WOLVES HOWL THEIR OWN TUNE; SHUTOUT MUSICMEN

Antti Miettinen

>>>
Dayton, Ohio- Clicking on all cylinders, the Thunder Bay Timberwolves took the Dayton Musicmen to the wood shed on Monday in a 5-0, one-sided tilt in what many are deeming a Champions Cup Final preview.
>>>
"We wanted to come in here and set the tempo early, and take their crowd out of it," said Timberwolves coach Craig Hartsburg. "We did that and the guys executed the gameplan to perfection. It's hard for a coach to pick this game apart and look for things to improve on. Obviously we want to keep those shots against us down [40-30 in Dayton's favour]. But Hank [goaltender Henrik Lundqvist] seems to play that much better with the more rubber he sees."
>>>
Marian Hossa put the visiting Timberwolves up 1-0 at 10:04 in the first period for the Slovaks 18th goal of the year and second since being acquired from Copenhagen. Assists came from Matt Duchene and Marek Zidlicky.
>>>
Rick Nash notched his team-leading 38th goal at 17:23 in the first from captain, Patrick Sharp and Sidney Crosby to close out the opening period's scoring. Lundqvist stopping all eight shots he faced.
>>>
In the middle period, Lundqvist was clearly zoned in and stopped all fifteen Musicmen shots. Antti Miettinen's 14th from Marc Staal and James Wisniewski extended Thunder Bay's lead at 3-0 going into the final twenty minutes of hockey.
>>>
In the third, Dayton continued to pile on the shots on the Timberwolves goaltender. But King Henrik stood tall and eventually stopped all seventeen put on him. Another tally from Miettinen and the fifth and final goal from Sharp sealed the win for the now-one-point-from-first-place Timberwolves.
>>>
"This is a huge win for us," said Crosby after the game. "When you can control and dominate a team like Dayton, in their barn... it just proves to us how important it is to stick with a plan, play our game and we can be successful against anyone in this league. Credit our coaches for getting us ready. Hart and Walzy [Wes Walz] and all of them did a great job."
>>>
"The guys are really high on this win for sure," said captain Sharp. "The hardest part is toning it down and getting ready for the next one. Which is these guys again at our place. They're going to be coming out to avenge this loss, and we have to be ready for it. So we'll celebrate this one on the plane back to T-Bay. But it's back to business when we land and getting back into the groove we've been in to be successful."
>>>
As mentioned, the Musicmen travel to Thunder Bay for Thursday's back end of the home-at-home. The winner either stays first overall in the league rankings, or takes over first place.
>>>
3-STARS
>>>
*Henrik Lundqvist [THU] - 40 saves on 40 shots for 6th shutout of the season
**Antti Miettinen [THU] - 2 goals
***Marian Hossa [THU] - Opening goal

MOOSE ARRIVES IN WOLF COUNTRY; ROSTER SET



Johan Hedberg

Beverly Hills, Calif.- Prior to the Timberwolves morning skate on Wednesday, defenseman Nick Schultz was told by general manager, Blake Wendt that he had been dealt to the Wisborg Donuts.
>>>
In exchange, Thunder Bay acquired goaltender Johan Hedberg to provide some insurance between the pipes for what is hoped to be a long playoff run.
>>>
"First of all, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to Nick and everything he brought to this hockey club," said Wendt in an impromptu press conference. "He's plays with class and is someone parents don't fear their kids looking up to. We will miss his calming influence in the room, his contributions to the Thunder Bay community and everything he and his family did for the greater good."
>>>
"In Hedberg, we get a bona fide veteren goalie that has established himself as an elite puck-stopper when the game really matters. We are absolutely set with the tandem we have in Hank [Henrik Lundqvist] and [James] Reimer. But we really felt that if something happened to either one of those two, God forbid, then we didn't want to be in a position to have to pick up whatever goaltender was available in the free agent pool. We wanted to address that position here and now."
>>>
"So with that said. Here on the eve of the trade deadline. Unless something comes in that knocks our socks off, then we are done. This is the team we're going in with and hopefully coming out on top."
>>>
With Schultz heading to Wisborg, the Timberwolves iced near the same squad as they have the past couple of days and beat the Beverly Hills Lawmasters 5-2. They do not play again until Sunday back at the Canadian National Gardens when they welcome the Long Island Express to Thunder Bay. The team will stay in California on Thursday and return home on Friday afternoon.

