Rats Sweep Two From Norfolk, Bayda Plays 300th AHL Game

December 3, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany River Rats News Release


Week 9 Recap:

The River Rats began with a two game sweep over the Norfolk Admirals at the Times Union Center, giving Albany a current four-game winning streak at home and closing the month of November with a 7-5-0-1 record. Wednesday Mike Angelidis score two goals and one assist to lead the Rats to a 7-0 shutout over the Admirals. G Michael Leighton recorded his AHL-leading fourth shutout of the year, facing just 16 shots. Friday Norfolk rallied from two goals down in the third period, but LW Ryan Bayda scored a dramatic highlight-quality goal in the final minute of overtime to seal a 4-3 Albany victory. The River Rats had their five-game unbeaten run snapped Saturday night in Syracuse as the Crunch broke a 1-1 tie with a third period power play goal and added an empty net goal for a 3-1 win over Albany. Sunday in Providence the River Rats allowed two goals in the first five minutes of play, but battled back twice tying the game. However the Bruins were too much on home ice as they skated away with a 5-3 win.

Week 10 Preview:

The River Rats December schedule is one of their busiest months of the season, but Week 9 provides a brief respite. Albany hosts the Atlantic Division's Portland Pirates Friday night at the Times Union Center for a 7:00 pm face off. After a travel day on Saturday, the River Rats will battle the Hershey Bears for the fifth time this season Sunday afternoon at 5:00 pm at the Giant Center.

Week 10 Schedule: (Home Games in Bold)

(All games are broadcasted LIVE on ESPN Radio 104.5 FM The Team & on the Internet at www.albanyriverrats.com)

Friday, December 7 - 7:00 pm - Times Union Center

vs. Portland Pirates (12-9-1-1, 26 pts)

Fourth Place, Atlantic Division

The River Rats host the Portland Pirates for their first meeting of the season. The Pirates have enjoyed a strong start to the season, jumping out to a record three games above .500, but find themselves in fourth place of a very competitive Atlantic Division. Albany is an even 20-20-2-1 (with 5 ties) in 48 games against the Pirates. In 2006-07 the teams split the two game series, with each team winning their respective home game. The River Rats will face Portland four times this year, with their second game coming on January 11th at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Leading Scorer: Andrew Ebbett (C) - 25 points (6 goals, 19 assists) in 23 games played. Leading Goaltender: Mike McKenna (G) - 2.99 GAA, 0.905 save pct., 5-3-0 record in 9 games played. Who's Hot: Brian Salcido (D) - 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in last five games. Geoff Platt (C) - (4 goals, 5 assists) and Bobby Ryan (RW) - (5 goals, 4 assists) in last five games. Sunday, December 9 - 5:00 pm - Giant Center

@ Hershey Bears (12-8-0-1, 25 pts)

Third Place, East Division

The River Rats have played the Hershey Bears more times this season than any other AHL team. After shutting out the Bears 2-0 in their first meeting on October 28th in Hershey, Albany has dropped three straight to the Bears, most recently a 3-2 loss on November 16th at the Giant Center. The River Rats have lost both home games to Hershey so far this year and have not won against the Bears in their last 13 games at the Times Union Center. After Sunday, the River Rats will not see Hershey again until January 18th. Leading Scorer: Joe Motzko (RW) - 15 points (10 goals, 5 assists) in 18 games played. Leading Goaltender: Frederic Cassivi (G) - 3.12 GAA, 0.898 save pct., 8-7-1 record in 16 games played. Who's Hot: Jay Beagle (C) - 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist) in last five games. Week 9 Game Results:

11/28/07 Norfolk 0 @ Albany 7

Albany, NY - Left wing Mike Angelidis scored two goals and added one assist and goaltender Michael Leighton recorded his AHL-leading fourth shutout of the season as the Albany River Rats overwhelmed the Norfolk Admirals 7-0 Wednesday night at the Times Union Center.

Angelidis started the onslaught at 8:55 of the opening period when he one-timed a beautiful feed from Dave Gove from behind the net, scoring his fifth goal of the year; Gove and Brandon Nolan earned the assists. Defenseman J.D. Forrest doubled the River Rats lead at 12:07 when he tipped in a Jerome Samson shot for his first career AHL goal, assisted by Samson and Keith Aucoin.

Albany stamped on the accelerator in the second period; scoring three more times blow the game wide open. Defenseman Tim Conboy scored his first goal of the season on a shot from the blue line at 1:54, assisted by Casey Borer and Jamie Johnson. Borer was a major factor in the River Rats' fourth goal at 15:21, when he gained possession in the defensive zone and sent a long pass to Ryan Bayda that shot the winger behind Norfolk's defense. Bayda corralled the puck at the top of the circles and tucked a wrist shot past Admirals goaltender Jonathan Boutin for his fifth goal of the year. Norfolk head coach Steve Stirling pulled Boutin after Bayda's goal, replacing him with backup Karl Goehring with less than five minutes remaining in the period.

