By Bruce Berlet

HARTFORD, Conn. – As his new/old Connecticut Whale teammates worked out after practice early Wednesday afternoon, Kris Newbury played equipment man/delivery boy, helping the equipment staff bring the four bags of gear he had transported from New York into the XL Center locker room.

Newbury was heartily greeted by several of his new/old mates, including Dale Weise, his roommate while the two were together with the New York Rangers for three weeks.

“I missed you, bud,” Weise said with a wide smile. “I was getting lonely.”

Weise jokingly referred to having been reassigned to the Whale on Sunday, two days before the “Fab Five” of Newbury, fellow forwards Chad Kolarik, Evgeny Grachev and Brodie Dupont and defenseman Michael Del Zotto were sent down.

“It was strange,” Newbury said between handshakes. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been called up with that many guys from an American Hockey League team. But it was good to see us win some games with all these guys in the lineup playing in the NHL. We’ll take that as positives and just roll on from here.”

Newbury, Kolarik, Grachev, Dupont and Del Zotto were given Wednesday off after the Rangers played five games in seven nights, including Monday and Tuesday, before the NHL All-Star break.

Besides the “Fab Five” and Weise, center Ryan Garlock could be back after missing a tough-to-swallow 4-2 loss to the Providence Bruins on Tuesday night and practice Wednesday because of the flu. And with six players returning, other roster moves may be in the offing.

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Whale coach Ken Gernander said he hadn’t had a chance to talk to Rangers officials as far as what’s going to transpire coming out of the All-Star break and what their injury status is.  Gernander and assistants J.J. Daigneault and Pat Boller will have to determine the lines and defensive pairings for Friday night’s game at the XL Center against the Manchester Monarchs.

“It’s hard to say what I’m going to do,” Gernander said. “They’ve all played together in some way, shape or form. Weise has played with Newbury, Dupont has played with (Tim) Kennedy, Brodie has played with all of them, Grachev has been through there, so we just have to put them together.

“If they performed well (in New York) and think they’re right on the doorstep (to the NHL), then this is the place to give it that little extra push and make sure that we don’t take any back steps.”

The only Whale call-ups still in New York are forward Mats Zuccarello, summoned Dec. 22, and rookie defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who changed places with Del Zotto on Jan. 3. The others were sent back because the Whale hosts two more key Atlantic Division games before the AHL All-Star Classic on Sunday and Monday in Hershey, Pa., where right wing Jeremy Williams will be the team’s lone representative. The second-place Monarchs will be followed by the division-leading Portland Pirates, coached by former Hartford Whalers star and captain Kevin Dineen, on Saturday night.

After the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night, coach John Tortorella said one or more of the reassigned players would rejoin the Rangers for their first game after the break, Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, who have been missing NHL scoring leader Sidney Crosby with a concussion that will keep him out of the All-Star Game.

“It was a good experience for all of us,” said Newbury, who averaged 81/2 minutes in seven games while playing some regular shifts and helping with the penalty killing. “We all knew that we’d most like come down during the break, so it’s not much of a shock. (Tortorella) was happy with what we all did and said just to keep working hard, play our game and with the injuries they have you never know, so be sharp.”

The Rangers have lost a staggering 193 man-games to injury this season compared to only 78 all of last season, and wing Alex Frolov (injured knee on Jan. 8) is out for the season and enforcer Derek Boogaard (injured shoulder on Dec. 9, concussion) might be as well. Former Wolf Pack right wing Ryan Calhoun and defenseman Dan Girardi (rib cage on Jan. 22) likely will be back for the Penguins game, and forward Vinny Prospal might be close behind. Callahan and Prospal were activated from injured reserve Tuesday night, and Girardi is expected to recover from a rib-cage muscle injury that sidelined him the last two games.

Callahan has missed 19 games since sustaining a broken hand when he blocked a shot by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang on Dec. 15, and Prospal has been out all season with an ailing knee that was operated on in the offseason and again on Oct. 18. Former Wolf Pack forward Brandon Dubinsky (stress fracture in leg), the team’s leading scorer, wing Ruslan Fedotenko (separated shoulder on Jan. 19) and center Erik Christensen (sprained knee on Dec. 29) are also out. Earlier in the season, sniper Marian Gaborik and captain/Trumbull native Chris Drury were out long-term.

Even if Prospal can’t play Tuesday since he has yet to participate in one contact drill, the Rangers will need to make a recall after the break, with Newbury considered the likely choice because of his experience and having played previously in the NHL with Toronto and Detroit. Kolarik averaged 8:22 in his first four games with the Rangers, Grachev about 71/2 minutes and Dupont played 5:34 in his only NHL game.

