#AdamSýkora

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK ADVANCE IN PLAYOFFS

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack received two-point performances from Ryan Carpenter and Turner Elson, while Jake Leschyshyn added two goals. Dylan Garland was masterful, making 32 saves to eliminate the Providence Bruins in a 4-0 shutout. The Pack wins the series in four games. The Wolf Pack now advances to play the Hershey Bears for the Atlantic Division title. The series will be a best-of-five starting next Thursday, with the first two games at The Giant Center before returning for Game 3 and, if necessary, Game 4 at the XL Center. After that, a potential Game 5 would be back at The Giant Center. GARAND GETS AND DESERVES PRAISE "Dylan played well in the playoffs; that's an understatement. He played with confidence. He made the big saves and moved the puck really well. He made the defenseman's job a lot easier. "He showed a lot of composure and made big saves on the penalty kill. Dylan came ready to play," Wolf Pack Head Coach Kris Knoblauch stated. Forward Turner Elson appreciates Garand's efforts as well. "He's a good goalie. He's young, but he wants to be out there. Hopefully, he keeps doing it and keep this ride going." After the game, Garand was deservedly all smiles. He spoke of how well his team has played while winning 15 of their last 18 games. "This last little stretch of ours, our defense has been incredible. The D-corps and our forwards, really tracking hard and coming back to the middle. Not giving up those Grade A's (chances). It's all I can ask for, "Garand said. Garand has grown as a goalie. "I'm trusting the process and not getting caught up in the winning, losing, and the outcome. That process is tracking the puck, focusing on things structure wise, and the outcome comes to us." "With a rookie goalie in his first year in the American (Hockey) League, you never know what you're going to get. (Garand) enjoys the pressure," Knoblauch said. SCARY MOMENT Brandon Scanlin dumped the puck into the Bruins' end nine seconds into the third period. The Bruins' defenseman, Michael Callahan, went to play the puck in the corner with his back to Will Lockwood, the Pack forechecker. Lockwood hit Callahan while in a vulnerable position, but not in an overly aggressive manner. Callahan went head first into the boards and remained down. His injury required EMS to come to his aid on the ice. They put him in a neck brace and stretchered him off. Fortunately for Callahan, he did not require hospitalization. A scrum ensued after the hit, and following a ten-minute delay to tend to Callahan, the Pack lost Lockwood for the remainder of the game. The referees assessed the Pack forward with a major for boarding and a game misconduct. The league will likely review the penalty for a possible suspension. While Knoblauch was horrified by what happened to Callahan, he didn't believe it to be a suspendable offense. "I feel awful, but we were told it was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit gone in awkwardly. I really don't think, based on everything people have told me there will be a suspension. It seemed like a very innocent play that went sideways, because he fell awarkedly," commented Knoblauch The Pack did get a tremendous shorthanded chance from Will Cuylle. At 3:40, he went to his backhand on a net-front open chance but hit the post. The puck returned to him, and Bruins' goaltender, Brandon Bussi, was down and out. Cullye hit him square in the numbers. The Pack's team defense and goaltending, which was strong all game long, shut the Bruins down the rest of the way. WHAT PROVED TO BE THE GAME-WINNER The Wolf Pack gave the lower bowl sellout crowd white towels, and the waving gave a whiteout feel early in the game. Upon entering the Bruin's zone, Carpenter wrapped the puck around the boards. Didier was unable to control it at the left side half-boards. Lauri Pajuniemi swept in to take the puck from him and went behind the net, where he fed Carpenter back now on the right since half boards. Carpenter took it and found Elson, who found open space between Callahan and forward John Beecher in front of the net. Elson put it on the net to Bussi's left and took a couple more whacks at it with the puck still loose. Finally, the puck found space between Bussi and the post, and Elson gave the Pack the 1-0 lead with what proved to be the game-winner at 3:48 of the first period. KUDOS TO ELSON AND THE CROWD "The crowd was great tonight. It was good to get the first goal. It was a tricky goal. I was blacking out during the celebration," Elson laughed. "It was a fun series. We battled hard. We did a very good job tracking back pucks. That was the best (team) defense we had all year. Forwards were coming back, and defenseman were using their sticks well to block shots and used their (bodies) to hit. They did everything they could." "That was a big goal. To get the first goal of the game and get the crowd going into it early. It was a good play. It was good for him to score too. He's been up and down the lineup. He's played with Karl (Henriksson) and Bobby (Trivigno). This is one of the best games I've seen. We got contributions wherever they were slotted," said Knoblauch WOLF PACK MAKE IT 2-0 IN THE SECOND PERIOD The Wolf Pack scored their second goal early in the second frame. Lockwood sent Tim Gettinger off a rush up ice, got inside position, put a shot on net off the right wing, and Bussi made the save but couldn't get to the rebound. Jake Leschyshyn was trailing the play and chipped the loose biscuit into the air. The puck went over Bussi and into the net. The Bruins protested and called for a review claiming the puck had come off its moorings and was elevated. Had that been the case, it would have negated the goal. However, after a short review by the referees, the call on the ice stood, and the call was a good goal. It was Leschyshyn's first goal of the postseason and came at 4:49. "That was a big goal. Lockwood won the one-on-one battle, set the whole play (in motion). We won the race down (by Gettinger). That second goal helped our momentum getting that second goal," said Knoblauch. A cheap hit from behind on Bobby Trivigno by Shane Bowers, a former Hockey East opponent, set off a minor skirmish. Wyatt Kalynuk and Nick Wolff exchanged pleasantries as the period expired. PACK MAKE IT 3-0 The Wolf Pack extended the lead getting the all-important third goal. Ty Emberson at the right found Jonny Brodzinski on the left, and he fired it back right side found Ryan Carpenter but still had enough open net to fire in his second of the playoff at 15:23, setting off the" we want pizza" chants once again. "We put that line together and we got something from them," said Knoblauch. BLAKE HILLMAN Hillman, a member of the Bruins last season, was inserted into the lineup for Adam Clendening, who the AHL suspended for three games for his Game 3 hit on Fabian Lysell. It's speculated the hit from Clendening concussed Lysell, and he did not play. Overall, Hillman had a strong night. He had one PK shift with a blocked shot, took out an opponent, and tracked down and cleared the puck. "It was a very tough decision to take Hillman out for game 3. He was playing so well in the playoffs, but when Libor (Hájek) returned, we had to take somebody out. "Blake, unfortunately, has been that guy this season. Talk about a guy stepping up when he was needed. For about three months, he didn't play a game as a defenseman. "Then, at the end of the (regular) season, he stepped up the last two season games when we knew we were going to be losing Libor, and we needed him. He has been playing well and has been good again. Hillman was an exceptional teammate in 2022-23, as he even took a spell at left wing during the regular season when the team was shorthanded. KNOBLAUCH MAGNANIMOUS IN VICTORY "That's a good team over there. Ryan (Moungel) has had his team at or near the top all year. We were gonna be challenged, but our team has been playing well, especially our defensive play. Our breakdowns and there are gonna be some Dylan truly stepped up. Even in the game where they got four on him, he played very well, and he was so good in the other games too." LINES: Brodzinski-Carpenter-Cullye Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh Leschyshyn-Gettinger-Lockwood Elson- Henriksson-Trivigno Jones-Emberson Blake Hillman-Scanlin Hájek-Kalynuk Garand Domingue SCRATCHES: Adam Clendening (suspended three games) Talyn Boyko #40 Adam Sýkora (healthy) Matt Rempe (upper body, day-to-day) Louie Roehl #4 (healthy) Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) Brett Berard #27 (healthy) Maxim Barbashev #18 (healthy) Ryder Korczak  #38 (healthy) Matt Robertson (upper body, may return in the next round of the playoffs) Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery) C.J. Smith (season-ending hip area surgery) NOTES:  Clendening sat for this game and will miss the first two games of the next series with Hershey. Libor Hájek was paired with Wyatt Kalynuk. Hillman was paired with Scanlin. Knoblauch changed three of his four lines. He brought Jonny Brodzinski to the first line and sent Trivigno back to the fourth line with Henriksson. Leschyshyn was put between Gettinger and Lockwood. The only line to stay intact was Anton Blidh-Tanner Fritz-Pajuniemi. With Marc MacLaughlin (upper body) injured, Jakub Lauko took his spot in the lineup. Providence got back their valuable pivot, Chris Wagner, after the birth of his daughter on Friday afternoon. Ex-Pack Vinni Lettieri has been nursing a lower-body injury suffered in Boston late in the season. As a result, complications have arisen, and he was not a factor in the series. Hershey scored the last six goals and eliminated Charlotte 6-2 last night. The return of Louie Domingue allowed the Wolf Pack to reassign Parker Gahagen back to the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) yesterday. PLAYER MOVEMENT Filip Lindberg, a former collegiate teammate of the Wolf Pack's Zac Jones and Trivigno, becomes the sixth AHL'er to sign on the dotted line and the second player for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to head back to Europe. More still to come. A NEW D3 COLLEGE TEAM COMING SOON Hockey movement on the Division III front as a new program will commence in Dallas, PA, a suburb of the Wilkes-Barre. The UCHC conference has announced it will expand its men's membership to 12, with Misericordia University joining the league in 2024-25. Misericordia University Cougars will become the newest member of the UCHC conference and have an instant rivalry with Wilkes University. The Cougars will play and practice at the Toyota SportsPlex in nearby Wilkes-Barre with fellow UCHC rival Wilkes University. The facility is the practice home of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition to the Toyota SportsPlex, the team will also have the opportunity to practice at Casey Plaza at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township. This 8,300-seat venue is the home of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN Several sources revealed the University of New Haven is going D1 in all sports. The University has decided to shelve plans to revive the hockey program at either DIII or DI for now. They will continue to have a Men's club hockey team playing D3 in the CHF. The last NCAA hockey team was Division II in the ECAC North in 1982-83. Its two most famous hockey graduates are Dean Lombardi, who spent 35 years in the NHL and was the former GM of the Los Angeles Kings. He is s a senior adviser with the Philadelphia Flyers for the last five years. The other alumnist is Jay Leach, a former AHL head coach with the Springfield Indians in the early 1990s and an assistant to the late Red Gendron (Assistant at Yale) at Maine (HE) until he retired. BENTLEY COACHING CHANGE At the Division I level, Ryan Soderquist is, out at Bentley College as head coach after one year at the Division I level. Soderquist spent 21 years at Bentley. The school has announced he will leave the program on June 30, and they have begun searching for a new coach. In Soderquist's 21st season behind the bench at his alma mater, the Falcons finished 11-21-2 overall (8-16-2 Atlantic Hockey). He was a three-time Coach of the Year (Atlantic Hockey, 2009 and 2012, MAAC, 2003). Soderquist is the winningest coach in program history with 277 career victories. He is one of just 18 active NCAA coaches to have surpassed the 250-win milestone. Overall, Soderquist's overall record is 277-377-85. Of his 21 seasons, just six teams were at or above the .500 mark. ANDY BRANDT Wisconsin assistant coach Andy Brandt has been named the new head coach and general manager of the USHL's Madison Capitols. Brandt takes over the franchise after spending one season behind the Badgers bench as an assistant coach. Brandt played for Wisconsin's 2006 NCAA championship team before starting a professional playing and coaching career. As a Badger, Brandt skated from 2003 to 2007 and scored five goals and 14 points in 130 games played. He was voted the Jim Santulli 7th Man Award winner by Badger fans for both the 2004-05 and 2006-07 seasons. Brandt joins a Madison organization led by Andrew Joudrey, the team president for the last four years. He is an ex-Springfield Falcon and a former Badger teammate of Brandt's, including the 2006 NCAA title championship-winning team. The Capitols ownership group includes former Badgers Ryan Suter and Tom Sagissor. Brandt will also take over for former Badger Tom Gilbert, a 10-year NHL veteran of over 600 games. He finished the 2022-23 season as interim head coach and general manager of the Capitols, like Joudrey, an All-American and a 2006 NCAA champion teammate of Brandt's. A 2017 Wisconsin graduate, Luke Regner is returning to Madison as the men's Director of Hockey Operations. IIHF At the IIHF Division 1 Group A in Nottingham, England, five teams duke it out with host Great Britain. They are Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and South Korea. The South Korean team features one-time P-Bruin in net, Matt Dalton. The British have Jackson Whistle in goal. He is the nephew of former New Haven Nighthawk Rob Whistle, plus former Sacred Heart University Pioneer Ben Lake, and Italy has ex-Springfield Falcon Thomas Larkin. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK RETURN HOME WITH SERIES LEAD

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack return to the XL Center Wednesday seeking a win to close out the Best of Five series against the Providence Bruins. The win would advance the Wolf Pack to the Atlantic Division  Final, where they will play the winner of the Hershey Bears and Charlotte Checkers series in what would be a Best-of-Seven series. With the New York Rangers eliminated by the New Jersey Devils on Monday night, the Wolf Pack have seen the return of captain Jonny Brodzinski, center Jake Leschyshyn, goalie Louie Domingue and defenseman Libor Hájek. Head coach Kris Knoblauch will have some critical and difficult lineup decisions. Does he add in these four players who have not played in these playoffs for the Pack and risk upsetting the chemistry that has been so successful so far in the playoffs, or could it improve the team with their being added into the lineup? In goal, does Knoblauch continue to ride Dylan Garand to start while he has been playing so well in winning all four games he's played into this point, or does he turn to the more experienced and the team's primary starting netminder all season, Louie Domingue? On defense, the return of Hájek presents an interesting dilemma. He could help the team on the ice, but given his unlikely re-signing by Rangers General Manager Chris Drury, does it make more sense to ride the defense he has been using? Hájek will likely be looking for a new landing spot next season as it is unlikely the Czech native would be offered, let alone sign another cap-friendly NHL one-way deal again for next season. The most challenging decision Knoblauch will face is at forward. Brodzinski and Leschyshyn were two-thirds of the team's top line. Does he keep them together while keeping Ryan Carpenter and Turner Elson, who have played well together, and move Tim Gettinger up to their line? Gettinger played very well in Game 2. These moves would offer the Pack two solid scoring lines to challenge the Providence defense. He could keep the very effective Anton Blidh on the third line at left wing. Will Lockwood could drop down to that line on the right side and was another solid Game 2 performer. He might consider scratching Adam Edström and putting Tanner Fritz in the middle. Knoblauch might keep Karl Henriksson and Bobby Trivigno intact on the fourth line. Despite playing his best game as a Wolf Pack, he might consider dropping young Adam Sýkora in favor of Lauri Pajuniemi, who has played well in the post-season. His two-year contract expires in June. He may be heading to Sweden to play next season. These decisions will be critical in determining whether the Pack continue to move forward in their quest for their first Calder Cup Championship since 2000 or end this highly unexpected run. NOTES: Carter Verhaeghe, the ex-Bridgeport Sound Tiger, is the toast of the NHL. The Florida Panthers pulled off the