Weekly Wrap-Up - Atlantic Division (Week 23)
Editor's Note: In the Atlantic Division this week, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms continue to battle through their 3-in-3's but aren't distancing themselves too much from the rest of the playoff teams in the division who went a combined 6-1-0 last week (W-B/Scranton, Providence and Charlotte).
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Record Last Week: 2-1-0
After a perfect week last week, the Phantoms stumbled out of the gates a bit this week, suffering a 3-2 set-back at the hands of the visiting Bridgeport Sound Tigers who are desperate to move into the final playoff spot for the Atlantic Division. Bridgeport struck first, 10 seconds into the second period, but Tyrell Goulbourne tied the game just 61 seconds later with his eighth goal of the season. But a pair of Bridgeport goals to finish out the period, one coming on the power play, made it a two-goal deficit heading into the final period. In the third, Greg Carey notched his 24th of the season, but the Phantoms were unable to get the equalizer. Dustin Tokarski made 30 saves on 33 shots. The Phantoms were 0-for-3 on the PP and 1-for-2 on the PK.
The Phantoms traveled to Bridgeport Saturday where they took their frustrations out on the Sound Tigers with a 4-1 victory. Danick Martel opened the scoring with his 21st of the season in the first period, but the Phantoms did not hold the lead long as Bridgeport got the equalizer a short while later. In the second, Greg Carey tallied a pair of goals to put the Phantoms up for good. The first, which would be the game winner, came on the powerplay, and the second saw Phil Varone earn his 42nd assist of the season. Cole Bardreau’s insurance tally in the waning seconds of the game came on the empty net. John Muse nearly turned in a clean sheet with 39 saves on 40 shots. Lehigh Valley was 1-for-4 on the PP and 3-for-3 on the PK.
Lehigh Valley closed in on clinching a playoff spot (their magic number stands at 14) with a 5-3 victory over the Binghamton Devils in Allentown Sunday. Bardreau, after scoring the final goal a game ago, opened the scoring early in the first period, but Binghamton responded and tied the game just minutes later. In the second, the Devils actually held the lead briefly, but Will O’Neill’s power play tally tied the game once again. In the third, Mikhail Vorobyev handed the lead back to the home team, but once again, the Devils tied the game just a few minutes later. In the final minute of play, the Phantoms scored a pair of goal; the first, by Mike Vecchione, forced the Devils to pull their netminder, and led to Phil Varone’s empty net goal 52 seconds later. Dustin Tokarski earned the victory in net with a 23-save performance. The Phantoms were 1-for-4 on the PP and 0-for-2 on the PK. Their magic number is 12 with 13 games remaining.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Record Last Week: 2-0-0
Looking to keep a firm grip on their playoff position, the Penguins traveled to Binghamton and needed a bit of extra time to dispatch of the Devils 3-2 in OT. Jean-Sebastien Dea recorded a shorthanded goal in the first period, and Gage Quinney tacked on an even-strength goal to put the Penguins up 2-0, but a Binghamton goal with just two seconds left in the period swung momentum in the favor of the home team as they tied the game near the end of the second. In OT, Teddy Blueger scored four minutes into bonus hockey to lift the Penguins to victory. The Penguins struggled on the PP, going 0-for-3, but they were 5-for-5 on the PK. Michael Leighton allowed two goals on 27 shots.
The Penguins welcomed the Grand Rapids Griffins to town Saturday night with a 2-1 victory over the visitors from the Central Division, despite struggling once again on the PP. Adam Johnson’s shorthanded goal was the lone tally of the first period. After a scoreless second, Grand Rapids tied the game in the third period. But, the Penguins responded with Kevin Czuczman’s tally just past the midway point of the period, which would prove to be the game winner. Anthony Peters posted another strong showing in net for the Penguins with 32 saves on 33 shots. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was 0-for-4 on the PP, but went 5-for-5 on the PK. Their magic number is 23 with 18 games remaining.
