WHALE WEEKLY: March 12 – 18, 2012

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the CTWhale

The Whale won two out of three games again this past weekend, starting off with a key 4-3 shootout victory at home Friday over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in Northeast Division action. The Whale would fall to the league-leading Norfolk Admirals Saturday at the XL Center, 3-1, on Connecticut Hockey Hall of Fame night, but would rebound nicely with a 5-3 road win over the Manchester Monarchs on Sunday. Casey Wellman had two goals and an assist in Sunday’s game, and both Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Kris Newbury cracked the 20-goal mark over the course of the three games. Chad Johnson recorded his 20^th win of the season in goal Sunday, after earning a First-Star nod in Friday’s win over the Sound Tigers.

SPOTLIGHT: BRENT THOMPSON

BY: Bruce Berlet

Brent Thompson could be in line for a Coach of the Year daily double.

The former Hartford Wolf Pack defenseman was named ECHL Coach of the Year last season after leading the Alaska Aces to the regular season and playoff titles. Now Thompson is a leading contender for AHL Coach of the Year after guiding the Bridgeport Sound Tigers from seeming oblivion to challenging the Connecticut Whale for the Northeast Division lead.

WHALE WEEKLY: February 14 – 19, 2012

The Whale continued their hot February this past week, going 3-0-1-0 in four games to pull into sole possession of first place in the Northeast Division. The Whale posted wins over Syracuse, Springfield and Manchester, and earned a point in Sunday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Wojtek Wolski finished the week’s action with four points (2g-2a-4pts.), with Jonathan Audy-Marchessault registering two goals and an assist. Chad Johnson won five straight games in February, posting a 1.50 goals against average and a .953 save percentage this month.

This week:

The Whale will look to continue their winning ways in February with home tilts against Springfield this Friday (7:00) and Worcester (7:00) on Saturday, before heading to Providence (4:05) to face the Bruins on Sunday.

SPOTLIGHT: SOUNDING OUT THE TIGERS

BY: Bruce Berlet

After a well-earned four-day break, the Northeast Division-leading Connecticut Whale looks to extend their latest points streak to four games when they visit their intrastate rival Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Monday night.

The Whale headed to the Christmas hiatus off a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Adirondack Phantoms on Wednesday night, on defenseman Pavel Valentenko’s 50-foot laser with 16.2 seconds left off a faceoff win by veteran center Kris Newbury. Defenseman Brendan Bell, who assisted on all three Whale goals, touched the puck to Valentenko for the second winner of his life, the first coming only nine games earlier in a 4-2 win over the Hershey Bears on Nov. 29.

WHALE WEEKLY: December 19-27, 2011

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the Connecticut Whale

The Whale (16-8-1-3, 36 pts.) gained three out of a possible four points in a pair of home games this past weekend, remaining ahead of the Adirondack Phantoms by four points for first place in the Northeast Division.  The Whale hosted Bridgeport at the XL Center on Friday night, defeating their GEICO Connecticut Cup rivals handily, 6-3, before the arch-rival Providence Bruins came to town on Saturday. Connecticut was edged by Providence, 2-1 in a shootout, in that contest. Kris Newbury recorded five points on the weekend for the Whale with a goal Saturday and four assists Friday, the Whale’s first four-point game of the season.

This week:

The Whale’s last game before the Christmas holiday is this Wednesday night, December 21, as they host the Adirondack Phantoms for the first time this season at the XL Center, with faceoff at 7:00 PM.  The Whale then return to action Monday night, the night after Christmas, December 26, visiting Bridgeport for a GEICO Connecticut Cup tilt (7:00).  Connecticut is back home Tuesday night, December 27, for a 7:00 Northeast Division game against the Albany Devils.

SPOTLIGHT: NHL REALIGNMENT

BY: Bruce Berlet

The New York Rangers could be seeing even more of the arch-rival Islanders if a realignment plan approved by the NHL Board of Governors on Monday night is implemented.

At the BOG meetings in Pebble Beach, Calif., the board approved a plan that eliminates the current two-conference, six-division setup in favor of a configuration that features four conferences based primarily on geography. Two conferences will have eight teams, the other two will have seven teams.

WHALE WEEKLY: October 31 – November 6, 2011

BY: Bob Crawford, Voice of the Connecticut Whale

The Whale extended its winning streak to five games last week, winning road contests at Adirondack Friday, 4-2, and in Worcester Saturday, 3-2 in a shootout.  Connecticut is now unbeaten in regulation in eight consecutive games (6-0-0-2) since a season-opening, 6-3 defeat at Adirondack October 8.  The Whale currently sit in first place in the Northeast Division with a 6-1-0-2 record for 14 points, the franchise’s best start since a team-record 9-0-0-0 run to begin the 2004-05 campaign.  Jordan Owens scored a pair of goals, his first two points of the season, to pace the victory Friday night, and defenseman Brendan Bell chipped in a total of three assists in the two wins.

CT WHALE SCHEDULE RELEASED

For the Connecticut Whale this is going to be an interesting season. They have long road stretches mixed with a couple of decent home dates and then a gigantic homestand near the end of the season.

The have three back-to-back games with the same team. The first with St. Johns, last season’s Manitoba Moose, on the road November 12 and 13 and then in Norfolk on January 13 and 14. They get a pair with Portland at home on March 18 and 23.

The Whale will also take part in two 11am starting times. The first in Bridgeport against the Sound Tigers on November 2nd and then at the XL Center on February 28th against the Worcester Sharks.

GET YOUR SCHEDULE INTRODUCTIONS HERE

WHALE ANNOUNCES 2011-12 SCHEDULE FORMAT

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I-91 Rivals Springfield and Bridgeport will be Most Familiar Adversaries

HARTFORD, July 14 2011:  The Connecticut Whale today announced its schedule format for the upcoming 2011-12 American Hockey League season.

RANGERS CANADA BOUND

NY RANGERS at MONTREAL CANADIENS
Saturday, Jan. 15, 7:00 p.m.
Bell Centre • Montreal, Quebec
Rangers: 26-16-3 (55 pts)
Canadiens: 24-17-3 (51 pts)
* All information through NHL games on Jan. 13