Month: February 2015

Week 21 Primer

Devils Quick Hits:

-Albany begins the week with a 23-22-4-5 record and 55 points.  They stand in 4th place in the Northeast Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference.  Looking at the first Playoff Primer of the season, released last night, the boys have some work to do to catch up.

-With Scott Clemmensen staying up top with the parent Devils to backup Cory Schneider this weekend, Maxime Clermont was summoned back from Orlando yesterday.  With another 3 in 3 weekend looming, I would not be surprised to see him get at least one start.

2/27, Game #55 at Syracuse

Where: Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter, Syracuse, NY.

When: 7:00 PM.

Season Series: Syracuse leads 5-0.

Standings:

Syracuse: 32-14-8-0, 72 points, 1st place in Northeast Division, 1st place in Eastern Conference

Crunch Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Jonathan Marchessault, 43 points (13 G, 30 A); Yanni Gourde, 40 points (19 G, 21 A); 2 tied with 32 points

Kristers Gudlevskis, 17-8-2, 2.70 GAA; Allen York, 1-0-1, 4.23 GAA

Notes:

-After a disastrous Valentines week, the Crunch rebounded nicely with a 3 game sweep of last weekend’s games, catapulting them to the top of the league standings.  A one goal loss to Rochester has them tied with Oklahoma City for the league’s best going into this weekend.

-Tonight marks the start of a 3 game homestand for the Crunch, who host Utica on Saturday and Portland next Friday.

-Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made a one game appearance on Wednesday after coming down from Tampa, only to lose 4-3 to Rochester before being recalled.

Listen: AHL Live, ESPN Radio Syracuse

Watch: TWC Sports is carrying the game (Albany channel 50/323).

Twitter: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @SyracuseCrunch, @syrhockey, @CrunchSyracuse, @Allovimo

2/28, Game #56 at Hershey

Where: Giant Center, Hershey, PA.

When: 7:00 PM.

Season Series: Hershey leads 3-0.

Standings:

Hershey: 32-14-5-2, 71 points, 1st place in East Division, 3rd in Eastern Conference

Bears Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Tim Kennedy, 44 points (5 G, 39 A); 2 tied with 37 points

Philipp Grubauer, 21-10-4, 2.11 GAA; Pheonix Copley, 9-3-3, 2.15 GAA

Notes:

-Hershey is riding a modest 2 game winning streak heading into a 3 in 3 weekend of their own, traveling to Binghamton on Friday and hosting Lehigh Valley on Sunday afternoon.

-Things got a little heated on Saturday night against Bridgeport…as a result, forward Liam O’Brien was suspended for 3 games, the last one coming on Saturday.

-At the start of the weekend, the Bears sit just one point behind Syracuse for 1st in the conference (and first overall in the league).

Listen: AHL Live, The Ticket 1460 AM

Twitter: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @TheHersheyBears, @ChocHockey, @timleone

3/1, Game #57 vs. Binghamton

Where: Times Union Center, Albany, NY.

When: 3:00 PM.

Season Series: Binghamton leads 1-0.

Standings:

Binghamton: 22-25-5-1, 50 points, 4th place in East Division, 13th in Eastern Conference

Senators Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

2 tied with 42 points

Peter Mannino, 3-7-2, 3.78 GAA; Scott Greenham, 10-6-2, 2.51 GAA

Notes:

-After hosting Hershey on Friday evening, the B-Sens embark on a 4 game road trip, starting in Lehigh Valley on Saturday before coming to the Capital Region on Sunday.  They finish the trip in Norfolk the following weekend.

-2015 has not been kind to Binghamton, as they have had two separate 5 game winless streaks since the start of the calendar year and have fallen to the bottom of the East Division standings, tied with Norfolk for last place.

-Albany returns to home ice for the first time since February 15th.  After only having two home games for all of February, the Devils will have 7 of their next 11 games at the Times Union Center.

Listen: AHL Live, US 96.9 FM

Twitter: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @BSens_Hockey

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Week 20 Recap: Streak’s Over, But…

Another 3 in 3 weekend has come and gone, and the February struggles continue.  But at least there was finally a win, and maybe some signs of life, albeit too late, in another game.

