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Albany Devils Weekly

March 5, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany Devils News Release


FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS WEEK

With nine-out-of-a-possible-10 points in their last five outings, the Albany Devils return to Times Union Center Friday for the first time since Feb. 18. Since then the Devils have defeated Binghamton (5-3) on Feb. 23, Hershey (6-4) on Feb. 24, Syracuse (3-1) Friday and Adirondack (3-2) Sunday. They also claimed a point in a shootout loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (2-1) Saturday. As of Tuesday morning, Albany is two points out of eighth in the Eastern Conference at 24-19-1-10 (59 pts.), trailing divisional-rival Connecticut at 27-23-5-2 (61 pts.). By Friday, the Devils will have played four fewer games than the Whale.

The Devils three-in-three home weekend includes matchups against three Northeast Division opponents. They host Bridgeport Friday at 7 pm, Springfield Saturday at 5 pm and Adirondack Sunday at 3 pm. Albany is 9-10-0-6 at home and 13-6-0-3 against the Northeast Division.

This weekend is packed with promotions. Friday features "SEFCU College Night" with $10 tickets for college students and a Happy Hour with $2 drafts between 6-7 pm for all adults 21-and-older. Saturday includes an Eric Gelinas bobblehead giveaway, courtesy of Yankee Trails, for the first 2,000 fans to arrive. The day also consists of the Boy Scouts pre-game jamboree and "SEFCU Community Awareness Night" with $15 tickets ($3 going to HATAS) for SEFCU Members. Sunday features an Albany Devils team poster giveaway, courtesy of Sunmark Credit Union, for the first 3,000 fans, a postgame autograph session and a postgame skate. Additionally on Sunday, fans can take advantage of the Papa John's Family Four Pack. For just $52, the pack includes four tickets, four Devils hats, a voucher for a large pizza and a voucher for one cinnapie dessert.

DEVILS NOTABLES

- Since Dec. 1, the Devils have gone 20-11-1-5, averaging 2.92 goals per game with 108 goals in 37 outings. Before Dec. 1, Albany averaged 2.18 goals per game with 37 tallies in 17 games. For the season, the Devils are at 2.69 goals per game, including 145 goals in 54 contests.

- By scoring first Friday and Sunday, Albany improved to 17-4-1-4 when scoring first. Additionally, the team is 11-4-0-1 when leading after the first and 17-0-0-1 when leading after the second.

- The Devils have outscored opponents 57-48 during the third period, averaging 1.10 goals for and 0.89 goals against.

- With back-to-back wins Friday and Sunday, Jeff Frazee extended his win streak to three games and notched his third and fourth wins in his last five starts. During the weekend, he combined for 73 saves on 76 shots. He is now 7-9-4 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.

- Darcy Zajac tied a career-high Friday with a pair of goals and posted his eighth goal of the season Saturday. For the weekend, he was a team-best +4 and unloaded seven shots.

- This season, Joe Whitney, who has five goals in his last five games, has netted a career- high 17 goals, passing his mark of 15 during the 2011-12 season. The second-year pro, leads the team with 35 points and a +16 rating. Last year, Whitney led the team with 44 points, backed by 15 goals and 29 helpers.

- Jacob Josefson has assists in back-to-back games and has three points (1g-2a) in his last four outings. In 34 games, he ranks fifth among active Devils with 23 points, backed by nine goals and 14 assists. He is second with a +10 rating.

- Phil DeSimone, who has eight goals and six assists for 14 points, has registered five goals and four assists in his last nine games.

- Rookie defenseman Raman Hrabarenka has posted a +5 in his last five outings. He was a +2 at Binghamton on Feb. 23, a +1 at Syracuse Friday and a +2 at Adirondack Sunday.

- New Jersey prospect and current Sarnia (OHL) left-winger Reid Boucher netted a hat trick Saturday, moving his goal total to 60 on the season and surpassing Steven Stamkos (58) for the most in Sarnia team history. Boucher, the 99th overall pick in 2011, also became the first OHLer to reach the 60-goal plateau since 2007-08.

The Sound Tigers are fourth in the Northeast Division and tied for 12th in the Eastern Conference at 23-24-4-4 (54 pts.), including a 10-16-1-1 road record. The Falcons are first in the division and first in the conference at 34-14-4-3 (75 pts.) with a 15-7-3-0 road mark and the Phantoms are fifth in the division and 15th in the conference at 21-30-2-2 (46 pts.), including a 9-16-2-1 road showing.

The Devils current five-game point streak is tied for the second longest this season. They posted points in six straight games between Dec. 1-15 (5-0-0-1) and in five consecutive outings between Nov. 9-17 (2-0-0-3).

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

Fri., Mar. 1: Albany 3 at Syracuse 1 (War Memorial at OnCenter) Teams 1 2 3 F

Albany 0 0 3 3

Syracuse 0 0 1 1

Jeff Frazee kept the game scoreless during the first 49 minutes and then the Devils offense took over. Chris McKelvie and Darcy Zajac scored within 62 seconds of each other, helping Albany to a 3-1 victory against the Syracuse Crunch Friday at War Memorial at OnCenter.

