-The Devils begin the week with a 3-2-1-0 mark with a winning percentage of .583 and 7 points. They sit in 3rd place in the North Division with just a few percentage points between them and 4th place Syracuse.
-Injury report: Scott Wedgewood (ankle) remains out, while Paul Thompson (upper body/shoulder) will be out indefinitely after being boarded on Sunday afternoon against Binghamton. As a result of the hit, Zack Stortini was given a 2 game suspension.
Friday, 10/30 vs. Bridgeport
Where: Times Union Center, Albany, NY.
When: 7:00 PM.
Season Series: First meeting of 8. Future matchups: November 25th @ Albany; January 30th @ Bridgeport; February 14th @ Albany; February 21st & 28th, March 20th @ Bridgeport; April 16th @ Albany
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 6-3-0-0, 12 points, .667 pct, 3rd place in Atlantic Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: Joe Whitney, 11 points (5 G, 6 A); 2 players with 9 points; Christopher Gibson, 3-1-0, 2.30 GAA; Stephon Williams, 3-2-0, 3.29 GAA
Notes: After a 5 game winning streak to start off the season, the Sound Tigers have only won 1 out of their last 4 games, the lone win a shootout win in St. John’s on Sunday; former Devil Joe Whitney is leading the league in scoring with 11 points; after Friday’s game they return to Harbor Yard for a 5 game homestand to kick off the month of November.
Season Series: First meeting of 8. Future matchups: December 30th @ Albany; December 31st & January 16th @ Utica; January 29th @ Albany; February 20th @ Utica; March 12th @ Albany; March 19th @ Utica
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 2-3-0-0, 4 points, .400 pct., 7th place in North Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: Hunter Shinkaruk, 5 points (4 G, 1 A); 2 tied with 3 points; Joe Cannata, 2-3-0, 1.42 GAA
Notes: It’s been a slow start for the defending Western Conference champs since moving over to the East, only winning 2 of their first 5 games, all on home ice; the Comets have recently lost captain Alex Biega and forward Brendan Gaunce to recall by the Canucks; this is the middle stop of a 3 game road weekend for Utica, they begin Friday in Binghamton and travel to Bridgeport on Sunday.
Record: 5-3-0-0, 10 points, .625 pct, 2nd place in North Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: William Nylander, 6 points (3 G, 3 A); 3 players with 5 points; Antoine Bibeau, 4-1-0, 2.20 GAA; Garret Sparks, 1-2-0, 3.27 GAA
Notes: The last time the Marlies visited Albany? November 13, 2011, a 4-3 win in overtime; center Byron Froese, who had the tying goal in Toronto’s win over Albany on October 17th, was recalled by the Maple Leafs earlier in the week; NHL vet Richard Clune, who appeared in 8 games for the Marlies, has signed an NHL deal with the Leafs; Sunday marks the beginning of a 7 game road swing for the Marlies, who will head to Hartford, Utica, Binghamton, St. John’s, and Rochester before coming home on November 21st.
The 3 in 3 weekend. Something that is virtually unavoidable in the world of minor pro hockey.
For the first time this season, the Devils had to deal with a 3 in 3, with a long trip north to Maine followed by the first two home games of the season. And after a slow start to the weekend, the team finished up strong, getting four out of a possible six points and moving up in the North Division.
The weekend began with a trip north to Maine, as Albany made its only visit of the season to the Pirates. First period was all Devils, as Paul Thompson finally scored his first of the season midway through for a 1-0 advantage. Blake Pietila took advantage of a turnover late in the period, broke in all alone and scored his second in as many games for a 2 goal lead. But the momentum would switch over to the home team in the second, as the Pirates got on the board thanks to a loose puck in the crease. Then it became the Greg McKegg show (that really should be a show with that name)…first he ties the game up at 2 going top shelf on goaltender Doug Carr, making his first appearance in net. Early in the third, McKegg pulls a near identical move to put Portland ahead. Finally, he sealed the hat trick with a power play empty netter with 46 seconds remaining for a two goal win for the Pirates. Outside of that, it was not a bad performance for Carr, as he stopped 23 of 26 shots. Vojtech Mozik earned his first North American point with a first period assist. For the first time all season, the Devils did not score a power play goal, going 0 for 5 with the man advantage.
