Showing posts with label Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Rats beat Sound Tigers in shootout, 2-1

Post-game coverage:
Posted by at
Labels: , ,

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Rats fall in OT to Tigers, 2-1

Post-game coverage:
Posted by at
Labels: , ,

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Rats beat Sound Tigers in OT, 4-3

Post-game coverage:
Posted by at
Labels: , ,

Monday, November 2, 2009

Seeking consistency

Stefan Chaput is checked by Springfield's Johan Motin
(Photo by Jennifer Bock)

"Consistency is key." It is a common cliché phrase in sports, but it often rings true, especially for the River Rats at this particular juncture. 

After a strong start to the season, the Rats have fallen into a slump. Albany has just one win in the last six games. 

The Rats suffered two losses over the weekend and dropped to fourth place in the East Division with an overall record of 5-5-1.

Albany was defeated Friday by the Springfield Falcons in a shootout, 4-3, and beaten down the next night by the Hershey Bears, 4-1. In both games, the team looked slow, sluggish and out-of-sync. Every attempt to build momentum fell flat. 

Much of the Rats' offense depended on a strategy of dump-and-chase, but they were slow to enter the zone and were out-battled along the boards. Rarely did they come up with the puck. 

Miscommunication resulted in repeated offsides, unnecessary icings, and turnovers in every sector of the ice. The Rats were also caught off guard on line changes more than once. 

Defensively, Albany did a decent job of clogging the center of the ice, but they were slow to gain control of the puck, which allowed the opposition repeated break-out attempts. 

On several occasions, the Rats failed to cover traffic in front of the net. The defenders and centers were not keeping track of the open forwards as both Springfield and Hershey moved the puck down low. 

Some of the blueliners also need work handling the puck under pressure. There were far too many turnovers in the defensive zone. 

Some limited praise is still deserved. The team was not functioning as a whole, but extraordinary individual efforts by a small group of names kept them on life support.

Not enough can be said about captain Pat Dwyer. As usual, he forced the puck in the zone and created chances from all angles. He was also deadly on the penalty kill and now is a league-leader with two short-handed goals. Dwyer is a constant spark of light for the Rats.

The same goes for Drayson Bowman, whose fast legs, quick shot and extra effort helped generate numerous scoring chances in both weekend games. Bowman also showed more grit than usual. He refused to get pushed around after whistles. 

Props also go to Jerome Samson for showing extra energy when everyone else appeared to be half asleep. At times, Samson looked like he was putting on a stick-handling clinic. He, too, stepped up his physical game. 

Zach Boychuk continues to show off his talents and produce highlight reel quality goals. He scored another beauty against Springfield.

Matthew Pistilli was another standout. He played exceptionally well and scored two goals against the Falcons.

Nonetheless, the momentary outbursts of a few could not overcome the overall poor performance of the team.

The home crowd offered little help. Attendance at the Times Union Center continues to disappoint. There were only 2,422 people at Friday's game. Meanwhile, folks in Hershey were complaining Saturday about the "low" turnout of 6,802. 

The Rats will have a chance to bounce back with three big home games this week, including two against division rivals. Albany will face off against the Binghamton Senators on Wednesday, the Lowell Devils on Friday and the Adirondack Phantoms on Saturday. 

The River Rats have the skill and depth to be true competitors this season, but they need to balance intensity and intelligence. They must skate hard and stay focused, game-in and game-out.

Consistency is key. 
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Weekend news & notes

Friday post-game coverage:
Saturday post-game coverage:

