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IceCaps game report

RECAP | Wolf Pack – IceCaps: Ending the Season on a High Note

Saturday April 16, 2016 
Mile One Centre, St. John’s, NL

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

2-1

WOLF PACK
Hartford

(Photo courtesy of the St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Hudon – McCarron – Scherbak
Friberg – De la Rose – Dumont
Addison – Audette – Holloway
Bozon – MacMillan – Gregoire[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Hanley – Dietz
Johnston – Ellis
Bourque – Didier[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Pasquale
Fucale

Scratches: Dalton Thrower, Mac Bennett, John Scott, Travis Brown, Cory Ward, Tom Parisi, Ben Scrivens, Brandon McNally, Angelo Miceli, Alexandre Ranger, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed)
Injured Reserve: Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Michael Bournival (concussion)

Game Report

For the final game of the season, the IceCaps did not disappoint their fans.  After a quickly played first period which again did not see any goals or penalties, the Wolf Pack struck first in the second period.

After that, it was Jacob de la Rose who stormed into the second frame with a beautiful shot from the high slot to tie the game.  Both goaltenders, Eddie Pasquale and Mackenzie Skapski, were lights out stopping shot after shot from either team.

In the third period Tim Bozon got the go-ahead goal and the IceCaps kept the Wolf Pack at bay for the rest of the game.  It was a tremendous way for the team to end their season as they saluted their St. John’s fans from center ice.

Prior to the game, awards were given out by the team to some of its players.  Michael McCarron was named Rookie of the Year, Zach Fucale was named Community Man of the Year, Josiah Dider was awarded the Hardest Working Player, Morgan Ellis won Top Defenceman, and captain Gabriel Dumont earned the MVP award for the season.

 

▲     Eddie Pasquale, Tim Bozon, Morgan Ellis, Michael McCarron, Charles Hudon, Daniel Audette, Max Friberg, Jacob de la Rose

 Statistics 
ICECAPS WOLF PACK
 35 Shots 36
0 for 1 Power Play 0 for 2
4 Penalty Minutes 2
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (32-33-8-3) 0 1 0 1
 Wolf Pack (41-32-3-0) 0 1 1 2
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  de la Rose (7), Bozon (5)
  • HFD:  Tambellini (17)
  • STJ: Pasquale (W) 13-10-3
  • HFD: Skapski (L) 4-7-0
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Eddie Pasquale  STJ
  2. Mackenzie Skapski  HFD
  3. Mark MacMillan  STJ

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview

Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
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IceCaps game report

RECAP | Phantoms – IceCaps: Disappointing Debut for Scrivens

Saturday April 2, 2016 
Mile One Centre, St. John’s, NL

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

0-4

PHANTOMS
Lehigh Valley

(Photo courtesy of the St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Scherbak – Dumont – Holloway
Bozon – Miceli – Friberg
McNally – MacMillan – Gregoire
Yogan – Ward – Ranger[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Parisi – Didier
Scott – Ellis
Bennett – Johnston[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Scrivens
Fucale

Scratches: Shane Bakker, Charles Hudon, Christopher Joyaux, Eddie Pasquale, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed)
Injured Reserve: Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Michael Bournival (concussion)

Game Report

There’s not much more to say about this game other than that it was a complete meltdown for the IceCaps.  Ben Scrivens made his St. John’s debut in net and it was not a good night for him or the team in front of him.

The IceCaps found themselves down 3-0 in the first period, and yet again their power play unit couldn’t convert any of the five man advantages opportunities they were given.  Jay Rosehill got a match penalty for a dangerous hit to the head on Josiah Didier which sent Didier violently into the glass.  He got right up, however, and continued play.

The rest of the game was more of the same with Martin Ouellette having another outstanding game, for being essentially the Phantoms’ third-string goaltender.  Cole Bardreau scored a soft shorthanded goal in the third period to put the IceCaps away for good.

The IceCaps continue their homestand next weekend when the Utica Comets come to town.