The Lineup:
Reid Boucher-Joe Blandisi-Mike Sislo
Paul Thompson-Jim O’Brien-Matt Lorito
Blake Pietila-Graham Black-Corey Tropp
Chris McKelvie-Rod Pelley-Ben Thomson
Marc-Andre Gragnani/Raman Hrabarenka
Brandon Burlon/Dan Kelly
Seth Helgeson/Vojtech Mozik
Doug Carr/Yann Danis
Out: Scott Wedgewood, Max Novak, Corbin McPherson, Blake Coleman, Ryan Kujawinski, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Reece Scarlett
Power Play: 0 for 5. Penalty Kill: 4 for 5. Penalty Minutes: 10. Shots on Goal: 28. Shots Allowed: 27.
19 and a half hours and 268 miles later, the Devils and Pirates had their rematch, as Albany finally got to play on home ice for the first time this season. After a scoreless first period that saw Albany outshoot their guests 12-5, the Devils got things going in the second. Reid Boucher would score his first since returning to the roster midway through for a 1-0 lead. Blake Pietila would continue his scoring streak, scoring his third in as many games late in the period to double the lead. Albany would put the Pirates away for good in the third, as Jim O’Brien would score on the power play early for a 3-0 advantage. Yann Danis would lose his shutout bid with 2:16 to go on what was otherwise a nearly easy day in net for him, as he only had to face 21 Pirate shots, stopping 20. Five different Devils would add helpers.
Yann Danis#1 star Reid Boucher being interviewed postgame…a new home tradition is born.
The Lineup:
Paul Thompson-Jim O’Brien-Corey Tropp
Reid Boucher-Matt Lorito-Mike Sislo
Blake Coleman-Blake Pietila-Max Novak
Chris McKelvie-Rod Pelley-Ben Thomson
Marc Andre Gragnani/Reece Scarlett
Dan Kelly/Corbin McPherson
Seth Helgeson/Vojtech Mozik
Yann Danis/Doug Carr
Out: Scott Wedgewood, Brandon Burlon, Joe Blandisi, Graham Black, Ryan Kujawinski, Raman Hrabarenka, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond
To finish off the weekend, the Devils welcomed the Senators in a rematch from Opening Night. After killing off an early 5 on 3 chance, the Devils had a golden opportunity to jump ahead with a 4 minute power play chance, but could not convert. But on a late period kill, Binghamton would get on the board first (and there was just :03 left on said kill too), taking a 1-0 lead after one. But then the Devils would take over, but not the way they wanted to. Paul Thompson would have to leave the game after getting boarded by Binghamton’s Zack Stortini, who was served a five minute major and a match penalty. Matt Lorito would tie the game up during the 5 minute man advantage. After a possible Mike Sislo goal was waved off (it hit the crossbar and just barely did not cross the line), Corey Tropp would score on a later power play to put Albany ahead for good…but they weren’t done just yet. After a delay of game call on Binghamton early in the third, Joe Blandisi would connect for his second goal for a 3-1 lead. Reid Boucher would put the cherry on top with another power play goal for the Devils second straight win. Another good outing for Yann Danis in net, as he stopped 23 of 24 shots. Marc Andre Gragnani would contribute two assists, while six other Devils would get on the scoresheet (including Blake Pietila, who now has a 4 game point streak).
Happy Devils…#1 Star interview with Matt Lorito
The Lineup:
Paul Thompson-Jim O’Brien-Corey Tropp
Reid Boucher-Matt Lorito-Mike Sislo
Blake Pietila-Graham Black-Joe Blandisi
Pierre-Luc Leblond-Rod Pelley-Ryan Kujawinski
Marc Andre Gragnani/Reece Scarlett
Brandon Burlon/Corbin McPherson
Seth Helgeson/Raman Hrabarenka
Yann Danis/Doug Carr
Out: Scott Wedgewood, Dan Kelly (vet rule), Vojtech Mozik, Blake Coleman, Chris McKelvie, Ben Thomson, Max Novak
Power Play: 4 for 10. Penalty Kill: 5 for 6. Penalty Minutes: 19. Shots on Goal: 38. Shots Allowed: 24.