Friday: With most everyone back healthy and in the lineup, Mike Keenan and Alexandre Carrier were reassigned to Orlando.  Keenan started out on a PTO in early December and played himself into an AHL deal.  In 20 games he had one assist and finished a -3.  Carrier appeared in 12 games and was scoreless, but did have two fights against former Devils (PL3 and Matt Corrente) under his belt.

2/20 at Syracuse: 3-1 L

The road trip began west down the New York State Thruway, as Albany made its third visit of the season to the Oncenter to take on the Crunch, who was also in the midst of a 5 game winless streak (but had three OT loss points to show for it).  Yanni Gourde would get the hosts on the board first with a tip in past Scott Wedgewood midway through the first period.  Jonathan Marchessault would double the lead early in the second period when he managed to drag the puck past Wedgewood and into the net.  But there was good news this period…an actual power play goal from Albany!  Kelly Zajac finally scores his first of the season to cut the lead in half.  But that would be as close as they would get, as Vladislav Namesntnikov would capitalize on a turnover and score alone on a breakaway to make it 3-1, pushing the losing streak to six games.  Wedgewood stopped 21 of 24 shots, including a few spectacular saves, but it was not enough as he took his 12th loss of the season.  Paul Thompson and Brandon Burlon had helpers, while Cam Janssen returned to the lineup for the first time since mid January.

Highlights:

Lines:

Paul Thompson-Tim Sestito-Stefan Matteau

Joe Whitney-Kelly Zajac-Mike Sislo

Reid Boucher-Graham Black-Chris McKelvie

Darcy Zajac-Rod Pelley-Cam Janssen

Extra: Scott Timmins, Ben Johnson, David Wohlberg, Ben Thomson

Defense:

Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka

Seth Helgeson/Reece Scarlett

Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson

Extra: Joe Faust

2/21 at Utica: 2-1 W

The middle game of the weekend saw the Devils make their only visit of the season to Utica to take on the Comets.  Utica got on the board first midway through the opening period on a Brandon DeFazio goal.  Albany caught a break later when a second Comets goal was disallowed due to an offsides call.  And that would be a game changer…Ben Thomson would tie the game up at 1 late in the second period with his 7th of the season.  Reece Scarlett would break the tie early in the third with his second of the season.  Despite being outshot 10-4 in the third, Albany would manage to hold on for the win, breaking a 6 game losing streak and extending their win streak against Utica to 6 games.  Scott Clemmensen picked up his 5th win and first since beating Bridgeport in Newark exactly one month earlier, stopping 31 of 32 shots.  Thomson and 3 other Devils each had assists.

Highlights:

Lines:

Joe Whitney-Kelly Zajac-Mike Sislo

Reid Boucher-Tim Sestito-Paul Thompson

Chris McKelvie-Graham Black-Ben Thomson*

David Wohlberg-Rod Pelley-Cam Janssen*

Extra: Scott Timmins, Stefan Matteau, Ben Johnson, Darcy Zajac

Defense:

Seth Helgeson/Reece Scarlett

Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka

Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson

Extra: Joe Faust

*Since I was in New Jersey and didn’t see the game, the last two lines are at best a guess.

2/22 at Springfield: 4-2 L

17 hours and about 160 miles later, it was off to western Massachusetts to finish off the weekend against the Falcons.  And Springfield got things going in a hurry, as Thomas Larkin scored 42 seconds in for a 1-0 lead.  Then with Mike Sislo sitting 4 minutes on a questionable spearing call, Sean Collins would double the lead.  Brian Gibbons, just recently reassigned by Columbus to the Falcons, would score his second of the year on a power play early in the second for a 3-0 advantage.  But the Devils were not about to go away quietly, as they made an attempt to rally in the third.  Raman Hrabarenka and Kelly Zajac would score on back to back power plays 1:16 apart late in the third to get to within one goal.  But Gibbons would put an end to the comeback with his second power play goal of the game for a 2 goal lead.  Then at the final whistle…

A total of 80 combined penalty minutes were handed out as a result, mostly game misconducts from abuse of officials.  Albany reached two season highs: penalty minutes (77) and shots (41).  Scott Clemmensen started in back to back games and stopped 17 of 21 shots.  Four different Devils had assists.

