Like those of their big brothers in New York, the Hartford Wolf Pack’s playoff hopes took a serious blow this week.  In three games, the club managed just one win, and that came in overtime against a team ahead of them in race for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.  As a result, with just ten games remaining and a nine point gap between them and a playoff invite, its looking more and more likely that this season will mark the first in the franchise’s 13-year history that it does not participate in the postseason.

A common theme in both losses this week — and throughout the second half of the season — was playing from behind.  In Wednesday’s game against the Providence Bruins, defensive breakdowns cost the Wolf Pack two goals in the first 10 minutes of the game, including a goal on the game’s first shot just 2:23 in.

The Pack drew within one on Corey Locke’s league-leading 17th power play goal in the second period and equalized three minutes into the final frame when P.A. Parenteau banged home a convenient carom off the end boards.  But the Bruins re-took the lead at 10:43 after Trent Whitfield slipped Locke’s coverage, stole the puck from Anders Eriksson behind the net, and wrapped it around the post for what would ultimately become the game winner.

A botched change when goaltender Chad Johnson came off the ice for the extra skater allowed Providence to add an empty net goal with a minute and a half left, and Jordan Nightingale took a high-sticking penalty 19 seconds later, ending any hopes his team may have had for a late comeback.

The team got off to a better start on Friday, putting 10 of the first 11 shots on the board against the basement dwelling Springfield Falcons.  Yet, as it has all season long, it seemed every mistake ended up in the back of their net.  Just past the ten minute mark a rusty-looking Matt Zaba bobbled a rebound, resulting in a goal for Springfield’s Liam Reddox.  Former Pack defenseman Dean Aresene made it 2-0 after two Pack forwards inexplicably covered the same man, leaving Aresene wide open to walk in and blast a slapshot past Zaba from the top of the right circle.  To make matters worse, the goal came with only 23 seconds remaining in the period.

If the Wolf Pack deserve credit for anything, it’s their refusal to give up, no matter how often or early they fall behind.  Friday was no different.  Once again it was Locke who led the charge early in the second period, scoring yet another power play goal at 4:34.

Derek Couture picked up his own rebound to knot the score less than a minute and a half later, only to have Canadian World Junior wunderkind Jorden Eberle respond just 21 seconds later to put Springfield back in the lead.  Ex-Pack Chad Wiseman made it 4-2 at 12:42.

Brodie Dupont cut the Falcon lead to one  with his fourth goal in five games three minutes later, but goaltender Bryan Pitton was sharp the rest of the way.  A late Springfield bench minor for too many men — their second such penalty of the game — provided Hartford with the perfect opportunity to pull even, but Eriksson negated the man advantage with 21 seconds left, once again sabotaging hope of a late rally.

With the teams ahead of them all having successful weeks, the Wolf Pack entered Sunday’s rematch the the Bruins ten points out of a playoff spot, with their hopes of a shot at the Calder Cup all but dashed. They responded by scoring the game’s first goal — a first in four games — midway through the opening frame.  Dale Weise, who’s second on the team in goals despite being hampered briefly by a hand injury, earned 23rd goal of the season when stuffed home Ilkka Heikkinen‘s rebound on the power play.

Unfortunately, the Bruins charged back in the second, outshooting the Pack 13-5 and picking up a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead over the Wolf Pack going into the third.

It was the third time in three games the Wolf Pack entered the final period behind on the scoreboard and, as they did on Wednesday against the same Bruins team, they responded early.  This time the tally came off the stick of captain Dane Byers, who converted Kris Newbery’s centering pass from the right corner at 1:16, two seconds after a Providence penalty expired.

There can be little doubt that the Wolf Pack would be in a better position in the standings if not for Parenteau’s 16-game absence due to injury. The face was reinforced on Sunday, when he rebounded from a rare scoreless effort on Saturday to score a pair of goals.  The first game when he batted a rebound out of mid-air at 13:05 of the third, giving the Pack a 3-2 lead.  But, as they have so many times this season, the team gave it right back, this time only 50 seconds later.  A lost defensive zone faceoff by Dupont and poor man-on-man coverage down low resulted in a quick shot on goal and an easy rebound put-home by John Lammers at 13:55.

Lammers’ goal sent the two clubs to overtime, where the Wolf Pack had earned eight victories, tying them for best in the league with Bridgeport.  Their confidence in the extra frame was obvious, as they dominated puck possession and earned all seven shots of the shots taken. Their persistence paid off with 50 seconds to go.  Locke batted a Providence pass out of midair at the Pack blueline and led a 3-on-1 rush which concluded with Parenteau scoring his 20th of the season to give the Pack their third win in five games.

Unfotunately, with only ten games remaining in the season, its likely to be too little too late.

What’s Next
After a quiet midweek the Wolf Pack face a hectic three-in-three schedule that begins with a visit by the Adirondack Phantoms on Friday night at 7:00pm.  The game is the Pack’s final non-Atlantic Division game of the season, and will complete the two game season series between the two clubs. The Phantoms won the first meeting 3-2 back in October.

The Wolf Pack wrap up their season-high six game homestand on Saturday when they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  The Sound Tigers enter the week in possession of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and in the midst of an eight game span in which they haven’t suffered a regulation loss.  The Pack have lost three straight meetings with their in-state rivals, after going 3-0-0-2 in the first five games of the season series.  Gametime is 7:00pm.

Hartford head back on the road for the first time in over two weeks on Sunday afternoon when they make the bus ride up to Portland to face the Pirates, owners of the fifth best record in the league.  The Pack are winless in two previous visits to Portland this season, and have earned just one regulation win six games this season.  The puck drops at 4:00pm.

Laurie covers the Wolf Pack and the Rangers’ Russian players and prospects for her blog, Beyond the Blueshirts. She’ll be bringing us weekly updates on the Rangers’ top farm club throughout the 2009-2010 season. For updates as they happen, follow her on Twitter @byndblueshirts