Highlights:
My Player of the Week:
Quite a few players to choose from, but I’ll give it to the guy who wasn’t even on the roster at the beginning of the week, but came up big in back to back wins…Reid Boucher and his two goals. Honorary mention to Blake Pietila and his 3 point effort.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Blake Pietila (3)
Assists: Marc Andre Gragnani (5)
Points: Marc Andre Gragnani (5)
+/-: 3 with +2
Penalty Minutes: Corey Tropp (19)
Wins: Yann Danis (3)
GAA: Yann Danis (2.17)
Save Percentage: Yann Danis (.923)
The Vault:
What a difference a year can make. This time last year, Blake Pietila was a senior at Michigan Tech getting interviewed after the Huskies swept in-state rival Michigan:
Up North with the Thunder:
Just like the Devils, Adirondack had their own 3 in 3 weekend…and it was a clean sweep, defeating Brampton on the road and Manchester in a home and home series, improving their record to 4-0. Ken Appleby started the first two games of the weekend, stopping 18 of 22 shots on Friday against the Beast in an overtime win, then followed up with 37 saves on 39 shots on Saturday in a 4-2 win over the Monarchs. Joe Faust would score his first of the season on Sunday in a 5-2 win. Alexandre Carrier registered his first assist of the year in Sunday’s win as well. Up next for the Thunder: they host Orlando on Wednesday night before embarking on a 6 game road trip, starting Friday night in Wheeling.
This Week’s Schedule:
Bad news…it’s another 3 in 3 weekend. Good news…it’s all on home ice, as the Devils finish off their 5 game homestand. Friday night Bridgeport makes their first visit…oh, and it’ll mark the first time Joe Whitney will face his former teammates. Halloween afternoon Utica makes their first visit as divisional foes. And as the calendar turns to November, Toronto will pay a visit on Sunday afternoon for the first time in several years.
-The Devils approach their first 3 in 3 weekend of the season with a record of 1-1-1-0 and 3 points. They are tied with Binghamton with a .500 winning percentage and third place in the North Division.
-For the second time in a week, Reid Boucher was reassigned by New Jersey to Albany…but this time instead of on paper for one night, he is actually back with the team. He has only appeared in 3 games with the big club so far, with no points and 2 penalty minutes.
Friday, 10/23 at Portland; Saturday, 10/24 vs. Portland
Where: Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, ME (Friday); Times Union Center, Albany, NY (Saturday).
When: 7:00 PM Friday; 5:05 PM Saturday.
Season Series: First and only two meetings.
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 2-1-0-0, 4 points, .667 pct, 3rd place in Atlantic Division
Leading Scorers & Goaltending: Shane Harper, 5 points (0 G, 5 A); 3 with 4 points; Mike McKenna, 1-1-0, 4.05 GAA; Sam Brittain, 1-0-0, 2.00 GAA
Need to Know:
Portland opened its home schedule last weekend with a sweep of the Bears, outscoring Hershey 8-4; former Devil Mike McKenna is the only Pirate to return from last year’s team after an affiliation switch, Phoenix to Florida; former River Rats head coach Tom Rowe is the Pirates head coach, coming over with the affiliation from San Antonio; Saturday marks the Devils home opener after a 4 game road trip, and the beginning of a 5 game homestand.
Record: 2-2-0-0, 4 points, .500 pct, tied for 3rd place in North Division
Leading Scorers & Goaltending: 4 players tied with 4 points; Chris Driedger, 2-0-0, 2.47 GAA; Matt O’Connor, 0-2-0, 2.55 GAA
Need to Know:
The Senators are coming off a 1-2 road trip through Syracuse and St. John’s, dropping a one goal decision to the Crunch before splitting a two game set with the IceCaps; they will host Toronto on Saturday evening before making the trek to Albany on Sunday.
It was off to Canada for the weekend, as the Devils took on a new divisional neighbor north of the border, looking to break through into the win column. And not a bad weekend, getting that first win and taking 3 of a possible 4 points.
