by Amy Johnson, Lead Correspondent, IceCaps Hockey Report
ST. JOHN’s, NL — Every Tuesday, IceCaps Hockey Report’s lead contributor, Amy Johnson, reviews the most recent action involving prospects of the Montreal Canadiens and what to expect from the St. John’s IceCaps in the week ahead.
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| Saturday April 9, 2016 Mile One Centre, St. John’s, NL |
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ICECAPS |
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3-2 |
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COMETS |
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LineupForward lines and defense pairings: [one_half]Hudon – McCarron – Scherbak [one_half_last]Parisi – Didier Goaltenders: Fucale Scratches: Ben Scrivens, Brandon McNally, Angelo Miceli, Alexandre Ranger, Eddie Pasquale, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed) Game ReportHere was the night the IceCaps and their fans had been waiting for. A strong team win, despite knowing that the playoffs are now out of reach. Jeremy Gregoire was the first one to get on the scoreboard against the Utica Comets, assisted by Jeremiah Addison who notched his first pro point with the helper. Addison made his debut in this game in addition to Daniel Audette and Simon Bourque. Bourque would also get his first pro point on an assist to Jacob de la Rose’s power play goal in the third period, which would put the IceCaps ahead of the Comets 2-1. Utica peppered netminder Zach Fucale all night long, outshooting St. John’s 49-27 when all was said and done. Fucale looked strong and focused in net. After Taylor Fedun scored the equalizer late in the third, earning his team a spot in the AHL playoffs, it was time for an extra period. Morgan Ellis came up big for the IceCaps with a rocket one-timer from the top of the circle to give them a much-needed win. The IceCaps finish out their season series against Utica tomorrow with a matinee game at Mile One Centre. ▲ Zach Fucale, Jacob de la Rose, Jeremiah Addison, Jeremy Gregoire, Max Friberg, Morgan Ellis ▼ |
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| Statistics | ||
| ICECAPS | COMETS | |
| 27 | Shots | 49 |
| 1 for 5 | Power Play | 1 for 5 |
| 12 | Penalty Minutes | 12 |
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| AHL Three Stars | ||
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| Video highlights |
| Post-game interview | |
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Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report |
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| Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
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by Amy Johnson, Video Editor/Producer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
SYRACUSE, NY. — The Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps recently returned from a six-game road trip through upstate New York and Toronto. You can read full reports for each game here.
The IceCaps Hockey Report | All Habs Hockey Magazine team was onsite in Utica, Syracuse and Toronto to take in the action against the Comets, Crunch and Marlies.
Following the game against the Syracuse Crunch, IceCaps forward Jeremy Gregoire kindly spent a few minutes with our video producer, Amy Johnson.
The interview is below.
| Wednesday March 23, 2016 Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY |
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ICECAPS |
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5-6 |
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AMERICANS |
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LineupForward lines and defense pairings: [one_half]Friberg – Dumont – Holloway [one_half_last]Didier – Lernout Goaltenders: Pasquale Scratches: Shane Bakker, Mac Bennett, Angelo Miceli, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed) Game ReportDevastating. That’s the word that best sums up how this game ended. A complete collapse in the third period took what was a thrilling, energetic game from the IceCaps and turned it into an astounding loss. Charles Hudon bagged two goals back to back in the first and second periods, and got the IceCaps started with determination. St. John’s opened up the scoring in the second period, with goals being tallied by Jeremy Gregoire and Gabriel Dumont. Dan Catenacci got one back for Rochester, but the IceCaps began the third period enjoying a 4-1 lead. Just four minutes into the third, the IceCaps extended their lead to 5-1 when Morgan Ellis had a goal awarded after review. It all started to come unraveled with 11:06 left. The Amerks Matt Donovan scored a power-play goal with Gabriel Dumont in the box for tripping. Puck after puck found its way past Eddie Pasquale and, with less than five minutes remaining in the game, the IceCaps found themselves tied 5-5 with the Americans. It was a terrible breakdown, and the icing on the cake was a goal by Chad Ruhwedel with four seconds left in regulation which proved to be the winner. The Amerks scored five unanswered goals in an eleven minute span in the third period to gut the IceCaps. The loss pretty much determines that St. John’s won’t make the playoffs this year, but they still have plenty of hockey to play – especially on this road trip. They face the Rochester Americans once again on Friday night before heading to Toronto for two games against the league-leading Marlies. ▲ Morgan Ellis, Charles Hudon, Jeremy Gregoire ▼ Eddie Pasquale |
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| Statistics | ||
| ICECAPS | AMERICANS | |
| 25 | Shots | 34 |
| 0 for 2 | Power Play | 1 for 5 |
| 19 | Penalty Minutes | 13 |
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| AHL Three Stars | ||
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| Video highlights |
| Post-game interview | |
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Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report |
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| Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/712733685464899585