Frazee made 14 saves in the first, 12 in the second and 11 in the third. He left his mark by stopping Ondrej Palat on a breakaway midway through the second and robbing Brett Connolly down low before the end of the period.

In the third, McKelvie cashed in on an Alexander Urbom rebound at 9:04 and Darcy Zajac followed by taking advantage of a Syracuse miscue at 10:06. Connolly pulled the Crunch within one at 17:45, but Zajac capped his two-goal night with an empty netter at 19:14.

1st Period- No Scoring.

2nd Period- No Scoring.

3rd Period-1, Albany, McKelvie 3 (Urbom, Wiseman), 9:04. 2, Albany, Zajac 6 (Janssen, Hoeffel), 10:06. 3, Syracuse, Connolly 23 (Johnson), 17:45. 4, Albany, Zajac 7 (Janssen), 19:14 (EN).

Shots on Goal-Albany 5-6-15-26. Syracuse 14-12-12-38.

Power Play Opportunities-Albany 0 / 2; Syracuse 0 / 3.

Goalies-Albany, Frazee 7-9-4 (38 shots-37 saves). Syracuse, Desjardins 11-15-2 (25 shots-23 saves).

Sat., Mar. 2 Albany 1 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2 (Mohegan Sun Arena) - Shootout

Teams 1 2 3 OT SO F

Albany 0 1 0 0 0 1

WB/Scranton 1 0 0 0 1 2

Despite Maxime Clermont's 29 saves in his season debut, the Devils lost, 2-1, in a shootout against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Albany, which entered the game on a three-game winning streak, extended its point streak to four games. Clermont made seven saves in the first, 12 in the second, seven in the third and three in overtime. During the shootout, he denied the first three WB/Scranton tries before surrendering the final three.

The Devils led 1-0 during the first three rounds until WB/Scranton's Jayson Megna tied the game in the fourth. His teammate Tom Kostopoulos scored in the fifth, but was matched by Joe Whitney to extend the session. The Penguins Adam Payerl netted the winner in the sixth round.

With 26 saves in regulation and overtime and four saves in the shootout, WB/Scranton's Jeff Zatkoff earned his 18th win.

The Penguins got on the board at 9:25 of the first when Trevor Smith scored on the power- play. The Devils responded with a Darcy Zajac goal from Jacob Josefson and Scott Parse at 15:46 of the second.

1st Period-1, W-B/Scranton, Smith 17 (Kostopoulos, Grant), 9:25 (PP).

2nd Period-2, Albany, Zajac 8 (Josefson, Parse), 15:46.

3rd Period- No Scoring.

OT Period- No Scoring.

Shootout - Albany 2 (Sislo G, Wiseman NG, DeSimone NG, Parse NG, Whitney G, Zalewski NG), W-B/Scranton 3 (Kolarik NG, Smith NG, Holzapfel NG, Megna G, Kostopoulos G, Payerl G). Shots on Goal-Albany 7-10-8-2-0-27. W-B/Scranton 8-12-7-3-1-31.

Power Play Opportunities-Albany 0 / 2; W-B/Scranton 1 / 3.

Goalies-Albany, Clermont 0-0-1 (30 shots-29 saves). W-B/Scranton, Zatkoff 18-16-0 (27 shots-26 saves).

Current Streaks

Jeff Frazee - 3 game winning streak

Jacob Josefson - 2 game point streak (2a)

Upcoming Milestones

Matt Anderson - 2 away from 200 career AHL points

Brandon Burlon - 5 away from 100 career AHL games

Jeff Frazee - 1 away from 10 career AHL shutouts

Mike Hoeffel - 4 away from 100 career AHL games

Jay Leach - 22 away from 500 career AHL games

Chris McKelvie - 6 away from 100 career AHL games

Chad Wiseman - 4 away from 600 career AHL games

Recent Milestones

Phil DeSimone - 100th career AHL game; at WBS (Mar. 2)

Mike Sislo - 100th career AHL game; at WBS (Mar. 2)

Eric Gelinas - 100th career AHL game; at CT (Feb. 5)

Joe Whitney - 100th career AHL game; vs. ADK (Jan. 20)

Matt Anderson - 300th career AHL game; at NOR (Dec. 22)

Tim Sestito - 300 career AHL game; at NOR (Dec. 21)

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS

Mar. 8 vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Times Union Center)

The Sound Tigers went 1-1-1-0 in three games last week, including a 7-3 setback at Connecticut Friday. They rebounded for a 4-3 win against Adirondack Saturday before posting a 3-2 overtime loss against Connecticut Sunday. Bridgeport is 2-5-2-1 in its last 10 outings.

