Wolf Pack Offense Finally Explodes, Earns 7-1 Win

Published on November 7, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Connecticut Whale News Release


HARTFORD, Conn. -The Wolf Pack ended three weeks of frustration, non-production and a record run of losses, as Norwegian import Mats Zuccarello scored his first hat trick in North America before the game was 26 minutes old in a 7-1 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers before 2,022 Sunday night.

"It was a nice win because the longer and longer (the losing streak) goes it kind of takes on a story of its own and become a monster in itself," Wolf Pack coach Ken Gernander said.

The seven goals were the most goals the Wolf Pack (4-8-2-1) scored this season, as they ended a nine-game winless streak (0-7-2-0), longest in the franchise's 14-year history. They had scored only 10 goals since their previous victory, 3-0 at Providence on Oct. 17, and were 0-5-2-0 at home since a season-opening, 4-2 victory over the Charlotte Checkers on Oct. 9.

"We've been talking a lot, but there is only so much you can say," said Zuccarello, who scored two of the Wolf Pack's three power-play goals on their first three attempts. "I don't think you can describe what losing like we had was doing to us. Every guy goes out there giving it his best, but we were still losing so something was wrong but you can't put your finger on it. Every game we had been busting our (tails) off just to get the W, but it didn't seem to work.

"It's frustrating for everybody - players, coaches, everybody. We'd been playing hard every game, but some mistakes here and there have cost us, and tonight maybe it didn't cost us a game. So we had a little bounce on our side, and that's a good feeling. Every guy contributed, so it was a big, big team victory and a nice boost to get a W. It was nice to score some goals, but the most important thing was to get rid of that bad habit about losing and get it out of you."

After a nondescript first 91/2 minutes, the Wolf Pack got the last eight shots of the first period and scored three times, twice by Zuccarello, who also assisted on the first of Jeremy Williams' two power-play goals. Zuccarello, known as "The Hobbit" for his size (5-foot-9, 170 pounds) and quickness, doubled his goal output as all the frustrations of the previous three weeks were expunged by some strong forechecking, winning one-on-one battles, converting good scoring chances and solid goaltending from Chad Johnson (24 saves), who talked with Rangers goaltending coach Benoit Allaire after a 4-1 loss in Bridgeport on Saturday night when he backed up Cameron Talbot.

"When we scored the first goal, you could see us get our confidence going," said Johnson. "When the second one went in, we knew we had it back. I remember a game last season when the Rangers were kind of going through the same thing, and (former Wolf Pack wing) Ryan Callahan was just flying one game and got two goals. It's like that one guy who sort of steps up and leads the way. Tonight it was Zuccarello. He was just all over the place, in the right place defensively and getting pucks.

"And that's an important thing, too. When you play solid defensively, you have the puck more so we weren't chasing them around. We were controlling the play because we had the puck more, and that's all because of playing good defense. They were trying to pass pucks to late guys, and Zuccarello was there picking them off and coming back in transition 3-on-2. It takes one guy to kind of lead the way, and he kind of led the team and guys followed him.

"It was just good to see guys scoring. It was a relief for everybody to know that we can put the puck in the net. But we can't get too high off of this. It's one game, and you have to make sure you're ready for Tuesday night (against the Toronto Marlies). You can't get too high or too low in these situations."

The Wolf Pack climbed out of the Atlantic Division cellar, moving one point ahead of the Sound Tigers (5-7-0-0), who had won three of four games.

"There are games in hand (three for the Sound Tigers), but it was important to move back ahead of them," Gernander said.

Zuccarello started toward his hat trick when the Wolf Pack kept the puck in the zone nearly through their first power play before the Norwegian worked a give-and-go with Tim Kennedy at 9:26. It was the Wolf Pack's first lead and first time they scored first since a 2-1 overtime loss to Syracuse on Oct. 23.

"I think the guys felt a little more comfortable playing from ahead than trying to catch up," Gernander said. "And the power play was really good (4-for-7)."

On their next power play, Williams one-timed Zuccarello's cross-ice pass from the left point, the puck beating Nathan Lawson high to the glove at 11:42 as Brodie Dupont screened the goalie.

After Dupont was stopped on a partial breakaway with 5:37 left in the period, the Wolf Pack scored arguably their best-earned goal of the season. Dupont backhanded the puck along the right boards to the right corner, where Ryan McDonagh beat Brett Motherwell and touched the puck to Kennedy, who beat Travis Hamonic behind the net. Kennedy passed in front to Zuccarello, who beat Brandon Svendsen to an opening in the slot and one-timed a shot past Lawson with 3.8 seconds left. McDonagh's assist was the rookie defenseman's first pro point.