“They need to go play,” Tortorella told the media after the game Tuesday night. “(Going down) is not a negative on any of them. I just met with them, and for me, it has been rewarding to see them play through the situation that we have with injuries. It just enhances some of the things that we have here that will improve and eventually help this club. That could be maybe longer term for some guys, maybe shorter term for some guys.”

The contributions of the Whale call-ups are typical of what the injury-ravaged but resilient Rangers have accomplished.

“Our way of succeeding is everybody has chipped in,” Tortorella said. “Everybody contributes, and I think that’s what brings our team together. There’s no one guy who carries us, and I think everybody feels good about that.”

But with more contributions comes more expectations.

“They need to accept the responsibility that when they get to a level of play at a pretty consistent manner, they have to continue to stay there and also get better,” Tortorella said. “I think that’s what happened with a number of our young guys, and Brian (Boyle) is leading the way as he continues to try to get better.

“That’s what I like about the club. The foundation continues to mature and continues to try to get better. They’ve got the right attitude as far as trying to get better each and every night.”

Newbury said that was the message that Tortorella relayed before the “Fab Five” departed for Hartford.

“I’m just going to work hard, have a two good games and see what happens,” said Newbury, who played alongside Drury and Weise, Kolarik, Grachev or Dupont. “Obviously my ultimate goal is to play in the NHL, so whatever it takes, I’m willing to do.”

Every player’s ultimate goal is the NHL, which means not slacking off while back in the AHL is paramount.

“I don’t think it’ll be any easier,” Gernander said, alluding to getting five of his best players back. “The onus is still on them to work their hardest. No one can say, ‘Oh, these guys are back, so let’s put it into neutral or third gear or what have you.’ It can’t be any easier.”

Especially after the Whale had four consecutive penalties early in the third period that helped the Bruins to a 13-4 shot advantage and Maxime Sauve’s two power-play goals that enabled them to pull out the win. The Whale had been 13-0-0-2 when leading after two periods and could have opened a nine-point lead on the fifth-place Bruins. Instead, it’s down to five points and the Bruins have two games in hand.

One player not likely to rejoin the Whale is Zuccarello, who assisted on all three Rangers coach Tuesday night and has three goals and eight assists in his first 17 NHL games. The leading scorer and MVP in the Swedish Elite League last season with Modo is also 4-on-4 on shootout attempts, including two winners.

“He made some really good plays (Tuesday night) as far as passing on some plays that I don’t think some guys would see,” Tortorella said. “He’s REALLY concentrating on the defensive part of the game, and you can talk about his shootouts. He has brought a lot to the club, and he continues to improve. And again, the thing I love about him is he thinks he belongs here. He knows he’s a good player. That’s a pretty refreshing attitude to see in a guy from another country (Norway).

“There are so many things as far as injuries that I don’t want to get too far ahead, but (Zuccarello) is not going down with those other guys. He has played a lot of hockey for us, so he has earned the break here. So we’ll make our decisions as we see who’s healthy when we get back (for a 2 p.m. practice Monday).”

Yes, there are no confidence issues with Zuccarello, whom veteran New York Post writer/columnist Larry Brooks calls “Mats the Magnificent.” As in Hartford, the 5-foot-7, 177-pound Zuccarello nicknamed the “Norwegian Hobbit” has become a fan favorite on Broadway.

“It’s a big honor to be picked by the coach for a shootout, but there’s a little pressure because you’re trying to succeed for 20 guys,” Zuccarello said after continuing to bat 1.000 in the one-on-one skills competition. “I know a lot of other guys would like to have the honor of being picked, so it is a big responsibility for me to come through for my teammates.”

Zuccarello has played 17 games with the Rangers and is the senior member of the young Whale contingent promoted in the last few weeks. But Zuccarello hasn’t allowed his recent success to go to his head.

“You always have to be reminded of how to play,” he said. “You can’t be here for (17) games and think you have it all learned. You have to learn every day so you can do your job helping your teammates. They are counting on me like I count on them. It’s a trust issue. If everyone knows their job, you have confidence. If you don’t, then it’s tough to be trusted. I want to be in that position where I am trusted.”

So far Zuccarello has been the most trusted of the eight call-ups from the Whale.

The returning player to the Whale of greatest interest in New York is Del Zotto, the Rangers’ first-round pick (20^th overall) in 2008 who was a member of the NHL all-rookie team last season but struggled much of this season before changing places with rookie defenseman Ryan McDonagh on Jan. 3.