But Albany was not done scoring Aucoin scored during a delayed penalty at 18:25 of the middle frame, assisted by Nolan and Angelidis. It was a Herculean effort from Nolan that setup Aucoin's third goal of the season. Nolan kept the puck alive during the delayed penalty, skated all the way back into his defensive zone than raced up the right wing, cut back above the goal line and fired a perfect cross-ice pass through traffic to find a wide open Aucoin standing on the left face off dot for a one-timer and a 5-0 lead.

The Rats added two more goals in the third period to register their highest scoring game and largest margin of victory of the 2007-08 season to date. Defenseman Mark Flood unleashed a vicious slap shot at 4:09 from the top of the right face off circle for a power play goal; Flood's third goal of the year, assisted by Gove and Jakub Petruzalek. Angelidis then capped off the scoring with a fantastic individual highlight at 12:02 of the third. In the waning seconds of a River Rats penalty kill, Angelidis blocked a Justin Fletcher shot in the high slot and broke up the ice, narrowly holding Fletcher off in pursuit. The Albany left wing gained the offensive blue line the ripped a wrist shot over the glove of Goehring, into the top corner of the net for his second goal of the game and sixth of the season, completing a 7-0 rout.

Starting goaltender Michael Leighton earned his seventh win and his fourth shutout of the season by stopping all 16 Norfolk shots; Leighton equaled Ari Ahonen's single-season franchise record for shutouts set in the 2004-05 season. The River Rats finished 1-for-5 on the power play as they improved to 11-8-0-2 on the year. Admirals' starter Jonathan Boutin took the loss, making 21 saves and allowing 4 goals in the first 35:21 of the game. Karl Goehring played the final 24:39, blocking 10-of-13 shots as Norfolk dropped to 8-11-0-2; the Admirals were 0-for-4 on the power play.

11/30/07 Norfolk 3 @ Albany 4 - OT

Albany, NY - Left wing Ryan Bayda scored with 24 seconds left in overtime to lead the Albany River Rats to a thrilling 4-3 win over the Norfolk Admirals Friday night in front of 3,405 fans at the Times Union Center.

For just the fifth time in their first 22 games this season the River Rats did not score the first goal of the game. Norfolk forward Chris Lawrence stole the puck on a miscommunication in the Albany defensive zone and snapped a wrist shot from the right circle under the blocker of goalie Michael Leighton for an unassisted goal and a 1-0 Admirals lead at 10:49 of the first period. But the River Rats struck back, tying the game at 13:15 when left wing Brandon Nolan unselfishly fed rookie right wing Kirk MacDonald at the far post. Nolan collected the rebound from a Brett Carson shot and, instead of shooting from a sharp angle, slid the puck to the top of the crease just in time to connect with MacDonald, who was driving toward the goal. MacDonald one-timed the puck into the net for his first goal of the season, assisted by Nolan and Carson.

In the second period Carson played a pivotal part in putting Albany in the lead for the first time in the game. Carson fired a long pass up the ice right on the blade of Jamie Johnson, who sped into the offensive zone and snapped a quick shot that beat Norfolk goalie Jonathan Boutin to the near post at 10:22; assisted by Carson and Ryan Bayda. The goal, Johnson's fifth of the year, was the only strike of the second period and it put the Rats ahead 2-1 after 40 minutes of play; the River Rats also out-shot Norfolk 31-13 in the first two periods.

Albany looked as though they were going to skate away with the game in the third period when Dave Gove set up Mike Angelidis at 9:41, giving the River Rats a 3-1 lead. For the second straight game Gove made a clever pass from behind the net to an open Angelidis, who again one-timed the puck past a sprawling Boutin for his seventh goal of the year. But the Admirals would not go away on this night and just 49 seconds later Norm Milley scored on a spin-around shot from just above the crease to pull Norfolk back within a goal. The visitors continued to press the attack and finally equalized the score at 3-3 when Adam Henrich slotted a rebound into an open net at 17:39. Ryan Bayda was whistled for Albany's only penalty of the game, a high-sticking call at 19:22 of the third period, which game Norfolk a power play that carried into overtime.

