By BRUCE BERLET, Courant Staff Writer
Despite the Wolf Pack's worst start in their 10 seasons, general manager and coach Jim Schoenfeld isn't in panic mode.
Schoenfeld said he might have to trade for a veteran scorer or shuffle players between Hartford and Charlotte of the ECHL, but changes to the AHL's youngest team aren't in the near future.
"I'm just not ready to toss this in yet," Schoenfeld said. "If someone really catches fire in Charlotte, we might bring him up, but I just want to give this more time. I want to show some confidence in the players and let them try to work it out.
"It isn't a situation where we had expectations of grandeur and were going to be a scoring machine. Before the season started, we understood we would have this process and hoped our goaltending and defense would be a strength, which they have been. We have to increase our scoring, but part of developing players is developing a mental toughness."
The Pack (1-6-0-0) have 10 regulation goals, fewest in the AHL. Their only victory, 2-1 against Bridgeport Oct. 20, came when Jarkko Immonen, Dwight Helminen and Greg Moore scored in a shootout.
But those are the only times that Immonen and Helminen, the only returnees among a team-record six 30-goal scorers last season, have beaten a goalie. The Wolf Pack's power play is scoreless in its last 26 tries.
Schoenfeld said he saw "incremental signs of improvement" last weekend in Norfolk, where the Pack generated more scoring chances but ended up with two 3-1 losses, each of which included an empty-net goal. The Pack also allowed two short-handed goals Friday.
"It was sort of the same story, not being able to score, but their goalie played really well," said Schoenfeld, alluding to Corey Crawford stopping 52 of 54 shots in the two games.
Ryan Callahan scored both goals for the Pack, which tied him for the team lead with fellow rookies Brandon Dubinsky and Lauri Korpikoski.
"It's been a bit frustrating and a lot of guys are feeling some pressure and kind of squeezing their sticks a little," said Dubinsky, who had five goals and five assists in 11 playoff games this spring after arriving from Portland of the WHL. "But I think we're still upbeat and making strides as far as supporting each other on the forecheck and playing team-tough rather than [Dale Purinton] just going out and fighting.
"The games have been close, and we didn't deserve to lose the last one, but we've got a lot of energy so I think it's just a matter of time before we get over the hump and start winning regularly."
Kasparaitis With Pack
The Rangers have sent defenseman Darius Kasparaitis to the Wolf Pack on a 10-day conditioning assignment. Kasparaitis, 34, has played in six games with the Rangers and has one assist and 10 penalty minutes. He had shoulder surgery May 10 to repair a tear in his labrum and underwent surgery again June 14 to repair a torn side muscle. ... With wing Francis Lessard (elbow) and defenseman Ivan Baranka (finger) out for a few weeks, the Pack recalled wing Jakub Petruzalek from Charlotte.