biggest upset in hockey with his OT goal that knocked off the regular season Champion, Boston Bruins. This playoff series may be the most significant upset since the "Miracle on Manchester Street" when the LA Kings upset the Edmonton Oilers just before their dynasty run of the mid-1980s. Ex-Sound Tiger Tom Kühnhackl heads home from Skellefteå AIK (Sweden-SHL) to play for Adler Mannheim (Germany-DEL) next year. Ex-Pack Tomas Kunratek switched teams in Czechia (Czech Republic). He leaves HC Brno of the Czech Elite League to play for HC Oceláři Třinec. Hershey's Joe Snively (Yale University) had a goal and two assists in the Game Two 5-1 win over Charlotte. The Wolf Pack's ECHL affiliates, the Jacksonville Icemen, won Game 5 of their South Division ECHL semifinal in a 5-4 win. Former Quinnipiac University player Craig Martin and another former Bobcat and ex-Pack, Brandon Fortunato, scored. The Icemen look to advance play in Game 6 on Tuesday and a possible Game 7 on Wednesday. The winner will play either the Florida Everblades, the winner in six games over ex-Pack Brendan Kotyk, or the South Carolina Stingrays. The Quebec City NHL-styles building, The Videotron Centre, has had two of the three largest crowds ever in QMJHL history at the Quebec-Gatineau President Cup semifinal. The Quebec Remparts have shattered the old record of Le Colisee and lapped around the mark set by the Halifax Mooseheads. The second best occurred in the old Montreal Forum on April 22, 1983, in a "home" game for the nearby Verdun Jr. Canadiens. They were playing the Longueuil Chevaliers and the hockey prodigy in Verdun. They hadn't seen the likes of since late Guy Lafleur's junior days in Pat LaFontaine and Jean Beliveau, who graced the ice as the big man down the middle for the NHL Canadiens in the 1960s and 1970s. 17,911 - Quebec | Apr. 30, 2023 17,860 - Verdun | Apr. 22, 1983 17,416 - Quebec | Apr. 28, 2023 Could Quebec City support a new 21st-century Nordiques? Attendance-wise, indeed, yes, but three things remain killing it. The French immersion requires all schooling to seventh grade to be French only and all public signage and literature to be in French. The Canadian currency exchange rate. NHL salaries are all paid in US dollars, while most all the Canadian teams take their revenue in Canadian currency. The last reason is Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson, who wants to extend the Canadiens brand to Northern and Eastern Quebec and French-speaking parts of the Canadian Maritimes. Add in NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman not wanting to disturb the 16 East, 16 West team balance that he spent years to achieve. Arizona will never move there if their new arena referendum fails in two weeks. They will likely be in Houston in two years. Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor, owner of Videotron cable, has abandoned his efforts to bring the NHL and a Nordiques rebirth to the city. He has recently brought the CFL Montreal Alouettes instead. He was elected as an MP in the Quebec National Assembly in the 2010 decade. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK ROLL CONTINUES, DEFEAT PROVIDENCE BRUINS IN GAME 1

DYLAN GARAND RECORDS FIRST CALDER CUP PLAYOFF SHUTOUT AS HARTFORD WOLF PACK BLANK PROVIDENCE BRUINS 1-0 IN GAME ONE By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Packmaden made a terrific effort on Friday night, holding the Providence Bruins to just 14 shots on their way to a 1-0 victory in Game One of their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals series. The 14 shots were the fewest in a single Calder Cup Playoff game in franchise history. The opening period was a feeling-out process for the two well-rested clubs. The Wolf Pack were playing their first game in a week, having last suited up in their 7-1 Game Two victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds last Friday night. The Bruins, meanwhile, had 12 days off after earning a bye through the First Round thanks to winning the Atlantic Division title in the regular season. The sides managed only a few chances each in the opening 20 minutes, with Hartford outshooting Providence 10-3. The second period saw Hartford again outshoot Providence, this time by a 13-6 margin. The Wolf Pack would also generate the first and only goal in the middle stanza. Blake Hillman collected the puck inside his blueline and flipped it up ice for Bobby Trivigno. Trivigno entered the zone with possession on the left-wing side, dashing toward the Bruins' goal. Trivigno pulled up to the right of Brandon Bussi and sent a backhand pass to Adam Sýkora, but the pass grazed off a defender and into the goal at 15:23. The goal was Trivigno's second of the Calder Cup Playoffs and stood as his first career Calder Cup Playoff game-winning goal. Sýkora was credited with an assist on the goal, the first of his North American career. Hartford stood tall defensively in the third period, holding the Bruins to just five shots on goal and sometimes tilting the ice. Dyland Garand stopped all five shots sent in his direction, ending the night with his first career Calder Cup Playoff shutout. Garand is 3-0 during his first foray into the Playoffs. The Wolf Pack will face the Bruins in Game Two of the Atlantic Division Semifinals of the Calder Cup Playoffs tomorrow night at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. The Pack return to the XL Center for Game Three of the best-of-five series on Wednesday, May 3rd. The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. To get tickets, visit HERE .innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health, public safety, and more. ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team's inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers' newest faces, including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. See the Wolf Pack goal HERE HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK VS SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS CALDER CUP PLAYOFF PREVIEW

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack has a familiar opponent for the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs. Behind three points from Chris Wagner and a four-goal third period, the Providence Bruins defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds 7-4 on Sunday afternoon. The loss locked the Thunderbirds into the fourth spot in the Atlantic division and will face the fifth-place Wolf Pack, who make their first appearance in the postseason in eight years. The Pack will now need to contend with goalie Joel Hofer who has had a fantastic season against the Wolf Pack. The series begins Wednesday in Springfield. On Friday, the two teams travel down I-91 to the XL Center for Game Two in Hartford. If Game Three becomes necessary, it will be played Saturday in Springfield. All the games have their opening faceoff at 7:05 PM. This is the second time in Hartford franchise history that the two cities have battled in a Best-of-Three series. The last time Springfield was known as the Falcons, they knocked them out in two straight in 2002. However, this is the first time the two meet with Springfield as the Thunderbirds. Hartford has the series edge over the Falcons (2-1)  and in games (6-4). This is the fourth time the two cities have met in the playoffs in 26 years. The last time the Wolf Pack was in the playoffs was May 15th, 2014. The series was against the Hershey Bears, and the Pack won Game 6, 6-3. That would be their last series win and the previous playoff series in eight years for the New York Rangers' top minor league team. In that series, the two home dates were played in Worcester because of XL Center conflicts with the circus that spring. They were then swept by the eventual Calder Cup champs Manchester Monarchs in the Conference Finals in their last season in Manchester before the Pacific Division was created. The Pack won another best-of-three when they eliminated Bridgeport beating the Sound Tigers behind two consecutive shutouts by Cam Talbot. After 14 straight seasons of making the postseason, the Wolf Pack missed the playoffs for the first time in 2009-2010. In four of the last five years with Ken Gernander behind the bench, the Wolf Pack missed the postseason, and overall it's been 13 of the previous 14 years without playoffs in HartCity. The Wolf Pack arrive in the playoffs after putting on a tremendous push over the final seven weeks of the regular season before clinching the last spot in the Atlantic Division. However, before the celebration of the achievement could even be felt, the Rangers recalled four essential cogs to the Wolf Pack machinery as forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Jake Leschyshyn, defenseman Libor Hájek, and goaltender Louie Domingue were recalled to be part of their Stanley Cup Black Aces. Leschyshyn and Hájek were healthy scratches for the games on Friday and Saturday. All four are important, but Brodzinski, the March AHL Player of the Month, is essential. Brodzinski's play, especially in third periods, willed his team out of its win-one, lose-one play. However, their play was excellent at the end of the season, winning their final eight games, the longest winning streak in two years. The streak allowed the Wolf Pack to surpass the Bridgeport Islanders and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and plant the Wolf Pack flag as the sixth entrant in their division. Brodzinski's recalls leave him numerically short of league-wide MVP consideration because of games played, but it's clear he was the MVP in Hartford. Recalling these critical components of the roster will not make it any easier on Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch. Brodzinski and Domingue have another year left on their contacts and will return. Leschyshyn has two more years on a one-way NHL money, paying him $775K yearly. Hájek has an expiring deal at the end of the season. The Rangers have decided that having these four in the stands is more important than having them play the most meaningful games in Hartford in eight years. Similarly, 31 years ago, the LA Kings airlifted seven prospects, seven weeks from the end of the season, to play for the Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL). It effectively killed off any New Haven Nighthawks chances of making the Calder Cup playoffs. With both of their parent teams out of the NHL playoffs, in Laval, the Montreal Canadiens received back Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, who scored in the two minutes in his first game back,  as well as Cayden Primeau, and Sean Farrell, making The Rocket a team to be wary of as the Calder Cup playoffs start. The Tucson Roadrunners received five players from the Arizona Coyotes. The old cliche about "next man up" and "creating opportunities for other players" comes to the forefront for the Wolf Pack. Someone must step up for those missing points with these three skaters gone. Dylan Garand will have big shoes to fill in Domingue's absence. He will need to be at his best between the pipes. The reconfigured lineup was on full display Friday with what is likely to be the lineup for the Springfield series. Will Cullye, a significant beneficiary of playing with Brodzinski this year, will likely skate with Ryan Carpenter, almost a point-a-game player, and Will Lockwood, who provided offense down the stretch. Tim Gettinger will likely stay on the second line on the left wing. He had no goals and six points last month until Friday night. Tanner Fritz and Lauri Pajuniemi will likely be pushed up to form a new troika. Anton Blidh will likely stay as the solid third-line left-wing as a net-front nemesis, along with the reliable Karl Henriksson and likely Bobby Trivigno, who added so much spark when he played alongside Henriksson. The fourth line should feature Matt Rempe, at the center, sidelined as a healthy scratch over the last eight games. His 6'8 presence plus faceoff skills will be critical in the short opening round series. Turner Elson will patrol the left side and can also take draws. He might be moved up to the first line. Anything is possible. One of the younger kids, Adam Sýkora or Bryce McConnell-Barker, may get some time on the wing. Adam Edström made a strong case for himself with his NHL move and shot on his first goal. Blake Hillman, like Rempe, saw little game activity by the end of the regular season. He could slide in for Hájek, The other pairings of Jones-Emberson and Clendening-Kalynuk will remain untouched. In net, it's Garand's from here on in. He has performed very well this season. How the defense complies? The backup in the net will be Talyn Boyko. POSSIBLE LINES: Cullye-Lockwood-Carpenter Gettinger-Fritz-Pajuniemi Henriksson-Trivigno-Blidh Elson-Rempe- Adam Sýkora or Adam Adam Edström (?) Jones-Emberson Blake Hillman-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Garand Boyko SCRATCHES: Brett Berard #27 (healthy) Louie Roehl #4 (healthy) Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) Easton Brodzinski #23 (healthy) Matt Robertson (upper body, week-to-week) Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery) C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season) NOTES: Media reports from Sweden speculate that Pajuniemi and his reps are conversing with several Swedish Hockey League clubs for the Finnish winger's services next year. Pajuniemi has an expiring two-year ELC deal at $925K-NHL/$70K-AHL. He has had no recalls in two years at all. One player not coming next year is junior prospect Jayden Grubbe. He's the team captain of the Red Deer Rebels (WHL). He had 67 points (18 goals,49 assists, and 71 PIM). Grubbe was drafted in the third round (65th overall) in 2021 and will be passed on. According to Eliotte Friedmann of TSN Sportsnet, the Rangers told all the other NHL organizations they would not offer him a contract and had a June 1st deadline to do so. So, as per the CBA, they will retain his rights till August 15th, then he can work out a free-agent deal with the other 31 NHL teams. The Rebels finished first in the WHL Central Division 43-19-3-3  and are currently in the WHL playoffs awaiting their second-round opponent after knocking off the Calgary Hitmen in five games in the first round. Grubbe had one goal and 10 points in the series. In four WHL seasons, the 20-year-old had 95 assists, 134 points in 194 games, and along with 195 PIM. He was a seventh overall pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft and was team captain for three of those four years. He represented Canada on the U-17 World Championship team with another Rangers prospect, Brennan Othman, with three points in five games. ROY SOMMER San Diego Gulls head coach Roy Sommer, the all-time winningest coach in AHL history (828 wins) and who coached in the most games (1,814) in a career spanning over 25 years, announced his retirement before the team's last game of the season. Sommer won a Calder Cup with the original Maine Mariners in 1984. After that, he played for two years in the AHL. During his playing days, two teammates were current Springfield GM, former Hartford Whaler player, and Rangers Director of Scouting, Kevin Maxwell. His other teammate, who would become the head coach that year after injuries, ended his career was AHL HOF John Paddock, who is now coaching Regina (WHL). Sommer won the Louis A. Pieri AHL Coach of the Year in 2016-17 in San Jose. One of the best Sommer stories is that he was one of the first true-born and bred California players in the mid-1970s. It was a generation before seeing California as a player's hometown was common. He went to play junior hockey in the rough-and-tumble WHL in Western Canada. Sommer started his hockey journey in 1978-79 as a member of the Pacific Hockey League (PHL) with the Spokane (WA) Flyers playing against the legendary Bill "Goldie" Goldthorpe. At next year's AHL All-Star game at the Tech CU Center in San Jose, he would be a fitting addition to be inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame. For the Oakland, CA native, it would be a home run. They should also induct Colorado resident and Wolf Pack all-time great Derek Armstrong. Sommer teamed up with ex-Ranger, New England/Hartford Whalers Nick Fotiu as a coaching tandem with the Kentucky Thoroughblades for three years. BERT MALLOY Cheshire native and former Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack player, now a dual citizen, Robert "Bert" Malloy, began playing for the Australian National Team in the IIHF Division II Group A tournament in Madrid, Spain, for what is likely his last season of pro hockey. The Mighty Roo (their national team's name) lost their opening game to Croatia 6-4. After falling behind 4-0, they made it close twice, first 4-3 and then 5-4, but couldn't overcome the early, large deficit. Former AHL'er Borna Rendulic scored twice for Croatia. Malloy was a minus-one with two shots on goal for the game. