Weekly Wrap-Up - Atlantic Division (Week 25)
Editor's Note: A weekly look around the AHL's Atlantic Division, complete with the latest news/notes and more!
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Clinched Playoff Berth - 8 games remaining)
Record Last Week: 0-1-1
Needing a victory to ensure they’d be the first Atlantic Division team to clinch a playoff berth, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms traveled to Providence where the Bruins had other ideas as they never allowed the Phantoms a lead in a 5-4 overtime loss. The teams traded goals throughout the contest with Providence scoring the first tally and then answering each of Lehigh Valley’s goals through the game. Danick Martel, Corban Knight, Greg Carey, and Phil Varone all notched tallies that tied the game, but Providence got the game-winner 66 seconds into bonus hockey. Dustin Tokarski suffered the loss between the pipes with 29 saves on 34 shots. The Phantoms were 1-for-3 on the powerplay thanks to Carey’s goal. They were 2-for-2 on the PK. The point, coupled with Bridgeport’s loss, clinched a playoff berth for the Phantoms.
In the rematch Saturday, the Phantoms were dealt a stunning 5-1 loss by the Bruins. Providence tallied five unanswered goals before Philippe Myers finally tallied a powerplay goal, but this one clearly belonged to the Bruins from the outset. Anthony Stolarz allowed six goals on 35 shots and recorded an assist in the loss. Lehigh Valley was 1-for-2 on the powerplay and 3-for-4 on the PK.
Providence Bruins (Magic Number - 8 with 10 games remaining)
Record Last Week: 2-0-0
The Providence Bruins moved closer to clinching a playoff berth in the Atlantic Division with a 5-4 overtime victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Friday night in Providence. The Bruins never trailed in the contest, but saw the Phantoms battle back to tie the game four times on the evening. Ryan Fitzgerald scored the game’s first goal and then ended things just 66 seconds into overtime with Zane McIntyre assisting. Also scoring for the Bruins were Colby Cave, Trent Frederic, whose first goal of the season was unassisted, and Josh Hennessy. In addition to notching an assist, McIntyre earned the victory between the pipes with 27 saves on 31 shots. The Bruins were 0-for-2 on the PP and 2-for-3 on the PK.
In the rematch on Saturday, the Bruins left nothing to chance scoring early and often en route to a 6-1 victory over the Phantoms. Colby Cave scored 61 seconds into the game on the powerplay. Just over two minutes later, Peter Cehlarik notched his first of the game. In the second, Zach Senyshyn and Joona Koppanen tallied to give the Bruins an astounding 4-0 lead. In the third, Koppanen tallied his second of the season before Lehigh Valley finally got on the board while on the powerplay. Cehlarik rounded out the scoring with his second goal of the game. Jordan Binnington earned the victory with 18 saves on 19 shots. The Bruins were 1-for-4 on the PP and 1-for-2 on the PK.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Magic Number - 9 with 10 games remaining)
Record Last Week: 1-1-2
Closing in on another Atlantic Division playoff berth, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins traveled to Toronto, and dropped a gut-wrenching 4-3 OT decision to the North Division leaders. The Penguins spotted the Marlies a two-goal lead in the first, but Daniel Sprong’s goal near the end of the first and Garrett Wilson’s second period tallies tied the game. Before the second period ended though, Toronto regained the lead. In the third, Ethan Prow tied the game again. That goal would be the last of regulation. In the ensuing OT period, Toronto ended things just 77 seconds in to secure the victory. Tristan Jarry suffered the loss in net, making 36 saves on 40 shots. The Penguins came up empty on all four of their PP attempts, but they were 2-for-3 on the PK.
On Friday night, the Penguins fell 5-4 in overtime to another North Division foe, this time in Utica to the Comets. Utica’s Michael Chaput scored a first period hattrick before Jean-Sebastien Dea finally got the Penguins on the board near the end of the first period. In the second, Daniel Sprong made it a one-goal game, but Utica answered with another tally before the end of the middle period. In the third, Tom Kostopoulos scored just past the midway point and Gage Quinney tied the game with just over two minutes to play. In overtime, the Comets needed just 75 seconds to secure the victory. Jarry once again suffered the loss with five goals allowed on 38 shots. In another eerily similar stat, the Penguins again came up empty on all four of their powerplay chances. They were 5-for-6 on the PK.