Highlights:

(sadly the video cuts out just the end of game festivities were starting)

Lines:

Joe Whitney-Kelly Zajac-Mike Sislo

Reid Boucher-Tim Sestito-Paul Thompson

Chris McKelvie-Graham Black-Stefan Matteau

David Wohlberg-Rod Pelley-Ben Thomson

Extra: Scott Timmins, Cam Janssen, Darcy Zajac, Ben Johnson

Defense:

Seth Helgeson/Reece Scarlett

Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka

Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson

Monday: With Keith Kinkaid getting injured halfway through Saturday’s win over Carolina at The Rock, Scott Clemmensen was recalled to New Jersey to play door man…er, back up Cory Schneider under emergency conditions.

Pop Quiz: Who holds the Albany AHL record for most penalty minutes in one season?  The answer is coming up.

Obligatory Fight of the Week:

YouTube has seriously been dropping the ball lately.  Two good candidates but no video up.  You could always just review the Utica game tape for Dan Kelly avenging Raman Hrabarenka’s absence from the lineup…

My Player of the Week:

Very happy to finally see Kelly Zajac get on the board twice this weekend.  It’s been a lost season for the third Zajac brother, good to see him back and contributing.

Team Leaders:

Goals: Paul Thompson (23)

Assists: Joe Whitney (24)

Points: Paul Thompson/Joe Whitney (41)

+/-: Paul Thompson (+10)

Penalty Minutes: Dan Kelly (94)

Wins: Scott Wedgewood (7)

GAA: Scott Clemmensen (2.75)

Save Percentage: Scott Wedgewood/Scott Clemmensen (.900)

ECHL Update:

Myles Bell (Evansville): 33 GP, 9 G, 9 A, 18 Pts, -11, 25 PIM

Eric Baier (Orlando): 32 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 Pts, +6, 11 PIM

Alexandre Carrier (Orlando): 7 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 Pt, -2, 2 PIM

Mike Keenan (Orlando): 23 GP, 0 G, 6 A, 6 Pts, Even, 16 PIM

Maxime Clermont (Orlando): 12 GP, 6-4-0, 3.63 GAA, .877 Save Pct.

Injury Update:

Last one standing is Scott Timmins (lower), he is expected to return this weekend.  Darcy Zajac did sit out Saturday and Sunday, not sure if injury related or not.

This Week’s Schedule:

As if the month of February wasn’t already punishing…another 3 in 3 weekend to close the month out is up next.  Friday it’s one last visit to Syracuse to take on the now league leading Crunch.  Saturday they travel south on Interstate 81 to pay Hershey one last visit.  Then the month of March kicks off on home ice, as Binghamton visits for the first time all season.

Also back next weekend: conference seeding updates!

Pop Quiz Answer: The man with the most penalty minutes in one season while wearing an Albany uniform?  It was Matt Ruchty, who set the record during the  River Rats Calder Cup winning 1994-95 season with 348 minutes.  Pierre-Luc Leblond holds the Lowell/Albany franchise record with 334 in the 2010-11 season, incase anyone was wondering.

Week 20 Primer

Devils Quick Hits:

-Albany begins the week with a 22-20-4-5 mark and 53 points.  They stand in 4th place in the Northeast Division, 11th in the Eastern Conference.  Despite the recent woes, they are still 5 points behind Worcester for a playoff spot.

-It appears Cam Janssen will be rejoining the lineup this weekend after sitting out nearly a month with an upper body injury.  Scott Timmins has finally resumed skating with the team, but he will likely not return until next weekend.

2/20, Game #52 at Syracuse

Where: Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse, NY.

When: 7:00 PM.

Season Series: Syracuse leads 4-0.

Standings:

Syracuse: 29-13-8-0, 66 points, 1st place in Northeast Division

Crunch Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Jonathan Marchessault, 38 points (12 G, 26 A); Yanni Gourde, 34 points (16 G, 18 A); Mike Angelidis, 28 points (15 G, 13 A)

Kristers Gudlevskis, 15-8-2, 2.75 GAA; Allen York, 0-0-1, 4.99 GAA

Notes:

-Syracuse is winless in their last 5 games, but managed to get overtime loss points in 3 of those 5 games, maintaining a 3 point lead over Springfield and Hartford in the Northeast.

