
Rolling River Rats Extend Unbeaten Streak To Five Games
Published on December 2, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany River Rats News Release
2008-09 Record: 6-9-3-2, 17 points (3-4-3-1 Home, 3-5-0-1 Road), Seventh Place - East Division
Week 8 Recap:
After beginning to turn things around in Week 7, Albany built steadily on their play in Week 8, taking five points out of a possible six in a difficult three games in three days stretch. The River Rats started the week with a 3-2 shootout win in Binghamton on Thanksgiving Day as goaltender Justin Peters out-dueled Senators starter Brian Elliott. Friday night was the only down note of the weekend, a 3-2 overtime loss to the red hot Hershey Bears; it was a game Albany felt they let slip away and yet they still secured one point. Saturday the smiles returned as the Rats downed the Syracuse Crunch 6-3 in their biggest offensive outburst of the season. Left wing Michael Ryan scored a pair of first period power play goals and center Dwight Helminen scored the game-winning goal, unassisted, in the third period and had two assists for his first three-point game of the year. Saturday night also saw the return to the ice of two injured players: defenseman Bryan Rodney and rookie center Stefan Chaput; both recorded assists in the game.
Week 9 Preview:
The River Rats start off their Week 9 schedule with an important two game home set against the Norfolk Admirals. It is Albany's first look at Norfolk this season and they trail the Admirals by just one point in the East Division standings. After playing host to Norfolk on Wednesday and Friday, the River Rats will then hit the road for two games over the weekend and their first four-games-in-five-nights stretch of 2008-09. Saturday night Albany is down in Pennsylvania for their first meeting of the year against the defending Eastern Conference champion Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and then Sunday the River Rats will make their first trip to Rochester to battle the Americans at Blue Cross Arena.
Player news was again at the forefront as the River Rats engaged in two days of practice leading up to their Wednesday game with the Admirals. Due to an injury from Hurricanes number one goaltender Cam Ward last Sunday in their game against Anaheim, Carolina has recalled goaltender Justin Peters; it is Peters first stint in the NHL. In response to losing their number one goalie to the NHL, Albany has called up rookie David Leggio from the Florida Everblades (ECHL) to backup current Rats starter Daniel Manzato. Currently in his first pro season, Leggio has been very sharp for the Everblades, who currently have the best record in the ECHL (13-3-1-0); the Clarkson University alum is 5-2-1 in eight games played with a 2.16 GAA, a 0.928 save pct. and two shutouts.
Week 9 Schedule:
(All games are broadcast LIVE on 104.5 FM "The Team" ESPN Radio, are streamed free over the Internet at www.albanyriverrats.com and can be watched via internet pay-per-view video on www.ahllive.com)
Wednesday, December 3 - 7:00 pm - Times Union Center - Albany, NY
vs. Norfolk Admirals (7-12-1-3, 18 pts)
Sixth Place, East Division
&
Friday, December 5 - 7:00 pm - Times Union Center - Albany, NY
vs. Norfolk Admirals (7-12-1-3, 18 pts)
Sixth Place, East Division
The Admirals split their four games last week (2-2-0-0), but have hit a rough patch of going 3-6-0-1 in their last ten games played. Leading scorer Paul Szczechura and left wing Radek Smolenak, were both called up by Tampa Bay on Monday, leaving Norfolk without two of their top four scorers. The River Rats trail the Admirals by just one point in the East Division standings, but Albany does have three games in hand. Captain Zenon Konopka, returns to the Times Union Center for the first time since he left the Syacuse Crunch as a free agent after the 2007-08 season. Leading Scorer: Paul Szczechura (C) - 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 23 games played. Leading Goaltender: Karri Ramo (G) - 3.58 GAA, 0.886 save pct., 5-9-0-3 record in 18 GP. Who's Hot: Brandon Bochenski (RW) - 8 points (4 goals, 4 assists) and a +2 rating in last five games played. Zenon Konopka (D) - 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) and a +3 rating in last five games played. Grant Potulny (RW) - 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) and a +2 rating in last four games played. Saturday, December 6 - 7:05 pm - Wachovia Arena - Wilkes-Barre, PA
@ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (11-9-1-1, 24 pts)
Tied-Fourth Place, East Division
Albany's first look at the Penguins and the first time former River Rats defenseman Joey Mormina will face his old team since signing with Pittsburgh as a free agent this past off-season. Former River Rats center Dave Gove was named the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton captain in early October and has 3 goals for his team this year; he played in the Penguins first 20 games this year, but missed their final two games last weekend. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 1-3-1-0 in their last five games, being out-scored 19-12 over that span - a goals-against average of 3.80 as a team. Forward Connor James leads the AHL with four shorthanded goals. Leading Scorers: Chris Minard (LW) - 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 21 games played. Leading Goaltender: Adam Berkhoel (G) - 2.28 GAA, 0.929 save pct., 7-5-1 record in 13 GP. Who's Hot: Luca Caputi (LW) - 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist) in last five games played. Chris Minard (LW) - 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) in last five games played. Dustin Jeffrey (C) - 4 assists and a +3 rating in last five games played. Sunday, December 7 - 6:05 pm - Blue Cross Arena - Rochester, NY
