In what has become an annual tradition since the move from Stockton, the Thunder opened the home portion of their schedule on Saturday against Brampton.
Pregame introduction at center ice…–Tracey Lake
And it was a…fiery introduction to this year’s roster.
Once the rink was cleared and the anthems were sung, it was time to get things started.
The Thunder found themselves down 1-0 late in the first after a goal by David Pacan, Shortly after that, a hit by Brampton’s Jonathan Racine knocked Mike Szmatula out of the game. The referee may not have called a penalty, but Racine was not about to get away with it unpunished.
Brian Ward taking one for the team.–Tracey Lake
Unfortunately, Ward was given an extra two minutes for instigating, and the Beast capitalized. Jordan Henry scored on the ensuing power play, and Adirondack found themselves down by two after 20 minutes.
Adirondack got on the board in the second. Just seconds after leaving the penalty box from serving a hooking penalty, Peter MacArthur scored his first of the season to cut the Beast lead in half.
A too many men call on the Thunder haunted them early in the third, as Jackson Leef scored on the ensuing power play to restore the two goal lead. Desmond Bergin followed up less than a minute later with his first goal of the season to cut the lead to 3-2. The Thunder tried late to tie it up, but were unable to get that tying goal, and the Beast escaped with the 3-2 win in front of a sold out crowd.
Alex Sakellaroupoulos took the loss in net, finishing with 18 saves on 21 shots.
Both teams packed up the buses late Saturday night, then headed southwest overnight to Brampton, where the two teams had a rematch on Sunday afternoon.
A few lineup changes for Adirondack in this one: Colton Phinney drew the start, while Alexandre Carrier made his season debut in place of Szmatula. Rookies Jakob Reichert and Nikolas Olsson slotted in for Shane Eiserman and Matt Salhany.
Jake Linhart got the visitors on the board midway through the opening period with his first professional goal on a power play. Brampton tied it up with a power play goal of their own less than three minutes later, courtesy of Nathan Todd. Jackson Leef put the Beast ahead 2-1 early in the second with his third goal of the season.
The Thunder made a comeback early in the third. In a span of 2:10, Dennis Kravchenko and Ward scored to give Adirondack a 3-2 lead. The Beast tied the game at 3 with 3:51 remaining in regulation on David Vallorani’s first of the season.
It was on to overtime for the first time this season. With 40 seconds to go in the extra session, Kravchenko scored his second of the game, earning the Thunder the weekend split with a 4-3 overtime win.
Phinney finished with 23 saves in his second win of the season. James Henry added three assists.
This Week:
The Thunder return to the CIA for three home games this week. Wednesday, Worcester visits for the first time since Adirondack eliminated them in the first round of the Kelly Cup playoffs last spring. On Friday, Maine makes their first ever appearance. Saturday, the Railers return on Military Appreciation Night and the first specialty jerseys of the season.
The latest up north after a 2-1 road trip to start the regular season:
-Congratulations are in order for forward John Edwardh, who took the first ECHL Player of the Week honors for this season. In his lone appearance on Saturday, he put up two goals and two assists in a 6-3 win over Maine.
-The first signing of the regular season is a familiar name to both Thunder and A-Devils fans, as forward Alexandre Carrier joins the team. The Quebec native split last season between Atlanta and Allen, where in a combined 59 games he picked up three goals and nine assists. Since turning pro in 2011, Carrier has mostly bounced around the ECHL, playing for Trenton, Elmira, Wheeling, Orlando, and Utah. He spent parts of two seasons with the Albany Devils, appearing in a combined 18 games with no points. In 2015-16, he appeared in 47 games for the Thunder, with 5 goals, 8 assists, and 108 penalty minutes.
-And a reinforcement has been brought in from Binghamton, as defenseman Tariq Hammond was sent down. Hammond made the Binghamton roster out of camp, but had yet to make an appearance in a game this season. Last season, he appeared in 5 games for Binghamton after finishing his collegiate career at the University of Denver, with one assist.
Now to recap the two game set against the expansion Newfoundland Growlers…and it was a tale of two Thunder teams as Adirondack earned the split.
On Tuesday night, the Thunder fell behind early and could not recover, dropping a 7-3 decision. The Growlers scored on a very early power play 58 seconds into the contest, then doubled their lead 6:05 in on a Brady Ferguson goal. Peter MacArthur was awarded a penalty shot late in the first, but was denied by Growlers goaltender Michael Garteig. Newfoundland made it 3-0 21 seconds into the second, then Edwardh’s third goal got the Thunder to within 3-1. After Ferguson’s second goal of the night pushed the Growlers ahead 4-1, Conor Riley scored his second to cut the lead to 4-2. Newfoundland put the game away late in the period on back to back goals by Sam Babintsev and Ryan Moore for a 6-2 lead, chasing Thunder starter Colton Phinney in favor of Alex Sakellaropoulos. Shane Conacher’s second goal of the season early in the third brought the Thunder to within 6-3, but Newfoundland scored the extra point with a Scott Pooley goal with 4:29 to go in regulation.
Phinney finished with 20 saves on 26 shots in 40 minutes, while Sakellaropoulos only faced four shots, stopping three. Four Thunder skaters had one assist each.
In the rematch on Wednesday, with a few lineup changes due to injuries the night before, the Thunder earned the split with a 6-4 win. Matt Salhany drew into the lineup for the first time this season, and scored twice in the first period. After the Growlers tied the game at two early in the second, Adirondack scored three unanswered goals in a span of 6:40: Conacher and Riley each picked up their third goals, while Shane Eiserman scored in his professional debut late in the period. Newfoundland made it a game late in the third, scoring twice to cut the lead to 5-4 with 24 seconds remaining, but Conacher scored into an empty net with 3 seconds on the clock to clinch it. Sakellaropoulos picked up the win in net, stopping 27 of 31 shots. Cullen Bradshaw added two assists.
The Thunder return home on Saturday, kicking off a home and home series against Brampton. The two teams will immediately hop their respective buses after the game and head southwest to Ontario for the rematch on Sunday afternoon.
Weekend Coverage…and I did things…
One live game for me this weekend, and of course it will be the Thunder home opener.
And if you missed my other works this week:
-For Inside AHL Hockey ($), I recapped Binghamton’s week that was and how the Checkers spoiled Syracuse’s home opener.