Yann Danis drew the start in net, while Dan Kelly, Ben Thomson and Matt Lorito each made their season debuts. Hitting the Ricoh Coliseum ice for the first time in nearly four years, both teams traded goals in the first period. Corey Tropp scored his first off of a tip in of a Dan Kelly shot 7:48 into the contest. 2014 1st rounder William Nylander would tie the game up late in the period for the home team. Barely two minutes into the second period, Mike Sislo would score on the power play for a 2-1 Devil lead. And with the strong play of Yann Danis in net, it looked like a Devil team may finally end up in the win column. Well…not so fast. The Marlies took over the game pace, outshooting Albany 14-3 in the third period. And with goaltender Antoine Bibeau pulled for a 6th attacker, Toronto would tie it up with 1:57 to go in regulation on a Byron Froese goal. It was on to the first 3 on 3 overtime of the season, where the Marlies would continue to dominate in their offensive zone, finishing off the comeback with 1:22 to go in the extra frame on a T.J. Brennan goal to stay undefeated. Despite the hard luck loss, Danis played well for a second straight bad luck start, stopping 34 of 37 shots. Matt Lorito (in his first appearance of the season), Kelly, and Brandon Burlon all contributed helpers.
The Lineup:
Matt Lorito-Jim O’Brien-Paul Thompson
Ryan Kujawinski-Joe Blandisi-Mike Sislo
Blake Pietila-Blake Coleman-Corey Tropp
Chris McKelvie-Rod Pelley-Ben Thomson
Brandon Burlon/Dan Kelly
Marc-Andre Gragnani/Reece Scarlett
Seth Helgeson/Corbin McPherson
Yann Danis/Doug Carr
Out: Scott Wedgewood (inj), Max Novak (healthy), Graham Black (inj), Vojtech Mozik (inj), Raman Hrabarenka (healthy?), Pierre-Luc Leblond (healthy/vet rule)
Power Play: 1 for 5. Penalty Kill: 3 for 3. Penalty Minutes: 15. Shots on Goal: 21. Shots Allowed: 37.
About 21 hours later, it was back on ice as the Devils looked to get that first win and split the set with the Marlies. Vojtech Mozik made his North American debut on defense, while Graham Black made his first appearance. After a scoreless first period the Devils would get things going early in the second period. While on the penalty kill, Jim O’Brien would score his first as a Devil shorthanded for a 1-0 advantage. Thanks to a miscommunication between Yann Danis and Marc Andre Gragnani behind the Devil net, Matt Frattin would score easily to tie the game up at 1. Kasperi Kapanen would get a no doubter just over a minute later and suddenly it’s 2-1 Toronto. But Albany wasn’t done just yet…on a power play with 6 minutes to go in the period, Mike Sislo would score his second goal in as many days to re-tie the game. Then early in the third, Blake Pietila would score his first as a professional to give the Devils the lead back. Toronto had a golden opportunity to pull off what they did the day before, having a 6 on 4 for the last 1:30 of the contest, but Danis and the Devils would not allow it to happen, clinching their first victory of 2015-16. Danis had another strong performance in net, stopping 26 of 28 shots. Four Devils would contribute assists.
The Lineup:
Paul Thompson-Jim O’Brien-Matt Lorito
Mike Sislo-Joseph Blandisi-Corey Tropp
Blake Pietila-Graham Black-Max Novak
Chris McKelvie-Rod Pelley-Ben Thomson
Raman Hrabarenka/Marc-Andre Gragnani
Dan Kelly/Brandon Burlon
Seth Helgeson/Vojtech Mozik
Yann Danis/Doug Carr
Out: Scott Wedgewood (inj), Blake Coleman, Ryan Kujawinski, Reece Scarlett, Pierre-Luc Leblond, Corbin McPherson (healthy)
Power Play: 1 for 5. Penalty Kill: 6 for 6. Penalty Minutes: 12. Shots on Goal: 31. Shots Allowed: 28.
The nod goes to Mike Sislo this week, for scoring twice on the power play in back to back days. Honorable mention to Blake Pietila for making his first pro goal a game winning one.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Mike Sislo (2)
Assists: 3 tied with 2
Points: 4 players tied with 2
+/-: Dan Kelly (+2)
Penalty Minutes: Corey Tropp (13)
Wins: Yann Danis (1)
GAA: Yann Danis (2.94)
Save Percentage: Yann Danis (.907)
The Vault:
This week’s throwback video features a pair of Devils during their college days. Here’s a big night for both Mike Sislo and Paul Thompson, playing for UNH against Vermont in December 2010 (with a cameo by former Devil Phil DeSimone as a bonus).
