Murphy honored in Kingston

Rookie netminder Mike Murphy was recently selected as the 2009 Kingston amateur athlete of the year. Murphy talks to the Belleville Intelligencer about the honor. 

News & Notes

• The regular weekly round-up is available at the Rats' website.

• The River Rats have been getting along without an official captain for some time. Coach Jeff Daniels tells the Albany Times Union the team has plenty of leaders and is in no rush to designate a new "C" in the near future. 

• The Rats are focused for Wednesday's game and ready to bounce back from Saturday's loss in Hershey. Bill Cain at the Schenectady Daily Gazette has the story.  

• Goaltender Mike Murphy, who is still recovering from a hip injury, is back at practice and could return to the line-up this weekend.

• Carolina Hurricanes' defenseman Joe Corvo, who was sidelined with a leg laceration in late November, could return to action this weekend, meaning Brett Carson, who was recalled from Albany in early January, may be soon be reassigned to the Rats. The Canes could decide to keep Carson over another blueliner, namely veteran Aaron Ward. 

• The comeback of Casey Borer is the focus of a story today at the NHL's website.

• Forward Milan Gajic recently returned to the ice for the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. Gajic skated for Albany during the preseason and would have likely joined the Rats at some point during the regular season had he not been sidelined for three months with a leg injury. Gajic is featured in the Naples Daily News.

• Former Rats' enforcer and hometown favorite Reid Simpson is back in the AHL at age 40. Simpson, who was thought to have finished his career in Russia in 2007, recently signed a tryout contract with the Chicago Wolves. The team's website has the story.
  

Peters called up

The Carolina Hurricanes today recalled goaltender Justin Peters from the Albany River Rats. 

Canes' back-up netminder Manny Legace is suffering from pink eye. Legace was pulled yesterday after experiencing vision problems and significant swelling.

Peters returns to Carolina for the third time, but has yet to make his NHL debut. He will back up Cam Ward this afternoon as Carolina takes on the Boston Bruins. 

Peters ranks among the top goalies in the AHL with a 2.38 GAA and .922 SV% in 30 contests with Albany this season. 

The recall of Peters leaves the River Rats with just one healthy goaltender, veteran Mike Morrison, who has spent most of this season with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.

Netminder Mike Murphy remains sidelined with a hip injury. 

The Rats' next game is scheduled for Tuesday in Bridgeport, while the Hurricanes play Wednesday against the Rangers in New York.

The Rats will need to sign a new goalie should Peters and Murphy remain unavailable. 

UPDATE: Canes' coach Paul Maurice tells the Raleigh News & Observer that Peters will be reassigned to Albany in time for the Rats' next game on Tuesday night in Bridgeport. 

News & Notes

• The first three inductees to the River Rats' new Hall of Fame have been announced. The honors go the Geordie Kinnear, Steve Sullivan and the late John Cunniff. Read more at the team's website and the Albany Times Union. 

• Pat Dwyer is the focus of a nice story by Chip Alexander at the Raleigh News & Observer.

• The Rats have been quite busy around the community, visiting schools, hospitals, hockey rinks and other locations around the Capital District. Check out some photos here. Mike Murphy and Jamie McBain will be signing autographs tomorrow at 4 pm at the Half Moon Mobile Mart on Guideboard Road in Clifton Park. 

• Forward Michael Ryan, who was injured in a game on New Years Eve, will still be out this weekend. Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has the story. Defenseman Jonathan Paiement may have to continue playing up front if the Rats do not soon receive reinforcements. 

• Six former River Rats will again be in the line-up for the Carolina Hurricanes tonight as the team faces off against the Red Wings in Detroit. There were hopes earlier in the week that injured forwards Chad LaRose, Erik Cole and Sergei Samsonov would be able play, but coach Paul Maurice now says all three are "a ways away" from returning. The Raleigh News & Observer has the story. 

• The AHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition will be televised next week live on Time Warner Cable 3. The skills contest will air Monday at 8 pm and the game will be on Tuesday at 6 pm. A full listing of air-dates and locations is available here.
  

News & Notes

• Seven straight wins by the River Rats has earned the team some extra coverage at the AHL's website. 

• The latest installment of Murphy's Mailbag is up on YouTube. 

• The Rats' website has the usual weekly summary.

• The Carolina Hurricanes yesterday placed defenseman Aaron Ward on waivers and he cleared today at noon. Read more at Tracking the Storm.