-And in my first October appearance for Raw Charge, I recapped Orlando’s first two games of the season.
It’s been exactly 147 days since we last saw the Adirondack Thunder on the ice for a game that counted.
Saturday, it was time to turn the page and begin a new year, as the Thunder headed north to Maine to start their season against one of the newest members of the league, the Mariners.
And I will say, 2018-19 is off to a very good start.
(Author’s note: the ECHL recently gave their website a makeover and…it is the worst to navigate. Instead of a boxscore, all game updates are broken down by individual performances and comparisons to non-related teams. The app is still very functional, and I was able to find a link to use for actual boxscores.)
Before we get started with the recap, there was one important piece of pregame news: the leadership group for the Thunder was announced just prior to puck drop.
Replacing the recently retired Mike Bergin as the captain (you can now find Bergin behind the bench of Skidmore College‘s men’s hockey team as an assistant coach) will be James Henry. Very deserving for the man who has been with the franchise since the move from Stockton. Peter MacArthur, who had served as captain in 2016-17, and Brian Ward will be the assistants.
Now on to the gameday storylines:
-Saturday marked the regular season head coaching debut for Thunder coach Alex Loh.
-Goaltender Colton Phinney would get the start in net.
-The game marked the first professional hockey game in Portland’s Cross Insurance Arena since the AHL’s Portland Pirates departed for Springfield following the 2015-16 season.
-There would be a few familiar faces in the Mariners’ lineup–former Thunder forward Terrence Wallin, who came over in a trade in September; defenseman Ryan Culkin spent parts of two seasons in Glens Falls with the Flames and Thunder; and backup goaltender Chris Nell appeared in 5 games for the Thunder last season, going 1-3.
It would only take 62 seconds into the season for Adirondack to grab the lead, as Brian Ward did the honors.
However, the Thunder were not done, scoring twice more before the first half of the period was even complete. Cullen Bradshaw and John Edwardh would each get their first tallies of the season, putting Adirondack ahead 3-0.
Maine would get on the board with 9:31 remaining in the period, as Jason Salvaggio became the answer to a trivia question: the first player in Mariners ECHL history to score a goal.
Culkin would cut the Thunder lead to 3-2 1:31 into the second period with his first goal on the power play. However, Adirondack would score the next two to break the game open. In a span of 1:24, Conor Riley would get his first, and Edwardh would pick up his second of the night, to extend the lead to 5-2. Alex Kile would get Maine back to within two goals at the 7:36 mark of the second.
Shane Conacher would put the exclamation point on the first win of the season with a power play goal with 6:24 remaining.
Phinney would get his first win, stopping 26 of 29 shots. Edwardh would also have two assists to complete a 4 point night. Desmond Bergin would also add two assists, and all but four Thunder skaters had at least one point.
3 Stars:
3. Jason Salvaggio (Maine)–1 goal
2. Alex Kile (Maine)–1 goal
John Edwardh (ADK)–2 goals, 2 assists
Video:
(Well, it’s…something. Although Riley tried in his fight?)
This Week’s Schedule:
The road trip continues north this week, as the Thunder pay a visit to the other newest team in the league, the Newfoundland Growlers. Under the direction of former Devil Ryane Clowe, the Growlers are 1-1 after a split with Florida.
The two teams will face each other on Tuesday and Wednesday at 5:30 PM EST (remember from the IceCaps days, Newfoundland time is 90 minutes ahead), then Adirondack will return home for their opener on Saturday against Brampton.
Goaltender Ian Sylves is looking to impress at his first pro training camp.–Tracey Lake
On Friday, just three days after training camp opened, the Adirondack Thunder finally got back on ice, as they played their first game since mid-May, a preseason tilt against division rival Reading.
With just seven players returning from last season, and a new coach behind the bench, this was a perfect time to figure out lines and pairing that hopefully will click once the regular season begins.
New garb for the Thunder, as worn by Shane Conacher.–Tracey Lake
With Colton Phinney still with Binghamton, both goaltenders in camp–former Union netminder Alex Sakellaropoulos and rookie Ian Sylves–were essentially battling for the emergency backup spot should an opening come up (and if you recall from last year…it’s definitely a possibility).
Sakellaropoulos would get the start in Friday’s opener in Glens Falls against the Royals. Adirondack would get an early advantage after a hit on Thunder defenseman Matt Salhany, who had to leave briefly to get stitched up. The guilty party, Royals defenseman Ilya Nekolenko, would get a 5 minute major and a game misconduct. On the ensuing power play, which became a 5 on 3 with another Royal in the box for an earlier call, Shane Conacher would score for the 1-0 Thunder lead.
Reading would tie the game late in the period after former Thunder ATO Bo Pieper would get his first. He would follow that up with an early second period goal to put the Royals ahead 2-1. The Thunder would re-tie the game at 2 with just under 13 minutes to go in the period with a goal by Matias Cleland.
After that, the Royals would then score the next four goals. Forward Josh MacDonald would break the tie with his first of the preseason midway through the period. In the third, Reading would score three times in a span of 10:30 and jump ahead 6-2 on goals by Shane Walsh, Brayden Low, and Brian Morgan. Thunder defenseman Jordan McNaughton would cut the Reading lead to the final 6-3 score with 5:39 to go in the contest.
Sakellaropoulos would finish with 31 saves on 37 Reading shots. All three goal scorers also added one assist each.
On Saturday, the two teams traveled south to Pennsylvania to finish off the two game home and home set. Sylves, a camp invite from SUNY Buffalo, would get the start.
The teams would exchange goals in the first period. Reading forward Steven Swavely would get the Royals on the board 2:59 into the contest. Fresh off returning from Binghamton’s training camp, Brian Ward picked up his first of the preseason five minutes later for a 1-1 contest.
MacDonald would put the Royals back in front 2:09 into the second with his second goal in as many days. Just over two minutes later, Thunder newcomer Shane Eiserman picked up his first goal to re-tie the game at 2. Much like the night before, the Royals would then score the next four goals. First, a goal by Michael Huntebrinker with less than two minutes remaining in the second would put Reading back up 3-2.
In the third, the Royals would score three times in a span of 1:47, as goals by Morgan, Adam Schmidt, and Low would create a 6-2 deficit for the Thunder. Salhany would score his first with 13:11 remaining to cut the lead to 6-3, but Adirondack could do no more, and they would finish the preseason 0-2 with nearly identical 6-3 losses.
