Local pro hockey: Watertown Wolves keep good thing going under new coach, win in shootout

Dec. 18—WATERTOWN — It's now only two games since their latest coaching change, yet things are already looking up for the Watertown Wolves.

Steve Brown scored the tying goal in regulation and followed with the clinching goal in the shootout as the Wolves rallied to defeat the Danbury Hat Tricks, 3-2, on Saturday night in a Federal Prospects Hockey League game before a crowd of 689 at Watertown Municipal Arena.

Watertown, which also won Friday night, provided new head coach Steve Esau with his first two wins with the team, delivering some suspense along the way.

"It's never about me, never about me, it's all about them," Esau said of his players. "It feels good, fantastic, but it's even better to see these young men enjoy the fruits of their labor, it's never about me."

Brown scored the tying goal with a power-play tally with 12 minutes and 56 seconds remaining in regulation. Then with the teams still tied after overtime, Mathias Tellstrom and Brown each scored as the Wolves won the shootout, 2-0.

Goalie Greg Hussey made 18 saves, including three stops in overtime, to record the win for Watertown (9-10).

"This is like one of those games where it's a big turning point for the team," Hussey said. "I'd be lying if I said it hasn't been a difficult road for us the past couple weeks. And having coach (Esau) come in, it's a different team out there, it's a different team all together."

Esau, who joined the team on Monday after he was hired the previous week, is a newcomer to the pro ranks as he previously coached at the junior level.

"It was a long week and it's a testament to how these guys played, these guys played great," Esau said.

"It was unreal," Brown, a veteran forward, said of the win. "We've been working a lot on our team identity and we've come together as a group. We faced so much adversity early in the year and now we've got a coach to kind of lead the way and give us a bit more structure. We were just kind of winging it and doing the best we could and it kind of brought our group closer together."

The Wolves also killed off back-to-back penalties after Hussey was assessed a double minor for high-sticking, with the second power play carrying over into overtime.

"It was a very good effort, we were just smart about it and intelligent, they wanted to kill it," Esau said. "So it's inspiring, people killing penalties. It was very inspiring and lifted the team, actually."

"I barely saw shots," Hussey said of the penalty kills. "I saw nothing that was too challenging, the guys were out there just playing it well. We worked really, really hard on that during the week and I'm glad that it shows."

In the shootout, Danbury's Michael Marchesan and Dimtry Kuznetsov each missed on their attempts and Tellstrom snapped a shot past goalie Brian Wilson.

This set the stage for Brown, who moved in and backhanded the puck through Wilson's pads for the deciding goal.

"If you want a good story, one of my best buddies back home, he texted me and he said 'Brownie, backhand, five-hole attempt if you get the chance tonight,'" Brown said. "Because I was telling him I had a couple good looks in (Friday's) game when were in Binghamton and I didn't end up finishing. ... So, I knew exactly what I was going to do and I went out and did it."

"We were just consistent, I think that's part of our identity, we're relentless," Esau said of the win. "That's a big part of our team identity ... they worked and they didn't quit and they kept going."

Wilson stopped 38 of 40 shots faced for the Empire-Division leading Hat Tricks (16-3) in their first meeting with the Wolves this season.

"They threw a lot at us and it was the first time seeing a new team," Brown said of Danbury. "You don't really know what to expect. ... So you have to be resilient and stick to your plan, while being aware of who the dangerous guy on the other team is. But I think we responded well."

Esau took over as head coach in the wake of the firing of then interim coach and former Watertown player Justin Coachman 11 games into the season.

"It's been excellent, man, the first week here hasn't felt real, you chase your dream and you accomplish it," Esau said. "I mean I'm not completely satisfied in coaching. ... But now this is sinking in and it's awesome. We have a good team in that (locker) room and I think we have a good vibe already."

The Wolves made the coaching debut with the team a successful one with a 5-2 win at Binghamton on Friday night.

Esau's presence has already made a positive impact with the team.

"We're setting building blocks that we need to have for our foundation to form a bond and be the powerhouse we know we can be," Hussey said. "I give credit to the rest of the team and obviously coach coming in, it really helps solidify what we are and I like to see that."

Danbury struck first on Saturday on Kuznetsov's breakaway goal with 14:47 left in the first period, scoring with both teams skating four-on-four.

The Hat Tricks led 2-0 on Brendan Dowler's long-range goal on a drive from just inside Watertown's blue line that eluded Hussey 2:23 into the second period.

Trevor Lord pulled the Wolves within 2-1 as he scored on a blast from the slot off a pass from Larry Yellowknee at 7:49 of the period.

The Wolves have also won four of their past five games, with two of them wins coming under assistant Luke Cohen, who served as interim coach after Coachman's departure.

"I think it's a testament to everybody in the (locker) room, we've got a bunch of good guys and we've got a good thing rolling now," Brown said. "We don't want to get too ahead of ourselves, like one game at a time, but we're all still getting to know each other and to read each other, we were kind of a group of misfits from the beginning. So we're taking on a new identity and just playing together."

Esau previously coached at the junior hockey level in Texas, but made the journey north in time to direct team practice Monday, which has his first with the team.

"It's been intense, from Texas to here," Esau said. "Now everything will calm down a little, we have a day off tomorrow and we can just relax and not worry about hockey. This is fun."

—NOTES: The Wolves fended off all seven of Danbury's power plays on the night. ... Watertown outshot Danbury, 41-20, including 30-12 after the first period. ... Cohen is back to serving as assistant coach as well as goalie coach. ... Watertown will host Binghamton on Friday and Delaware next Monday, both 7:30 p.m. starts at Watertown Municipal Arena.