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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Americans: Strong Victory Rights the Ship

Friday March 25, 2016 
Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

5-3

AMERICANS
Rochester

(Photo courtesy of the Rochester Americans)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

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

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

Goaltenders:

Pasquale
Fucale

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

Game Report

IceCaps fans watching tonight’s game may have thought they were experiencing deja vu. Charles Hudon scored first for St. John’s again, assisted by Nikita Scherbak, tying the game early in the first period at 1-1.

In the second period, the IceCaps once again opened up the scoring with two goals by Brandon McNally, and a goal by Morgan Ellis.  Cory Ward added two more assists to his season tally.  Penalties came and went, but the penalty killing unit stood tall and denied every Rochester attempt to put pucks through Eddie Pasquale.

Then, in the final frame, Max Friberg put the IceCaps up 5-1 – just like they started the period on Wednesday night.  And just like the previous game, that’s when the Americans started to mount a comeback, scoring two quick goals.  But Pasquale stood his ground, despite being peppered with 28 shots in the 3rd period, and the IceCaps took this one decisively 5-3.

It was a valiant team win by a group of hockey players who have faced some devastating losses over the last week of the season.  The win should give them a much-needed boost of confidence going into Saturday’s afternoon matinee against the Toronto Marlies at the Air Canada Centre.

▲     Morgan Ellis, Mark MacMillan, Cory Ward, Eddie Pasquale, Brandon McNally, Max Friberg

▼     John Scott, Tim Bozon, Alexandre Ranger

 Statistics 
ICECAPS AMERICANS
 32 Shots 46
0 for 4 Power Play 0 for 5
12 Penalty Minutes 10
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (29-28-8-3) 1 3 1 5
 Americans (32-30-2-1) 1 0 2 3
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Hudon (25), McNally (6), Ellis (14), McNally (7), Friberg (12)
  • RCH:  Nevings (4), Catenacci (12), O’Dell (23)
  • STJ: Pasquale (W) 11-9-3
  • RCH: Ullmark (L) 10-11-0
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Brandon McNally  STJ
  2. Max Friberg  STJ
  3. Mark MacMillan  STJ

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
 

Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/IceCapsReport/status/713446918509170690

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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

Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter

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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

Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | Devils – IceCaps: Five Fights For the Win

Friday March 4, 2016 
Mile One Centre, St. John’s, NL

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

3-1

DEVILS
Albany

(Photo courtesy of St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

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

[one_half_last]Dietz – Lernout
Hanley – Johnston
Brown – Didier[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Pasquale
Fucale

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

Game Report

It had been almost a week since the last time the IceCaps took the ice for a game.  After finally grabbing a win in Syracuse at the end of a disappointing road trip, the team had a few days to rest and practice before welcoming the Albany Devils to the Mile One Centre.

The first period was rather sluggish, with St. John’s only getting four shots on goal.  Only one penalty, against Gabriel Dumont, was called in the opening frame – a quiet 20 minutes to be sure.

The second period, however, was the polar opposite.  Charles Hudon scored his 19th goal of the season during a power play, assisted by Dumont and Nikita Scherbak.  The goals came fast and furious after that, with Alexander Ranger and Brandon McNally both scoring within another minute or so.

Then things got pretty intense.  Five fights were recorded in the period, with Mark MacMillan and John Scott both getting thrown out with game misconducts.  Scherbak was the victim of a dirty hit from behind which tossed him toward the visiting bench and into the stanchion.  Scott took exception and landed a flurry of solid left jabs onto the face and head of Ben Thomson.

The Devils managed to get one goal on the board in the third period, but the IceCaps didn’t let them get any farther in the scoring race.  It was a solid team win to kick off this home stand as they try to make a push toward the playoffs down the stretch.

The Icecaps face the Albany Devils again on Saturday night for the second game of the back-to-back and the final game in the season series.