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK LOSE SEASON FINALE TO SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings SPRINGFIELD, MA - Joel Hofer's 35-save effort at the MassMutual Center led the Springfield Thunderbirds to a 1-0 shutout win over the Hartford Wolf Pack, ending the team's eight-game winning streak. The shutout was the fourth in 12 games for the T-Birds against the Pack this season. The loss by the Wolf Pack locks them into fifth place in the Atlantic Division and guarantees the Wolf Pack will play on the road. Who they will play is still to be determined. If Springfield loses their final game against the Providence Bruins at Amica Pavilion on Sunday, the Pack will play the T-Birds in the Best-of-Three series. The Charlotte Checkers' 5-4 overtime win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and a Springfield win could make for a more difficult first-round opponent for Hartford. Should the Pack face the Checkers, Charlotte would host Hartford for all three games because of the travel issues at the Bojangles Coliseum. Hofer has been kryptonite for the Wolf Pack. As a result, the Jonny Brodzinski-less Wolf Pack saw their ability to score goals and generate offense take a serious hit, but undoubtedly not due to a lack of effort. THIRD PERIOD The Wolf Pack threw eleven shots at Hofer in the third period but were held off the scoreboard. At 2:14, Bobby Trivigno took a Springfield turnover and tried to jam it past Hofer, but he covered the short side post. A little over a minute later, Will Bitten had a net-front chance that Dylan Garand gobbled up. Then at 4:56, Matt Peca, the QU grad, was stopped, followed by a solid net front play that led to Edström's bid for his second goal in as many games at 6:39 was rejected. Peca had a golden chance at 9:45 with a rebound of a Steve Santini shot that came right to his stick, but he hit the net with the left side wide-open. Thirty seconds later, Tanner Fritz was stopped by a Hofer glove save. Seconds later, Lauri Pajuniemi saw Hofer make a blocker save. Then Hugh McGing tried to get Springfield a two-goal cushion from the slot, but Garand turned that aside. At 18:07, Wyatt Kalynuk's left point drive was repelled by Hofer, with Anton Blidh battling Tyler Tucker on his doorstep. Cullye, then Carpenter had a backhander on the left-wing side hit the side of the net. Drew Callin in the defensive zone clipped Tim Gettinger up high, but no call was made. Tucker intercepted a Carpenter feed before Hofer made a blocker save to deny Zac Jones as the Pack went with the extra attacker. SECOND PERIOD The second period was a playoff-like defensive struggle. The first shot for the Pack came at 3:15 as Pajuniemi got in position for a shot with Fritz coming down the left wing. However, he was stopped by Hofer with Blidh in front battling with ex-Pack Hunter Skinner. The team's defense limited Springfield to one shot by Matt Highmore. At 15:16, Adam Clendening fired a shot from the right point with Trivigno in front, battling the much bigger Tucker. Brandon Scanlin made an excellent recovery to avoid a Greg Printz breakaway. Then Mathias Laferriere made one of the few second-period Thunderbird shots at 18:05. Springfield's best opportunity showed up on the state sheet as Highmore was right in front and chipped the puck that went over Garand and hit the crossbar. Garland kept it out as he was able to sweep it away. FIRST PERIOD The first period was an intense skating affair, with each goalie making crucial saves, but Springfield came away with the only goal. What has become a rarity in the last month, Adam Gaudette turned a Fritz neutral zone turnover into a breakaway on the left wing. He took a pass from Scott Perunovich and went forehand-to-backhand on Garand before depositing his 27th goal of the season at 17:29. As he's done all season, the Winnipeg-born Hofer frustrated the Wolf Pack. Pajuniemi had solid scoring chances in the first. There was a one-timer at 7:01, Will Cullye at 7:55, and Pajuniemi again at 8:30 on a one-timer on the left wing. At 9:18, Clendening had a chance off a nice behind-the-back pass from Lockwood. Elson missed an open net, and Hofer's right pad stopped Trivigno at the back door. Dyland Garand had a solid period stopping Bitten and McGing in the first three minutes. LINES: Cullye-Carpenter-Elson Henriksson-Lockwood- Trivigno Fritz-Pajuniemi- Adam Sýkora Gettinger- Adam Edström-Blidh Jones-Emberson Hillman-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Garand Boyko #40 SCRATCHES: Matt Rempe (healthy) Louie Roehl #4 (healthy) Brett Berard #27 (healthy) Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) Easton Brodzinski #23 (healthy) Matt Lohin #18 (healthy) Matt Robertson (upper body, out for the first round of the playoffs) Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery). C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season) NOTES Despite being recalled on paper, Ryan Lohin never showed up in Hartford. Instead, he opted to go home. Years of injuries and being on recall earlier, where it netter him two games, might indicate that Lohin is considering hanging them up. Lohin not being in Hartford is what necessitated Jonny Brodzinski's brother Easton being recalled from Jacksonville yesterday. The Checkers had a three-goal third period and an OT winner by ex-Pack Anthony Bitetto to finish their season. The brand-new Calgary Wranglers clinched the AHL overall title with 104 points. In addition, 51 wins make them the first team since the 1992-'93 Binghamton Rangers to have a 50-plus win season. The defending Calder Cup champs, soon to be the independent Chicago Wolves, won 4-1. They had a four-goal first period against the Grand Rapids Griffins and were aided by a goal and assist by ex-Pack Malte Stromwall. The only Griffins goal was by ex-Pack Danny O'Regan. SOMMER CALLS IT A CAREER San Diego's head coach Roy Sommer, the all-time winningest coach in AHL history, announced his retirement before the Gulls at the last game of the season. One of his best traits, Sommer was one of the first true born and bred California players in the mid-1970s,  a generation before it was regular to see California on a player's address. Sommer started his hockey journey in the late 1970s (1978-79) as a member of the Pacific Hockey League (PHL) Spokane (WA) Flyers, playing against the legendary Bill "Goldie" Goldthorpe. At next year's AHL All-Star game at the Tech CU Center in San Jose, he should be inducted into the  AHL Hall of Fame for the Oakland, CA native. He teamed up with ex-Ranger-New England/Hartford Whaler Nick Fotiu as a coaching tandem with the Kentucky Thoroughbreds. NIGEL DAWES RETIRES The King is dead - metaphorically speaking. Ex-Pack Nigel Dawes, 38, has ended his playing career in Germany. 'The King' reference refers to a caustic and off-handed remark about his appearance as a guest on Wolf Pack radio broadcast years ago. He remarked in New York, you get a watch for being a guest, but in Hartford, you get Burger King coupons. He spent most of his career with Kazakhstan in the KHL, even in several international tournaments like the World Championships and Olympics representing them. With the outbreak of the water in Ukraine, he played the last two years in the German DEL with Adler Mannheim. Out with old Pack, in with new Pack. With Dawes retiring, reports in Germany state after a year off of not playing, John Gilmour may be close to signing with Adler for next season. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK WIN XL CENTER SEASON FINALE

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Louie Domingue contributed a 28-save shutout, while Tim Gettinger contributed three points for the Hartford Wolf Pack as they ended the regular season at the XL Center with a 4-0 shutout of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Domingue shutout was his fourth of the season and extended the Pack's winning streak to eight games. The Pack closed out the home portion of the regular season against a depleted Penguins lineup in solid fashion. Hartford travels to Springfield Saturday to battle the Thunderbirds to close out the regular season before heading to the playoffs for the first time after an eight-year absence. Playoff positioning is still on the line as the team hopes not to travel to Charlotte, where the entire best-of-three-game series would be played on the road against the Checkers. Head coach Kris Knoblauch, pleased but reserved after the win, "It was a perfect game for us because we went with different line combinations. We had to get guys familiar with each other. We had to use different penalty killers, for example, like Tim Gettinger, and he looked great in that position, including his five-on-five play. "We can't get ahead of ourselves too much. That was a different lineup from Wilkes-Barre that we're used to seeing. It was depleted, missing a lot of American (Hockey) League players. I was very happy the way the guys played. It's going to be much harder against Springfield tomorrow." THIRD