Tonight, at Springfield, 7:35: The Wolf Pack (43-21-3-3) are 2-0-1-1 in their last four games and five points behind Atlantic Division leader Manchester with 10 games to go.

The Pack are 5-1-0-1 against the Falcons (20-24-2-3), who are next to last in goals (133), have been shut out an AHL-record 16 times and will miss the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. But they're coming off a 5-2 victory over Portland that ended a four-game losing streak and tied their highest output in regulation. Rookie C Ryan Craig (23 goals, 13 assists) is their leading scorer.

Saturday, Portland, 7:05 p.m.: The Pack are 5-1-1 against the Pirates but lost 2-0 in the last meeting March 13, ending a 15-game unbeaten streak in Portland.

Until a three-game losing streak, Kirk Daubenspeck (13-7-1, 1.85 goals-against average, four shutouts) keyed a Pirates revival since being signed Feb. 5 from South Carolina of the ECHL. But the Pirates are 25th in scoring, led by C Trent Whitfield (14, 31).

Sunday, at Lowell, 4 p.m.: This could be a preview of the first round of the playoffs, with the Pack having a 4-2-0-1 record against the Lock Monsters (40-23-4-5).

Lowell, which has won three in a row since a 1-0 loss to the Pack March 23, has a potent attack, led by the AHL's top line - C Eric Staal (23, 46), RW Chuck Kobasew (35, 33) and LW Colin Forbes (25, 34) - and C Mike Zigomanis (24, 26). G Cam Ward (24-14-3, 1.99, six shutouts) could be rookie of the year.

Wednesday, at Worcester, 7:05 p.m.: This is likely the Pack's last visit to Worcester, as the IceCats are moving to Peoria, Ill.

The Pack are 4-3 against the IceCats (35-29-4-2), who have lost six in a row to fall four points behind Providence for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. RW Jon DiSalvatore, a former South Windsor resident, has five goals and five assists in the last nine games to take over the Worcester scoring lead (21, 20). West Haven's Eric Boguniecki, the 2002 AHL MVP, has nine goals and five assists in 22 games.