Wolf Pack Weekly
Published on April 16, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Connecticut Whale News Release
The Wolf Pack brought down the curtain on their tenth-anniversary regular season by splitting a pair of games last week. The Pack shut out the Bridgeport Sound Tigers by a score of 3-0 on Fan Appreciation Night on Friday, in their last home game of the regular year. That victory clinched second place in the Atlantic Division and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the Wolf Pack, and ran the Pack's record in this season's GEICO Connecticut Cup series against the Sound Tigers to 9-1-0-0, as the Pack also won their third straight GEICO CT Cup Challenge. In game #80 of their regular season Sunday in Portland, the Wolf Pack dropped a 5-2 decision to the Pirates in a game that had no implications in the standings for either team. Al Montoya rang up his sixth shutout of the season, finishing one off the league lead in that category, in Friday's win. Nigel Dawes tallied a goal and an assist in both of the week's games and set a Pack record for the fastest goal ever to start a period when he beat Portland's Gerald Coleman nine seconds into Sunday's contest.
This week:
The Wolf Pack begin their tenth consecutive Calder Cup playoff appearance with an Atlantic Division Semi-Final series against the third-place Providence Bruins. These two clubs have met three previous times in postseason action, with the Bruins having won two of the three. Providence ousted the Pack in four straight games in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on the way to the Calder Cup in 1999, and then the Wolf Pack turned the tables the following year in a seven-game Eastern Conference-Finals classic, won by ex-Bruin Terry Virtue's overtime goal at the Hartford Civic Center after the Pack had trailed three-games-to-one in the series. The two clubs met again the next season, 2001, in the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals, and this time the Bruins pulled a comeback, winning a best-of-five series three-games-to-two after losing the first two.
The schedule for the best-of-seven series is as follows:
Game One Wednesday, April 18th Hartford Civic Center 7:00
Game Two Friday, April 20th Hartford Civic Center 7:00
Game Three Saturday, April 21st Dunkin' Donuts Center 7:05
Game Four Tuesday, April 24th Dunkin' Donuts Center 7:05
*Game Five Thursday, April 26th Dunkin' Donuts Center 7:05
*Game Six Saturday, April 28th Hartford Civic Center 7:00
*Game Seven Sunday, April 29th Hartford Civic Center 7:00
* = if necessary
Tickets for the first two games of this series (Games "A" and "B") are on sale through the Hartford Civic Center Box Office (Hours: M-F, 12 noon - 5 p.m.), at Ticketmaster outlets, through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone at (860) 525-4500, (203) 744-8100, (203) 624-0333 or (413) 733-2500, and on the web at www.Ticketmaster.com. Single game tickets for the Wolf Pack's 2007 playoffs start at just $18 for adults and $9.50 for children 16 and under. And you can secure your spot to catch all of the 2007 Wolf Pack playoff action, by purchasing a playoff ticket strip (all 16 possible home games). Those are available through the Wolf Pack ticket office at (860) 548-2000. Prices start as low as $214.40 for adults and $123.20 for youth 16 and under.
Tuesday, April 17th, AHL Web Chat with Wolf Pack Center Brandon Dubinsky
Wolf Pack Center Brandon Dubinsky will enter the AHL Chat Room to answer fans' questions
Fans can log onto www.theahl.com and submit their questions now
Questions and answers will be posted at 1:30 PM on Tuesday
Wednesday, April 18th, Game One vs. Providence at the Hartford Civic Center, 7:00 p.m.
The Wolf Pack won the regular-season series with the Bruins, finishing 6-4-0-0 and winning the last four games between the two teams. Providence, though, was 3-2-0-0 vs. the Pack in the five games played in Hartford.
Head Coach Scott Gordon's Bruins finished the regular season 44-30-2-4 for 94 points, four points behind the Wolf Pack, and went unbeaten in regulation in their last six games (4-0-1-1).
Rookie David Krejci (31-43-74 in 69 GP) was Providence's leading scorer during the regular season, and he finished third in the AHL among first-year players in points and assists.
Broadcast - live with Bob Crawford at www.hartfordwolfpack.com, or watch on B2 Networks! Go to www.hartfordwolfpack.com for details.
Friday, April 20th, Game Two vs. Providence at the Hartford Civic Center, 7:00 p.m.
The first 5,000 fans into the game will receive a Torpedo bobblehead, courtesy of "Click it or Ticket".
Broadcast - live with Bob Crawford at www.hartfordwolfpack.com, or watch on B2 Networks! Go to www.hartfordwolfpack.com for details.
Saturday, April 21st, Game Three at Providence (Dunkin' Donuts Center Providence), 7:05 p.m.