▲     Morgan Ellis, Josiah Didier, Bud Holloway

▼     Ben Scrivens

 Statistics 
ICECAPS PHANTOMS
 31 Shots 22
0 for 5 Power Play 0 for 3
6 Penalty Minutes 18
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (29-32-8-3) 0 0 0 0
 Phantoms (31-32-4-3) 3 0 1 4
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:
  • LV:  Willcox (1), Brent (8), Bardreau (12)
  • STJ: Scrivens (L) 2-7-1
  • LV: Ouellette (W) 4-3-0
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Martin Ouellette  LV
  2. Colin McDonald  LV
  3. Cole Bardreau  LV

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
 

Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Marlies: Tired Team Fades [with AUDIO]

Saturday March 26, 2016 
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

3-5

MARLIES
Toronto

(Photo courtesy of St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]McNally – Dumont – Friberg
Hudon – Scherbak – Holloway
Yogan – MacMillan – Gregoire
Bozon – Ward – Ranger[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Didier – Lernout
Joyaux – Ellis
Scott – Johnston[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Fucale
Pasquale

Scratches: Shane Bakker, Mac Bennett, Angelo Miceli, Travis Brown, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed)
Injured Reserve: Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Michael Bournival (concussion)

Game Report

After riding a high from last night’s hard-fought team win, the IceCaps then rode a bus across the border to Toronto, Ontario and arrived in the early morning hours at their hotel only to wake up early and hit the ice for an afternoon matinee.  They faced a rested, refreshed Marlies team at the Air Canada Centre and their fatigue showed.

Brett Lernout actually got things started on a positive note with his second goal of the season, assisted by Nikita Scherbak and Charles Hudon. And then St. John’s reverted to slow, sloppy, tired play and unsteady goaltending and found themselves down 3-1 by the end of the first period.

Adding insult to injury, the IceCaps then began taking penalty after penalty in the second frame. Thankfully the penalty killers stood strong yet again and denied the Marlies on every man advantage.  Bud Holloway got his team one goal closer to a comeback by banking in a wide open rebound.  He was assisted by Gabriel Dumont and Brandon McNally.

Hudon then scored his 26th goal of the season about halfway through the third period to bring St. John’s to within one goal of the Marlies.  But Brendan Leipsic deflated any hope the IceCaps had with a late-period goal against Zach Fucale to seal a victory for Toronto.

The IceCaps have some rest and practice to look forward to over the next couple of days before they visit Ricoh Coliseum on Tuesday for their last tilt against the Marlies for this season.

▲     Brett Lernout, Charles Hudon, Nikita Scherbak, Bud Holloway, Max Friberg, Josiah Didier

▼     Zach Fucale, John Scott, Ryan Johnston

 Statistics 
ICECAPS MARLIES
 19 Shots 40
0 for 1 Power Play 0 for 5
10 Penalty Minutes 2
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (29-29-8-3) 1 1 1 3
 Marlies (47-15-5-0) 3 1 1 5
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Lernout (2), Holloway (19), Hudon (26)
  • TOR:  Smith (19), Brennan (24), Leivo (15), Leivo (16), Leipsic (19)
  • STJ: Fucale (L) 15-17-4
  • TOR: Bibeau (W) 23-8-1
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. TJ Brennan  TOR
  2. Josh Leivo  TOR
  3. Charles Hudon  STJ

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
Post-game interview with Sylvain Lefebvre

Post-game interview with Christopher Joyaux

Audio from interviews conducted by Taylor McIlwaine for IceCaps Hockey Report | Rocket Sports Media.

Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/713809839475007489

https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/713800864041803776

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Multimedia

IceCaps Hockey Report Interviews Canadiens Prospect Josiah Didier [VIDEO]

by Amy Johnson, Video Editor/Producer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

Josiah Didier (Photo by Rick Stephens | Rocket Sports Media)

SYRACUSE, NY. — The Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps are currently on a six-game road trip through upstate New York and Toronto. The IceCaps had an exciting overtime win in Utica before dropping two games in Syracuse. You can read full reports for each game here.