STATEMENT MADE: WOLVES ALL IN!

>>>
Niagara Falls, Ont.- The trade winds have been rather quite in the CCHL of late. A few minor deals and players being waived and picked up.
>>>
That all changed on Saturday and Sunday.
>>>
Clearly in the hunt for their first ever championship, the Thunder Bay Timberwolves splashed and made a big wave inside two weeks before the trade deadline.
>>>
With the defending champion-Crusaders seemingly packing it in for their chances at a back-to-back, the Timberwolves pounced on their long-time foe's offer. Acquiring right-winger, Marian Hossa and stalwart blueliner, Toni Lydman in exchange for right-wingers Martin Erat and Joffrey Lupul.
>>>
Thunder Bay's general manager sees a huge improvement in Hossa over Erat [despite exact point production], and the obvious added depth on defense for what is hopefully a long playoff run.
>>>
"Hossa is a two-hundred-foot, every situation player that we are thrilled to have added to our lineup," said Blake Wendt fresh off arriving in Niagara Falls for tomorrow's tilt against the Thunder. "He does everything right, and at an elite level. In regards to Toni Lydman, we get one of the most underrated defensemen in the game today. He's a vet that's been around, knows the game and knows how to execute near flawless positioning every shift. A cerebral player that doesn't get near the credit he deserves. Blocks shots, carries a heavy one of his own and is just simply a guy you want on your side when you're going after the ultimate prize."
>>>
Both Hossa and Lydman will join the Timberwolves in Niagara Falls. Hossa will wear #13 and Lydman #32.
>>>
If that deal wasn't enough to send shivers down the backs of the league's elite, Wendt's BlackBerry was always within fingers reach, and another blockbuster deal was on the horizon.
>>>
Since taking over the Keflavik Whalers, Brian Senecal stood pat and felt out the league before making any moves. Late Saturday, early Sunday a deal was finally struck with the more than willing Timberwolves.
>>>
Thunder Bay-native, and older brother of Timberwolves defenseman Marc Staal, Eric Staal was acquired with defensmen James Wisniewski and Greg Zanon from the Whalers for third-string goaltender Brian Elliot, defensemen Anton Volchenkov and Carl Gunnarsson.
>>>
Staal scored his 13th power play goal on Sunday in his final game in a Whalers uniform. One more than his new teammate, Sidney Crosby for tops in the league. Wisniewski is fifth in the league in points from a defenseman with 39, and Zanon is tied for 8th in the league in blocked shots. Joining Francois Beauchemin and Toni Lydman as one of three on the Thunder Bay roster in the top-10 in that department.
>>>
"We have some concerns about the durability of Crosby. Bringing Staal in not only elevates those concerns, but adds to our supreme depth down the middle with one of the all-around best centres in the league. Eric is not only a vocal leader, but also one that leads by example. We look forward to adding him as a 1-2 punch with the man-advantage and up on our top line when we decide to sit Sid."
>>>
"Wisniewski gives us another added punch to our blueline. He's a physical force in front of his net, and I know Hank [Henrik Lundqvist] and [James] Reimer will appreciate that. He also brings with him a sound defensive game and can skate with the puck or distribute it out for an offensive push."
>>>
"Zanon is someone we've coveted for along time. We've made multiple offers for him when he played in Linz, and were outbid this summer when he was on the open market. Greg is a rock-solid defenseman that is fearless in his shot blocking abilities and is another sound defensive defenseman to add to our overall depth."
>>>
"Overall I am ecstatic about the past 24 hours. We were serious about our intentions for this season before these moves. But with them, we are that much closer to achieving our goals. This group did not come without sending out alot of talent for their return. We moved some guys we were not actively shopping or intending to move. But in the end, we accomplished what we set out to do."
>>>
Eric Staal will wear #12, Wisniewski #21 and Zanon #5. They will also be in Monday's lineup against the Niagara Falls Thunder.