Del Zotto, 20, was sent to the Whale to get more ice time and hopefully improve his overall game, especially his decision-making, physicality and consistency. His recall was necessitated by Girardi’s injury, but Tortorella wants him to continue to play 25-30 minutes with the Whale as he did while getting seven assists in eight games.

Del Zotto returns to Hartford with encouraging words from Tortorella.

“Michael played well,” Tortorella said twice. “I’ve liked the way he’s handled himself off the ice, and he has stayed within himself on the ice. There were some mistakes, but everybody makes mistakes. He’s going through the process, and I think it’s good for me. Eventually he’ll get it the right way.”

Del Zotto realizes he has to continue to improve his preparation, physicality and attention to detail.

“The most important thing for me is to make the most of (time in the AHL) and play my game to the best of my ability to earn my way back up,” he said. “I’ve been playing about 30 minutes a night in all situations (in Hartford), and I’m starting to get confident and comfortable with my game again.

“It’s a lot different down there. There’s a lot to get used to mentally. As far as the hockey, I’ve been working on my defensive game and letting the game come to me. I have to simplify my game and not force it. You’re not going to always make something happen.”

HOMESTAND CONTINUES FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS

The Whale can use reinforcements, with the division’s top two teams coming to town. The Pirates (28-13-4-1) overtook Manchester (27-16-1-3) for the division lead Sunday when they beat Worcester 6-5 in a shootout while the Monarchs were losing 2-1 in a shootout to the Bruins. The Pirates increased their lead to three points Tuesday night as AHL Player of the Week Mark Mancari scored his 27^th goal, seventh in the last three games, in a 2-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals.

The Whale is 1-4-0-1 against the Monarchs, losing three times in Manchester by one goal, once in a shootout. But they’ve also lost twice by three goals, including 3-0 at home on Jan. 2 when rookie Martin Jones made 39 saves for his first shutout of the season and former Yale forward David Meckler and Richard Clune helped set each other up in the third period. The Whale’s only victory was 5-1 on Dec. 11 when Zuccarello scored twice, linemate Newbury had one goal and two assists and Chad Johnson made 23 saves.

Left wing Bud Holloway leads the Monarchs’ balanced attack with 14 goals and 19 assists, followed by All-Star defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov (9, 23), center Oscar Moller (9, 19), left wing Dwight King (12, 15), centers Justin Azevedo (12, 15) and Corey Elkins (12, 14) and Meckler (13, 8). Jones has had an excellent rookie season with a 16-5-0 record, 2.17 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and two shutouts. Jeff Zatkoff is 10-11-3, 3.18, .897 with no shutouts.

Hall of Fame defenseman Brad Park will make a special appearance Saturday night, when he will meet and greet fans and sign autographs before the game and then drop the ceremonial first puck before the Whale takes on the Pirates. Park also will play for the Bruins legends against the Whalers legends Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford before the Whale faces the Bruins at 7 p.m.

After the All-Star break, the homestand ends Feb. 4 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers before the Whale has a home-and-home set with Portland on Feb. 5-6.

WHALERS AND BRUINS LEGENDS FACE OFF FEB. 19

Park and fellow Hall of Fame defensemen Brian Leetch, a Cheshire native, headline the Bruins legends team that will play in the opener of the doubleheader that’s part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whalers Hockey Fest” on Feb. 11-23 at Rentschler Field, where construction of the rink began Jan. 17 and snow removal will take place Monday. In case of bad weather, the Whale-Bruins game will be played Feb. 20 at the XL Center.

Other commitments for the Bruins team are Enfield native Craig Janney, former captain Rick Middleton, who played 12 seasons in Beantown and two with the Rangers, Reggie Lemelin, Ken Hodge, Don Marcotte, Rick Smith, Bob Sweeney, Lyndon Byers, Cleon Daskalakis, Jay Miller, Bob Miller (no relation) and Ken “The Rat” Linseman, who was a member of the Whalers for a few moments as he passed through in a multi-player trade with Philadelphia and Edmonton that included Mark Howe leaving Hartford for the Flyers. Derek Sanderson will coach the Bruins team.

Commitments for the Whalers team are WHA Hall of Famer Andre Lacroix, John McKenzie, whose No. 19 is retired in the XL Center rafters, Blaine Stoughton, John Anderson, Garry Swain, Bob Crawford, Chris Kotsopoulos, Jim Dorey, Jordy Douglas, Ray Neufeld, Gordie Roberts, Darren Turcotte, Nelson Emerson, Mark Janssens, Bill Bennett, Jeff Brubaker, Fred O’Donnell, Terry Yake, Scott Daniels and the Babych brothers, Dave and Wayne. Emile “The Cat” Francis, a coach and general manager with the Rangers and Whalers, will be back behind the bench again, and Norm Barnes and former captain Russ Anderson will be assistant coaches.

