Wolf Pack Fall to Admirals

Published on October 20, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Connecticut Whale News Release


HARTFORD, Conn. - The young Hartford Wolf Pack defense figured to face its biggest challenge of the young season Wednesday night against an unbeaten Norfolk Admirals team that had averaged six goals in three victories.

Though the defense couldn't be held culpable on many occasions, critical turnovers in the second period proved decisive as the Admirals scored three times and added two rapid-fire goals late to rally for a 5-1 victory before 2,317 at the XL Center.

As usual, goalie Chad Johnson offered a well-stated assessment.

"It seemed the more the game went on, the more we kind of fell apart," said Johnson, who accepted blame for overextending on the first and last goals. "I think everyone has got to be better, myself included."

The Wolf Pack (3-2-0-1) also seemed to have a hangover from a 3-0 victory at Providence on Sunday, when they were outshot 41-18 but prevailed thanks to Cameron Talbot's shutout in his first pro start.

"We had a couple of good moments in the first period, but I don't think we played nearly the way we have to play to be successful," Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander said. "I think it probably started against Providence. We got up 3-0 and didn't force the issue, didn't attack. Talbot played a good game for us to preserve our lead. We got up again tonight and didn't want to pursue, didn't want to attack, didn't want to finish hits. It wasn't very pretty.

"It wasn't necessarily the young kids. I think we had some pretty quality players that decided there was other ways of doing things. If we had won all our one-on-one battles, if we had won all our races for loose pucks and somehow we lost on a bad bounce, you could probably take that. But the fact is we didn't win those battles, we didn't force them to turn over pucks, we didn't separate them from the puck and I'd think Chad would like to have some of the goals back, so consequently you saw the score."

The Wolf Pack started fast, getting eight of the first 12 shots, including Kris Newbury's straight-on shot from 20 feet in the slot at 20 seconds and Justin Soryal's deflection off the post at 7:35.

Not deterred, the Wolf Pack scored on their first power play when Newbury took a pass from Dane Byers and passed behind the net to Tim Kennedy, who circled in front and beat Cedrick Desjardins high to the glove side at 10:05. The play was made possible by defenseman Wade Redden making a deft move with his glove to keep the puck in the zone. The assist increased Newbury's team-leading totals for assists (eight) and points (eight), and the goal was the first allowed this season by Desjardins, who had a 29-save shutout in a 4-0 victory over Worcester on Friday night.

The Wolf Pack didn't allow a shot on the Admirals' first power play, then Desjardins (24 saves) had to be alert to stop Mats Zuccarello's 20-foot wrist shot from the slot with 18.6 seconds left in the first period.

The Admirals, the top affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, had their first good scoring chance 1:21 into the second period, but Johnson (31 saves) smothered Tim Marks' bid at the doorstep.

But Norfolk, which tied Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the AHL's best record (4-0-0-0) scored twice in 5:27 to take a 2-1 lead. First, Chris Durno fired in Johan Harju's rebound from 25 feet in the slot at 1:52 after Evgeny Grachev's giveaway into the middle of the ice. Then on their second power play, defenseman Mathieu Roy made a behind-the-back pass from the right boards to Blair Jones, whose shot from the top of the right circle deflected off Wolf Pack defenseman Tomas Kundratek's foot and beat Johnson to the stick side at 7:19.

After Zuccarello lost the puck on partial breakaway shorthanded with 5:28 left in the period, the Admirals made it 3-1 after a series of Wolf Pack failures to clear the puck. Redden and Johnson mishandled the puck, which went to Nigel Williams, whose pass along the left wall got past Soryal to Radko Gudas at the left point. Gudas got the puck to Durno, who passed in front to Mike Angelidis, who jammed his own rebound between Johnson's legs with 4:27 left in the period.

The Wolf Pack then had a golden opportunity to cut into their deficit, but Jeremy Williams shot wide left on a 3-on-1 with 1:22 to go.

"We started good, which is the way we want to start every game, but just didn't stick to our game," Newbury said. "We didn't get pucks in deep and play to our advantage, which is down low. We got away from that, and it cost us the game. They came out in the second and had more jump than us. After the first period, they deserved to win the game."

Desjardins kept it a two-goal game when he stopped Zuccarello's shot from 20 feet in the slot 35 seconds into the third period.

The Admirals then had a chance to put the game away but got only one shot on a 5-on-3 for 1:44, including a short time when Kundratek lost his stick.

