Weekly Wrap-Up - Atlantic Division (Week 15)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Record Last Week: 2-0-0
On Friday night, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins continued their 2018 winning ways with a huge 6-2 victory in Belleville over the Senators. Ryan Haggerty scored a hattrick for the Penguins as Christian Thomas, Garrett Wilson, and Jean-Sebastien Dea also added goals in the romp. Anthony Peters stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced on the evening. The Penguins were 1-for-4 on the PP.
Saturday night, the Penguins made it five-consecutive wins in 2018 and propelled themselves to the top of the Atlantic Division with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Laval. Andrey Pedan notched a hat-trick to give the Penguins a 4-3 lead late in the second, and the two teams battled the remainder of the way scoreless. Teddy Blueger also scored for the Penguins. Peters stopped 23 of 26 shots for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Record Last Week: 2-1-0
Lehigh Valley’s 2018 woes continued Friday as the Springfield Thunderbirds came to town and emerged with a shocking 6-2 victory over the Phantoms. Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Phil Varone netted Lehigh Valley’s goals. Meanwhile, Alex Lyon made 22 saves on 28 shots. The Phantoms went 0-for-2 on the PP and 2-for-4 on the PK.
Saturday the Phantoms got their first win of 2018, a 2-1 victory over in-state rival, Hershey. After the Bears took a 1-0 lead in the second, T.J. Brennan tied the game. In the third period, Matt Read’s goal near the midway point of the period proved to be the game-winner. Dustin Tokarski made 29 saves for the victory, but all thoughts were with Danick Martel who took a hit to the face during the second period and had to be helped off the ice.
The Phantoms made it two-in-a-row with a 2-1 OT victory over the Bears in the rematch Sunday in Hershey. Brennan scored just 44 seconds into the extra frame to lift the Phantoms to victory over their in-state rivals. Aube-Kubel tied the game in the second following a first-period goal from the Bears, the only goal allowed by Lyon in 29 shots.
Providence Bruins
Record Last Week: 0-2-1
Providence’s struggles in 2018 continued with a home loss to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday night, 3-2. Peter Cehlarik gave the Bruins the early lead, but Bridgeport scored a pair of goals to take the lead early in the second. Jordan Szwarz tied the game seconds later, but Bridgeport’s goal late in the third sealed the deal. Jordan Binnington made 25 saves in the loss.
In the rematch Saturday in Bridgeport, the Sound Tigers once again came out on top with a 2-1 shootout victory. Ryan Fitzgerald tied the game late in the third to force the game into bonus hockey. Zane McIntyre made 17 saves on 18 shots through 65 minutes, but the Sound Tigers got a pair of pucks past him the the three-round shootout.
Providence fell 5-2 to the streaking Springfield Thunderbirds Sunday. Colton Hargrove and Kenny Agostino each scored in the final minute of the first period, but Binnington allowed three goals on just 16 shots in the loss before being replaced by McIntyre who made 13 saves on 14 shots.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Record Last Week: 2-0-1
Bridgeport’s woes in 2018 continued as the Sound Tigers lost 2-1 to Hartford in a shootout Wednesday night in Bridgeport. After the Pack scored late in the first period, Travis St. Denis tied the game just 59 seconds into the second. Both goaltenders played lights-out the rest of regulation and in OT. Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 25 of 26 shots in the loss. Bridgeport successfully killed off all six penalties, but was 0-for-3 on the PP.
The Sound Tigers then earned a huge 3-2 victory in Providence Friday night. Steve Bernier, Kyle Burroughs, and Casey Bailey all scored for Bridgeport in the victory. Christopher Gibson made 28 saves on 30 shots for the victory. Bridgeport’s PP went 1-for-3 while the PK successfully killed off all three of Providence’s opportunities.
In Saturday’s rematch in Bridgeport, the Sound Tigers earned another huge victory, 2-1 in a shootout. Connor Jones scored early in the second period to give Bridgeport the 1-0 lead, but a late Providence goal tied the game and eventually forced the shootout where St. Denis and Mitchell Vande Sompel each notched goals. Gibson, who made 27 saves on 28 shots through 65 minutes, stopped two of three for the victory.
Charlotte Checkers
Record Last Week: 0-2-0
Charlotte’s rough start to 2018 continued with a pair of losses to the Toronto Marlies. On Friday night, Andrew Poturalski scored the lone goal for the Checkers in their 4-1 loss on home ice. Alex Nedeljkovic made 19 saves on 22 shots in the loss. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s PP went 0-for-3 on the night and Toronto cashed in on two of their four man-advantage opportunities.
In Saturday’s rematch, the Checkers once again managed one lone goal. Once again, Poturalski scored, but the Marlies already had two goals on the board and cruised to the 3-1 victory. Nedeljkovic once again faced 22 shots, making 20 saves. Charlotte was 0-for-6 on the PP.
