Falcons prey on Rats

Post-game coverage:

• Rats drop 4-3 shootout decision to Falcons, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Minard's return bad news to Rats, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: First time in two years, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats lose in shootout, Troy Record
  
• River Rats 'awful,' but steal a point, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Falcons edge River Rats in shootout, My Phil-osophy
  
• Rats lose in a shootout, WNYT10
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

News & Notes

• Brett Bellemore may not rack up the points, but his smart defensive game is evident in his plus/minus tally. The Albany Times Union has more on Bellemore, who proudly leads the team with a +4. 

• Justin Peters has developed into a highly skilled goaltender and solidified himself as the Rats' go-to starter. The Troy Record catches up with the fourth-year netminder. 

• The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins took over first place in the East Division Thursday with a win over the Manitoba Moose. Former River Rat Ryan Bayda scored 39 seconds into overtime to break the 0-0 tie. The Penguins have a one-point lead and a game-in-hand on the Rats heading into the weekend.

• Injured players should soon be returning in waves. Mike Angelidis, Steven Goertzen, Michael Ryan and Brett Carson should be coming back in the next few weeks. 

• Erik Cole of the Carolina Hurricanes, who fractured a bone in his leg earlier this month, is expected to return to action as early as this weekend. Cole, along with injured Canes' D-man Tim Gleason, are back at practice in Raleigh. Forward Brandon Sutter and defenseman Jay Harrison are Carolina's only healthy two-way players. Forward Stephane Yelle, who recently cleared waivers, is also eligible for reassignment. Yelle will become ineligible on November 26th at noon or after ten games of NHL play, whichever comes first.
  

Injured Rats getting better

Steven Goertzen, who suffered a concussion last Friday, was back on the ice today practicing with the team. He wore a yellow no-contact jersey. Goertzen will probably miss both games this weekend and shoot for a return next week. 

Brett Carson, Mike Angelidis and Michael Ryan were also on the ice today. All have been practicing in yellow for about a week. Coach Jeff Daniels said he expects all three to return to action by mid-November. 

The Albany Times Union has more.

Sutter competing for spot

There is no denying it. The Rats' parent club, the Carolina Hurricanes, have not started well. The Canes are 2-5-3 in their first ten contests and currently sit in 12th place in the NHL's Eastern Conference. They are winless in the last six games. 

Management is ready to shake things up. 

In an unexpected move, the Canes recently put Stephane Yelle, the team's fourth-line center, on waivers. Yelle cleared waivers today at noon, but his future with the Hurricanes is uncertain. Carolina obviously considers him expendable. 

The top candidate for Yelle's spot is Brandon Sutter, who was recently recalled to fill the void created by the suspension of Tuomo Ruutu.  

Sutter and Yelle are both expected to be in the line-up for the Canes on Wednesday and Saturday, but someone will have to sit out when Rutuu returns to action on Sunday.

The job is up for grabs.

If Sutter or another River Rat takes the spot, the Canes will have to make a choice in regards to Yelle. They could scratch him, release him, assign him to Albany or maybe make a trade. 

With the Hurricanes' roster in a state of flux, don't be surprised if more call-ups are around the bend. 

Weekend news & notes

Friday post-game coverage:

• Salak, Rochester defeat Rats 2-1, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Missed chances hurt Rats, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Rodney's stick, PK streak broken, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats comeback bid falls short, Troy Record
• River Rats offense stymied by Amerks' Salak, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

Saturday post-game coverage:

• Video highlights, AHLLive.com
• Rats edge Phantoms 3-2, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Rats win crowd pleaser, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats notes 'n quotes: Goertzen sidelined, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats can be both pretty and ugly, Albany Times Union
• Micflikier doesn't waste any time after joining River Rats, Schenectady Daily Gazette
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

Sunday post-game coverage:

• Rats' penalty-killing stumbles in loss at Bridgeport, Albany Times Union
  
• Rats fall in Bridgeport 4-1, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Official scoresheet, TheAHL.com

More news:

• River Rats weekly, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Hurricanes recall Sutter, AlbanyRiverRats.com
  
• Rats recall Micflickier, AlbanyRiverRats.com
• Hurricanes organizational depth analysis, Fall 2009, Hockey's Future
  
• Murphy's Mailbag Episode Two, AlbanyRiverRats.com, YouTube
• Canes place Yelle on waivers, Raleigh News & Observer

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.

Caniacs watch tonight for free

AHLLive.com, which broadcasts AHL games online, is offering a free preview tonight. Anyone not able to attend this evening's game, including our loyal followers in Raleigh, can watch the Rats battle the Rochester Americans from their computers, for free. Go here for more.

Goertzen doesn't need title

Veteran Steven Goertzen doesn't need a letter stitched to his sweater to be a team leader. The Albany Times Union has the story. 

Samson a consistent scorer

Jerome Samson leads the Rats in scoring for the second year running. The undrafted third-year forward is establishing himself as one of the league's elite players. The Troy Record has more.

Michael Ryan skating with Rats

Michael Ryan, who suffered a concussion in a preseason game with the Carolina Hurricanes about a month ago, is back in Albany and skating with the River Rats. League rules do not allow an injured player to be officially reassigned until they are cleared to play, but Ryan is practicing lightly with the team in preparation for his return. Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the news.

Canes lose another D-man UPDATED

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. 

News & Notes

• The Rats' front office is hoping to draw some big crowds at the Times Union Center this weekend, especially on Saturday for the second game of the Northway rivalry. Promotions were announced today, including a giveaway of River Rats' Thurderstix to the first 5,000 fans. Bring your friends. Get those curtains open!

• The River Rats' ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades, have started the season with a 1-1-1-0 record. Jacob Micflikier, who has a two-way deal with the Rats, leads the Blades in points with a goal and three assists. Rob Hennigar, who is also signed on a two-way deal, is the team's second highest scorer with a goal and two assists. Veteran goaltender Mike Morrison, another two-way player, has been in net for two of Blades' three games, registering a win and an overtime loss, and stopping 44 of 49 shots. The Fort Myers News-Press has a nice article on Morrison.

• In Carolina, defenseman Joni Pitkanen finally appears to be on the path to recovery. When Pitkanen returns to full strength, Jay Harrison will likely be headed to Albany. There is a possibility the Canes will keep Harrison as a seventh D-man, but informed sources think otherwise.

• Michael Ryan, who suffered a concussion in a NHL preseason game on September 21, has been out of action for a full month now. We would be lying if we said we weren't worried. Still waiting for an official update on his condition. When he gets healthy, expect him to play in Albany.

• Casey Borer is back home in Minnesota recuperating from neck surgery. We don't expect him to be at full strength until January at best.
  

River Rats weekly recap

The Rats' website recaps the third week of the season and previews the fourth.