On Friday night in Bridgeport the Hartford Wolf Pack followed up a strong 40-minute effort with a third period collapse in which they surrendered a 1-0 lead to fall 4-1 to the Sound Tigers. On Saturday they reversed their fortunes, capping an uninspired opening two periods with a strong third period for a come-from-behind win over the streaking Manchester Monarchs. The win came compliments of second-year pro Jordan Owens, who scored his first goal in 12 games with less than 30 seconds remaining on the clock.

It was a sweet reward for the Toronto native, who had been robbed by Manchester goalie Jonathan Bernier ten minutes earlier. With 9:42 remaining in the period and Artem Anisimov and Drew Bagnall just emerging from their respective penalty boxes after two minutes of four-on-four play, Owens took a cross ice pass in the right face off circle and fired a shot top-corner on the Monarch net for what seemed like a sure goal. Somehow, the Los Angeles Kings’ first round pick (11th overall in 2006) was able to get across the crease and snag Owens’ bid in his glove, making the save of the game and keeping the closely contested match knotted at one.

The two teams carried a scoreless tie through the first half of the game until the Wolf Pack found itself in penalty trouble just prior to the halfway mark of the second period. With defenseman David Urquhart already in the box for slashing, Corey Potter was whistled for cross-checking at 11:29, setting up a 23 second 5-on-3. Just as Urquhart was stepping back on to the ice, Manchester’s top goal getter, Teddy Purcell, blasted a slap shot from the top of the faceoff circles through a tangle of bodies in front of the net. The shot, which may have been deflected on the way in, got past Wolf Pack starting netminder Matt Zaba and found its way to the back of the net at 11:57.

The Monarchs took the 1-0 lead into the third period, where a hungrier Hartford team emerged. After mustering only 14 shots through two periods (to Manchester’s 22), the Pack would strike for 16 in the third, while holding the Monarchs to just 5. The tying goal came at 13:28 on the power play when Greg Moore deflected defenseman Brian Fahey’s shot from the left point. Moore’s deflection hit the post, ricocheted off Bernier’s leg and back over the goal line, giving him his sixth of the season.

The game looked destined to go to overtime until a rare defensive breakdown by Manchester — who were riding a 6-game winning streak entering the game — resulted in a 3-on-2 for the Wolf Pack. Owens carried the puck into the Monarch zone, looking to pass the whole way. But with time and space, and no passing lanes available, Owens was left with no option but to shoot from almost the exact spot he’d been stymied from earlier in the period. This time he opted for the 5-hole, beating Bernier with just 29.6 seconds remaining on the clock.

The win returned the Wolf Pack to the .500 mark with a 9-9-0-2 record. They remain at the bottom of the Eastern Division standings, but trail Springfield, Manchester and Lowell by only a point, and Worcester, by just two. The Pack hit the road to face division-leading Providence Sunday afternoon.

Highlights from the game are available courtesy of AHL Live.

Scoring:
2. Purcell (9) (Murray, Azevedo) 11:57 (PP)
3. Moore (6) (Fahey, Sanguinetti) 13:28 (PP)
3. Owens (2) (DiDiomete, Moore) 19:29

Lines:
Dupont – Anisimov – Weise
Owens – Moore – Parenteau
Soryal – Pyatt – Ford
DiDiomete – Ouellette – Sugden

Potter – Sanguinetti
Denisov – Fahey
Urquhart – Sauer

Zaba / Wiikman

Three Stars:
1. Jordan Owens
2. Matt Zaba
3. Teddy Purcell

Through the first forty minutes of Friday’s game in Bridgeport the Hartford Wolf Pack dominated the Sound Tigers, outshooting their in-state rivals by a margin of 33-14 while keeping them pinned in their own zone for long stretches of time.  Yet the young Pack team was able to put just one tally on the board through two periods, despite their numerous scoring chances.  In the final period, the Sound Tigers roared back with four unanswered goals in a ten minute span to hand the Pack their second consecutive loss.  Three of the four goals came during special teams play, including two on the power play and one shorthanded.

Artem Anisimov kicked off the scoring for the visitors at 13:47 of the first period, extending his point-scoring streak to 7 games (4 goals, 4 assists) and moving him into second place on the team with his 6th goal of the season.  With the Pack in the midst of a line change, Mike Ouellette tried to bank the puck in off Bridgeport goaltender Yann Danis from behind the goal line.  Danis thwarted his attempt, but the rebound came out in front of the net, where a charging Anisimov was able to tuck it in just under the cross bar on the far side.

The Pack kept Bridgeport hemmed in their own zone for most of the second half of the period and finished the frame with a 16-6 advantage in shots.  They continued their strong play in the second period, outshooting the Sound Tigers by a margin of 17-8.  But an inability to finish on the part of the Pack and strong play by the game’s first star, goaltender Danis, meant the Pack would start the final stanza with a tenuous one goal lead.  That lead would prove impossible to hold.

Ben Walter picked up the Sound Tigers first goal at 6:17 of the final period, chipping a lose puck up over Hartford netminder Miika Wiikman from just off the right post for Bridgeport’s only even-strength tally.  It was Wiikman’s first start after missing two games with an undisclosed injury suffered a week ago against Lowell.  He made 21 stops on 25 shots, stopping only 7 of 11 in the third period.

