Wolf Pack defeats River Rats

November 1, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Connecticut Whale News Release


HARTFORD, Conn. - Matt Zaba smiled when asked about the "Za-ba, Za-ba, Za-ba" chants at the XL Center Saturday night.

Then again, Zaba was just happy to be playing. Serving as Miika Wiikman's caddie hasn't been easy for the former Colorado College standout who never got in an AHL game last season despite eight call-ups to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

But Zaba earned the No. 1 star Saturday night with 26 saves, including two highlight-reel stops on a late Albany River Rats power play, as the injury-riddled Wolf Pack won their fourth in five starts with a 3-1 victory before 3,146.

"The guys did an awesome job in the first period and really let me kind of settle in," said Zaba, making only his second AHL start and first since a 4-1 loss at Toronto Oct. 18. "It's a little frustrating not playing, but everyone gets frustrated. It's all a mental thing, and for me to have a good year, I have to play well whenever they give me a chance. Whether it's one start every week or one start every three weeks, I just have to be ready to go in, do my job, be a part of the team and give them a chance to win."

Zaba, who played with Charlotte and Idaho of the ECHL as a rookie last season, said he talked to Rangers goaltending coach Benoit Allaire about what former Wolf Pack goalie Steve Valiquette does in New York to stay focused as the backup to Henrik Lundqvist.

"(Allaire) said to just treat practice like a game and work hard so when you do get in a game it's just second nature," Zaba said. "My role is to be ready when Wiikman kind of needs a rest, so I have to go in and play well. I waited all last season and this season to play a home game, but it's one of those things where you just have to stick with it.

"It's a matter of being patient and waiting my turn and making that the commitment for this season. I was more anxious than nervous. Some guys might put too much pressure on themselves, but I understand my role. I look at it as a challenge to get confidence for the team so they know that when I go in I'm going to do the job for them."

Gernander said it was difficult to get Zaba in the net because Wiikman had been playing so well. But after Wiikman faced 42 shots in a 4-2 loss to Worcester Friday night, Zaba got his chance.

"You kind of weigh all kinds of things, and Wiikman was really on a roll," Gernander said. "But things didn't go very well for us (Friday) night, so it was a good time for a change, and Zabs was equal to the task. He played very well and congratulations to him on his first win."

Rookie defenseman David Urquhart, one of two players called up from Charlotte, had an auspicious AHL debut on his first shift. He took a pass from Artem Anisimov in the left circle, skated in untouched and lifted a shot past Daniel Manzato at 28 seconds for his first pro goal after having five assists in seven games with the Checkers.

"That was a pretty nifty shot under the crossbar," Gernander said. "And I thought we moved the puck well. He snapped his passes as opposed to just pushing them. In training camp we saw his skating ability, but I think the jump (from McGill University) was so great that he just needed a little time to assimilate himself to the pace of pro hockey."

Urquhart and Andreas Jamtim were called up to replace Brian Fahey and Dane Byers, who were injured in a 4-2 loss to Worcester Friday night after Jordan Owens sustained an abdominal injury in a 3-2 overtime victory over Portland Wednesday. Byers is likely out for the season after he tore the ACL in his left knee in a collision with teammate Tommy Pyatt with eight seconds left Friday night. Fahey sustained a concussion when elbowed in the head by Michael Moore but might return Friday for a rematch with the Worcester.

The Wolf Pack (5-4-0-1) got the game's first seven shots and scored again on their eighth when Bobby Sanguinetti dropped a pass into the right circle to Lauri Korpikoski, who found Brodie Dupont cruising alone down the slot for an easy deflection and a 2-0 lead at 5:58.

Zaba made several stellar stops midway through the second period before Korpikoski hit the post with 6:45 left. The River Rats (1-5-1-1) then got three consecutive power plays and scored on the second as Pat Dwyer converted Bobby Hughes' rebound with 2:43 left.

But the Wolf Pack kept the River Rats in check most of the third period until the late power play, then Moore stole Bryan Rodney's center-ice pass and scored into an empty net with 13.5 seconds left.

"We had a real good start and then started to get away from the things we are stressing," Gernander said. "It's little things that magnify themselves over time, and hockey is a game of momentum so if you give someone a foothold, they can continue to work and push you. It wasn't our plan to dump pucks in the third period, but we wanted to make sound decisions and not create turnovers."



American Hockey League Stories from November 1, 2008


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