The IceCaps Hockey Report | All Habs Hockey Magazine team was onsite in Utica and Syracuse to take in the action against the Comets and the Crunch.

Following the game against the Crunch, IceCaps defenseman Josiah Didier kindly spent a few minutes with our video producer, Amy Johnson.

The interview is below.

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Crunch: More of the Rough Stuff [with Audio]

Sunday March 20, 2016 
Oncenter War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, NY

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

2-6

CRUNCH
Syracuse

(Photo by Amy Johnson | Rocket Sports Media, Inc.)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]McNally – Dumont – Friberg
Bozon – Yogan – Scherbak
Hudon – MacMillan – Holloway
Scott – Ward – Gregoire[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Didier – Lernout
Joyaux – Ellis
Brown – Johnston[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Fucale
Pasquale

Scratches: Shane Bakker, Mac Bennett, Joel Hanley, Alexandre Ranger, Angelo Miceli, Dalton Thrower, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed)
Injured Reserve: Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Michael Bournival (concussion)

Game Report

The 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

 Statistics 
ICECAPS CRUNCH
 24 Shots 28
1 for 4 Power Play 3 for 5
54 Penalty Minutes 42
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (28-27-8-3) 1 1 0 2
 Crunch (27-25-10-3) 2 4 0 6
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Hudon (21), Hudon (22)
  • SYR:  Gourde (11), Tambellini (24), Richard (10), Gourde (12), Drouin (6), Drouin (7)
  • STJ: Fucale (L) 15-16-4
  • SYR: Gudlevskis (W) 11-10-6
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Jonathan Drouin  SYR
  2. Tanner Richard  SYR
  3. Yanni Gourde  SYR

 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

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/711720625224736768

https://twitter.com/FlyersRule/status/711667000083218432

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Crunch: A Vital Need for Consistency

Saturday March 19, 2016 
Oncenter War Memorial Arena, Syracuse, NY

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

2-3

CRUNCH
Syracuse

Photo credit – Amy Johnson | Rocket Sports Media

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Hudon – Dumont – Holloway
McNally – Yogan – Friberg
Bozon – MacMillan – Gregoire
Scott – Scherbak – Bakker[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Hanley – Johnston
Joyaux – Ellis
Didier – Lernout[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Pasquale
Fucale

Scratches: Shane Bakker, Travis Brown, Dalton Thrower, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed)
Injured Reserve: Connor Crisp (concussion), Michael Bournival (concussion)

Game Report

Some 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

 Statistics 
ICECAPS CRUNCH
 23 Shots 39
0 for 3 Power Play 0 for 4
30 Penalty Minutes 28
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (28-26-8-3) 1 0 1 2
 Crunch (26-25-10-3) 1 2 0 3
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Dumont (18), McNally (5)
  • SYR:  Martindale (1), Martindale (2), Tambellini (23)
  • STJ: Pasquale (L) 10-8-3
  • SYR: Gudlevskis (W) 10-10-6
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Jeff Tambellini  SYR
  2. Ryan Martindale  SYR
  3. Anthony DeAngelo  SYR

 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

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/AllHabs/status/711586008119300097

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Comets: Friberg Rifles OT Winner [with AUDIO]

Friday March 18, 2016 
Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

2-1

COMETS
Utica

(Photo by Amy Johnson | Rocket Sports Media)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Hudon – Scherbak – Holloway
Yogan – Dumont – Friberg
McNally – MacMillan – Gregoire
Scott – Bozon – Ranger [/one_half]

[one_half_last]Hanley – Johnston
Joyaux – Ellis
Didier – Lernout[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Fucale
Pasquale

Scratches: Shane Bakker, Travis Brown, Mac Bennett, Michael Bournival (concussion), Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed)
Injured Reserve: Connor Crisp (undisclosed)