The Wolf Pack continued to press in the second period, and Lawson had to be sharp to stop Dupont and Kris Newbury in the first 2:01. But the Wolf Pack made it 3-for-3 on the power play as Dupont passed off the left boards to Zuccarello, who skated through the slot and whipped a wrist shot past Lawson on the glove side at 5:38 of the second period for his fourth goal against the Sound Tigers. It was the Wolf Pack's first hat trick since P.A. Parenteau scored three times in a 4-3 loss at Lowell on Feb. 8.

The Wolf Pack then beat their previous high for goals this season when Kelsey Tessier one-timed a pass from Chris McKelvie on a 2-on-1 and scored his first goal since the second game of the season at 12:39. The Wolf Pack then got within one of their record for power-play goals in a game when Williams backhanded a rebound of a deflected Tessier pass over a fallen Lawson at 1:48 of the third period.

Robin Figren ended Johnson's bid for his first shutout of the season when he converted Jesse Joensuu's rebound on a power play with 8:17 left. But Dane Byers restored the Wolf Pack's six-goal lead when he took Ryan Garlock's behind-the-back pass from behind the net and beat Lawson with 6:03 to go.

The seven goals were the most the Wolf Pack scored since a 7-5 victory over Springfield on April 11 and the most the Sound Tigers allowed this season.

"It was a nice change of pace, but I just wish we could sprinkle around a few of the goals so we could have a few more points," Gernander said, alluding to five of the losses during the losing streak being by one goal and another by two goals, including an empty-netter. "You don't want to go as long as it obviously did, but hopefully we've got things turned around, have that monkey off our back and can start to forge ahead."

Sound Tigers Hurting More than Wolf Pack

The Sound Tigers were without three of the four players injured in a 4-1 victory over the Wolf Pack on Saturday night: defenseman Dustin Kohn and left wings Justin DiBenedetto and Jean Bourbeau. Left wing Jon Sim, who had the game's first two goals, giving him five in three games after clearing waivers on Tuesday, was recovered enough from a cut to play. The Sound Tigers, who lost center Tomas Marcinko in a 6-1 loss at Providence on Friday night, called up left wing Svendsen from Kalamazoo of the ECHL. Svendsen, who was in Sound Tigers training camp, played on a line with David Ullstrom and Joensuu. But they lost center Rob Hisey to a left leg injury 1:07 into the second period.

The Wolf Pack scratches were Brandon Wong, Jyri Niemi, Nigel Williams and injured Dale Weise, who is doing commentary on road games with radio announcer Bob Crawford while recovering from hand surgery. Weise hopes to return by early December. ... The crowd included the aunt, uncle and two friends of rugged Wolf Pack left wing Justin Soryal. They got to see Justin play his usual physical game, including a fight with Sound Tigers tough guy Jeremy Yablonski.

Pizza Pie for Sound Tigers' Romano

Tony Romano's wraparound goal earned the Sound Tigers' second-year pro a special prize after the victory Saturday night.

Romano got a pie in his face while being interviewed for the team website. Well, a piece of pie. A piece of PIZZA pie. Former Wolf Pack defenseman Dylan Reese played the role of Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett when he sneaked around a reporter and Romano's back to smear the pie in his teammate's face.

Romano told Connecticut Post beat writer Mike Fornabaio, one of the best in the business, the pizza didn't compare to Long Island pizza. Romano is from Smithtown, N.Y., located on the north shore of Long Island. ... It was a "Bridgeport doubleheader" at the XL Center on Sunday, as the University of Bridgeport played the University of Connecticut in a prelude to the Wolf Pack-Sound Tigers games. As expected, the Huskies romped 103-57, so Bridgeport emerged 0-2 for the day.

All-Wolf Pack Team To Be Announced Saturday

Voting for the All-Time Wolf Pack Team ended Sunday. The team will be announced Saturday night before a game against the Springfield Falcons, the last for the Wolf Pack at the XL Center. Former players are being invited back for the finale, and there will be several special events commemorating the 13-plus years of the Wolf Pack, who will be re-branded as the Connecticut Whale on Nov. 27 against the Sound Tigers.

Fans voted for one goalie, two defensemen and three forwards. The candidates were 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 Ken Gernander, Dane Byers, Derek Armstrong, Nigel Dawes, Alex Giroux, Todd Hall, Greg Moore, P.A. Parenteau, Richard Scott, Brad Smyth, P.J. Stock and Craig Weller.

Wolf Pack Bowl-a-Thon on Nov. 14

The Wolf Pack will host their annual Bowl-a-Thon on Sunday at the AMF Silver Lanes, 748 Silver Lane, East Hartford. There will be sessions at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

All Wolf Pack players will be bowling with teams of four bowlers, who have collected pledges to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut Eastern Region. A minimum pledge of $200 is required for a team to enter, and the top fund-raising teams will win prizes, including the use of luxury suites at Wolf Pack home games.

Register online at www.soct.org . For more information, call 877-660-6667.

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American Hockey League Stories from November 7, 2010


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