Celebrities scheduled to play with one of the legends teams include Michael Keaton, Alan Thicke and David E. Kelley, son of New England and Hartford Whalers coach and general manager Jack Kelley and the writer of the 1999 hit film “Mystery, Alaska,” which was produced by Whalers Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Howard Baldwin and his wife, Karen. “Mystery, Alaska” cast members slated to appear are Michael Buie, Scott Richard Grimes, Jason Gray-Stanford and Cameron Bancroft, along with Neal McDonough, Kevin Zegers and the Hanson brothers – Steve, Jeff and Dave –  who were the comedic linchpins of the classic movie “Slap Shot.”

Tickets ($20 to $85) for the doubleheader can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the Bushnell box office in Hartford on Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. or by calling the Whale at 860-728-3366. They also can be purchased online and printed immediately at Ticketmaster.com. … Former Wolf Pack win Chad Wiseman scored with 1:33 left as the Albany Devils rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Tuesday night. The Sound Tigers took a 2-0 lead, allowed the next four goals and then scored twice to tie it before Rob Davison’s shot toward the left corner deflected off Wiseman’s body and past Mikko Koskinen for a 5-4 lead. Stephen Gionta added an empty-net goal with 24 seconds. Koskinen made 28 saves but lost his seventh consecutive game.

HARTFORD, January 26, 2011:  Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that the parent New York Rangers have returned forwards Brodie Dupont, Evgeny Grachev, Chad Kolarik and Kris Newbury, as well as defenseman Michael Del Zotto, to the Whale.

Dupont was scoreless in one game, his NHL debut January 22 at Atlanta, for the Rangers, after receiving his first career NHL recall from New York last Wednesday, January 19.  In 40 games with the Whale this season, the fourth-year pro has registered eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points, along with 54 penalty minutes.

Grachev, recalled Saturday by the Rangers, has skated in eight NHL games this year with New York and has no points or penalty minutes.  In 40 games with the Whale, Grachev has 12 goals, fourth-most on the team, and six assists for 18 points.

Kolarik received his first Ranger recall last Wednesday, January 19 and had one assist and two penalty minutes in four games with the parent club.  Since being acquired by New York in a trade with Columbus November 11, Kolarik has 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points in 26 games with the Whale, and in AHL action between Connecticut and Springfield, the former University of Michigan Wolverine has 17 goals, second on the Whale team, and 16 assists for 33 points in 39 games.

Newbury, an eighth-year pro, played seven games in his first stint with the Rangers after being recalled January 9.  He had one assist and 33 PIM in those seven games, and is the Whale’s second-leading point-getter on the year, with five goals and a team-best 30 assists for 35 points in 41 games.

Del Zotto was scoreless with five shots on goal in two games with the Rangers, after being recalled from the Whale along with Grachev on Saturday.  On the year Del Zotto has totaled 37 NHL games-played, with two goals and seven assists for nine points, along with 14 penalty minutes.  In eight games with the Whale since his initial assignment January 3, Del Zotto has seven assists and eight PIM.

The Whale are back in home-ice action at the XL Center this Friday, January 28 against the Manchester Monarchs.  Faceoff is 7:00 PM, and being a Friday night, it’s Guida’s Family Value Night.  Family Value packages start as low as $48 and include three tickets, three hot dogs or pizza slices, three sodas and a Whale souvenir. Guida’s Family Value Night packs are available at the XL Center ticket office and on-line at www.CTwhale.com.

The Whale also play at home this Saturday, January 29 vs. Head Coach Kevin Dineen and the Portland Pirates.  That is also a 7:00 faceoff, and features a special appearance by Hall of Fame ex-NHL defenseman Brad Park, who will be signing autographs in the XL Center atrium from 6:00-7:00 PM and dropping a ceremonial first puck.  Park is also slated to be among the Boston Bruins legends who take the ice against Whalers legends February 19 at Rentschler Field in the Harvest-Properties.com “Whale Bowl”.

Tickets for all 2010-11 Whale home games are available now at the XL Center ticket office, through Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at www.ctwhale.com.  Tickets start at $7 each at the XL Center ticket office on game day.

For information on Whale ticket packages, group sales and VIP packages, call (860) 728-3366.

Hartford, CT …  Whalers Sports and Entertainment announced today that Connecticut native Craig Janney will join the roster of featured players for the Hartford Whalers legends vs. Boston Bruins legends game February 19, 2011 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.

