By Zack Grenier

Hartford, CT, December 19, 2014 – Kristers Gudlevskis made 24 saves Friday night at the XL Center, to backstop the Syracuse Crunch to a 2-0 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Wolf Pack, who got 22 saves from Mackenzie Skapski.  The only offense in the game came from second-period Syracuse goals by Tanner Richard and Vladislav Namestnikov.  The victory was the Crunch’s eighth straight.

The first period ended with neither team getting much of any offense going.  In the second period, the Wolf Pack took four penalties and were unable to sustain any attack.

“Their power play had one goal and then they generated momentum, and our power play didn’t generate any momentum” said Hartford’s Chris Mueller.  “If you can’t score you want to generate momentum for the team, but we didn’t do it and they did.  Special teams, they won, and five on five, they won too.  So overall it wasn’t a good game for our hockey club.”

Syracuse struck first with 17:48 left in the second period.  It was Richard who ended the scoreless game, when he was sprung on a breakaway just after a Wolf Pack power play had ended.  Richard went to his forehand and Skapski made the original save, but the rebound beat him.

“We didn’t gain any momentum from them (power play opportunities,” said Hartford assistant coach Jeff Beukeboom.  “Whatever momentum we may have gained, which we didn’t, certainly went by the wayside with that goal.”

Namestnikov was able to extend the Crunch lead to two when he put home a slap shot on the power play at 10:23.  Skapski was able to put a pad on the puck, but it tipped off of the top of his leg pad and hit the top of the net to give the Crunch a 2-0 lead.

“When you hold a team to two goals at home it should be enough,” said Beukeboom.

Cedrick Desjardins will get the start Saturday when the Pack take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

“We got to regroup and we have a big game, so if we get these two points, in the last three weeks we can say it’s a pretty good finish in December,’” said Mueller.  “We have to put this one behind us and learn from our mistakes and get two points tomorrow.”

The Wolf Pack/Phantoms game at the XL Center Saturday has a special faceoff time of 5:00 PM, and the Wolf Pack will be holding a birthday celebration for Sonar, their beloved mascot, featuring appearances by other mascots from around the AHL.

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

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

Syracuse Crunch 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 0
Friday, December 19, 2014 – XL Center

Syracuse 0 2 0 – 2
Hartford 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period- No Scoring. Penalties-R. Bourque Hfd (boarding), 9:16; Paradis Syr (fighting), 17:28; Nehring Hfd (fighting), 17:28; Smith Syr (roughing, roughing), 20:00; Malone Hfd (roughing), 20:00.

2nd Period-1, Syracuse, Richard 5 (Koekkoek), 2:12. 2, Syracuse, Namestnikov 3 (Nesterov, Marchessault), 10:23 (PP). Penalties-Corrente Syr (boarding), 2:36; McIlrath Hfd (hooking), 5:54; Mormina Syr (tripping), 6:56; Allen Hfd (tripping), 7:36; Hughes Hfd (tripping), 9:09; Cote Syr (tripping), 13:38; O’Donnell Hfd (holding), 16:34; Nesterov Syr (hooking), 17:17.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Smith Syr (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:59; Spinell Hfd (roughing), 1:59; Mormina Syr (fighting), 4:26; Malone Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting), 4:26; Gourde Syr (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 7:20; O’Donnell Hfd (roughing, misconduct – continuing altercation), 7:20; Paradis Syr (hooking), 10:02.

Shots on Goal-Syracuse 12-9-3-24. Hartford 7-8-9-24.
Power Play Opportunities-Syracuse 1 / 6; Hartford 0 / 6.
Goalies-Syracuse, Gudlevskis 10-4-0 (24 shots-24 saves). Hartford, Skapski 6-5-0 (24 shots-22 saves).
A-2,707
Referees-Peter MacDougall (57).
Linesmen-Paul Simeon (66), Derek Wahl (46).

By Zack Grenier

Hartford, CT, December 12, 2014 – Third-period goals by Ryan Haggerty and Oscar Lindberg broke a 3-3 tie and carried the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 5-3 win over the Worcester Sharks Friday night at the XL Center.

The victory was the third in a row for the Wolf Pack, who also got a goal and an assist each from Chris Bourque and Michael Kostka. Jeff Malcolm made 35 saves to get the win, in his first AHL appearance of the season. Daniil Tarasov, Adam Burish and Micheal Haley scored for Worcester.

Hartford struck first with 58.6 seconds remaining in the first period. Conor Allen was the man who made the teddy bears fly, on “Teddy Bear Toss” night, when he scored his fourth goal of the season. Allen got a pass from Kostka as he started to break in to the zone, and Allen fired a wrist shot from just inside the left faceoff dot to beat Troy Grosenick (23 saves) on the blocker side.

