The AHL remembers, lest we forgetNovember 10, 2009

On the 11th day of the 11th month, the AHL honors the men and women who have served their countries in the armed forces as we mark Veterans’ Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in Canada.

The AHL itself was affected in the 1940’s, when many players went off to join in the battles of World War II.

Teams throughout the AHL and NHL found their rosters depleted as the U.S. and Canadian militaries came calling. Many of the top players of the time — players like Les Douglas, Moe Roberts, Norm Burns, Augie Herchenratter and Murdo MacKay — had their playing careers interrupted or ended altogether as they served in the war.

Goaltender Joe Turner (left) made his AHL debut in 1941-42 after bouncing around the local semi-pro leagues in Ontario. He was stellar in net for the Indianapolis Capitals, posting a record of 34-10-7 and leading the club to a Calder Cup championship. He even made his NHL debut on Mar. 5, backstopping the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-3 tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Following the season, Turner volunteered for duty in the U.S. Army, despite being Canadian. Late in 1944, Turner became one of the casualties of the Battle of Hurtgen Forest in Germany. He was 25.

In 1945, the Joseph Turner Memorial Cup was instituted as the championship trophy of the International Hockey League. Among the winners of the Turner Cup through the years were the Peoria Rivermen (1985, 1991), the Chicago Wolves (1998, 2000) and the Houston Aeros (1999).

Red Garrett was another promising young player, spending his first professional season with the AHL’s Providence Reds and NHL’s New York Rangers in 1942-43. Garrett entered the Canadian Navy in 1943, and lost his life on Nov. 25, 1944, while working on a destroyer escort run off the coast of Newfoundland.

In 1947, the American Hockey League created the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award in his honor, to be presented annually to the AHL’s outstanding rookie player. In the last 60-plus years, winners of the award have included Terry Sawchuk, Roger Crozier, Rick Middleton, Darryl Sutter, Pelle Lindbergh, Ron Hextall, Brett Hull, Felix Potvin, Daniel Briere and, in 2009, Nathan Gerbe.

West Notes: Rivermen work OT, ‘Hogs snap skidNovember 12, 2009

Also see… East Notes: Devils surging, Ads hit the road

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Abbotsford has not surrendered more than two goals in any of its last five games, but its four-game winning streak ended on Saturday with a 2-1 setback against Rockford… Goaltender Leland Irving has been between the pipes for each of the Heat’s last five games and is tied for second in the league with seven victories thus far (7-4-1)… Rookie Mikael Backlund netted the Heat’s lone goal on Saturday and has scored in three of his past four contests (3-0-3)… Jamie Lundmark has a three-game scoring streak (1-2-3) on the heels of a four-game drought… The Heat hit the road for three tilts this weekend, visiting Milwaukee, Peoria, and Rockford. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Chicago has potted 22 goals in its last six games after totaling 12 goals in its previous six match-ups… Tim Stapleton posted his first multiple-goal game of the season, including the game-winning tally, in a 4-3 triumph at Milwaukee on Nov. 4… Stapleton is on a three-game scoring streak (2-2-4) and has a point in five of his last six (4-2-6)… Defenseman Chris Chelios has averaged a point per game (1-6-7) since joining the Wolves… Chicago has thwarted 30 of its last 31 shorthanded situations and is tied for third in the AHL with four shorthanded goals on the campaign… The Wolves continue a six-game road swing this weekend with games at San Antonio, Texas, and Houston. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

The Griffins’ current eight-game winning streak is their longest since a franchise-record 11-game run from March 5-31, 2006… Grand Rapids’ seven-game tear to begin its home schedule is its longest at Van Andel Arena since a seven-game run from Jan. 13 to Feb. 24, 2007… Kris Newbury has set a career high with a six-game assist streak (1-7-8)… In just 12 games this season, Jan Mursak doubled his goal output (four to two) and achieved more than half the point production (five to nine) of his 51-game rookie season… Jeremy Williams has netted a goal in three straight games (4-1-5)… Grand Rapids hosts Milwaukee and Rochester this weekend. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Hamilton has scored exactly one goal in each of its last three games, resulting in two losses and a 1-0 win over Binghamton in Ottawa on Sunday courtesy of Cedrick Desjardins’ 31-save shutout… Sergei Kostitsyn netted the lone goal for either side in that contest… Overall, the Bulldogs have just two wins in their last six games (2-2-0-2) following a 6-0-1-1 start… The 14,702 fans that attended Friday’s 2-1 loss to Binghamton at the Bell Centre in Montreal marked the second-highest crowd for a Bulldogs home game in team history… Rookie P.K. Subban recorded his first career AHL goal in that loss… The Bulldogs host Syracuse on Saturday in their lone game of the weekend, then travel to Abbotsford for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Houston took three-goal victories over Manitoba and San Antonio last week to extend its home-ice winning streak to three games… Goaltender Anton Khudobin was between the pipes for both wins and has surrendered two or fewer goals in each of his last four appearances and in seven of eight games on the season… Danny Irmen is riding a three-game scoring streak (2-2-4), and defenseman Maxim Noreau has four points (2-2-4) in his last two outings after totaling three assists in his first 12 contests this season… The Aeros hit the road for a pair of games at Lake Erie this weekend. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Lake Erie is winless in four straight games (0-3-0-1) after suffering a regulation and shootout loss in a recently-completed home-and-home set with Grand Rapids… The Monsters went 5-for-6 on the power play on Sunday but dropped an 8-6 decision to the Griffins… Rookie Brock Bradford has netted a goal in three straight games (3-1-4) and five of his last six (5-1-6)… Chris Durno is tied for the AHL’s second-longest current scoring streak with a point in seven straight tilts (6-5-11)… The Monsters are 2-5-0-1 against fellow North Division squads thus far but show a 4-3-0-0 mark against the West Division… The Monsters host Houston for a pair of tilts this weekend. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Manitoba has dropped five straight games to begin November and has totaled four goals over that span… This marks the first time in the team’s AHL history that the Moose have dropped the opening five games of a month… The Moose have gone 13 straight contests without scoring more than two goals since a 5-4 shootout win over Abbotsford on Oct. 14, and are averaging a league-low 1.89 goals per game for the season… Goaltender Cory Schneider, who has not played for the Moose since Oct. 23, was reassigned by parent-club Vancouver on Tuesday… Manitoba returns home to take on Toronto on Friday and Saturday. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Milwaukee has played just two games in the last 11 days, and its total of 12 games played is tied for fewest in the league… The Admirals face their first “three-in-three” stretch this weekend, hosting Abbotsford on Friday before beginning an eight-game road swing at Grand Rapids on Saturday and at Peoria on Sunday… Mike Santorelli has registered a point in three of his last four games (2-1-3) for the Admirals… Hugh Jessiman had been without a point in his first 11 outings this season prior to netting a goal on Friday in Milwaukee’s 4-3 shootout loss to Peoria… Peter Olvecky snapped a six-game drought with a goal in that contest. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