The Wolf Pack won four of the five games they played this year in Providence, including each of their last three trips.
Radio - live with Bob Crawford on ESPN Radio 1410 and on the web at: www.hartfordwolfpack.com or watch on B2 Network! Go to www.hartfordwolfpack.com for details.
Injury Report:
Ivan Baranka - surgery on right thumb (out for the season).
Darius Kasparaitis - abdominal soreness (indefinite).
Jake Taylor - surgery on left shoulder (out for the season).
Martin Richter - personal leave of absence (out for the season).
Recent Transactions:
David Kveton - released by the Wolf Pack from Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement April 10th.
Kenny Roche - released by the Wolf Pack from Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement April 10th.
Tomas Zaborsky - released by the Wolf Pack from Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement April 10th.
Tommy Pyatt - released by the Wolf Pack from Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement April 10th.
Practice:
All Wolf Pack practices are open to the media at the Hartford Civic Center or Champions Skating Center in Cromwell. As schedules are subject to last-minute changes, please call the public relations department at (860) 246-7825 before attending a practice.
Tue., April 17 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Hartford Civic Center
Wed., April 18 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., Hartford Civic Center (Game One vs. Providence)
Thurs., April 19 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Hartford Civic Center
Fri., April 20 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., Hartford Civic Center (Game Two vs. Providence)
Sat., April 21 Game Three at Providence
Sun., April 22 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Hartford Civic Center
Mon., April 23 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Hartford Civic Center
Pack Tracks:
The Wolf Pack's "Pack Shop" is located in the newly-renovated Hartford 21 Mall surrounding the Civic Center. The Pack Shop is open for business 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as two hours prior to and one hour after each and every Wolf Pack home game, including Saturdays and Sundays! The Pack Shop features a Wolf Pack hockey rink-tiled replica floor and offers a full line of Wolf Pack merchandise and special 10th Anniversary items. Just in time for the start of the playoffs, beginning this Wednesday, April 18th, the Pack Shop will be selling "Dueling Pucks" for $5.00 featuring the division semi-final match-up between the Pack and the Bruins.
New videos, player trivia and 'Where are they now?' features have recently been added to the Wolf Pack's special 10th Anniversary Site---www.10years1mission.com! Log on to test your Wolf Pack trivia knowledge, find out where your favorite players and coaches are today, and take a trip down memory lane with retrospective photos & season openers!
The 96.5 TIC Acoustic Café - Volume VI CD, featuring the music of some of today's most popular musical artists, recorded acoustically, is now on sale at all Big Y World Class Markets, FYE and Strawberries locations, as well as at the new Hartford Wolf Pack "Pack Shop" in the Hartford 21 Mall surrounding the Civic Center. Net proceeds from the sale of the CD will benefit the charitable efforts of the Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation. The retail price of the CD is only $9.65, and it includes cuts from Staind, KT Tunstall, The Fray, Five for Fighting, Goo Goo Dolls, Barenaked Ladies, Anna Nalick, James Blunt, Nick Lachey and Smash Mouth. Each CD includes a voucher worth $16.50 for a free ticket to see a Wednesday night or Sunday night Wolf Pack game during the 2006-07 season.
American Hockey League Stories from April 16, 2007
- Knights Ready For Series Vs. Iowa - Abbotsford Heat
- 'Dogs battle Amerks in North Division semi-finals - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Iowa Stars Booster Club Bus Trip - Iowa Chops
- Kings Ink Boyle - Manchester Monarchs
- Moose Split Final Two Home Games, Get Ready For Griffins - Manitoba Moose
- Wolf Pack Weekly - Connecticut Whale
- Albany River Rats playoff broadcast schedule announced - Albany River Rats
- 16 Teams Remain On The Road To The Calder Cup - AHL
- Phantoms Fifth Anniversary Jerseys Hit Auction Block - Adirondack Phantoms
- Monarchs Report - Manchester Monarchs
- Admirals RW Pierre Parenteau Named CCM/Vector AHL Player of the Week - Norfolk Admirals
- Falcons Announce New Flagship Radio Station - Springfield Falcons
- Rivermen Game-Worn Jersey Auctions Start April 23 and 25 - Peoria Rivermen
- Norfolk's Parenteau named CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Bulldogs Announce First Round Playoff Schedule - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Wolves Weekly Notes - Chicago Wolves
- Admirals Set Sail for Calder Cup Playoffs - Norfolk Admirals
- Sound Tigers News - Bridgeport Islanders
- Knights Take Top Spot In Western Conference - Abbotsford Heat
- Rampage Finish Season on High Note - San Antonio Rampage
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