Albany Devils Tie Franchise Record with Sixth Straight Victory
December 6, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany Devils News Release
ALBANY, NY -- With their sixth consecutive win, the Albany Devils have tied the franchise record for longest winning streak. The Devils improved to 15-4-3-0 overall thanks to a 4-0 victory against the Syracuse Crunch Sunday at Times Union Center.
The winning stretch ties the 2013-14 squad, which won six straight between Nov. 30 and Dec. 14 of that season.
On Sunday, Yann Danis made 23 stops and Reid Boucher, Dan Kelly, Joseph Blandisi and Max Novak each scored. Mike Sislo registered a game-high three assists.
HIGHLIGHTS & GAME NOTES
- In his 19th start of the season, Danis tied a franchise record, registering his fourth shutout of the season. He now shares the top spot with Jeff Frazee (2008-09), Keith Kinkaid (2013-14) and Scott Wedgewood (2013-14). Danis posted his league-leading 14th win, improving to 14-2-3.
- Boucher netted his 10th goal of the season, giving him seven points (4g-3a) in the last eight contests. The power-play tally was his 15th point of the year and he is now just four points away from 100 for his AHL and NHL career.
- Kelly scored his first goal of the year and 11th of his career. The tally was the sixth-year veterans' first since scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against the Springfield Falcons on Jan. 14, 2015.
- Blandisi scored the game's third goal, which was his seventh of the season. The rookie now has 16 points on the year, ranking him third on the team behind Matt Lorito and Sislo.
- The day after scoring his first career goal, Novak found the back of the net again. The 24-year-old has found a steady role on the team's second line. He has played seven straight games after missing 10 of the first 16.
- Marc-Andre Gragnani and Sislo each registered their third multi-point performances of the season. Both players assisted on Kelly and Blandisi's tallies and Sislo setup Novak's goal. Sislo has pulled ahead of Lorito for the team lead with 22 points.
- Albany improved to 6-1-0-0 against New York State teams and has not lost to an in-state rival since the first game of the season -- a 4-1 setback at the Binghamton Senators. The Devils are outscoring their NY opponents 25-10.
TURNING POINT
The Devils had a 1-0 lead early in the second period when Kelly floated a wrister through a screen past Syracuse netminder Adam Wilcox 57 seconds after the puck drop. The goal gave the Devils some breathing rooms and Danis made a flurry of crowd-pleasing saves immediately following the goal. He finished the period with nine stops.
HOW IT PLAYED OUT
Brandon Burlon's long home-run pass caromed off the boards and Boucher accepted the puck, creating a semi-breakaway down the right side. He fired a wrist shot, picking the upper-right corner past the glove of Wilcox.
In the opening minute of the second, Kelly and Gragnani played catch along the blueline. A lane opened for Kelly and he send a wrister through a screen and into the back of the net 57 seconds into the period.
Before the intermission break and while on the power play, Blandisi received a pass behind Syracuse's net. He walked out in front and roofed a backhand into the top right corner at 17:54. Sislo and Gragnani registered the helpers.
The Devils weren't done yet. Novak blocked a shot as a Syracuse power-play expired in the third period and he raced the other way along with Sislo. The two shared some passes before Novak beat Crunch backup netminder Kristers Gudlevskis at 3:21.
THE ESSENTIALS
Shots: Albany 24, Syracuse 23
Power Play: Albany 2-4, Syracuse 0-6
Three Stars: 1. Yann Danis (ALB), 2. Mike Sislo (ALB), 3. Dan Kelly (ALB)
NEXT UP
The Devils and Crunch will face off again Friday for a 7 pm contest at Times Union Center. Happy Hour with $4 drafts begins at 6 pm and extends until the end of the first period. The game also features SEFCU College Night with $10 tickets available for students at the box office.
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