All three victories during Peoria’s current three-game winning streak have required either overtime or a shootout… Overall, the Rivermen have gone beyond regulation time in eight of their first 14 games this season… Bryce Lampman has three goals in his last two games – including the overtime winner on Wednesday vs. Texas – after going his first 12 contests without a tally… Ryan Reaves lit the lamp on Wednesday for the first time since opening night vs. Grand Rapids on Oct. 3… The Rivermen’s power play has converted five of 12 chances (41.7 percent) over their last three games… Peoria hosts Abbotsford and Milwaukee at Carver Arena this weekend. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Rochester, which has matched a franchise record with its 11-game winning streak, will go for the record against Portland on Thursday at HSBC Arena in Buffalo… Portland is currently in its second year as the top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, which was Rochester’s parent club for the previous 29 seasons… Rookie goaltender Alexander Salak has been in net for the Amerks’ last seven games and is out to a 9-0-0 start (1.65, .947) with one shutout this season… Defenseman Jordan Henry had one assist in 13 games before putting up three points (1-2-3) on Tuesday vs. Hamilton… Jamie Johnson has recorded a point in five of his last six contests (5-1-6). 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Rockford ended an AHL team-record seven-game road winless skid (0-6-0-1) on Saturday with a 2-1 triumph at Abbotsford… Evan Brophey recorded his second goal of the season for the game-winner in that victory… Nathan Davis, who totaled five goals in his rookie season last year, tallied his sixth of the season on Saturday against the Heat… Goaltender Joe Fallon has stopped 79 of 82 shots (.963) over his last three appearances, collecting a win, a loss, and a no-decision… Jassen Cullimore’s goal on Nov. 4 was his first in the AHL since Nov. 20, 1999, with Providence… The IceHogs, who have played 12 of their first 17 on the road, open a six-game homestand against Texas and Abbotsford this weekend. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

The Rampage are currently on a seven-game winless skid (0-5-1-1) and have not won since taking a 7-2 decision over Grand Rapids on Oct. 18… San Antonio has also dropped four straight road contests (0-3-0-1) since posting a three-game road winning streak from Oct. 9-13… Brett MacLean snapped a five-game goal-scoring drought with a tally in San Antonio’s 5-2 loss at Houston on Sunday… Sean Sullivan is tied for second among AHL defensemen with a plus-9 rating and tied for fourth with 13 points (3-10-13) in 12 contests… The Rampage play seven of their next eight games at home, beginning with tilts this weekend against Chicago and Texas. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Texas made its first trip out of the Lone Star State on Wednesday and dropped a 5-4 overtime decision at Peoria… It marked the first time the Stars surrendered more than four goals in a game all season, and the first time they allowed four in regulation since a 4-0 loss to Lake Erie on Oct. 20… Aaron Gagnon posted two assists on Wednesday, extending his AHL season-high scoring streak to eight games (3-6-9)… Perttu Lindgren has found the scoresheet in three straight games (2-2-4) and four of his last five (3-4-7)… Greg Rallo shows four goals in his last four contests… The Stars visit Rockford on Friday, host Chicago on Saturday, and travel to San Antonio on Sunday. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Toronto’s season-high three-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday in a 4-1 loss at league-leading Rochester… Mike Zigomanis’ six-game assist streak (0-13-13) to begin his Marlies tenure also ended in that loss… Zigomanis is tied with rookie forward Christian Hanson (5-8-13 in 12 GP) for the team scoring lead… Viktor Stalberg had a point in three straight games (3-4-7) before being held scoreless on Saturday… The Marlies have outscored opponents 13-8 in the first period this season but have been outscored 19-8 in the second frame… Toronto’s six-game road swing continues this weekend with a pair of games at Manitoba in the teams’ first meeting since last spring’s North Division semifinal. 

Tuesday roundup: Amerks match record with 11th straight winNovember 10, 2009

Tuesday’s AHL Boxscores

ROCHESTER 4, HAMILTON 1
The 54-year-old Rochester Americans tied a franchise record by recording their 11th straight win on Tuesday, capturing a 4-1 decision over Hamilton at the Blue Cross Arena.

Americans defenseman Jordan Henry, who entered the night with one assist in 13 games this season, scored once and added two helpers for a game-high three points, and Graham Mink tallied a goal and an assist for the Amerks.

Jamie Johnson and Chris Taylor rounded out Rochester’s scoring, as Taylor found the scoresheet for the seventh time in his last eight contests (3-7-10).

Evgeny Dadonov and defenseman Jason Garrison were each plus-3 on the night for the Amerks, and rookie goaltender Alexander Salak improved to 9-0-0 with 38 saves on 39 shots in net.

Mike Glumac registered the Bulldogs’ lone goal of the night.

The Americans will attempt to win their franchise-record 12th straight game when they take on the Portland Pirates on Thursday night at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y.

BINGHAMTON 5, NORFOLK 3
A three-goal third period lifted Binghamton to a 5-3 road win over Norfolk on Tuesday in the opener of the division rivals’ two-game set at the Scope.

The teams entered the third period deadlocked at 2-2, but Zack Smith gave the Senators a 3-2 edge with a power play goal at 7:42. After Norfolk’s Paul Szczechura tallied a power play marker of his own – his second goal of the night – to re-tie the contest at 13:25, Ryan Keller put Binghamton on top for good at 16:18.

Smith added an empty-net tally for the Senators, who also received goals on the night from ex-Admiral Martin St. Pierre and Kaspars Daugavins.

Defenseman Craig Schira and captain Denis Hamel each posted two assists in the win, and Binghamton goaltender Andy Chiodo earned the victory with 27 saves in net.

