of a J.T. Miller shot and snapping it through Heeter’s legs.

The Wolf Pack then chased Heeter from the game at 14:40 of the second, when Powe scored a shorthanded goal.  Powe took a pass from Danny Syvret and launched a rising shot off left wing that beat Heeter’s catching glove for a 4-1 Wolf Pack advantage.

Yann Danis replaced Heeter (four goals-against on 17 shots) at that point and held the Wolf Pack off for the rest of the way, stopping 14 shots, but the Phantoms were unable to cut into  the lead.

Tuesday night’s game finished a four-game homestand for the Wolf Pack, who play the first of three straight road games this Friday night, February 7 in Norfolk.  The Wolf Pack and Admirals face off at 7:30 PM on Friday, and all the action can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack’s next home game is Saturday, February 15, a 7:00 PM contest against the AHL-leading Manchester Monarchs. The first 3,000 fans into the XL Center that night will receive their very own Dylan McIlrath bobblehead.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Adirondack Phantoms 1 at Hartford Wolf Pack 4
Tuesday, February 4, 2014 – XL Center

Adirondack 1 0 0 – 1
Hartford 2 2 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Hartford, Kristo 17 (Lindberg, Nash), 0:23. 2, Adirondack, McGinn 13 (Holmstrom, Akeson), 3:36 (PP). 3, Hartford, Lindberg 13 (Haley, Kristo), 5:11. Penalties-Beach Hfd (elbowing), 2:56; Syvret Hfd (closing hand on puck), 7:09; FitzGerald Adk (elbowing), 11:19.

2nd Period-4, Hartford, Stamler 1 (Miller, Fast), 7:43. 5, Hartford, Powe 8 (Syvret, McIlrath), 14:40 (SH). Penalties-Holmstrom Adk (high-sticking), 0:46; Nash Hfd (hooking), 4:17; Gervais Adk (tripping), 12:33; Allen Hfd (hooking), 12:50; McGinn Adk (holding), 18:41.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Vaive Hfd (interference), 4:35; Stamler Hfd (delay of game), 11:19; Holmstrom Adk (fighting), 13:50; Powe Hfd (fighting, major – elbowing, game misconduct – elbowing), 13:50; Newbury Adk (boarding), 15:40.

Shots on Goal-Adirondack 12-6-7-25. Hartford 9-12-10-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 1 / 7; Hartford 0 / 4.
Goalies-Adirondack, Heeter 15-16-0 (17 shots-13 saves); Danis 6-5-2 (14 shots-14 saves). Hartford, LeNeveu 3-4-0 (25 shots-24 saves).
A-1,659
Referees-Geno Binda (22), Ryan Hersey (8).
Linesmen-Paul Simeon (66), Kevin Redding (16).

Wolf Pack’s Fast is Fast Becoming an AHL Scoring Ace

Jesper Fast

By Bob Crawford

A Hartford Wolf Pack offense that was among the least potent in the AHL for much of the first half of the season has suddenly broken out for a total of 18 goals in its last four games, and the one individual who has been the biggest contributor to that is Swedish-born rookie Jesper Fast.

Fast has only played in 19 of the Wolf Pack’s first 42 games, due to the fact that he started the season with the parent New York Rangers, suiting up for eight NHL contests, and then suffered a high ankle sprain in his third game with the Wolf Pack, missing 14 games.  After his return December 20, the 22-year-old winger managed only two goals and five points in his first ten games, but then went on a run that saw him score six times in the next five games, including back-to-back two-goal outings.

“We thought we’d have a good player in Jesper Fast when he came to us, and then unfortunately he got injured right away,” Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander said earlier this week.  “And everybody thinks when you’re cleared to play (after being injured), you’re a hundred percent and firing on all cylinders, and the reality is, he missed six weeks, and it’s not like you have a training camp and you get to build to a return to the lineup.  It took him a little bit of time to get his feet underneath him, but now he’s returned to form.”

Fast agreed with his coach’s assessment that being back to full health was the biggest single factor in his hot streak, saying, “My body feels good, I’ve been working hard to get back.  It’s just having a good time out there and playing with some good guys.  It’s good to start to get some points.”

Those “good guys” are linemates J.T. Miller and Ryan Bourque, with whom Fast has formed a trio that has combined for 13 points in the Pack’s last four games, three of which have been wins.  According to Gernander, Fast’s hockey smarts are one of the biggest keys to the line’s success.

“I think Jesper Fast is someone that always makes his linemates better,” the Pack bench boss said.  “He does all the little things, he’s very intuitive, has real good hockey sense.  So I think he’s kind of a stabilizing influence for that line, and his chemistry with J.T. gives J.T. a little bit more liberty to try things offensively, knowing full well that you’ve got a guy that can read off you, both offensively to jump into holes, and also defensively if need be.”

Miller said of Fast, “He’s a tremendous player, he’s got a lot of upside.  He’s not very big, but he definitely makes the most of it, and he plays like a big guy.  He’s always being physical and initiating the contact, and obviously he’s pretty hot right now, we’ll try to keep getting him the puck.  He’s a big part of our offense right now and a big part of the team’s success.”