But the visitors broke it open late with two goals in 45 seconds. Troy Milam took a pass from Salisbury Prep grad Kevin Quick, circled around Soryal and took a shot that deflected off the shaft of Wolf Pack defenseman Pavel Valentenko's stick and beat Johnson high to the glove side with 5:35 left. Off the ensuing faceoff, Scott Jackson took a pass from Harju and scored from the right point with 4:10 to go.

Only Johnson's sprawling save on Durno with 1:45 left kept the Admirals from reaching their season average for goals, but they've still outscored the opposition 17-3 in their last three wins.

"The first period we were pretty good and aware of everything around us, but then we got a couple of penalties in the second period and lost a little of our momentum," Johnson said. "Then they scored their first goal, and it kind of got a little fire under their butt and we just couldn't get things going.

"And there were some bad deflections and funny bounces. It was just one of those days where you work for what you get, and we just weren't sharp and didn't have enough energy. They just kind of came at us pretty hard. It wasn't a good night and kind of a wakeup call for everybody. That's a good team with good players, and if you give a team like that opportunities, they're going to capitalize and make situations a lot better than they should be.

"It was just a tough night where we didn't have it. They just took it to us the last two periods. It was a sloppy game, and we're way better than that, and we know that. We just have to regroup and look toward the weekend. You don't want to lose on home ice, so it's really disappointing."

Gernander said Thursday's practice will be especially important with home games against Binghamton on Friday night and Syracuse on Saturday night.

"We have to find some way to get our message across and still be able to prepare for the two games on the weekend," Gernander said.

The Wolf Pack injured wings Dale Weise and Devin DiDiomete and defensemen Lee Baldwin and Jared Nightingale. The Admirals' scratches included former Wolf Pack left wing Mitch Fritz. ... Redden failed to record a point for the first time. ... Spectators included former Wolf Pack coach John Paddock, who led the team to the Calder Cup in 2000, and former Whalers Mark and Marty Howe, the sons of Hall of Famer Gordie Howe.

Voting Underway for All-Wolf Pack Team

Voting for the All-Time Wolf Pack Team began Wednesday and continues through Nov. 7. The team will be announced at the Nov. 13 game against the Springfield Falcons, the last at the XL Center for the Wolf Pack before they become the Connecticut Whale two weeks later. Fans can vote at CTWhale.com and at various retailers courtesy of Hartford Distributors and Bud Light.

Fans can choose one goaltender, two defensemen and three forwards. Candidates for the team are goaltenders Jason LaBarbera, J.F. Labbe and Steve Valiquette, defensemen Dan Girardi, Mike Mottau, Thomas Pock, Corey Potter, Dale Purinton and Terry Virtue and forwards Gernander, Byers, Derek Armstrong, Nigel Dawes, Alexander Giroux, Todd Hall, Greg Moore, P.A. Parenteau, Richard Scott, Brad Smyth, P.J. Stock and Craig Weller.

Three Former Wolf Pack Personnel Visit Friday Night

The Wolf Pack continues a season-high, five-game home stand Friday night at 7 when they host the Binghamton Senators (2-3-0-0). The top affiliate of the Ottawa Senators is led by center Corey Locke (one goal, five assists), who led the Wolf Pack in assists (54) and points (85) last season and was named to the second all-star team. Former Wolf Pack tough guy Francis Lessard is pointless but has 25 penalty minutes in three games. Former Lowell Devils coach Kurt Kleinendorst has replaced former Whalers center Don Nachbaur behind the Senators bench and is assisted by former Bridgeport Sound Tigers coach Steve Stirling. Fans can meet World Wrestling Entertainment superstar MVP before the game in the XL Center atrium, starting at 6 p.m.

Benefit Breakfast

Former NHL player Mark Osborne will be the keynote speaker at the third annual Hockey Ministries International Fundraising Breakfast and silent auction Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Wellspring Church, 222 Lincoln Street, Berlin. Osborne, who will be at Friday night's game, was a third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 1980 who also played with the Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets in the NHL and was player-coach of the International Hockey League's Cleveland Lumberjacks before retiring in 1997-98. Sonar, the Wolf Pack's mascot, and Pucky, mascot of the Connecticut Whale, will be special guests. Proceeds benefit HMI Northeast Division. For tickets ($20 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under), call 860-747-1649 or visit www.hockeyministriesnortheast.org . For sponsorships ($200 and $100), contact Rick Mitera at 860-817-6440 or rmitera@hockeyminstries.org .

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