-The Crunch only managed to score one goal in 3 games last week, resulting in an embarassing 10-0 loss to Adirondack on Tuesday and a 2 game weekend sweep in Norfolk.

-All four victories over Albany this season have been by one goal, with three of the four games going beyond regulation.

Listen: AHL Live, ESPN Radio Syracuse

Twitter: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @SyracuseCrunch, @syrhockey, @CrunchSyracuse

2/21, Game #53 at Utica

Where: Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY.

When: 7:00 PM.

Season Series: Albany leads 1-0.

Standings:

Utica: 30-14-5-1, 66 points, 1st place in North Division

Comets Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Dustin Jeffrey, 37 points (16 G, 21 A); Cal O’Reilly, 36 points (4 G, 32 A); Brandon DeFazio, 31 points (16 G, 15 A)

Jacob Markstrom, 16-6-2, 1.94 GAA; Joacim Eriksson, 14-7-4, 2.60 GAA

Notes:

-The Comets are coming off a 1-1 week, where they split a home and home series with Rochester.

-After dropping a 7-5 decision to Hamilton on the road Monday afternoon, Utica kicked off a 5 game homestand on Wednesday with a win over Texas.  They host Toronto on Friday evening before the Devils arrive.

-Unless Albany can make a run and end up in the Calder Cup Final, this will mark the last game outside the Eastern Conference this season.  So far they have won 2 of 3 (with the lone loss to Adirondack at home on December 7th).

Listen: AHL Live, KROCK 94.9 FM

Twitter: @devgirl_26, @AlbanyDevils, @CometsInGame, @UticaComets, @CometsArmy

2/22, Game #54 at Springfield

Where: Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA.

When: 3:00 PM.

Season Series: Albany leads 3-2.

Standings:

Springfield: 29-18-5-0, 63 points, 3rd place in Northeast Division

Falcons Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Luke Adam, 34 points (13 G, 21 A); Austin Madaisky, 33 points (12 G, 21 A); Kerby Rychel, 32 points (12 G, 20 A)

Scott Munroe, 4-6-0, 2.69 GAA; Oscar Dansk, 7-5-4, 3.48 GAA

Notes:

-In the five game series played between both teams, the home team has won all 5 times.

-The Falcons are in the middle of a 7 game homestand, beating Providence in overtime on Valentine’s Day, then losing in overtime to the Phantoms on Sunday.  They host Hartford and Portland on Friday and Saturday before the Devils come in.

Listen: AHL Live, WHYN 560 AM

Twitter: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @TheFalconsAHL, @KatyLovesHockey

 

 

Week 19 Recap: Getting Frigid

The February flop continues.  3 games, 3 days, 3 straight losses.  But at least players are getting healthy…and someone other than Mike Sislo can score a goal.  Baby steps!

Friday: Albany is back down to two goaltenders on the roster as Maxime Clermont was reassigned to Orlando.  He did very well since his recall on Christmas Eve, going 4-0 with a 1.94 GAA and a .921 save percentage.  He is also the only goalie to win a shootout this season.

2/13 vs. Hershey: 1-0 L

After a 7 day layoff, it was back to work to start a 3 in 3 weekend, hosting the Bears on home ice.  The game marked the return of four players from injury: Raman Hrabarenka (out since late November), Graham Black (out since early January), Kelly Zajac, and Rod Pelley.  And Tim Sestito was back skating after a scary moment last Friday in Springfield.  It was a relatively uneventful first period…Albany outshot Hershey 12-8 and managed to kill off a 5 on 3 Bears power play chance.  Albany had a golden opportunity to get on the board early in the second thanks to a full 5 on 3 power play early in the second.  But the special teams continued their recent struggle, not getting anything past Bears goaltender Philipp Grubauer.  Stanislav Galiev finally broke the scoreless tie 13 minutes into the second period for a 1-0 Bears lead.  Albany tried to get the equalizer, but simply could not get anything past Grubauer, and were shut out for the 5th time this season.  Scott Wedgewood was feeling like Cory Schneider in net, playing very well but getting stuck with the loss, stopping 26 of 27 shots.  The Devils also amassed a season low 4 penalty minutes, all in the first period.