That physical part of the game has always been a strength for Fast, despite his relatively slight stature, at six feet and 185 pounds.  He has scored most of his AHL goals from the high-traffic area right around the net, and that was the case for him on the bigger ice surfaces in Europe as well.

“I’ve always tried to be around the net, where it all happens,” Fast said.  “That’s where you have to be if you want to score goals.

“There are more battles here (in North America).  It’s a smaller rink, so there are a lot of battles out there.  I think it fits my style pretty well on the small rink.  Of course it’s an adjustment here, but I’m starting to feel pretty comfortable out there.”

As far as his synergy with Miller, Fast’s comment was, “I like playing with him, he’s a really skilled player, he can protect the puck.  I think he brings a lot of attention on himself, so it gives me some extra space when he gets the puck.”

“We have a good forechecking line, with speed, with Bourquie and Jesper,” said Miller, “and I try to get in there and use my size and just try to find people open, and obviously the power play’s been really good lately.  We’ve just got to make sure we keep capitalizing on those chances, but I think most of our success comes off the rush and the forecheck.

“We have a little bit of everything on the line right now.  Everybody can play, with their skill, and everybody can shoot the puck and play offense, but they’re (his linemates) both defensively responsible and it makes it easier on me, and that’s a huge part, when you’re spending less time in your zone.”

Fast summarized, “We all three work hard.  I think we know each other, what we’re good at, just work hard and use what we’re good at.”

Gernander has counted on the Bourque-Miller-Fast line in all situations, but Fast has been particularly dangerous on the power play.  Three of his six goals in his recent run have come in man-advantage situations, part of a Pack power play streak of six goals in three games.

“We talked a little bit about it, and we can’t just let the puck go around, we have to shoot the puck and create second chances from the rebounds,” Fast said of the power play.

The right-handed-shooting Fast has found home in the left circle in the Wolf Pack power-play setup, looking either to get open for cross-slot passes from Miller, or get to the net for tips and rebounds.

“I don’t have to stay and wait for the puck, I feel comfortable there (on the left side),” Fast said.  “I have to be ready for the shot and find a spot to get open, but those guys make some good plays out there, so it makes it a lot easier for me.”

Fast’s scoring exploits lately have made things much easier on the Wolf Pack as a team, leading to the club’s most positive streak since the first two weeks of the season.  If the gritty Swede can sustain his current level of play, his ascent back to the NHL should be, well, fast.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: chris rutsch

Kristo Leads Wolf Pack Past Phantoms, 5-2

Hartford, CT, January 29, 2014 – Danny Kristo had two goals and an assist, and T.J. Hensick added three assists, Wednesday night at the XL Center, as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Adirondack Phantoms, 5-2.

Hartford Wolf PackRyan Bourque and Danny Syvret also scored for Hartford, which completed a sweep of a home-and-home series against the Phantoms, and Dov Grumet-Morris made 28 saves.  Adirondack got goals from Tye McGinn and Marcel Noebels, and Cal Heeter stopped 24 shots.

The win was the Wolf Pack’s third in their last four games, and ran Hartford’s record to 15-22-0-5 for 35 points.

McGinn, who scored only 42 seconds into the Wolf Pack’s 6-3 win over the Phantoms Sunday in Glens Falls, found the net 47 seconds into Wednesday’s game.  Former Wolf Pack Kris Newbury fed the puck to McGinn at the right side of the goalmouth, and McGinn poked it off of the left pad of Grumet-Morris and into the net.

That lead lasted until the 16:40 mark, when Syvret tied the score with a power-play goal.  With Brandon Manning in the penalty box for slashing, Syvret got a pass from Aaron Johnson at the middle of the blue line, and pounded a long shot through a Micheal Haley screen and past Heeter.

The Wolf Pack power play struck again 57 seconds into the second period, on a beautiful three-way passing play among Hensick, Jesper Fast and Bourque.  Hensick worked the puck into the offensive zone and handed off to Fast, who found Bourque all alone in front of Heeter.  Bourque beat Heeter with a quick shot to the stick side, for a 2-1 Wolf Pack lead.

Kristo scored his first of the game at 9:32 to increase the advantage to 3-1.  Kristo, who was a healthy scratch in Sunday’s game, took a lead pass on right wing from Darroll Powe, put a sharp toe-drag move on Phantom defenseman Steven Delisle and fired a snap shot past Heeter’s catching glove.

Noebels got that one back for Adirondack, though, with 3:19 left in the period.  Noebels headed down his off wing, the right side and stickhandled away from Johnson, before putting a backhander on net that just found its way past a sprawling Grumet-Morris.

The Wolf Pack were forced to kill 1:21 of two-man disadvantage early in the third period, and shortly after surviving that, stretched the lead to 4-2 at 6:10 on Kristo’s second goal of the evening.  Hensick played the puck toward the front of the net from the right-wing side, and it hit Phantom defenseman Mark Alt’s stick and deflected behind Heeter.  Kristo got to the loose puck along the goal line and banged it into the net.