Justin Keller registered a goal and an assist for the Admirals, whose four-game winning streak came to an end.

AHL announces suspensionsNovember 10, 2009

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today announced that Syracuse Crunch left wing Kevin Harvey has been suspended for a total of five (5) games as a result of his actions in games last weekend.

Harvey received four (4) games for a blow to the head of an opponent during a game vs. Rochester on Nov. 6, and one (1) game for a slashing incident during a game vs. Norfolk on Nov. 7. Both suspensions were levied under the provisions of AHL Rule 29.1 (supplementary discipline).

Harvey will miss Syracuse’s games on Wednesday (Nov. 11) vs. Albany, Friday (Nov. 13) vs. Providence, Saturday (Nov. 14) at Hamilton, Nov. 18 at Albany and Nov. 20 at Rochester.

The AHL also announced that Bridgeport Sound Tigers right wing Pascal Morency has been suspended for five (5) games as a result of his actions in a game vs. Hartford on Nov. 7.

Morency was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 29.1 (supplementary discipline) for leaving the players’ bench on a legal line change for the purpose of starting an altercation.

Morency will miss Bridgeport’s games Friday (Nov. 13) at Springfield, Saturday (Nov. 14) at Adirondack, Sunday (Nov. 15) vs. Portland, Nov. 20 at Abbotsford and Nov. 21 at Abbotsford.

Zatkoff nipping at Bernier’s heelsNovember 9, 2009

Photo: John Wright

by Lindsay Kramer || NHL.com

The public face of the Manchester Monarchs’ goaltending situation is a happy one, with second-year netminder Jeff Zatkoff insisting that he gets along great with his rival for time, Jonathan Bernier.

A peek behind the curtain, where the two really go at each other, blows that spin out of the water.

Zatkoff and Bernier live in the same apartment complex. Their interaction can quickly turn from chummy to competitive. Zatkoff switches on his NHL10 video game and the sparks fly from there. Zatkoff won the first two games of the series, but at last check Bernier had drawn even.

“I think I caught him off-guard with my game off the bat,” Zatkoff said. “But he responded.”

In a sense, Zatkoff is trying to do the very same thing to Bernier in real life.

Bernier got off to a huge head start on his teammate last season. While Zatkoff spent the season in the ECHL, Bernier, the No. 11 overall pick by Los Angeles in the 2006 draft, went 23-24-4, .914, 2.40 for the Monarchs.

This season, Zatkoff has earned a spot in Manchester and is using his limited opportunities to nip at Bernier’s skates. Zatkoff, 22, has started off 3-1-0 with a .978 save percentage and a 0.75 GAA. Those are exactly the type of numbers Zatkoff needs to keep posting to pull some of the attention away from the much more heralded Bernier, who is 6-2-1, .960, 1.42 this year.

“I knew they weren’t going to hand me anything,” Zatkoff said. “Once I knew Bernie was coming here, I knew the situation. He’s earned the right to be the No. 1 guy starting the year. There’s no point in giving yourself false hope and be let down, crushed. You have to have realistic expectations.”

Zatkoff’s first expectation when it came to Los Angeles was that he wouldn’t be playing in that organization at all. Heading into the 2006 draft, he knew the Kings were interested in him. But when he sat down in front of the TV and saw Bernier’s name called so soon, he figured he’d be breaking in somewhere else.

He figured wrong. Refreshing the draft tracker on his computer a few hours later, Zatkoff discovered the Kings had plucked him in Round 3.

“You usually assume most teams only take one goalie in the draft,” Zatkoff said. “They were going young and starting over. It was a good opportunity for me. I think everyone wants to be a first-rounder. But there’s plenty of guys who make the NHL who aren’t first-rounders.”

Zatkoff’s more pressing call at the time was to continue to help the resurgence of Miami of Ohio’s program. The draft preceded his sophomore year there, and he played two more seasons at the school before deciding to bolt to the pros early.

As justifiable as it was to start chasing that dream, Zatkoff’s departure cost him a chance to join Miami for its ride to the NCAA title game in what would have been his senior season last year.

“It was the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make,” Zatkoff said. “When I looked at the big picture, I pretty much accomplished everything I wanted to in college hockey. I proved what I wanted to prove.”

His career choice last year reset that bar. He got in 37 games with Ontario and among ECHL rookie goaltenders, his 17 wins were tied for seventh, his 2.97 goals-against average was eighth and .915 save percentage was tied for fifth.

“The biggest learning experience for me last year was playing on a nightly basis, not just on weekends like in college,” he said.

A close second in the life lesson department was to keep an eye on his vehicle. On the morning of April 1, Zatkoff awoke to find that his 2005 Escalade was missing from its parking space outside his apartment.

Since it was April Fool’s Day, he assumed he was the victim of a prank. Zatkoff pressed all of his teammates, but none ‘fessed up. Turns out the car was really stolen, and Zatkoff reported it to the police.

That was a bummer, for sure, but Zatkoff tends to keep his emotions turned down a couple notches. After a practice last week, Monarchs coach Mark Morris played his team a short motivational video, a blend of famous sports movie scenes and speeches.

Zatkoff knew them all, as did the rest of his teammates. He enjoyed sharing the laughs with his buddies, but didn’t think he needed any extra helium to inflate his early season high.

“Just getting the opportunity to play gets me pumped up,” he said. “I like to stay low-key. I’ve found when you get too serious before a game, you stress yourself out.”

That approach has been as important as a chest protector for the 6-foot-3, 170-pound Zatkoff this season. Morris said he laid out to him that Bernier will get most of the minutes and will typically be tabbed for the first action heading into each weekend.

“I think he realizes the situation,” said Kings goaltending coach Bill Ranford. “Jonathan was the starter through last year. But by no means is he (Zatkoff) going to sit in the background and not play well. He’s well on his way. It’s a healthy battle and will only make Manchester better.”

The upside for Zatkoff is that unlike a video game, he realizes that if he keeps ringing up the right types of numbers this competition can have more than one winner.

“There’s an order to everything,” he said. “My goal is to keep playing well, move up the depth chart until I get my opportunity. It’s hard (being patient). But every organization is different. You have to look at it in the big picture. You keep playing well, you are going to get your opportunity.”

Lindsay Kramer, the AHL correspondent for NHL.com, profiles an up-and-coming player each Monday during the season, and his AHL notebook appears each Thursday on NHL.com.