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| Sunday March 20, 2016 Oncenter War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, NY |
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ICECAPS |
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2-6 |
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CRUNCH |
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LineupForward lines and defense pairings: [one_half]McNally – Dumont – Friberg [one_half_last]Didier – Lernout Goaltenders: Fucale Scratches: Shane Bakker, Mac Bennett, Joel Hanley, Alexandre Ranger, Angelo Miceli, Dalton Thrower, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed) Game ReportThe IceCaps meant business at the start of this game. After a close game the previous night which was physical, at times nasty, and closely played, the St. John’s team looked renewed as they blazed down the ice. They were forechecking hard, skating well, passing cleanly – and got rewarded with a quick goal by Charles Hudon, assisted by Bud Holloway and Mark MacMillan. Emotions were still running high and it wasn’t long before Jeremy Gregoire dropped the gloves with Jake Dotchin. Minutes later a massive scrum started after Josiah Didier took on his own fighting bout and many of his teammates joined in with the nearest Crunch players. Brett Lernout earned a game misconduct for his part in the scrap. By the end of the first period, the IceCaps started to lose energy – and the lead. Syracuse scored two consecutive goals in the opening frame and were outshooting the visiting team once again. Then the game turned truly ugly in the second period when Syracuse scored four more goals, with only one more goal by Hudon coming for the IceCaps. It was not Zach Fucale’s best night and he did not return in the third period. Eddie Pasquale kept the Crunch from adding to their tally in the third period, but St. John’s played mostly a dump-and-chase game for the final 20 minutes and couldn’t mount any sort of offensive pressure or scoring. It was deflating back-to-back loss, making the playoff run that much harder to reach. Joel Hanley was recalled by Montreal on emergency status earlier in the day, putting Travis Brown back in the lineup. The IceCaps continue their road trip on Wednesday night with a game in Rochester against the Amerks. ▲ Morgan Ellis, Josiah Didier, Jeremy Gregoire, Charles Hudon, Bud Holloway ▼ Zach Fucale, Gabriel Dumont |
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| Statistics | ||
| ICECAPS | CRUNCH | |
| 24 | Shots | 28 |
| 1 for 4 | Power Play | 3 for 5 |
| 54 | Penalty Minutes | 42 |
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| AHL Three Stars | ||
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| Video highlights |
| Post-game interview | |
| Post-game interview with Sylvain Lefebvre
Post-game interview with Jeremy Gregoire Post-game interview with Andrew Yogan Audio from interviews conducted by Amy Johnson for IceCaps Hockey Report | Rocket Sports Media. Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report |
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| Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/711720625224736768
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| Saturday March 19, 2016 Oncenter War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, NY |
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ICECAPS |
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2-3 |
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CRUNCH |
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LineupForward lines and defense pairings: [one_half]Hudon – Dumont – Holloway [one_half_last]Hanley – Johnston Goaltenders: Pasquale Scratches: Shane Bakker, Travis Brown, Dalton Thrower, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed) Game ReportSome players will say that the games they’re playing right now are like being in the playoffs. In many post-game interviews we’ve heard the phrase, “We’re playing for our lives.” Every point matters at this time of year, and tonight the IceCaps played against a Crunch team who is chasing St. John’s for that final playoff position. It was a rough and physical game from the start. Both teams played with a lot of intensity and determination. But the IceCaps struggled all night to get out of their own end. Syracuse maintained control of much of the game, especially in the second period. Gabriel Dumont did get his team on the board first, assisted by Brett Lernout and Josiah Didier. But the opening frame also gave fans a massive fight between Shane Bakker and David Broll. Bakker didn’t return to the game, injuring a finger in the brawl. The IceCaps then started taking too many penalties, and although the Crunch didn’t convert any power play opportunities, it kept St. John’s on their heels. The players also seemed to get frustrated with a number of missed penalty calls against Syracuse. Eddie Pasquale stood tall in net, facing 39 shots total. Brandon McNally got one back for his team midway through the third period, but the IceCaps just couldn’t get the puck into the net one more time for the equalizer. Both benches met at one end of the ice in a massive trash-talking mass after the final horn, providing a likely preview of Sunday’s tilt. ▲ Eddie Pasquale, Morgan Ellis, Josiah Didier, Max Friberg, Jeremy Gregoire, Shane Bakker ▼ Tim Bozon, Christopher Joyaux |
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| Statistics | ||
| ICECAPS | CRUNCH | |
| 23 | Shots | 39 |
| 0 for 3 | Power Play | 0 for 4 |
| 30 | Penalty Minutes | 28 |
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| AHL Three Stars | ||
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| Video highlights |
| Post-game interview | |
| Post-game interview with Sylvain Lefebvre
Post-game interview with Josiah Didier Post-game interview with Brandon McNally Audio from interviews conducted by Amy Johnson for IceCaps Hockey Report | Rocket Sports Media. Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report |