Then, after some good Adirondack pressure, Kristo made a strong play along the boards to get the puck out of the defensive zone, and Lindberg carried it all the way into the Phantom zone before beating Heeter with a shot from the right-wing side at 14:46.

The Wolf Pack are back at the XL Center this Friday night, January 31, taking on the Providence Bruins in a 7:00 PM game.  All Wolf Pack Friday-night home games feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period, presented by Marc’s Appliance Warehouse, located at 75 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Adirondack Phantoms 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 5
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 – XL Center

Adirondack 1 1 0 – 2
Hartford 1 2 2 – 5

1st Period-1, Adirondack, McGinn 11 (Newbury, Akeson), 0:47. 2, Hartford, Syvret 5 (Nash, Hensick), 16:40 (PP). Penalties-Fast Hfd (hooking), 4:03; Manning Adk (high-sticking), 4:46; Lauridsen Adk (tripping), 11:28; Fast Hfd (roughing), 13:03; Manning Adk (slashing), 14:47.

2nd Period-3, Hartford, Bourque 9 (Fast, Hensick), 0:57 (PP). 4, Hartford, Kristo 15 (Powe, Allen), 9:32. 5, Adirondack, Noebels 2 (Akeson), 16:41. Penalties-Lauridsen Adk (kneeing, fighting), 0:16; Haley Hfd (fighting), 0:16; Mathers Adk (fighting), 1:35; Nash Hfd (interference, fighting), 1:35; Allen Hfd (elbowing), 4:11.

3rd Period-6, Hartford, Kristo 16 (Hensick), 6:10. 7, Hartford, Lindberg 10 (Kristo), 14:46. Penalties-Syvret Hfd (hooking), 2:05; Johnson Hfd (high-sticking), 2:45; Noebels Adk (tripping), 6:41; Akeson Adk (tripping), 15:50.

Shots on Goal-Adirondack 10-9-11-30. Hartford 12-9-8-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 0 / 6; Hartford 2 / 6.
Goalies-Adirondack, Heeter 14-15-0 (29 shots-24 saves). Hartford, Grumet-Morris 6-10-4 (30 shots-28 saves).
A-1,883
Referees-Terry Koharski (10), Jeffrey Ingram (25).
Linesmen-Glen Cooke (6), Luke Galvin (2).

Wolf Pack Rally For 6-3 Win Over Phantoms

Glens Falls, NY, January 26, 2014 – Jesper Fast had his second straight two-goal game, and J.T. Miller had three assists, Sunday at the Glens Falls Civic Center, as the Hartford Wolf Pack scored the last five goals of the game after falling behind 3-1, and defeated the Adirondack Phantoms by a score of 6-3.

Hartford Wolf PackHartford trailed 3-2 going into the third period, but got goals from Kyle Beach and Fast to move into the lead, and Danny Syvret and Dylan McIlrath both scored empty-netters.

“It was a big come-from-behind win,” Wolf Pack head coach Ken Gernander said.  “We started the season as a third-period kind of team, and as of late we’ve been having to play a lot of catch-up, but today we were actually able to tie the game, and then win it, in the third.  So it was a good character win for our guys.”

Marek Hrivik scored a late-second period goal to bring the Wolf Pack to within 3-2, Hartford’s second power-play goal in two opportunities.  Aaron Johnson made a slap pass from the left point through to Hrivik at the opposite post, and Hrivik put a quick shot past Adirondack goaltender Cal Heeter (23 saves) with 1:39 left in the second.

Beach then tied it at 5:11 of the third period, with his first goal in 17 games since joining the Wolf Pack.  Heeter stopped Micheal Haley’s shot from the right side of the slot, but the rebound came right to Beach at the hash marks, and he was able to slap it under Heeter’s pads.

The tie lasted until the 15:19 mark, when Fast capped off a great shift with linemates Miller and Ryan Bourque by scoring his fifth goal in the last three games.  Bourque had a shot blocked, but Fast grabbed the rebound at the right side of the slot.  He carried across the top of the goalmouth and knifed a hard backhand that Heeter got a big piece of but could not keep out of the net.

Adirondack got a power play at 17:08 on a cross-checking call against McIlrath, but after the Phantoms pulled Heeter, Syvret hit the empty net at 18:28, after slapping the puck away from the front of his own goal and all the way down the ice.

The Phantoms went with an extra attacker again later in the power play, but it backfired once more, as Miller found McIlrath coming out of the penalty box with a pass, and McIlrath had an unimpeded path to the open net for a goal at 19:15.

Adirondack jumped on top on the game’s first shot, just 42 seconds in.  Ben Holmstrom fed the puck from the middle of the ice, just inside the Wolf Pack line, to Tye McGinn, who broke down right wing and got around McIlrath, before snapping a shot into the net past Dov Grumet-Morris’ catching glove.

That early goal was the first of two in the game for McGinn.

Phantom leading scorer Jason Akeson made it a 2-0 Adirondack at 12:12, with his 15th of the season.  Marc-Andre Bourdon’s shot from the left side hit traffic in front of the net and deflected right to Akeson at the bottom of the right circle.  Grumet-Morris (26 saves) was down, and had no chance to stop Akeson’s shot into the top shelf.