• Call-ups could be in the works. The Hurricanes are short two players with a game tomorrow night. Carolina has just five healthy blueliners, including Brett Carson and Jay Harrison, who were recently recalled from Albany to replace injured D-men Niclas Wallin and Joe Corvo. Tim Gleason, who was hit in the face with a shot Friday night, is listed as day-to-day. The team is also down one forward after returning Pat Dwyer and Jiri Tlusty to the River Rats on Sunday. According to Tracking the Storm, Dwyer will likely be headed back up. 

Michael Leighton put on waivers

The Carolina Hurricanes today placed back-up goaltender Michael Leighton on waivers. 

Leighton, a former starter for the Rats, could be snatched up by another team at half price or reassigned to Albany should he go unclaimed. 

The Hurricanes signed veteran goalie Manny Legace earlier in the season after Cam Ward was injured. With Ward expected to return December 9, the Canes have a surplus of netminders.

Legace was favored over Leighton from the start and the vet outperformed the younger goaltender in the handful of games they split.

Leighton, 28, in the final year of his contract with Carolina, was hoping to find a starting job in the NHL next season, but the chances of that happening now are slim to none. 

In seven games with the Hurricanes this season, Leighton has a less than impressive 4.28 GAA and a .850 SV%. 

In 19 NHL games last season Leighton registered a decent 2.92 GAA and a .901 SV%. 

With the River Rats in 2007-08, Leighton recorded seven shutouts, a 2.10 GAA and a .931 SV% after 58 games.

If Leighton is reassigned to Albany, he would likely share time or serve as a back-up to Justin Peters, while rookie Mike Murphy could be sent to the ECHL for extra playing time.

UPDATE: Leighton cleared waivers today (12/8) at noon.

News & Notes

• Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union catches up with injured defenseman Casey Borer, who recently returned to Albany and started skating for the first time since having neck surgery in September. 

• Forward Rob Hennigar, who was recently recalled from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, chats with Chris Fitz Gerald at the Troy Record about his new role as a member of the Albany River Rats. 

• Goaltender Justin Peters talks with Bill Cain of the Schenectady Daily Gazette about his time with the Canes and his desire to stay focused and prepared for any and all opportunities.  

• Center Harrison Reed, who was reassigned to the Florida Everblades on November 24, earned ECHL player of the week honors after scoring seven goals and five assists in four games with the Blades.

• Hurricanes' General Manager Jim Rutherford has expressed interest in "transitioning" his team. "If we could [move contracts out], we would probably move a handful of guys out today and move the younger guys in, even if they weren't ready," Rutherford told Tracking the Storm. The process is easier said than done. 

• Hurricanes' goaltender Cam Ward, who was cut by a skate blade on November 7, returned to practice this week and is hoping to play in net against New Jersey on December 9th. Barring any more injuries, the Canes will soon have three healthy netminders. Veteran goalie Manny Legace, who was signed to a two-way deal after Ward went down, could be reassigned to Albany. 

• Cory Lavalette at Canes Country has a bit more on the latest addition to the Rats' squad, Jiri Tlusty.

• Who is the funniest River Rat? Watch the latest installment of Murphy's Mailbag and find out. 

Cam Ward injured (UPDATE)

Justin Peters will likely be getting a call from the boys in Raleigh. 

Netminder Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes was cut badly by a skate blade last night in a contest against the Columbus Bluejackets. The laceration required stitches and Ward was hospitalized overnight after losing a significant amount of blood.

Justin Peters will likely be recalled to back up Michael Leighton for the Hurricanes' next game on Wednesday.

As for Albany, Mike Murphy will take charge of the Rats' crease and Mike Morrison will likely be called up from the ECHL for backup. 

The Rats' next game is Wednesday at Syracuse. 

UPDATE: Cam Ward is expected to be out for three to four weeks. The Hurricanes are considering several options, including a trade or a new signing. Chip Alexander speculates that Carolina may pick up veteran goaltender Manny Legace, who is currently playing for the Chicago Wolves. 

News & Notes

• Forward Jacob MicFlikier has been reassigned to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. MicFlikier was called up to Albany on October 24th after Steven Goertzen suffered a concussion. Goertzen is now healthy. In three games with the River Rats, MicFlikier had a goal and a +2 rating. Expect him back at some point this season.

• The Carolina Hurricanes have placed defenseman Jay Harrison on waivers. Harrison will likely clear waivers and be reassigned to Albany. He will hopefully provide some much-needed relief at the Rats' blue line. Harrison was filling in for Canes' D-man Tim Gleason, who is expected to return to action tomorrow night. 

• The Carolina Hurricanes have won just two of 13 games. General Manager Jim Rutherford is preparing to make some major changes. Trades and call-ups could be on the horizon, especially if the Hurricanes keep losing. 