Up North with the Thunder:
Adirondack kicked off their inaugural ECHL season with a 4-1 win in Elmira on Friday. Ken Appleby had a strong pro debut in net, stopping 29 of 30 shots in picking up the win, while Joe Faust contributed an assist. The Thunder travel to Brampton on Friday before a home and home set with Manchester on Saturday (home) and Sunday (road).
The Week Ahead:
It’s the ever popular 3 in 3 weekend! Friday night the Devils wrap up their road trip in Portland, before finally opening the home season on Saturday against the Pirates. Sunday afternoon Binghamton comes in for their first visit of the season.
-The Devils begin the week 0-1-0-0, looking for their first points of the season. They are tied for last place in the North Division with Utica, who also sit at 0-1-0-0.
-First recall of the season to New Jersey goes to…Yann Danis, who was summoned to back up Keith Kinkaid Tuesday night at home against Nashville while Cory Schneider became a first time dad to a baby boy, Wyatt. He was officially sent back to Albany on Wednesday, while Reid Boucher was sent down and recalled on paper to make room. Ken Appleby was recalled from Adirondack for a day before being returned to the Thunder.
-Injury report: All but Scott Wedgewood (ankle) will be available to play this weekend.
Saturday, 10/17 and Sunday, 10/18 at Toronto
Where: Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
When: 3:00 PM both days.
Season Series: First 2 meetings of 6. Future matchups: November 1st @ Albany; March 1st @ Toronto; March 13th & April 10th @ Albany
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 2-0-0-0, 4 points, 1.ooo winning pct, first place in North Division.
Leading Scorers: Josh Leivo, 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists); 6 players with 2 points; Garret Sparks, 1-0-0, 1.85 GAA, .931 save pct; Antoine Bibeau, 1-0-0, 3.00 GAA, .875 save pct
Need to Know:
This is the first matchup between the two teams since December 10, 2011, a 4-1 Toronto win on home ice; the Marlies are finishing up a four game homestand to start off the season, including a sweep of Manitoba last weekend; games will be televised on RogersTV in Canada.
Oh, Opening Day. It’s a wonderful thing when the first game of hockey season that counts arrives. New players, new promise, and the hope that you can start off on the right foot on your quest for the playoffs and the Calder Cup. The Devils began their sixth season on Saturday evening with a new look lineup and hopes that they can build on their near playoff miss from last season. But it was in Binghamton…and whenever Albany goes into that building, everything seems to happen. And not in a good way.
With Scott Wedgewood out due to injury, Yann Danis drew the starting assignment in net. Also making their Devil debuts: Joseph Blandisi, Blake Coleman, Jim O’Brien, Marc-Andre Gragnani, Blake Pietila, Ryan Kujawinski, and Corey Tropp. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond made his first appearance back in an A-Devil uniform since April 10, 2011.
Blake PietilaBlake Coleman
In the first, both teams would exchange power play goals. Colin Greening would put the home team up first just 16 seconds into the first penalty kill of the season halfway through the period. Joseph Blandisi would return the favor with his first professional tally on the back end of a 5 on 3 chance (well, 5 seconds after the 5 on 3 portion ended, anyway) to tie it up. Second period things appeared to be swinging in the Devils favor, with more offensive zone play and just 2 penalties called against (including the ever popular playing without a helmet penalty…Tropp missed the memo on that one), but nothing past Binghamton goaltender Chris Driedger. Eric O’Dell would break the tie late in the second period…and after that, the bottom would fall out for the visitors. The curse of the building, among other things, would take over in the third period, as Albany could only manage 5 shots on goal. David Dziurzynski and O’Dell would score 6:53 apart to put the game away for the hosts. And then there was the discipline, or should I say, lack thereof (it also didn’t help that the lone referee missed a few blatant calls)…31 penalty minutes total for the period, including losing both Seth Helgeson and Raman Hrabarenka late in the game due to a scrum in the corner. Danis played well in defeat, stopping 28 of 32 shots, while Gragnani had the lone assist.
The daily Well. That escalated quickly.We missed you, PL3.