The Wolf Pack got a quick start in the second period, scoring 26 seconds in on a power play that carried over from the first.  Miller fed a pass from the right-wing side to Fast in the left circle, and Fast one-timed it, while on the move, through Heeter from just above the faceoff dot.

McGinn would restore the two-goal lead, however, at 8:39, off of a perfect cross-slot pass from Brandon Manning.  An attempted breakout pass got through Fast along the boards, and Manning sent the puck from the right point to McGinn in the left circle, and McGinn’s high shot found the net on Grumet-Morris’ stick side.         

The Wolf Pack and Phantoms rematch at the XL Center this Wednesday, January 29, with faceoff at 7:00 PM.  That's a Wolf Pack "Winning Wednesday", meaning that if the Wolf Pack win, each fan can get a free ticket to the next Wolf Pack home game, which is this Friday night, January 31 against the Providence Bruins.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Hartford Wolf Pack 6 at Adirondack Phantoms 3
Sunday, January 26, 2014 – Glens Falls Civic Center

Hartford 0 2 4 – 6
Adirondack 2 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Adirondack, McGinn 9 (Holmstrom, Newbury), 0:42. 2, Adirondack, Akeson 15 (Bourdon, Straka), 12:12. Penalties-Miller Hfd (fighting), 8:34; Manning Adk (fighting), 8:34; McIlrath Hfd (roughing), 12:34; Haley Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct – abuse of officials), 15:28; Lindberg Hfd (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:28; Vaive Hfd (misconduct – continuing altercation), 18:39; Bourdon Adk (misconduct – continuing altercation), 18:39; Delisle Adk (roughing), 18:39.

2nd Period-3, Hartford, Fast 7 (Miller, Syvret), 0:26 (PP). 4, Adirondack, McGinn 10 (Manning), 8:39. 5, Hartford, Hrivik 5 (Johnson, Hensick), 18:21 (PP). Penalties-Yogan Hfd (tripping), 5:04; Newbury Adk (tripping), 16:58.

3rd Period-6, Hartford, Beach 5 (Haley, Lindberg), 5:11. 7, Hartford, Fast 8 (Bourque, Miller), 15:19. 8, Hartford, Syvret 4   18:28 (SH EN). 9, Hartford, McIlrath 4 (Miller), 19:15 (EN). Penalties-McIlrath Hfd (cross-checking), 17:08; Syvret Hfd (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:28; Newbury Adk (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:28.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 8-9-12-29. Adirondack 8-9-12-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 2; Adirondack 0 / 4.
Goalies-Hartford, Grumet-Morris 5-10-4 (29 shots-26 saves). Adirondack, Heeter 14-14-0 (27 shots-23 saves).
A-3,154
Referees-Geno Binda (22).
Linesmen-Mike Emanatian (69), Steeve Lemay (64).

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

IceCaps Beat the Wolf Pack 6-2

Hartford, CT, January 25, 2014 – Kael Mouillierat scored a hat trick and added an assist Saturday night at the XL Center, to lead the St. John’s IceCaps to a 6-2 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Hartford Wolf PackJason Jaffray also added a goal and two assists for St. John’s.  Jesper Fast had both Wolf Pack goals, both on power plays.

“I expected us to come out with the same energy we had last night and we just didn’t,” a disappointed Wolf Pack head coach Ken Germander said, in reference to Friday night’s 5-2 Hartford win over the Springfield Falcons.

After having jumped in front only seven seconds into Friday night’s victory, the Wolf Pack fell behind after only 1:09 of Saturday’s game.

Jaffray gave the IceCaps the early lead with his 11th goal of the season, off of a pass from behind the net by Mouillierat.  Mouillierat found Jaffray at the left side of the slot, and Jaffray fanned on his first attempt, but on second effort was able to snap a shot past the stick side of Wolf Pack goaltender David LeNeveu (21 saves).

The Wolf Pack killed a 44-second two-man advantage later in the period, but the momentum created by the IceCaps on that power play led to a second St. John’s goal at 12:46.

LeNeveu made a sharp save on a good chance for Kyle MacKinnon, but Adam Lowry jumped on the rebound and ripped a high shot into the net from the left circle.

The IceCaps ended up with a 13-6 shots on goal advantage in the first frame, and the Wolf Pack needed a great save by LeNeveu on an Andrew Gordon chance in the dying seconds of the period to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole.

St. John’s continued controlling the action early in the second period, and Mouillierat scored twice in a span of 53 seconds starting at 6:05, to stretch the IceCaps’ lead to 4-0.

Mouillierat’s first of those two goals was a shorthander, coming with two seconds left in a tripping penalty to Patrice Cormier.  Hartford’s Conor Allen lost control of the puck in the neutral zone, and Mouillierat broke in alone down the right side.  Mouillierat cut toward the front of the goal, slowed down and then flicked a backhander under the crossbar behind LeNeveu.