Providence Bruins
Record Last Week: 2-1-0
The Providence Bruins once again got off to a great start, this time north of the border in Laval, where they defeated the Rocket 6-3 to keep a firm grip on the third spot in the Atlantic Division. Colby Cave notched the game’s first goal and lone goal of the first period to put the Bruins up 1-0 at the first intermission. In the second, Jordan Szwarz scored on the power play and Anton Blidh tallied his first of two goals in the game. Laval connected on the power play just over a minute later, but Austin Czarnik recorded his first goal of the game on the power play before the buzzer sounded to end the second. In the third, Blidh made it 5-1 before Laval got a pair of goals to make it a game. Czarnik’s second of the game, an empty netter, rounded out the scoring. Dan Vladar, who was summoned from the team’s ECHL affiliate, Atlanta, got the nod in net, where he stopped 23 of 26 shots. Providence was just 2-for-6 on the PP, but they were 1-for-2 on the PK.
On Friday, Providence traveled to Rochester where the “W”s just keep coming as the Bruins downed the Americans 2-1 in OT. Ryan Fitzgerald provided the offense for the Bruins. He connected on his first goal 3:10 into the second period. After Rochester scored in the third and forced OT, Fitzgerald ended things in OT with his 15th goal of the season. Jordan Binnington made 23 saves on 24 shots to earn the victory. The Bruins were 0-for-2 on the PP and 3-for-3 on the PK.
But all good things must come to an end, and Providence’s win streak did just that at the hands of the Marlies in Toronto. The Marlies jumped out to a two-goal lead and withstood a Providence rally to earn the 4-3 victory. Colby Cave scored a pair of second period goals and Kenny Agostino connected on the power play in the third, but Toronto notched a power play goal of their own in the final minute of play. Zane McIntyre made 34 saves on 38 shots. The Bruins went 1-for-2 on the PP and 4-for-6 on the PK. Providence’s magic number is 22 with 15 games remaining.
Charlotte Checkers
Record Last Week: 2-0-0
The Charlotte Checkers kept pace with the Atlantic Division leaders with a 4-3 victory over the visiting Hartford Wolf Pack Friday night. Hartford jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but Valentin Zykov scored a pair of power play goals, one near the end of the first and the other early in the second, to tie the game. In the third, Hartford regained the lead, but Janne Kuokkanen tied it just minutes later, paving the way for Andrew Poturalski’s game winner, a power play goal, just past the midway point of the final period. Alex Nedeljkovic earned the victory between the pipes, but allowed three goals on just 17 shots. The Checkers were 3-for-5 on the PP and 1-for-2 on the PK.
Charlotte kept the good times rolling with a 7-3 whitewashing of the Pack in Saturday’s rematch where just about everyone got in on the scoring, including Nedeljkovic, who after coming in to relieve an injured Jeremy Smith, netted an empty net goal in the waning minutes of the contest. It was all Charlotte in the first with goals from Greg McKegg, Roland McKeown, and Trevor Carrick. But in the second, Hartford battled back with a pair of goals. But Warren Foegele’s goal early in the third would prove to be enough. The Checkers then tacked on three insurance goals with Patrick Brown’s shorthanded goal, Nicolas Roy’s empynetter, and Nedeljkovic’s unassisted tally. Smith made 12 saves on 13 shots, while Nedeljkovic stopped 23 of 25. The Checkers were 1-for-2 on the PP and 3-for-3 on the PP. Charlotte’s magic number is 26 with 14 games remaining, meaning they control their own destiny.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Record Last Week: 2-1-0
Desperate to move into the fourth and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division after just missing out last season, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers traveled to Allentown Friday night and earned a 3-2 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bridgeport recorded all three of their goals in the second period with Travis St. Denis recording the first one just 10 seconds into the period. But the Phantoms tied it up just 61 seconds later. Steve Bernier broke the tie just past the midway point of the game with a power play goal. Two minutes later, Parker Wotherspoon recorded the eventual game winner. A Lehigh Valley goal in the third made things interesting, but Kristers Gudlevskis earned the victory between the pipes with 38 saves on 40 shots. Bridgeport was 1-for-2 on the PP and 3-for-3 on the PK.