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| Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
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| Friday March 18, 2016 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY |
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ICECAPS |
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2-1 |
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COMETS |
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LineupForward lines and defense pairings: [one_half]Hudon – Scherbak – Holloway [one_half_last]Hanley – Johnston Goaltenders: Fucale Scratches: Shane Bakker, Travis Brown, Mac Bennett, Michael Bournival (concussion), Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed) Game ReportIn the first game of the final road trip of their regular season, the IceCaps took the ice in Utica for an energetic matchup against the Comets. Both teams are jockeying for a playoff position, giving the atmosphere a bit more intensity. Jeremy Gregoire got things started the right way with a quick goal after a few minutes into the first frame. He was assisted by Mark MacMillan and Brandon McNally. Many close calls at both ends, but Zach Fucale and Joe Cannata were on top of things in their respective creases. The second period started off with some tense scrums after the whistles, but soon settled down into a fast-paced rhythm. Penalties started to rack up on both sides of the ice, as did hits. The IceCaps sustained a good amount of offensive pressure, but couldn’t get the puck through Cannata. The third period was all Comets. Midway through the frame, Carter Bancks walked off the side boards and snapped it past Zach Fucale. With the score tied, Utica did not let up. With six minutes left in the third, the Comets were outshooting the IceCaps 14-1. Fucale played a strong positional game and limited rebounds. He also had help in front of him with some excellent shot-blocking particularly by Max Friberg. In the overtime period, it was time for Friberg to show off his offensive skills. Taking a pass from Morgan Ellis, Friberg came down the right side and snapped a rocket past Comets goalie Joe Cannata to give the IceCaps the win. ▲ Morgan Ellis, Max Friberg, Andrew Yogan, Zach Fucale, Jeremy Gregoire, Brett Lernout, Josiah Didier ▼ Alexander Ranger, Ryan Johnston, Tim Bozon, Christopher Joyaux |
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| Statistics | ||
| ICECAPS | COMETS | |
| 21 | Shots | 31 |
| 0 for 3 | Power Play | 0 for 4 |
| 10 | Penalty Minutes | 8 |
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| AHL Three Stars | ||
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| Video highlights |
| Post-game interview | |
| Post-game interview with Sylvain Lefebvre
Post-game interview with Max Friberg
Audio from interviews conducted by Amy Johnson for IceCaps Hockey Report | Rocket Sports Media. Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report |
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| Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/710988437726355456
Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
Be sure to follow @AllHabs on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube
| Friday February 26, 2016 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY |
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ICECAPS |
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1-4 |
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COMETS |
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LineupForward lines and defense pairings: [one_half]Hudon – McCarron – Holloway [one_half_last]Ellis – Dietz Goaltenders: Fucale Scratches: Alexandre Ranger, Shane Bakker, Travis Brown, Dalton Thrower, Michael Bournival (concussion), Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed) Game ReportIt’s a story IceCaps fans are quite familiar with at this point: St. John’s gives up a goal early in the first period, then another. They take too many penalties, the power play can’t convert, and they finally turn on the jets in the third period when it’s too late to make a comeback. And it’s a story we have to tell again after tonight’s game. It only took two and a half minutes for the opposition to score on the IceCaps this time. Soon after, John Scott got into his first full fight as an IceCap and things went downhill from there. Mark MacMillan got called for a high-sticking double minor at the end of the first period, giving the Comets about three minutes of power play time to open the second period. Former Montreal Canadiens forward Brandon Prust earned two points on the evening for two consecutive assists. Jeremy Gregoire also dropped the gloves, as did Charles Hudon – with Malcolm Subban. A few minutes into the third period, Bud Holloway found the back of the net on the power play. Nikita Scherbak and Morgan Ellis assisted on the goal. The IceCaps scrambled and pressured the Comets throughout the rest of the third but goaltender Richard Bachman stood tall and didn’t allow any more pucks to get through. Captain Gabriel Dumont returned to the IceCaps lineup for this game. Mac Bennett was recalled from the Brampton Beast before the game, while Ellis and Michael McCarron were called up to the Montreal Canadiens immediately following the game. The Icecaps finish up their road trip with a rematch in Syracuse with the Crunch Saturday night. ▲ Morgan Ellis, Michael McCarron, Max Friberg, Bud Holloway ▼ Angelo Miceli, John Scott, Zach Fucale |
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| Statistics | ||
| ICECAPS | COMETS | |
| 29 | Shots | 29 |
| 1 for 4 | Power Play | 0 for 4 |
| 27 | Penalty Minutes | 25 |
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| AHL Three Stars | ||
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| Video highlights |
| Post-game interview | |
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Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report |
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| Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
