Quick Hits:
The Devils begin the first full week of 2016 with a 20-8-3-0 record, good for 43 points and a .694 percentage. They remain in second place in the North Division, 13 points behind first place Toronto.
Injury update: All should be available for the weekend with the exception of Blake Coleman (shoulder) and Max Novak (hand).
Congrats to Mike Sislo (1st) and Yann Danis (3rd) on being named to represent the Eastern Conference/North Division at the AHL All-Star Classic! Full rosters can be found here. Other Devil/River Rat notables named? Joe Whitney (Bridgeport/Atlantic), Matt Taormina & Mike Angelidis (Syracuse/North), and Michael Leighton (Rockford/Central). Former Devils captain Jay Leach will be coaching the Atlantic Division group, representing Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
BREAKING: New Jersey’s morning skate had quite a few new faces with injuries hitting the big club. Sislo was sent down, while Mike Cammalleri and Tuomo Ruutu were placed on IR. In their place? Paul Thompson, Jim O’Brien and Marc Andre Gragnani were summoned, with Thompson looking to make his NHL debut tonight.
Friday, 1/8 vs. Syracuse
Where: Times Union Center, Albany, NY.
When: 7:00 PM.
Season Series: Albany leads 3-0.
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 14-13-5-1, 34 points, .515 pct, 5th place in North Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: Jeff Tambellini, 21 points (12 G, 9 A); Anthony DeAngelo, 20 points (3 G, 17 A); Tye McGinn, 19 points (12 G, 7 A); Kristers Gudlevskis, 6-6-1, 2.48 GAA; Adam Wilcox, 2-3-4, 3.40 GAA
Notes: The game will mark the season debut for former first round draft pick Jonathan Drouin, reassigned to Syracuse by Tampa Bay on Saturday; former River Rat and Crunch captain Mike Angelidis was named one of the playing captains for the AHL All Star Classic on Tuesday; Syracuse is coming off a sweep at the hands of the Marlies last weekend, including an overtime loss and overcoming a 0 shot second period in Sunday’s game; the Crunch are also kicking off a 3 in 3 weekend, returning home on Saturday to host Hershey before traveling to Rochester Sunday afternoon.
Listen: AHL Live, ESPN Radio Syracuse
Tweet: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @SyracuseCrunch
Saturday, 1/9 vs. Lehigh Valley
Where: Times Union Center, Albany, NY.
When: 5:00 PM.
Season Series: Albany leads 1-0.
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 17-16-2-1, 37 points, .514 pct, 5th place in Atlantic Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: Nick Cousins, 29 points (8 G, 21 A); Petr Straka, 25 points (17 G, 8 A); Andrew MacDonald, 22 points (5 G, 17 A); Anthony Stolarz, 12-7-3, 2.18 GAA; Jason LaBarbera, 4-7-0, 2.91 GAA
Notes: The Phantoms are coming off a split with Portland in Maine last weekend; forward Sam Gagner, loaned to Lehigh Valley by the Flyers on December 30th after not being claimed on waivers, has one assist in 3 games; Petr Straka leads the AHL in goals; this is the lone road game for a 3 in 3 weekend for Lehigh Valley, as they host Wilkes-Barre on Friday night and Binghamton Sunday afternoon; Anthony Stolarz and Nick Cousins are the All Star representatives for the Phantoms.
Listen: AHL Live, Fox Sports 1470
Tweet: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @LVPhantoms
Sunday, 1/10 @ Hartford
Where: XL Center, Hartford, CT.
When: 3:00 PM.
Season Series: Albany leads 2-0.
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 14-18-2-0, 30 points, .441 pct, 7th place in Atlantic Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: Chad Nehring, 23 points (12 G, 11 A); 2 tied with 16 points; Magnus Hellberg, 8-10-2, 2.73 GAA; Jeff Malcolm, 4-2-0, 2.18 GAA
Notes: This game marks the last of a 5 game homestand for the Wolfpack, who are 0-2 after losing to Albany and Wilkes-Barre last weekend; like all Devils opponents this weekend, Hartford has a 3 in 3 weekend, hosting Springfield on Friday and Bridgeport on Saturday; second leading scorer Jayson Megna was recalled to the Rangers on Monday; the crease is a little more crowded with goaltender Cedrick Desjardins being recalled from a stint in Manchester on Wednesday; defenseman Ryan Graves is the lone Hartford All-Star representative.
Listen: AHL Live
Tweet: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @WolfpackAHL
Thoughts Inside The Box 