Game Report

In 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

 Statistics 
ICECAPS COMETS
 21 Shots 31
0 for 3 Power Play 0 for 4
10 Penalty Minutes 8
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (28-25-8-3) 1 0 0 1 2
 Comets (31-21-6-3) 0 0 1 0 1
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Gregoire (4), Friberg (11)
  • UTI:  Bancks (10)
  • STJ: Fucale (W) 15-15-4
  • UTI: Cannata (L) 17-10-4
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Max Friberg  STJ
  2. Zach Fucale  STJ
  3. Carter Bancks UTI

 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

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/710988437726355456

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Wolf Pack: Still Searching For a Solution

Saturday January 30, 2016 
XL Center, Hartford, CT

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

1-4

HARTFORD
Wolf Pack

(Photo courtesy of St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Hudon – McCarron – Andrighetto
Lessio – Scherbak – Holloway
de la Rose – Dumont – Friberg
MacMillan – Gregoire [/one_half]

[one_half_last]Hanley – Lernout
Ellis – Dietz
Bennett – Johnston
Didier[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Fucale
Pasquale

Scratches: Michael Bournival, John Scott, Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed), Victor Bartley (undisclosed)
Injured reserve: Connor Crisp (undisclosed)

Game Report

The slide continues for the St. John’s IceCaps. Coach Sylvain Lefebvre moved his lines around again, pushing Michael McCarron back to the first line, dropping Nikita Scherbak down to the second line. Gabriel Dumont moved back to center on the third line, putting Jacob de la Rose on the left wing.  Lefebvre also chose to roll seven defensemen tonight.

The new look still failed to produce results.  It only took about five minutes for the Wolf Pack to put the first goal on the scoreboard.  Despite the first period continuing fairly quietly, things started to break down in the second frame.  Josiah Didier took a couple of penalties, including a fighting major, and McCarron took consecutive penalties for cross-checking and unsportsmanlike conduct.  Hartford tallied two more goals during the period, one of which came on the power play from McCarron’s second penalty.

Charles Hudon gave the IceCaps some hope by potting a wrister to start the third period, but the comeback hill was too steep to climb.  This was the third consecutive loss for the IceCaps, who now head back to St. John’s for some rest and preparation for their next opponent.

In the meantime, McCarron and Morgan Ellis head to Syracuse to take part in the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic on Sunday and Monday.

The IceCaps return to Mile One Centre on Friday night when they welcome the Utica Comets for a back-to-back series.

▲     Charles Hudon, Max Friberg

▼     Michael McCarron

 Statistics 
ICECAPS WOLF PACK
 27 Shots 26
0 for 4 Power Play 1 for 4
13 Penalty Minutes 13
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (19-17-6-3) 0 0 1 1
 Wolf Pack (23-20-2-0) 1 2 1 4
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Hudon (14)
  • HFD:  Graves (5), Nehring (14), Nehring (15), Tarnasky (10)
  • STJ: Fucale (L) 10-10-3
  • HFD: Malcolm (W) 5-3-0
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200
  1. Chad Nehring   HFD
  2. Ryan Bourque  HFD
  3. Nick Tarnasky  HFD

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
Unavailable.

Quotes and audio courtesy of Rocket Sports Media

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/FlyersRule/status/693621476520517632

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | Penguins – IceCaps: Old Habits Hard to Break

Tuesday January 12, 2016 
Mile One Centre, St. John’s, NL.

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

1-2

PENGUINS
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

(Photo courtesy of St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Hudon – McCarron – Holloway
Bournival – De la Rose – Dumont
Lessio – Eisenschmid – Friberg
Gregoire – MacMillan – Fournier[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Hanley – Lernout
Ellis – Didier
Bennett – Dietz[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Fucale
Pasquale

Scratches: Eric Neilson, Brandon McNally, Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Nikita Scherbak (undisclosed)
Injured reserve: Ryan Johnston (back surgery)

Game Report

After a dismal weekend series against the Portland Pirates, the IceCaps came out in full force for tonight’s tilt with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.  Captain Gabriel Dumont made a statement 21 seconds into the game by burying the first shot on goal past Matt Murray.

