The most essential skill to learn in order to play hockey is skating of course.  You can’t be a good hockey player without being a good, strong skater.

So, here are some tips to help you get on the ice and get moving.

1.  Let’s start with tying your skates.  It’s important that the skates are tight and support your ankles well, you don’t want them to be loose at all.  However, you don’t want them to be too tight to hurt or stop circulation.

2.  Now it’s time to start some basic balance techniques.  No sense starting to do too much and falling and getting wiped out.

3.  Time to start moving a bit more now.  This will help you keep your movements correct and conserve your energy.

4.  Crossovers are an important part of being a good skater.  They help you skate with power, change direction and gain speed quickly.  This is a figure skating video but just as valuable.

5.  It’s always important when you’re skating that you actually know how to stop as well.  Otherwise, you will probably be introduced to either the boards or the net in a somewhat rude fashion.

6.  Congrats, you’re skating.  And hopefully stopping… but hockey is a two-way game and you will have to learn how to skate backwards just as well as forwards.

7.  Eventually we’ll have to add the stick to the mix.  You’ll need to learn how to stick handle or you won’t be getting by anyone, and you won’t be scoring either.

8.  Now that you can move the puck, its time to learn how to shoot it.  Wrist shots offer a quick release and are more accurate than slapshots generally.

9.  Slapshots are more powerful then wrist shots and move at a greater velocity, but it takes alot of skill and practice to do them right.

10.  Alright, you’ve conquered basic skating skills and puckhandling techniques.  You learned some basic shots, and how to put the puck in the net.  Now all that remains is lighting the lamp like these guys and figuring out how you’ll celebrate.

Wins over Portland, Manchester, Philadelphia and Albany put the Wolf Pack into a tie for points for second place in the Atlantic Division with 11.  So far, the division looks to be pretty tight, with Portland and Providence pacing the division with 13 points each, and Hartford and Springfield following up with 11.

Unfortunately, there were also injuries to Dane Byers and Brian Fahey, but hopefully the recalled Andreas Jamtin and David Urquhart can help to fill some of the voids left by those guys.

One last weekend of home games coming up before the Pack hit the road, they will face Worcester for the second week in a row, as well as Springfield for the second time.

The three goal outburst in the third period in Worcester has to be a step in the right direction, although as was noted, this team struggles in shoot-outs, which is indeed much the same story as last year.  This team is too solid to struggle offensively for long, and eventually the big time scorers will have to break out.

What you have to remember is that players like Moore, Jessiman, Parenteau and others are probably getting towards the end of their prospect status, and they won’t go down this season without a fight.  Jessiman, however, needs to get it going quickly.  The rest, I would not worry about, they will be fine.

Yes, I also agree that Owens, Pyatt, Oullette et al. need to be given some more time to show off their talents.  I’m not sure of the offensive upside of a guy like Mike, however I think that both Owens and Pyatt will really emerge as threats this season.

Regardless, it’s a little to early to press the panic button.  The team is not playing well in front of Wiikman, but I can’t imagine that continues for a real prolonged stretch.  There is also too much offensive skill to sputter forever, and I think at some point you will see Anisimov and Brodie really take off.

Who’s going to lead the Wolf Pack in scoring this season?

I asked him a handful of questions about this years’ squad, who is ready to impress, and where this team may end up in the springtime.

Enjoy:

1. Despite a slow start, where do you think the Pack ends up by April?

It’s too soon to tell where this team will be in April. Other Pack squads started slowly only to make a big rush at the end and go into the playoffs. Because of call-ups injuries and who actually winds up growing into the job at this level is anyone’s guess. I will say they have terrific coaching that will find a way to get the most out of whatever talents this team has.

Again, it’s too soon to tell. Right now all of the teams are giving the team fits. Providence looks again to be strong and Springfield is much improved. They’re two off the top of my head.

