PORTLAND, ME – The Hartford Wolf Pack’s line of P.A. Parenteau, Artem Anisimov and Brodie Dupont continued to sizzle in a holiday matinee game at the Cumberland County Civic Center Monday, combining for two second-period goals that keyed a 3-1 Wolf Pack win over the Portland Pirates.
The triumph lifted the Wolf Pack past the Pirates and the Worcester Sharks and into second place in the Atlantic Division. At 22-17-2-3 for 49 points, the Wolf Pack are only two points behind the division-leading Providence Bruins.
After a scoreless first period, in which the Wolf Pack outshot the Pirates 14-7, Portland opened the scoring just 2:22 into the second frame, with Pirates leading scorer Mark Mancari getting his 17th goal of the season. Mancari spun toward the slot from the top of the left circle and put a low shot past the left pad of Hartford goaltender Matt Zaba.
The Wolf Pack, though, would respond with a pair of goals in a span of 3:03 starting at 12:16. Anisimov passed the puck from the right-wing circle across the slot to Parenteau, whose one-timer beat Pirate netminder Jhonas Enroth, Then with the Wolf Pack on a power play at 15:19, Parenteau returned the favor to Ansimov for Anisimov’s 20th goal of the year, a shot from the top of the circles that squeaked between Enroth’s pads. Dupont also assisted on both goals.
Tom Pyatt secured the win for the Wolf Pack with a goal at 15:47 of the third period. Mike Ouellette had a partial breakaway but was angled off, and backhanded a pass to Pyatt alone in the slot.
Zaba made 21 saves in the Hartford net to improve his record to 7-5-0. Enroth stopped 27 shots.
Parenteau’s goal and an assist stretched his point-scoring streak to a team season-high eight straight games (4-10-14), and it was his fourth straight goal-and-an-assist performance. Anisimov has at least a point in six straight games (4-5-9) and 12 of his last 13 (9-11-20).
Hartford Wolf Pack 3 at Portland Pirates 1
Jan 19, 2009 – Cumberland County Civic Center
1st Period
Scoring – No Scoring
Penalties – B. Sugden Hfd (delay of game) 2:44, C. Fretter Por (hooking) 6:05, M. Macdonald Por (holding) 13:22
2nd Period
Scoring – 1. Portland, M. Mancari (17) (M. Gragnani, M. Darche) 2:22
2. Hartford, P. Parenteau (19) (A. Anisimov, B. Dupont) 12:16
3. Hartford, A. Anisimov (20) (P. Parenteau, B. Dupont) 15:09 PP
Penalties – D. Weise Hfd (cross-checking) 3:36, B. Dupont Hfd (hooking) 5:58, M. Mancari Por (slashing) 14:58
3rd Period
Scoring – 4. Hartford, T. Pyatt (9) (M. Ouellette, M. Ford) 15:47
Penalties – No Penalties
HFD Shots: 14 7 9 TOTAL: 30
POR Shots: 7 8 7 TOTAL: 22
Power Play Conversion
Hartford Wolf Pack 1-3. Portland Pirates 0-3.
Goaltenders
Hartford Wolf Pack
Zaba 7-5-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 60:00 SV: 21 GA: 1 [W]
Portland Pirates
Enroth 15-10-2 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 58:32 SV: 27 GA: 3 [L]
Start : 1:03 PM
End : 3:13 PM
Attendance : 3933
Referee I: Chris Cozzan (68)
Referee II:
LINESMAN I: Landon Bathe (80)
LINESMAN II: Joe Ross (92)