Sylves would finish with 22 saves on 28 shots, while the Thunder could only manage 15 shots, compared to 42 in Friday’s loss.
With preseason completed, Adirondack has the week to prepare for their season opener on Saturday, as they travel to Maine to take on the Mariners.
The series moved north of the border to Toronto on Wednesday, as both teams looked to go up 2-1 in the best of five. Mackenzie Blackwood was back between the pipes looking for redemption, while Jan Mandat and Blake Speers were in for the injured Joe Blandisi and Miles Wood. Scott Wedgewood was cleared and would serve as backup in place of Ken Appleby.
Brendan Leipsic would strike first 3:49 into the opening frame with his first of the postseason for a 1-0 Toronto lead. John Quenneville would match that with his third straight goal of the series, on the Devils’ first power play of the night, less than seven minutes later. In the second, Leipsic would strike a second time with 2:01 remaining for a 2-1 Marlies lead. That lead would last all of 23 seconds…Carter Camper would score his first of the postseason to re-tie the game up at 2. After a scoreless third that saw both teams fail to capitalize on power play chances, it was on to overtime. And 45 seconds in, Colin Greening would end it with the first shot, giving the Marlies the 2-1 edge in the series and putting Albany on the brink. Blackwood rebounded nicely from Game 2’s disaster despite taking the loss, stopping 22 of 25 shots. Four different Devils would have one assist each.
Lines:
Ben Sexton-Carter Camper-Blake Pietila
John Quenneville-Blake Coleman-Nick Lappin
Brian Gibbons-Kevin Rooney-Blake Speers
Ben Thomson-Rod Pelley-Jan Mandat
Defense:
Seth Helgeson/Steve Santini
Josh Jacobs/Viktor Loov
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Mackenzie Blackwood/Scott Wedgewood
Scratches: Joe Blandisi, Max Novak, Luke Gazdic, Ryan Kujawinski, Shane Harper, Miles Wood, Petr Straka, Brandon Gignac, Austin Cangelosi, Andrew MacWilliam, Yohann Auvitu, Colton White, Colby Sissons, Jacob MacDonald, Evan Cormier, Ken Appleby
Power Play: 1 for 4. Penalty Kill: 2 for 2. Penalty Minutes: 8. Shots on Goal: 29. Shots Allowed: 25.
Friday night’s mission for Game 4 was a simple one: Win, and play Saturday. Lose, and it’s all over.
One lineup change: Karl Stollery out, Jacob MacDonald in. Mackenzie Blackwood back between the pipes.
In the first, it was all Toronto, as they outshot the Devils 11-4 and went up 1-0 8:55 in on a Travis Dermott goal. Albany would have to kill off an early penalty in the second, but managed to tie the game up at 1 late in the second on Carter Camper’s second goal of the playoffs. After that, the rookie goalies–Blackwood and Toronto’s Kasimir Kaskikuo–would take over, mostly Blackwood. While the Devils were only able to manage 17 shots against through regulation, Blackwood was practically standing on his head, stopping 40 of 41 shots through the first 60 minutes. In the first overtime, the Devils would finally outshoot the Marlies by a 10-8 margin, but blew a chance at a win by not producing on a 4 minute power play. On to the second overtime, where the Marlies managed 6 shots to the Devils’ 4, but Albany was able to kill off a Ben Thomson penalty to stay alive. Then came the third overtime, where 6:43 in, and on Toronto’s 60th shot of the night, Justin Holl would connect and get the series clincher, sending the Marlies to the second round and Albany into extinction.
In his last start of the season, Blackwood was absolutely amazing. Despite a very hard loss, he stopped 58 of 60 shots, and was singlehandedly the reason Albany was able to extend their run by 46 more minutes. John Quenneville and Ben Sexton had the lone helpers.
Lines:
Ben Sexton-Carter Camper-Blake Pietila
John Quenneville-Blake Coleman-Nick Lappin
Brian Gibbons-Kevin Rooney-Blake Speers
Ben Thomson-Rod Pelley-Jan Mandat
Defense:
Seth Helgeson/Steve Santini
Josh Jacobs/Viktor Loov
Jacob MacDonald/Vojtech Mozik
Mackenzie Blackwood/Scott Wedgewood
Scratches: Ken Appleby, Andrew MacWilliam, Joe Blandisi, Max Novak, Luke Gazdic, Ryan Kujawinski, Karl Stollery, Shane Harper, Miles Wood, Petr Straka, Yohann Auvitu, Colby Sissons, Brandon Gignac, Evan Cormier, Austin Cangelosi, Colton White
Power Play: 0 for 3. Penalty Kill: 2 for 2. Penalty Minutes: 4. Shots on Goal: 31. Shots Allowed: 60.
Let’s check in on the rest of the Calder Cup field:
Much like Albany, St. John’s is also extinct. A tying goal by former Devil Stefan Matteau forced overtime in the IceCaps Game 4 matchup against the Crunch on Friday, but Gabriel Dumont would get the game winner, setting up a Syracuse-Toronto North Division final beginning on Friday night in central New York.
Wilkes-Barre and Lehigh Valley, the top two teams in the Atlantic Division, both find themselves on the brink. Hershey could wrap up the series with the Phantoms on Saturday night with a win in Game 4 (if needed Game 5 would be in Allentown on Sunday afternoon), while the Penguins and Bruins will play Game 5 in Wilkes-Barre Township on Sunday after Providence took Game 4 on Friday night.
The Central Division final is set: Chicago defeated Charlotte in 5 games, while Grand Rapids swept Milwaukee. The Wolves and Griffins start their series on Wednesday in Chicago.
In the Pacific, San Jose is up 2-1 on Stockton, and can wrap the series up with a win on Sunday on the road (Game 5 if needed is Tuesday in San Jose). San Diego is up 2-1 against Ontario, and they can advance with a win against the Reign on Monday (Game 5 would also be Tuesday).
Up North with the Thunder:
Sadly, the season has come to an end for Adirondack, as they dropped Game 6 6-5 to Manchester in overtime on Tuesday night, dropping the series 4 games to 2. The Thunder would fall behind 5-4 in the 3rd period, only to have Patch Alber tie the game up with 2:34 left in regulation to force overtime, extending the season by about 3 minutes. Dennis Kravchenko scored twice and finished one assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick, Ryan Culkin would have 3 assists, and Brandon Baddock would get his first point of the postseason with a second period assist on Brian Ward’s goal. J.P. Anderson would stop 37 of 43 Monarch shots. Forward Brett Pollock and defenseman Keegan Kanzig have joined Stockton for the remainder of the Heat’s playoff run.