Highlights:

Lines:

Reid Boucher-Kelly Zajac-Stefan Matteau

Joe Whitney-Tim Sestito-Mike Sislo

David Wohlberg-Graham Black-Ben Thomson

Chris McKelvie-Rod Pelley-Darcy Zajac

Extra: Paul Thompson (personal), Scott Timmins, Cam Janssen, Ben Johnson, Alexandre Carrier

Defense:

Seth Helgeson/Reece Scarlett

Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka

Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson

Extra: Joe Faust, Mike Keenan

2/14 at Hartford: 5-2 L

It was off to Connecticut’s state capital for the first time since December as Albany kicked off a Valentine’s home and home weekend series with the Wolfpack.  Mike Sislo finally broke a cold spell for the special teams play, scoring on a power play in the first to get the Devils on the board.  With Joe Whitney serving a cross check call (one of 5 Devil penalties called in the first alone), Rod Pelley became the first Devil other than Sislo to score a goal in February, getting one shorthanded for a 2-0 lead.  But all those calls would catch up to Albany, as the Wolfpack got on the board late in the first with a Chris Mueller power play tally.  Hartford would tie the game up midway through the second on a Danny Kristo goal.  The game stayed tied and very tight…until 5 minutes left in the third period, when everything for the visitors would just fall apart.  During a full 4 on 4, Tyler Brown and Mueller would score 18 seconds apart to give the Wolfpack their first lead of the night.  Kristo would add an empty netter with 1:15 remaining for the exclamation point, giving Albany their fourth straight loss.  Up until that last 5 minutes, Scott Clemmensen played great in net, but would get tagged with the loss in stopping 26 of 30 shots.  Darcy Zajac had the lone helper.

Highlights:

Lines:

Joe Whitney-Tim Sestito-Paul Thompson

Reid Boucher-Kelly Zajac-Mike Sislo

Stefan Matteau-Graham Black-Ben Thomson

Chris McKelvie-Rod Pelley-Darcy Zajac

Extra: Scott Timmins, Cam Janssen, Ben Johnson, David Wohlberg, Alexandre Carrier

Defense:

Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka

Seth Helgeson/Reece Scarlett

Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson

Extra: Joe Faust, Mike Keenan

2/15 vs. Hartford: 4-3 L

Roughly 17 hours after the final horn in Hartford, the two teams resumed the home and home series, this time in the Capital Region.  Hartford got on the board twice in a 13 second span in the first, as Danny Kristo and Conor Allen each scored on Scott Wedgewood for a 2-0 lead.  Mike Sislo would continue his hot February with his 13th goal less than 3 minutes later to cut the lead in half.  But Ryan Bourque would restore the two goal lead just over a minute after that.  Paul Thompson would score his 23rd (and first goal since January 24th) to make it a 3-2 game.  Albany thought they tied the game early in the third, but after a video review it was believed the shot off Seth Helgeson’s stick hit the iron.  But Sislo would come through again, tying the game up with his second of the day.  Just as it looked like this game could go into overtime…not to be.  Chris Mueller would score the game winner with 3:47 remaining in regulation, giving Hartford the weekend sweep and extending Albany’s losing streak to 5 games.  Wedgewood stopped 19 of 23 shots in taking the loss.  Joe Whitney added two assists, while Kelly Zajac and David Wohlberg each had a helper.

Highlights:

Lines:

Joe Whitney-Kelly Zajac-Mike Sislo

Stefan Matteau-Tim Sestito-Paul Thompson

David Wohlberg-Rod Pelley-Chris McKelvie

Ben Johnson-Darcy Zajac-Ben Thomson

Extra: Scott Timmins, Cam Janssen, Graham Black, Reid Boucher, Alexandre Carrier

Defense:

Seth Helgeson/Reece Scarlett

Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson

Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka

Extra: Joe Faust, Mike Keenan

Pop Quiz: What is the Albany AHL record for most times shut out in a season?  Stay tuned for the answer.