Sunday post-game coverage:
More news:
Notes:
  • Brandon Sutter was called up to Carolina Saturday after the Canes' Tuomo Ruutu was suspended for three games by the NHL for a hit on Darcy Tucker of the Colorado Avalanche. Sutter centered the Hurricanes' third line and played a regular shift in his first NHL appearance of the season on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. Sutter will likely play for the Canes again on Wednesday and next Saturday. 
  • Sutter may never be coming back, even after Ruutu returns. The Hurricanes placed fourth-line center Stephane Yelle on waivers. Yelle's ice-time has been limited and now he could be on the way out the door. That would open up a permanent space for Sutter on the NHL roster.
  • Steven Goertzen suffered a concussion Friday night against Rochester. He did not play Saturday or Sunday. His status for next weekend is questionable. He was playing fantastic up until the injury. 
  • The Rats called up Jacob MicFlickier from the ECHL's Florida Everblades on Saturday. MicFlikier, who was signed by the Rats during the offseason, is currently the Blades' top scorer with two goals and three assists after four games. He attended the Rats' training camp and skated well during the preseason. He did not arrive at the Times Union Center in time for warm-ups on Saturday, but was on the bench when the puck dropped. MicFlickier scored a goal against the Phantoms 13:49 into the first period. Watch it here.
  • The Rats collected only two of six possible points over the weekend. It was undoubtedly a tiring and mostly disappointing three-day stretch. But all things considered, the Rats played solid. Not perfect, but solid. When the chips were down, they never gave up. They pushed Friday night's game to the last seconds, and despite being down 4-1 on Sunday they showed true spirit and poured on the pressure late in the game. The team is showing character and several players are stepping up in the wake of injuries and call-ups. 
  • Justin Peters continues to play phenomenal hockey. His ability to stay focused under pressure is most impressive. His puck-handling skills are also much improved. After six games, Peters has registered four wins, a GAA of 2.33 and a SV% of .923. He has been named a star-of-the-game in three of his six contests. 
  • Captain Pat Dwyer is playing as passionate as ever. You can tell he takes the role of captain very seriously. He is always coming through when it counts. His hunger for the puck gets the whole team going. He is possibly the Rats' most valuable player. 
  • There is little doubt Zach Boychuk will be a future NHL star. He is the pure definition of raw talent. He is always moving his legs, creating opportunities and drawing penalties. His game-winner against Adirondack was an absolute beauty. He's a natural. 
  • After six home games, Zack FitzGerald is already a fan favorite. His physical style of play is a valued commodity for the Rats' young and undersized club. The opposition fears his presence. He was punishing the Phantoms all night on Saturday. If anyone is fired up for the rivalry, it's him.  
  • There is no telling where the Rats would be without the services of Jonathan Paiement. His willingness to block shots has been invaluable.
  • Attendance at the Times Union Center has been less than spectacular. In six games, the Rats have averaged 3,332 people a contest. Only four AHL teams are drawing smaller crowds. Adirondack is in the middle of the pack with an average attendance of 4,238. Time to step it up Albany!
  • The East Division is extremely tight. Less than four points separate the first and last place teams. Albany and Hershey are tied with 10 points. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Adirondack have nine a piece (the Penguins have two games in hand, the Phantoms have one). Binghamton and Syracuse have eight points each. Norfolk has six with a game in hand.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Bridgeport signs Trevor Gillies

Former River Rats' enforcer Trevor Gillies has been signed by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on a one-way AHL contract. Gillies was recently released from training camp with the Rochester Americans. He must pass a physical to complete the deal. The Sound Tigers' website has the story. 

Update: Gillies passed his physical and is now officially a member of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Dansbury News-Times has the story. 

Gillies chose to sign with Bridgeport instead of Rochester because the Amerks have too many veterans. The AHL, being a development league, allows each team to dress only six veteran skaters per game. A veteran is any player with more than 260 games of experience in the AHL, NHL, IHL and Europe. Each team is allowed a seventh vet, as long as that skater has played in 320 games or less. 

Gillies has 327 contests under his belt and Rochester already has six vets. He didn't want to sit because of a technicality. 

For those wondering, the River Rats have only two veterans on the current roster, Pat Dwyer and Steven Goertzen. Jay Harrison and Michael Ryan, who are currently in Carolina, are also considered vets.
Posted by at
Labels: ,

Monday, August 31, 2009

Bobby Hughes Traded For Rob Hennigar

Rob Hennigar
(Photo by James West)

The Carolina Hurricanes have traded center Bobby Hughes to the New York Islanders in exchange for center Rob Hennigar.

The 26-year-old Hennigar, last listed at 5-foot-11, 194 pounds, split his first professional season in 2008-09 between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies.

In 38 contests with the Grizzlies, Hennigar tallied 15 goals and 44 assists for 59 points. With the Sound Tigers, he landed 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in 34 games.