What’s Next?
Well…there’s still some Year in Review business to take care of, look for that next week. After that…stay tuned, I guess.
The first two games of the Devils-Marlies series could be described as a tale of two teams…on both sides. A shutout followed by a blowout, and we’re all tied at 1 as the series heads north.
With a 2-3 format and a Chainsmokers concert taking over the Times Union Center on Friday, the series would get underway with a rare Thursday night matchup. Mackenzie Blackwood, coming off his third shutout to close out the regular season the weekend before, drew the start, while Toronto countered with Garret Sparks. It was a rather quiet first period…until Ben Thomson would put the hosts on the board with 3:38 to go in the opening period for a 1-0 lead. Midway through the second, the Devils would find themselves in a 1:09 5 on 3 situation thanks to questionable calls on Blake Coleman and Brian Gibbons. But not only would Albany kill a majority of that off–a penalty on Toronto’s Andrew Nielsen would negate the last 23 seconds–on the ensuing power play, John Quenneville would connect for a goal to double the Albany lead. Brian Gibbons would finish it off with an empty net goal late in the third, starting the rematch in the Devils favor. Blackwood was magnificent, stopping all 27 Marlies shots. Nick Lappin and Seth Helgeson would each have one assist.
Fun fact: This was only the second time all season a team shut the Marlies out. Former Devil Yann Danis shut out Toronto 3-0 on March 5th.
Lines:
Carter Camper-Joe Blandisi-Ben Sexton
Blake Coleman-John Quenneville-Nick Lappin
Brian Gibbons-Kevin Rooney-Miles Wood
Ben Thomson-Rod Pelley-Blake Pietila
Defense:
Steve Santini/Seth Helgeson
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Jacob MacDonald/Josh Jacobs
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Andrew MacWilliam, Max Novak, Jan Mandat, Luke Gazdic, Ryan Kujawinski, Shane Harper, Scott Wedgewood, Blake Speers, Petr Straka, Yohann Auvitu, Brandon Gignac, Evan Cormier, Colton White, Austin Cangelosi, Viktor Loov
Power Play: 1 for 5. Penalty Kill: 0 for 4. Penalty Minutes: 10. Shots on Goal: 23. Shots Allowed: 27.
3 Stars: 1. Mackenzie Blackwood; 2. Ben Thomson; 3. John Quenneville.
Less than 48 hours, the teams reconvened for Game 2. Only change for the Devils was Viktor Loov in, Jacob MacDonald out. Mackenzie Blackwood and Garret Sparks remained in net. But something was different compared to Thursday night…Toronto found their offense, grabbing an early 1-0 lead on a power play goal by Kerby Rychel 2:56 into the contest. Kevin Rooney would tie things up late in the period with his first postseason goal, only to have former Devil Sergey Kalinin give Toronto a 2-1 lead eleven seconds later. In the second, the Marlies would take over the contest, as goals by Frederik Gauthier and Colin Greening 2:23 apart would put the visitors ahead 4-1, chasing Blackwood out of the net in favor of Ken Appleby. The goalie switch seemed to wake the Devils up somewhat…John Quenneville would score for the second straight game to cut the deficit to 4-2. But a late power play goal by Andreas Johnsson would restore the 3 goal advantage for Toronto. Albany had a golden opportunity to get back in the game with a 1:48 5 on 3 chance, but could not take advantage. To finish off the rout, Trevor Moore would score 4:35 into the third, giving the Marlies the win and a split heading into Canada next week. Blackwood stopped 9 of 13 shots in 26:38, while Appleby stopped 8 of 10 in 33:12. Three Devils would add one assist each.
Lines:
Joe Blandisi-Carter Camper-Ben Sexton
John Quenneville-Blake Coleman-Nick Lappin
Miles Wood-Kevin Rooney-Brian Gibbons
Ben Thomson-Rod Pelley-Blake Pietila
Defense:
Steve Santini/Seth Helgeson
Vojtech Mozik/Karl Stollery
Viktor Loov/Josh Jacobs
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Andrew MacWilliam, Max Novak, Jan Mandat, Luke Gazdic, Ryan Kujawinski, Shane Harper, Blake Speers, Petr Straka, Yohann Auvitu, Brandon Gignac, Austin Cangelosi, Colton White, Scott Wedgewood, Evan Cormier
Power Play: 0 for 5. Penalty Kill: 5 for 7. Penalty Minutes: 28. Shots on Goal: 21. Shots Allowed: 23.
Let’s check in on the other AHL first round series:
In the other North Division matchup, Syracuse and St. John’s split their first two games in Newfoundland, with the Crunch winning in double overtime on Saturday. The series moves to Syracuse for Game 3 on Wednesday and Game 4 on Friday, with Game 5 if needed on Saturday.
Lehigh Valley finds themselves in a 2-0 hole to Hershey after the Bears took the first two games with a 1-0 overtime win on Friday, followed by a comeback 5-4 win on Saturday (the Bears were down 4-2 entering the third). Hershey’s first chance to wrap up the series comes Wednesday at home, with Game 4 scheduled for Saturday if needed.
Providence is up 1-0 on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after a 2-1 win at home on Friday night. Game 2 is Sunday afternoon in Rhode Island before the series moves to northeast Pennsylvania for Game 3 on Thursday.
Moving to the West, Chicago and Charlotte split their first two games in North Carolina, with the Checkers picking up a 4-0 shut out win on Thursday before the Wolves picked up a 3-2 win on Friday. Game 3 is in Illinois Sunday afternoon, with Game 4 on Tuesday and Game 5 if needed Wednesday.
Grand Rapids is up 1-0 on Milwaukee after a 4-3 overtime win on Friday. Game 2 is this afternoon in Michigan, before the series moves to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Wednesday.
San Jose is up 1-0 against Stockton after they shut the Heat out 4-0 on Friday. Game 2 is Sunday afternoon in San Jose, then the series goes to Stockton for Game 3 on Friday.