“They made a nice D-to-D pass at the blue line and some strong offensive play there,” said Hartford coach Ken Gernander. “It was good that we could generate offense 5-on-5 tonight because I think that was more the style of play we played tonight. We didn’t have that offensive zone time and that offensive zone pressure. It didn’t enable us to do anything in terms of drawing penalties and using our power play tonight.”

The Sharks tied the game at one, at 9:43 of the second, when Dylan DeMelo fired a slap shot from the blue line that deflected off of the hip of Tarasov, who was standing at the side of the net.

That started a run of five goals in 4:22, and just 17 seconds later, a turnover by the Pack led to Burish getting the puck at the top of the left faceoff circle with an open lane to the net. Burish walked in and beat Malcolm on a straight wrist shot.

“Obviously mistakes are going to happen in the course of a game so you just have to limit them,” said the Wolf Pack’s Chris Bourque.

The Pack answered back quickly, at 10:19, when Bourque hit Kostka with a pass across the faceoff circles that left Grosenick (23 saves) on the other side of the net. Kostka’s wrist shot tied the game at two and gave him his second goal of the season.

“Obviously those three goals went in pretty quick there,” said Haggerty. “You just tap your linemates and say let’s settle it down. Let’s control the puck and not give up too many chances, and play in their end to try and generate something to get the momentum back in our favor.”

Chris Bourque gave the Pack a 3-2 lead for a short period of time when he scored his 12th goal of the season at 13:35. Marek Hrivik did the dirty work behind the net and was able to find Bourque sitting in front by himself.

The Sharks did answer back quickly, when Haley was able to put away the rebound of an Evan Trupp shot. The goal tied the game at three just 30 seconds after the Pack took the lead, and ended the scoring for the high-powered second period.

The Pack regained the lead for good 37 seconds into the third period, when Haggerty was able to beat Grosenick on a wrist shot from just inside the right faceoff circle.

“Anytime you get a little time and space to shoot the puck in stride, I think you have a little more of an advantage than the goalie does,” said Haggerty.

Lindberg was able to add to the Pack lead at 5:07, when he scored his ninth goal of the season, Joey Crabb was able to find Lindberg with a pass from the right corner, and Lindberg scored through Grosenick’s five-hole to give the Pack a 5-3 lead.

“Obviously you feel better out there. There’s not that much pressure when you have a 5-3 lead,” said Hrivik. “That doesn’t mean necessarily that you have to stop playing hard though.”

The Wolf Pack’s next game is this Sunday, December 14 in Bridgeport, a 3:00 PM battle with the Sound Tigers at Webster Bank Arena. All of the action of that contest 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 next home action for the Wolf Pack is Friday, December 19, with the Syracuse Crunch visiting the XL Center for a 7:00 game. All Friday-night Wolf Pack home games feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period.

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

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

Worcester Sharks 3 at Hartford Wolf Pack 5
Friday, December 12, 2014 – XL Center

Worcester 0 3 0 – 3
Hartford 1 2 2 – 5

1st Period-1, Hartford, Allen 4 (Kostka), 19:01. Penalties-Lindberg Hfd (tripping), 19:54.

2nd Period-2, Worcester, Tarasov 6 (DeMelo, Langlois), 9:43. 3, Worcester, Burish 1 (Hamilton, Abeltshauser), 10:00. 4, Hartford, Kostka 2 (C. Bourque, Hrivik), 10:19. 5, Hartford, C. Bourque 12 (Hrivik, Malone), 13:35. 6, Worcester, Haley 8 (Trupp), 14:05. Penalties-R. Bourque Hfd (tripping), 3:12.

3rd Period-7, Hartford, Haggerty 6 0:37. 8, Hartford, Lindberg 9 (Crabb, Vaive), 5:07. Penalties-Allen Hfd (interference), 9:20; DeMelo Wor (hooking), 14:20.

Shots on Goal-Worcester 12-14-12-38. Hartford 12-8-8-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Worcester 0 / 3; Hartford 0 / 1.
Goalies-Worcester, Grosenick 7-3-0 (28 shots-23 saves). Hartford, Malcolm 1-0-0 (38 shots-35 saves).
A-3,516
Referees-Evgeny Romasko (6), Olivier Gouin (66).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Paul Simeon (66).

By Zack Grenier

Hartford, CT, December 11, 2014 – Chris Bourque scored two goals, and Justin Vaive had a goal and an assist, Thursday night at the XL Center, to lead the Hartford Wolf Pack to a 3-2 victory over the Albany Devils.