Obligatory Fight of the Week:

One fight, but no video proof.  Stay tuned…

My Player of the Week:

Apparently again Mike Sislo seems to be the only goal scorer this month, adding three more to his season total and moving up the franchise career list.  He is now tied with Tim Sestito for second with 59, but it may take awhile to catch Joe Whitney, with 80 and counting.

Team Leaders:

Goals: Paul Thompson (23)

Assists: Joe Whitney (23)

Points: Joe Whitney (40)

+/-: Paul Thompson (+12)

Penalty Minutes: Dan Kelly (89)

Wins: Scott Wedgewood (7)

GAA: Scott Clemmensen (2.79)

Save Percentage: Scott Wedgewood (.900)

ECHL Update:

Myles Bell (Evansville): 33 GP, 9 G, 9 A, 18 Pts, -11, 25 PIM

Eric Baier (Orlando): 28 GP, 5 G, 8 A, 13 Pts, +8, 11 PIM

Maxime Clermont (Orlando): 10 GP, 5-4-0, 3.69 GAA, .874 Save Pct.

Injury Update: After the weekend, only two remain on the indefinitely list: Scott Timmins (lower) and Cam Janssen (upper).

This Week’s Schedule:

The month of February is not going to get any easier for this group, as they begin a 5 game road trip, starting with another 3 in 3 weekend.  Friday night they travel to Syracuse to take on the suddenly slumping Crunch.  Saturday night they make their one visit on the season to Utica to face the Comets.  Then a quick turnaround and back east to Springfield on Sunday afternoon to face the Falcons.

And I will be making my return to New Jersey for the Carolina game on Saturday!

Pop Quiz Answer: The record for most times shutout in a season?  It’s the 2003-04 River Rats, who were shut out 13 times.  The top 5 leading scorers that year, incase you’re wondering: Craig Darby (69 points), Steve Kariya (48), Joe Hulbig (45), Jiri Bicek (30) and Tuomas Pihlman (29).  Remember them?  The Lowell/Albany franchise record stands at 8, the 08-09 Lowell Devils and in 2012-13.  Fun fact: the 09-10, 98-99, and the Calder Cup winning 94-95 teams were only shut out once the entire regular season.

Week 19 Primer

Devils Quick Hits:

-Albany begins the week with a 22-17-4-5 record and 53 points, standing in 4th place in the Northeast Division.  They currently sit just outside the playoff picture in 10th, but are only two points behind 7th place Worcester and 8th place Portland for the last Eastern Conference spot.

-It appears all but two players will be available for the weekend slate, which could be the first action for Graham Black and Raman Hrabarenka in quite some time.  Scott Timmins and Cam Janssen are both still out.

2/13, Game #49 vs. Hershey

Where: Times Union Center, Albany, NY.

When: 7:00 PM.

Season Series: Hershey leads 2-0.

Standings:

Hershey: 27-13-5-2, 61 points, 1st place in East Division

Bears Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Tim Kennedy, 38 points (4 G, 34 A); Kris Newbury, 33 points (16 G, 17 A); 2 tied with 31 points

Philipp Grubauer, 17-9-4, 2.06 GAA; Pheonix Copley, 8-3-3, 2.18 GAA

Notes:

-The Bears begin the weekend winners of 8 out of their last 10, with just an OT loss to Lehigh Valley on Sunday and a shootout loss to Syracuse on January 31st their only blemishes.

-Hershey just reached a franchise milestone: rookie Connor Carrick scored the team’s 20,000th regular season goal in Allentown two weeks ago.  This is a mark only one other franchise has accomplished: the Montreal Canadiens, who reached the mark in March 2013.

Listen: AHL Live, The Ticket 1460 AM

Twitter: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @TheHersheyBears

2/14 & 2/15, Games #50 & 51 vs. Hartford

Where: XL Center, Hartford, CT (Saturday); Times Union Center, Albany, NY (Sunday).

When: 7:30 PM (Saturday); 3:00 PM (Sunday)

Season Series: Hartford leads 3-2.