Finally, San Diego and Ontario are tied at 1 in their series after the Reign took Game 1 3-2 on Friday and the Gulls won 2-1 on Saturday. In the ever popular 1-1-1-1-1 series set up, Game 3 is on Friday in San Diego, with Game 4 in Ontario on Monday, May 1st.
Up North with the Thunder:
Adirondack, as mentioned last week, is in a unique situation in their first round series with Manchester: due to the circus coming in to the SNHU Arena, the Thunder gets the next 5 games of the 7 game series on home ice. In Game 3 on Tuesday, the Thunder cut the series lead to 2-1 with a 3-1 win over the Monarchs on Tuesday. Three different Thunder players would score, James Henry would add two assists, while J.P. Anderson stopped 26 of 27 shots. Manchester would take a 3-1 lead in Game 4 on Thursday night, a 2-1 win, despite only putting 16 shots on goal. Cullen Bradshaw had the lone Thunder goal, while Anderson stopped 14 of 16. Adirondack would stave off elimination in Game 5 on Saturday with a 2-1 win. Peter MacArthur and Dennis Kravchenko would each have a goal, and Anderson stopped 25 of 26. The Thunder will again attempt to keep their season alive in Game 6 on Tuesday, with Game 7 scheduled for Wednesday if necessary.
This Week’s Schedule:
The series shifts to Toronto for Games 3-5. We know for sure that Game 3 will be Wednesday and Game 4 is on Friday night. Will Game 5 on Saturday be needed? We shall see.
But the Devils have a daunting task of taking 2 out of 3 in Toronto in order to stave off extinction.
Wednesday’s mission was a pretty simple one: beat Hartford without going to a shootout, and hope that Syracuse lends a hand and defeats Utica, and hello playoff spot. At first, it looked like the Wolfpack were going to play spoiler: a John Gilmour goal just 1:46 into the contest would put Hartford up 1-0. Vojtech Mozik would tie it up later in the period with a power play goal, his 10th of the season. The Wolfpack would take a 2-1 lead early in the second period on Marek Hrivik’s 16th goal of the season. But the Devils would respond…while on a penalty kill for a too many men call, Kevin Rooney would break from the pack (see what I did there?) and score shorthanded on his own rebound to tie things up at 2. John Quenneville would add a power play goal late in the second, his 14th, to put the Devils ahead 3-2. In the third, Albany would put the game away with three straight goals…Miles Wood, in his first game back in Albany since a brief stint in November, would score his 4th, then assist on Jacob MacDonald’s 8th. Ben Thomson would celebrate his return from New Jersey with his 6th, putting the Devils ahead 6-2. Nicklas Jensen would add his 30th goal as time expired, but it wouldn’t be enough. Mackenzie Blackwood would stop 23 of 26 shots in his 16th win. MacDonald lead all Albany skaters with three points (1 G, 2 A), Blake Coleman had two assists, and four other Devils would have one assist each.
Just minutes after the final horn, Syracuse would finish off a 7-2 win at Utica, officially putting Albany in the playoffs.
Lines:
John Quenneville-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Brian Gibbons-Blake Coleman-Miles Wood
Joe Blandisi-Kevin Rooney-Blake Pietila
Ben Thomson-Jan Mandat-Shane Harper
Defense:
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Seth Helgeson/Steve Santini
Josh Jacobs/Jacob MacDonald
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Andrew MacWilliam, Rod Pelley, Ben Sexton, Luke Gazdic, Ryan Kujawinski, Max Novak, Scott Wedgewood, Petr Straka, Yohann Auvitu, Brandon Gignac, Evan Cormier, Austin Cangelosi, Viktor Loov
Power Play: 2 for 5. Penalty Kill: 6 for 7. Penalty Minutes: 22. Shots on Goal: 31. Shots Allowed: 26.
3 Stars: 1. Jacob MacDonald; 2. Miles Wood; 3. John Quenneville.
With quite a few regulars being rested, it was due west on the Thruway to Rochester for the final regular season road game against the Amerks. Carter Camper’s 6th goal of the season would put the visitors on the board 13:10 into the opening period. On a late turnover by Josh Jacobs, the Amerks would tie the game up late in the period on a Casey Nelson goal. Joe Blandisi would break the tie early in the second period with his 8th goal, and first since returning from New Jersey. But a scrum behind the Amerks net that would give Rochester a full 5 on 3 would change the tide…Alex Nylander would re-tie the game at 2. Jan Mandat would briefly give the Devils their one goal lead back, only to have a second power play goal, this time off the stick of Derek Grant, late in the second for a 3-3 game. The Amerks would pull away fairly quickly in the third…Justin Bailey’s 23rd goal just 43 seconds into the final period would put Rochester up 4-3. Hudson Fasching would add an insurance goal four minutes later for a 5-3 lead. Nick Lappin would get the Devils back to within one with 37 seconds remaining, but that was all they could do. In his first start in 13 days, Ken Appleby would stop 26 of 31 shots. 8 different Devils would add assists.
Lines:
Shane Harper-Blake Coleman-Brandon Gignac
Joe Blandisi-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Petr Straka-Austin Cangelosi-Max Novak
Luke Gazdic-Jan Mandat-Ben Thomson
Defense:
Andrew MacWilliam/Vojtech Mozik
Steve Santini/Yohann Auvitu
Josh Jacobs/Jacob MacDonald
Ken Appleby/Mackenzie Blackwood
Scratches: Scott Wedgewood, Rod Pelley, Ryan Kujawinski, Ben Sexton, Evan Cormier, Viktor Loov, Miles Wood, Blake Pietila, Seth Helgeson, Karl Stollery, John Quenneville, Brian Gibbons, Kevin Rooney
Power Play: 0 for 3. Penalty Kill: 6 for 8. Penalty Minutes: 16. Shots on Goal: 34. Shots Allowed: 31.
Less than 24 hours and about 220 miles to the east later, the Devils and Amerks met in Albany for Game 76, the regular season finale. Much like the night before, it would the Devils drawing first blood…Brian Gibbons would score his 16th of the season 6:56 into the contest for a 1-0 lead. Vojtech Mozik would add his 11th goal early in the second period to double the lead. Then Blake Coleman would cap the game and the regular season off with a short handed empty netter, his 19th, to finish the Amerks off. Mackenzie Blackwood took care of the rest, stopping all 17 shots in his third shutout of the season. Coleman would add two assists, while Nick Lappin had one helper.