Nino Niederreiter, the fifth overall pick during the 2010 NHL Draft, paces the Sound Tigers with 22 goals and 40 points. Brock Nelson is second with 35 points, backed by 16 goals and 19 assists.

Bridgeport's roster includes three netminders: Rick DiPietro, Anders Nilsson and Kenny Reiter. DePietro, the first overall selection during the 2000 NHL Draft, is 1-1-0 with a 6.00 goals-against average and a .784 save percentage. Nilsson, who is 7-10-0 with a 3.14 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage, missed all of February with his last appearance coming on Jan. 26. Reiter is 0-3-1 with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage.

Sat., Mar. 9 vs. Springfield Falcons (Times Union Center)

The Falcons are coming off a 4-0-0-0 week, which began Friday with the conclusion of the Feb. 17 game against Adirondack. The Falcons won, 3-2, in a shootout and then claimed a victory, 7-2, against the Phantoms immediately after. Springfield defeated Providence, 2-1, in a shootout Saturday and knocked off Worcester, 2-0, Sunday. The Falcons are 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 games.

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, who is a +20, leads Springfield with 52 points, including 17 goals and a team-leading 35 assists. Ryan Craig and Nick Holden are the next active leaders with 46 and 25 points, respectively. Craig has 16 goals and 30 helpers, while Holden has five tallies and 20 assists.

In goal, Curtis McElhinney has carried the load, posting a 23-10-2 record. He has registered a 2.30 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage and a league-best eight shutouts.

Sun., Mar. 10 vs. Adirondack Phantoms (Times Union Center)

The Phantoms, who are 3-6-0-1 in its last 10, went 0-3-0-1 last week. Adirondack dropped a 3-2 shootout Friday against Springfield during the completion of the Feb. 17 suspended game and then lost 7-2 immediately after. The Phantoms then fell, 4-3, against Bridgeport Saturday and lost, 3-2, against Albany Sunday.

Jason Akeson is the team's active leader with 30 points, including eight goals and 22 assists. Danny Syvret is next with 27 points, backed by four goals and 23 helpers. Three goaltenders fill the Phantoms roster.

Cal Heeter is 8-13-2 with a 2.96 goals- against average and a .906 save percentage, while Michael Leighton is 0-1-0 with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage. Scott Munroe is 11-14-0 with a 2.64 goals-against mark and a .916 save percentage.

Sun., Mar. 3 Albany 3 at Adirondack 2 (Glens Falls Civic Center) Teams 1 2 3 F

Albany 0 2 1 3

Adirondack 0 1 1 2

Phil DeSimone potted a pair of goals and Joe Whitney registered a goal and two assists, leading the Devils to a 3-2 win against the Adirondack Phantoms Sunday at Glens Falls Civic Center. Jeff Frazee registered his seventh win of the season and fourth in his last five starts.

DeSimone's tallies came at 1:49 of the second period to opening the scoring and at 8:56 of the third to make the score 3-1. Jacob Josefson and Whitney setup DeSimone's first goal - a quick wrist shot from the faceoff dot. Whitney had a hand on his second goal - a one-timer in the slot. Whitney's goal was scored at 6:50 of the second on a redirect off a David Wohlberg feed.

Adirondack's goals came off the sticks of Andreas Lilja and Eric Wellwood. Lilja's point shot found its way through a mass of bodies in front at 10:24 of the second. Wellwood scored at 18:24 of the third to produce the final result.

1st Period- No Scoring.

2nd Period-1, Albany, DeSimone 7 (Josefson, Whitney), 1:49. 2, Albany, Whitney 17 (Wohlberg), 6:50. 3, Adirondack, Lilja 1 (Noebels), 10:24.

3rd Period-4, Albany, DeSimone 8 (Whitney), 8:56. 5, Adirondack, Wellwood 6 (Harper, Konan), 18:24.

Shots on Goal-Albany 9-10-9-28. Adirondack 9-12-17-38.

Power Play Opportunities-Albany 0 / 2; Adirondack 0 / 4.

Goalies-Albany, Frazee 7-9-4 (38 shots-36 saves). Adirondack, Leighton 0-1-0 (28 shots-25 saves).

Here is your chance to be a Hockey Champion!

The Albany Devils, the AHL and nine other teams have partnered with Labatt Blue for the 2013 Labatt Blue AHL Bubble Hockey Tournament of Champions. Each participating AHL city will have a local tournament and the Albany winner will represent the Devils for the league title.

Upcoming local Bubble Hockey action will take place at the following establishments: March 7 Park View Pub (9:30-11:30 pm)

March 8 Railyard (7-9 pm)

March 15 Hooters (8-10 pm)

The Tournament Finals will take place in Albany on Apr. 21 at Times Union Center. Participants are competing to win great prizes including tickets to AHL games, a trip for two to Albany and the grand prize of your very own Super Chexx Bubble Hockey game!

Entry is Free with no purchase necessary and players must be 21 or older. To register, sign up at the venue at least 15 minutes before the games start.

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