PERIOD In the third period, the Wolf Pack made the 6,226 in attendance cheer as Will Cullye made a perfect backhand pass from the right-wing corner. His pass found Turner Elson in the slot unchecked, and he fired in his second goal of the game and 17th of the season at 4:32. "I was happy for Turner. We got him back with Carpenter and they had so much chemistry initially. He kind of got lost in the shuffle, separated, when we made all those trades at the deadline. He was on a lot of different lines. His role diminished a little bit lately. He and Karl (Henriksson) had played well together. He stuck with it and played hard for us. He contributed in a lesser role for us but was consistent for us. We rearranged our lines, but they picked up right where they left off, for us," remarked Knoblauch. Elson said the team knew the challenge of them as the game started. "We all knew we had to step-up our game. We're going to have two big forwards and a goalie out of our lineup. It's our four best players. We still have a lot of good players here. We have had a lot of depth all year here, now it's gonna be tested." With the crowd chanting for a fourth goal to get a promotional free slice from a local eatery, the Wolf Pack newcomer rookie Adam Edström complied. Receiving a lead pass from Gettinger, Edström made a gorgeous dipsy-doodle to get around Penguins' defenseman Josh Maniscalco before firing home his first AHL goal at 13:24 over goaltender Joel Blomquist's blocker. After a late hit along the Hartford bench, Wyatt Kalynuk and Jack St. Ivany dropped the gloves. Kalynuk got rid of his elbow pad, scored solid shots, and took him down, energizing the crowd. Domingue made solid saves to preserve his shutout over the last five minutes stopping Natan Légaré, Valtteri Puustinen, and Jagger Joshua. SECOND PERIOD Two-and-a-half minutes into the second period, Elson took a shot from 15 feet that hit the inside of Bloomqvist's pads and squirted out. Carpenter and Anton Blidh jammed for the loose biscuit but couldn't get the loose change. At 6:07, Tanner Fritz came down the right wing and put a shot on the net as Will Cullye sniffed around for a rebound. Then at 6:27, after a media timeout, the Pack won the face-off, but as play came back into the zone, Cullye forechecking made a solid hit to force a turnover. Carpenter was right there and backhanded a pass to Elson on the right wing. Elson snapped his 14th past Bloomqvist's blocker side and a 2-0 Pack lead. "We had a lot of young guys coming in and out of the lineup lately. I wanted to make sure I was contributing. We got the chemistry, and that's the key. You get good chemistry, you get wins," a smiling Elson said. On the power play, Domingue stopped Jon Gruden on the doorstep at 15:05. Then Légaré, on an intercepted outlet pass at 16:31, was denied by Domingue. At 3:40, Domingue got into a tussle with the rookie Joshua that drew in Ty Emberson. No major penalties were issued, but an extra two minutes went to Joshua. The Penguins had 13 shots in the second, and Domingue stopped them all. FIRST PERIOD The Pack applied good pressure and entries into the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton zone in the first period. On his first two shifts, Cullye took two hits, one behind the net, by St. Ivany, a former Yale Bulldog, then along the left-wing boards by Puustinen. The Pack had the first power play's best quality chance as Jonny Brodzinski had a solid one-time from the left side that Blomqvist rejected. Bloomqvist played earlier this season for Karpat Oulu (Finland-FEL) and made his first AHL start. He also stopped Zac Jones twice. The Pack had a second powerplay with just five minutes to go in the period, and the Pack made it count. Adam Clendening was at the right point and found Lauri Pajuniemi open on the left wing. Clendenning sent a brilliant pass/shot at the front of the net. Gettinger was right there and had position on St. Ivany. He redirected his 13th at 15:58 past Blomqvist for a 1-0 lead. It was Gettinger's first goal in six weeks. "It was his best game in awhile," commented Knoblauch. LINES: Cullye-Carpenter-Elson Henriksson-Brodzinski- Lockwood Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh Gettinger- Adam Edström #34- Adam Sýkora  #29 Jones-Emberson Hillman-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Domingue Garand SCRATCHES: Bobby Trivigno (healthy) Curtis Leschyshyn (healthy) Matt Rempe (healthy) Libor Hájek (healthy) Louie Roehl #4 (healthy) Brett Berard #27 (healthy) Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) Matt Robertson (upper body, out for the first round of the playoffs. ) Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery). C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season) NOTES: Elson and Knoblauch were referring to the recall by the Rangers (announced an hour after game time). The Rangers recalled Brodzinski, Jake Leschysyn, Libor Hájek, and Domingue to be among the Rangers Black Aces for the Devils series. Jake Johnson of Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) of the national champion Bobcats became the fifth player to sign a pro deal. He joins the ECHL Ft. Wayne Komets (ECHL). Ethan Cardwell, the nephew of former New Haven Knight Matt Cardwell, finished with OHL career with the Barrie Colts. He signs a PTO deal with the San Jose Barracuda. He played three years with Barrie and one with Saginaw (MI). HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK ARE BOUND FOR THE PLAYOFFS

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings PROVIDENCE, RI - The Hartford Wolf Pack extended their winning streak to seven games with a 5-3 win over the Providence Bruins. Combined with a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 8-2 thrashing of the Bridgeport Islanders to clear the last hurdle, the Pack ended an eight-year playoff drought. The Pack extended their winning streak to seven games and punched a playoff ticket in the process on Libor Hajek's early third-period goal, which stood as the game-winner. The winning streak, the first since the late season run in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, along with the deadline acquisitions of Will Lockwood, Anton Blidh, Wyatt Kalynuk, and Adam Clendennine, paid off. With the win, the Pack returns to the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. The last playoff series the team won was against the Hershey Bears, with two of the home games played in Worcester. The eventual Calder Cup champions, the Manchester Monarchs, swept them in the conference finals. The Wolf Pack started the third like they did the first - by scoring. Bobby Trivigno had a game-best three assists. He was stopped from the right wing. Turner Elson, already with two goals in the contest, made a hat trick. However, he was stopped as he went to play the rebound attempt. Karl Henriksson took a swing-and-a-miss, but Libor Hájek came in off the left point and caught the puck instead. His blast made it 4-2. Josiah Didier made it 4-3 and doubled his goal total with a right-point low shot with two Bruins in front, creating havoc as the puck eluded Pack netminder Dylan Garand. Tanner Fritz scored his tenth into an empty net at 19:34 to clinch the game and secure a career-best 42 points. In the second period, the Pack took the lead and showed resilience. Trivigno started with a shot toward the net that hit some skates and sticks and came to Tim Gettinger. He tried a wraparound that went to Ryan Carpenter, who fired his 21st goal of the season at 6:03 The Pack had the game's first goal. The team has been getting solid offensive zone entries. Henriksson came across and found Zac Jones. He, in turn, found Elson as he deposited his 14th from the right-wing circle. Ty Emberson, who seems to have one big hit per game during the recent surge, took down Didier early. Providence showed why they have been at or near the top Atlantic Division most of this year. Didier curled off the right-wing wall and fired into traffic. Samuel Asselin moved in front and created a screen getting Didier's shot past Garand. Then the Bruins took a 2-1 lead as Luke Toporowski, back from an early season injury, was on the left wing side. He zipped his 14th into the net using Jones as a screen as he beat his former junior teammate at 10:54. Elson tallied his second of the night and 15th of the season as he filled the gap in front of the net while Kale Keyser made a shoulder save. Elson found the loose biscuit and put the Pack in a two-two tie at 16:46. The Pack saw the Bruins nearly score late in the first period as Wyatt Kalynuk intercepted Justin Brazeau's feed bound for Toporowski. LINES: Cullye-Leschyshyn-Brodzinski Gettinger-Lockwood-Carpenter Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh Elson-Henriksson-Trivigno Jones-Emberson Hájek-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Domingue Garand SCRATCHES: Matt Rempe (healthy) Blake Hillman (healthy) Adam Edström #34 (healthy) Brett Berard #27 (healthy) Adam Sýkora  #29 (healthy) Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) Matt Robertson (upper body, week-to-week, may be ready by the first of the playoffs) Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery). C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season). NOTES: Wilkes Barre/Scranton romped over Bridgeport 8-2 at the Total Mortgage Arena. The win by the Penguins also sent Charlotte and Springfield to the Calder Cup playoffs. On a set play, Quinnipiac University's Jacob Quillan zoomed in on the left wing, taking Arizona Coyotes draftee Sam Lipkin's backhand pass ten seconds into OT to score and secure the Bobcats their first NCAA title of any kind for the Hamden-based school defeating midwestern powerhouse Minnesota. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK TAKE DECISIVE WIN OVER BRIDGEPORT ISLANDERS