• Carolina's top forward Eric Staal is expected to miss several games with an upper-body injury sustained over the weekend. He is listed as week-to-week. The Hurricanes have two extra players to insert in the line-up: Stephane Yelle and Tim Conboy. If the Canes are not satisfied with those options, well, you know the drill. 

• The River Rats' weekly recap is available here. 

• Watch the next installment of Murphy's Mailbag here.
  

Murphy's Mailbag

Goaltender Mike Murphy will be hosting a segment on the River Rats' website this season known as "Murphy's Mailbag." Fans can send Mike questions and he'll hunt down the answers. E-mail your questions to Murphy@AlbanyRiverRats.com. Catch the first episode.

Rats clobber Amerks, 6-1

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.

More post-game coverage:

• Albany unloads six straight on Rochester, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Rookie sparks Rats, Troy Record
• Rookies lead way for Rats, Albany Times Union
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Carson out 4-6 weeks, Albany Times Union
• Murphy, River Rats put it all together, Schenectady Daily Gazette

News & Notes

• Defenseman Zack FitzGerald is spotlighted in the Troy Record.

• Injured leader Mike Angeldis is the focus of the Albany Times Union.

• Goaltender Mike Murphy will get the first start of his pro career this weekend. Coach Jeff Daniels says Murphy will likely play against Rochester on Saturday.

• Forward Harrison Reed will play in his first contest of the 2009-10 season tonight against the Portland Pirates. Reed was impressive at training camp and in the preseason. Expect him to skate hard. Phil Janack has more.

• Fans in Albany can forget about seeing defenseman Jay Harrison in the short-term. Carolina D-man Joni Pitkanen remains day-to-day. Pitkanen, who underwent knee surgery in September, skated in his first contest of the season Tuesday night, but did not play in the third period because of soreness in his knee. Pitkanen also sat out of practice the last two days. That means Harrison will be back in the line-up for Carolina this weekend. 

• Coach Jeff Daniels tells Phil Janack that the injury to Carolina's Erik Cole should not affect things in Albany, at least not for the time being. Former River Rat Tim Conboy filled in for the Canes Tuesday night in a 2-1 shootout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Conboy had a fight in the first period, but did not play a regular shift. He registered only 3:25 of ice-time. Conboy will likely play again tonight in the Canes' contest against the Florida Panthers. 

• Portland tonight will be without blueliner Joe DiPenta, who was recently handed a one-game suspension for taking a two-handed chop at Kip Brennan of the Springfield Falcons.
  

Murphy's law: Stick with River Rats

Chris Fitz Gerald at the Troy Record has an excellent article on first-year netminder Mike Murphy.

Murphy Raising Eyebrows

"Murphy's goal prior to the Prospects Tournament was to raise a few eyebrows and prove to the organization that he is on the right path for future success. He's obviously done that -- and then some."
--Mike G. Morreale, NHL.com

Prospects Topple Red Wings, Occupy First Place

Mike Murphy has been described as the "talk of the tournament" for his outstanding play in net
(Photo from NHL.com)

The Carolina prospects defeated the young Red Wings tonight at the tournament in Traverse City, taking over first place in the "Eastern Conference." The 5-3 comeback win came in exciting fashion.

The first period was scoreless (thanks to Mike Murphy) with no penalties, but things exploded in the second.

Detroit took a 1-0 lead 4:40 into the period. Shortly after, Jamie McBain was penalized for his second hooking penalty of the tournament, allowing the Wings to go up by two on the power play.

Although the Red Wings dominated in the shot column 25 to 9 at the halfway point, Carolina refused to quit. Matthew Pistilli linked up with Brandon Sutter to bring the Canes within one at the 10:56 mark of the second period.

Minutes later, with a power play opportunity of their own, the Hurricanes tied the game on a goal by Matt Kennedy, his second of the tournament, assisted by Stefan Chaput and Beau Schmitz.

Detroit scored a demoralizing goal with one second remaining in the period, reestablishing the lead going into the third. But again, the Canes bounced back. About a minute and a half into the third period Harrison Reed knotted the game at 3-3 on a tally assisted by Stefan Chaput.

Moments later, a roughing penalty by the Red Wings brought out the Carolina power play unit for the second time. The Canes quickly capitalized, as Zach Boychuk, assisted by Drayson Bowman and Jamie McBain, seized the lead at 4-3.

At the eight minute mark, Jamie McBain was sent back to the box on an interference call, but the penalty kill came through.

Carolina stayed strong through the third period and Chris Terry sealed the deal with an unassisted goal with 1:22 left.

Goaltender Mike Murphy registered his second win of the tournament, stopping 33 of 36 shots.

The win places Carolina in first place in the "Eastern Conference," which consists of the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers.

