Albany: 34-28-2-3, 73 points, .545, 3rd place in North Division
Providence: 39-19-5-4, 87 points, .649, 3rd place in Atlantic Division
Bruins Leading Scorers/Goaltending:
Jordan Szwarz, 48 points (17 G, 31 A); Wayne Simpson, 44 points (15 G, 29 A); 2 with 42 points
Malcolm Subban, 10-12-5, 2.48 GAA; Dan Vladar, 4-0-2, 2.39 GAA
Last Game, Bruins: Providence defeated Hartford 5-2 on the road on Sunday.
Latest News/Notes:
The Bruins have won three straight and sit just .009 in front of 4th place Hershey; Providence’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 14 with 9 games remaining on their schedule; Zane McIntyre was returned by Boston on Sunday, only to be recalled again Tuesday; defenseman Charlie McAvoy, a 2016 1st round draft choice by Boston, was signed to an amateur tryout on Wednesday; in the season series between the two teams, the road team has won every game; Josh Jacobs, Ben Sexton, and Ryan Kujawinski remain out of the lineup due to injuries; Blake Pietila was sent down by New Jersey on Thursday; also on Thursday, Rod Pelley was selected as Albany’s candidate for the AHL Man of the Year award, for contributions to community service. The league winner will be announced at a later date.
-For the first time in 2 years, the Booster Club was able to have a formal awards banquet, which sadly became the last one Tuesday night. So who were the big winners?
As voted on by the membership, including myself:
-Offensive Player of the Year: Ben Sexton (also my pick)
-Defensive Player of the Year: Vojtech Mozik (me: Blake Coleman)
-Unsung Hero: Ben Sexton (me: Kevin Rooney)
-Most Electrifying Player (by definition: the player who gets the crowd excited): Luke Gazdic (me: Joe Blandisi)
-Fan Favorite: Rod Pelley (me: Joe Blandisi)
Next, who was named as one of the three stars of the game the most?
2nd/3rd Star: Brian Gibbons
1st Star: Ben Sexton
Finally, who had the most Chili Goals? Definition: if a Devil scores the third goal of the game at home, you get free Wendy’s chili. The final Chili Goal champ is Blake Coleman with 4.
In roster news, the first of the class of 2016 has arrived on an amateur tryout, in the form of goaltender Evan Cormier. He finished off his season with Saginaw last week, where he went 23-19-2 with a 3.23 GAA and a .899 save percentage in 49 appearances for the Spirit.
And now a division playoff update:
While I was in New Jersey watching Dallas defeat the parent Devils in overtime(and also seeing Coleman score his first NHL goal), both St. John’s and Utica lost, while Toronto defeated Syracuse. That created a few changes in the North pecking order:
Toronto, 79 points, .581
Syracuse, 77 points, .575
Albany, 73 points, .545
St. John’s, 74 points, .544
Utica, 71 points, .530
The Devils magic number to clinch a playoff spot sits at 17 with 9 games remaining.
Syracuse takes on Binghamton tonight in the Southern Tier, where a win would put them right back in first place. This is especially important, with a two game showdown against the Marlies coming up at home this weekend. St. John’s opens a two game set at home this weekend against the Senators, while Utica has a 3 in 3 weekend with Rochester twice before a return trip to Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.
When there’s only 11 games left on the schedule and you’re in a fight to the death for a playoff spot, now would not be the time to have your offense suddenly go cold. But in the Devils case, another two goals in three games and just one standings point out of six earned have put them in a situation that they have not been in all season…outside the playoff picture looking in.
The three game homestand began on Wednesday, as the Sound Tigers, also in the hunt for a playoff berth in a tough Atlantic Division race, came to visit for the last time. Vojtech Mozik would put the Devils up 1-0 late in the first with a power play goal, his 9th of the season, just six seconds after the man advantage began. Sadly, the first lead Albany had in quite awhile was very shortlived…Bracken Kearns would score his 22nd of the year just 1:02 into the second period. A Ryan Pulock goal midway through the period would put the Sound Tigers ahead 2-1. A scary moment for Albany would come up in the third, as Ryan Kujawinski left the game after a hard hit from Bridgeport’s Tanner Fritz that required both trainers. To add insult to injury, Ben Holmstrom would add an insurance goal late in the third period to extend the Devil winless streak to four. Ken Appleby was the victim of no offensive support, as he stopped 19 of 22 shots. Yohann Auvitu and Max Novak were the only other Devils to register points.
