Quick Hits:
Albany begins a busy week with a record of 26-12-7-0, 59 points and a .656 points percentage. They remain stuck in second place in the North Division, 19 points behind first place Toronto and 9 points ahead of 3rd place Utica.
Injury update: Rod Pelley (upper) and Marc Andre Gragnani (upper) are both out for this evening and questionable for the rest of the week. Vojtech Mozik and Graham Black, who each missed time last week, are expected to return.
Coming up this Saturday…the third annual Devils Fight Cancer night. Still available for purchase are purple autographed pucks for $15 each, with all proceeds going to the Melodies Center at Albany Medical Center. Everyone on the current roster is still available.
Tuesday, 2/9 vs. Providence
Where: Times Union Center, Albany, NY.
When: 7:00 PM.
Season Series: Albany leads 3-1.
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 21-15-8-2, 52 points, .565 pct, 4th place in Atlantic Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: Seth Griffith, 47 points (15 G, 32 A); Alexander Khokhlachev, 39 points (14 G, 25 A); Austin Czarnik, 34 points (13 G, 21 A); Zane McIntyre, 7-6-5, 2.93 GAA; Jeremy Smith, 5-14-3, 2.94 GAA (with Iowa); Malcolm Subban, 14-8-5, 2.46 GAA
Notes: Providence comes in on a 13 game point streak; goaltender Malcolm Subban is out indefinitely after suffering a fractured larynx after taking a puck to the neck during warmup on Saturday; Jeremy Smith, who had been loaned by Boston to Iowa before the start of the season, was reassigned to Providence on Sunday; the Bruins remain #1 in the AHL on the power play (23.8%) and #3 on the penalty kill (86.3%); Providence returns home Friday to face Hershey, then travels to Springfield on Sunday.
Listen: AHL Live
Tweet: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @AHLBruins
Friday, 2/12 and Saturday, 2/13 vs. Rochester
Where: Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY (Friday); Times Union Center, Albany, NY (Saturday).
When: 7:00 PM Friday; 5:00 PM Saturday.
Season Series: Albany leads 2-1.
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 23-21-2-1, 49 points, .521 pct, 4th place in North Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: 3 tied with 26 points; Nathan Lieuwen, 12-8-1, 2.63 GAA; Linus Ullmark, 4-4-0, 3.28 GAA
Notes: The Amerks are riding a modest 2 game winning streak, with a one goal win over the Crunch on Friday and a shutout of Binghamton on Saturday; Rochester is tied with Toronto for most shorthanded goals allowed in the league (10); forward Tim Schaller is riding a 8 game point streak; 34 different players have appeared in at least one game for Rochester this season thanks to injuries and callups to Buffalo; the Amerks travel to Hartford on Sunday afternoon to finish up a 3 in 3 weekend.
Listen: AHL Live, Fox Sports 1280
Tweet: @trace_1114 (Saturday only), @AlbanyDevils, @AmerksHockey, @LetsGoAmerks
Sunday, 2/14 vs. Bridgeport
Where: Times Union Center, Albany, NY.
When: 3:00 PM.
Season Series: Bridgeport leads 2-1.
Know Your Opponent:
Record: 25-19-2-1, 53 points, .564 pct, 5th place in Atlantic Division
Leading Scorers/Goaltending: Bracken Kearns, 38 points (16 G, 22 A); Joe Whitney, 33 points (14 G, 19 A); Taylor Beck, 24 points (13 G, 11 A); Christopher Gibson, 13-8-3, 2.37 GAA; Parker Milner, 1-2-0, 3.05 GAA
Notes: The Sound Tigers are riding a 6 game winning streak into the week; veteran forward Bracken Kearns scored his first ever hat trick in Friday’s win over Lehigh Valley; Bridgeport travels to Hershey on Wednesday to make up the January 24th contest that was postponed by snow, then hosts Hartford on Saturday; Bridgeport ranks 30th in power play (10.0%) but 6th in penalty kill (85.7%).
Listen: AHL Live
Tweet: @trace_1114, @AlbanyDevils, @TheSoundTigers
Thoughts Inside The Box 