Mouillierat scored again at 6:58, after Jaffray sent him and Cormier on a two-on-one.  LeNeveu stopped Cormier’s shot, but Mouillierat was unchecked as he jumped on the rebound, and he beat a helpless LeNeveu.

The Wolf Pack got on the board at 17:36 of the second, with Mouillierat in the penalty box for holding.  Danny Syvret’s point shot was stopped by IceCap goaltender Michael Hutchinson (24 saves), but Oscar Lindberg worked the rebound to Fast in the left circle, and he ripped a quick shot home.

Then Hartford cut the lead to 4-2 only 38 seconds into the third period, after a Will O’Neill high-sticking penalty carried over from the second frame.  Again it was Lindberg setting up Fast, as Lindberg passed from below the goal line, and Fast one-timed it past Hutchinson from the right side of the slot.

The Wolf Pack got into penalty trouble shortly thereafter, though, with Dylan McIlrath taking a tripping minor at 1:29 and Aaron Johnson clearing the puck out of play for a delay of game infraction only eight seconds later.

On the ensuing five-on-three, Jerome Samson whipped a shot from the left-wing faceoff dot over LeNeveu’s right arm at 2:24, increasing St. John’s’ lead to 5-2.

Mouillierat completed his hat trick at 6:02 for a 6-2 final.  Mouillierat’s one-timer off of a Jaffray feed got by LeNeveu’s left pad.

The Wolf Pack are right back in action Sunday afternoon, traveling to Adirondack to visit the Phantoms for a 3:00 game.  All the action of that battle can be heard live on Fox Sports Radio 1410, and on-line at www.foxsportsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at www.ahllive.com.

The Wolf Pack’s next home game is Friday, January 31, a 7:00 PM contest against the Providence Bruins.  All Wolf Pack Friday-night home games feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period, presented by Marc’s Appliance Warehouse, located at 75 Prospect Ave., Hartford, CT.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

St. John's IceCaps 6 at Hartford Wolf Pack 2
Saturday, January 25, 2014 – XL Center

St. John's 2 2 2 – 6
Hartford 0 1 1 – 2

1st Period-1, St. John's, Jaffray 11 (Mouillierat, Fredheim), 1:09. 2, St. John's, Lowry 6 (MacKinnon, Kichton), 12:46. Penalties-Hill Stj (interference), 2:37; Kristo Hfd (hooking), 3:24; Johnson Hfd (interference), 8:59; Allen Hfd (delay of game), 10:15; O'Neill Stj (high-sticking), 13:41; Lindberg Hfd (slashing), 13:54.

2nd Period-3, St. John's, Mouillierat 10   6:05 (SH). 4, St. John's, Mouillierat 11 (Cormier, Jaffray), 6:58. 5, Hartford, Fast 5 (Lindberg, Syvret), 17:36 (PP). Penalties-Cormier Stj (tripping), 4:07; Mouillierat Stj (holding), 16:16; O'Neill Stj (high-sticking), 19:16.

3rd Period-6, Hartford, Fast 6 (Lindberg, Miller), 0:38 (PP). 7, St. John's, Samson 14 (Kichton, O'Neill), 2:24 (PP). 8, St. John's, Mouillierat 12 (Jaffray), 6:02. Penalties-McIlrath Hfd (tripping), 1:29; Johnson Hfd (delay of game), 1:37; Schnell Stj (fighting), 10:24; Beach Hfd (fighting), 10:24.

Shots on Goal-St. John's 13-8-6-27. Hartford 6-13-7-26.
Power Play Opportunities-St. John's 1 / 6; Hartford 2 / 5.
Goalies-St. John's, Hutchinson 3-1-0 (26 shots-24 saves). Hartford, LeNeveu 1-3-0 (27 shots-21 saves).
A-5,063
Referees-Geoff Miller (28).
Linesmen-Mike Baker (11), Luke Galvin (2).

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Wolf Pack Pick Up First Win Over Springfield Falcons

Hartford, CT, January 24, 2014 – Oscar Lindberg scored twice, and Jesper Fast set a Hartford Wolf Pack record by scoring seven seconds after the opening faceoff, as the Wolf Pack defeated the Springfield Falcons by a score of 5-2 Friday night at the XL Center.

Hartford Wolf PackDanny Kristo also scored for the Wolf Pack, and T.J. Hensick had an empty-net goal.  Danny Syvret and Aaron Johnson contributed two assists apiece, and Dov Grumet-Morris made 22 saves in the Wolf Pack net.  Tim Erixon had a goal and an assist for Springfield and Michael Chaput also scored.

The victory was the first in seven tries against the Falcons for the Wolf Pack, who had been 0-4-0-2 in the first six meetings between the two teams.

After J.T. Miller won the opening draw, Syvret led Fast with a pass, and Fast stickhandled up the slot and put a backhander past Springfield starting goaltender Jeremy Smith at the seven-second mark.  That was the fastest Wolf Pack goal ever to start a period, by a margin of two seconds.