There are a number of them who are in real pivotal times in their careers. Dane Byers, Greg Moore, Hugh Jessiman and P.A. Parenteau are in make it or break it time, If they continue to struggle or not show significant improvement they could be dealt when the Rangers get to the deadline as part of a package to improve the NY squad. Corey Potter could well be up in NY before too long, Brian Fahey as well. Artie Anisimov needs to have a big year and Miika Wiikman is on the verge of landing an NHL job so he could be a significant factor this season

As of today, 10/20/08 the only players on the team that even remotely look like they could have an NHL career are the aforementioned Potter and Wiikman. The rest of the team is really struggling.

5.  Pick a Pack player that will surprise this year, in a good or bad way.

I think Tommy Pyatt has a world of offensive talent and could be an impact player and has the skills to get to the next level, but he will have to do some bulking up if he stands any chance. Mike Ouellette is also a hidden gem as is Jordan Owens. Ouellette and Owens could have bright AHL careers but neither to me appears to be NHL bound.

Thanks to Mitch for taking the time to provide some great insight on the Wolf Pack.  Be sure to check out Howlings when you can.

Head-to-head:

Tonight’s GEICO Connecticut Cup contest is the seventh of ten games between the Wolf Pack and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders. The Pack has taken just one of the previous six meetings with Bridgeport, dropping the last match-up 4-1 at the Arena at Harbor Yard last Sunday. Ben Walter has been a large part of the Sound Tigers’ success against the Pack, notching five points (2-3-5) in six games against Hartford. Jeff Tambellini, tied for second in the AHL with 28 goals, and Steve Regier have both picked up four points (2-2-4) in head-to-head action. Goaltender Mike Morrison was the last netminder to shut out the Wolf Pack, stopping 35 shots back on Dec. 29. The recalled Nigel Dawes has tallied four points (2-2-4) against Bridgeport for Hartford, while four Pack players have recorded three points, including team-leading scorer P.A. Parenteau (0-3-3). The Wolf Pack have an all-time record of 33(w)-24(l)-3(t)-4(otl)-2(sol) against the Sound Tigers, including a mark of 19(w)-9(l)-2(t)-1(otl)-2(sol) at the XL Center.

Wolf Pack Notebook:

The Wolf Pack (35-15-2-5, 77 points, 2^nd place in Atlantic Division) were defeated at home Thursday, 6-1, by the Atlantic-leading Providence Bruins. P.A. Parenteau scored the Pack’s lone goal, his 23^rd, with defensemen Ivan Baranka and Thomas Pöck picking up the assists. Parenteau has scored in his last two games during a five-game point streak, picking up 4-4-8 along the way. Miika Wiikman started in net for the Pack, making 24 saves on 30 shots, before being relieved by Chris Holt, who was perfect against six attempts. Despite missing the last three contests due to injury, Captain Andrew Hutchinson leads all AHL defensemen with 46 points (13-33-46). Greg Moore (+22) and Corey Potter (+21) are tied for 4th and 5^th in the league in +/-, respectively.

Sound Tigers Notebook:

The Sound Tigers (30-25-1-0, 61 points, 5^th place in East Division) fell to the Rivers Rats last night, 4-1, in Albany. Trevor Smith scored Bridgeport’s only goal, to continue a personal six-game point streak, over which he has notched 4-4-8. Mark Wotton and Dustin Kohn picked up the assists on Smith’s ninth marker of the season. Joey MacDonald started between the pipes for the Sound Tigers, making 24 saves on 27 River Rats attempts. Bridgeport went 0/8 on the power-play, dropping them to 24^th in the AHL with the extra attacker at 14.9%. The Sound Tigers’ penalty-kill weighs in at 11^th in the league at 83.9%. Goaltender Mike Morrison is tied for first in the AHL with five shutouts.