▲     Bud Holloway, Eddie Pasquale, Charles Hudon, John Scott, Darren Dietz

 Statistics 
ICECAPS CRUNCH
 27 Shots 27
1 for 2 Power Play 1 for 5
69 Penalty Minutes 45
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (25-23-7-3) 0 3 0 3
 Devils (33-15-8-0) 0 0 1 1
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Hudon (19), Ranger (2), McNally (3)
  • ALB:  Pietila (7)
  • STJ: Pasquale (W) 8-6-3
  • ALB: Danis (L) 25-9-5
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Gabriel Dumont  STJ
  2. Andrew Yogan  STJ
  3. Eddie Pasquale  STJ

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
 

Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/FlyersRule/status/705932115163021312

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Comets: A Fiesty Bout in Utica

Friday February 26, 2016 
Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

1-4

COMETS
Utica

(Photo courtesy Tina Russell / Observer-Dispatch)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Hudon – McCarron – Holloway
Friberg – Scherbak – Dumont
Bozon – MacMillan – McNally
Scott – Miceli – Gregoire [/one_half]

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

Goaltenders:

Fucale
Pasquale

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

Game Report

It’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

 Statistics 
ICECAPS COMETS
 29 Shots 29
1 for 4 Power Play 0 for 4
27 Penalty Minutes 25
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (23-23-7-3) 0 0 1 1
 Comets (26-18-5-3) 1 2 1 4
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Holloway (16)
  • UTI:  Zalewski (13), Hamilton (7), Bancks (9), Higgins (3)
  • STJ: Fucale (L) 14-14-3
  • UTI: Bachman (W) 11-8-4
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Richard Bachman  UTI
  2. Carter Bancks  UTI
  3. Brandon Prust  UTI

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
 

Quotes courtesy of IceCaps Hockey Report

 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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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Senators: Holloway With an Amazing Save [VIDEO]

Saturday February 20, 2016 
Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

1-4

SENATORS
Binghamton

(Photo by Amy Johnson | Rocket Sports Media)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Scherbak – McCarron – Holloway
McNally – MacMillan – Friberg
Scott – Bozon – Rankin
Bakker – Miceli – Ranger [/one_half]

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

Goaltenders:

Pasquale
Fucale

Scratches: Jeremy Gregoire, Ryan Johnston, Dalton Thrower, Michael Bournival (concussion), Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed), Gabriel Dumont (undisclosed)
Injured Reserve: Connor Crisp (undisclosed)

Game Report

Friday night’s loss in Binghamton left the IceCaps looking for a solution to the persistent problem of how to get a win against the Senators.  They came out in Saturday night’s game with a lot of energy, obviously frustrated with their inability to find a way to get pucks past Chris Driedger.

That frustration spilled over early on in a game that saw three fights and a number of boarding and roughing calls.  Darren Dietz, Shane Bakker, and Michael McCarron all dropped the gloves with opponents. Senators captain Zach Stortini tried numerous times to get John Scott to go as well, but with no luck.

Casey Bailey got the home team on the board late in the first period after McCarron made a bad drop pass behind the net to a Binghamton player who fed the puck right to Bailey in the slot. After that, the goals kept coming for the Senators and it wasn’t until the third period when the IceCaps finally got on the scoreboard with a goal by Morgan Ellis.

The third period looked like a completely different game, with St. John’s getting 19 shots on goal compared to a cumulative nine shots on goal in the first forty minutes.

A highlight reel moment came in the dying moments of the game as Bud Holloway sprawled across the ice deflecting the puck with an outstretched stick away from the IceCaps empty net.

Once again, however, it was too little too late and the IceCaps left the ice with another loss.

The Icecaps continue their road trip by heading to Albany next for a game against the Devils on Wednesday night.

