WHEN YOU’RE HOT, YOU’RE HOT

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BY: Bruce Berlet

Despite numerous injuries and call-ups, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers had proven to be a bugaboo for the Connecticut Whale.

The Sound Tigers were 5-1-1-1 in the first eight meetings with their intrastate rival, though the Whale had lost twice in overtime and once in a shootout.

But for the second straight Friday night, the Whale prevailed thanks to another stellar performance by goalie Chad Johnson, who had 38 saves in a 3-2 victory after two quick visits to the New York Rangers this week as a backup to Martin Biron filling in for the ailing Henrik Lundqvist.

NOT ONE FOR THE HIGHLIGHT REEL

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“Coverage mistakes and lack of urgency on the back-check cost us two goals,” Whale head coach Ken Gernander told Brian Ring after the Connecticut Whale wasted a lead entering the third period for the seventh time this season and lost on the road at the Cumberland County Civic Center to the Portland Pirates 3-2 Friday night.

“We turned down some shot opportunities,”Gernander went on to add. “We’re better offensively when we’re straightforward, getting pucks to the net.”

SWEET VICTORY IN HERSHEY

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(We were unable to attend or watch yesterday’s battle between the Whale and Hershey due to a prior commitment to do our standup comedy at a fundraiser. – It went very well in case you’re interested. We will watch the replay and repost something later.)

BY: Brian Ring

Hershey, PA, February 4, 2012 – The Connecticut Whale defeated the Hershey Bears, 4-1, Saturday night at the Giant Center to win their second straight game. Tommy Grant scored twice for the Whale and goaltender Chad Johnson made 39 saves in the victory.

The win, coupled with Bridgeport’s loss to Manchester, moved the Whale back into a share of first place in the Northeast Division with 51 points.

GIMME A BREAK – AN ALL-STAR BREAK

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The late, great Gilda Radner’s character, “Roseanne Rosannadannna” used to say to great laughs, “If it’s not one thing, it’s another…” Those words rang very true Saturday night for the Connecticut Whale, but nobody was laughing as the New York Rangers’ top farm team dropped a 2-1 decision and lost their eleventh straight (0-6-3-2) to the Springfield Falcons before the season’s second largest crowd of 11,181.

After struggling to maintain discipline by taking foolish and avoidable penalties the night before against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that left them shorthanded seven times, they played more cautiously Saturday and were only shorthanded twice.  But somehow along with the penalties went the passion as they played very uninspired hockey for two periods before finding the right balance between aggressive and overly aggressive with a strong sense of urgency in their play for the third period. As it turned out though, it was a matter of, “too little, too late” mixed with a a costly mistake and finished off by a generous portion of excellent goaltending  by the Falcons’ Paul Dainton (4-2-0, 24 saves) that would do them in.

IS THIS ROCK BOTTOM?

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Throughout the 2011-2012 season the Whale have had two glaring problems: allowing quick back-to-back goals and not holding third period leads. Both of those Achilles Heel issues haunted the Whale Saturday night as they dropped a 5-4 decision, their ninth straight in a ten round shootout to the visiting Norfolk Admirals in front of a lively crowd of 5,557 on Wade Redden Bobblehead night at the XL Center.

Scott Tanski had a very strong game for the Whale with his first multi-goal game punching two into the Norfolk net while Kelsey Tessier added two assists.

WHALE DROWN CHASING SHARKS

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In the baseball film, “Bull Durham” the Manager of the baseball team that Kevin Costner plays for is upset after a loss and tells his players his view of the game this way:

“This is a simple game. Ya throw the ball; Ya hit the ball; Ya catch the ball.”

Well, hockey is not nearly as simple a game as baseball, but if asked it’s not too far of a stretch of the imagination to say that Connecticut Whale head coach Ken Gernander would probably say that in order to win in hockey there are also three things to win: Skate hard for sixty minutes, score timely goals and stay out of the penalty box.

WHALE QUIET SOUND TIGERS

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There certainly was not going to be much not to like for Connecticut Whale head coach Ken Gernander not to like after his team crushed the injury and call-up depleted Bridgeport Sound Tigers 6-3 at the XL Center in front of a small but vocal crowd of 2,745 Friday night.

“(It was) a pretty solid team game where everybody chipped in and did their part.” Gernander said. “We spread (the scoring0 out pretty well…I’m pretty happy with the special teams.”

SPOTLIGHT: SCOTT TANSKI

BY: Bruce Berlet

When Scott Tanski roofed a shot under the crossbar to win his second practice-ending shootout in three days last week, he was mobbed by virtually all of his Connecticut Whale teammates, many of whom leaped into the plexi-glass to try to get at the personable curly-haired redhead.

“It might have been my new stick,” a smiling Tanski said of his latest skills competition victory. “I like to keep it light in practice, and I know the guys knew I hadn’t had a goal yet, so when I win the shootout, it’s pretty special. We’d won a few games, and I just go to practice and try to have fun and work on a lot of things, though a shootout isn’t my specialty. I’ll leave that to Newbs (Kris Newbury) and Zucc (Mats Zuccarello) because they have some pretty moves. I don’t think too much, just think, ‘Shoot the puck,’ and I was lucky to squeeze a few in there. It must be some confidence with that new stick.”

SPECIAL TEAMS LEAD TO SPECIAL WIN FOR WHALE OVER FALCONS

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In 1973, with the New York Mets mired in last place at the time, but still within striking distance in a very tight divisional race, the press asked, then Manager, Yogi Berra if the season was finished, he replied with the classic line, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

For the 2011-2012 Connecticut Whale, truer words have never been spoken.

Entering the third period trailing for the ninth time in twenty-two games, the Whale scored five, that’s right five, power play goals and came from behind in the third period for a win for the fifth time already this season and defeated the Springfield Falcons 6-3 in front of 3,523 at the MassMutual Center Saturday night.

ANOTHER CHARACTER WIN FOR WHALE

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Say what you will about the 2011-2012 version of the Connecticut Whale, but this is a team of character. They find ways to win late; they find ways to win games early, they can win games ugly and they can win games like they did Friday night when they visited the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island and in front of a good crowd of 7,352 just beat up the last place Bruins 4-1 with a total team effort from the net on out.

Chad Johnson, (28 saves, 7-3-2) was the games first star making several strong stops and only a shot that he had no chance on, a short-handed Zach Hamill third period goal was able to get by him.