Trevor Smith continued the scoring for the Sound Tigers with the first of two quick power play goals at 11:30.  With David Urquhart already in the box for roughing and a delayed call coming on Corey Potter, the second-year pro was able to bat his own rebound out of mid-air and into the net.

Just 19 seconds later, with Potter serving his hooking call, Isles forward Mike Sillinger, in Bridgeport on a conditioning assignment while he recovers from hip surgery performed last February, snapped a feed from Blake Comeau past Wiikman on the stick side.

Much like their parent club, the Wolf Pack has struggled on the power play this season, and they went 0 for 6 with the man advantage on this night.  To make matters worse, the power play gave up a shorthanded goal at 15:54 when Bobby Sanguinetti was unable to control the puck at the Bridgeport blueline, allowing Tyler Haskins to skate in on a breakaway.  Haskins deked to his backhand and put the puck over Wiikman’s pad to finish the scoring at 4-1.

Once again the Pack outshot Bridgeport in the period, registering 13 shots to Bridgeport’s 11.  They finished the game with a 46-25 advantage.

With their second loss in a row, the Wolf Pack now find themselves in the Atlantic Division basement, their sub-.500 record (8-9-0-2) putting them one point behind the Lowell Devils and two behind the Worcester Sharks.  They face the third place Manchester Monarchs in Hartford on Saturday night.

Notes:

• The Pack dressed 7 defenseman.  Brandon Sugden was a healthy scratch as a result.
• With a 15-4-0-2 record, Bridgeport is second in both the East Division and the AHL.

Scoring:
1. Anisimov (6) (Ouellette, Denisov) 13:47
3. Walter (4) (Haskins, Kohn) 6:17
3. Smith (7) (Walter, Iggulden) 11:30 (PP)
3. Sillinger (1) (Comeau, Kohn) 11:49 (PP)
3. Haskins (4) 15:54 (SH)

Lines:
Soryal – Moore – Parenteau
Dupont – Anisimov – Weise
Owens – Pyatt – Ford
DiDiomete – Ouellette

Graham – Fahey
Potter – Sanguinetti
Denisov – Sauer
Urquhart

Three Stars:
1. Yann Danis
2. Ben Walter
3. Tyler Haskins

A week ago today friends, family, teammates and fans marked forty days since the passing of Alexei Cherepanov with a somber memorial at the fallen forward’s grave site. Two days later, with the black mourning armbands they’ve worn since the his death removed — the “7″ patches remain prominently displayed on each player’s jersey, and will do so through the remainder of the season — the team halted a skid that had stretched to five games with a 3-2 shootout victory over Khimik Voskresensk.

Jaromir Jagr, who has only two assists through six games in the month of November, admitted that he continues to have difficulty dealing with Cherepanov’s death. “We still have not recovered from the tragedy,” Jagr shared. “I can’t escape the thought that I have lost a younger brother. Sometimes, you go to practice and remember how you remained on the ice with Lyoshka, worked on dekes, shots, passes. Or you sit on the bench during the game and your eyes search for a familiar number on a sweater, and you come upon continuous line of sevens.” Jagr’s not alone — the whole team is struggling through its grief. “Each of the guys is in a black, mournful frame [of mind]. You know, in the past when I read about the loss of close relatives in books, I didn’t comprehend the whole magnitude of the grief.”

A museum honoring Cherepanov is being planned for an area of the large foyer of Omsk Arena where fans filled a wall with phrases and poems of remembrance following his death. Cherepanov’s father, Andrei Cherepanov, who now works as a manger for the club, has been tasked with organizing the museum, which will contain a collection of jerseys, medals, gloves and photos of the young Russian star, as well as fan contributions including team scarves, Cherepanov autographs, and poems and songs penned in his memory.

Cherepanov’s mother, Margarita Cherepanova, spoke to reporters following the memorial about her growing frustration with the lack of answers she’s received about the cause of her son’s death. “Ms. Tarasova (the head of the department of public health services in Checkhov – ed.) declared to the whole world, that such a sick person couldn’t even participate in amateur sports,” she told Sport-Express. “What I want to ask — is Tarasova right or not? I understand that I will not find the truth. But somebody should experience at least a little bit of what I have. It’s not vengeance, but I’m a mother, and any mother will understand my feelings.” Cherepanova has been unable to get any information from investigators, instead having to rely on newspaper and TV reports. “Right now I’d don’t see the truth — I get all information from newspapers and TV screens. I call Moscow, the reply there — the investigation has been extended, everything is classified. From who? From his mother? I should know everything first, not the rest of the world. It all seems wrong somehow.”

The criminal investigation — which has been extended twice — is now expected to be concluded by the end of this month. Avangard President Konstantin Potapov has revealed that the results of medical tests performed on Cherepanov by the New York Rangers when he was in New York following the 2007 NHL Entry Draft have been of no assistance in the investigation. “Unfortunately, we expected a little more from the American tests [performed] by the Rangers,” Potapov told Sport-Express. “For the most part the examination was conducted in the form of “question and answer”. There was no in depth analysis there of how the heart works or of other internal organs. Yes, there is a cardiogram, but it concurs completely with the one that was done on Lesha by Omsk’s doctors,” he explained. “From that which has come to us, one can not draw conclusions on the reasons for the tragedy.”

After a 6-day break, Avangard return to the ice tomorrow to try to build on last weekend’s win when they face Amur Khabarovsk at home.