Hartford Downs River Rats 3-1

November 1, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany River Rats News Release


Hartford Downs River Rats 3-1 Wolf Pack Win 12th Straight Game Against Albany HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack scored two first period goals and hung on for a 3-1 win over the Albany River Rats Saturday night at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack thundered out of the gates and put the River Rats on their heels as soon as the opening puck dropped. Just 28 seconds into the game defenseman David Urquhart lit the lamp on the team's first shot. Called up from the ECHL's Charlotte Checkers early Saturday morning, Urquhart lifted his wrist shot over the blocker of River Rats goaltender Daniel Manzato to score his first American Hockey League goal on his first shot of his first career AHL shift. Five minutes later it was 2-0 Hartford when Brodie Dupont tipped a Lauri Korpikoski shot into the net at 5:58. Albany tried to settle themselves, and did generate a handful of scoring chances, but the horn sounding the end of the first period could not come fast enough for the reeling Rats. In a complete role reversal, the River Rats slowly started to take the momentum away from their hosts and by the halfway point of the second period, Albany had Hartford on their heels. Pat Dwyer cracked the armor of goaltender Matt Zaba, scoring a power play goal at 17:17 for his third goal of the season. Bobby Hughes made the goal possible by diving at full extension to keep the puck in the offensive zone, then pinched in to poke a rebound away from a Hartford defenseman and onto Dwyer's stick in the slot. Albany continued to pressure the Wolf Pack goal, nearly drawing level on several occasions and in a complete 180-degree turn, it was Hartford that escaped to the locker room. After being out-shot by Hartford12-5 in the opening period, the River Rats responded by out-shooting the Wolf Pack 14-5 in the second. The game balanced in the third period, with neither team grabbing a big advantage. The River Rats had a power play with three minutes remaining in regulation, but Hartford killed off the penalty and then clinched the victory with an empty net goal from Greg Moore at 19:46, unassisted for a 3-1 win. Hartford goaltender Matt Zaba stopped 25-of-26 shots to record his first career AHL victory, helping Hartford improve to 5-4-0-1. River Rats goaltender Daniel Manzato made 23 saves on 25 shots as Albany fell to 1-5-1-1 on the year. The Wolf Pack out-shot the River Rats 27-26 in the game, but was 0-for-3 on the power play; the Rats went 1-for-4 with the man-advantage. The River Rats will complete their two-game weekend road trip on Sunday, November 2nd with a 4:00 pm face off with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Arena at Harbor Yard. River Rats flex ticket packages and individual game tickets are on sale now at the River Rats office and the Times Union Center Box Office. For more information please contact the Albany River Rats at (518) 487-2244 or online at www.albanyriverrats.com.



American Hockey League Stories from November 1, 2008


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