▲     Morgan Ellis, Mark MacMillan

▼     Nikita Scherbak, Michael McCarron

 Statistics 
ICECAPS SENATORS
 28 Shots 24
0 for 4 Power Play 1 for 4
22 Penalty Minutes 22
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (23-21-7-3) 0 0 1 1
 Senators (20- 28-3-0) 1 2 1 4
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Ellis (12)
  • BNG:  Bailey (6), O’Dell (18), Claesson (3), Robinson (11)
  • STJ: Pasquale (L) 6-6-3
  • BNG: Driedger (W) 14-12-1
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200  

  1. Eric O’Dell  BNG
  2. Chris Driedger  BNG
  3. Frederik Claesson  BNG

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

Post-game interview with Nikita Scherbak

 

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/701227443441561601

https://twitter.com/FlyersRule/status/701184229942632448/

Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | Crunch – IceCaps: Celebrating Back-to-Back Wins

Wednesday February 10, 2016 
Mile One Centre, St. John’s, NL

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

4-3

CRUNCH
Syracuse

(Photo courtesy of St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Hudon – Scherbak – Holloway
Friberg – McCarron – Dumont
McNally – MacMillan – Bozon
Bakker – Miceli – Ranger[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Bartley – Ellis
Hanley – Lernout
Johnston – Dietz[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Fucale
Pasquale

Scratches: Mac Bennett, Dalton Thrower, John Scott, Jeremy Gregoire, Josiah Didier, Michael Bournival (undisclosed), Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed)
Injured reserve:  Connor Crisp (undisclosed)

Game Report

The Syracuse Crunch were hungry for payback. They had failed to score a goal in the previous night’s game against the IceCaps, and the St. John’s team wanted to keep them down.  Victor Bartley got things going for the hometown fans at Mile One Centre early in the first period with his first goal of the season, coming to him on the power play.

Then things got really testy on the ice.  A six-player fight broke out, with Michael McCarron, Darren Dietz, and Gabriel Dumont all throwing off the gloves and taking a Crunch player to task.  The IceCaps managed to get a man advantage out of the scrap, and Mark MacMillan capitalized on the power play.

But before the first period could come to an end, Syracuse managed to even the score.  Zach Fucale had to stand tall throughout the second period as he faced more than twice the shots then his opponent at the other end of the ice.  Shane Bakker was ejected from the game on a match penalty for boarding, and things were not looking good for the IceCaps.

Nikita Scherbak, however, did not give up and tallied another power play goal in the third period to knot the score at three-aside.  He, Dumont, and Morgan Ellis would be selected to start the overtime period that followed.  Charles Hudon sped up the ice on a breakaway and fired the puck from the slot to put a stamp on the game and give the IceCaps another win.

Jacob de la Rose was recalled by the Montreal Canadiens prior to the game starting.  The IceCaps return to the ice on Saturday to take on the Toronto Marlies.

▲     Zach Fucale, Nikita Scherbak, Morgan Ellis

▼     Shane Bakker, Angelo Miceli

 Statistics 
ICECAPS CRUNCH
 19 Shots 39
3 for 5 Power Play 1 for 3
39 Penalty Minutes 30
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (21-18-7-3) 2 0 1 1 4
 Crunch (19-20-9-1) 2 1 0 0 3
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Bartley (1), MacMillan (6), Scherbak (5), Hudon (15)
  • SYR: Koekkoek (4), Blujus (4), Yogan (3)
  • STJ: Fucale (W) 12-11-3
  • SYR: Gudlevskis (L) 8-9-5
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200
  1. Charles Hudon   STJ
  2. Zach Fucale   STJ
  3. Slater Koekkoek   SYR

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
Coach Sylvain Lefebvre
 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/FlyersRule/status/697597421073911810

Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter

Be sure to follow @AllHabs on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube

Categories
IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps – Pirates: Suffering a Season Sweep

Friday January 29, 2016 
Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, ME

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

2-4

PORTLAND
Pirates

(Photo courtesy of St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

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

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

Goaltenders:

Pasquale
Fucale

Scratches: John Scott, Josiah Didier, Jeremy Gregoire, Victor Bartley (undisclosed)
Injured reserve: Connor Crisp (undisclosed)

Game Report

The Portland Pirates certainly can boast that they have the IceCaps’ number.  They closed out the season series with a sweep against St. John’s. And each game seemed to unfold with a high number of goals against the IceCaps.

The visitors came out a little stronger than they had been on Wednesday night, but still without the right formula to solve goaltender Mike McKenna.  To make matters worse, Markus Eisenschmid took a big hit early in the first period and went off the ice accompanied by the trainer. He did not return to the game.