Last Night in the AHL:

Bridgeport 1 @ Albany 4 Lake Erie 0 @ San Antonio 1 Peoria 2 @ Quad City 6 Portland 1 @ Springfield 2 (SO)

Manitoba 4 @ Grand Rapids 1 Norfolk 3 @ Manchester 2 (SO) Lowell 2 @ Worcester 1 (SO) Houston 5 @ Syracuse 4 (SO)

Rockford 3 @ Milwaukee 2 Hershey 3 @ Philadelphia 2 Chicago 3 @ Iowa 1 Binghamton 4 @ Rochester 0

Tonight in the AHL (all times EDT):

Binghamton @ Toronto (4:00) Houston @ Hamilton (7:00) Norfolk @ Manchester (7:05)

Lowell @ Albany (7:00) Philadelphia @ Hershey (7:00) Portland @ Worcester (7:05)

Manitoba @ Grand Rapids (7:00) Providence @ Springfield (7:00) W-B/Scranton @ Syracuse (7:30)

New York Rangers Notebook:

The Rangers have been idle since a 6-5 shootout loss Tuesday to the Canadiens in Montreal. The Blueshirts will be back in action on the road tonight at 7:00, when they take on the Buffalo Sabres. The Rangers took the last match up between the instate rivals, 5-1, last Saturday at Madison Square Garden. New York and Buffalo are tied in the Eastern Conference playoff standings with 68 points. Chris Drury currently paces New York with 20 goals this season, while Scott Gomez is the team leader in both assists (45) and points (58). Brandon Dubinsky is seventh among NHL rookies in scoring, with 28 points (11-17-28).

Tonight in the NHL (all times EDT):

NY Rangers @ Buffalo (7:00) Chicago @ Los Angeles (3:00) Florida @ Philadelphia (7:00) Dallas @ Nashville (8:00)

NY Islanders @ New Jersey (1:00) Washington @ Carolina (5:00) Columbus @ Montreal (7:30) Detroit @ Vancouver (10:00)

Ottawa @ Pittsburgh (3:00) Atlanta @ Toronto (7:00) Boston @ Tampa Bay (7:30)

Head-to-head:

The Hartford Wolf Pack will kick off their twelfth season of AHL play tonight, when they face the Springfield Falcons in the first of ten meetings between the teams this year. The Wolf Pack won nine of the ten tilts between the I-91 rivals last season and swept the Falcons here at home, including a 10-1 drubbing at the XL Center last March. P.A. Parenteau led all current Wolf Pack players in scoring against the Falcons last season, tallying five goals and six assists in ten games against Springfield, while Greg Moore picked up ten points in ten games (3-7-10). Marc Pouliot paced the Falcons’ attack against Hartford last season with 3-3-6, but no returning Falcon had more than a pair of helpers against the Wolf Pack in 2007-2008.

Wolf Pack Notebook:

The Wolf Pack (50-20-2-8, 110 points, 2^nd place in Atlantic Division in 2007-2008) are coming off of one of their best seasons in franchise history, as Hartford finished with 50 wins and a franchise record 110 points last season. Head coach Ken Gernander will return to his duties this season, after leading the Pack to their 11^th consecutive playoff birth in his first year behind the bench. P.A. Parenteau (34-47-81) and AHL All-Star Greg Moore (26-40-66) led the Wolf Pack in scoring last season, while Corey Potter finished second in the AHL with a +33 plus/minus rating on the Pack blue line. Center Artem Anisimov led Hartford in rookie scoring last season with 16-27-43 in 74 games. Goaltender Miika Wiikman is entering his second season with the Wolf Pack, after leading all rookie netminders with a .919 save percentage last year, to go along with 21 wins.

Falcons Notebook:

The Falcons (35-35-5-5, 80 points, 5^th place in Atlantic Division in 2007-2008) missed the playoffs last season by eight points in a competitive Atlantic Division, despite a quality season from the now departed Rob Schremp (23-53-76). Liam Reddox leads all returning Falcons from last season in scoring, posting a mark of 16-28-44 in 65 games with Springfield. Jake Taylor joins the Falcons this season, and will serve as an alternate captain after spending parts of the last four campaigns with the Wolf Pack. Tim Sestito has been named team captain, entering his second season with the Falcons, while Ryan Potulny will serve as the second alternate. Jeff Truitt will take over as head coach this season, after serving as an assistant to Kelly Buchberger in Springfield last year.

