Locations: Times Union Center, Albany, NY (Games 1 & 2); Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto, ON, Canada (Games 3,4,5).
Dates/Times: Game 1 Thursday @ 7 PM, Game 2 Saturday, April 22 @ 5 PM, Game 3 Wednesday, April 26 @ 7 PM; Game 4 Friday, April 28 @ 7 PM; Game 5 Saturday, April 29 @ 7 PM
Regular Season Series:
Albany took 5 of 8 matchups:
October 28th @ Albany, Marlies 3 Devils 0: In the first matchup since last season’s playoffs, Antoine Bibeau would stop all 37 shots to hand the Devils their second loss of the season and first shutout loss. Scott Wedgewood took the loss, stopping 28 of 31 shots. Three different Marlies had goals.
October 29th @ Albany, Devils 4 Marlies 3 (SO): In the rematch the following day, the Devils would erase a 3-1 deficit in the third by goals from John Quenneville and Ben Sexton to force the game into overtime. In their first shootout of the season, Mackenzie Blackwood would shut down all 3 Toronto skaters, while Quenneville had the lone shootout goal. The game also saw a combined 96 penalty minutes, after scraps in both the second and third periods would see an early exit for both Joe Blandisi and Rinat Valiev of Toronto.
November 22nd @ Albany, Devils 3 Marlies 1: In his first start since replacing Scott Wedgewood on the roster, Ken Appleby came up big, stopping 23 of 24 shots, while Blake Coleman, Kevin Rooney, and Vojtech Mozik all scored.
December 17th @ Toronto, Devils 3 Marlies 1: Brian Gibbons would score twice in the first, and that was all Ken Appleby needed to pick up the win, stopping 34 of 35 Toronto shots.
December 18th @ Toronto, Marlies 4 Devils 1: 24 hours later, it would be Toronto getting off a 2-0 start, and the Marlies never looked back. Jan Mandat had the lone Devil goal in the second period.
December 30th @ Albany, Devils 4 Marlies 2: Goals 50 seconds apart by John Quenneville (his second of the contest) and Ben Sexton would be the difference in this one. Mackenzie Blackwood would stop 22 of 24 shots in the victory.
February 11th @ Toronto, Devils 5 Marlies 4 (OT): Down 4-1 with 2:30 to go in the second period, the Devils would make an improbable comeback, with Ben Sexton scoring twice in the final 2:59 of regulation to tie it up, followed by Yohann Auvitu’s game winner with 49 seconds left in overtime to cap it.
February 12th @ Toronto, Marlies 6 Devils 2: A 3 goal third period was all Toronto needed to put the rematch away. Carter Camper and Reece Scarlett would each have a goal.
2016-17 Records:
Toronto: 42-29-4-1, 89 points, .586 points percentage, 2nd place in North Division.
Albany: 39-32-2-3, 83 points, .546 points percentage, 3rd place in North Division.
Rosters:
Toronto By The Numbers:
Home: 24-11-3-0. Road: 18-18-1-1.
Power Play: 22.3% (4th in AHL). Penalty Kill: 81.8% (17th).
Goals For/Game: 3.22 (8th). Goals Against/Game: 2.72 (11th).
Leading Scorers (Top 5): Kerby Rychel (52), Brendan Leipsic (51), Cal O’Reilly (50), Andreas Johnsson (47), Seth Griffith (44)
Goals: Andreas Johnsson (20)
Assists: Cal O’Reilly (41)
+/-: Andrew Campbell (+20)
Penalty Minutes: Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (128)
Wins: Garret Sparks (21)
GAA: Garret Sparks (2.16)
Save Percentage: Garret Sparks (.922)
Albany by the Numbers:
Home: 22-13-1-2. Road: 17-19-1-1.
Power Play: 17.9% (13th in AHL). Penalty Kill: 84.0% (6th).
Goals For/Game: 2.68 (21st). Goals Against/Game: 2.71 (10th).
Leading Scorers (Top 5): John Quenneville (46), Blake Coleman (39), Brian Gibbons (36), Carter Camper (35), Blake Pietila (33).
Goals: Ben Sexton/Blake Coleman (19)
Assists: John Quenneville (32)
+/-: Blake Coleman (+21)
Penalty Minutes: Andrew MacWilliam (100)
Wins: Ken Appleby/Mackenzie Blackwood (17)
GAA: Mackenzie Blackwood (2.55)
Save Percentage: Mackenzie Blackwood (.907)
Coverage:
Print: Times Union, Toronto Sun
Radio: AHL Live
Social:
Facebook: Albany Devils, Toronto Marlies
Instagram: albanydevils, torontomarlies
Twitter: @AlbanyDevils, @PeteDougherty, @trace_1114, @TorontoMarlies, @HockeyCrock
Thoughts Inside The Box 