The Lineup:
Ryan Kujawinski-Jim O’Brien-Paul Thompson
Blake Coleman-Joseph Blandisi-Mike Sislo
Chris McKelvie-Rod Pelley-Corey Tropp
Pierre-Luc Leblond-Blake Pietila-Max Novak
Marc-Andre Gragnani/Reece Scarlett
Raman Hrabarenka/Seth Helgeson
Corbin McPherson/Brandon Burlon
Yann Danis/Doug Carr
Out: Dan Kelly (unknown), Ben Thomson (healthy), Graham Black (inj), Matt Lorito (inj), Scott Wedgewood (inj), Vojtech Mozik (inj)
Power Play: 1 for 6. Penalty Kill: 3 for 4. Penalty Minutes: 37. Shots on Goal: 33. Shots Allowed: 32.
Highlights:
My Player of the Week:
My first choice for the season–drumroll please: Yann Danis. Despite the loss, he had a good first night in net filling in for Scott Wedgewood.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Joseph Blandisi (1)
Assists: Marc-Andre Gragnani (1)
Points: 2 players tied with 1
+/-: 9 players tied with 0
Penalty Minutes: Raman Hrabarenka (12)
Wins: 0
GAA: Yann Danis (4.00)
Save Percentage: Yann Danis (.875)
The Vault:
Replacing Obligatory Fight of the Week, this space will be for digging into the Youtube archives and finding some past info on members of the roster. This week, here’s an interview with Joseph Blandisi from January 2014, just after he joined Barrie in the OHL:
Up North with the Thunder:
On Saturday, Ken Appleby was reassigned to Adirondack, and was immediately put to work, starting the Thunder’s preseason opener in Glens Falls, a 5-4 overtime loss to Manchester. He stopped 23 of 28 shots, while Alexandre Carrier scored in the first period. Joe Faust also saw action and finished with a +1. Adirondack will travel to Manchester Sunday afternoon to finish off the home and home series with the Monarchs, then the regular season begins on Friday evening in Elmira.
The Week Ahead:
The road swing to start the season continues to the northwest, as Albany travels to Toronto for the first time since the 2011-12 season for a two game weekend set. Both games on Saturday and Sunday are 3:00 afternoon starts. Also this week…Fanfest at the TU Center on Wednesday! There may be a few items tweeted from that, so stay tuned.
With fellow division mates Rochester and Toronto starting off their season last night with wins, Albany starts the year in a tie for second with the rest of the North Division.
Injury report: Graham Black (lower body), Vojtech Mozik (knee), Matt Lorito (lower), and Scott Wedgewood (ankle) will not be in the lineup on Saturday.
Saturday, 10/10 at Binghamton:
Where: Floyd L. Maines Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY.
When: 7:05 PM.
Season Series: First meeting of 8. Future matchups: October 25th, November 27th at Albany; March 11th, April 1st at Binghamton; April 3rd at Albany; April 9th at Binghamton; April 13th at Albany.
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 0-0-0-0, 0 points, tied for 2nd in North Division.
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: First game.
Need to Know:
The Senators return 16 players from last year’s team, including third leading scorer Cole Schneider; second year pro Chris Driedger is expected to get the starting nod in net; former Devil Mark Fraser signed a 2 way deal with Ottawa and is on the roster.
A few pieces of business to take care of before Season 6 finally gets underway on Saturday night:
You can look here for your official season opening roster. But just how did it get to that?
-When I posted the final free agent tracker on September 1st, there were 6 players remaining on the free agent list that had not found a home for the season. 2 ended up staying put (Corbin McPherson and Joe Faust), while 3 others have found new homes: Scott Timmins signed with San Jose and will be playing for the Barracuda; David Wohlberg is off to Florida of the ECHL after starting in camp with Charlotte; and Maxime Clermont has returned to school in Quebec, playing for Concordia University. Darcy Zajac is the last one standing, although according to Comcast he’s in New Jersey.
-Final roster moves from camp: Seth Helgeson was the last cut from New Jersey’s training camp, being reassigned to Albany on Tuesday. Joe Faust and David Shields (the last remaining PTO in Albany camp) were sent to Adirondack, where the Thunder’s camp got underway on Sunday.