Marek Hrivik had two assists for Hartford, and Cedrick Desjardins made 32 saves. Reid Boucher and Rod Pelley scored the Devil goals, and Eric Baier had two assists.

Hartford drew first blood only 3:43 into the game, when Bourque scored his team-leading tenth goal of the season. Hrivik showed some good patience to draw Albany goaltender Scott Clemmensen (30 saves) out of his net and fired a shot. Clemmensen came up with a big save, but Bourque came in and dug the puck away from Clemmensen, who was at the bottom of the faceoff circle.

“That’s sometimes the hardest message to get across, is that your overall game is what we’re being judged on,” said Hartford coach Ken Gernander. “You have to be a good fit for your teammates and doing all of the team things first. If you do that, for the most part, you’ll get rewarded in the end.”

Only 53 seconds later, the Pack sent their power-play unit to the ice. It was Hrivik notching his second assist of the game, when he found Vaive backdoor at 6:35, to extend the Hartford lead to two.

“I just tried to hit his stick between the d-man’s legs,” said Hrivik. “Vaiver [Vaive] didn’t see the puck, but I just thought that I have to hit his stick and he’ll put it in.”

The Devils were not going to go away that easily, as they found the back of the net with 8:37 left in the first period. Eric Baier fired a slap shot from the blue line, with a lot of traffic in front of Desjardins, and Boucher tipped the shot past the blocker side.

“I think we just have to stay on the gas,” said Vaive. “We had a good start, a good second, and just all around as a team we have to keep bringing the pressure to them so they can’t quick transition on us.”

With 8:07 left in the second period, Bourque found the back of the net for the second time in the game. Bourque fired a wrist shot on the power play from the right faceoff circle to give the Pack a 3-1 lead. The shot beat Clemmensen in a very small opening over his glove-side shoulder.

“I just saw the D stuck in the corner there, so I took it to the net a little bit and tried to shoot at his glove and luckily it went in,” said Bourque.

The Devils made it a one goal game at the nine-minute mark of the third, when Pelley had a rebound kick to him at the bottom of the faceoff circle. Ben Thomson threw the puck at the net from the corner and it kicked off of the pad of Desjardins to Pelley. Pelley snapped a wrist shot over the glove of Desjardins for his second goal of the season.

The Pack were able to hold on in the end, despite a few late chances from the Devils’ offense with under two minutes to play.

“Whenever you play against a team in your division it’s a huge game,” said Bourque. “To get two points tonight is really going to help us out in the long run.”

The Wolf Pack are right back at the XL Center Friday night, hosting the Worcester Sharks in a 7:00 PM game. Friday is the Wolf Pack’s annual “Teddy Bear Toss”–fans are encouraged to bring new soft toys to the game, and heave them on to the ice when the Wolf Pack score their first goal. The toys collected will be donated to Toys for Tots. Also, all Friday-night Wolf Pack home games feature $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period.

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

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

Albany Devils 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 3
Thursday, December 11, 2014 – XL Center

Albany 1 0 1 – 2
Hartford 2 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Hartford, C. Bourque 10 (Hrivik, Malone), 3:43. 2, Hartford, Vaive 6 (Hrivik, Allen), 6:35 (PP). 3, Albany, Boucher 5 (Baier, Fraser), 11:23. Penalties-Black Alb (goaltender interference), 4:36; Thompson Alb (holding), 8:11; C. Bourque Hfd (roughing), 14:42; Lindberg Hfd (high-sticking), 15:44; Faust Alb (interference), 19:00.

2nd Period-4, Hartford, C. Bourque 11 (Vaive, Haggerty), 11:53 (PP). Penalties-McIlrath Hfd (tripping), 1:39; Faust Alb (holding), 11:14.

3rd Period-5, Albany, Pelley 2 (Thomson), 9:00. Penalties-C. Bourque Hfd (tripping), 6:31; Whitney Alb (holding), 19:12; served by Boucher Alb (bench minor – too many men), 19:52.

Shots on Goal-Albany 14-10-11-35. Hartford 12-10-11-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 0 / 4; Hartford 2 / 6.
Goalies-Albany, Clemmensen 1-3-1 (33 shots-30 saves). Hartford, Desjardins 6-3-1 (35 shots-33 saves).
A-1,816
Referees-Jonathan Alarie (38), Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Jim Briggs (83), Brent Colby (7).