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The Hartford Wolf Pack moved a step closer to earning a spot in the playoffs by moving their clinching magic number to 4 points in the tight Atlantic Division playoff chase with a solid two-way 6-2 victory over the Bridgeport Islanders before a raucous crowd of 5,886, Friday night. Tanner Fritz led the way with three assists, while Will Lockwood, Adam Clendening, and Karl Henriksson each had a goal and an assist. Pack Captain Jonny Brodzinski chipped in two assists. The Pack entered the game having won a season-high, five straight, to put themselves in the playoff picture and push the Islanders out. This was a four-point game for both teams, and the Pack passed with flying colors. The Wolf Pack have four games remaining in their season, while the Islanders, with a game-in-hand, have five. Any combination of Wolf Pack wins and Islander losses equaling 4 points, and the Pack return to the playoffs. The Pack looks to keep the winning going and pick up another two points tonight in Providence at 7 PM. "That game gave us a little breathing room," Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch said. "We have a lot of good hockey players. They're playing good hockey right now." THIRD PERIOD The Pack continued their 200' of defensive play in the third period. After being checked off on a sure goal on his last shift, Anton Blidh make his next one count. Lauri Pajuniemi found him open on the left side and sent a backhander off the stick of an Islander defenseman and into the back of the net at 8:36. "All of them, Blidh, (Will) Lockwood and (Adam) Clendening, had a good game. They've become comfortable with their game and their teammates, and it showed." The Islanders got the goal back on a goal by Kyle MacLean, his 10th of the season, coming off the left wing. William Dufour (two assists) slipped him the lead pass at 9:58. Cullye made it 6-2, coming off the left-wing and drilling home his 25th of the campaign off a pass from Brodzinski at 11:24. SECOND PERIOD In the second period, the Pack picked up right where they left off in the first, on the power play, and extended their lead to three goals. Fritz sent a pass from the right-wing back to the right point. Brodzinski one-timed a blast from the right point that an unchecked Carpenter tipped home his 20th of the year. He becomes the third Wolf Pack player to garner 20 goals. He pumped his right fist igniting the roar of the crowd at 2:35. "Tanner's been doing a very good job distributing the puck. Being up on the first powerplay unit helps." At 11:45, some rough stuff, as there always seems to be between these two intra-state rivals. Carpenter tripped Vincent Sévigny to earn a penalty call. However, Sévigny face-washed Carpenter and pushed him, leading to some wrestling. Fritz and Jeff Kubiak bearhugged and wrestled in the corner. The Pack maintained solid defensive pressure in the second half of the period limiting the Islanders again to only seven shots on goal and 14 total for the first two periods. "Your best defense is a good offense. We did a very good job moving the puck around," said Knoblauch. FIRST PERIOD It wasn't a winner-take-all game, but at the start, it sure had the feel of it. The XL Center had another large crowd infused by a pre-game and, between periods, autograph signing with the 2000 Calder Cup champion Wolf Pack team from 23 years ago. Riding the energy and a strong game plan, the Pack jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes. Clendening took a Fritz pass and slid from the right point to the center-left point position before drilling his fifth overall and second as Wolf Pack over Jakub Skarek's glove hand at 1:21. The second goal came off Lockwood's stick. Part of the trio of acquired players at the trade deadline, all three were involved in the good offense Knoblauch talked about. Lockwood was in front and found the rebound of Turner Elson's shot. Skarek was too far to his right allowing Lockwood the space to put in his 14th overall goal at 3:45. "Everybody in the locker room knew what we needed to do and we had four lines out rolling together right off the bat. It was a crazy win. It was kinda of a funny play (when he scored). Karl got it out there (in front). I was searching around for it, but we had good support all night, and I was able to find it and put it in, "Lockwood said in his post-game remarks to the media. Fritz was receiving post-game medical treatment. Bridgeport cut the lead down as Sévigny matched his father, Pierre Sévigny, a Pack player from 25 years ago, by scoring in Hartford. He rifled his fifth goal of the season from the right point past the blocker side of Louie Domingue. It was the first father-son duo to score at the XL Center, albeit for different teams, since the Howe duo did it more than 40 years ago. The Wolf Pack answered right back just 1:39 later. Clendening had his shot stopped from the lower left-wing side, but the rebound returned to him. He found a wide-open Henriksson on one knee in the shooter's position. Henriksson fired his seventh goal of the campaign past Skarek at 10:46. "That (goal) was one of the big factors in the game, and when we went up 3-1, the penalty kill late in the first period did an excellent job keeping them off the board. We went into the second period feeling good about ourselves. If they score there and make it 3-2, it makes a big difference and a whole different game. That (fourth) line might not score every game, but they get chances every night. Tonight they had a lot of offensive zone time and are tough to play against. That's all we want," said Knoblauch. Lockwood said the crowd and getting the lead were important. "It was good way to play hockey, getting ahead like that. Playing in front of a good crowd, makes it fun to play. Our PK has been very good as of late and not letting any (opponents) get momentum (from it)," commented Lockwood. His line's chemistry has been quietly mojo. "We started off well, and then we had a little (lull). We have just clicked lately. We responded well, and that's where the chemistry builds, and we're always on the same page and in constant communication, and it's paying off for us, "said Lockwood. The Pack had a season-best 21 shots at Skarek, led by Lockwood and Cullye with four apiece. LINES: Cullye-Leschyshyn-Brodzinski Gettinger-Lockwood-Carpenter Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh Elson-Henriksson-Trivigno Jones-Emberson Hájek-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Domingue Garand SCRATCHES: -Matt Rempe (healthy) -Blake Hillman (healthy) -Adam Edström #34 (healthy) -Brett Berard #27 (healthy) -Adam Sýkora  #29 (healthy) -Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (healthy) -Matt Robertson (upper body, week-to-week. He could be ready by the first round of the playoffs) -Patrick Khordorenko (season-ending shoulder surgery). -C.J. Smith (hip area surgery done for the season NOTES West Hartford native, Jordan Samuels-Thomas (Canterbury/Quinnipiac University), was one of the two referees working the game. Adam Fantilli won the Hobey Baker Award. Minnesota and Quinnipiac University play for the national title Saturday night in Tampa. Fantilli will likely go #2 behind Connor Bedard. After changing his line often, for the fifth straight game, Knoblauch mostly kept his lineup intact with minor tweaks. Ex-Pack Paul Thompson and Libor Hájek battled with 10.2 seconds to go. Neither got an instigator in the last five minutes called. Domingue got a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct call for shooting the puck down the ice in frustration when the scrap started next to him. HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article