Standings:

Hartford: 26-15-4-3, 59 points, 3rd place in Northeast Division

Wolfpack Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Chris Bourque, 42 points (19 G, 23 A); Oscar Lindberg, 32 points (13 G, 19 A); Danny Kristo, 28 points (13 G, 15 A)

Yann Danis, 9-9-2, 2.71 GAA; Jeff Malcolm, 1-0-0, 3.00 GAA

Notes:

-Hartford returns home after a two game trip north to St. John’s earlier this week, where they were swept by the IceCaps but managed one standings point from a shootout loss.

-The Wolfpack are looking to snap a 4 game winless streak after ending January on a strong note with a pair of victories over Bridgeport and Springfield at home.

-With Mackenzie Skapski getting recalled to New York to fill in as backup, the current starter?  Former Brodeur backup Yann Danis, who already spent time in Norfolk earlier in the season before coming to Connecticut.

Listen: AHL Live, Fox Sports 1410

Twitter: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @WolfpackAHL

 

Week 18 Recap: February Flop

Not the way you want to start a tough February schedule…two games, two three goal losses.  And only one goal scorer.

2/4 at Manchester: 4-1 L

The Devils kicked off February with their only…and last…trip to New Hampshire to take on the Monarchs.  And it was the home team who got off to a fast start.  Mike Richards, in his second game since being sent down by Los Angeles, would score just 1:16 into the contest for a 1-0 lead.  The Monarchs would add a late power play goal to double the lead.  Meanwhile, Albany could only manage 3 shots on goal during the first 20 minutes of play, while giving up 14 to the hosts.  Brian O’Neill would add a shorthanded goal midway through the second period to put the Devils in a 3-0 hole.  Mike Sislo would finally get Albany on the board late in the period with his 10th of the season, but that was the only offense on the evening.  Colin Miller would add a goal late in the third to seal the victory for the Monarchs.  Scott Wedgewood stopped 29 of 33 shots in picking up the loss.  The Devils could only manage 17 shots all night, with Sislo’s 3 leading the way.  Paul Thompson and Reece Scarlett were the only other Devils with points.

Highlights:

*Lines:

Joe Whitney-Tim Sestito-Paul Thompson

Reid Boucher-Darcy Zajac-Mike Sislo

Chris McKelvie-Ben Johnson-Alexandre Carrier

Stefan Matteau-David Wohlberg-Ben Thomson

Extra: Rod Pelley, Kelly Zajac, Scott Timmins, Graham Black, Cam Janssen

Defense:

Seth Helgeson/Reece Scarlett

Brandon Burlon/Dan Kelly

Corbin McPherson/Mike Keenan

Extra: Raman Hrabarenka, Joe Faust

*I was not around to watch, the last two lines are at best a guess.

2/6 at Springfield: 4-1 L

The Devils finished the brief week with a trip east to Springfield to take on the slumping Falcons.  On just their third shot of the game, Springfield got one past Scott Clemmensen late in the first period to get the early lead.  Mike Sislo would tie it up just as the second period began, only to have Adam Cracknell break the tie just over two minutes later.  Things got very physical as the game progressed, culminating in a end of period fight behind Clemmensen’s net, putting the Devils on a 5 on 3 to begin the third period (Joe Whitney was already off for an earlier call).  The Falcons would take advantage and take a two goal lead as the third period got underway.  Springfield would add an empty netter with less than a minute remaining to seal the victory, their first since beating the Devils at home January 11th.  Clemmensen stopped 24 of 27 shots, and Brandon Burlon had the lone helper.

Highlights:

Lines:

Joe Whitney-Tim Sestito-Mike Sislo

Reid Boucher-Darcy Zajac-Paul Thompson

Stefan Matteau-David Wohlberg-Ben Thomson

Chris McKelvie-Ben Johnson-Alexandre Carrier

Extra: Rod Pelley, Kelly Zajac, Scott Timmins, Graham Black, Cam Janssen

Defense:

Dan Kelly/Brandon Burlon

Seth Helgeson/Reece Scarlett

Corbin McPherson/Mike Keenan

Extra: Raman Hrabarenka, Joe Faust

Pop Quiz: Wednesday marked the last visit to Manchester for the Devils, a city the team has not seen much success since the move from Lowell.  When was the Devils last victory at Verizon Wireless Arena?  The answer is coming up.

Obligatory Fight of the Week:

As usual, video proof has yet to surface.  So stay tuned.