HARTFORD, December 9, 2014: Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Wolf Pack has recalled forward Vinny Saponari from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Saponari, who was signed to an AHL contract by the Wolf Pack July 25, 2014, leads the Greenville club in points and plus/minus, and is second in goals and assists, with totals of 7-10-17, and a +13, in 21 games. The 6-1, 196-pound Powder Springs, GA native split last season between the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals and the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, notching 15 goals with the Admirals, tied for fourth-best on the team, and adding 18 assists for 33 points, in 58 games. In 14 contests with Cincinnati, Saponari posted totals of 1-10-11.

Prior to turning pro, Saponari played four seasons of Hockey East Action, two at Northeastern and two with Boston University. In 150 career college games, he rang up 34 goals and 65 assists for 99 points, along with 109 PIM, and won an NCAA title with B.U. in 2008-09, his freshman year. Between his B.U. and Northeastern tenures, Saponari spent the 2010-11 campaign in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, notching 18-46-64 in 56 games and helping Dubuque to a league championship.

Saponari was a fourth-round selection (94th overall) by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2008 NHL Draft, from the U.S. National Under-18 Team.

The Wolf Pack’s next action is a home game this this Thursday night, December 11, a 7:00 PM contest against the Albany Devils.  That is “Throwback Thursday”, as the Wolf Pack throws back prices on a number of popular concession items.  Hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and soda are all on sale Thursday for only $2 each.  Also, Thursday is the next opportunity for fans to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Packs”, which include two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.

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

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

HARTFORD, December 8, 2014: Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the Wolf Pack has recalled goaltender Jeff Malcolm from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors.

Malcolm, a second-year pro out of Yale University, is currently tied for the ECHL lead in wins, with a mark of 11-4-0 in 15 appearances. The 6-2, 185-pound Lethbridge, Alta. has a 2.13 goals-against average, second-best in the ECHL, and his 92.9% save percentage ranks third among league netminders. Malcolm also has one shutout.

As a rookie last season, Malcolm, 25, saw action in six games for the Wolf Pack, going 1-3-0 with a 2,85 GAA and an 88.8% save percentage. In 27 contests with the Road Warriors, he was 13-9-0, with a 2.90 GAA and a 91.2% save percentage mark.

Signed to an AHL contract by the Wolf Pack July 17, 2013, Malcolm was 36-21-4 in 67 games in his four-year career at Yale, with a 2.60 GAA, a 90.7% save percentage and six shutouts. He backstopped the Elis to the program’s first-ever NCAA title in his Senior year of 2012-13.

The Wolf Pack’s next action is a home game this this Thursday night, December 11, a 7:00 PM contest against the Albany Devils.  That is “Throwback Thursday”, as the Wolf Pack throws back prices on a number of popular concession items.  Hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and soda are all on sale Thursday for only $2 each.  Also, Thursday is the next opportunity for fans to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Packs”, which include two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.

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

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

By Zack Grenier

Hartford, CT, December 7, 2014 – The Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Binghamton Senators 4-2 Sunday afternoon at the XL Center, to complete a three-game weekend.

Hartford’s Danny Kristo led the way with two goals, and Chris Bourque had a goal and two assists.  Mackenzie Skapski stopped 45 of the 47 shots that he faced.

Binghamton was led by Cole Schneider, a former UConn Husky, who had a goal and an assist.  Senator goaltender Scott Greenham had 31 saves in the loss.

The Pack struck quickly, after they went on the power play just 1:15 in to the game.  Michael Kostka slid the puck over to Chris Bourque, who patiently waited to strike.  His one-timer rang off of the far post and in to give the Pack a 1-0 lead at 1:20.

“That was fortunate, but I think we were playing good hockey,” said Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander.  “We were playing better at the start. Then they started to turn the pressure up on us, and I think we could’ve done a few things to alleviate the offense pressure that they were able to generate, with just a little bit better decision making.”

Binghamton bounced back when Alex Grant fired a slap shot from just inside the blue line, and Schneider was in the right place at the right time.  Schneider picked up the rebound and shot the rebound past Skapski for his eighth goal of the season at 7:45.

The Wolf Pack took the lead for good when Chris Bourque slowed the offensive rush down from the side of the faceoff circle and found Kristo trailing.  Kristo walked in to the slot and beat Greenham blocker side at 11:48.

“We’re starting to create a little chemistry out there,” said Chris Bourque.  “I think me and Danny are two pretty highly skilled guys who can make plays, so we want to get the puck in each other’s hands, and get in to areas where you can help the other guy out.  Having [Marek] Hrivik up the middle there, it creates room for us, so it’s turning into a good line.”

Dallas Jackson extended the Pack lead to two at 8:57 of the second period, when he was able to finish a backdoor pass from Chad Nehring for Jackson’s first Wolf Pack goal.