The team has one conference game remaining against Atlanta on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. A win would guarantee the Canes a spot in the championship game.

Updates: The Hurricanes' website has a rundown of the game. Hockey's Future also has a recap, as well as some high praise for netminder Mike Murphy, described as "the best player of the tournament." Brandon Sutter adds his two cents.

Canes' Prospects Beat Rangers 5-3

Carolina celebrates a goal during a 5-3 win over the Rangers
(Photo by Hockey's Future)

The NHL prospects tournament kicked off today in Traverse City, Michigan. Brandon Sutter, Zach Boychuk, Drayson Bowman, Mike Murphy and several other River Rats are showcasing their skills in hopes of earning an invite to the Hurricanes' training camp.

About half of the prospects team is on track to play with the River Rats next season. Albany coaches Jeff Daniels and Geordie Kinnear are directing the young squad. The full roster is available here.

The team squared off today at 3 p.m. against prospects from the New York Rangers.

The Canes were led to a 5-3 victory on goals by Drayson Boyman (Chris Terry, Nick Dodge), Matt Kennedy (unassisted), Zach Boychuk (Harrison Reed), Elgin Reid (Jamie McBain), and an empty netter by Brandon Sutter (unassisted).

Carolina gave up a two goal lead in the third period, but Jamie McBain set up Elgin Reid for the game winner with just 2:25 remaining on the clock.

Goaltender Mike Murphy registered the win, stopping 32 of 35 shots.

Both teams were scoreless on the power play. The Canes failed to capitalize on five chances. The Rangers did not convert on their only opportunity.

The boxscore is available here.

The next game is scheduled for tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. against the young Detroit Red Wings.

Update: Hockey's Future has a quick rundown of the game. The writer says the Canes "looked like a top team in this tournament from the opening face off." There is also a short video from the morning skate featuring an interview with coach Daniels.

Goalie Mike Murphy Bigger, More Mature In Second Conditioning Camp

Cory Lavelette over at Canes Country offers a closer look at goaltender Mike Murphy.

Canes' prospects intriguing

"At this moment, the future of the franchise is laid out in view like the rings of a tree." --Luke DeCock, News & Observer

Talking With Netminder Mike Murphy

The News & Observer speaks with rookie goalie Mike Murphy.

Mike Murphy stops a shot at conditioning camp
(Photo by Corey Lowenstein)

Rats Set In Net; Peters Earning Respect

Carolina Hurricanes' Prospect Justin Peters
(Photo by Adam Prince)

Anyone who watched the second half of the River Rats' 2008-2009 season saw a goalie finding his stride. Justin Peters not only won the #1 spot in Albany, he impressed the boys in Carolina so much he was called up to witness the Canes' playoff run. Peters was arguably the most improved Rats' player this past season.

The Blyth, Ontario native earned little respect in his early professional days. Starting his career in Albany in 2006, he eventually ended up in the ECHL, playing 31 games for the Florida Everblades during the 2007-2008 season.

But Peters fought his way back to Albany, competing with goalie Daniel Manzato for the top spot in 2008-2009. By the end of the year, he had earned the job and then some.

Peters has always been equipped with the fundamentals, but perhaps the best quality a goaltender can have these days is the ability to stay calm and focused under extreme pressure. With four years of professional hockey under his belt, Peters now has this particular skill mastered...and to the surprise of many, he has blossomed into a top-notch goalie.

Peters is rarely rattled by multiple waves of offense. He can be relied upon to make just about every first save; confidently move in position for the rebound; reset for the next wave; and when everything is safe, refocus without showing an ounce of fatigue. Soft goals are no longer in his vocabulary. Peters' side-to-side is reminiscent of Cam Ward. His positional game is solid. His glove is sharp. The best part of it all, he is stuck in Albany for at least one more year.

Peters has NHL written all over him, but Carolina is loaded with depth in net. Cam Ward is a franchise starter and former River Rat Michael Leighton is signed to be his back up for one more season. On top of that, two-time OHL goalie-of-the-year Mike Murphy is set to make his pro debut in Albany next season. So even though Peters has NHL potential, he will still have to compete with another Hurricanes' prospect. In the end, Peters and Murphy may prove to be a dynamic combo. Carolina has interest in them both.

All of this equates to good news for the Rats, who are almost guaranteed a strong goalie for the duration of the 2009-2010 season.

Justin Peters deserves bonus points for showing tremendous spirit in the final game of the 2008-2009 season. He went toe-to-toe at center ice with Binghamton netminder Jeff Glass. Peters was escorted off the ice to a standing ovation. Multiple angles of the brawl are available on YouTube...for those interested in that sort of thing. (Photo by Jennifer Bock)