In their third straight road game, the Penguins finally solved the North Division with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Binghamton Devils. Jarred Tinordi opened the scoring early in the first period, but Binghamton tied the game just over two minutes later. Joseph Cramarossa put the Penguins back on top a short while later. In the second, it seemed as if the Penguins had blown the game open with a powerplay goal from Andrey Pedan and an even-strength tally by Garrett Wilson, but three unanswered goals from the Devils forced the game into overtime and eventually the eight-round shootout that was finally ended with Wilson’s tally. Michael Leighton stopped 37 of 41 shots and turned away all but one shot in the shootout. The Penguins were 1-for-6 on the PP and 7-for-8 on the PK.
Wilkes-Barre’s week ended with a 6-3 loss on home ice at the hands of the visiting Bridgeport Sound Tigers. By the time Chris Summers tallied his first of the season in the second period, the Sound Tigers had opened up an insurmountable 5-0 lead. After another Bridgeport goal, Jean-Sebastien Dea and Andrey Pedan each notched goals in the third, but the Sound Tigers scored an empty net goal to secure the victory. Jarry allowed five goals on 30 shots in the loss. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was 2-for-5 on the powerplay, but allowed Bridgeport 11 chances on the man-advantage, managing to kill of eight of those attempts.
Charlotte Checkers (Magic Number 12 with 8 games remaining)
Record Last Week: 2-0-0
In Laval on Friday night, the Charlotte Checkers moved closer to securing a playoff berth in the Atlantic Division with a 3-2 come-from-behind overtime victory over the Rocket. After Laval notched goals in the first and second periods, Aleksi Saarela and Lucas Wallmark both recorded goals to send the game into overtime where Wallmark notched his 16th goal of the season to lift the Checkers to victory. Wallmark also assisted on Saarela’s goal, but did not earn the game’s first star despite being the only player to record three points. That honor went to Saarela. Alex Nedeljkovic made 17 saves on just 19 shots. Charlotte was unsuccessful on all four of their powerplay attempts. They were 1-for-1 on the PK.
In Saturday night’s rematch, the Checkers left little to chance as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead through the first three periods and then held on for a 5-3 victory in Laval. Saarela notched a pair of goals including the game’s first goal in the first period and Charlotte’s final goal, a powerplay tally just past the midway point of the third. Andrew Poturalski also scored a pair with Greg McKegg also finding the back of the net. Nedeljkovic once again got the nod, making 24 saves on 27 shots. Both teams went 1-for-2 on the PP.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Magic Number - 26 with 10 games remaining)
Record Last Week: 1-1-0
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers saw their slim playoff hopes get even bleaker with a 4-1 loss to the Crunch in Syracuse on Friday night. Casey Bailey scored the lone goal for the Sound Tigers, a power play goal early in the third, but the damage had already been done as Syracuse had scored a pair before that goal and then added a pair of goals later in the final period. Kristers Gudlevskis allowed three goals on 29 shots in the loss. Both teams went 1-for-2 on the PP in the game.
But Bridgeport got back on track with a 6-3 victory over the Penguins Sunday in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It was all Bridgeport early as Ryan Hitchcock netted his first goal of the season and Travis St. Denis connected on the powerplay. In the second, a pair of Ryan Bourque goals before the Penguins finally got on the board late in the second. Steve Bernier made it a 4-goal lead once again with his 16th of the season before the second intermission. In the third, a pair of Penguin goals within 38 seconds of each other gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton hope, but that all faded when St. Denis tallied an empty net goal while Bridgeport was on the powerplay in the waning seconds of the game. Eamon McAdam got the nod and made 24 saves on 27 shots. The Sound Tigers were 3-for-11 on the powerplay and 3-for-5 on the PK.
Hartford Wolf Pack (Magic Number - 30 with 8 games remaining)
Record Last Week: 1-1-0
After three victories a week ago, the Hartford Wolf Pack’s slim hopes for a playoff berth were stymied by Hershey’s Madison Bowey who scored a pair of goals to lift Hershey to a 2-1 victory Saturday afternoon in Hartford. Cole Schneider notched the Pack’s lone goal in the second period. Despite being given seven powerplay chances, Hartford was unable to connect on the man advantage. Marek Mazanec made 20 saves on just 22 shots. Hartford was 3-for-3 on the PK.