Kristo put another tally on the board just 56 seconds later, at 9:53, to make it 4-1 Hartford.  Chris Bourque fired a slap shot on net, and Hrivik kicked the rebound over to Kristo at the side of the crease for his eighth goal of the season.

Thirteen seconds into the third period, Binghamton cut the lead to two when Jean-Gabriel Pageau deflected a Fredrik Claesson slap shot, which then hit Wolf Pack defender Michael Kostka and got by Skapski.

The Wolf Pack (12-9-2-1, 27 pts.) picked up a much needed two points to put them into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

“You always want to stay on pace with the rest of the conference, and just get points in as many games as you can,” said Chris Bourque.  “Hopefully they add up at the end up the year and you make it in the top eight.  It doesn’t really matter what place you come in, in playoffs anything can happen and our goal is just to be in that top eight.”

Next up for the Wolf Pack is a home game this this Thursday night, December 11, a 7:00 PM contest against the Albany Devils.  That is “Throwback Thursday”, as the Wolf Pack throws back prices on a number of popular concession items.  Hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and soda are all on sale Thursday for only $2 each.  Also, Thursday is the next opportunity for fans to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Packs”, which include two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.

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

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

Binghamton Senators 2 at Hartford Wolf Pack 4
Sunday, December 7, 2014 – XL Center

Binghamton 1 0 1 – 2
Hartford 2 2 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Hartford, C. Bourque 9 (Kostka, Mueller), 1:20 (PP). 2, Binghamton, Schneider 8 (A. Grant, Claesson), 7:45. 3, Hartford, Kristo 7 (C. Bourque, Allen), 11:48. Penalties-Robinson Bng (tripping), 1:15; Kramer Bng (fighting), 13:22; Nehring Hfd (fighting), 13:22; Kristo Hfd (boarding), 18:27.

2nd Period-4, Hartford, Jackson 1 (Nehring, O’Donnell), 8:57. 5, Hartford, Kristo 8 (Hrivik, C. Bourque), 9:53. Penalties-Robinson Bng (roughing), 2:58; Allen Hfd (roughing), 2:58; McCormick Bng (fighting), 5:40; Kostka Hfd (fighting), 5:40; McIlrath Hfd (high-sticking), 10:19; Crabb Hfd (tripping), 11:02.

3rd Period-6, Binghamton, Claesson 2 (Dziurzynski, Schneider), 0:13. Penalties-C. Bourque Hfd (slashing), 8:20.

Shots on Goal-Binghamton 11-21-15-47. Hartford 14-15-6-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Binghamton 0 / 4; Hartford 1 / 1.
Goalies-Binghamton, Greenham 4-1-1 (35 shots-31 saves). Hartford, Skapski 6-4-0 (47 shots-45 saves).
A-2,908
Referees-T.J. Luxmore (49).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Paul Simeon (66).

By Zack Grenier

Hartford, CT, December 6, 2014 – In a physical battle at the XL Center Saturday night, the Hartford Wolf Pack fell victim to a streaking Springfield Falcons team and lost in a shootout, 1-0.

Hartford’s Cedrick Desjardins came up big for the Wolf Pack, stopping all 32 shots he faced in regulation and overtime.

Springfield’s Anton Forsberg halted 30 shots from the Wolf Pack offense. Forsberg came up big in the shootout as well, stopping all three shooters he faced. The Falcons’ Sean Collins was the only player to find the back of the net in the shootout.

“I thought we played a good hockey club in a good hard game,” said Hartford coach Ken Gernander.

The Wolf Pack offense had been dominating Springfield in the shot department throughout the game until the third period. In the third, Springfield threw 17 shots at Desjardins, who was able to push them all away.

“That’s team defense,” said Gernander. “Everybody has to chip in in their coverage and within your structure, but sometimes you have to do a little extra too, and that extra effort a lot of times is the difference.”

The game went in to overtime with neither goalie allowing a puck past them yet. The Falcons had a 3-on-1 opportunity with under 30 seconds left but they missed the net. Hartford was able to get a good chance off of their missed shot when Chris Mueller found himself on a breakaway, but he was unable to capitalize either.

“It’s frustrating that we didn’t get one in,” said Hartford’s Joey Crabb. “We were happy with the effort and everyone was working hard and doing the right thing.”

The game went to a shootout, in which Collins was the only player from either team to score. Collins went to his backhand and was able to slide the puck through the legs of Desjardins.

The Wolf Pack have a quick turnaround, as they face the Binghamton Senators Sunday afternoon at the XL Center.

