Weekly Wrap-Up - Atlantic Division (Week 9)
Editor's Note: Julie takes a look around last week's AHL Atlantic Division action, and outlines the week ahead for all eight teams.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Record Last Week: 1-1-1
Friday night, the Milwaukee Admirals came to town for the first time since January 2002, and the two clubs gave fans more than their money’s worth as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton secured the 5-4 victory in OT. Garrett Wilson’s hat trick in the first got the Penguins off to a terrific start, and Josh Archibald’s goal late in the second to make it 4-2 looked like it would seal the deal, but the Admirals battled back with a pair of goals in the third. That paved the way for Jean-Sebastien Dea’s OT game-winner. With Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith both in Pittsburgh, Colin Stevens got the nod for the Penguins and stopped 29 of 33 shots.
The Penguins played host to Rochester Saturday and came out at the wrong end of a 5-2 decision. Teddy Blueger put the Penguins up early in the second, but four unanswered goals from Rochester to end the period put the game out of reach. Blueger added a shorthanded goal late in the third, but Rochester added an empty net goal to seal the victory. Anthony Peters got the nod tonight for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; he made 32 saves on 36 shots.
On Sunday, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton traveled to in-state rival Hershey for Teddy Bear Toss Night, and for awhile, it looked like the Penguins would cruise to a victory, but the Bears had other ideas, as Hershey earned a 4-3 victory in OT. Gage Quinney and Daniel Sprong each scored in the first for the Penguins, but Hershey took the lead with just 6:10 to play. Less than a minute later Tom Sestito tied the game, but Hershey’s Chris Bourque notched the game-winner 75 seconds into OT. Peters made 25 saves on 29 shots.
Providence Bruins
Record Last Week: 3-0-0
Binghamton was in town for a doubleheader Friday and Saturday. Friday night, Providence took an early lead on Kenny Agostino’s fifth goal of the season, but Binghamton would tie the game just 11 minutes later. The Bruins regained the lead with Ryan Fitzgerald’s goal late in the first and got the eventual game-winner on Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson’s tally in the second. Zane McIntyre stopped 28 of 30 shots in the 3-2 victory for Providence.
In Saturday’s rematch, the result was the same - a Providence victory, this time 4-2. After Binghamton took the lead just 40 seconds into the game, Zach Senyshyn scored an unassisted goal to tie the game. Then Providence took the lead in the second on the first of Jordan Szwarz’s two goals of the night. Szwarz’s second goal was the eventual game-winner in the third. Rob O’Gara added an insurance goal just 33 second later. Jordan Binnington went the distance between the pipes for Providence; he stopped 25 of 27 shots.
Providence returned to the ice in Bridgeport Sunday afternoon and earned a sweep of the week with a 4-1 victory. After Bridgeport got on the board in the first, Austin Czarnik tied it late in the second. Colton Hargrove, Sena Acolaste, and Czarnick all notched third period goals for Providence. McIntyre earned the victory for Providence with 26 saves on 27 shots.
Charlotte Checkers
Record Last Week: 2-0-0
Charlotte hosted the Springfield Thunderbirds for a pair of games this past weekend.
On Friday night, the Checkers made short work of the Thunderbirds with a 4-1 victory. Andrew Miller had the lone tally of the first period for Charlotte. Warren Foegele then scored a hattrick with a pair of goals in the second and an empty net goal late in the third. Blaine Byron provided Springfield’s lone goal in the third. Alex Nedljkovic went the distance between the pipes for Charlotte with 24 saves on 25 shots.
In the rematch on Sunday, Springfield took a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Checkers scored three unanswered goals starting midway through the second period for the 4-3 victory. Lucas Wallmark, Patrick Brown, Julien Gauthier, and Aleksi Saarela all scored for Charlotte in the victory. Nedeljkovic earned the victory once again with 24 saves on 27 shots.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Record Last Week: 1-1-1
November did not end the way the Lehigh Valley Phantoms would have hoped as the Binghamton Devils came to town and emerged with a 3-0 shutout on Wednesday night. The Phantoms had 25 shots on goal, but Ken Appleby stopped them all. Meanwhile Alex Lyon made 21 saves on 24 shots.