Lines:
Ryan Kujawinski-Rod Pelley-Greg Wolfe
Jan Mandat-Kevin Rooney-Petr Straka
Brian Gibbons-Carter Camper-Shane Harper
Ben Thomson-Max Novak-Luke Gazdic
Defense:
Vojtech Mozik/Karl Stollery
Seth Helgeson/Jacob MacDonald
Yohann Auvitu/Viktor Loov
Ken Appleby/Mackenzie Blackwood
Scratches: Ben Sexton, Scott Wedgewood, Andrew MacWilliam, Josh Jacobs, Sam Kurker
Power Play: 1 for 4. Penalty Kill: 4 for 4. Penalty Minutes: 13. Shots on Goal: 27. Shots Allowed: 22.
3 Stars: 1. Ryan Pulock; 2. Jaroslav Halak; 3. Vojtech Mozik.
Continuing the final visit tour, Friday night it was Utica’s turn to finish off the season series, one that saw the Comets turn around their fortune against the last four seasons. Not only that, but the Devils and Comets were jockeying for position in the North Division, as Utica started the night just barely outside the fourth spot. For the first two periods, it was all about the goaltending, as Mackenzie Blackwood and Thatcher Demko stopped a combined 34 shots. In the third, a call on Nick Lappin (in his first game back after being sent down by New Jersey) would give the Comets a penalty shot. Carter Bancks, who has a knack for scoring big goals against the Devils over the past two seasons, would score and put Utica ahead 1-0. Albany would get a power play opportunity with 1:34 remaining in regulation, and with Blackwood pulled for a 6 on 4 situation, Jacob MacDonald would score with just 24.4 seconds to go to tie the game up at 1. In overtime, MacDonald was called for interference just 17 seconds in. The Devils would kill off the power play, and MacDonald sprung out of the penalty box and nearly ended it with a breakaway goal. A second penalty kill was called with 36 seconds to go, but the Devils would survive that and move on to the shootout round. Chad Billins would score on Blackwood in round 1, but Brian Gibbons could not match. Both Curtis Valk and Lappin would be unsuccessful in the second round. Darren Archibald would score in round 3, giving the Comets the extra important standings point and leaving Albany with another loss. Blackwood was stellar in defeat, stopping 24 of 25 shots in just under 65 minutes. Carter Camper and Lappin were the only other Devils with points.
Lines:
Brian Gibbons-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Shane Harper-Kevin Rooney-Petr Straka
Ben Thomson-Jan Mandat-Max Novak
Luke Gazdic-Rod Pelley-Greg Wolfe
Defense:
Vojtech Mozik/Karl Stollery
Seth Helgeson/Jacob MacDonald
Andrew MacWilliam/Viktor Loov
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Scott Wedgewood, Josh Jacobs, Ben Sexton, Ryan Kujawinski, Yohann Auvitu, Sam Kurker
Power Play: 1 for 4. Penalty Kill: 5 for 5. Penalty Minutes: 10. Shots on Goal: 34. Shots Allowed: 26.
If you can’t get anything going as the A-Devils…then why not try to work some River Rat magic? It was the second and last day of the River Rat throwback series, as they hosted the Bruins. Albany thought they had a goal early on in the first, but the referees waved it off due to goaltender interference. Unfortunately, that would be the closest to scoring they could get all afternoon. Colton Hargrove would score his 8th goal of the season midway through the first for a 1-0 Bruin lead. In the second…the rout was on, as Providence would strike four times against Ken Appleby. Alex Grant’s 14th would get things started just 57 seconds into the middle frame for a 2-0 lead. Austin Czarnik would add a power play goal, his 4th, at the 5:56 mark to triple the Bruin lead. Peter Cehlarik would add his 19th goal with 5:19 remaining for a 4-0 lead. Finally, to finish it off, a power play goal by Danton Heinen with 2:38 to go for a commanding 5-0 lead. Albany tried to answer, but Dan Vladar, pressed into duty after an injury to Malcolm Subban and an emergency callup for Zane McIntyre to Boston, was up to the challenge, and he would stop all 34 Devil/River Rat shots in his first AHL shutout. Appleby would finish with 24 saves on 29 shots. Sam Kurker would make his professional debut and finish with an even rating.