Gerrard rues Alonso exitMonarchs’ Bernier is Goaltender of the Month

Rockford to pay tribute to honorary IceHogNovember 10, 2009

The Rockford IceHogs will pay tribute to honorary IceHogs team member Sydney Ives during their two-game homestand this weekend at the Rockford MetroCentre.

Sydney, 11, was made an honorary IceHog on May 20, 2009, after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor the year prior. She passed away on Saturday, Nov. 7.

In Sydney’s honor, the IceHogs will observe a moment of silence before the puck drops on Friday when the IceHogs take on the Texas Stars at 7:05 p.m.

The team will also wear “Ivestrong” stickers on their helmets this weekend, the motto the Ives family adopted during her 18-month fight. Donations will be accepted near the U.S. Cellular Fan Zone during the games on both Friday and Saturday.

Sydney’s nameplate and honorary jersey, with the number 19 and Ivestrong on the back, will hang in the IceHogs’ locker room for the remainder of the season.

IceHogs center Bracken Kearns will donate $20 for every goal he scores in 2009-2010 to the Ivestrong Foundation. Fans who wish to contribute to the Foundation can do so through the IceHogs by calling (815) 986-6465.

Aguero – We can beat RealWednesday roundup: Heat back in win column

AHL Quick HitsNovember 10, 2009

LOOKING BACK:
Cory Emmerton and Jeremy Williams each had three points (2-1-3) in Grand Rapids’ 8-6 win at Lake Erie on Sunday… Sergei Korostin broke a scoreless deadlock to lift Hamilton past Binghamton, 1-0, in Kanata, Ont… Devan Dubnyk made 39 saves in Springfield’s 2-1 win at Portland… Keith Aucoin scored twice as Hershey beat Providence, 5-1… Nathan Perkovich and Michael Swift netted power-play goals as Lowell edged Bridgeport, 3-2… The road team won all five games on Sunday.

Sun 11/8
Hamilton 1, BINGHAMTON 0
Grand Rapids 8, LAKE ERIE 6
Lowell 3, BRIDGEPORT 2
Springfield 2, PORTLAND 1
Hershey 5, PROVIDENCE 1

Mon 11/9
No games scheduled

LOOKING AHEAD:
Hamilton visits Rochester on Tuesday as the top two teams in the North Division kick off their 10-game season series… The Americans (11-1-1-0, 23 points) are riding a 10-game winning streak, one short of matching a franchise record, while the Bulldogs (8-1-1-3, 20 points) sit three points off the pace… Amerks rookie goaltender Alexander Salak has won his first eight decisions (8-0-0, 1.72, .943) and paces the league in victories… Chris Taylor leads Rochester with 13 points (3-10-13) in 13 games and has found the scoresheet in six of his last seven outings (2-7-9)… David Brine has a team-high seven goals (7-2-9) in 13 games for Rochester, one shy of the eight he tallied in 79 tilts last season… Bulldogs forward Mathieu Darche shows four points (2-2-4) in his last three games and leads the team with seven goals and 10 points in 13 contests overall… Curtis Sanford ranks second in the AHL in GAA (1.40) and fourth in save percentage (.947) through nine outings (5-2-2).

Fresh off a perfect 4-0-0-0 road trip, Norfolk returns to Scope to host division-rival Binghamton on Tuesday and Wednesday… Admirals goaltenders Dustin Tokarski (5-3-0, 2.39, .913) and Riku Helenius (2-1-0, 1.35, .938) have combined to allow just four goals during the team’s current winning streak… Brandon Bochenski leads Norfolk with eight goals, and his 12 points are tied for the club lead with Paul Szczechura (5-7-12), who has a point in four straight games (3-2-5) and eight of his last nine (5-5-10)… Admirals defenseman Mike Lundin is also riding a four-game scoring streak (1-3-4) and has a point in six of his last seven outings (1-6-7)… Binghamton’s Martin St. Pierre, who is tied for the team lead with 12 points (5-7-12) in 13 games, was an AHL All-Star for Norfolk in 2006 and 2007… Another ex-Admiral, B-Sens goaltender Mike Brodeur (4-3-0, 2.56, .914), is the reigning Reebok/AHL Player of the Week… Ryan Keller also has a team-high 12 points (7-5-12) for Binghamton, which is just 4-12-0-1 in its last 17 games at the Scope.

Hartford takes a four-game winning streak to Manchester on Wednesday for the front end of a home-and-home set with the Atlantic Division-leading Monarchs… Corey Locke’s goal at 4:59 of overtime gave the Wolf Pack a 3-2 win in the teams’ first meeting of the season on Nov. 1 in Hartford… Locke (9-12-21) and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau (9-10-19) rank first and second in the AHL scoring race, and the teammates are tied for the league lead in goals… Parenteau is riding a six-game scoring streak (5-7-12), whille Locke is on a four-game run (3-8-11)… Hartford second-year pro Bobby Sanguinetti, a former first-round draft pick, ranks second among AHL defensemen with 17 points (5-12-17) in 14 games… Manchester is winless in a season-high three straight games (0-1-1-1)… Andrei Loktionov is tied for the AHL rookie scoring lead with 13 points (5-8-13) in 13 games for the Monarchs and has a point in seven of his last eight contests (2-7-9)… Second-year pro Oscar Moller shows 10 points (5-5-10) in 12 games, and both he and Loktionov have a plus-8 rating thus far… Hartford’s top-ranked power play (29.4 percent) will take on Manchester’s second-ranked penalty kill (95.2 percent).

(all times Eastern)
Tue 11/10
Hamilton @ Rochester, 7:05
Binghamton @ Norfolk, 7:15

Wed 11/11
Lake Erie @ Grand Rapids, 12:00
Lowell @ Worcester, 1:05
Hartford @ Manchester, 7:00
Albany @ Syracuse, 7:00
Portland @ W-B/Scranton, 7:05
Binghamton @ Norfolk, 7:15
Texas @ Peoria, 8:00

Thu 11/12
Rochester vs. Portland, 7:00*
Abbotsford @ Milwaukee, 8:00

* at Buffalo, N.Y.

ALUMNI WATCH:
Former AHL rookie of the year Brett Hull and current Lowell Devils governor Lou Lamoriello were among the inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night… Just recalled from AHL Springfield, 2009 AHL All-Star Ryan Potulny notched a goal and an assist in Edmonton’s 5-3 win over Colorado on Sunday.