My Player of the Week:

Well…it was a fairly easy decision…with the only offense all week Mike Sislo is pretty much your default winner.

Team Leaders:

Goals: Paul Thompson (22)

Assists: Joe Whitney (21)

Points: Joe Whitney/Paul Thompson (38)

+/-: Paul Thompson (+13)

Penalty Minutes: Dan Kelly (89)

Wins: Scott Wedgewood (7)

GAA: Maxime Clermont (1.94)

Save Percentage: Maxime Clermont (.921)

ECHL Update:

Myles Bell (Evansville): 32 GP, 9 G, 9 A, 18 Pts, -11, 25 PIM

Eric Baier (Orlando): 25 GP, 5 G, 7 A, 12 Pts, +7, 11 PIM

Injury Update:

No timetables for returns for Kelly Zajac (upper), Scott Timmins (lower), Graham Black (wrist), Cam Janssen (shoulder), or Raman Hrabarenka (upper).  Rod Pelley (hand) missed the week, and you can possibly add Tim Sestito to the list after he left Friday’s game during the third, having to be helped off the ice.

This Week’s Schedule:

It’s a 3 in 3 weekend for Valentine’s Day!  Friday night the Devils return home to face Hershey.  Saturday begins a home and home with the Wolfpack, with Saturday night in Hartford and back in Albany Sunday afternoon.  Sunday marks the last home game for Albany until March 1st.  Also this week: the rescheduled from December STH skate on Wednesday, I’ll possibly have a few photos from that.

Pop Quiz Answer: The last Devil victory in Manchester?  You have to go back to February 25, 2012, a 3-1 win.  Jeff Frazee stopped 38 of 39 shots, while Steve Zalewski, Vladimir Zharkov, and Eric Gelinas all contributed goals.

Week 18 Primer

Devils Quick Hits:

-Albany begins the month of February with a record of 22-15-4-5, good for 53 points and 4th place in the Northeast Division (7th in Eastern Conference).

2/4, Game #47 at Manchester

Where: Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH.

When: 7:00 PM.

Season Series: First meeting of 2.  Future matchup: April 1st @ Albany

Standings:

Manchester: 27-10-4-2, 60 points, 1st place in Atlantic Division

Monarchs Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Brian O’Neill, 44 points (11 G. 33 A); Jordan Weal, 41 points (12 G, 29 A); Colin Miller, 29 points (10 G, 19 A)

Jean-Francois Berube, 20-4-3, 2.01 GAA; Patrik Bartosak, 7-6-3, 2.28 GAA

Notes:

-The Monarchs have three of the top 5 league leading scorers, including the recalled Nick Shore.

-Manchester has only played once since the All Star break, a 3-1 victory over Portland on Friday evening at home.

-The Monarchs gained the services of Mike Richards just after the All Star break.  He made his first AHL appearance since 2005 (as a member of the Philadelphia Phantoms) on Friday evening.

-This is the last time Albany will visit New Hampshire, as the Monarchs will be switching to the ECHL next season while the AHL affiliation moves to Ontario, CA.

Listen: AHL Live, manchestermonarchs.com

Twitter: @AlbanyDevils, @monarchshockey

2/6, Game #48 at Springfield

Where: Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA.

When: 7:00 PM.

Season Series: Albany leads 3-1.

Standings:

Springfield: 26-16-4-0, 56 points, 3rd place in Northeast Division

Falcons Leading Scorers/Goaltending:

Austin Madaisky, 32 points (12 G, 20 A); Luke Adam, 31 points (12 G, 19 A); 2 players with 26 points

Oscar Dansk, 5-4-3, 3.74 GAA; Scott Munroe, 3-5-0, 2.76 GAA

Notes:

-Since defeating the Devils in Massachusetts on January 11th, the Falcons have struggled, going 0-6-1-0 and falling into 3rd place in the division.

-After being shut out by the Penguins on Tuesday in Wilkes-Barre, Springfield settles in for a 3 in 3 weekend, traveling to Syracuse and Providence after their lone home matchup.

Listen: AHL Live, WHYN 560 AM

Twitter: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @TheFalconsAHL, @KatyLovesHockey