@ Rochester Americans (3-17-0-2, 8 pts)
Seventh Place, North Division
The first quarter of the Rochester Americans season has left much to be desired. The Amerks have the AHL's second lowest winning percentage (0.182), they rank 28th in goals scored per game (2.00) and have the league's worst team goals-against average (4.18). However, Rochester snapped a seven-game winless streak by beating the Lake Erie Monsters last Friday 2-1 to record their third win of the year. The Amerks are 1-7-0-2 and have been out-scored 37-19 in their last ten games played. Americans backup goaltender David Shantz was teammates with Albany starter Justin Peters for much of the 2007-08 season with the Florida Everblades (ECHL). Leading Scorer: Michal Repik (RW) - 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in 22 games played. Leading Goaltender: Chris Beckford-Tseu (G) - 3.84 GAA, 0.873 save pct., 3-10-1 record in 17 GP. Who's Hot: Michal Repik (RW) - 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in last five games played. Dan Collins (RW) -3 goals and a +1 rating in last five games played. Keaton Ellerby (D) - 3 assists and a +1 rating in last five games played. Week 8 Game Results:
11/27/08 Albany 3 @ Binghamton 2 - Shootout (2-1)
11/28/08 Hershey 3 @ Albany 2 - OT
11/29/08 Syracuse 3 @ Albany 6
River Rats Player of the Week: (Week 8)
Michael Ryan - LW - #21 3 GP, 4 Points (2 Goals, 2 Assists), +3 rating, 0 PIMs
Left wing Michael Ryan had a big week for the River Rats as he helped to team take five points out of a possible six in a difficult three-game stretch. Ryan started the week with an assist and the shootout-winning goal on Thanksgiving in Binghamton, then followed it off with another assist Friday night in an OT loss to Hershey. Saturday night Ryan exploded for two first period power play goals as the River Rats beat Syracuse 6-3. The Boston, Massachusetts native finished the week with a team-leading four points (2 goals, 2 assists) and a +3 plus/minus rating.
River Rats Player of the Month: (November)
Michael Ryan - LW - #21 11 GP, 8 Points (3 Goals, 5 Assists), -1 rating, 8 PIMs
Left wing Michael Ryan was a major contributor in Albany's success in November. In his second game with the River Rats, he sparked a four-goal rally with a three-point effort, including the game-winning goal, to beat Bridgeport 4-3. He tallied the shootout winning goal in Lowell on November 15th and then did it again on Thanksgiving Day in Binghamton. In the final game of November he scored two power play goals to help Albany to a 6-3 win over Syracuse. He played 11 of the River Rats 13 games in the month, missing two games on NHL call up with Carolina.
River Rats Goaltender of the Month: (November)
Justin Peters - G - #35 10 GP, 3-2-2-1. 2.70 GAA, 0.916 Sv. Pct, 262 Saves, 1 Shutout
Third year goaltender Justin Peters had quite an interesting month of November. Peters and the River Rats frustrations early in the month could not be magnified more appropriately than his stellar 55-save effort in a 4-3 overtime loss to Providence on November 8th. But he began to rally the team with a solid 3-2 shootout win over Lowell on the 15th and then really turned up the heat in the final two weeks. Following a disappointing mid-week loss to Philadelphia, Peters exploded in a home-and-home series with Syracuse. The Blyth, Ontario native came within 66 seconds of his first shutout of the season in a 3-1 win over the Crunch, only to pitch a shutout the very next night by making 43 saves in a 1-0 shootout loss in Syracuse. Peters completed the month with two more outstanding performances, beating Binghamton 3-2 in a shootout on Thanksgiving and then holding the high-powered Hershey Bears to two goals in regulation in a 3-2 overtime loss on November 28th. For the month Peters posted a solid 2.70 goals-against average, a 0.916 save percentage and a 3-2-2-1 record; all while emerging as Albany's number one goaltender.
River Rats Rookie of the Month: (November)
Stefan Chaput - C - #15 9 GP, 8 Points (2 Goals, 6 Assists), -2 rating, 8 PIMs Rookie forward Stefan Chaput is a rising young prospect in the Carolina Hurricanes organization. The Montreal, Quebec native missed four games in November due to injury and still managed to record eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in nine games played. Chaput scored his first career professional goal on November 8th vs. Providence, sparking a four-game point streak, the longest by any River Rats player so far this year. Overall Chaput is tied for third on the team with nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 13 games played for Albany.