“For us, we have to try to find a way to games like this,” said Desjardins. “We want to stay in the mix until Christmas and make a push after, so we have to get some points in the next couple games.”

The Wolf Pack’s game against Binghamton Sunday is a 3:00 PM faceoff. That is the next opportunity for fans to take advantage of the Wolf Pack’s “Click It or Ticket Family Value Packs”, which include two tickets, two sodas and two hot dogs, all for only $35.

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

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

Springfield Falcons 1 (SO) at Hartford Wolf Pack 0
Saturday, December 6, 2014 – XL Center

Springfield 0 0 0 0 – 1
Hartford 0 0 0 0 – 0

1st Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Labrie Spr (roughing), 7:43; D’Amigo Spr (tripping), 11:49; Hoeffel Spr (delay of game), 16:28.

2nd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Bodie Hfd (tripping), 1:53; Vaive Hfd (interference), 7:11; Vaive Hfd (interference), 13:37; St. Denis Spr (holding), 19:08.

3rd Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Bodie Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:25; C. Bourque Hfd (tripping), 13:56; Tynan Spr (cross-checking), 15:12.

OT Period- No Scoring. Penalties-Allen Hfd (roughing), 7:00.

Shootout – Springfield 1 (Collins G, Wennberg NG), Hartford 0 (Bourque NG, Kristo NG, Mueller NG).
Shots on Goal-Springfield 4-8-17-2-1-32. Hartford 11-13-4-2-0-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Springfield 0 / 5; Hartford 0 / 5.
Goalies-Springfield, Forsberg 11-2-0 (30 shots-30 saves). Hartford, Desjardins 5-3-1 (31 shots-31 saves).
A-4,216
Referees-Kendrick Nicholson (44), Alex Garon (64).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Derek Wahl (46).

HARTFORD, December 6, 2014:  Hartford Wolf Pack general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the the Wolf Pack has recalled forward Shawn O’Donnell from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors, and that the parent New York Rangers have reassigned forward Josh Nicholls from the Wolf Pack to Greenville.

O’Donnell, a 6-1, 192-pound second-year pro, played three games with the Wolf Pack, going scoreless with 17 penalty minutes, prior to being reassigned to the Road Warriors November 6.  In 12 ECHL contests, the 26-year-old Halifax, N.S. native collected three goals and five assists for eight points, along with 19 PIM and a +5.

Nicholls, a second-year pro out of the Western Hockey League, earned one assist, his first career AHL point, and had three shots on goal in five games with the Wolf Pack, after being summoned from Greenville November 22.  Nicholls has four goals and five assists for nine points, along with six penalty minutes, in nine ECHL games this season.

The Wolf Pack are back on home ice tonight, with the Springfield Falcons visiting the XL Center for a 7:00 game.  The first 5,000 fans into the game receive a free Wolf Pack car magnet.

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

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

Syracuse, NY, December 5, 2014 – After spotting the Syracuse Crunch a 5-0 first-period lead Friday night at the War Memorial Arena, the Hartford Wolf Pack mounted a furious comeback, but the Crunch held on for a 6-5 victory.

Mike Angelidis had two goals, including the game-winner, for Syracuse, and Vladislav Namestnikov had a goal and two assists. Chris Bourque and Danny Kristo had a goal and an assist each for the Wolf Pack, and Ryan Bourque had two assists.

“It’s definitely nice to see that we are capable of doing that,” Chris Bourque said of the Wolf Pack comeback, “but at the same time it’s disappointing that we put ourselves in that big of a hole to start the game. We definitely weren’t ready to play and it showed, 5-0 after the first, but a real good effort by the guys coming back and making it 6-5. It shows some resilience, and we didn’t give up until the final buzzer.”

The Syracuse first-period scoring parade started at the 59-second mark, after the Wolf Pack’s Marek Hrivik was called for boarding 32 seconds in. Namestnikov, in his first AHL game of the year after being assigned by parent-club Tampa Bay, knocked his own rebound past Wolf Pack starting goaltender Mackenzie Skapski, after a nice move by Jonathan Marchessault set up the play.

The Crunch then got a pair of goals in 18 seconds starting at the 3:26 mark, chasing Skapski (four saves) from the game.

Angelidis made it 2-0 Syracuse at 3:26, backhanding the puck in from Skapski’s left, after taking a feed from Yanni Gourde.

The lead grew to 3-0 at 3:44, with Joel Vermin scoring on a deflection. Nikita Nesterov wristed the puck at the net from the right point, and Vermin tipped it through Skapski’s pads.