Kristo made it a 2-0 Wolf Pack lead at 4:36, nine seconds after a Wolf Pack power play expired.  A Syvret shot from the blue line hit Justin Vaive in front of the goal and the puck deflected to Kristo, who fought off a check and poked it into the net from Smith’s right.  Vaive picked up his first Wolf Pack point with an assist.

The Falcons came back with the next two goals, however, starting at 5:07, only 31 seconds after Kristo’s goal.  With Springfield on a power play, Chaput fired a shot from the top of the left-wing circle past Grumet-Morris.

The Falcons tied it at 14:21 on a goal by Erixon, a former Connecticut Whale defenseman.  After Andrew Joudrey won a faceoff, Jack Skille worked the puck back to Erixon at the right point, and Erixon’s shot went through a screen and eluded Grumet-Morris.

The Wolf Pack regained the lead for good, though, with 1:05 remaining in the period.  Dylan McIlrath’s shot from the right point was blocked right to Lindberg along the boards, and Lindberg unloaded a sharp-angle try that found an opening behind Smith, for a 3-2 Wolf Pack advantage.

Lindberg then made it 4-2 only 2:40 into the second period, with his ninth of the season.  Kyle Beach sent Lindberg into the Springfield zone with a pass, and Lindberg cleanly beat Smith’s catching glove with a shot from the left side.

That goal chased Smith (4 GA on 15 shots) from the game in favor of Mike McKenna, and there was no further scoring until the 19:58 mark of the third period, when, with McKenna on the bench for an extra attacker, Hensick hit the empty net from the neutral zone.

The Wolf Pack are right back at the XL Center on Saturday night, hosting the St. John’s IceCaps at 7:00 PM.  Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

Springfield Falcons 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 5
Friday, January 24, 2014 – XL Center

Springfield 2 0 0 – 2
Hartford 3 1 1 – 5

1st Period-1, Hartford, Fast 4 (Syvret, Miller), 0:07. 2, Hartford, Kristo 14 (Vaive, Syvret), 4:36. 3, Springfield, Chaput 9 (Erixon, Skille), 5:07 (PP). 4, Springfield, Erixon 4 (Skille, Joudrey), 14:21. 5, Hartford, Lindberg 8 (McIlrath, Johnson), 18:55. Penalties-Craig Spr (slashing), 2:27; Kantor Hfd (hooking), 4:56; Parlett Spr (interference), 16:38.

2nd Period-6, Hartford, Lindberg 9 (Beach, Haley), 2:40. Penalties-Smith Spr (fighting), 5:18; Haley Hfd (fighting), 5:18; Kantor Hfd (charging), 7:11; Erixon Spr (tripping), 10:43; Hughes Hfd (hooking), 15:56; Machacek Spr (tripping), 19:58.

3rd Period-7, Hartford, Hensick 2 (Johnson), 19:58 (EN). Penalties-Kantor Hfd (goaltender interference), 7:00.

Shots on Goal-Springfield 7-9-8-24. Hartford 14-13-10-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Springfield 1 / 4; Hartford 0 / 4.
Goalies-Springfield, Smith 17-7-2 (15 shots-11 saves); McKenna 10-3-0 (21 shots-21 saves). Hartford, Grumet-Morris 4-10-4 (24 shots-22 saves).
A-4,694
Referees-Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Paul Simeon (66).

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Wolf Pack Look for Better Days Ahead in Second Half

Hartford Wolf Pack

By Bob Crawford

Friday night’s home game against the AHL-leading Springfield Falcons is the Hartford Wolf Pack’s 39th game of the season, meaning that the Pack are exactly halfway through the campaign.

And it almost goes without saying that club is hoping for much better things in the second half, after struggling to a 12-21-0-5 record through the first 38 games.

“I think we’re just going to try and regroup,” rookie forward, and team leading scorer, Danny Kristo said this week.  “It was obviously a frustrating first half we had as a team, but it’s not how you start it’s how you finish.  We’ve made a couple of roster moves and I think we got a couple of new guys who can really help us out, so we’re just going to try and go into the second half with a clean slate and start off hot with a couple of wins.”

As Kristo referenced, the Wolf Pack roster has undergone significant turnover in recent weeks.  Two veteran goaltenders, Dov Grumet-Morris and David LeNeveu, have been added, as has T.J. Hensick, an experienced forward who has scored at a better than a point-per-game pace over his more than 300 career AHL games.  On the other side of the coin, players who had been a fairly big part of the mix in the first half, such as Brodie Dupont, Kyle Jean, Jason Missiaen and Akim Aliu, were either released or moved down to the ECHL.

“I think they’re just showing that it’s unacceptable where we’re at right now,” Wolf Pack captain Aaron Johnson said of the moves that the organization made.  “The guys are going to need to take that and work even harder, find a way to get those extra points and show that they don’t want to be one of those guys that are going to get moved.”

Head Coach Ken Gernander said of the personnel shuffling, “It maybe would have been done sooner, but it’s really hard to find people at this time of year.  We knew we had needs that we had to address, but we didn’t want to just jump in and make a mistake either.  We wanted to get quality people, and not just a temporary fix, but something that we could build on moving forward. 

