Wolf Pack Beats Sound Tigers in Shootout

October 31, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Connecticut Whale News Release


HARTFORD, Conn. _ Tom Cavanagh scored twice as the Worcester Sharks rallied from a pair of one-goal deficits for a 4-2 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday night at the XL Center in a game that deteriorated into a street brawl in the final minutes.

With 3:08 left, Sharks coach Roy Sommer got into a shouting match with Wolf Pack assistants Pat Boller and J.J. Daigneault as Worcester's Fraser McLaren tossed a water bottle at the Wolf Pack bench. Then after the final horn sounded, the Wolf Pack's Justin Soryal and Brodie Dupont fought Brett Westgarth and Frazer McLaren.

The Wolf Pack were upset that several apparent high hits were not called by referee Chris Ciamaga. The most damaging was Mike Moore's blow to the head of Brian Fahey, who wobbled to the bench with a possible concussion with 7:50 left in the first period. Bobby Sanguinetti and Corey Potter also were clipped in the face area without penalties being whistled.

"I thought there were a lot of high hits that weren't called," Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander said. "You crack down on hooking and things like that, and you [don't call] head blows, which everyone has been preaching and beating the drum about. There were at least three of them, and how do you miss a puck carrier like Bobby getting an elbow to the head in the middle of the ice.

"After the hit on Fahey, I told (Ciamaga) his responsibility was to protect the players, then you see a blow to the head in the middle of the ice, so of course our guys are going to get testy."

Sommer had a somewhat different take after the Sharks (3-4-0-0) ended a two-game losing streak since beating the Wolf Pack 5-4 in a shootout Oct. 22. That came after the Wolf Pack never trailed in going 8-0-0-0 against the Sharks last season.

"That's the type of team we have," Sommer said. "We have some skill, but all the guys play hard, and when you play hard, stuff is going to happen. I guess there were some hits that they didn't like, but when you come through the middle of the ice with your head down, stuff like that happens.

"But, hey, we got a rivalry going now. They beat us every game last season, so now we've got something going. Maybe both teams will get people in the building now."

Sommer alluded to 1,896 being at the XL Center Friday night after 2,126 were at the DCU Center in Worcester. The teams' third meeting is next Friday at the XL Center.

Lauri Korpikoski, assigned to the Wolf Pack by the Rangers on Wednesday, made his presence felt on his first shift as he rushed into the Sharks zone and dropped a pass to P.A. Parenteau, whose snap shot from the right circle beat Thomas Greiss (20 saves) to the glove side at 1:10.

The Wolf Pack (4-4-0-1), who had a three-game winning streak halted, killed three consecutive Sharks power plays and nearly took a 2-0 lead on their first man advantage before Greiss slid across to rob Korpikoski. But moments later, Cavanagh blocked Greg Moore's shot at the blueline, outraced the Wolf Pack forward down the ice and put a backhander past Miika Wiikman (38 saves) to tie it with 3:08 left in the period. It was the first shorthanded goal allowed by the Wolf Pack this season.

The Wolf Pack regained the lead at 4:24 of the second period as Potter cleared a pass to the far blueline to Dane Byers for a 2-on-1 with Parenteau, who broke in alone to score his team-high fifth goal.

After the Wolf Pack's Tommy Pyatt hit the post at 7:58, the Sharks scored two quick carom goals to take their first lead while amassing a 13-3 shot advantage in the period. First, Kyle McLaren, who has played 719 NHL games, shot wide, but Riley Armstrong picked up the puck behind the net and banked in a shot off Wiikman at 13:36. Then 44 seconds later, Cavanagh passed to the blueline to Derek Joslin, whose shot deflected in off Wolf Pack defenseman Chris Murray.

Greiss kept the Sharks in front with brilliant stops on Moore and Dale Weise early in the third period. Then with 10:07 left, the Sharks got a 5-on-3 for two minutes and a potential 5-minute power play when Wolf Pack defenseman Vladimir Denisov was given a minor, major, misconduct and game misconduct for pummeling former Wolf Pack center Corey Larose, who had elbowed Sanguinetti to the head.

Cavanagh stuffed his second goal past Wiikman at 11:46 for a 4-2 lead, then Wiikman stopped Steven Zalewski's breakaway during a 4-on-4 with 5:24 left before the game turned ugly.



American Hockey League Stories from October 31, 2008


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