Despite the return of Harrison Reed from the ECHL, the River Rats will likely be short on forwards heading into a three-game weekend.
Reed rejoined the Rats today after registering three shots on goal last night with the Florida Everblades in a shootout win over the Reading Royals.
On the other side of the coin, Pat Dwyer, Zach Boychuk, Jiri Tlusty and Jerome Samson all remain with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Moreover, Rob Hennigar is out indefinitely with a broken hand, Michael Ryan is curbed with a lower-body injury and Matthew Pistilli is sidelined with a concussion sustained last Saturday.
Defenseman Jonathan Paiement will likely continue playing the role of two-way winger, but even with Paiement up front, Albany will be limited to just 11 forwards.
A tryout deal for an ECHL skater could be in the works. The Rats may also consider calling up a defenseman and putting Tim Conboy at wing, where the rugged blueliner was positioned in Carolina.
Just as the Carolina Hurricanes regained one defenseman, they lost another.
The good news: Joni Pitkanen is back skating a regular shift with the Canes and playing fantastic. The bad news: Tim Gleason could be the organization's latest defensive casualty.
Gleason left tonight's game against the New York Islanders with an upper body injury. We are still waiting for an update on his condition.
At the start of the season fans in Albany were expecting Casey Borer, Jay Harrison and Brett Carson to hold down the Rats' blue line. Borer never made to training camp; Harrison never made it to Albany; and Carson was injured in his second game.
The saga continues.
During the offseason the Rats wisely signed Jonathan Paiement and Benn Olson for defensive depth. Less than four weeks into the season, both are proving to be invaluable.
UPDATE: Gleason went in for X-rays after the game. He is now listed as day-to-day, so we assume nothing is fractured. According to Chip Alexander, Gleason will probably sit out Friday's game against the Colorado Avalanche. Jay Harrison will be back in.
Superior special teams, dynamic offense, solid defense and spectacular goaltending. That pretty much sums up the River Rats' win Saturday night against the Rochester Americans. Albany dominated the game, 6-1.
Rookie netminder Mike Murphy had a stellar professional debut, stopping 28 of 29 shots and proving almost invincible. His chance at a shutout was spoiled with only 6:03 remaining in the third period.
Speedy playmaker Jerome Samson took home a goal and three assists. Samson, who led the River Rats in scoring last year, is now approaching the top of the league with seven points in three games.
Samson is gifted at finding and creating passing lanes. If someone is open with room to shoot, chances are Samson will find him. Last night he made several smart plays under pressure, including a no-look pass to Drayson Bowman, who ripped it home.
Bowman last night maintained his goal-per-game pace and also picked up two assists. Bowman now has five points in three games.
Captain Pat Dwyer continues to lead by example, creating opportunities out of sheer will. Dwyer tallied two points with a goal and an assist.
Center Stefan Chaput, who was assigned a larger role after Mike Angelidis was injured, had a three-point night with a goal and two assists.
Forward Nick Dodge and rugged defenseman Zack FitzGerald also scored.
Zach Boychuk and Harrison Reed picked up an assist each.
The Rats' energetic offense had Rochester's back against the wall. The Americans were simply too slow to keep up with Albany's youthful talent.
Meanwhile, in their own zone, the Rats looked more focused than ever.
Despite the loss of top D-man and alternate captain Brett Carson to a broken wrist, the Rats played a solid defensive game, perhaps the best of the season thus far.
Albany forced Rochester's forwards to the outside and did a good job of covering the traffic in front of Murphy.
The Americans stayed even on shots, but lacked genuine opportunities.
When the Americans did break through, Murphy was there to respond.
When the shutout was lost, nobody was more disappointed than rookie defenseman Jamie McBain, who made an uncharacteristic turnover in his own zone that led to the goal.
McBain knew his mistake cost Murphy the doughnut. You would have thought the game was on the line the way McBain smashed his stick in anger afterwards. The giveaway was a bad slip, but the emotion McBain showed for his teammate was good to see. The boys are truly pulling for each other.
Bryan Rodney and Jonathan Paiement had a great game. Hard to believe Paiement spent so much time in the ECHL.
Big Benn Olson played in his first contest of the season. His physical stay-at-home defense and enforcer mentality kept the Americans in check.
Matthew Pistilli skated in his first professional game. He had a couple of good shots and played well.
The River Rats went 2-for-8 on the power play, with Bowman and Samson hooking up for both goals. The Rats' penalty kill remained flawless, going 6-for-6 and standing at 12-for-12 on the season.
Brad Herauf was a healthy scratch.
The Rats' record now stands at 2-1-0-0, good for second place in the East Division. Albany trails Hershey by two points and has a game in hand.
The Rats play Wednesday night at home against the Norfolk Admirals.
Defenseman Jonathan Paiement, who inked an AHL deal with the Rats earlier this summer, has been added to the Hurricanes' training camp roster. Congrats!
The Canes have announced the camp groupings. While most of the Rats are in Group B, Brett Carson and Jay Harrison worked their way into Group A. The full listing is provided below.
