MONDAY FEATURE: Ferguson's Wild Week Ends With Strong Showing In Senators Debut

Consider signing up for a subscription so we can continue to bring you exclusive first-reports, prospect features and stories from around the American Hockey League (AHL).

Quick. Easy. Support original journalism!

Consider signing up for a subscription so we can continue to bring you stories like this one and many more.

Sign up today. Quick. Easy. Support original journalism -> http://www.insideahlhockey.com/subscribe

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - There are travel headaches, and then there is the travel nightmare goaltender Dylan Ferguson endured this past week before ultimately being traded and having his travel plans reconfigured for a fourth time in a span of two and a half days.

"Well I'm glad you asked because the last 72 hours have been pretty crazy to tell you the truth," Ferguson told InsideAHLHockey.com on Saturday night.

On Wednesday, Ferguson - then under AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies - was on his way out of town as the Marlies opted to loan Ferguson to the ECHL's Wichita Thunder. His scheduled flight - after "sitting in the plane for hours" - was eventually canceled.

He returned Thursday for the next flight out to Wichita, and again another day with his schedule flight being canceled.

After two days of canceled flights, a car service was scheduled for Friday to drive Ferguson from Toronto to Toledo to meet his Wichita teammates for their game on the road against the Toledo Walleye.

As Ferguson recollects, it was about 20 minutes into that car ride that he got a phone call from the Marlies notifying him they had traded him to the Belleville Senators (Ottawa). With the BSens on the road his final destination changed from Toledo to Wilkes-Barre, where he now remained in the AHL - albeit with a new team.

Though it was quite an adventure the past few days, it's a welcomed change for Ferguson - who found himself on the short end of a goaltending jam with the Marlies that had seen him play just five game this season, with his last outing coming the week before Thanksgiving in mid-November.

"I've been honestly grinding pretty hard since November, really, since I [last] got to play," Ferguson said, adding, "I was just kind of praying for an opportunity to come up and just making sure I'm keeping myself ready."

Not only did he meet the team in Wilkes-Barre Saturday, he was pinned as Belleville's starting goaltender that same night. A quick turnaround for a goaltender who had spent the last three days sitting in the airport or in a car.

"You know... things happen fast. And I think it was just really important to stay in the moment and just be ready to go," Ferguson said after his Belleville Senators debut Saturday night.

Still sporting his Toronto Marlies goalie mask, Ferguson not only stepped up and give his new team a chance to win Saturday night, he held his opponent without a goal through 57:52 of regulation before ultimately surrendering an extra attacker goal against that forced overtime. Still, Ferguson shut the door from there - finishing with 38 saves on 39 shots to lift Belleville to a big 2-1 overtime win.

"It's just an outstanding story," Belleville Senators interim head coach David Bell said of Ferguson's whirlwind of a last few days. "It's a land of opportunity, and he got an opportunity. He was on his way to the ECHL, and we were fortunate enough to acquire him. To come in with a performance like that, it's awesome."

Saturday's win provided momentum for the team to take into a tough Sunday road matchup at Giant Center against one of the league's top teams, propelling the Senators to a 4-2 win to finish their three-game road trip with back-to-back wins.

The wins, coupled with a pair of losses by both Laval and Cleveland over the weekend, have Belleville within striking distance of what is currently the final playoff spot in the North Division as they enter the week trailing Laval by two points for fifth place.

Now with his new team, Ferguson is hoping to be a part of the Senators' push back toward the postseason picture.

"Yeah, absolutely. Pressure is always good. I look at it that way," Ferguson told InsideAHLHockey.com when asked about hoping to be the guy that leads this team down the stretch. "There's a little extra edge in the dressing room. And, you know, guys are trying to be a little desperate, going that extra inch on the ice. It's a pretty fun thing to be a part of."

Consider signing up for a subscription so we can continue to bring you exclusive first-reports, prospect features and stories from around the American Hockey League (AHL).

Sign up today. Quick. Easy. Support original journalism!

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/InsideAHLHockeyPayPal: $3/month -> http://paypal.me/TonyAndrockVenmo: $3/month -> InsideAHLHockey

FULL DETAILS -> http://www.insideahlhockey.com/subscribe