A very good start to a 5 game road trip for the Devils…a perfect 2-0 to get things started!
The road swing began west on the New York State Thruway on Friday, as the Devils made their first visit of the season to Syracuse to take on the Crunch. After a slow start to the game, Ben Thomson would get the visitors on the board with 3:20 to go in the opening period with his first goal of the season. Joseph Blandisi would double the lead with a power play goal early in the second, his 3rd of the season. But Syracuse would rally, as Yanni Gourde and Nikita Nesterov (on a 5 on 3 opportunity) would score 6:04 apart to tie things up going into the third period. Blandisi would break that tie with another power play goal 4 minutes into the third for a 3-2 Devil lead. Then the Crunch would tie it up yet again off the stick of Jonathan Marchessault. But the visitors would have the last laugh at the end, as Ryan Kujawinski would score the game winner with 5:22 remaining in regulation. Another good start in net for Yann Danis, as he stopped 27 of 30 shots to pick up his 5th win. Matt Lorito and Mike Sislo each contributed two assists, while three other Devils each had a helper.
The Lineup:
Reid Boucher-Blake Coleman-Corey Tropp
Mike Sislo-Joseph Blandisi-Matt Lorito
Chris McKelvie-Ryan Kujawinski-Blake Pietila
Ben Thomson-Rod Pelley-Pierre-Luc Leblond
Dan Kelly/Reece Scarlett
Marc Andre Gragnani/Raman Hrabarenka
Seth Helgeson/Vojtech Mozik
Yann Danis/Doug Carr
Out: Scott Wedgewood, Paul Thompson, Jim O’Brien (inj), Graham Black, Brandon Burlon, Corbin McPherson, Max Novak (extra)
Power Play: 2 for 5. Penalty Kill: 7 for 8. Penalty Minutes: 29. Shots on Goal: 25. Shots Allowed: 30.
Highlights:
It was due east to Connecticut’s state capital as the Devils took on the Wolfpack for the first time this season. And it didn’t take very long to get things started for the visitors…while Joseph Blandisi was serving a minor for a hook, Mike Sislo would score his 7th goal of the year shorthanded for a 1-0 advantage just 2:53 into the contest. Second period the Devils offense exploded, as Corey Tropp (3rd) and Reid Boucher (4th) would score just 18 seconds apart during a 4 on 4 for a 3-0 lead, chasing Wolfpack starter Magnus Hellberg out of the net in favor of Jeff Malcolm. But the Devils weren’t done just yet…Blake Coleman would add his second goal of the season late in the period for a 4 goal cushion. And that was all Yann Danis would need, as he withstood many wide shots and shots off the crossbar, not to mention a 12 shot barrage in the third period, to pick up his first shutout of the season. Coleman and Tropp would also add helpers, while Blake Pietila and Dan Kelly each had a helper.
The Lineup:
Reid Boucher-Blake Coleman-Corey Tropp
Mike Sislo-Joseph Blandisi-Matt Lorito
Ben Thomson-Rod Pelley-Pierre-Luc Leblond
Chris McKelvie-Ryan Kujawinski-Blake Pietila
Seth Helgeson/Vojtech Mozik
Brandon Burlon/Reece Scarlett
Dan Kelly/Raman Hrabarenka
Yann Danis/Doug Carr
Out: Scott Wedgewo0d, Paul Thompson, Jim O’Brien, Marc Andre Gragnani (inj), Graham Black, Max Novak, Corbin McPherson (extra)
Power Play: 0 for 3. Penalty Kill: 4 for 4. Penalty Minutes: 28. Shots on Goal: 26. Shots Allowed: 24.
Highlights:
My Player of the Week:
Quite a few good performances this week, but the nod goes to…the man between the pipes. 2-0, first shutout of the season, a 1.51 GAA for the week…a good week for Yann Danis.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Mike Sislo (7)
Assists: 2 tied with 8
Points: Mike Sislo (12)
+/-: Vojtech Mozik (+9)
Penalty Minutes: Dan Kelly (23)
Wins: Yann Danis (6)
GAA: Yann Danis (1.99)
Save Percentage: Yann Danis (.924)
The Vault:
Going back to November 2012 for this one…get to know Seth Helgeson, or more notably, the hair.
Up North with the Thunder:
Another good week for the boys in Adirondack, as they went 2-1 on the Midwestern portion of their road trip. Wednesday morning in Kalamazoo, Adirondack found themselves down 2-0 with 1:38 to go in regulation, their winning streak in jeopardy. But two goals in :48 and a game winner 2:12 in overtime extended their streak to seven. Unfortunately, that streak would end Friday night in Cincinnati as they dropped a 4-2 decision to the Cyclones. Saturday Ken Appleby pitched his first pro shutout, defeating Toledo 1-0. He is now 6-1-0 with a 1.85 GAA and a .938 save percentage. Alex Carrier scored his first two goals of the season in Friday’s loss. The road swing heads south this week for two more games, as the Thunder takes on Atlanta on Friday and Greenville on Saturday.
This Week’s Schedule:
A road 3 in 3 weekend to finish up the 5 game road swing…and it’s quite a travel schedule. It begins Friday night in Providence as the Devils take on the Bruins. Saturday the team finds themselves in Allentown to take on the Phantoms in their only visit to Lehigh Valley of the season. Then it’s back to New England on Sunday afternoon as Albany makes their first visit to Springfield to face the Falcons.
Oh…just how did I get the title? That’s the number of miles I logged the last two days traveling to both Syracuse and Hartford, round trip.
Thoughts Inside The Box 