Rat Bites:
- GOALS GALORE - Albany offense exploded Saturday night in a 6-3 win over the Syracuse Crunch at the Times Union Center. The River Rats' six goal performance was their highest single-game total and their largest winning margin of the season to date.
- POWER PLAY SWITCHED ON - The River Rats went 4-for-11 on the power play in their three games of Week 8, a success rate of 36.4%. This is coming on the heels of their previous four games where the team was a paltry 1-for-23 (4.3%).
- UNBEATEN RUN - Albany is unbeaten in their last five games, going 3-0-1-1 (8 pts) over that span; it's their longest unbeaten run of the season so far. In their last seven games the River Rats are 4-1-1-1 (10 pts), after starting the season 2-8-2-1 (7 pts) in their first 13 games, showing a drastic upwards turn over the last two and a half weeks.
- MILESTONES FOR DEWEY -Dwight Helminen recorded his 100th career professional assist on Saturday versus Syracuse, part of a three-point game for the River Rats center. Last Friday night against Hershey, Helminen played in his 300th career Pro game.
- HEALTHY 100 - Defenseman Bryan Rodney returned to the lineup Saturday night after missing four games due to injury. Rodney had one assist Saturday against Syracuse to record his 100th career professional point; he has 20 goals and 80 assists in 190 career Pro games.
- GOAL STREAK - Jakub Petruzalek scored a goal in all three games for Albany during Week 8, becoming the first River Rats player this season to record a three-game scoring streak. Petruzalek leads the team with 7 goals and 11 points this season.
River Rats Recent Transactions
December 2 - DELETE Justin Peters (G) - Recalled from loan by Carolina (NHL).
December 2 - ADD David Leggio (G) - Recalled from loan with Florida Everblades (ECHL).
November 27 - ADD Harrison Reed (RW) - Reassigned by Carolina (NHL) from Florida Everblades
(ECHL).
Albany River Rats Team Leaders:
Games Played: Seven players tied with (20)
Goals: Jakub Petruzalek (7)
Assists: Brett Carson (9)
Points: Jakub Petruzalek (11)
Plus/Minus: Nick Dodge (+2)
Penalty Minutes: Trevor Gillies (65)
Power Play Goals: Five players tied with (2)
Short Handed Goals: Pat Dwyer, Mark Flood & Dwight Helminen (1)
Game-Winning Goals: Four players tied with (1)
Shots: Jerome Samson (52)
Shooting Percentage: Harrison Reed (28.6%)
Saves: Justin Peters (370)
Wins: Daniel Manzato & Justin Peters (3)
GAA: Justin Peters (2.79)
Save Percentage: Justin Peters (0.911)
American Hockey League Stories from December 2, 2008
- Houston Aeros Fall 5-3 to Manitoba Moose Tuesday Night - Houston Aeros
- Moose Stun Aeros, 5-3 - Manitoba Moose
- Marlies Host Milwaukee On Saturday In Only Home Game This Week - Toronto Marlies
- Falcons Recall Ryan Huddy From Stockton - Springfield Falcons
- Pirates Room Dedication Scheduled at Gary's House on Wednesday - Portland Pirates
- Admirals Reassign Trio to Cincinnati - Milwaukee Admirals
- Rolling River Rats Extend Unbeaten Streak To Five Games - Albany River Rats
- Griffins Within One Point of First Place in North - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Pirates Community Appearances on Wednesday - Portland Pirates
- On the Road Again: Admirals Head East - Norfolk Admirals
- Hamilton Bulldogs weekly - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Hurricanes Recall Goaltender Justin Peters - Albany River Rats
- Casey's General Store and Rivermen Offer December Pizza Special - Peoria Rivermen
- Rissmiller Joins Wolf Pack - Connecticut Whale
- Penguins December Schedule Starts Wednesday In Worcester - Worcester Sharks
- Lundmark named CCM/AHL Player of the Month - Abbotsford Heat
- Aeros take on Moose tonight at Toyota Center - Houston Aeros
- Schneider named Reebok X-Pulse/AHL Goalie of Month - Manitoba Moose
- Osala named Reebok Edge AHL Rookie of the Month - Hershey Bears
- Moose's Schneider named Reebok X-Pulse/AHL Goaltender of the Month - AHL
- Bears' Osala named Reebok Edge/AHL Rookie of the Month - AHL
- Flames' Lundmark named CCM/AHL Player of the Month - AHL
- Rob Schremp Recalled By Edmonton Oilers - Springfield Falcons
- Dartmouth Alumnus Opens New Chapter in Wolves Read to Succeed Program - Chicago Wolves
- Fifth Annual Toys For Tots Spaghetti Dinner Set For December 9th - Binghamton Senators
- Smolenak and Szczechura Earn First NHL Call-Ups - Norfolk Admirals
- Boychuk and Lashoff Recalled - Providence Bruins
- Big Buddy Night to Benefit Students of Thomas Jefferson School - Peoria Rivermen
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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