The legends game comprises part of the “Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl,” the featured event of the two-week outdoor Whalers Hockey Fest spectacular at Rentschler Field that will include numerous collegiate, high school, prep school and youth hockey games.  The legends game will face off at 4:00 PM on February 19 and will be followed by the outdoor AHL game between the Connecticut Whale and the Providence Bruins at 7:00 PM.

Janney, a center who was born in Hartford, played five seasons with the Bruins from 1987-1992, skating in 262 contests and scoring 85 goals and adding 198 assists for 283 points.  He led the Bruin club in assists in his first full season with the team, 1988-89, with 46 in 62 games, and his 92 points in 1990-91 were second-best on the squad to Ray Bourque’s 94.

Prior to entering the NHL, Janney played two seasons for the Boston College Eagles, where he led the 1986-87 Hockey East Championship team in points with 83 (28-55-83) in 37 games.

The 13^th overall selection in the 1986 NHL Draft by the Bruins, Janney later went on to skate for the United States Olympic Team in the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, tallying six points in five games. He later averaged nearly a point a game during a 12-year NHL career spanning 1987-99, playing in 760 games for the Bruins, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders. Janney totaled 188 goals and 563 assists for 751 points in the NHL.

Janney led the Blues in scoring in 1992-93 with 106 points (24-82-106) and the Sharks in 1995-96 with 62 points (13-49-62).

After his playing career, Janney briefly coached the Lubbock Cotton Kings of the CHL during the 2006-07 season and also has been featured on NESN as part of its coverage of Hockey East college games.

Tickets for the February 19 Harvest-Properties.com Whale Bowl, which include admission to both the AHL game and the legends game, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com., as well as at the Bushnell box office from Monday through Friday, 12 noon-5:00 PM.  Ticket prices range from $20 to $85 and can also be purchased by calling the Connecticut Whale at 860-728-3366.  Tickets purchased online can be printed immediately (via Ticketmaster).

By Bruce Berlet

HARTFORD, Conn. – Maxime Sauve provided the decisive offensive punch for the Providence Bruins in a 4-2 victory over the Connecticut Whale Tuesday night at the XL Center.

Sauve scored two power-play goals off rebounds in a three-goal third period that rallied the Bruins from trailing 2-1 after the second period.

Sauve also had two goals in the Bruins’ 3-2 victory at the XL Center on Jan. 15.

“It’s becoming a nice place to play and get some goals,” Sauve said. “I just try to play the game simple and put the puck on the net. I kept my feet moving, rushed the net, played hard and found the puck.”

The Whale (22-18-2-5) seemingly had control through 40 minutes before four penalties led to Sauve having four of his 12 goals in the last two meetings with their Atlantic Division rival.

“That’s the way it was going,” Whale coach Ken Gernander said of the calls. “We had some power plays in the second period and capitalized, and (referees Jamie Koharski and Tim Mayer) are going to look to maybe make amends. But if you keep your stick on the ice and your feet moving, you should be all right.

“But when you feel you’re on the defensive and flat-footed, there are going to be opportunities where you’re going to put yourself in a compromising position and possibly take a penalty. They were playing the whole third period in the offensive zone and could be aggressive.”

Consecutive penalties on Stu Bickel (interference), Jared Nightingale (boarding) and newcomer Bretton Cameron (tripping) in the opening 7:34 of the third period and a slashing call on Tessier that offset a hooking penalty on Colby Cohen led to Sauve’s two power-play goals as the Bruins amassed a 13-4 shot advantage in less than 11 minutes.

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Jeremy Reich’s empty-net goal with 1:04 left assured the Whale would lose their first game in regulation (13-1-0-2) when leading after two periods. Meanwhile, the Bruins (21-20-3-1) won for only the third time when trailing after 40 minutes (3-17-2-0). It wasn’t the way the Whale wanted to begin a key four-game homestand against division foes that they’re fighting for playoff spots and position.

The Whale lost the lead despite the return of right wing Dale Weise, playing his first game at the XL Center since Dec. 29, when he was called up by the Rangers for the second time this season. He was scoreless in eight games while averaging 61/2 minutes in New York, but he scored twice Tuesday night while playing 241/2 minutes and felt he could have played another 10.

Sauve’s winner came when he converted Cohen’s rebound with 9:37 left. That came 12 seconds after Nolan Schaefer (27 saves) made a strong stop on Weise’s backhander from 15 feet in the slot.

Weise said he had “a little hop in my step” but didn’t feel it was “a statement game” He said it took a few shifts to get into a rhythm and was the beneficiary of two brilliant set-ups by Tim Kennedy and All-Star right wing Jeremy Williams.

“I believe in myself and feel I can play, and I’m just down here to try to help the team win,” said Weise, who had a game-high seven shots and now has nine goals in 17 games with the Whale. “I’m not trying to send a message to anyone. I play with a chip on my shoulder, and both passes were great passes.”