Hershey Bears
Record Last Week: 0-1-2
The Hershey Bears were handed their first loss of 2018 Wednesday night at home by the Springfield Thunderbirds, 2-1 in OT. Dustin Gazley tied the game late in the third with his fourth goal of the season. Then in OT, Hershey’s netminder, Pheonix Copley, appeared to have covered the puck, but was run into and the puck came loose. The goal stood as there was no call for goaltender interference and that is not reviewable. Copley made 21 saves on 23 shots. Hershey’s suddenly slumping power play was 0-for-5 on the night.
In the first of a home-and-home series with in-state rival Lehigh Valley in Allentown Saturday, the Phantoms handed the Bears their first regulation loss of 2018, 2-1. Riley Barber scored in the second to give Hershey the 1-0 lead, but Lehigh Valley tied the game just under four minutes later. Vitek Vanecek made 22 saves on 24 shots in the loss.
In Sunday’s rematch in Hershey, Chris Bourque put the Bears in front in the first period, but the Phantoms tied the game in the second and then went on to win in overtime as Hershey couldn’t get any of their other 28 shots past Alex Lyon. Pheonix Copley was solid in net, posting a 30-save performance. Hershey’s PP posted another 0-for-5 night.
Springfield Thunderbirds
Record Last Week: 3-0-0
On Wednesday night, the Springfield Thunderbirds traveled to Hershey and shocked a sell-out crowd for their first win of 2018, 2-1 in OT. Springfield’s Alexandre Grenier scored in the first period, but Bobby Farnham’s OT goal proved to be the game winner. Hershey netminder, Pheonix Copley, appeared to have covered the puck and was then run into by Farnham, but the goal stood. Meanwhile Samuel Montembeault made 35 saves on 36 shots. Springfield was 0-for-3 on the powerplay.
Springfield then traveled to Lehigh Valley Friday night and made it two-in-a-row with a stunning 6-2 victory over the Phantoms. Chase Balisy scored a pair of goals late in the game, adding to goals from teammates Jayce Hawryluk, Ed Wittchow, Dryden Hunt, and Mark Fayne. Montembeault was called on to make 17 saves on just 19 shots for the victory.
Then Sunday, they made it three-for-three with another road victory over an Atlantic Division foe with a 5-2 victory in Providence. Hunt scored a pair of goals while Ed Wittchow, Juho Lammikko, and Maxim Mamin added markers. Netminder Evan Cowley earned his first victory of the week with a 34-save performance.
Hartford Wolf Pack
Record Last Week: 1-1-0
Wednesday night the Hartford Wolf Pack got a first period goal from Peter Holland, but ended up needing a three-round shootout to defeat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Ryan Gropp netted the only goal in the shootout while Marek Mazanec allowed just one goal on 47 shots. Hartford was 0-for-6 on the PP, but a perfect 3-for-3 on the PK.
But on Saturday in Laval, the Wolf Pack fell 4-2 after the Rocket jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead. Cole Schneider and Ryan Sproul each scored in the second, but Laval tacked on the game’s final goal late in the second. Mazanec made 16 saves on 20 shots in the loss.
Hartford traveled to Belleville Saturday and once again fell 4-2 to another North Division foe. Scott Kosmachuk put Hartford on the board 92 second into the game, but Belleville battled back to tie the game just over two minutes later. After Filip Chytil put Hartford back in front, the Senators scored three-straight unanswered goals en route to the victory. Alexandar Georgiev made 24 saves on 27 shots.
Atlantic Division Standings through January 14th, 2018's games:
W-B/Scranton: 36 GP, 23-10-2-1, 49 points, .681 pct Lehigh Valley: 40 GP, 23-12-2-3, 51 points, .638 pct Providence: 38 GP, 22-12-3-1, 48 points, .632 pct Bridgeport: 37 GP, 18-13-4-2, 42 points, .568 pct Charlotte: 38 GP, 21-16-0-1, 43 points, .566 pct Hershey: 40 GP, 17-17-3-3, 40 points, .500 pct Springfield: 40 GP, 17-21-1-1, 36 points, .450 pct Hartford: 40 GP, 15-19-3-3, 36 points, .450 pct
This Week’s Atlantic Division Schedule:
Monday, January 15
Hartford at Springfield - 1:05 PM
Tuesday, January 16
Bridgeport at Charlotte - 7:00 PM
Wednesday, January 17
Bridgeport at Charlotte - 7:00 PM Lehigh Valley at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 7:05 PM Hershey at Springfield - 7:05 PM
Friday, January 19
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Providence - 7:05 PM Binghamton at Springfield - 7:05 PM Utica at Hartford - 7:15 PM
Saturday, January 20
Rochester at Charlotte - 6:00 PM Providence at Bridgeport - 7:00 PM Lehigh Valley at Hershey - 7:00 PM - OUTDOOR CLASSIC at HersheyPark Stadium
Sunday, January 21
Rochester at Charlotte - 1:00 PM Springfield at Providence - 3:05 PM Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Hartford - 5:00 PM Toronto at Bridgeport - 5:00 PM