Friday night, the Phantoms hosted in-state rival, Hershey for the first time since the season opener for both clubs, and it looked like deja vu as the Phantoms once again emerged with a 7-2 victory on home ice. Greg Carey put the Phantoms up 1-0 late in the first period. After Hershey tied the game, the Phantoms responded with three goals in the span of 133 seconds in the second from Tyrell Goulbourne, Phil Varone, and Corban Knight. Nicolas Aube-Kubel made it 5-1 in the third. After another Hershey goal, Mark Alt scored an empty-netter before Carey rounded out the scoring. Alex Lyon was busy early and made 21 saves en route to the victory.
Laval made the trip to Allentown for the first time Saturday and emerged with a 4-3 victory in overtime. Matt Reed gave the Phantoms the early lead in the first. Laval tied the game in the second, but the Phantoms regained the lead on Carey’s 12th goal of the season. Lehigh Valley took the lead late in the third on Corbin Knight’s goal, but the Rocket scored twice, including a goal with ten seconds left in the game to force overtime. In OT, Adam Cracknell notched his second goal of the evening to life Laval over Lehigh Valley. Dustin Tokarski made 31 saves on 35 shots in net for the Phantoms.
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Record Last Week: 1-1-1
The Sound Tigers traveled to Utica Friday night and earned a hard-fought 7-6 victory in OT. After an early Utica goal, Steve Bernier and Scott Eansor notched goals for the Sound Tigers in the first. But Utica would battle back and regain the lead in the second before Tanner Fritz tied the game. The teams would exchange goals twice more with Casey Bailey and Seth Helgeson each scoring to tie the game. Devon Toews scored on the PP midway through the third, but the Sound Tigers couldn’t hold on for the victory in regulations. In OT, Fritz scored his second of the night for the Bridgeport victory. Christopher Gibson earned the victory in net for the Sound Tigers with 25 saves on 31 shots.
The two teams then traveled to Bridgeport for a rematch Saturday and once again, the game was not decided in regulation. The Sound Tigers got a goal from Fritz late in the second, but Utica tied the game with just 29 seconds left in the third. Neither team was able to score in OT, and Utica emerged with a 2-1 victory in the five-round shootout. Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 21 of 22 shots for the Sound Tigers.
On Sunday, the Providence Bruins came to town and emerged with a 4-1 victory over the Sound Tigers. Scott Eansor scored an unassisted goal in the first, but Bridgeport was unable to respond after four Providence closed out the game with four unanswered goals. Gudlevskis suffered the loss in net with 23 saves on 26 shots.
Hershey Bears
Record Last Week: 1-1-0
After Aaron Ness cleared waivers, a new/old-look Hershey team traveled to Lehigh Valley Friday night for the first game of a three-in-three weekend. Hershey looked to erase the memory of opening night in Allentown from their minds, but instead lost by an identical 7-2 margin. In his first game back from injury, captain Garrett Mitchell scored to tie the game at 1-1 early in the second, but four unanswered goals from the Phantoms put the game out of reach as Hershey only mustered one more goal, from Liam O’Brien in the third. Pheonix Copley suffered the loss with 34 saves on 40 shots.
The Milwaukee Admirals were in town for the first time since 2006 and got the brunt of Hershey’s frustrations from Friday night. Hershey’s Aaron Ness scored his first goal of the season after returning from Washington. In the second, Mathias Bau notched his seventh, and in the waning minutes of the game, Jonas Siegenthaler scored a shorthanded, empty-net goal for the 3-0 victory. Vitek Vanecek earned the shutout with 21 saves. He also stopped Trevor Murphy’s penalty shot attempt in the second.
On Sunday, the Bears hosted in-state rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for Teddy Bear Toss Night. After the Penguins tallied a pair of goals, O’Brien got “The Goal” that unleashed 25,017 stuffed animals in the second. He scored again in the third and a Siegenthaler tally midway through the second gave the Bears the lead, but the Penguins responded to tie the game. In OT, Chris Bourque tallied his 10th goal of the season to lift the Bears to victory. Copley made 22 saves en route to the victory.
