The Hartford Wolf Pack made their first ever trip to the Glens Falls Civic Center on Friday and came away with their third straight loss, falling 3-2 to the Adirondack Phantoms.  That puts their record at 2-5-0-0 for the season, just one point ahead of the last place Chicago Wolves.  I only saw the first and parts of the second and third periods of the game — not enough to write a full game wrap — so I’ll leave you with the Wolf Pack’s recap from Bob Crawford and a few random notes.

Notes:

• With the reassignment of Patrick Rissmiller to Grand Rapids, Brody Dupont centered the third line.  Dupont was drafted as a center, but has played exclusively on left wing with the Pack prior to this season.
• Dane Byers finally got on the scoreboard with his first goal of the season, a typical Byers special on a rebound right in front of the net.
• Justin Soryal finally found someone who would drop the mitts with him, and what a fight it was between “Scaryal” and and 6-5, 235-pound Garrett Klotz.  The two traded haymakers for a good 60 seconds, with each connecting with more than their fair share.  If pushed, I might say Soryal had a slight edge, but it was a pretty even and very entertaining scrap.
• Down in Charlotte, both goaltender Ryan Munce and defenseman Trevor Glass have been placed on 21-day injured reserve.  Munce apparently suffered a shoulder injury in the third period of Charlotte’s season opener.

Lines:

Byers – Crowder – Parenteau
Grachev – Locke – Weise
Hillier – Dupont – Owens
Soryal – Arnason – Ambuhl

Sanguinetti – Heikkinen
Henley – Potter
Urquhart – Sauer

Johnson / Wiikman

Adirondack Phantoms 3, Hartford Wolf Pack 2

Glens Falls, NY, October 23, 2009 – David Laliberte had a goal and two assists, and Jon Matsumoto added a goal and an assist, as the Adirondack Phantoms handed the Hartford Wolf Pack their third straigt loss, 3-2, Friday night at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

It was the first-ever meeting between the Wolf Pack and Phantoms in Glens Falls.  P.A. Parenteau and Dane Byers scored power-play goals for the Wolf Pack, and Corey Locke had two assists.

The Phantoms jumped on top only 1:20 into the game, taking advantage of a Wolf Pack defensive breakdown.  Patrick Maroon circled the Hartford net and centered to Laliberte, who was wide-open in front of the net and easily beat Wolf Pack goaltender Chad Johnson.

Hartford replied on a power play only 4:07 later, at 5:27, on a power play.  Locke found Parenteau in the left-wing circle with a pass from behind the net, and Parenteau snapped a shot past Phantom netminder Johan Backlund on the short side.  It was Parenteau’s fifth goal of the season, tying him with Locke for the team lead.

The Wolf Pack gave up an early goal again in the second period, with Matsumoto socring on a partial breakaway at 2:26 on a shot past Johnson’s catching glove.  The Phantoms then made it a 3-1 lead at 11:13 on a power-play, as Oskars Bartulis blasted in a slapshot through a screen from the left point.

Hartford got that back on a power play of their own just 1:01 later, as Byers notched his first goal of the season.  Stationed right in front of Backlund, Byers jammed in a rebound off of assists from Locke and Ilkka Heikkinen.

The Wolf Pack dominated the third period, outshooting the Phantoms 11-5, but could never manage an equalizer against Backlund, who finished the game with 26 saves.  Johnson made 24 stops in the Wolf Pack net.

The loss dropped the Wolf Pack to 2-5-0-0 on the season, headed into a home game Saturday night at the XL Center vs. Lowell (7:00 faceoff).

Hartford Wolf Pack 2 At Adirondack Phantoms 3
Oct 23, 2009 – Glens Falls Civic Center

Hartford 1 1 0 – 2
Adirondack 1 2 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Adirondack, Laliberte 1 (Maroon, Matsumoto), 1:20. 2, Hartford, Parenteau 5 (Locke, Sanguinetti), 5:27 (pp). Penalties-Soryal Hfd (fighting), 3:35; Klotz Adk (fighting), 3:35; Clackson Adk (holding), 3:56; served by Hillier Hfd (bench minor – too many men), 10:24; Hillier Hfd (tripping), 12:41; Laliberte Adk (hooking), 14:14; Kolanos Adk (cross-checking), 19:59.