“To some extent we had a lot of injuries in the first half, and that was a contributing factor as well.  You don’t want to kind of overstock your team, knowing full well that you were going to get some of these people back from injury.  So it was a little bit dicey as far as managing players and numbers and personnel in the first half, but now I think the moves we’ve made have really kind of shored things up, solidified certain positions and will allow us to have more success moving forward.

“I think the opportunity certainly exists to improve over the first half of the season,” Gernander continued, “from a growth perspective with a lot of our younger players, but also a personnel perspective.  We brought in Hensick, a little more offense up front, two goaltenders with some veteran AHL experience, and that should help shore up some of our things defensively.  So I expect a much improved team over the second half of the season.”

Johnson agreed that having the steadiness of Grumet-Morris and LeNeveu on the last line of defense is a help, but he would not point to goaltending as any kind of a weakness in the first half.

“I think we can count on all of our goalies, I think it’s really a matter of us playing well in front of them,” the veteran blueliner said.  “We’ve hung them out to dry in a lot of situations, you can only put so much on them.  It’s great to have their experience, but we can’t lean on them every game.  When we win hockey games it’s because we’re all playing, and when we lose hockey games we’re usually putting them in tough situations.  We need to play well in front of them.”

Kristo’s view of the roster overhaul from a rookie’s perspective was, “It’s been tough to see some guys go and have some new guys come in, but we’ve got good core leadership in our locker room, and the captains and leaders have done a good job helping those guys come in and helping them feel part of the team.  So hopefully those new guys can help us out, and we can just keep moving forward.”

That core leadership group that Kristo talks about is bolstered by the fact that goaltending is not the only position where the Wolf Pack boast a wealth of veteran experience.  In fact, the Pack are so seasoned a group that for most of the season, they have been over the AHL limit of five veterans with more than 260 games of NHL, AHL or European Elite League experience.  Included in that battle-tested crew are Johnson, Darroll Powe, Arron Asham, Danny Syvret, Micheal Haley and Hensick.

When asked what the older players are harping on to the team, Johnson replied, “Just sticking to the game plan and making sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to do.  The hitters need to hit, the goal-scorers need to score, and we just try and pass that on.  If the young guys ever have any questions, they know they can talk to us, and I think we’ve done a good job with the young guys so far.”

As for how the younger players have responded to the pressures of the AHL, the captain said, “There’s always guys that you can see kind of flourish as the season goes along, and then there’s guys that struggle a little bit.  That’s just part of pro hockey, because we’re playing at an elite level here.  As the season goes further, there’s going to be guys that are going to do the same.  There’s going to be more guys that are going to step up, and more guys that need to find their niche.”

Kristo is one individual who has occupied an important niche, posting team-best totals of 13 goals and 25 points in 36 games, and he remains upbeat about his rookie season.

“I think it was a good first half,” Kristo said.  “Obviously you can learn something new every single day coming to the rink, especially in the games, you can learn game by game, day by day.  I thought it was a good first half for me, and I thought I got better as it went on, and hopefully I can keep that going into the second half.”

Gernander, whose job it is to groom players for the NHL level, feels that it remains to be seen how much the youngsters on his team have grown in the first half.

“I think it’s going to depend on how they finish the season,” he said.  “What kind of progress we’ll see in the second half is going to be one telling sign of what they’ve learned, and what kind of progress they’ve made in the first half of the season, and certainly not everyone develops on the same pace.  We’re not looking to have players drafted one spring and NHL-ready that following fall.  It’s a process, and as long as they keep trending up, that’s what we’re here for.”

One positive that can be taken out of the first half of the season, according to Gernander, is that the team’s adversity has forced players to show quickly what they are made of.

“I think it gave opportunities to certain people, rookies or others, that maybe would not have been afforded to them right away,” he said, “and some people did take advantage of them, and are, because of that, being able to broaden their role on the team, and it’s actually expedited their development.

“I think it gave a number of players opportunity that maybe wouldn’t have been available to them right away, to either make a case for further responsibility and extra ice time, and for some of them it maybe pointed out some weaknesses in their game, or some areas of improvement that must be addressed.  And unfortunately for some of them, it’s going to be in Greenville (with the Wolf Pack’s ECHL affiliate).  For some others, it’s got to be addressed here, but I think it exposed certain weaknesses that guys can be improving upon.”

The Wolf Pack enter Friday’s game 16 points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and with seven teams sitting between them and the eighth-and-final playoff berth in the conference.  If there is one clear consensus in the locker room and the coaches’ office, it is that the group must ignore that “big picture” and, as the old cliché goes, take one game at a time.

“That’s going to be the key for us, is to focus, really, on that which you can control, which would be that one game at present time,” Gernander said.  “You don’t look in the rear-view mirror and you certainly can’t look ahead to certain things, but if we can maintain focus on the task at hand and play some of our best hockey, I think it’s (a postseason berth) still within reach.”