Lines:
Brian Gibbons-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Shane Harper-Kevin Rooney-Petr Straka
Ben Thomson-Jan Mandat-Greg Wolfe
Sam Kurker-Rod Pelley-Max Novak
Defense:
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Seth Helgeson/Jacob MacDonald
Andrew MacWilliam/Viktor Loov
Ken Appleby/Mackenzie Blackwood
Scratches: Scott Wedgewood, Luke Gazdic, Ben Sexton, Ryan Kujawinski, Josh Jacobs, Yohann Auvitu
Power Play: 0 for 2. Penalty Kill: 3 for 5. Penalty Minutes: 12. Shots on Goal: 34. Shots Allowed: 29.
3 Stars: 1. Dan Vladar; 2. Colton Hargrove; 3. Peter Cehlarik.
Highlight Reel:
My Player of the Week:
Well…um…uh…who did anything this week?
Okay. We’ll give the nod to Mackenzie Blackwood, who came the closest to getting in the win column this week after a stellar performance on Friday night.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Ben Sexton (19)
Assists: Carter Camper (22)
Points: Ben Sexton (31)
+/-: Vojtech Mozik (+12)
Penalty Minutes: Andrew MacWilliam (90)
Wins: Ken Appleby (16)
GAA: Scott Wedgewood (2.18)
Save Percentage: Scott Wedgewood (.912)
Division Playoff Update:
When the smoke cleared after Saturday night’s action, here’s where everyone stands:
Syracuse, 77 points, .583
Toronto, 77 points, .575
St. John’s, 74 points, .552
Albany, 73 points, .545
Utica, 71 points, .538
The magic number to clinch a playoff spot sits at 19 with 9 games left. Of course, this all could change by Sunday night, since all teams but Albany are in action in the afternoon.
Up North with the Thunder:
It was polar opposites for the boys from Adirondack this week, as they came within one overtime minute of having a perfect week. It started on Tuesday night at home with a 4-2 win over Orlando. J.P. Anderson picked up the win with an astounding 52 saves on 54 shots. The Thunder would then head to Reading, where they split a weekend series with the Royals. Friday the Thunder would win 2-1 in overtime, then Reading would return the favor on Saturday with a 3-2 overtime win, getting the game winner with just 1:00 remaining.
The 2-0-1-0 week puts the Thunder in first place in the ECHL’s North Division, just one point ahead of second place Brampton. They can clinch a spot in the Kelly Cup playoffs with a win on Tuesday against Orlando. Also on the docket this week: the Thunder host Elmira on Friday and Norfolk on Saturday.
This Week’s Schedule:
It’s the final 3 in 3 weekend of the season as the calendar turns to April. On Friday, it’s a rematch with the Bruins, but this time in Rhode Island. Then April kicks off with a pair of home games, Saturday afternoon against Hartford and Sunday afternoon against Rochester.
Also this week: the rescheduled because of Stella awards banquet on Tuesday. Expect a midweek update with the recipients.
Last Game, Bruins: Providence defeated Hartford 3-1 on the road on Friday.
Latest News/Notes:
The Bruins are hanging on to the final Atlantic division playoff spot, leading 5th place Bridgeport by two points, but are also two points behind third place Hershey, with a magic number of 21; Providence is missing goaltender Malcolm Subban and leading scorer Jordan Szwarz due to injuries; the Bruins are in the middle of a 3 in 3 weekend, going right back to Hartford tomorrow afternoon; goaltender Zane McIntyre, who leads the AHL in GAA and save percentage, was recalled to Boston on an emergency basis on Saturday.