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HARTFORD WOLF PACK BEAT THE TORONTO MARLIES IN OT

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Jake Leschyshyn had an assist and a late goal, and the overtime winner at 1:12 propelled the Hartford Wolf Pack to a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Toronto Marlies. The win was the Pack's fifth straight and in their last non-conference opponent of the season. “We're happy to get two points out of that (game). It’s a big game for us standings-wise. Coming down the stretch, every game is huge for us," Leschyshyn said. "Libor made a huge play for us on the goal. He got out in front, and I got the first shot off. It wasn’t a great shot. It's kind of opened things up and I was able to put the second one past him.” Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch was all smiles post-game. "The line he and Blidh have been on has just gotten better and better and that showed at the end of the game." The already python-like playoff squeeze was made even tighter as the Bridgeport Islanders won a controversial game on Tuesday morning in OT over the Springfield Thunderbirds, who were last year’s Calder Cup runner-up. This now sets up a monumental game Friday night between Bridgeport and Hartford. Following a Wolf Pack 2000 Calder Cup championship Celebration Night, the game will be played with ten former players in the house, including the former captain and head coach Ken Gernander. Since being sent down, Lechyshyn has found some hockey nirvana in Hartford. “It's the first time coming to a team (traded) in my pro career. The guys have been so helpful, created the chemistry we needed and now we have to not take a step back, and it’s good to get the ice time. I think I have had a good opportunity with more ice time here in all situations that I did combined its all the other places I played (this year)," remarked Leschyshyn. In the third period, after some pinball-like play, where the Pack struggled to get the puck out of the zone, the Marlies' Kyle Clifford found the puck and had an open chance on the right wing but hit the post at 1:53. Keith Petruzzelli squared on Tim Gettinger, took away the short side as a shooting option, and stopped him at 3:42. Toronto’s Graham Slagggert followed with an inadvertent high stick on Ty Emberson behind the net and went to the penalty box. After the refs checked to see if there was blood, and when there was none, he went for a two-minute minor. It opened the door for the Wolf Pack. While shorthanded, the Marlies Pontus Holmberg got around Ryan Carpenter, but netminder Louie Domingue moved right across the top of the crease to stay with him and make the save at 10:46. The Wolf Pack finally broke the scoreless duel late in the third. After solid board work and puck possession by Tanner Fritz and Lauri Pajuniemi, Emberson sent a good low shot from the right point. Leschyshyn got to the rebound first and was stopped. Anton Blidh got a second crack at the puck and put his 12th of the season past Petruzzelli with just 1:12 left in regulation. “It was similar to the goal we had in Toronto. Late in the game. A last second tying goal to force overtime. It was a good all-around effort by everybody to get that goal,” remarked Leschyshyn. The Marlies are holders of the league's fifth-best record. They demonstrated why, showing no quit. With Petruzelli pulled, the Marlies' Alex Steeves had a great chance with 32 seconds left to tie it from the right-wing side, but Domingue made a 10-bell save. “He’s one of those guys we lean on, maybe a little too much sometimes. We got rewarded with his play tonight with a win,” said Leschyshyn. With 12.2 seconds left, they managed to tie the game. Topi Niemelä registered his first goal of the season when he picked up the rebound of Steeves' shot and buried it to force extra time. “It was a tough game all night for both teams to get real good chances and find open ice. There wasn’t a lot going on for much of the game at times. We stuck with it, stayed patience and it paid off for us by persevering,” commented Leschyshyn. LINES: Cullye-Leschyshyn-Brodzinski Gettinger-Lockwood-Carpenter Fritz-Pajuniemi-Blidh Elson-Henriksson-Trivigno Jones-Emberson Hájek-Scanlin Clendening-Kalynuk Domingue Garand SCRATCHES: Matt Rempe (Healthy) Blake Hillman (Healthy) Adam Edström #34 (Healthy) Brett Berard (Healthy) Adam Sýkora  #29 (Healthy) Bryce McConnell-Barker #8 (Healthy) Matt Robertson (Upper-body, Week-To-Week - Could be ready for the playoffs) Patrick Khordorenko (Season-ending shoulder surgery). C.J. Smith (Hip surgery, Done for the season) NOTES: The Marlies are coached by ex-Pack captain/Sound Tiger/Springfield Falcon Greg Moore. He has been at the helm for a year and a half. Former UCONN forward Ryan Tverberg just signed his NHL ELC deal with the Maple Leafs. His Marlies ATO deal came two weeks ago. he will be forgoing his senior season at Storrs. He was a scratch for the game. The other CT connection is G Keith Petruzzelli (Quinnipiac University). His alma mater is in the Frozen Four in Tampa Bay against Michigan Thursday night; the ETA of the game is 8:30 pm on ESPN. The NHL parent Toronto Maple Leafs recalled forwards Nick Abbruzzese and Wayne Simmonds on emergency recall. Off to St. John’s, Newfoundland (ECHL) are Todd Skirvington, Matt Hellickson, and Jack Badini (Old Greenwich). Jonny, Brodzinski was the second Wolf Pack this year to win an in-season AHL award as AHL Player of the Month for March. Cayden Primeau, son ex-Whaler Keith, was recalled again from the Laval Rocket to the parent Montreal Canadiens. Springfield signed Garrett Sparks after being sent back to Orlando (ECHL) as St. Louis recalled Vadim Zherenko. So too, was defenseman Matt Kessel. Lehigh Valley gets Samuel Ersson back in goal from Philly, sitting in for Connor Hart. He was suspended from the Canadian National Team with the WJC team because of a sexual assault incident that happened years ago. The claim was settled with the Canadian WJC team and, in turn, sent Pat Nagle back to the Reading Royals (ECHL). Peter DiLiberatore, is reassigned to Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Jon Gillies (Salisbury School) continues his shuttle between Columbus and Cleveland. Luke Stevens (Yale University-ECACHL) is reassigned to Kansas City (ECHL) by Coachella Valley Firebirds. CHICAGO WOLVES The Chicago Wolves sent a press release to all agents of minor league players yesterday that they will operate as an independent team next year, jettisoning Carolina after just two years. They aren't any more independent teams in the AHL. The last two were the Worcester (MA) Ice Cats in their first season under the late Roy Boe in 1993-94. The 1991 New Haven Nighthawks were the other. Worcester is no longer in the AHL. It’s now an ECHL city and long gone. The Nighthawks were comprised of Quebec Nordiques (nee Colorado Avalanche) farm hands and free agents. Dual affiliations are a thing of the past too. The Charlotte Checkers were being split by the Florida Panthers and Seattle Krakken last year while the new building in the California desert was being built. This was the first one since the ill-fated, two-year experiment called the Beast of New Haven in the late ’90s, which Carolina and Florida shared. Chicago has had four affiliations in the last seven years. They have had a tough going with every NHL affiliate. Several years ago, a St. Louis organizational source said, “We'll never go back there. We rather be in Mexico City than deal with them!” The owner of the defending Calder Cup Champion Wolves is Donald Levin; he likes winning titles and entertaining fans. He has the money to do this. This divorce comes two years earlier than was expected. It's been reported to be difficult to deal with  Tom Dundon of the Carolina Hurricanes since he brought the team from Peter Karmanos. CARON BRIERE Caron Brière, the eldest son of current Flyer GM and a former Springfield Falcon, Daniel Brière, was dismissed from his second NCAA team. Mercyhurst University (Erie, PA) (AHA) did so for his despicable actions in knocking an unoccupied wheelchair down a long flight of stairs to a bathroom area of a local Erie nightclub. The act was caught on a video surveillance camera and posted on Twitter. Brière was dismissed before even playing a game for Arizona State University (NCAA Independent). HARTFORD WOLF PACK HOME Read the full article