The River Rats today officially announced the signings of Benn Olson, Brad Herauf, Jacob Micflikier, and Jonathan Paiement.
We knew about Paiement, and we had heard rumors about the other three, but nothing official until now. The signings round out the team well for next season.
Big Benn Olson, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, is a physical stay-at-home defenseman and powerful enforcer. The 22-year-old from Port McNeill, British Columbia, is returning for his second year with the club.
As an undrafted rookie, Olson started last season strong, but like many of the 2008-09 River Rats, he was sidelined with an injury. From November until late January, Olson was out with a broken thumb.
After recuperating, he played five reconditioning games with the ECHL's Florida Everblades and subsequently returned to the Rats to finish the year.
In 36 games with Albany, Olson landed four assists, 140 penalty minutes, and finished the year with a +2 ranking, not bad considering the team's record.
After Albany lost Trevor Gillies to a concussion, Olson stepped in as the team's go-to tough guy, showing no signs of pain in his once mangled right hand.
Prior to going pro, Olson spent four seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Seattle Thunderbirds and the Kamloops Blazers. In 275 junior career games, Olson tallied 4 goals, 29 assists, and racked up 834 penalty minutes. He finished his final season in Seattle with a +31.
Olson's solid, physical defensive game will be needed more than ever this year. Expect him to run protection for young talent like Zach Boychuk and Drayson Bowman.
The 27-year-old Brad Herauf, last listed at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, was called up from the Florida Everblades mid-season last year. In his first AHL stint, the scrappy, strong-hearted checking forward played well enough to earn a regular spot in the Rats' line-up. In 37 games, he tallied two goals, two assists, and 116 penalty minutes.
Herauf, who hails from Regina, Saskatchewan, spent the previous four seasons in the ECHL, totaling 211 games, 40 goals, 57 assists, and a whopping 851 penalty minutes.
Herauf may be a bit undersized for a checking forward, but he plays like a pit bull. He doesn't back down from anybody, works the boards well, and drives to the net with the best of them.
Herauf has inked a two-way deal with the Rats, meaning he will play somewhere between Albany and Florida next season. He is an excellent depth player to have in the organization.
Forward Jacob Micfliker is the new guy. Coming in at 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, the 25-year-old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, spent last season between the Rochester Americans and the Florida Everblades. Rochester shares their ECHL affiliate with the Rats.
Micflikier scores crashing the net
In 39 games with the Americans last season, Micflikier scored four goals and 12 assists. In 10 contests with the Blades, he had 10 goals and 14 assists.
Micflikier spent the previous year between the Springfield Falcons and their ECHL affiliate, the Stockton Thunder. He scored five points (4 G, 1 A) in eight games with Springfield and marked an impressive 37 points (10 G, 27 A) in 29 games with Stockton.
From 2003 to 2007, Micflikier attended the University of New Hampshire and became one of the school's all-time leading scorers. In 154 NCAA games, he tallied 58 goals and 92 assists for 150 points.
With Micflikier inked to a one-year deal, the Rats now have a range of depth forwards in the system.
Albany will be well protected against injuries, call-ups and any other voids that may need filling.
News of Jonathan Paiement's signing was first dropped in July by Malcolm Cameron, head coach of the Everblades. Learn more about the well-rounded blueliner here.
Add another defenseman to your list. Jonathan Paiement is on his way back to Albany.
The 24-year-old Montreal-native has reportedly signed an AHL contract with the Rats, meaning he will be back for a second season with the club in 2009-10.
Malcolm Cameron, coach of the Rats' ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades, broke the news during an interview with the Naples Daily. “His days in the ECHL are over,” Cameron said of Paiement, revealing that the well-rounded blueliner had inked the AHL deal.
Paiement, last listed at 6-foot-1, 205-pounds, played 45 games with Albany last year, tallying a goal, 11 assists and 38 penalty minutes. Prior to earning a full-time spot on the Rats' roster, he skated in nine contests with the Blades, netting three goals and six assists.
Unfortunately Paiement was injured in the team's February bus crash in the Berkshires. He did not return to action until April. After recuperating, he played one game with the Rats and joined the Everblades for the playoffs.
Paiement, who spent five solid years in the QMJHL as a youngster, was drafted by the New York Rangers in the eighth round in 2004. He played his first professional season in 2006-07 with the ECHL's Texas Wildcatters, earning seven goals and 39 assists in 82 total games. In 2007-08, he played 42 AHL games with the Hershey Bears, scoring three goals and 11 assists.
With Albany last season, Paiement proved to be competent in every sector of the ice. Whether battling along the boards, clearing the front of the net, or patrolling the blue line, he took control of his territory. He played on both special teams and at one point was even assigned shootout duties.
"We have a lot of confidence in him, no matter if it’s five-on-five, power play or penalty kill," said Rats' coach Jeff Daniels to the Schenectady Daily Gazette in January. “He’s played well enough that his spot in the lineup, game in and game out, it’s there."
“Jon’s in a case where he has to bring it every day, and he knows that," Daniels said. "The way he’s doing it right now, he’s here to stay, and he deserves it.”
Posts