Lines:
Brian Gibbons-Blake Coleman-Nick Lappin
Joe Blandisi-Carter Camper-Ben Sexton
Shane Harper-Austin Cangelosi-Jan Mandat
Ben Thomson-Kevin Rooney-Brandon Gignac
Defense:
Seth Helgeson/Steve Santini
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Josh Jacobs/Jacob MacDonald
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Andrew MacWilliam, Yohann Auvitu, Viktor Loov, Ryan Kujawinski, Rod Pelley, John Quenneville, Miles Wood, Scott Wedgewood, Luke Gazdic, Evan Cormier, Blake Pietila, Petr Straka, Max Novak
Power Play: 0 for 3. Penalty Kill: 4 for 4. Penalty Minutes: 8. Shots on Goal: 34. Shots Allowed: 17.
A tough call for this week’s honors, but I’ll split it between Blake Coleman (1 goal, 4 assists in 3 games) and Mackenzie Blackwood (2-0, 1 SO).
Team Leaders:
Final stats will be out on Monday.
Division Playoff Update:
When the dust finally settled on Saturday night, here’s where everyone finished:
Syracuse: 90 points, .592
Toronto: 89 points, .586
Albany: 83 points, .546
St. John’s: 82 points, .539
Utica: 79 points, .520
So in round 1, you will have Syracuse-St. John’s and Albany-Toronto (in a rematch of last year’s epic 7 game North Division final).
Up North with the Thunder:
Not a good start for Adirondack in their first round matchup with Manchester, as they fall 2-0 in their best of 7 series.
The Thunder would drop Game 1 to the Monarchs 3-1, with Ryan Culkin the lone goal scorer and J.P. Anderson would stop 21 of 23 shots. Manchester would follow that up with a 4-2 win in Game 2 on Saturday. Alex Wall would score both Thunder goals, while Anderson stopped 24 of 27.
The series now shifts to Glens Falls for the next 5 games. Yes, I said 5…due to the circus at SNHU Arena, the Thunder will host the remainder of the series, no matter how many games needed. Game 3 is on Tuesday, Game 4 Thursday, and if needed, Game 5 is Saturday.
This Week’s Schedule:
Well, more like the full Round 1 schedule:
Game 1: Thursday @ Albany, 7 PM
Game 2: Saturday @ Albany, 5 PM
Game 3: April 26 @ Toronto, 7 PM
Game 4: April 28 @ Toronto, 7 PM*
Game 5: April 29 @ Toronto, 7 PM*
As far as coverage…preview stat pack will hit Thursday afternoon prior to Game 1. If I am able to switch my work schedule, I will be on hand for Game 1. Games 2-5 I will definitely be around for.
Six games left in the regular season, with virtually no room for error at this point.
The Devils would come through, getting back on track with a pair of wins on home ice. But could a road loss at the end of the week be a costly one as we head into the final week of the regular season?
First on the agenda this week: a Wednesday night matchup against the Crunch that carried several factors: a Syracuse win would clinch a playoff spot for the first place Marlies, whose magic number was 1; and it would knock the Devils into fifth, with Utica and St. John’s jumping ahead despite being idle that night. On top of that, the Crunch lost two forwards (Cory Conacher and Michal Bournival) to callup just a few hours before puck drop, with the Lightning fighting for the last playoff spot and a matchup with the Maple Leafs looming.
Well, about that…
The Crunch would be plagued by the penalty bug in the first period, giving the Devils four power plays. On their third power play chance, Nick Lappin would score his 10th for a 1-0 Albany lead. Early in the second, with the Crunch on their first power play opportunity, Lappin would come up big again, this time with a shorthanded tally to double the Devil lead. Midway through the period, on the Crunch’s second power play, it was Brian Gibbons’ turn for a shorthanded goal, his 14th, for a 3-0 advantage. And that was all Mackenzie Blackwood would need, as he shut down the Crunch offense, stopping all 33 shots in his second shutout of the season. Lappin and two other Devils would have one assist each. The win would put Albany back in third place in the North, one point ahead of 4th place Utica and two (thanks to percentage points) ahead of 5th place St. John’s.
Lines:
Jan Mandat-Kevin Rooney-Max Novak
John Quenneville-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Brian Gibbons-Austin Cangelosi-Blake Pietila
Greg Wolfe-Rod Pelley-Shane Harper
Defense:
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Seth Helgeson/Jacob MacDonald
Andrew MacWilliam/Yohann Auvitu
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Josh Jacobs, Viktor Loov, Ben Sexton, Ryan Kujawinski, Scott Wedgewood, Sam Kurker, Petr Straka, Evan Cormier
Power Play: 1 for 7. Penalty Kill: 2 for 2. Penalty Minutes: 4. Shots on Goal: 32. Shots Allowed: 33.
3 Stars: 1. Nick Lappin; 2. Mackenzie Blackwood; 3. Brian Gibbons.
The homestand finished up on Friday, as the Devils hosted the IceCaps for the final time. Midway through the opening period, Shane Harper would finally score his first goal as a Devil to put the hosts up 1-0. Early in the second, in a span of 15 seconds, Nick Lappin (12th) and Brian Gibbons (15th) would give the Devils a 3-0 cushion. But St. John’s was not about to go away quietly, thanks to some questionable penalty calls on Albany. Former River Rat Chris Terry, celebrating his 28th birthday, would cut the Devil lead to two with a power play goal, his 28th of the season. Later in the period, with John Quenneville sitting for a tripping (that to most of us looked like a dive) and Rod Pelley off for delay of game after his stick broke on a faceoff, Zach Redmond would capitalize on the 5 on 3 with his third goal to make it a 3-2 game. St. John’s would complete the comeback 5:26 into the third on Keegan Lowe’s 6th goal of the season. Just as it looked like this game was headed to overtime…Jacob de la Rose would be called for a hook with 1:07 to go. Albany took a timeout, drew up a play…and seven seconds later everything went to plan. Lappin’s second goal of the game with exactly 1:00 remaining would put the Devils ahead 4-3. The IceCaps thought they had tied the game up just as the clock hit 0.0, but was first waved off. A video review was requested, and after a few tense moments…confirmed no goal, the puck crossed the line after the horn sounded. Albany would escape with their second straight win, lowering their magic number to clinch to 5. Another strong performance in net by Mackenzie Blackwood, as he stopped 22 of 25 shots. Seven Devils, including Steven Santini, would have one assist each.