That brought Cedrick Desjardins into the game, and the Crunch power play got one by him at 13:34, with Jake Dotchin scoring his first pro goal. Dylan Blujus set Dotchin up at the top of the left circle, and Dotchin’s one-timer beat Desjardins’ catching glove.

Gourde made it a five-goal lead with 3:26 remaining in the period, with his 10th of the season. Tanner Richard was able to shed a check behind the net, and Gourde got loose and banged Richard’s pass inside the post to Desjardins’ left.

After the first-period disaster, though, the Wolf Pack got right back into the game in the second, scoring three times.

Ryan Haggerty got Hartford on the board on a power play at 1:55, scoring for a second straight game. Haggerty kept the puck in the zone near the left point, and fired a shot that went through a Justin Vaive screen and got by Crunch goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis (30 saves).

Chad Nehring then got his first AHL point with a goal just 1:54 later, at 3:49, cutting the lead to 5-2. A Josh Nicholls bid went off of Gudlevskis’ chest, and Nehring batted it out of the air and into the net.

A Ryan Malone goal, his first in a Wolf Pack uniform, made it a 5-3 game at 9:37. After a Ryan Bourque’s shot hit the side of the net, the puck bounced to the right-wing side of the goalmouth, and Malone backhanded it off of Gudlevskis and in behind him.

The Wolf Pack surge continued early in the third period, with the Wolf Pack power play connecting at the 4:02 mark, with Luke Witkowski in the box for tripping. Chris Bourque grabbed the puck in the left-wing corner and fed it to Danny Kristo jamming the middle, and Kristo put a shot past Gudlevskis’ catching glove to make it a one-goal game.

Angelidis got the eventual game-winner only 2:09 later on a Syracuse power play, off of a goalmouth scramble. Namestnikov’s shot from the right point was stopped by Desjardins, but the Wolf Pack could never find the rebound, and Angelidis, while down on the ice in front of the net, was able to rap it in.

That goal loomed large, as the Wolf Pack responded 1:39 after that, at 7:50, with their third man-advantage goal of the game. With Witkowski off for unsportsmanlike conduct, Chris Bourque fired a shot from a sharp angle on left wing, and it got by Gudlevskis on the long side, underneath the catching glove.

The Wolf Pack exerted furious pressure in the final minute, with Desjardins on the bench for an extra attacker, but could never tie the score, despite a great chance for Ryan Bourque from the slot in the dying seconds. Bourque’s shot went over the net, and Syracuse survived to get the win.

The Wolf Pack are back on home ice Saturday night, with the Springfield Falcons visiting the XL Center for a 7:00 game. The first 5,000 fans into that game receive a free Wolf Pack car magnet.

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

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

Hartford Wolf Pack 5 at Syracuse Crunch 6
Friday, December 5, 2014 – Onondaga County War Memorial Arena

Hartford 0 3 2 – 5
Syracuse 5 0 1 – 6

1st Period-1, Syracuse, Namestnikov 1 (Marchessault, Nesterov), 0:59 (PP). 2, Syracuse, Angelidis 7 (Smith, Gourde), 3:26. 3, Syracuse, Vermin 6 (Nesterov, Namestnikov), 3:44. 4, Syracuse, Dotchin 1 (Blujus, Richard), 13:34 (PP). 5, Syracuse, Gourde 10 (Richard, Paradis), 16:34. Penalties-Hrivik Hfd (boarding), 0:32; Paradis Syr (holding), 8:32; Vaive Hfd (tripping), 12:53; Jackson Hfd (interference), 17:16; McIlrath Hfd (roughing), 17:16; Paradis Syr (roughing), 17:16; served by Richard Syr (bench minor – too many men), 19:14.

2nd Period-6, Hartford, Haggerty 5 (Lindberg, R. Bourque), 1:55 (PP). 7, Hartford, Nehring 1 (Nicholls, Jackson), 3:49. 8, Hartford, Malone 1 (R. Bourque, Mueller), 9:37. Penalties-Koekkoek Syr (cross-checking), 0:58; R. Bourque Hfd (slashing), 11:52; Vaive Hfd (goaltender interference), 19:45.

3rd Period-9, Hartford, Kristo 6 (C. Bourque, Kostka), 4:02 (PP). 10, Syracuse, Angelidis 8 (Namestnikov, Marchessault), 6:11 (PP). 11, Hartford, C. Bourque 8 (Bodie, Kristo), 7:50 (PP). Penalties-Witkowski Syr (tripping), 2:08; Jackson Hfd (cross-checking), 4:47; Witkowski Syr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 6:49; Angelidis Syr (delay of game), 9:45.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 15-13-7-35. Syracuse 12-14-7-33.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 3 / 6; Syracuse 3 / 6.
Goalies-Hartford, Skapski 5-4-0 (7 shots-4 saves); Desjardins 5-3-0 (26 shots-23 saves). Syracuse, Gudlevskis 7-4-0 (35 shots-30 saves).
A-4,234
Referees-Michael Mullen (18), Jamie Koharski (84).
Linesmen-Andy Petrus (26), Chris Woodworth (17).

