Despite victories in two out of three games, the playoff picture only got bleaker for the Hartford Wolf Pack this week.  After impressive come-from-behind wins over the Adirondack Phantoms and Bridgeport Sound Tigers — the club the Pack is currently chasing for the final playoff berth — Hartford once again found themselves playing from behind on Sunday.  They were unable to rebound from a two goal deficit a third time, however, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Portland Pirates.

To make matters worse, the club now finds itself moving forward without either of its top two scorers, since both P.A. Parenteau and Corey Locke were recalled by the New York Rangers.

They got a taste of what it would be like this weekend, when they were forced to play without Parenteau, who got the call from New York on Friday morning.

Facing the already-eliminated Adirondack Phantoms on Friday night, the Pack spotted their visitors a two goal lead before buckling down and playing the kind of hockey they’ve proven they’re capable only in short bursts throughout the season.  It was a pattern that would be repeated in each game this week: fall behind by a pair of goals before rallying to tie.  That they did it without their most dynamic offensive player in Parenteau makes it especially impressive.

Sophomore Dale Weise got the ball rolling on Friday, scoring his 24th goal of the season midway through the second period, just a little over two minutes after Andreas Nodl had scored to make it 2-0.  Rookie goaltender Chad Johnson, in net for all three games this weekend, came up with a pair of breakaways saves early in the third period, which in turn seemed to give his teammates the confidence boost they needed to rally and outshoot their visitors 13-4 in the third period.  One of those shots went in at 9:37, when captain Dane Byers tipped in Weise’s shot from the top of the right circle to mark his second twenty goal campaign in his three full seasons in the AHL.

The Wolf Pack, who remain tied with Bridgeport for the most overtime victories (9), continued to pour on the pressure in the extra frame, but were unable to get the winner despite a 4-2 edge in shots.  That set up Hartford’s seventh trip to the post-game skills competition, in which the Pack held the league-worst 1-5 record going in.  Thanks to goals by Kris Newbury and Ilkka Heikkinen and a strong showing by Johnson (and a little luck from a goal post), the Wolf Pack were able to improve that record to 2-5 and earn their second victory in as many games.

The win set up a critical Saturday match up with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who entered the the game holding the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and a seven point lead over their hosts in Hartford.

The Wolf Pack actually got on the board first in this one, thanks to a diving swipe by Justin Soryal, who put his own rebound behind  Bridgeport  netminder Scott Munroe from his stomach at 6:11 of the first period.  But the Sound Tigers answered with three straight tallies, the first coming late in the opening frame on a shorthanded penalty shot after Newbury tackled Tyler Haskins on partial breakaway.  The Sound Tigers added two more goals in the second period, 1:04 apart, starting with Trevor Smith’s score on a two-on-one at 8:30.  But the Pack would answer in resounding fashion just over four minutes later.

Byers, playing every bit like the captain he, got the first of two quick Hartford goals on a rebound of Weise’s shot, grabbing the puck and sliding it around Munroe’s left pad on the backhand before nudging it over the goal line on the forehand.  A mere ten seconds later, Andres Ambuhl evened the score by threading a shot through a defender’s legs and over Munroe’s blocker for his fifth goal of the season.  It was Ambuhl’s second game back in the line-up, after after the AHL’s veteran limit had left him sidelined for six straight.

With the season seemingly on the line and a regulation victory all but required, Bobby Sanguinetti flashed some of the skill that made him the Rangers first round draft pick, scoring what just might be the biggest goal in his two-season career with the Pack.  Sneaking in from the left point, Sanguinetti picked up a pass from Locke, faked his way past a Bridgeport forward and whipped a wrist shot past Munroe from the high slot.  It was Sanguinetti’s first game-decider of the season and came with only 3:20 remaining on the clock.

Heading out on the road for the first time in seven games after such an emotionally charged victory, one would think the Wolf Pack would have been raring to go from the drop of the puck.  Instead they surrendered a goal on the first shift of the game, just 20 seconds into their meeting with the Portland Pirates.

A power play goal 11:56 into the first period put the Pack behind by two goals for the third straight game.  And for the third straight game, Hartford’s heroes bounced back.  Once again they did it quickly, scoring two goals only 38 seconds apart.

Ryan Garlock cut Portland’s lead in half at 4:01 of the second with a shot from outside the blueline that somehow got through goaltender Todd Ford.  Thirty-eight seconds later Weise scored his 25th of the season, shoveling home Newbury’s cross-slot pass to knot the score at two.

Strong penalty killing and great goaltending by Johnson got the Pack through some penalty trouble in the middle of the frame, but Portland scored the back-breaker with 24.7 seconds remaining in the period.  When Heikkinen’s point shot missed the net and ricocheted off the end boards and out of the Pirates’ zone, Kyle Wanvig was waiting to pick up the puck and skate in alone on Johnson.  The 29-year old veteran opted to shoot from the top of the circles, powering the puck past Johnson for what would hold up as the game winner.

To make matters worse, Bridgeport topped Lowell 4-2, meaning, for all their hard work, the Wolf Pack finished the weekend with the same nine point gap between them and the final playoff berth they had started with.  With only seven games remaining in the season, that sets the Pack’s tragic number at six: any combination of six points won by Bridgeport or lost by the Hartford will spell the end of Hartford’s bid to keep their league-best 12-year playoff streak alive.

What’s Next
With the season on the brink, the Wolf Pack get ready for another three game week.  The action begins with visit by the first place Worcester Sharks on Wednesday night at 7:00pm.  The Pack won the first four meetings between the two clubs, but lost the last one, 6-4 in Worcester.  The dangerous Sharks enter the game having won nine of their last 11 games.

Friday night brings the Lowell Devils to town for the final game in the teams’ eight game season series.  The fourth place Devils are currently tied with Bridgeport with 82 points, but with a game in hand on the Sound Tigers.  The Wolf Pack have earned wins in four of the two teams’ seven previous meetings.  Puck drops at 7:00pm.

On Saturday the Pack make the half hour trip up the I-91 for a 7:00pm start against the Springfield Falcons.  The Falcons remain trapped in the AHL basement with a 24-36-11-4 record, but have been buoyed by the arrival of Canadian Junior hero Jordan Eberle, who has eight points in six games since joining the team at the conclusion of his junior season two weeks ago.

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