Lines:
Jan Mandat-Kevin Rooney-Max Novak
John Quenneville-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Blake Pietila-Austin Cangelosi-Brian Gibbons
Greg Wolfe-Rod Pelley-Shane Harper
Defense:
Seth Helgeson/Steven Santini
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Josh Jacobs/Jacob MacDonald
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Andrew MacWilliam, Ben Sexton, Luke Gazdic, Ryan Kujawinski, Scott Wedgewood, Yohann Auvitu, Brandon Gignac, Petr Straka, Evan Cormier, Viktor Loov
Power Play: 1 for 4. Penalty Kill: 3 for 5. Penalty Minutes: 15. Shots on Goal: 33. Shots Allowed: 25.
3 Stars: 1. Nick Lappin; 2. Brian Gibbons; 3. Keegan Lowe.
A rematch with the Crunch, but this time in Syracuse, would finish off the week. After a scoreless first period, the Devils would be first on the scoreboard in the middle period, taking a 1-0 lead on a Yohann Auvitu power play goal, his 5th of the season. Syracuse would tie things up midway through off a shorthanded goal by Tanner Richard. A late turnover in front of the Devil net would cost them, as Dominik Masin would score his third to put the Crunch ahead 2-1. But less than two minutes later, a shorthanded goal off the stick of Kevin Rooney (his 12th goal of the season) would re-tie the game. A late holding call on Blake Pietila in the third would end up being the game changer, as a Brett Howden goal with 3:22 remaining in regulation would give the Crunch the victory, stalling a brief two game win streak and keeping the Devils magic number to clinch at 5. Mackenzie Blackwood would draw another start and play well despite the loss, stopping 29 of 32 shots. Four different Devils would each have one assist.
Lines:
Jan Mandat-Kevin Rooney-Max Novak
John Quenneville-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Brian Gibbons-Austin Cangelosi-Blake Pietila
Luke Gazdic-Rod Pelley-Shane Harper
Defense:
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Seth Helgeson/Steven Santini
Josh Jacobs/Yohann Auvitu
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Greg Wolfe, Viktor Loov, Scott Wedgewood, Jacob MacDonald, Ben Sexton, Ryan Kujawinski, Andrew MacWilliam, Petr Straka, Brandon Gignac, Evan Cormier
Power Play: 1 for 4. Penalty Kill: 5 for 6. Penalty Minutes: 12. Shots on Goal: 26. Shots Allowed: 32.
One candidate stood out among everyone this week…Nick Lappin was a factor in both home wins this week with four goals, including both game winners.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Ben Sexton (19)
Assists: John Quenneville (32)
Points: John Quenneville (45)
+/-: Vojtech Mozik (+15)
Penalty Minutes: Andrew MacWilliam (100)
Wins: Ken Appleby (17)
GAA: Scott Wedgewood (2.18)
Save Percentage: Scott Wedgewood (.912)
Division Playoff Update:
After Saturday night’s action, here’s where we stand:
1. Toronto: 85 points, .582 (clinched)
2. Syracuse: 84 points, .575
3. Albany, 79 points, .541
4. Utica, 77 points, .535
5. St. John’s, 78 points, .534
All of this is subject to change, with St. John’s and Utica facing each other this afternoon. Albany’s magic number to clinch a spot remains at 5 with 3 games remaining. The Devils cannot clinch the division title after Saturday’s loss, and has a very small shot at finishing in second (one more point by the Crunch will make that impossible).
Up North with the Thunder:
Congrats to the other boys in red, as they finished off the regular season with a division title and a 6 game winning streak.
The Thunder finished off their home portion of the schedule on Tuesday with a 4-1 win over Manchester. They then swept the Jackals in the last ever games in Elmira, 7-1 on Friday (that win officially clinched the North Division title) and 5-0 on Saturday.
Adirondack will take on the Monarchs in round 1 of the Kelly Cup playoffs, beginning on Friday night in Manchester (a building conflict in Glens Falls the reason) with Game 1. Game 2 will follow on Saturday. Full schedule can be found here.
This Week’s Schedule:
It all comes down to this. Three games left on the regular season schedule.
Wednesday, the Devils will host Hartford. Friday, the last road game in Rochester. Saturday’s finale at home against the Amerks. Where the Devils will finish, whether there’s life beyond Saturday, will depend on these three games, and also on what Utica and St. John’s do in their final week.
And if the Devils are not careful…as shown by a 1 win out of 3 weekend (hey, at least the winless streak is over!)…it may be an earlier goodbye to the Capital District than any of us have prepared for.
A critical weekend began in Rhode Island on Friday night, as Albany looked to avenge its 5-0 loss to the Bruins from Saturday. But it would be Providence picking up right where they left off. Jordan Szwarz, in his first game back from injury, would get the home team on the board less than 5 minutes into the first period with his 18th goal on a power play. A penalty shot goal by Sean Kuraly would double the Bruin lead midway through the opening frame. Jake DeBrusk would add his 15th goal of the season 6:21 into the second period for a 3-0 Providence advantage. Austin Czarnik would add to the Bruins lead with a power play goal, his 6th of the season, early in the third period for a 4-0 lead. Finally, the Devils would find a way to get a goal, as a shorthanded tally by Yohann Auvitu, his 4th, would make it a 4-1 game. Once again, Albany could not get their offense in gear despite putting 37 shots on net, and would extend the winless streak to 7 games. Mackenzie Blackwood would stop 31 of 35 shots in the loss. Austin Cangelosi would pick up his first pro point, an assist, in his debut.
Lines:
Brian Gibbons-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Austin Cangelosi-Blake Pietila-Shane Harper
Jan Mandat-Kevin Rooney-Ben Thomson
Luke Gazdic-Rod Pelley-Greg Wolfe
Defense:
Karl Stollery/Vojtech Mozik
Seth Helgeson/Yohann Auvitu
Andrew MacWilliam/Viktor Loov
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Josh Jacobs, Ben Sexton, Ryan Kujawinski, Max Novak, Scott Wedgewood, Sam Kurker, Petr Straka, Jacob MacDonald, Evan Cormier
Power Play: 0 for 5. Penalty Kill: 3 for 5. Penalty Minutes: 15. Shots on Goal: 37. Shots Allowed: 35.