-With Scott Wedgewood (ankle) out for a week and Yann Danis’s (back) status up in the air for the weekend, goaltender Doug Carr was brought in on a PTO on Wednesday. He split last season between Adirondack and Colorado (ECHL), posting a 4-3-0 record with a 3.30 GAA for the Flames and a 10-10-0 mark with a 2.65 GAA for the Eagles. There is a chance Ken Appleby may be making his professional debut on Saturday if Danis is unable to go.
-The last two days have also seen two transactions that may have a lot of potential for this team, although one may not happen right away. On Wednesday afternoon (with the news breaking during the Martin Brodeur number retirement ceremony, no less), New Jersey acquired forward Brian O’Neill from the Kings for a conditional 7th round draft choice in 2017. Most in the NHL Devil fanbase were like, who is this guy? But in the AHL…yeah, he’s kind of a big deal. Last season he lead Manchester to the Calder Cup and won league MVP in the process, leading all scorers with 80 points (22 G, 58 A) in 71 games and adding another 20 points during the playoff run. He will remain on New Jersey’s roster for the time being, but if he is to be reassigned to Albany, he will have to go through waivers first.
Then on Thursday, a curveball: Chicago reassigned forward Corey Tropp to Albany. He spent the last two seasons with Columbus, where in 2014-15 he put up 8 points (1 goal, 7 assists) in 61 games. His last appearance in the AHL was a 6 game stint in 2012-13 with Rochester.
-Now for the setup for me for Season 6:
Like last season, all pregamers will be on a weekly basis. Noontime release on the first gameday that week.
Recaps will follow the day after the last game of the week, with a quick summary, highlights, and lineups. I’m also bringing back a Player of the Week and the team leaders, along with injuries, Thunder updates, and what’s upcoming. New this year: what I like to call The Vault. Since there may not be as many Obligatory Fights of the Week, The Vault will be a random interview/highlight reel with a current member of the roster back in the day. A Before They Were Devils, if you will. As for photo galleries…well, no separate entries for those. I will include a few photos right in the recap, with all extended galleries over on the Facebook page (a reminder that it does still exist, so if you haven’t Liked it, please do so).
Welcome to October! For all of you that have been begging for it since April…you can stop complaining now! (I kid, I kid.)
Before Season 6 of Albany Devils hockey kicks off on Saturday in the Southern Tier, there was a preseason slate to get through first. The Devils traveled southwest to Pennsylvania to take on the Bears and the Penguins on back to back nights to tune up for the regular season. And it was a mixed result:
The brief preseason slate got off to a good start with a win in Chocolatetown. After a scoreless first period, Max Novak would score on a power play 47 seconds into the second period for a 1-0 lead. Nathan Walker would tie it up for the hosts with a short handed goal nearly six minutes later. After a few extra curriculars midway through the second and early in the third, Blake Coleman would give Albany a one goal lead with six and a half minutes remaining in regulation. Ken Appleby drew the start and played well in his third goalie audition, stopping 28 of 29 shots. Joseph Blandisi would add two assists.
It was due north on Interstate 81 for the second game of the week, as Albany took on the Penguins. Much like the night before, both teams were scoreless through the first, but on Friday it was the home team that would strike first. Conor Sheary would give the Pens a 1-0 lead 8 minutes into the second period. Joseph Blandisi would continue his strong preseason play by tying the game up at 1 4:35 into the third period. The game would then carry over into overtime, where Kael Mouillerat would score the game winner off a 2 on 1 breakout play with just 25 seconds to go in the extra frame to give the Pens the win. Scott Wedgewood would stop 33 of 35 Penguin shots.
With the preseason wrapped up, just who is left on the roster? With final cuts from New Jersey having to be made by Tuesday, there may still be a couple of more players sent down. After New Jersey’s preseason wrapped up on Friday, Marc Andre Gragnani cleared waivers and was reassigned to Albany, while Alexandre Carrier, Gunnar Hughes, and Jacob Sweeney were released from their tryouts. Carrier will report to Adirondack, where he signed with the Thunder earlier this week, along with Hughes.
This Week’s Schedule:
It all starts for real on Saturday, as the Devils kick off the season with a quick trip west to Binghamton to take on their old/new division rival, the Senators. Also before the weekend: once the final roster is complete, I’ll update with that plus how I plan on running blog postings for the season.
Thoughts Inside The Box 