But the River Rats, with the AHL's fourth best penalty kill going into the game, killed off the four-on-three advantage, setting up the exciting finale. After the teams traded attacks for several minutes captain Keith Aucoin picked up the puck at center ice and raced into the offensive with Ryan Bayda on a two-on-one. Aucoin drew the defenseman towards him and then fed a perfect saucer pass to Bayda who buried his shot into the roof of the net with just 23.9 seconds remaining in overtime, sending the River Rats players and fans into a frenzied celebration.

Albany starter Michael Leighton made 23 saves on 26 shots to record his eighth win of the year, while the River Rats improved to 12-8-0-2 on the year. Albany was 0-for-3 on the power play, but notched their first overtime win of the season. Jonathan Boutin took the loss in goal for Norfolk, stopping 35-of-39 shots, as the Admirals dropped to 8-11-1-2 on the year.

12/1/07 Albany 1 @ Syracuse 3

Albany, NY - Defenseman Aaron Rome's third period power play goal lifted the Syracuse Crunch to a 3-1 win over Albany River Rats Saturday night at the War Memorial at Oncenter.

The two teams were at mini-polar opposites going into the first period as the River Rats were riding a five-game unbeaten streak and the Crunch had just one win in their last five games. But they battled to a scoreless draw in the opening twenty minutes, with each team registering eleven shots on goal. Albany's best chance to score in the first period came on the power play when Brandon Nolan found Jamie Johnson wide open with a back door pass, but Johnson's shot hit the corner post and bounced harmlessly away.

The second period continued much as the first had, with a few scoring chances from each team, but mostly dominated by strong defense and goaltending. Albany almost broke through with back-to-back power plays in the middle of the period, but they were held at bay by Syracuse goaltender Adam Munro. The Crunch struck first in the final minute of the second period when captain Zenon Konopka picked up a rebound in the slot and, with a little spin move, slid the puck just inside the far post for a 1-0 lead at 19:28.

The intensity rose tenfold as there were three fights in two separate altercations in the first 73 seconds of the third period. The scrums seemed to ignite both teams and the crowd, but it was not long before Albany tied the game. J.D. Forrest blasted a slap shot from the right point that took a deflection on its way into the top of the net at 3:00, leveling the score at 1-1; Brandon Nolan and Jamie Johnson assisted on Forrest's second goal of the year. But the Crunch answered soon after when Aaron Rome's slap shot from the blue line blazed into the top corner for a power play goal at 4:52, regaining a 2-1 lead. Syracuse added an empty net goal from Trevor Frischmon in the final minute of play to cap off the 3-1 victory.

Adam Munro earned the win in goal for Syracuse, stopping 25-of-26 shots; the Crunch went 1-for-3 on the power play. Michael Leighton took the loss in goal for Albany, making 31 saves on 33 shots; the River Rats were 0-for-7 on the power play in the game.

12/2/07 Albany 3 @ Providence 5

Providence, RI - The Providence Bruins scored three first period goals on their way to a 5-3 win over the Albany River rats Sunday afternoon at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

Rookie goaltender Daniel Manzato had the daunting task of making his AHL debut against the first place team in the Atlantic Division. It did not help Manzato's nerves or confidence that the Bruins scored on their first offensive run and twice in the first five minutes. Pascal Pelletier knocked in his own rebound at 1:35 of the first period and Nate Thompson doubled Providence's lead at 4:29 when Albany failed to clear a rebound out the crease; Thompson was the quickest to react as he poked the loose puck over the goal line for a 2-0 lead.

Albany Head Coach Tom Rowe used his one and only timeout after Thompson's goal, trying to settle down his troops after the River Rats worse start to a game this season. The strategy worked and the River Rats battled back into the game when Brandon Nolan collected the puck in the left wing corner, toe-dragged around a Bruins defenseman and slid a backhand shot through the legs of goaltender Andy Franck at 11:52. The goal was Nolan's ninth of the season, assisted by Dave Gove, and it seemed to ignite the River Rats lineup. Defenseman Brett Carson tied the game 2-2 at 18:01 by unleashing a heavy slap shot from the top of the right circle, blazing the puck past the blocker of Franck for his first goal of the season. But the Bruins countered 62 seconds later when T.J. Trevelyan and Byron Bitz combined for a picture perfect give-and-go on a two-on-one rush; Bitz returning a pass to Trevelyan who snapped his wrist shot into the net at 19:03, giving the Bruins a 3-2 after the first period.

Albany showed their resiliency as they immediately went on the attack in the second period and tied the game at 1:27. Center Jamie Johnson was wide open between the hash marks when he collected a rebound off a long shot from Ryan Bayda and Johnson ripped his shot into the top right corner of the goal, over the catching glove of Franck to tie the game 3-3. The River Rats almost grabbed the lead a few minutes later on the power play when Ryan Bayda's one-timer beat Franck, but rang harmlessly off the post. Chris Collins came out of the penalty box and made the River Rats for not scoring. Collins redirected a Brett Skinner slap shot through Manzato's legs at 7:35 to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead that held up through the end of the period.