BY THE NUMBERS:
14 — Consecutive games played by the Texas Stars within the state of Texas to begin their inaugural season… The Stars venture outside their home state for the first time this week for games in Peoria and Rockford.

AHL LIVE:
Watch live games, highlights and features, get video on demand and more all season long with AHL Live. Visit ahllive.com for more information.

AHL Quick HitsRaul delighted with record

Friday roundup: Dubnyk helps Falcons to winNovember 6, 2009

Friday’s AHL Boxscores

SPRINGFIELD 5, BRIDGEPORT 2
Springfield matched a season high with five goals en route to a 5-2 win over Bridgeport on Friday at the MassMutual Center. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk earned the win with 34 saves in net, his eleventh 30-plus save effort in 12 appearances.

Chad Wiseman netted a pair of goals to pace the Falcons’ offense, which also received tallies from ex-Sound Tiger Colton Fretter (1-1-2), Liam Reddox, and Colin McDonald.

Theo Peckham posted a pair of assists for the Falcons, who also scored five goals on opening night in a 5-2 victory over Portland.

Dubnyk, who leads the league with 409 saves on the campaign, improved his season record to 5-6-1.

Matt Martin and defenseman Brett Westgarth lit the lamp for the Sound Tigers, who dropped their third straight game and fell under .500 overall at 7-8-0-0.

ALBANY 5, LOWELL 4 (OT)
Jamie McBain scored 1:02 into overtime to give Albany a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over visiting Lowell at the Times Union Center.

The River Rats, who entered on a four-game winless skid (0-3-0-1), trailed 3-0 after the opening 20 minutes. But they climbed back to a draw on second-period tallies by Nicolas Blanchard and Drayson Bowman, and a Nick Dodge marker 3:19 into the third.

Defenseman Matt Taormina regained a one-goal lead for the Devils at 7:07 of the third frame, but the River Rats’ Chris Terry tied it again at 14:02.

That set the stage for McBain’s overtime winner, which came on the power play and was assisted by Brett Bellemore and Bowman.

Jay Harrison chipped in two helpers for the River Rats, and goaltender Mike Murphy stopped 25 shots in the winning effort.

Stephen Gionta, Matthew Corrente, and Michael Swift also scored for the Devils, who dropped to 1-3-2-0 in their last six games.

PORTLAND 5, HERSHEY 0
Portland halted Hershey’s four-game winning streak with a 5-0 win over the visiting Bears on Friday at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

The Pirates took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals less than five minutes apart from Kyle Wanvig and Jeff Cowan, with rookie Philip Gogulla picking up an assist on both.

After a scoreless second frame, Portland struck for three more in the third to put the game out of reach. Derek Whitmore poked the puck in off a scrum in front of the net at 2:58, rookie Travis Turnbull converted a partial breakaway for his first professional goal at 9:37, and Mark Mancari’s shot through a screen found twine at 12:55.

Rookie Portland goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux made 25 saves to earn his first career AHL shutout.

Prior to Friday, Hershey netminder Jason Bacashihua (4-1-0) had surrendered just four goals in his first four outings this season.

HARTFORD 5, PROVIDENCE 3
A three-goal second period propelled Hartford to a 5-3 road win over Providence on Friday at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Brodie Dupont snapped a nine-game drought with a pair of goals for the Wolf Pack, while Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Jordan Owens, and rookie Evgeny Grachev each posted a goal and an assist.

Corey Locke chipped in a pair of assists in the win, and Hartford goaltender Chad Johnson stopped 29 of 32 shots between the pipes.

The Wolf Pack won their third straight game overall and their third straight over Providence since a 5-3 loss on Oct. 9.

Mikko Lehtonen netted a pair of goals for the Bruins, and Jamie Arniel potted his first goal of the campaign.

GRAND RAPIDS 5, CHICAGO 4
Grand Rapids overcame an early 2-0 deficit to edge visiting Chicago by a 5-4 count before 7,353 fans at Van Andel Arena on Friday. The Griffins finished a perfect 6-0-0-0 on their six-game homestand.

After Brett Sterling and rookie Andrew Kozek gave the Wolves a 2-0 lead by 6:50 of the opening period, Jamie Tardif put the Griffins on the board at 7:46.

Grand Rapids’ Cory Emmerton, who entered the night without a goal in nine games, tallied the equalizer 3:36 into the middle frame and gave the Griffins a 3-2 lead at 7:15.

The teams traded markers the rest of the way, with Jeremy Williams and Jan Mursak scoring for the Griffins, and Johnny Pohl and Joey Crabb converting for the Wolves.

Grand Rapids goaltender Daniel Larsson made 28 saves to pick up the victory.

NORFOLK 2, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 1
Norfolk netted a pair of first-period goals and held on for a 2-1 road win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the Wachovia Arena.

Mark Parrish put the Admirals on top with a power play marker just two minutes into the contest, and rookie Matt Syroczynski followed at 16:11 with his first career AHL goal.

Admirals rookie goaltender Dustin Tokarski made it stand up, finishing with 30 saves in the victory. His shutout bid was snapped by the Penguins’ Ryan Bayda with just 1:50 to play in regulation.

Norfolk earned its third consecutive victory and has surrendered just three goals in the three victories. The Admirals moved back to .500 on the season overall (6-6-0-0).

ROCHESTER 4, SYRACUSE 3 (OT)
Chris Taylor’s power play goal at 3:54 of overtime allowed Rochester to escape with a 4-3 win over visiting Syracuse before 6,035 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.

Michael Duco (1-1-2), Graham Mink (1-1-2), and Mike York all scored in regulation to stake the Americans to a 3-0 lead after two periods.

But the Crunch rallied for a trio of goals in the final 20 minutes to knot up the contest. Kevin Harvey, Trevor Frischmon, and Nick Holden each scored his first goal of the season for the Crunch, with Holden’s marker coming shorthanded at 19:46 to tie it.

Mink and Clay Wilson picked up assists on Taylor’s overtime tally. It made a winner of Rochester rookie goaltender Alexander Salak, who improved to 7-0-0 with 26 saves in net.

The Americans captured their ninth straight win and improved to an AHL-best 10-1-1-0 (21 points) overall.