And Happy River Rats Day, Part Deux! It’s the second and final River Rats throwback day. Ironically enough, former River Rats captain Kevin Dean, a member of the 1995 Calder Cup champions, will be in house…as the Providence head coach; despite the shootout loss, Albany lowered its magic number to clinch to 20.
Albany: 34-27-2-2, 72 points, .554, 3rd place in North Division
Utica: 30-25-7-2, 69 points, .539, 5th place in North Division
Comets Leading Scorers/Goaltending:
2 tied with 42 points
Thatcher Demko, 18-12-4, 2.58 GAA; Michael Garteig, 0-2-2, 2.91 GAA
Last Game, Comets: Utica defeated Providence 5-2 on the road on Sunday.
Latest News/Notes:
The Comets have won 8 of their last 10, and sit just .006 behind St. John’s for the fourth North playoff spot; this is the start of a 3 in 3 road swing for Utica, who head to Syracuse on Saturday then Wilkes-Barre on Sunday; the Comets recently picked up forwards Max French (Bentley) and Brett McKenzie (North Bay/OHL) on amateur tryout deals; Ryan Kujawinski, Ben Sexton, and Josh Jacobs are all out this weekend due to injury; Nick Lappin was sent down by New Jersey early Friday afternoon.
Friday morning, the Devils announced the signing of Boston College forward Austin Cangelosi to a 2 year AHL deal beginning this season. No relation to the Devils TV announcer, Cangelosi had 21 goals and 14 assists in 39 games for the Eagles in his senior season. He was an invitee to New Jersey’s development camp last summer and is a teammate of 2014 draft pick JD Dudek (and former teammates with Steve Santini and Miles Wood).
Jaroslav Halak, 16-7-3, 2.19 GAA; Eamon McAdam, 10-3-0, 3.05 GAA
Last Game, Sound Tigers: Bridgeport lost 3-1 to Hershey at home on Sunday.
Latest News/Notes:
The Sound Tigers have dropped 4 out of 5, finding themselves outside the Atlantic Division playoff picture .016 behind fourth place Providence; this is game 1 of a 6 game road trip for Bridgeport, who will not return home until April 4th; nine of the Devils’ last 12 games are on home ice.
On Tuesday, Albany signed forward Sam Kurker to an amateur tryout. A teammate of 2016 New Jersey draft pick Jeremy Davies at Northeastern, he finished his second season with 3 goals and 3 assists in 28 games. He spent two years at Boston University before playing for Indiana and Sioux City in the USHL before arriving at Northeastern in 2015-16.
When most of your offensive power is on recall, you need to find out how to replace that. Unfortunately for the Devils this weekend, the lack of goals would cost them, as they missed two chances to take over first place in the North Division and may find themselves in a dangerous playoff situation as the season is nearing the homestretch.
Finally back on home ice for the first time since Presidents Day, the Devils had another chance to take first place in the North, hoping some St. Patrick’s Day luck was on their side as they hosted the Thunderbirds. After a relatively quiet first period, things would happen early in the middle frame. After Ryan Kujawinski took a tripping call 27 seconds after the puck dropped, Springfield would cash in on the power play with a Chase Balisy goal that looked questionable at first (upon video review the puck looked like it was just past Mackenzie Blackwood). The Devils thought they had tied the game up a short time later, but the goal was inexplicably waved off. Finally in the third, the Devils were able to get that tying goal, as Jacob MacDonald scored his 6th goal with 6:09 to go in regulation. It was on to overtime for the third time in the season series, where Brian Gibbons was thisclose to ending it with a goal, but the puck just missed going over the goal line by an inch. On to the shootout, where Blackwood and Adam Wilcox held both teams off the board for the first five rounds. In round 6, Springfield’s Thomas Schemitsch would finally get one past Blackwood, and Wilcox was able to hold off Max Novak to give the Thunderbirds the extra point. Blackwood deserved so much better than a shootout loss in this one, as he stopped 28 of 29 shots in 65 minutes, including a couple of highlight worthy catches to keep the Devils in it.