The Jordan, Ontario-native spent the previous four years at the University of New Brunswick. He led his team in scoring for four consecutive seasons, shattering university records with 177 points, including 131 assists, in 108 career games. In 2007-08, Hennigar was named Canadian college player-of-the-year.

Prior to getting his education, Hennigar spent four seasons with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. In 278 OHL contests with Windsor, he racked up an impressive 92 goals and 152 assists for 244 points.

Now acquired by Carolina, Hennigar is scheduled to skate somewhere between Albany and Florida in 2009-10.

Taking Hennigar's spot in Bridgeport will be Bobby Hughes, who spent the past two seasons with the River Rats.

Originally from Richmond Hill, Ontario, the 21-year-old Hughes, last listed at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, is one of several Rats to be crippled by an unlucky streak of injuries.

In two years with Albany, Hughes was limited to only 53 contests.

Drafted by Carolina in the fourth round in 2006, Hughes officially kicked off his professional career in 2007. He played just 26 games before suffering a season-ending neck injury. He marked a solid 16 points before his rhythm was interrupted.

In 2008-09, Hughes played seven games early in the season, but was put back on the shelf until mid-February, just in time to be re-injured in the team's bus crash. Hughes was cleared to play in March and skated in 16 games during the final stretch, notching two goals and two assists.

From 2003 to 2007, Hughes spent four years with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. In his final junior year, Hughes was one of the league's top ten scorers, landing 96 points (40 G, 56 A) in 59 regular season games.

If Hughes can stay healthy, he should develop into a nice prospect for the Isles.

According to the Hurricanes' press release, completion of the trade is subject to a physical of Hughes by 3 p.m. on Thursday.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , ,

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Rats Add Depth in Net

Goaltender Mike Morrison
(Photo by Bill Manley)

The River Rats have picked up veteran netminder Mike Morrison on a two-way AHL/ECHL deal.

With seven professional seasons under his belt, Morrison, a 30-year-old native of Medford, Massachusetts, will bring experience and depth in net.

Morrison will start the 2009-10 season with Albany's affiliate in the ECHL, the Florida Everblades. He may become Justin Peters' back-up should rookie Mike Murphy need additional conditioning. Morrison will also be prepared to step up in the event of an injury.

The 6-foot-3 netminder has spent most of his days as a back-up.

Morrison began his professional career in 2002 after finishing four years at the University of Maine. He served as the Black Bears back-up until his senior year, when he played 30 games and registered a 2.19 GAA and a .921 save percentage.

Morrison was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the seventh round in 1998. He has played professional hockey in every corner of North America, from Ottawa, to Edmonton, to Phoenix, to South Carolina. But despite playing at a variety of levels, Morrison has had trouble finding a job as a go-to starter.

Morrison has notched 86 AHL games and another 77 in the ECHL. He saw time in 29 NHL contests with the Oilers, Senators and Coyotes. Last season, Morrison played in Austria and Sweden.

Morrison spent 2007-08 with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, playing a career high 43 games. He finished the season with five shut outs, a GAA of 2.80 and a .911 save percentage.

In 2005-06, Morrison played in 21 games with the Edmonton Oilers, ending his longest NHL stint with a record of 10 wins, 4 losses and 2 ties. He finished with a 2.83 GAA and a .884 SV%.

"He may never be a No. 1 in the NHL," said Oilers scout Chris McCarthy, "but I wouldn't count him out to be a backup someday with someone. He's got heart, and he's a competitor."

"He's got good size, and moves well for a big guy," McCarthy said of Morrison. "He has good quickness, and challenges shooters, but he needs work with controlling rebounds, and staying focused with the task at hand, but he's learning that now and is giving it his best effort to be a good pro."

“(Albany) jumped on (Morrison) right away,” said Malcolm Cameron, coach of the Florida Everblades, to the Naples Daily News. “They wanted to have a good goaltender in the system, and with the experience that Mike has it works really well for them. ... If you’re going to pull a goaltender up from the ECHL, it helps to have a good veteran in the organization."

Now that Morrison has signed a two-way deal with Albany, he his set to start next season with the Florida Everblades. According to the Blades' press release, he will attend training camp in Albany and then be assigned to the ECHL.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Rats Lose Petruzalek, Flood

The River Rats will have to do without leading scorer Jakub Petruzalek and staple defenseman Mark Flood next season. Both players, who spent the past three years in Albany, have signed to play elsewhere in 2009-10. Petruzalek is heading off to Finland for SM-Liiga, regarded as one of the top European leagues, while Flood has been picked up by the New York Islanders to add depth in Bridgeport.