WORCESTER 2, MANCHESTER 1 (SO)
Defenseman Danny Groulx scored in the ninth round of a shootout to push Worcester past visiting Manchester by a 2-1 count at the DCU Center on Friday.

The Sharks captured their fifth consecutive home-ice victory and improved to 8-3-0-1 (17 points) overall, three points back of the division-leading Monarchs.

Worcester’s Dwight Helminen beat Monarchs goaltender Jonathan Bernier in the shootout’s second round, but Trevor Lewis temporarily kept Manchester alive with a fifth-round conversion.

Manchester’s David Kolomatis and Worcester’s Helminen traded tallies in regulation, with Helminen snapping an eight-game goal-scoring drought.

Sharks rookie goaltender Alex Stalock earned the victory with 29 saves through the first 65 minutes before stopping eight of nine in the shootout.

Bernier finished with 45 saves on the evening, his third 40-plus save performance of the young season.

TORONTO 3, LAKE ERIE 2
Rookie forward Christian Hanson put up a goal and two assists to lead Toronto past host Lake Erie by a 3-2 final at Quicken Loans Arena.

Hanson, who now has five points (3-2-5) in his last two games, tied the game for the Marlies at 16:48 of the second period before assisting on third-period markers by Viktor Stalberg and Jeff Hamilton, the latter into an empty net.

Toronto’s Mike Zigomanis registered a pair of assists in the victory and shows 12 helpers in six games since joining the team, including at least one in all six contests.

Marlies goaltender James Reimer earned the win with 26 saves on 28 shots.

Brock Bradford and Ryan Stoa netted goals for the Monsters.

BINGHAMTON 2, HAMILTON 1
Binghamton finally handed Hamilton its first regulation loss of the season on Friday, a 2-1 decision before 14,702 fans at the Bell Centre, home of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens.

Ryan Keller put the Senators on top with his team-leading seventh goal of the season at 15:59, a power play marker. Jason Bailey’s first professional marker made it a 2-0 game midway through the second frame.

Defenseman P.K. Subban put the Bulldogs on the board with a power play score at 8:39 of the third, but Hamilton was unable to find the equalizer and saw its 11-game points streak (7-0-1-3) come to an end.

Senators goaltender Mike Brodeur stopped 36 of 37 shots in net to pick up the victory.

After an off-day Saturday, the teams will clash on Sunday at Scotiabank Place, home of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.

PEORIA 4, MILWAUKEE 3 (SO)
Peoria coughed up a 3-1 lead in regulation but converted all four of its shootout tries to emerge with a 4-3 road win over Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.

Aaron Palushaj, Julian Talbot, Nicholas Drazenovic, and Brendan Bell each beat Milwaukee goaltender Mark Dekanich in the shootout to give the Rivermen their second shootout victory in as many days.

After Milwaukee’s Cal O’Reilly gave his club a 1-0 lead, Peoria came back to take a 3-1 advantage on power play goals by defensemen Bryce Lampman and Danny Richmond, and an even strength marker off the stick of Cam Paddock.

But Peter Olvecky brought the Admirals within a goal late in the second frame, and Hugh Jessiman’s first goal of the season tied it up at 11:39 of the third.

Rivermen goaltender Ben Bishop wound up with the victory, stopping 24 shots through the first 65 minutes and denying two of four shootout attempts.

TEXAS 4, MANITOBA 0
Texas continued its sparkling defensive play with a 4-0 shutout of Manitoba at the Cedar Park Center on Friday.

Goaltender Matt Climie made 24 saves to pick up the shutout for the Stars, who have won four straight games and surrendered just two goals in the process. Texas also has a point in its last six outings (5-0-0-1) and sits atop the West Division at 9-2-0-2 overall.

Texas defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy posted a goal and an assist in the victory, and the Stars also got goals from Perttu Lindgren, Aaron Gagnon, and Greg Rallo. Scott McCulloch chipped in a pair of assists for Texas.

The struggling Moose have now totaled just three goals in dropping four straight contests, but Manitoba looks for revenge against the Stars when the teams clash again on Saturday night.

ABBOTSFORD 4, ROCKFORD 2
Abbotsford jumped to a 3-0 lead and doubled up Rockford by a 4-2 count on Friday at the Entertainment & Sports Centre.

Cam Cunning and Jamie Lundmark gave the Heat a 2-0 advantage with goals just 19 seconds apart in the first period, and Garth Murray’s shorthanded goal 47 seconds into the second frame made it a 3-0 contest.

The IceHogs’ Pete MacArthur scored on that same power play just 15 seconds later, but Jason Jaffray restored the Heat’s three-goal lead only 1:08 after MacArthur’s goal.

Rockford’s Bracken Kearns scored the only marker of the third period for either side.

Goaltender Leland Irving earned the victory with 33 saves for the Heat, who won their fourth straight game and will host Rockford for a rematch on Saturday night.

La Liga round-UpWednesday roundup: Phantoms rally past ‘Tigers in third

Wednesday roundup: Phantoms rally past ‘Tigers in thirdNovember 4, 2009

Wednesday’s AHL Boxscores

ADIRONDACK 4, BRIDGEPORT 2
Adirondack defenseman Joey Mormina put up a goal and two assists as the Phantoms scored three unanswered goals to double up Bridgeport by a 4-2 count in a Wednesday afternoon matinee at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

The Phantoms initially grabbed a 1-0 lead in the contest when Jon Matsumoto scored on the power play with 2:45 to play in the opening period.

But Bridgeport got on the board 15:11 into the middle frame, as Greg Mauldin converted a penalty shot attempt against Phantoms goaltender Johan Backlund. Mauldin then gave the Sound Tigers a 2-1 lead at 9:30 of the third period.

Adirondack was quick to respond, as Stefan Legein scored just 10 seconds after Mauldin’s go-ahead goal, and Andreas Nodl cashed in on a power play at the 15:08 mark to put the Phantoms on top to stay.

Mormina, who entered the afternoon without a point in his first nine games of the season, assisted on both of those tallies before scoring a power play goal of his own at the 18:41 mark to provide insurance.

Patrick Maroon chipped in a pair of assists in the win, and Adirondack finished 3-for-9 on the power play after totaling just five power play goals in its first 10 games of the campaign (5-for-49; 10.2 percent).