In the third period the River Rats threw everything they could at the Providence goal, but either Franck or the goal post denied chance after chance. The Bruins added an insurance goal at 17:32 when Pascal Pelletier one-timed a shot from the left circle inside the near post for his second goal of the game, finishing off a 5-3 Bruins win.

Andy Franck earned the win in goal for the Bruins, stopping 19-of-22 shots and helping Providence improve to 17-3-2-0 on the year. The River Rats fell to 12-10-0-2 on the season as rookie Daniel Manzato made 38 saves on 43 shots in his AHL debut. The River Rats finished the game 0-for-2 on the power play, while Providence went 0-for-4.

River Rats Player of the Week: (Week 9)

Mike Angelidis - LW- #10 4 GP, 3 Goals, 1 Assist, 4 Points, +2

Left wing Mike Angelidis had his best offensive week of the season, cashing in for three goals and one assist and finishing with a +2 rating. Angelidis scored twice, including the game-winning goal, added an assist and was +3 on Wednesday in Albany's 7-0 win over Norfolk. The Woodbridge, Ontario native added his third goal of the week Friday night against Norfolk, then completed the week with two road games. Sunday in Providence Angelidis played in his 50th career AHL game and was +1 in the River Rats 5-3 loss.

Rat Bites:

- THE SHUTOUTS KEEP COMING - G Michael Leighton recorded his AHL-leading 4th shutout of the season in Wednesday's 7-0 win over Norfolk, tying an Albany franchise record for shutouts in one year, held by Ari Ahonen (2004-05). It was his 26th career AHL shutout and ranks him 8th All Time in the AHL, just one shutout behind Jean-Francois Labbe (1993-2003).

- MORE SHUTOUT STATS - Wednesday shutout was Albany's 6th team shutout of the year, tying a franchise single season record set in 2004-05 by Ari Ahonen and Scott Clemmensen.

- THREE HUNDRED - LW Ryan Bayda played in his 300th career AHL game on Sunday at Providence. Bayda has 211 points (80 goals, 131 assist) over that span, which runs from 2001-2007.

- GOALS EXPLOSION - The River Rats blew away their previous franchise record for largest margin of victory in a shutout performance; prior to Wednesday's 7-0 shutout win over Norfolk, the River Rats had recorded several 5-0 shutouts in their 15-year history.

- FIRST GOALS - Three Albany defenseman scored their first goals of the season this week. D J.D. Forrest scored his first career AHL goal on Wednesday vs. Norfolk; he later scored his second goal of the week on Saturday in Syracuse. D Tim Conboy also scored his first goal of the season on Wednesday against the Admirals and D Brett Carson scored his first of the year on Sunday at Providence.

River Rats Recent Transactions

There Were No Player Transactions In Week 9

Albany River Rats Team Leaders:

Goals: Brandon Nolan, Jerome Samson (9)

Assists: Keith Aucoin (16)

Points: Keith Aucoin (19)

Plus/Minus: Casey Borer (+16)

Penalty Minutes: Tim Conboy (72)

Power Play Goals: Jerome Samson (6)

Short Handed Goals: Pat Dwyer (1)

Game-Winning Goals: Dave Gove, Brandon Nolan, Jerome Samson (2)

Shots: Jerome Samson (75)

Shooting Percentage: Mike Angelidis (20.0%)

Saves: Michael Leighton (681)

Wins: Michael Leighton (8)

GAA: Kevin Nastiuk (1.20)

Save Percentage: Kevin Nastiuk (0.959)

East Division Standings:

EAST GP RECORD PTS

Philadelphia 23 (16-6-1-0) 33

Albany 24 (12-10-0-2) 26

Hershey 21 (12-8-0-1) 25

Binghamton 22 (11-8-2-1) 25

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 22 (12-10-0-0) 24

Norfolk 24 (8-13-1-2) 19

Bridgeport 20 (8-11-1-0) 17

The River Rats have two games on their schedule for this week, playing a home game on Friday, December 7th at the Times Union Center with a 7:00 pm face off against the Portland Pirates. Albany will finish their week with a Sunday afternoon game against the Hershey Bears at 5:00 pm at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Partial season tickets packages and flex tickets for the 2007-08 River Rats season are on sale now. For more information please contact the Albany River Rats at (518) 487-2244 or online at www.albanyriverrats.com.



American Hockey League Stories from December 3, 2007


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