Bud Holloway returned to the lineup after missing a couple of weeks with injury. He made his mark in the second period by potting a power play goal to tie the game.

But in the third period, yet again, the Pirates ramped things up and Rocco Grimaldi scored a pair of goals along with one by Rob Schremp.  Mark MacMillan snuck one past McKenna with just two seconds left in the game but it was too little too late.

The IceCaps head right to Hartford for a Saturday night matchup against the Wolf Pack to finish out the road trip. Morgan Ellis and Michael McCarron will then head to Syracuse to take part in the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic.

▲     Bud Holloway

 Statistics 
ICECAPS PIRATES
 29 Shots 35
1 for 5 Power Play 1 for 3
6 Penalty Minutes 10
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (19-16-6-3) 0 1 0 1
 Pirates (26-15-1-0) 1 0 3 4
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Holloway (12)
  • POR:  Gaunce (2), Grimaldi (8), Schremp (17), Grimaldi (9)
  • STJ: Pasquale (L) 6-4-2
  • POR: McKenna (W) 21-8-1
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200
  1. Rocco Grimaldi   POR
  2. Mike McKenna  POR
  3. Rob Schremp  POR

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
Unavailable.

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | Penguins – IceCaps: More Goals, Still Can’t Finish

Wednesday January 13, 2016 
Mile One Centre, St. John’s, NL.

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

4-6

PENGUINS
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

(Photo courtesy of St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Bournival – McCarron – Holloway
Hudon – Dumont – Eisenschmid
Lessio – de la Rose – 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

Going into tonight’s game, the IceCaps had dropped five of their last six games including three consecutive losses at home.  They needed a spark.  Newcomer Max Friberg got things started almost as quickly as Gabriel Dumont had done the previous night, scoring the first goal of the game just one minute after the opening faceoff.

St. John’s dominated the puck all night, outshooting the Penguins 40-19. Mark MacMillan and Morgan Ellis added to the IceCaps tally in the first period, heading into the locker room ahead 3-2.  Even the struggling power play unit woke up with Ellis’ goal and continued with a man-advantage goal by Bud Holloway in the second.

But each time St. John’s scored two goals, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton came back and scored two of their own.  Then they kept scoring.  The IceCaps watched as their opponent mounted four unanswered goals, with a total of six goals on just 19 shots.  Zach Fucale was pulled after the sixth goal, but the damage was done.

Backchecking was non-existent, and play in the defensive zone was meager at best.  Bad turnovers, dismal coverage, and a couple of soft goals led the IceCaps to another loss and a season sweep by the Penguins.

Coach Sylvain Lefebvre has churned his line combinations in many different ways over the past few games, but it seems that something special is needed to bring the cohesive of the team back to its early-season success.  They next face the Toronto Marlies who come to St. John’s Saturday and Sunday.

▲      Max Friberg, Morgan Ellis, Jacob de la Rose, Bud Holloway

▼      Michael McCarron, Charles Hudon, Zach Fucale

 Statistics 
ICECAPS PENGUINS
 40 Shots 19
2 for 6 Power Play 2 for 4
8 Penalty Minutes 12
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (16-13-5-3) 3 1 0 4
 Penguins (28-8-o-1) 2 2 2 6
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  Friberg (6), MacMillan (2), Ellis (7), Holloway (10)
  • WBS:  Uher (5), Sheary (7), Marcantuoni (2), Mouillierat (7), Wilson (19), Seymour (3)
  • STJ: Fucale (L)  8-8-2
  • WBS: Jarry (W) 10-1-0
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200
  1. Conor Sheary  WBS
  2. Derrick Pouliot  WBS
  3. Morgan Ellis  STJ

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
Coach Sylvain Lefebvre

Quotes and audio courtesy of Rocket Sports Media

 Social Media: Follow @IceCapsReport on Twitter
https://twitter.com/WBSPenguins/status/687464174520242176

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IceCaps game report

RECAP | IceCaps vs. Senators: Feisty Sens Surprise Tired ‘Caps

Saturday December 5, 2015 
Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY

ICECAPS
St. John’s

St.JohnsIceCaps

1-4

SENATORS
Binghamton

Charles Hudon (Photo courtesy of St. John’s IceCaps)

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Hudon – McCarron – Holloway
McNally – Dumont – Fournier
Miceli – MacMillan – Gregoire
Pither – Neilson [/one_half]

[one_half_last]Barberio – Ellis
Tinordi – Dietz
Hanley – Lernout
Didier[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Tokarski
Pasquale

Scratches: Dalton Thrower, Mac Bennett, Tim Bozon, Michael Bournival (concussion), Connor Crisp (undisclosed), Jacob De la Rose (lower-body), Nikita Scherbak (undisclosed), Markus Eisenschmid (undisclosed)
Injured reserve:  Ryan Johnston (back surgery)

Game Report

Sometimes the games that you are ‘supposed’ to win are the hardest to play.

Fans of the Montreal Canadiens organization divided their attention between the IceCaps and the Habs on Saturday night. The Canadiens were in North Carolina to face the last place team in the Eastern conference of the NHL. They came out on the wrong end of a 3-2 final in Raleigh.

St. John’s was in Binghamton to wrap up their road trip against the Senators, winners of just five games coming into this night. Marc MacMillan opened the scoring just four minutes into the game.  Matt Puempel replied quickly for the Senators.

The Sens started the game with a bit of a chip on their shoulders and were ornery throughout. Just over eight minutes in Jeremy Gregoire tangled with Max McCormick. It was an extended tilt with a flurry of blows. The IceCaps bench took note of McCormick getting in an extra punch to the head while Gregoire was on the ice.

Just two minutes later Mike McCarron put down Nick Tuzzolino with a single solid punch. Tuzzolino left the ice for repairs in the dressing room. The fight was over so quickly that the two were given minors for roughing.

The IceCaps failed to develop any momentum after their first goal. Similarly the one-sided fight did nothing to spark the lethargic offense. And the Senators, who haven’t been in many games this season, seized the chance for a rare win.

The backbreaker for the IceCaps was a Senators goal by Ryan Dzingel with just 85 seconds left in the second period.

The IceCaps are really feeling the impact of injuries and call-ups at this point of the season. They have become a one line offense of Mike McCarron, Charles Hudon and Bud Holloway. While having great season in their own right, McCarron and Hudon play different games and have shown little chemistry playing together.

The IceCaps will return to St. John’s on Sunday with a four game home-stand on the schedule starting on Friday against the Rochester Americans..

▲     Mark MacMillan, Brett Lernout, Jarred Tinordi, Darren Dietz, Mike McCarron

▼     Mark Barberio, Gabriel Dumont, Angelo Miceli

 Statistics 
ICECAPS SENATORS
 28 Shots 30
0 for 3 Power Play 0 for 2
26 Penalty Minutes 28
 Scoring
 FINAL 1 2 3 OT SO T
 IceCaps (12-6-4-2) 1 0 0 1
 Senators (6-13-2-0) 1 1 2 4
Scorers Goalies
  • STJ:  MacMillan (2)
  • BNG:  Puempel (6), Dzingel (6), McCormick (5), Puempel (7)
  • STJ: Tokarski (L) 3-2-1-0
  • BNG: O’Connor (W) 6-5-2-1
 AHL Three Stars
ahl14_200
  1. Matt O’Connor  STJ
  2. Ryan Dzingel   STJ
  3. Max McCormick  UTI

 Video highlights
 Post-game interview
Coach Sylvain Lefebvre

  • “We know what kind of team that they have. In this building they like to play aggressive.”
  • “I’m really proud of what my guys accomplished on this trip.”
  • “We came up short tonight but the winning goal at the end of the second period hurt us, big time, because we were playing good up until that point.”
  • “The last four or five games we have played with seven defencemen so the forwards are tired right now especially guys like Dumont, McCarron, Hudon. I’ve played those guys a lot.”
  • “It’s good to see our guys producing and bringing something to the big club.”

Post-game interview with Sylvain Lefebvre

Post-game interview with Dustin Tokarski

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/673540288703561728

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