Backlund made 29 saves to pick up the victory, which moved the Phantoms to 5-2-1-0 in their last eight contests.

HERSHEY 5, LOWELL 2
Massachusetts native Keith Aucoin tallied a hat trick on Wednesday to power Hershey to a 5-2 road win over Lowell at Tsongas Arena.

Aucoin, in his first game back with the Bears following a stint in the NHL, scored once in the second period and twice in the third frame. The veteran forward, who played in Lowell during the 2001-02 and 2005-06 seasons, has now registered eight points (4-4-8) in five AHL games this season.

Oskar Osala and defenseman Patrick McNeill also scored for the Bears, who began a New England road trip by capturing their season-high fourth straight win.

Andrew Gordon (0-3-3) and Kyle Wilson (0-2-2) each chipped in multiple assists, and Hershey goaltender Michal Neuvirth picked up the victory with 24 saves in net.

Nick Palmieri and Dean McAmmond notched goals for the Devils, who saw their three-game home winning streak against Hershey come to an end.

BINGHAMTON 2, ALBANY 0
Goaltender Mike Brodeur posted a 25-save shutout as Binghamton captured a 2-0 road win over Albany on Wednesday at the Times Union Center.

It marked the first shutout of the season for Brodeur (3-2-0) and the first for the Senators since Martin Gerber blanked Philadelphia in a 3-0 win on Jan. 21, 2009.

Cody Bass’ second goal of the campaign gave Binghamton a 1-0 lead at 5:37 of the second period, and Martin St. Pierre sealed the victory with an empty-net tally later in the third frame.

The River Rats are now winless in four straight games (0-3-0-1) and have dropped under .500 overall (5-6-0-1) for the first time since dropping their season opener on Oct. 3.

CHICAGO 4, MILWAUKEE 3
Tim Stapleton’s second goal of the night came at 9:44 of the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie and sending Chicago to a 4-3 road win over Milwaukee at the Bradley Center.

Stapleton also scored in the first period for the Wolves, and defenseman Chris Chelios picked up an assist on both markers.

The Wolves also received a goal and an assist apiece from Anthony Stewart and defenseman Arturs Kulda en route to capturing their first road win of the season (1-4-0-0).

Chicago goaltender Drew MacIntyre, who suited up for Milwaukee last season, made 14 saves in the winning effort.

Tomi Maki, Wacey Rabbit, and Mike Santorelli each scored for the Admirals, whose brief two-game winning streak came to an end.

ROCKFORD 5, SAN ANTONIO 3
Rockford ended its five-game winless skid (0-4-0-1) with a 5-3 triumph over visiting San Antonio at the MetroCentre on Wednesday.

Mark Cullen registered a game-high three points (1-2-3) for the IceHogs, including the eventual game-winning goal at 18:03 of the third period.

Rockford’s Rob Klinkhammer posted a goal and a helper, while Akim Aliu and Bryan Bickell each added single goals in the victory. IceHogs goaltender Corey Crawford earned the win with 28 saves on 31 shots in net.

Kevin Porter registered a goal and an assist for the Rampage, who also got scores from Chad Kolarik and Kyle Turris. San Antonio is now winless in five straight games (0-4-1-0) heading into a date with Peoria on Thursday night.

Wednesday roundup: Weiman leads Monsters to second straight shutoutLa Liga round-Up

East Notes: Reversal for ‘Pack, Bears heat upNovember 5, 2009

Also see… West Notes: Bulldogs, Amerks roll on

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Adirondack has combined to score nine goals in a pair of victories since suffering a 3-0 shutout loss at Toronto on Friday… Goaltender Johan Backlund has won three straight starts and has only lost once in regulation for the season, a 6-1 defeat at Syracuse on Oct. 10… Jon Matsumoto converted a penalty shot attempt on Sunday vs. Syracuse, making the Phantoms 2-for-2 in penalty shot tries this season; Hartford is the only other AHL club with two successful tries on the young campaign… Defenseman Joey Mormina went scoreless in his first nine games before posting a goal and two helpers in Wednesday’s 4-2 win at Bridgeport… The Phantoms visit Albany on Saturday in their lone game of the weekend. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
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Albany is winless in four straight games (0-3-0-1) and is just 1-5-0-1 overall since starting the season 4-1-0-0… The River Rats scored six and five goals, respectively, in wins over Portland and Rochester on Oct. 9-10, but the Rats have not topped the three-goal plateau in nine games since… Jerome Samson continues to lead Albany with 12 points (4-8-12) in 12 games thus far… River Rats captain Pat Dwyer shows a team-high five goals (5-4-9)… Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Hershey marked the first time that the River Rats dropped a game in which they scored the first goal (4-1-0-0)… Albany hosts Lowell and Adirondack at the Times Union Center this weekend. 

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Jesse Winchester had a point in the first three games (2-2-4) of his conditioning stint from parent-club Ottawa prior to being held off the scoresheet in Wednesday’s 2-0 win at Albany… Martin St. Pierre’s goal on Wednesday was just his second in 10 games since tallying a hat trick on opening night, Oct. 3 vs. Hartford… Goaltender Mike Brodeur’s shutout of the River Rats was his first whitewash since Dec. 14, 2008, when he blanked Syracuse while a member of the Rochester Americans… Josh Hennessy has a point in four of his last five contests (1-4-5)… The B-Sens tangle with Hamilton this weekend in a pair of games at NHL arenas. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
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Bridgeport has dropped seven of 10 games (3-7-0-0) since beginning the season on a four-game winning streak… After scoring a power play goal in three straight games, the Sound Tigers are a combined 0-for-15 in their last two contests, both losses… Greg Mauldin has notched a goal in three straight games (4-0-4) after going scoreless in his previous four outings… Trevor Smith’s three-game scoring streak (2-1-3) came to an end in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to Adirondack… Bridgeport plays three games this weekend, visiting Springfield on Friday before hosting Hartford on Saturday and Lowell on Sunday. 