Lines:
Ryan Kujawinski-Carter Camper-Shane Harper
Ben Thomson-Kevin Rooney-Max Novak
Brian Gibbons-Jan Mandat-Petr Straka
Luke Gazdic-Rod Pelley-Greg Wolfe
Defense:
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Seth Helgeson/Jacob MacDonald
Josh Jacobs/Viktor Loov
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Ben Sexton, Andrew MacWilliam, Scott Wedgewood, Yohann Auvitu
Power Play: 0 for 2. Penalty Kill: 1 for 2. Penalty Minutes: 4. Shots on Goal: 29. Shots Allowed: 30.
3 Stars: 1. Adam Wilcox; 2. Thomas Schemitsch; 3. Mackenzie Blackwood.
First place in the North Division was up for grabs on Saturday night, as the Devils went back on the road and headed west on the Thruway to face the Crunch. And for the first two periods, it was all Ken Appleby and Kristers Gudlevskis, as the goaltending duel combined to stop all 46 shots faced over the first 40 minutes (27 for Albany, 19 for Syracuse). But in the third, it would be the home team breaking through first, as a Matthew Peca goal 2:10 into the final frame would put Syracuse ahead 1-0. Just as it looked like Gudlevskis was going to pull out a whitewash…Brian Gibbons would pick up his 13th goal with 2:51 remaining in regulation to tie things up at 1. The game would head into overtime, where a questionable interference call on the Devils 12 seconds in would cost them first place. Peca would score the game winner on the ensuing power play to give the Crunch the extra point and keep them in the top spot. Appleby was outstanding, but deserved so much better, in the loss, stopping 26 of 28 shots.
Lines:
Ben Thomson-Kevin Rooney-Max Novak
Brian Gibbons-Carter Camper-Shane Harper
Ryan Kujawinski-Jan Mandat-Petr Straka
Luke Gazdic-Rod Pelley-Greg Wolfe
Defense:
Karl Stollery/Viktor Loov
Seth Helgeson/Jacob MacDonald
Andrew MacWilliam/Josh Jacobs
Ken Appleby/Mackenzie Blackwood
Scratches: Ben Sexton, Vojtech Mozik, Scott Wedgewood, Yohann Auvitu
Power Play: 0 for 3. Penalty Kill: 3 for 4. Penalty Minutes: 8. Shots on Goal: 42. Shots Allowed: 27.
To finish off the 3 in 3 weekend, it was east to Springfield to face the Thunderbirds, who were also finishing up a 3 in 3 of their own. After a quiet first, the home team would get on the board first 5:17 into the middle frame, as rookie Ed Wittchow scored his first professional goal for a 1-0 lead. The Devils would get the game’s first power play late in the second that carried over to the third, but could not take advantage. In fact, it turned into a disadvantage: Anthony Greco would score shorthanded 1:13 into the final period to double the Thunderbird lead. After a few extra curriculars that would see a combined 36 penalty minuntes, Greco would finish the Devils off with an empty netter late. Albany’s offense would pepper Adam Wilcox with 34 shots, but none would get past the netminder, who picked up his third shutout of the season, and second since joining the Thunderbirds March 1st. Mackenzie Blackwood was the hard luck loser, stopping 22 of 24 shots.
Lines:
Brian Gibbons-Carter Camper-Shane Harper
Ryan Kujawinski-Jan Mandat-Petr Straka
Ben Thomson-Kevin Rooney-Max Novak
Luke Gazdic-Rod Pelley-Greg Wolfe
Defense:
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Jacob MacDonald/Viktor Loov
Andrew MacWilliam/Yohann Auvitu
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Seth Helgeson, Josh Jacobs, Ben Sexton, Scott Wedgewood
Power Play: 0 for 3. Penalty Kill: 2 for 2. Penalty Minutes: 13. Shots on Goal: 34. Shots Allowed: 25.