Johnson pointed out that, “One of the good things about the American Hockey League is that you play a lot of those teams so much that you’re able to get those kind of four-point situations.  Right now we just take it of game-by-game, look at the team that’s ahead of us, work our way to get to that team and then kind of work our way towards the middle of the pack.  You can’t, unfortunately, get into the playoffs in one or two games, it’s going to take a while, but I think we’ve got the team that’s able to do it.

“At the start of the season I think we learned not to give up.  And in the second (quarter) I think we got a little comfortable and maybe didn’t play our game.  A lot of the games that we win, it’s when we play 60 minutes.  We get back to playing 60 minutes, we’ll win more hockey games.”

Kristo summed up the task at hand by saying, “You just have to go at it day by day and come to the rink every single day, if it’s a practice, game or whatnot, and just try to get better.  And going into each game, just focus on that game.  Don’t think about the three games on the weekend and who you’re playing, just focus on that day and who you’re playing that day.  And if you take it one day at a time, you never know what can happen.”

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photo credit: chris rutsch

Wolf Pack’s “Tip-a-Player” Event Set for Tuesday, February 18

HARTFORD, January 23, 2014:  Global Spectrum, operators of the XL Center and Hartford Wolf Pack, announced today that the Wolf Pack’s annual “Tip-a-Player” Dinner and Sports Carnival will take place Tuesday, February 18 at the XL Center.

Hartford Wolf PackThis year’s tenth annual Tip-a-Player extravaganza will run from 6:00-9:00 PM on February 18, and all proceeds from the event will benefit Gaylord Specialty Healthcare of Wallingford, CT.  Gaylord Specialty Healthcare provides specialty care for people with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, stroke and pulmonary disease.

Tip-a-Player involves the entire Wolf Pack team, and is a family-friendly evening that allows hockey fans to get “up close and personal” with the Wolf Pack players.  The players will be waiting tables, signing autographs and joining fans in healthy competition in the sports carnival, which features an array of inflatables and other assorted lively fun.  Also, the players will compete for “tips” by accepting various challenges and otherwise providing lighthearted entertainment.

The littlest fans will be treated to face-painting and bounce houses, and all guests will enjoy the delicious dining options of a mini “Taste of Hartford”, with area restaurants providing numerous enticing samples of their best fare.  In addition, fans will have the opportunity to bid on special player event jerseys, and there will be a silent auction featuring a bevy of valuable hockey items.

Tip-a-Player takes place during school vacation week, and offers an affordable night out for the whole family, as well as a chance to support a great cause.  Tickets are $30 each for adults and $20 for kids, and “puck bucks”, used to tip the players, are $5 for a quantity of 50 puck bucks.

A ticket order form is on-line at the Wolf Pack’s official website, www.hartfordwolfpack.com, and tickets will also be on sale at the Wolf Pack’s two home games this weekend, tomorrow night, Friday, January 24 vs. Springfield and Saturday, January 25 vs. St. John’s.  Tickets can also be purchased by phone, by calling Gaylord Specialty Healthcare at (203) 284-2881, or Wolf Pack community relations director Frank Berrian at (860) 541-4728.

Tickets for all Wolf Pack 2013-14 home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Wolf Pack tickets start as low as $12 for youth 12 years old or younger.  To speak with a representative about season or group tickets, call (855) 762-6451.

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Rangers Assign David LeNeveu To Wolf Pack

NEW YORK, January 23, 2014 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has assigned goaltender David LeNeveu to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Hartford Wolf PackLeNeveu, 30, dressed as Cam Talbot’s backup on Tuesday against the NY Islanders after signing with the team earlier that day. He returns to Hartford, where he is 1-1-0 with a 3.50 goals against average and .891 save percentage in two games this season. LeNeveu made his Wolf Pack debut on Friday, stopping 26 shots in a 4-2 win at Adirondack. He has split the season between Hartford and the Providence Bruins, posting a combined record of 1-2-0 with a 2.68 goals against average and .906 save percentage in three games. He also appeared in eight games with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, posting a 4-4-0 record with a 1.64 goals against average, .940 save percentage, and three shutouts.

The Fernie, British Columbia native was originally selected by Phoenix as a second round choice, 46th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

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New York Rangers Sign G David LeNeveu

NEW YORK, January 21, 2014 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with free agent goaltender David LeNeveu.

Hartford Wolf PackLeNeveu, 30, has split the season between the Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL), posting a record of 1-2-0 with a 2.68 goals against average and .906 save percentage in three games. He is 1-1-0 with a 3.50 goals against average and .891 save percentage in two games with Hartford. LeNeveu made his Wolf Pack debut on Friday, stopping 26 shots in a 4-2 win at Adirondack. He also appeared in eight games with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, posting a 4-4-0 record with a 1.64 goals against average, .940 save percentage, and three shutouts.

The 6-1, 190-pounder has appeared in 22 career NHL contests over three seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets, posting a 5-9-2 record with a 3.43 goals against average and .887 save percentage. He made his NHL debut with Phoenix on October 6, 2005 at Los Angeles, and registered his first career win with a 24-save effort on October 25, 2005 against St. Louis.

The Fernie, British Columbia native was originally selected by Phoenix as a second round choice, 46th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

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