As the calendar turned to April, the Devils looked to finally get back on track as they hosted the Wolfpack. And the home team would get off to a good start, as a Max Novak goal 4:41 into the opening period would give Albany a 1-0 lead. Nicklas Jensen would tie things up late in the period with his 28th goal. The Devils would have a much needed strong middle period, as a Kevin Rooney shorthanded goal would put them ahead 2-1. Blake Pietila, in his second game back from New Jersey, would score his 16th goal during a late 4:00 power play chance for a two goal Devil lead heading into the third. The Wolfpack were not about to go away just yet, however…Matt Carey would pick up his 19th goal 7:26 in to cut the Albany lead to one goal. But just 24 seconds later, Pietila would respond with his second power play goal of the game to extend the Devil lead again to two. Hartford would respond with a power play goal from Taylor Beck with 8:26 remaining for a 4-3 game. Despite a 6 on 4 shorthanded situation late, the Devils were able to hold off Hartford and finally snap a seven game winless streak. It was also a much needed good outing for Ken Appleby, who stopped 30 of 33 shots and snapped a personal three game losing streak. Jacob MacDonald, back in the lineup after sitting out Friday’s game, contributed three assists, while Novak and three others had one helper each.
Lines:
Austin Cangelosi-Blake Pietila-Shane Harper
Brian Gibbons-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Jan Mandat-Kevin Rooney-Max Novak
Luke Gazdic-Rod Pelley-Ben Thomson
Defense:
Seth Helgeson/Yohann Auvitu
Vojtech Mozik/Jacob MacDonald
Andrew MacWilliam/Viktor Loov
Ken Appleby/Mackenzie Blackwood
Scratches: Karl Stollery, Josh Jacobs, Ben Sexton, Ryan Kujawinski, Scott Wedgewood, Petr Straka, Sam Kurker, Evan Cormier, Greg Wolfe
Power Play: 2 for 6. Penalty Kill: 5 for 6. Penalty Minutes: 14. Shots on Goal: 30. Shots Allowed: 33.
Sunday: According to the Bergen Record, the New Jersey brass has decided to start sending reinforcements back to Albany sooner rather than later, with just four games left on the parent club’s schedule. Sunday, they came through, returning John Quenneville, who had appeared in the Devils’ 3-0 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Less than 24 hours later, it was back downtown as the Devils looked to build on Saturday’s win against Rochester. On Albany’s first power play opportunity of the game, John Quenneville made his successful return, scoring his 13th for a 1-0 lead. Former Devil ATO Paul Geiger would tie the game with his third goal with 5:28 to go in the first. Early in the second, Andrew MacWilliam would get a four minute high sticking call. The Amerks would take full advantage–and a 2-1 lead–on Derek Grant’s 8th goal. The two goals were all rookie goaltender Jonas Johansson would need, as he would stop 27 of 28 Devil shots in his third AHL start. Mackenzie Blackwood did not have much to face, only stopping 15 of 17. Carter Camper and Jacob MacDonald had the lone helpers.
Lines:
John Quenneville-Carter Camper-Nick Lappin
Jan Mandat-Kevin Rooney-Max Novak
Austin Cangelosi-Blake Pietila-Brian Gibbons
Ben Thomson-Rod Pelley-Shane Harper
Defense:
Seth Helgeson/Jacob MacDonald
Karl Stollery/Yohann Auvitu
Andrew MacWilliam/Viktor Loov
Mackenzie Blackwood/Ken Appleby
Scratches: Josh Jacobs, Ben Sexton, Luke Gazdic, Ryan Kujawinski, Vojtech Mozik, Petr Straka, Sam Kurker, Greg Wolfe, Scott Wedgewood, Evan Cormier
Power Play: 1 for 5. Penalty Kill: 4 for 5. Penalty Minutes: 15. Shots on Goal: 28. Shots Allowed: 17.
3 Stars: 1. Derek Grant; 2. John Quenneville; 3. Mat Bodie (announced, but Mackenzie Blackwood listed in boxscore).
Highlight Reel:
My Player of the Week:
We’re splitting it this week between Jacob MacDonald (with 4 helpers on the weekend) and Blake Pietila (2 power play goals in Saturday’s win). Honorable mention to Austin Cangelosi for a point in his pro debut.
Team Leaders:
Goals: Ben Sexton (19)
Assists: John Quenneville (29)
Points: John Quenneville (42)
+/-: Vojtech Mozik (+13)
Penalty Minutes: Andrew MacWilliam (100)
Wins: Ken Appleby (17)
GAA: Scott Wedgewood (2.18)
Save Percentage: Scott Wedgewood (.912)
Division Update:
When the weekend was done, here’s where everyone stands in the North:
Toronto, 83 points, .593, 6 games left
Syracuse, 81 points, .579, 6 games left
St. John’s, 76 points, .543, 6 games left
Albany, 75 points, .536, 6 games left
Utica, 75 points, .536, 6 games left
The Devils get the tiebreaker with Utica due to more ROW (32-31). Albany’s magic number to clinch sits at 13, which means they will need help to get that number down.
This week’s important matchups: Toronto-St. John’s on Tuesday; Syracuse-Albany on Wednesday; St. John’s-Albany, Toronto-Utica, Syracuse-Binghamton on Friday; Hershey-Toronto, Albany-Syracuse, St. John’s-Binghamton, Utica-Rochester on Saturday; and St. John’s-Utica and Rochester-Toronto on Sunday.
Up North with the Thunder:
At least one team around here is going to the postseason! Congrats to the boys in Adirondack, who clinched a spot in the Kelly Cup playoffs with a 5-4 win over Orlando on Tuesday night at home. They followed that up with a 3-2 win over Elmira on Friday night, then a 3-0 shutout of Norfolk on Saturday.
Adirondack finishes out the regular season this week, with their last home game on Tuesday night against Manchester. They then hit the road for a two game set against Elmira, the Jackals last hurrah before folding as a franchise, on Friday and Saturday. Their magic number to clinch the North Division title is 4.
This Week’s Schedule:
As shown earlier, this is a humongous big three game week. One that could determine how much longer this team exists.
It starts Wednesday night at home against Syracuse, followed by a visit from St. John’s on Friday. Then on the road to Syracuse on Saturday.
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.
Thoughts Inside The Box 