| https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/703422482984742912https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/703420640406032384
https://twitter.com/FlyersRule/status/703404574263144448
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| Saturday January 9, 2016 Mile One Centre, St. John’s, NL |
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ICECAPS |
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1-4 |
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PORTLAND |
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LineupForward lines and defense pairings: [one_half]Lessio – McCarron – Friberg [one_half_last]Hanley – Lernout Goaltenders: Pasquale Scratches: Eric Neilson, Stefan Fournier, Brandon McNally, Tim Bozon (undisclosed), Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Nikita Scherbak (undisclosed) Game ReportAfter a complete breakdown the previous night, losing 5-1 to the Portland Pirates, the St. John’s IceCaps took to the Mile One Centre ice on Saturday looking to bounce back quickly. But it seemed that they were stuck in the same sluggish cycle from the night before, despite a massive amount of line-juggling done by the coach. Sylvain Lefebvre moved Michael McCarron back to the first line, where he also placed newcomer Max Friberg on right wing. Jacob de la Rose found himself promoted to the second line, which bumped Markus Eisenschmid up to the third line. Charles Hudon was shifted to Eisenschmid’s left wing after centering the first line for the last couple of weeks. The Pirates came out buzzing in the first period, scoring their first goal just three minutes into the game. Five minutes later they earned a shorthanded goal, quickly followed by a power play goal. Eddie Pasquale was immediately pulled from the game after giving up three goals on just seven shots. Zach Fucale gave a strong performance in relief despite giving up a goal shortly into the second period. The IceCaps attempted some physicality to muster a spark with their teammates with Dalton Thrower, Gabriel Dumont, and Jeremy Gregoire all dropping the gloves, but to no avail. Dumont did, however, connect with Eisenschmid and de la Rose late in the third period to get St. John’s on the board. The IceCaps return to home ice on Tuesday night when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins come to town for a back-to-back series. ▲ Zach Fucale ▼ Joel Hanley, Charles Hudon, Dalton Thrower, Eddie Pasquale |
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| Statistics | ||
| ICECAPS | PIRATES | |
| 41 | Shots | 31 |
| 1 for 5 | Power Play | 1 for 4 |
| 32 | Penalty Minutes | 34 |
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| AHL Three Stars | ||
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| Video highlights |
| Post-game interview | |
| Unavailable.
Quotes and audio courtesy of Rocket Sports Media |
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| Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
https://twitter.com/FlyersRule/status/685974436391071745
Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
Be sure to follow @AllHabs on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube
| Saturday January 2, 2016 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY |
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ICECAPS |
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3-1 |
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COMETS |
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LineupForward lines and defense pairings: [one_half]Lessio – Hudon – Holloway [one_half_last]Ellis – Dietz Goaltenders: Tokarski Scratches: Eric Neilson, Michael McCarron (throat), Tim Bozon (undisclosed), Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Nikita Scherbak (undisclosed) Game ReportIt was a must-win night for Sylvain Lefebvre’s IceCaps. After dropping the last two games to teams near the bottom of the standings, St. John’s needed to get back to winning ways before heading home – and they did it with style. Lucas Lessio opened the scoring just 1:32 into the game with an unassisted goal. Just about three minutes later, Jeremy Gregoire received a perfectly placed pass from Markus Eisenschmid to out the IceCaps up 2-0. The Comets thought they had gotten one of those goals ba k, but the officials ruled it a no-goal due to being hit with a high stick. They did, however, finally get on the board halfway through the first period.  Josiah Didier took quite a beating in this game, seemingly skating with a target on his back. He was the recipient of quite a few hard hits, with two of them nasty enough to warrant Stefan Fournier and Mac Bennett dropping their gloves in Didier’s defense. Dustin Tokarski looked sharp in net, allowing only one goal on 27 shots. The second period was relatively evenly played, but Brandon McNally added to the IceCaps tally early in the third with his first goal of the season. It was a decisive win for a team looking to continue the momentum on their next home stand. The IceCaps return to St. John’s and will prepare to host the Portland Pirates on Friday. ▲ Josiah Didier, Markus Eisenschmid, Dustin Tokarski, Morgan Ellis ▼ Lucas Lessio, Charles Hudon |
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| Statistics | ||
| ICECAPS | COMETS | |
| 15 | Shots | 27 |
| 0 for 2 | Power Play | 0 for 3 |
| 18 | Penalty Minutes | 16 |
| Scoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| AHL Three Stars | ||
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| Video highlights |
| Post-game interview | |
Coach Sylvain Lefebvre
Comets coach Travis Green (speaking to the Utica Observer-Dispatch)
Post-game interview with Sylvain Lefebvre Post-game interview with Morgan Ellis Audio from interviews conducted by Amy Johnson for IceCaps Hockey Report | Rocket Sports Media. Quotes and audio courtesy of Rocket Sports Media |
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| Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter |
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