Hartford Wolf Pack
Record Last Week: 1-1-1
Last weeks struggles spilled over into Week 9 for the Hartford Wolf Pack who lost 3-1 Wednesday on home ice to the Springfield Thunderbirds. Gabriel Fontaine put the Pack up midway through the first period, but they were unable to recover after Springfield netted a pair of goals in the second. Alexandar Georgiev faced only 19 shots on the evening, stopping 16.
Friday, Hartford traveled to Rochester where the Wolf Pack earned a 5-4 victory in a five-round shootout. Rochester took the lead in the first period before Ryan Gropp tied the game early in the second. After a pair of Rochester goals, Adam Chapie scored his first goal of the season and Vince Pedrie notched a goal to tie the game 3-3. But the Americans would score again before the end of the second period. Late in the third, Hartford’s Scott Kosmachuk scored the goal that forced OT and eventually the shootout. Peter Holland and Kosmachuk each scored while Georgiev allowed just one goal in the shootout to go with 34 saves on 38 shots before the shootout.
Then Saturday, they continued north to Toronto and endured a 4-3 OT loss to the Marlies. After a second-period Toronto goal, Gropp tied the game midway through the period. Vinni Lettieri put the Wolf Pack up before the second ended. In the third, Gropp gave Hartford the 3-1 victory, but a pair of Trevor Moore goals sent the game into OT. In the extra frame, Toronto emerged victorious before the 3-minute mark. Georgiev make 35 saves on 39 shots for Hartford.
Springfield Thunderbirds
Record Last Week: 1-2-0
For the second time in four days, the Springfield Thunderbirds and the Hartford Wolf Pack squared off. While the location was different, the result was the same as the Thunderbirds emerged with a 3-1 victory. Maxim Mamin tied the game just 31 seconds into the second period and just over nine minutes later, Jayce Hawryluk notched the eventual game winner. Ed Wittchow added an insurance goal in the third, but it proved unnecessary as Harri Sateri went the distance stopping 26 of 27 shots.
The Thunderbirds then flew south to Charlotte with a pair of games against the Checkers. Blaine Byron provided the lone Springfield goal in Friday night’s 4-1 loss to the Checkers. Samuel Montembeault suffered the loss in net for Springfield after making 26 saves on 29 shots.
In the rematch on Sunday, the Checkers once again emerged with the victory. Alexandre Grenier and Bobby Farnham put Springfield up in the first and a Curtis Valk goal in the second made it 3-1 Thunderbirds, but Charlotte scored three unanswered goals to earn the 4-3 victory. Sateri made 29 saves in the loss for Springfield.
Atlantic Division Standings as of December 4th, 2017
W-B/Scranton: 20 GP, 13-5-1-1, 28 points, .700 pct Providence: 21 GP, 13-6-2-0, 28 points, .667 pct Charlotte: 23 GP, 14-8-0-1, 29 points, .630 pct Lehigh Valley: 23 GP, 13-7-1-2, 29 points, .630 pct Bridgeport: 22 GP, 12-8-1-1, 26 points, .591 pct Hershey: 24 GP, 11-10-0-3, 25 points, .521 pct Hartford: 24 GP, 8-12-3-1, 20 points, .417 pct Springfield: 25 GP, 9-15-1-0, 19 points, .380 pct
This Week’s Atlantic Division Schedule
Wednesday, December 6
W-B/Scranton at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 PM
Friday, December 8
Charlotte at W-B/Scranton - 7:05 PM Hershey at Lehigh Valley - 7:05 PM Hartford at Providence - 7:05 PM
Saturday, December 9
Lehigh Valley at Hershey - 7:00 PM Utica at Providence - 7:05 PM Bridgeport at Springfield - 7:05 PM Charlotte at Binghamton - 7:05 PM Rochester at Hartford - 7:30 PM
Sunday, December 10
Rochester at Bridgeport - 3:00 PM Utica at Providence - 3:05 PM W-B/Scranton at Hershey - 5:00 PM Springfield at Hartford - 5:00 PM