But the penalties were most on Weise’s mind.

“I’ve been kind of checking up on the team lately, and even when I was here before, penalties are what were hurting us,” said Weise, who was on a line with Kennedy and Jason Williams and scored his first goals since Dec. 21. “We take a couple that are completely unnecessary, and they come back to bite you, and that’s usually what happens. I thought we were in full control of that game, and then we took some penalties, they scored on the power play and we just gave up two points.

“If you’re up in a 2-1 game, you can’t afford to take penalties in the third period. Power plays are the biggest momentum swings you have in games. We get a big (penalty) kill and all of a sudden we start rolling, and they score a couple and they get rolling.”

The Whale started strong with six of the first seven shots, but Bruins came closest to scoring when Zach Hamill hit the left post at 7:18 while on a power play. Just 40 seconds later, Schaefer, coming off a 41-save effort in a 2-1 shootout victory over Manchester on Sunday, stopped Jason Williams’ backhander on breakaway off a deft lead pass by Jeremy Williams.

The Whale got fortunate again with 6:20 left in the period when Kirk MacDonald hit the post, then on the ensuing rush, Chad Johnson (31 saves) denied Jeremy Reich from 15 feet in the slot.

Schaefer flicked out his right pad to stop Nightingale’s right point shot with 5:24 left, and the Bruins then took the lead when MacDonald raced down the left wing and slipped his own rebound between Johnson’s legs with 2:55 to go. Lane MacDermid, son of former Hartford Whalers right wing Paul MacDermid, set the scoring play in motion when he forced a turnover in the neutral zone.

Johnson kept it a one-goal game when he stopped Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman on a 3-on-2 with 1:22 left, and Kennedy set the table for the tying play when he made a brilliant backhand pass from the right circle, through the slot to the left circle to Weise, who fired a one-timer on which Schaefer had no chance at 3:01.

The Whale took their only lead on their second power play as Weise got inside Cohen and deflected in Jason Williams’ centering pass from the left circle at 7:20.

After Johnson stopped Sauve’s partial breakaway at 5:28 thanks to help from defenseman Wade Redden’s hustling backcheck, Sauve converted the rebound of Cohen’s one-time shot from the left point to tie it at 6:16. Schaefer kept it even when he stopped Weise’s backhander with 9:47 left, and on the ensuing rush, Sauve got the winner when he put in Scott Arniel’s rebound 12 seconds later.

Weise nearly tied the score with 8:16 left, but Reich iced it three seconds after Johnson went to the bench for a sixth attacker.

“When we get up a goal, the best thing is to just keep getting the puck deep and keep forechecking,” Redden said. “I think sometimes you try to make plays, and if you turn the puck over, it’s coming back at us and then we’re in a position where we have to hook a guy or take penalties. I don’t think you can just say it’s penalties because there are plays that lead up to them that puts us in a bad position. So we have to play smarter.”

THREE RETURN, GARLOCK OUT AND FIVE COMING BACK FROM RANGERS

Besides Weise, center Todd White returned from the injured list and left wing Tyler Donati from the ECHL.

And after the Rangers’ 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers at Madison Square Garden, Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather announced forward Vinny Prospal and former Hartford Wolf Pack wing Ryan Callahan had been activated from injured reserve and would be eligible to play Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first game after the NHL All-Star break.

It was also announced that defenseman Michael Del Zotto and forwards Chad Kolarik, Evgeny Grachev, Kris Newbury and Brodie Dupont had been reassigned to the Whale.

White, who had missed four games with an injury sustained in a 3-0 loss at Portland on Jan. 14, skated between Devin DiDiomete and Cameron, playing his second game since signing a professional tryout contract on Friday. The Whale needed White because Ryan Garlock missed only his second game of the season with the flu, and wing Chris McKelvie was recovering from successful surgery at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford on Monday to repair a sliced toe sustained in the second period of a 5-1 victory over the Springfield Falcons on Saturday night. That was McKelvie’s second game since being called up from Greenville of the ECHL on Thursday.

“I was battling for the puck behind the net and someone just stepped on my foot,” said McKelvie, who was at the game on crutches. “I went back to the bench and asked for new laces and then looked down, saw blood and knew I needed something more than laces.”

With McKelvie out, Donati was recalled from the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL and played on a line with center Oren Eizenman and Chris Chappell, recalled from Greenville of the ECHL on Jan. 11. Donati signed an AHL contract with the Wolf Pack on Oct. 21 and was scoreless in eight games before being loaned to Elmira on Nov. 30. He had 10 goals and 11 assists in 17 games with the Jackals. Last season, Donati was the ECHL’s leading scorer and MVP with 38 goals and 76 in 67 games.

