An undefeated week in the books…and currently first in the Eastern Conference, with a brief few minutes as first in the league. Offense galore, a few fisticuffs, and some good plays all mixed in. It’s a happy recap this week!
10/21 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton: 4-0 W
A rare Tuesday night start, as the Devils welcomed the Penguins to Albany for the first time since 2012 (both home matchups were in Atlantic City last season). After a chippy first period that saw more fights (2) than goals (0), Albany would get on the board in the second. Mike Sislo would score on an early power play for a 1-0 advantage. He would come through again later in the period, on another man advantage, to double the lead. Things would remain quiet till late in the third, when a Tim Sestito empty netter would seal the win, then the main event broke out as two fights went off simultaneously, costing one Devil a game (more on that in a minute). Reid Boucher would add his first goal of the season just after everything settled down, just for good measure. Keith Kinkaid would stop all 22 Penguin shots in picking up his first shutout of the season and 10th of his career, tying for the Albany/Lowell Devil franchise lead with Jeff Frazee. Four Devils would each contribute one assist.
Highlights:
Lines:
Joe Whitney-Scott Timmins-Paul Thompson
Kelly Zajac-Mike Sislo-Reid Boucher
Rod Pelley-Tim Sestito-Steve Bernier
Darcy Zajac-Ben Thomson-Cam Janssen
Extras: Chris McKelvie, Stefan Matteau, Ben Johnson, Graham Black, David Wohlberg, Myles Bell
Defense Pairings:
Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka
Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson
Seth Helgeson/Peter Harrold
Extras: Reece Scarlett, Joe Faust
Wednesday: For his role in a late third period fight and earning an instigator minor as a result, Darcy Zajac was suspended one game by the AHL and sat out Friday night’s game in Hartford.
Friday: The first of the extra players has found a home, as forward Myles Bell was reassigned to Evansville of the ECHL. He had yet to crack the lineup, but did appear during the preseason. The Devils remain the only team in the AHL without an official ECHL affiliation.
It was back east to Connecticut on Friday evening as the Devils started a home and home set with the Wolfpack. Ben Johnson and David Wohlberg would make their season debuts, filling in for Cam Janssen (injured) and Darcy Zajac (suspended). Rookie Ben Thomson would score his first as a professional (originally credited to Dan Kelly; he would get the primary assist later) 5 minutes in for a 1-0 lead. Marek Hrivik would quickly tie the game with a shorthanded tally. Paul Thompson would break the tie with his league leading 7th goal (also originally credited to Kelly, who would still get a primary assist out of it), only to see Chris Bourque re-tie it over a minute later. Joe Whitney would finally get into the goal column in the second with a power play goal to break the tie yet again. Third period would see the Devils near completely take over the game. Thomson would score his second of the game to double the lead. Scott Timmins would follow just over five minutes later for a 5-2 lead. With Corbin McPherson serving a double minor, J.T. Miller would bring Hartford back to within two with a power play goal of his own. But during the same penalty Mike Sislo would score his third shorthanded for a 6-3 lead, chasing Wolfpack goaltender Jason Missiaen (already following Lundquist’s lead, I see) in favor of rookie Mackenzie Skapski. Sislo would score his second on an empty netter late to finish off the 7-3 win and give the Wolfpack their first regulation loss. Keith Kinkaid stopped 27 of 30 shots in picking up his third win. Four Devils had one assist each, while Kelly and Hrabarenka each finished a +4. Peter Harrold, Timmins and Thompson were all at +3.
Highlights:
Lines:
Paul Thompson-Joe Whitney-Scott Timmins
Kelly Zajac-Reid Boucher-Mike Sislo
Steve Bernier-Tim Sestito-Ben Johnson
David Wohlberg-Rod Pelley-Ben Thomson
Extras: Stefan Matteau, Cam Janssen, Chris McKelvie, Darcy Zajac, Graham Black
Defense Pairings:
Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka
Corbin McPherson/Brandon Burlon
Seth Helgeson/Peter Harrold
Extras: Reece Scarlett, Joe Faust
It was back on home ice to finish off the two game series with the Wolfpack. Scott Wedgewood would get the nod between the pipes, while Jason Missiaen would get a second chance at redemption after being pulled the night before. Chris McKelvie would make his season debut, while Darcy Zajac returned after serving his sentence. Unlike the night before, it was Hartford who got going first. The other Bourque, Ryan, would get the visitors on the board midway through the first. Joe Whitney would score his second of the season late in the period to tie it up. But just as quickly, Conor Allen would give Hartford the lead right back. The Devils would take over in the second and never look back. Darcy Zajac would score his first of the season on a beautiful shorthanded break from center ice to tie the game at 2. Just over a minute later, Scott Timmins would score his third to give the home team the lead. Raman Hrabarenka would score on a power play early in the third for a 4-2 lead. Rod Pelley would score an empty netter with less than a minute remaining to cap Albany’s fourth win in a row. Wedgewood had a strong day in net, stopping 26 of 28 shots in picking up his second win (and a #2 star of the game). Brandon Burlon contributed two helpers.
Highlights:
Lines:
Rod Pelley-Tim Sestito-Steve Bernier
Joe Whitney-Scott Timmins-Paul Thompson
Kelly Zajac-Reid Boucher-Mike Sislo
Darcy Zajac-Ben Thomson-Chris McKelvie
Extras: Stefan Matteau, Cam Janssen, Graham Black, David Wohlberg, Ben Johnson
Defense Pairings:
Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka
Seth Helgeson/Peter Harrold
Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson
Extras: Reece Scarlett, Joe Faust
Pop Quiz: With Tuesday’s blanking of the Penguins, Keith Kinkaid tied a franchise record with his 10th career shutout. He also owns the Albany AHL mark, going back to the River Rats days. Who is second on the list? Stay tuned for the answer.
Obligatory Fight of the Week:
I had a few nominees to choose from. Unfortunately no video has surfaced yet of any of them. You disappoint me, Internet.
My Player of the Week:
Lot of great individual performances this week, but I’m giving the nod to Mike Sislo and his four goals (in three different situations) in two games.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Paul Thompson (7)
Assists: Joe Whitney (6)
Points: 3 tied with 8
+/-: Raman Hrabarenka (+8)
Penalty Minutes: Dan Kelly (27)
Wins: Keith Kinkaid (3)
GAA: Keith Kinkaid (1.95)
Save Percentage: Keith Kinkaid (.933)
ECHL Update:
Myles Bell (Evansville): 1 game played, 0 points, 0 PIM, 5 SOG
Injury Report: Cam Janssen (indefinitely, upper body, possibly shoulder), Stefan Matteau (lower body; no word on timetable)
This Week’s Schedule:
The homestand continues with three more games on tap. Wednesday Springfield visits for the first time this season. Saturday sees a return visit from Bridgeport. The weekend finishes with a Sunday afternoon visit from Portland.
Pop Quiz Answer: Peter Sidorkiewicz had 8 shutouts during his River Rats career, all coming over a three season stretch between 1995-96 and 1997-98 (he appeared in 15 games during the Rats inaugural 1993-94 season without recording a shutout).
Thoughts Inside The Box 