In 2008-09, Petruzalek scored 54 points (19 G, 35) in 77 games for the Rats, tying teammate Jerome Samson for the title of top scorer. Petruzalek was called up to Carolina mid-season, playing his first two NHL games and tallying his first big-league point.

The young player from the Czech Republic was just one of several skilled forwards fighting for a spot with the Canes. He was ultimately overshadowed by the likes of Brandon Sutter, Michael Ryan and Pat Dwyer.

Petruzalek was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in 2004. The Hurricanes acquired him in 2006 along with a conditional fifth-round pick in exchange for forward Brad Isbister.

Petruzalek will now join the ranks of several talented prospects opting to play in Europe instead of North America. Many are leaving for better salaries overseas.

Mark Flood, a reliable defenseman now destined for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, was obtained by Carolina in 2006 in a move that sent D-man Derrick Walser to Columbus.

During his two-and-a-half-year stint in Albany, Flood developed into a solid two-way player, finishing last season with 31 points (6 G, 25 A) in 76 games.

Flood was considered a team- and fan-favorite. He earned an "A" on his sweater towards the end of last season and wrote a blog, Flood the Ice, for the team's website. Soon to be 25-years-old, he stands a better chance of moving up with the Islanders than he did with the Hurricanes. The Sound Tigers will be lucky to have him. The move is good for everybody except the Rats.

Next year's defense is looking a bit thin. According to the website Hockey's Future, which monitors young prospects, D-man Bryan Rodney was assured a spot on the Hurricanes' roster next season. The Canes may also call up defensemen Brett Carson and/or Casey Borer. Add the loss of Mark Flood and the likely possibility of a few injuries, and the Rats could be struggling in their own end.

There is still plenty of time before the start of the season. We won't know until October what the Rats' roster will truly look like. There should be plenty of new faces. Rookie prospect Jamie McBain, for instance, will be available to pick up at least some of the defensive slack.

Best of luck to both Jakub and Mark...except when Bridgeport plays Albany.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , ,

Crunch Back in Rats' Division UPDATED

The American Hockey League has announced the official conference and division alignment for the 2009-10 season. The River Rats will again be part of the East Division of the Eastern Conference. There will, however, be some slight changes.

The Rats will welcome their old rival, the Syracuse Crunch, back to the division. Albany and Syracuse are now guaranteed to face-off eight times.

The Crunch will take the place of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who are set to move to the Atlantic Division. Last year Syracuse was part of the North Division of the Western Conference, which will now include the first-year Abbotsford Heat, formally known as the Quad-City Flames.

The Atlantic Division will be the only division with eight teams. The rest will hold seven.

The Adirondack Phantoms, formally of Philadelphia, will remain in the East Division alongside Albany. The Rats and Phantoms will square off twelve times.

The Rochester Americans are the only opponent the River Rats will play from the Western Conference.

Here is the complete breakdown of the divisions and games against:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (2 H, 2 A)
Hartford Wolf Pack (1 H, 1 A)
Lowell Devils (1 H, 1 A)
Manchester Monarches (2 H, 2 A)
Portland Pirates (2 H, 2 A)
Providence Bruins (1 H, 1 A)
Springfield Falcons (2 H, 2 A)
Worchester Sharks (1 H, 1 A)

East Division
Adirondack Phantoms (6 H, 6 A)
Albany River Rats
Binghamton Senators (4 H, 4 A)
Hershey Bears (4 H, 4 A)
Norfolk Admirals (4 H, 4 A)
Syracuse Crunch (4 H, 4 A)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (4 H, 4 A)

Western Conference

North Division
Abbotsford Heat
Grand Rapids Griffins
Hamilton Bulldogs
Lake Erie Monsters
Manitoba Moose
Rochester Americans (2 H, 2 A)
Toronto Marlies

West Division
Chicago Wolves
Houston Aeros
Milwaukee Admirals
Peoria Rivermen
Rockford Icehogs
San Antonio Rampage
Texas Stars
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)