Besides Garlock and McKelvie, the Whale scratched goalie Cameron Talbot, expected to be out until after AHL All-Star Classic on Sunday and Monday in Hershey, Pa. He sustained a high ankle sprain at Portland on Jan. 14, and Pier-Olivier Pelletier was signed from Laredo of the CHL on Wednesday to back up Johnson. The Bruins scratched left wing Antoine Roussel and defenseman Sean Zimmerman.

BALDWIN SPEAKS WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Whalers Sports and Entertainment chairman and CEO Howard Baldwin will be speaking to the UConn Sport Business Association Wednesday night at the Student Union Theatre from 7-8:30 p.m.

Baldwin will be speaking about his past in the sport industry, as well as the past, present and future of hockey in Hartford. He has spent many years as an entrepreneur in the world of professional hockey and in the film industry.

The event is open to the public. For more information, visit www.uconnsba.com.

HOMESTAND CONTINUES FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS

Before the break for the All-Star Classic, the Manchester Monarchs visit the Whale on Friday night and the Portland Pirates are in town on Saturday night. The Pirates (28-13-4-1) overtook Manchester (27-16-1-3) for the Atlantic Division lead on Sunday when they beat Worcester 6-5 in a shootout while the Monarchs were losing 2-1 in a shootout with the Bruins. The Pirates increased their division lead to three points Tuesday night as AHL Player of the Week Mark Mancari scored his 27^th goal, seventh in the last three games, in a 2-1 victory over the Norfolk Admirals.

The Whale is 1-4-0-1 against the Monarchs, losing three times in Manchester by one goal, once in a shootout. But they’ve also lost twice by three goals, including 3-0 at home on Jan. 2 when rookie Martin Jones made 39 saves for his first shutout of the season and former Yale forward David Meckler and Richard Clune helped set each other up in the third period. The Whale’s only victory was 5-1 on Dec. 11 when Mats Zuccarello scored twice and linemate Newbury had one goal and two assists and Johnson made 23 saves. Zuccarello and Newbury are among a staggering eight Whale players who have been on recall to the parent Rangers.

Left wing Bud Holloway leads the Monarchs’ balanced attack with 14 goals and 19 assists, followed by All-Star defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov (9, 23), center Oscar Moller (9, 19), left wing Dwight King (12, 15) and centers Justin Azevedo (12, 15) and Corey Elkins (12, 14). Meckler has 13 goals and eight assists. Jones has had an excellent rookie season with a 16-5-0 record with a 2.17 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and two shutouts. Jeff Zatkoff is 10-11-3, 3.18, .897.

Hall of Fame defenseman Brad Park will make a special appearance Saturday night, when he will meet and greet fans and sign autographs before the game and then drop the ceremonial first puck before the Whale takes on the Pirates and former Hartford Whalers star and captain Kevin Dineen. Park also will play for the Bruins legends against the Hartford Whalers legends Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. at Rentschler Field in East Hartford before the Whale faces the Bruins at 7 p.m.

After the All-Star break, the homestand ends Feb. 4 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers before the Whale has a home-and-home set with Portland on Feb. 5-6.

WETHERSFIELD NATIVE MCDONALD AMONG ALL-STAR GAME ADDITIONS

Wethersfield native Colin McDonald, son of former Hartford Whalers and New Haven Nighthawks defenseman Gerry McDonald, was among seven players added to team rosters for the All-Star Classic.

McDonald, a fourth-year pro and a second-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2003, has already set career highs with 23 goals and 30 points while playing all 47 games for Oklahoma City Barons this season.

Providence forward Jamie Arniel, Worcester defenseman Justin Braun and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goalie John Curry were added to the Eastern Conference roster, while McDonald, Toronto defenseman Keith Aulie, San Antonio forward Mathieu Beaudoin and Hamilton defenseman Mathieu Carle were added to the Western Conference team.

The replacements were needed because Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Brad Thiessen, Providence’s Steve Kampfer, Worcester’s Jonathan Cheechoo, San Antonio’s Garrett Stafford, Toronto’s Joey Crabb, Oklahoma City’s Linus Omark and Grand Rapids’ Brendan Smith will miss the event because of injury or NHL recall.

Jeremy Williams will make his first All-Star appearance as the Whale’s lone representative.