Bridgeport’s chances to earn that final playoff spot took a hit Saturday night as they were dealt a 4-1 defeat by the visiting Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Kyle Burroughs tied the game late in the first period, but the Sound Tigers were unable to put anymore pucks into the net despite taking 40 shots. Gudlevskis allowed three goals on just 17 Lehigh Valley shots in the loss. The Sound Tigers struggled on special teams as well going 0-for-3 on the PP and 3-for-4 on the PK. Bridgeport, which needs 36 points in 16 games, needs some help if they are going to avenge last season’s disappointment in just missing the playoffs.
Bridgeport kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the visiting Springfield Thunderbirds Sunday. It was a rough start for Bridgeport as the Thunderbirds scored four goals in the first 5:18 of the game, but the Sound Tigers exploded for five goals through the remainder of the first and the second periods. Connor Jones got things going offensively for the Sound Tigers who also got a goal from Casey Bailey in the first period. In the second, Travis St. Denis scored on the powerplay and Parker Wotherspoon tied the game. Then, just 14 seconds later, Ryan Bourque netted the eventual game winner. Eamon McAdam was pulled after allowing four goals on seven shots. Gudlevskis was perfect the remainder of the way, stopping all 14 shots he faced. Bridgeport was 1-for-2 on the PP and 3-for-4 on the PK. Their magic number is 34 with 15 games remaining.
Hartford Wolf Pack
Record Last Week: 0-2-0
Hartford’s playoff hopes took a wrong turn again this week as the Checkers came from behind to earn a 4-3 victory over the Pack Friday night in Charlotte. Dan Catenacci and Cole Schneider combined to give Hartford a 2-0 lead in the first, but Charlotte got on the board with a pair of power play goals to tie the game. In the third, Hartford regained the lead on Schneider’s second of the game, but the Checkers tacked on another pair of goals to secure the victory. Chris Nell allowed four goals on 23 shots, but did register an assist on Schneider’s PP goal in the first period. Hartford was 1-for-2 on the PP and 2-for-5 on the PK.
Teams know things aren’t going their way when the opposing netminder cracks the scoresheet with a goal. Such was the case for Hartford in their Saturday rematch with the Checkers in Charlotte where they lost 7-3 after Alex Nedeljkovic scored the game’s final goal. Charlotte jumped out to a 3-0 lead after a period, but the in the second, Scott Kosmachuk and Matt Beleskey each scored to make it a one-goal game after two periods. A pair of Charlotte tallies to start the third period, including a shorthanded goal, put things out of reach despite Cole Schneider’s tally later in the period. Charlotte’s final two goals, including the one from Nedeljkovic were both on the empty net. Jeff Jakaitis struggled in net for the Pack, allowing five goals on 23 shots. Additionally, Hartford went 0-for-3 on the PP, but they were 1-for-2 on the PK.
Springfield Thunderbirds
Record Last Week: 1-1-1
The Springfield Thunderbirds battled back from one-goal deficits twice, but never were able to take the lead, falling 3-2 to the Comets in overtime in Utica Friday night. Utica took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, but Chase Balisy tied the game in the second period. But, Utica wasted little time regaining the lead on their second power play goal of the evening. In the third, Ludwig Bystrom recorded his fourth goal of the season to force the game into OT where the Comets ended it in 3:00. Harri Sateri allowed three goals on 30 shots between the pipes for Springfield. The Thunderbirds were a frigid 0-for-4 on the PP and went 3-for-5 on the PK.
Springfield responded to the OT setback Saturday night in the rematch with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Comets on home ice. Anthony Greco got things off to a good start with a shorthanded goal midway through the first period. Then the Thunderbirds exploded for three goals in the second, the first of which was scored by Alexandre Grenier on the powerplay. Jayce Hawryluk and Sam Kurker both added goals later in the period with Kurker’s also coming as the Springfield was shorthanded. Samuel Montembeault made 21 saves to earn his second shutout of the season. Springfield was 1-for-4 on the PP and 5-for-5 on the PK.