In the rematch of the home-and-home series, the Pack exacted some measure of revenge with a 4-2 victory over the Bears in Hershey Sunday evening. Vinni Lettieri scored a powerplay goal early in the first period and John Albert also recorded a goal to give the visitors a two-goal lead heading into the first intermission. In the second, Hershey got on the board, but Ryan Lindgren recorded his first AHL goal just 70 seconds later to give the Pack a two-goal lead once again. In the third, Hershey made a game of things with a tally with 5:14 to play, but Adam Tambellini tacked on an empty net goal for Hartford. Marek Mazanec recorded 30 saves on 32 shots. Hartford was 2-for-5 on the powerplay, but they shut down all five of the man-advantages Hershey had in the game.
Hershey Bears (Eliminated - 8 games remaining)
Record Last Week: 1-1-0
In the first game of a home-and-home series against the Wolf Pack, Madison Bowey scored a pair of goals to lift the Hershey Bears to a 2-1 victory in Hartford. Bowey, who spent most of the season in Washington, recorded his first AHL goal of the season in the second period, but the Bears were unable to hold the lead long as Hartford tied the game less than two minutes later. Then in the third, Bowey notched his second of the game, and the Bears locked down Hartford the rest of the way to secure the victory. With Pheonix Copley recalled to Washington, Vitek Vanecek got the nod, stopping 26 of 27 shots. Hershey went 0-for-3 on the PP, but shut down all seven of Hartford’s chances.
In the rematch Sunday evening in Hershey, the Bears playoff hopes faded after Hartford’s 4-2 victory. Vinni Lettieri tallied on the powerplay while Tyler Lewington was serving a minor penalty for boarding. Then later in the first, former Bear John Albert tallied his fourth goal of the season. In the second, Zach Sill’s score brought the Giant Center to life, but Ryan Lindgren’s first of the season effectively determined the outcome just over a minute later. In the third, Liam O’Brien scored, but Adam Tambellini tacked on an empty net goal for the Pack. Vanecek made 27 saves on 30 shots in the loss. The Bears were 0-for-5 on the PP and 3-for-5 on the PK.
Springfield Thunderbirds (Eliminated - 9 games remaining)
Record Last Week: 0-2-0
While still not eliminated from playoff contention, a 4-2 loss in Rochester Saturday did nothing to help improve Springfield’s chances. Dryden Hunt and Ed Wittchow each scored second period goals, tying the game, but in the third, Rochester tallied a pair of goals to emerge with the victory. Samuel Montembeault suffered the loss in net, allowing four goals on 35 shots. Springfield was a frigid 0-for-6 on the PP, but they were 5-for-6 on the PK.
The Thunderbirds were unable to stave off elimination Sunday with a 2-0 loss to the Marlies in Toronto. The Marlies got on the board in the first period while on the powerplay thanks to a hooking penalty by Josh Brown. The game’s final goal was an empty net tally. Montembeault made 37 saves on 38 shots. Springfield was 0-for-4 on the powerplay and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Atlantic Division Standings as of March 26, 2018:
X - Lehigh Valley: 68 GP, 42-17-4-5, 93 points, .684 pct Providence: 66 GP, 40-21-3-2, 85 points, .644 pct W-B/Scranton: 66 GP, 38-20-6-2, 80 points, .636 pct Charlotte: 68 GP, 39-26-0-3, 81 points, .596 pct Bridgeport: 66 GP, 32-26-5-3, 72 points, .545 pct Hartford: 68 GP, 30-30-5-3, 68 points, .500 pct E - Hershey: 68 GP, 28-31-4-5, 65 points, .478 pct E - Springfield: 67 GP, 28-33-5-1, 62 points, .463 pct
X = clinched 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs berth E = eliminated from playoff contention
Upcoming Atlantic Division Schedule:
Wednesday, March 28
Hershey at Bridgeport - 7:00 PM Springfield at Hartford - 7:00 PM Providence at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 7:05 PM
Friday, March 30
Hershey at Utica - 7:00 PM Providence at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 PM Charlotte at Rochester - 7:05 PM Bridgeport at Springfield - 7:05 PM Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Hartford - 7:15 PM
Saturday, March 31
Charlotte at Syracuse 7:00 PM Bridgeport at Hartford - 7:00 PM Laval at Hershey - 7:00 PM Belleville at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 PM Providence at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - 7:05 PM Utica at Springfield - 7:05 PM