Tickets for the All-Star Classic, including admission to the skills competition at 3 p.m. on Sunday and the All-Star Game at 7 p.m. on Monday, are nearly sold out. Tickets are also available for the post-skills party Sunday at 6 p.m. and the Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony Monday at 11 a.m. The Hall of Fame Class of 2011 includes Mitch Lamoureux, Larry Wilson and the late Harry Pidhirny and Maurice Podoloff, who grew in New Haven, graduated from Hillhouse High and Yale and was a former AHL and NBA president. AHL Hall of Famer Bruce Boudreau, former coach of the Hershey Bears and now coach of the Washington Capitals, will be the keynote speaker, and AHL graduate and 2008 Foster Hewitt Award winner Mike Emrich will be master of ceremonies. For more information, contact the Giant Center box office at 717-534-3911.

ZUCCARELLO STILL PERFECT; ANISIMOV BREAKS DROUGHT WITH WINNER

Zuccarello continued his amazing shootout run in the NHL Monday night, making it 4-for-4 since being called up from the Whale. But “The Norwegian Hobbit” then had to pass the baton and headlines to former Wolf Pack center Artem Anisimov, who converted a shootout attempt for the first time in five tries in the sudden-death fourth round to give the gritty, beat-up Rangers a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals.

It was almost a carbon copy of Saturday night in Atlanta, where the Rangers rallied from a one-goal, third-period deficit to beat the Thrashers 3-2 as Zuccarello again proved a magician with the puck as he deked Ondrej Pavelec and scored the only shootout goal. He did likewise against Capitals rookie goalie Braden Holtby, then Anisimov scored two rounds later with a brilliant backhander that gave the Rangers a league-high 17 road victories and made them a league-best 7-12-3 when they trail entering the third period.

“It was a more defensive game for us, so as an offensive forward, you feel like you didn’t play a good game, so I feel like had to score again (in the shootout),” Zuccarello told reporters after the game. “It’s just a great feeling to see that go in. Then Artie goes, and it’s good. … Every game, it’s just people doing their job, and it’s just an unbelievable team spirit. It was a great team effort and just a great win.”

Martin Biron, filling in for All-Star Henrik Lundqvist, got the Rangers to the shootout with six of his 22 saves in overtime against the pressing Capitals. Then he stopped two of four shootout shots as the Rangers improved to 5-1 in the skills competition despite having six rookies in the lineup. Biron’s eighth win in the first year of a two-year, $1.75 million contract tied the combined total of all Rangers goalies not named Lundqvist since the 2007-08 season. Alex Auld, former Wolf Pack goalies Steve Valiquette and Matt Zaba and Whale goalie Chad Johnson had seven in two seasons.

Michael Sauer did a bang-up job on the Rangers’ No. 1 defense pairing, taking Girardi’s spot alongside another former Wolf Pack defenseman, All-Star Marc Staal. They were matched against Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Jason Chimera, and while Ovechkin had a game-high six shots, the Caps’ top line fired blanks in the scoring department.

It continued to help an ascension for Sauer, the biggest bargain on the Rangers with a league-minimum cap hit of $500,000 after being a longshot to be on the roster in training camp after he had a variety of injuries during much of two of his three seasons in Hartford.

“Playing against that top line was a good opportunity,” said Sauer, who had four blocked shots and one hit in 24:22. “Every game does get better. When you’re put in situations more and more to get out and have that experience and do the job you gain confidence.”

BRUINS 4, WHALE 2

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

First period: 1. Prov, MacDonald 9 (Penner), 17:05. Penalty: Valentenko, Ct (hooking), 6:19.

Second period: 2. Conn, Weise 8 (Kennedy, Williams), 3:01 (pp). 3. Conn, Weise 9 (Williams, Williams), 7:20 (pp). Penalties: Reich, Pro (hooking), 1:26; Whitfield, Pro (tripping), 6:34; Caron, Pro (hooking), 17:01.

Third period; 4. Prov, Sauve 11 (Cohen, Ling), 6:16 (pp). 5. Prov, Sauve 12 (Arniel, Alexandrov), 10:23 (pp). 6. Prov, Reich 10, 18:56 (en). Penalties: Bickel, Ct (interference), 1:53; Nightingale, Ct (boarding), 6:03; Cameron, Ct (tripping), 7:34; Colborne, Pro (hooking), 8:15; Tessier, Ct (slashing), 8:31; Redding, Ct (hooking), 19:23.

Shots on goal: Providence 11-7-17-35. Connecticut 12-11-6-29; Power-play opportunities: Providence 2 of 5; Connecticut 2 of 3; Goalies: Providence, Schaefer 8-12-1 (29 shots-27 saves). Connecticut, Johnson 14-15-3 (34-31); A: 3,119; Referees: Tim Mayer, Jamie Koharski; Linesmen: Paul Simeon, Luke Galvin