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Hartford’s 6-0 loss to Hershey on Friday matched its worst shutout loss in team history… The Wolf Pack then turned around and blanked Providence by a 7-0 count on Saturday, which represented the team’s second-most lopsided regular-season shutout victory ever, surpassed only by an 8-0 win over Bridgeport on Mar. 30, 2003… Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, who recently spent time on NHL recall, has registered nine points (4-5-9) in his last four games with Hartford… Corey Locke’s goal at 4:59 of overtime on Sunday vs. Manchester marked the latest Hartford has ever scored an extra-session tally… The Wolf Pack hit the road this weekend for games in Providence and Bridgeport. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Hershey has won a season-high four straight games and outscored opponents 18-5 during that span… Massachusetts native Keith Aucoin returned from an NHL recall and tallied a hat trick in the Bears’ 5-2 win at Lowell on Wednesday… Alexandre Giroux registered three assists in that contest and has racked up 10 points (4-6-10) in his last three AHL outings… Andrew Gordon has a point in three of his last four games (2-4-6), and Oskar Osala has found the scoresheet in five of six tilts (3-2-5) after going scoreless in his first six games this year… The Bears continue their New England road trip with games this weekend in Portland, Manchester, and Providence. 

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Goalie Stats 

Lowell had been 3-0-0-0 all-time at home vs. Hershey prior to Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Bears… Second-year goaltender Jeff Frazee took the loss and remains winless on the season (0-3-0, 3.90, .842)… Rookie Nick Palmieri notched his first professional goal on Saturday at Springfield and followed it up with another goal vs. Hershey on Wednesday… Matt Taormina leads the Devils in scoring and paces all AHL rookie defensemen thus far with 11 points (4-7-11) in 12 games… Tim Sestito’s team-leading seventh goal – an overtime game-winner on Saturday at Springfield – was his first since scoring four times at Worcester on Oct. 17. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
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Eastern Conference-leading Manchester has scored the first goal in 10 of its first 12 games this season (9-1-0-0)… Defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov, a second-round draft pick by the parent Los Angeles Kings in 2008, is riding a three-game scoring streak (2-1-3)… Rookie Andrei Loktionov (2-6-8) and second-year pro Oscar Moller (3-3-6) both have a point in six of their last seven contests… Monarchs goaltenders Jonathan Bernier and Jeff Zatkoff have combined to allow either one or zero goals in eight of the Monarchs’ 12 games thus far… Manchester visits Worcester on Friday before hosting defending Calder Cup champion Hershey on Saturday. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
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Norfolk swept a pair of games at Manitoba this week in the first-ever meetings between the teams… The Admirals have won three straight road games overall since starting the year 0-3-0-0 away from home… After surrendering three power play goals in its season opener at Hershey on Oct. 3, Norfolk has killed 30 of 31 opponent power play tries (96.8 percent) in 10 games since… Martins Karsums had a point in both games against the Moose (1-1-2) after going scoreless in his first six contests this season… Defenseman Mike Lundin has a point in four of his last five outings (0-5-5)… The Admirals wrap up a four-game road swing with visits to Wilkes-Barre and Syracuse this weekend. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Portland is 3-0-0-0 this season when scoring four or more goals and just 1-8-0-0 when netting fewer than four goals… The one victory in the latter group came on Friday at Lowell, a 3-2 overtime decision in which Mark Mancari notched the game-winner… Mancari boasts a six-game scoring streak (2-5-7) and paces the Pirates with 11 points (3-8-11) in 12 games overall… Rookie Tyler Ennis continues to lead Portland with six goals (6-4-10) in 12 games but has gone three straight contests without lighting the lamp… The Pirates have scored the first goal in just three of their 12 games thus far (2-1-0)… Portland hosts Hershey on Friday and Springfield on Sunday this weekend. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
Goalie Stats 

Providence snapped a four-game winless skid (0-3-1-0) with a 4-3 victory over Bridgeport on Sunday… That win improved the Bruins to 5-1-1-0 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center this season, but they show an 0-4-0-0 mark on the road thus far… Defenseman Jeff Penner (1-2-3) and former first-round draft pick Zach Hamill (0-3-3) each had a season-high three points against the Sound Tigers… Jordan Knackstedt posted a goal and an assist after going scoreless in his first six outings… Providence has outscored opponents 25-18 in the first and second periods this season, but has been outscored 16-8 in the third period and overtime. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
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Springfield’s five-game points streak (2-0-2-1) came to an end on Sunday in a 4-1 loss at Worcester… The Falcons have still yet to suffer a regulation loss through five home games this season (3-0-1-1)… Charles Linglet is currently on a four-game scoring streak (2-5-7) and is tied for second in the AHL with 16 points (5-11-16) in 13 games… Linglet is already approaching the eight goals and 25 points that he totaled last season between Peoria and Springfield… Chris Minard leads the league with nine goals (9-4-13) in just 11 games… The Falcons host Bridgeport on Friday and travel to Portland on Sunday. 

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Each of the Crunch’s last three games has featured a shutout, as the Crunch posted a 2-0 win at Norfolk on Friday in between a 3-0 loss at Rochester on Oct. 25 and a 5-0 defeat at Adirondack this past Sunday… The victory over the Admirals marked Syracuse’s first on the road this season (1-5-0-1)… Goaltender Dan LaCosta made 32 saves in that tilt to earn his first shutout of the campaign… The Crunch have killed off 15 consecutive opponent power plays… Syracuse wraps up a four-game road swing at Rochester on Friday before returning home to battle Norfolk on Saturday. 

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Goalie Stats 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton totaled just five goals in posting a 1-1-1-1 mark on its recent four-game road swing, which concluded with three games in Canada last week… Goaltender John Curry posted a 23-save shutout in the one victory, a 1-0 overtime triumph at Manitoba on Oct. 29… With eight career shutouts, Curry is now two shy of tying the Penguins’ all-time record of 10, held by Sebastien Caron… Ryan Bayda netted the overtime winner against the Moose on his first shot of the game… After scoring seven power play goals in their first six games, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 0-for-13 with the man advantage in its last four contests. 

 Schedule/Scores Player Stats
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Worcester head coach Roy Sommer, who recently earned his 400th AHL coaching victory, won the 1984 Calder Cup as a player with the Maine Mariners; that Maine club was coached by John Paddock, who is one of the three men Sommer has now joined in the 400-win club… Steven Zalewski scored the fourth shorthanded goal of his career on Sunday vs. Springfield, tying him for first on Worcester’s all-time list… Defenseman Danny Groulx has a point in six of his last seven games (1-8-9)… The Sharks host first-place Manchester on Friday and welcome Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to town on Saturday. 

Llorente pens new contractSteeltown’s hot ‘Dogs off to best start