Johnson Perfect Again in Wolf Pack Win at Worcester

Chad Johnson made 35 saves for his second shutout in as many nights,,and Brodie Dupont had a goal and an assist, as the Wolf Pack defeated the Worcester Sharks 4-0 Saturday night at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Corey Locke also contributed two assists for the Wolf Pack, who improved to a season-best three games over .500, at 10-7-0-0 for 20 points.

Johnson, fresh off his second shutout of the season in Friday night's 2-0 win over Manchester, made 14 saves in a scoreless first period in which Worcester outshot the Wolf Pack 14-8.

Hartford opened the scoring in a four-on-four situation just 49 seconds into the second period, on defenseman Ilkka Heikkinen's fourth goal of the season. Corey Locke and Heikkinen worked a give-and-go, with Locke carrying the puck into the Shark zone on left wing and dropping it back to Heikkinen. Heikkinen took several steps up the slot and snapped a forehand shot past the catching glove of Worcester goaltender Alex Stalock.

The Pack then broke the game open with two goals in 2:11 early in the third period.

Dupont made it a 2-0 lead at 3:16, following up on a strong rush by Jordan Owens. Owens got by Worcester's Steven Zalewski on right wing and took the puck to the net. He was unable to jam it past Stalock, but Dupont jumped on the loose puck in the left-wing circle and put it in.

Then at 5:27, Ryan Garlock scored his first Wolf Pack goal, on a deflection of a Corey Potter shot. Potter slapped the puck at the net from the right point and Garlock redirected it past Stalock.

Bobby Sanguinetti created the final margin of 4-0 with a power-play goal with 2:45 left. With Dane Byers screening Stalock, Sanguinetti drove home a slap shot from the left circle.

Johnson became the first Wolf Pack goaltender to post shutouts in back-to-back games since Steve Valiquette did so January 15 and 19 of 2005.

Hartford Wolf Pack 4 At Worcester Sharks 0 - Status: Final
Nov 14, 2009 - DCU Center

Hartford 0 1 3 - 4
Worcester 0 0 0 - 0

1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Groulx Wor (slashing), 4:31; Locke Hfd (slashing), 5:16; Williams Hfd (hooking), 16:40; Couture Hfd (roughing), 20:00; Desjardins Wor (roughing), 20:00.

2nd Period-1, Hartford, Heikkinen 4 (Locke, Dupont), 0:49. Penalties-Weise Hfd (hooking), 6:52; Owens Hfd (tripping), 11:03; Desjardins Wor (tripping), 17:29; Petrecki Wor (cross-checking), 19:09; Weise Hfd (hooking, unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:14.

3rd Period-2, Hartford, Dupont 4 (Owens), 3:16. 3, Hartford, Garlock 1 (Potter, Byers), 5:27. 4, Hartford, Sanguinetti 6 (Weise, Locke), 17:15 (pp). Penalties-Stalock Wor (delay of game - restricted area), 10:35; Couture Hfd (tripping), 13:16; Mashinter Wor (hooking), 15:13; McLaren Wor (high-sticking), 16:36; Groulx Wor (hooking), 18:30.

Shots on Goal-Hartford 8-10-6-24. Worcester 14-14-7-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 of 7; Worcester 0 of 7.
Goalies-Hartford, Johnson 8-4-0 (35 shots-35 saves). Worcester, Stalock 6-4-1 (24 shots-20 saves).
A-5,107
Referees-Ghislain Hebert (49).
Linesmen-Bob Paquette (18), Brian MacDonald (72).