News
Wolf Pack Drop Falcons
Hartford Picks Up Important Two Points
Wolf Pack Win Over Falcons 4-2
By Gerry Cantlon
EuroHockey.net
SPRINGFIELD, MA-Four different players scored and the Hartford Wolf Pack picked up a valuable two points in their quest to make the AHL Calder Cup playoffs with a solid 4-2 win over the Springfie;d Falcons Friday night before an announced crowd of 3,808 at the Mass Mutual Center.
The Wolf Pack struck early as Canadian winger Pierre Parenteau drifting off the left wing did a perfect no look wrist shot that beat goalie Bryan Pitton shortside stickside for the opening tally at 57 seconds and the 1-0 lead.
“The folks in the media always like to point it out (getting the first goal),but we did get off on the right foot which we needed,” remarked head coach Ken Gernander
The Pack extended their lead to 2-0 on the powerplay when centreman Canadian Brodie Dupont was situated perfectly in the slot who wasted little time converting Dane Byers perfect quick short pass beating piton low stickside for his 14th of the season.
“That’s Danes game he does the small subtle things that sometimes goes unnoticed, but he was in a good position. That was a really nice shot by Brodie,but we have been stressing to guys to be ready to shoot when the pass comes and that was a perfect example of that,” said Gernander
Minutes before Dupont just missed up setting Jared Nightingale.
Byers on a 2 on 1 shorthanded bid set up Ryan Garlock,but Pitton was able to stop the bullet shot at 3:27 of the second The Wolf Pack put the score up to 3-0 territory they haven’t been at recently.
Winger Dale Weise was able to pull the string on defenseman Dean Arsene and beat Pitton stickside for his 22nd. It was some redemption as Weise 20 seconds earlier had used the same move on Arsene,but Pitton made the save.
The Pack who have struggled with puck control and defensive lapses played a strict simple game using more short passes than the often trouble making long passes and won and kept most of the faceoff courtesy of newly acquired centremam Kris Newbury.
“He certaintly has quite a toolbox, very sound on faceoffs and has some jam to his game. He was very good on faceoffs tonight,” commented Gernander.
The Falcons made a contest of game for a bit as Colin McDonald, a Connecticut native was able to find the back of the net with his 11th catching the Pack defense backing in a bit with just 1:03 left in the second period and a 3-1 score.
The Wolf Pack got a 4-1 as for the second time this season and with a different goaltender, as Falcon netminder this time Bryan Pitton made a bad play at his net and the AHL’s 3rd leading scorer Corey Locke had a wide open net to deposit his team leading 25th goal at 16:35 of the third and a 4-1 lead. Russian Vladimir Trukno scored a powerplay goal on the second half of a late 5 on 3 with 22 seconds left in the game to close out the scoring.
For Gernander a post game smile has not come easy lately and kept it all in perspective.
“First and foremost is we got the two points. We did something early in the game very well and got a little too loose late, we did pretty well.”
NOTE: Hartford is in action tommorrow at home against the Lowell Devils at the XL Center start of a six game homestand. Springfield gets the pleasure of playing host to the leagues best team in the Hershey Bears who became the first team to clinch their playoff berth…..Hartford' Donald Brashear had the delight of seeing an old teammate from 20 years ago in Springfield assistant coach Gerry Fleming whom he played with in Fredericton in the mid-1980’s “I didn’t even know he was here till I saw the stat sheet before the game. It was very good to see Gerry again.”…There was another Pitton in the game in goalies Bryan’s brother Jason for Springfield who got in the games only scrap with Pack winger Derek Couture….Wolf Pack loaned defenseman David Urquhart to Charlotte (ECHL)…
Story added on 13th March 2010 at 21:17 GMT
Story submitted by: Gerry Cantlon.
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