On Sunday, Springfield traveled to Bridgeport and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period, but the Sound Tigers scored five goals through the first and second periods to emerge with a 5-4 victory, all but removing Springfield from playoff contention (their magic number is 42). Francois Beauchemin, Dryden Hunt, Curtis Valk, and Jayce Hawryluk all scored in the first 5:18 of the contest, but a goaltender change by Bridgeport effectively shut down Springfield’s offense the remainder of the way. Harri Sateri was pulled after allowing three goals on 18 shots. Montembeault made six saves on the eight shots he faced the remainder of the game. The Thunderbirds were 1-for-4 on the PP and 1-for-2 on the PK.
Hershey Bears
Record Last Week: 1-2-0
On Friday night, the Hershey Bears traveled to Syracuse where they continued to find success against the North Division, earning a 2-1 victory over the Crunch. After a scoreless first period which saw Pheonix Copley shut down Kevin Lynch’s penalty shot attempt, Tyler Graovac connected on the power play to put the Bears up early in the second. But the Crunch tied the game just over five minutes later with a power play goal of their own. In the third, Aaron Ness broke the tie late in the period on an assist from Graovac. Copley once again got the nod from Troy Mann. Copley made 29 saves on 30 shots to earn the victory. Hershey was just 1-for-5 on the PP, while going 3-for-4 on the PK.
Hershey’s trip north did not prove to be totally successful though as the Bears suffered a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Devils in Binghamton Saturday night. Former Bear, Tim Kennedy put the home team on the board in the first period, and another former Bear, Michael Latta assisted on Binghamton’s second goal, a power play goal that came late in the third. The final goal of the game, came with just under two minutes remaining on an empty net after Troy Mann pulled Vitek Vanecek for the extra attacker. Vanecek made 30 saves on 32 shots on the night. Hershey’s powerplay struggled once again, going 0-for-3 while the PK went 1-for-3.
On Sunday, the Bears tied a franchise record for most times shutout in a season as they fell 3-0 to the visiting Grand Rapids Griffins who were in town for the first time since 2006. Pheonix Copley suffered the loss, stopping 20 of 23 shots, but turnovers and lack of coverage on defense combined to doom Hershey. The Bears also went 0-for-5 on the PP, including a 5-on-3 opportunity, and 4-for-5 on the PK. While not mathematically eliminated, Hershey now needs a miracle to hit their magic number, 43, in just 13 games remaining.
Atlantic Division Standings as of March 12, 2018
Lehigh Valley: 63 GP, 40-16-3-4, 87 points, .690 pct W-B/Scranton: 58 GP, 35-17-4-2, 76 points, .655 pct Providence: 61 GP, 36-20-3-2, 77 points, .631 pct Charlotte: 62 GP, 35-24-0-3, 73 points, .589 pct Bridgeport: 61 GP, 30-23-5-3, 68 points, .557 pct Springfield: 62 GP, 28-29-4-1, 61 points, .492 pct Hartford: 63 GP, 26-29-5-3, 60 points, .476 pct Hershey: 63 GP, 25-29-4-5, 59 points, .468 pct
This Week’s Atlantic Division Schedule
Tuesday, March 13
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Charlotte - 7:00 PM
Wednesday, March 14
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Charlotte - 7:00 PM
Thursday, March 15
Rochester at Bridgeport - 7:00 PM
Friday, March 16
Bridgeport at Hershey - 7:00 PM Rochester at Providence - 7:05 PM Syracuse at Springfield - 7:05 PM Lehigh Valley at Hartford - 7:15 PM
Saturday, March 17
Binghamton at Charlotte - 6:00 PM Springfield at Hershey - 7:00 PM Providence at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 PM Hartford at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 7:05 PM
Sunday, March 18
Binghamton at Charlotte - 2:00 PM Bridgeport at Providence - 3:05 PM Springfield at Lehigh Valley - 3:05 PM Hershey at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 3:05 PM Rochester at Hartford - 5:00 PM