The first period went mostly in St. John’s favor, with the team staying disciplined and dominating in the offensive zone.  Passes were clean, and the team skated hard.  The IceCaps outshot the Penguins 13-8 in the opening frame, but as the period wound down the Penguins started to gain some energy.

In the second period, it was all Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Physicality picked up, with two fights and multiple hard hits, and it seemed the Penguins drained the energy out of the IceCaps.  Giving up a power play goal midway through the period compounded the home team’s frustration.

Despite having five opportunities on the man advantage the IceCaps power play unit couldn’t convert, showing continued signs of struggle.  St. John’s tried to get things back to even late in the third but it was too little, too late.  They have yet to notch a win on this homestand, and will face the Penguins again tomorrow night.

The second line of Michael Bournival, Jacob de la Rose, and Gabriel Dumont were the best on the ice tonight, creating chances and maintaining pressure.  The new third line of Lucas Lessio, Markus Eisenschmid, and Max Friberg was an interesting combination which could potentially heat up if left to build chemistry.

▲      Lucas Lessio, Zach Fucale, Jacob de la Rose

▼      Joel Hanley, Josiah Didier

 Statistics 
ICECAPS PENGUINS
 34 Shots 23
0 for 5 Power Play 1 for 3
18 Penalty Minutes 22
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (16-12-5-3) 1 0 0 1
 Penguins (27-8-o-1) 0 1 1 2
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Dumont (10)
  • WBS:  Pouliot (6), Dea (10)
  • STJ: Fucale (L)  8-7-2
  • WBS: Murray (W)  16-4-0
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200
  1. Matt Murray  WBS
  2. Gabriel Dumont  STJ
  3. Conor Sheary  WBS

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
Coach Sylvain Lefebvre

Quotes and audio courtesy of Rocket Sports Media

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
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Categories
IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Comets: Heading Home With a Win

Saturday January 2, 2016 
Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

3-1

COMETS
Utica

(Photo by Utica Comets)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Lessio – Hudon – Holloway
Bournival – De la Rose – Dumont
MacMillan – Eisenschmid – Fournier
McNally – Gregoire [/one_half]

[one_half_last]Ellis – Dietz
Hanley – Lernout
Bennett – Didier
Thrower[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Tokarski
Fucale

Scratches: Eric Neilson, Michael McCarron (throat), Tim Bozon (undisclosed), Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Nikita Scherbak (undisclosed)
Injured reserve:  Ryan Johnston (back surgery)

Game Report

It 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.

(Photo by Tina Russell / Observer-Dispatch)
(Photo by Tina Russell / Observer-Dispatch)

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

 Statistics 
ICECAPS COMETS
 15 Shots 27
0 for 2 Power Play 0 for 3
18 Penalty Minutes 16
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (16-9-5-3) 2 0 1 3
 Comets (16-12-3-2) 1 0 0 1
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Lessio (9), Gregoire (3), McNally (1)
  • UTI:  LaBate (2)
  • STJ: Tokarski (W) 3-3-4
  • UTI: Bachman (L) 6-6-2
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200
  1. Dustin Tokarski   STJ
  2. Jeremy Gregoire   STJ
  3. Joseph LaBate  UTI

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
Coach Sylvain Lefebvre

  • “We stayed poised, we stayed in control and we kept playing.”
  • “We had better sticks on the forecheck, we spent less time in our D-zone because we had better positioning and better sticks.”
  • “When you have good games like that from the support cast, it shows that it’s a team effort.”

Comets coach Travis Green (speaking to the Utica Observer-Dispatch)

  • “It was a tough loss. I thought we played a pretty good hockey game. (St. John’s is) a good team. They’re really fast. They’re in the top part of the standings for a reason.”

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

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/683460619614437376

Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter

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