Last Night in the AHL:

Binghamton 2 @ Toronto 1 (SO) Syracuse 4 @ Rochester 3 Quad City 2 @ Rockford 4

Bridgeport 1 @ Philadelphia 2 Peoria 3 @ Iowa 5

Hershey 5 @ Norfolk 3 Hamilton 3 @ Manitoba 1

Tonight in the AHL (all times EDT):

Bridgeport @ Albany (7:00) Philadelphia @ W-B/Scranton (7:05) Milwaukee @ San Antonio (8:00)

Grand Rapids @ Lake Erie (7:00) Hershey @ Norfolk (7:15) Rockford @ Quad City (8:05)

Worcester @ Lowell (7:00) Rochester @ Syracuse (7:30) Hamilton @ Manitoba (8:30)

Manchester @ Portland (7:00) Iowa @ Peoria (8:00) Chicago @ Houston (8:35)

New York Rangers Notebook:

After completing a two-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague last week, the Rangers extended their win streak to three Friday night, knocking off the Chicago Blackhawks by a 4-2 count. Brandon Dubinsky recorded a three point night for the Blueshirts, notching his second goal of the season, as well as two assists. Wade Redden, Aaron Voros and Nikolai Zherdev all recorded their first goals in a Rangers uniform, with both Voros and Zherdev adding an assist as well. Henrik Lundqvist was solid in between the pipes for New York, making 30 saves on 32 Chicago attempts. The Rangers will attempt to keep their winning streak alive tonight in Philadelphia, where they will take on the Flyers in their home opener.

Tonight in the NHL (all times EDT):

NY Rangers @ Philadelphia (7:00) Chicago @ Washington (7:00) Dallas @ Nashville (8:00) Vancouver @ Calgary (10:30)

Montreal @ Toronto (7:00) Atlanta @ Florida (7:00) Boston @ Minnesota (8:30)

Detroit @ Ottawa (7:00) New Jersey @ Pittsburgh (7:30) Columbus @ Phoenix (10:00)

St. Louis @ NY Islanders (7:00) Carolina @ Tampa Bay (7:30) Los Angeles @ San Jose (10:00)

PLAYERS REASSIGNED BY NEW YORK RANGERS FROM WOLF PACK TO CHARLOTTE (ECHL):
Michael Busto (D)
Ryan Hillier (LW)
Tomas Zaborsky (LW)

PLAYERS LOANED BY WOLF PACK TO CHARLOTTE (ECHL):
David Skokan (C)
David Urquhart (D)

PLAYERS RELEASED BY WOLF PACK TO JOIN CHARLOTTE (ECHL):
Julien Brouillette (D)
Peter-James Corsi (C)
Matt Ford (F)
Marty Guerin (RW)
Jeff Jakaitis (G)
Michel Leveille (LW)
Lyon Messier (D)
Jared Nightingale (D)
David Rutherford (RW)
Peter Tsimikalis (C)

PLAYER RELEASED BY WOLF PACK TO JOIN UTAH (ECHL):
Will Bodine (LW)

PLAYERS RELEASED BY WOLF PACK:
Andrew Gallant (G)
Martin Houle (G)
Guillaume Parenteau (F)

Those moves leave the Wolf Pack with 26 players on the training camp roster:
Goal (2): Miika Wiikman, Matt Zaba

Defense (9): Vladimir Denisov, Tysen Dowzak, Brian Fahey, Ethan Graham, Maxim Kondratiev, Chris Murray, Corey Potter, Bobby Sanguinetti, Michael Sauer

Forwards (15): Artem Anisimov, Joe Barnes, Dane Byers, Sergei Demagin, Brodie Dupont, Andreas Jämtin, Hugh Jessiman, Greg Moore, Mike Ouellette, Jordan Owens, P.A. Parenteau, Tom Pyatt, Justin Soryal, Mike Taylor, Dale Weise