3 Stars: 1. Adam Wilcox; 2. Anthony Greco; 3. Ed Wittchow.
Highlight Reel:
My Player of the Week:
Sympathy votes go to both goaltenders this week, because in all honesty, they deserved a better fate.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Ben Sexton (19)
Assists: Carter Camper (21)
Points: Ben Sexton (31)
+/-: Vojtech Mozik (+13)
Penalty Minutes: Andrew MacWilliam (90)
Wins: Ken Appleby (16)
GAA: Scott Wedgewood (2.18)
Save Percentage: Scott Wedgewood (.912)
Division Playoff Update:
As of Sunday night, here’s where we stand:
Syracuse, 75 points, .586
Albany, .563, 72 points
Toronto, 71 points, .551
St. John’s, 70 points, .547
Utica, 69 points, .539
There is a 6 point spread over the 5 teams, so depending on how the week shakes out, we may have a new order come the end of next weekend’s slate. Albany’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot sits at 22 with 12 games remaining.
Up North with the Thunder:
It was a busy weekend at home for Adirondack, as they started off a 3 in 3 with a split against Wheeling. The Nailers would take a decisive 5-2 win on Friday night, then looked to get the sweep on Saturday by going up 3-0 after 2 periods. But the Thunder would pull off an epic comeback, scoring 4 times in the third, then giving up the tying goal with 20 seconds left in regulation, then finally finishing the comeback on an Alex Wall goal with 16 seconds remaining in overtime to pull out the 5-4 win. Sunday night they hosted Atlanta, and…things would escalate quickly in the first period, as a combined 106 penalty minutes were handed out due to multiple fights. The Thunder would win the game 6-1…and effectively the war in this case, as they finished with 52 of the game’s 176 combined penalty minutes.
Adirondack sits in a tie for second place with Reading in the North Division with 76 points, just three points behind first place Brampton.
Coming up this week: one more home matchup on Tuesday against Orlando, then they hit the road Friday and Saturday for a two game set against Reading.
This Week’s Schedule:
It’s a three game homestand for Albany this week. Wednesday, Bridgeport comes in. Friday sees a divisional showdown against Utica. Then a second River Rats day on Saturday as Providence pays a visit.
And next Sunday you’ll find me at The Rock, as I’ll be calling myself up for the Dallas game.
Adam Wilcox, 21-10-4, 2.78 GAA (SYR/SPR); Sam Brittain, 2-2-0, 2.13 GAA
Last Game, Thunderbirds: Springfield lost 4-2 to Providence on the road on Saturday.
Latest News/Notes:
All three games in the season series have gone to overtime, with the road team winning each time; Josh Jacobs was injured during the second period in Syracuse last night, availability today unknown; Albany’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth sits at 22, with a shot at a four point swing this afternoon as 5th place Utica takes on Providence; the Devils penalty kill ranks second in the AHL at 84.7 percent (Wilkes-Barre is first at 86.7); forward Dryden Hunt is on a 5 game assist streak; former Devil Reece Scarlett is out due to an injury suffered in his T-Bird debut.
Last Game, Crunch: Syracuse dropped a 4-3 decision to Utica on the road on Friday.
Latest News/Notes:
First place in the North Division is up for grabs in this one, as the Devils sit just .006 behind the Crunch; Syracuse is 3-4-1-0 in the month of March; Erik Condra was officially named the Crunch captain on Friday, with Luke Witkowski sticking on the Tampa Bay roster; eight Crunch regulars are currently on recall to the Lightning; since joining Syracuse at the trade deadline, former Devil Mike McKenna is 1-3-1 with a 4.23 GAA.
Adam Wilcox, 20-10-4, 284 GAA (SYR/SPR); Sam Brittain, 2-1-0, 1.85 GAA
Last Game, Thunderbirds: Springfield shut out Rochester 2-0 at home on Sunday.
Latest News/Notes:
After dropping three in a row to start the month of March, Springfield has won their last three straight; former Devil Paul Thompson was named AHL Player of the Week on Monday after picking up four goals over the weekend slate; Reece Scarlett scored in his T-Bird debut on March 3rd, but has not seen action since; Springfield is playing their second straight 3 in 3 weekend, traveling to Providence on Saturday before hosting the Devils Sunday afternoon; Kevin Rooney was reassigned to Albany on Monday (announced Tuesday), then John Quenneville was recalled on Wednesday; the Devils have the most wins in the North Division (34), but less overtime loser points has them .015 behind first place Syracuse.
Thoughts Inside The Box 