2nd Period-3, Adirondack, Matsumoto 2 (Laliberte, Maroon), 2:36. 4, Adirondack, Bartulis 2 (Bourdon, Laliberte), 11:13 (pp). 5, Hartford, Byers 1 (Heikkinen, Locke), 13:14 (pp). Penalties-Urquhart Hfd (roughing), 4:49; Marshall Adk (roughing), 4:49; Mormina Adk (roughing), 4:49; Parenteau Hfd (tripping), 9:44; Bartulis Adk (interference), 13:05; Locke Hfd (roughing), 19:20.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Curry Adk (hooking), 5:22; Lehtivuori Adk (interference), 13:13; Byers Hfd (hooking), 17:16.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 10-7-11-28. Adirondack 13-9-5-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 2 of 6; Adirondack 1 of 5.
Goalies-Hartford, Johnson 2-3-0 (27 shots-24 saves). Adirondack, Backlund 3-2-0 (28 shots-26 saves).
A-4,062
Referees-Francis Charron (46).
Linesmen-Chris Low (88), Rich Patry (52).

The Hartford Wolf Pack have assigned goaltender Matt Zaba to Charlotte of the ECHL.  The 26-year old third year pro has been out of action since suffering a concussion in the Wolf Pack’s home opener on October 10th.  Zaba suffered the concussion when he was hit with an elbow by Springfield’s Liam Reddox, who was assessed a one-game suspension for the hit.

The assignment to Charlotte will give Zaba, who was 0-1-0 with a 84.6% save percentage and 4.84 goals against average in two appearances this season, an opporuntity to play regularly while he rehabs from his injury.

In other Wolf Pack-related news, AHL Live, the online video provider for the AHL, will be offering a free preview night on Friday, October 23rd.  All thirteen AHL contests — including the Wolf Pack’s 7:30pm match-up with the Adirondack Phantoms — will be available at no charge at www.ahllive.com.

Photo: Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images

The New York Rangers have finally rid their farm club of a headache by reassigning veteran forward Patrick Rissmiller to Grand Rapids of the AHL.

With the Wolf Pack already up against the AHL’s limit of six veterans, Rissmiller’s reassignment was needed in order to fit Matheiu Dandenault, who signed a professional tryout contract with the club on Wednesday.  It will also allow rookie center Paul Crowder, who’s been a pleasant surprise with six points in his first six games, to get more ice time.

Rissmiller has been taking up space in Hartford since being waived and sent down by the Rangers last December, a mere five months after signing a ridiculously lucrative three year deal worth $1 million per annum.  The 30-year old forward failed to win a spot on the roster in New York amid rumors attitude problems, and after spending two weeks with the Pack on a conditioning stint in November, was finally reassigned for good on December 2, 2008.

He fared no better in New York under new head coach John Tortorella this fall and was among the early cuts from camp.

Unfortunately, his contract with the Rangers remains in effect despite his reassignment to Grand Rapids, meaning he remains on the Rangers books and, baring a trade or summer buyout, will be back in training camp with the club one last time next fall.

Despite the indignity of being exiled to the AHL, the Belmont, MA native and Holy Cross College graduate had things pretty good in Hartford.  He was making $1 million a year — far more than any of his teammates — and got to live relatively close to family and friends.  He was granted leeway by the team regarding team events and practices.  All he had to do was show up for games and pretend like he was trying.  He couldn’t even do that.  In fact, his utter nonchalance during the Wolf Pack’s playoff elimination game last spring ranks as the worst effort I’ve ever witnessed by a professional hockey player.

And so, in the words of Charles Dickens, I say “good riddance to bad rubbish!”  May the extended road trips of the western conference give him ample time to think about all the things he looked like he’d rather have been doing when he was out on the ice with the Pack.