Bridgeport, CT, November 29, 2014 – Ryan Bourque’s second-period power-play goal was the game-winner, and Cedrick Desjardins made 21 saves, Saturday night at the Webster Bank Arena, as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Bridgeport Sound Tigers by a score of 3-1.

Ryan Haggerty and Joey Crabb also scored for the Wolf Pack (11-8-2-0, 24 pts.), who won for the third time in their last four games, and Ryan Malone had two assists.  Mike Halmo scored the only Bridgeport goal, and David Leggio made 28 saves.

“I think we played a full 60 minutes, and it was really important for us to be good in all three zones, especially on the road,” Bourque said.  “It’s not a really fun place to play here (in Bridgeport).  To be able to bring our best effort out like that, it’s really good moving forward.”

The first period saw the Wolf Pack outshoot the Sound Tigers 11-5, and both teams score late power-play goals.

Haggerty gave the Wolf Pack a short-lived 1-0 lead at 15:58, with Bridgeport’s Aaron Ness off for tripping.  A pass by Oscar Lindberg from the right-wing corner deflected to Haggerty at the left side of the goalmouth, and Haggerty had plenty of time to bang the puck in before Leggio could react.

Just 29 seconds later, though, Hartford’s Dylan McIlrath was hit with a cross-checking penalty, and Bridgeport’s league-leading power play took advantage at 17:12.  Alan Quine fed the puck to Halmo on the right side in the Wolf Pack zone, and Halmo stickhandled toward the net and put a forehand shot just inside the goalpost to Desjardins’ right.

The Wolf Pack again had a big shots advantage in the second, 13-5, and the Hartford power-play unit came up with its second goal of the game, and the eventual game-winner, at 17:10, with C.J. Stretch in the box for high-sticking.

Chris Bourque fed the puck from the right point to Ryan Malone along the goal line, and Malone immediately put it right on the stick of Ryan Bourque in the slot.  Bourque let go a quick shot that beat Leggio on the stick side, for a 2-1 Wolf Pack lead.

Crabb gave the Wolf Pack some breathing room at 5:46 of the third period with his third goal of the season, and second in the last three games.  Crabb intercepted a Quine pass, just outside the Sound Tiger blue line, and broke back down right wing before powering a high shot past Leggio.

After that, Desjardins and the Wolf Pack defense did the rest, giving the Wolf Pack their second straight win in the season series with Bridgeport, after the Sound Tigers had taken the first two.

The Wolf Pack are now off until this Friday night, December 5, when they visit the Syracuse Crunch for a 7:00 PM game.  All of 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 Saturday, December 6, with the Springfield Falcons visiting the XL Center for a 7:00 game.  The first 5,000 fans into that game receive a free Wolf Pack car magnet.

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

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

Hartford Wolf Pack 3 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 1
Saturday, November 29, 2014 – Webster Bank Arena

Hartford 1 1 1 – 3
Bridgeport 1 0 0 – 1

1st Period-1, Hartford, Haggerty 4 (Malone, Lindberg), 15:58 (PP). 2, Bridgeport, Halmo 5 (Quine, Stretch), 17:12 (PP). Penalties-Czuczman Bri (hooking), 5:03; Ness Bri (tripping), 14:20; McIlrath Hfd (cross-checking), 16:27.

2nd Period-3, Hartford, R. Bourque 4 (Malone, C. Bourque), 17:10 (PP). Penalties-Gillies Bri (interference), 0:43; McIlrath Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 3:28; Halmo Bri (high-sticking), 3:28; Stretch Bri (high-sticking), 15:36; Ness Bri (goaltender interference), 18:10.

3rd Period-4, Hartford, Crabb 3   5:46. Penalties-Quine Bri (delay of game – faceoff violation), 13:18; Kostka Hfd (hooking), 14:06; Jackson Hfd (holding), 16:51.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 11-13-7-31. Bridgeport 5-5-12-22.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 / 6; Bridgeport 1 / 3.
Goalies-Hartford, Desjardins 5-2-0 (22 shots-21 saves). Bridgeport, Leggio 3-4-0 (31 shots-28 saves).
A-4,918
Referees-Ryan Murphy (5).
Linesmen-Brent Colby (7), Luke Galvin (2).