Superman Steven Stamkos walked out onto the ice, a mere two weeks after his injury to present Martin St. Louis with the silver stick for 1,000 games played in the NHL.
“It was very emotional, the whole presentation,” St. Louis said. “Seeing my wife, kids, and parents and then seeing the video, I couldn’t watch, I almost lost it.”
Before the ceremony, St. Louis confessed to head coach Jon Cooper he was nervous he would not be able to keep it together and they had a chuckle after the game.
“I said, ‘nobody is going to remember when you get two goals in one period,’” Cooper said.
Marty didn’t get two goals in one period, but he did get two goals in the game, as did Teddy Purcell. The scoring was opened at 2:12 in the first by Nikita Kucherov. The twenty year-old Russian scored in his first NHL game on his first shot, a feat rarely seen. That was a sign of things to come during the game as Marty scored his first of the game less than a minute later.
King Henk of New York was not on his game last night as he let the two quick first period goals in, and a last minute goal by Teddy Purcell in the third. Teddy had been trying to set up Marty for the hat trick, but the puck ended up on his stick and he had no choice but to shoot, a decision that paid off.
It was an exciting game for Bolts fans as their team advances to 15-8-1. They are second in the Eastern Conference behind Boston, tied with Pittsburgh at thirty-one points.
Next up they will face Vinny Lecavalier and the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday at 7:30 PM. The Flyers sit at 10-11-2 on the season
The San Francisco Bulls have lost the last six games and have failed to score a goal in their last two contests against the Utah Grizzlies and the Idaho Steelheads. Their last goal was scored by forward Rob Linsmayer in the 5-1 loss to the Stockton Thunder in the waning moments of the the third period. It hasn’t been from a lack of shots. In the last three games the Bulls have posted their highest shot totals of the season, averaging around 30 shots a game, but none have been able to find the twine. With a pile of injuries to San Francisco’s top scoring forwards, Mark Lee, Dale Mitchell and Ryan McDonough, the Bulls have been in a bind to collect points. Head Coach Pat Curcio decided to make some moves to give the team a fighting chance in the offensive zone. He waived Riley Emmerson, picked up veteran forward Adrian Foster and defenceman Kalvin Sagert., then traded defenceman Damon Kipp to the Idaho Steelheads in exchange for forward Tyler Gron. Curcio has had his eye on the impact forward for over a year, from the time that he left Northern Michigan University and turned pro.
“We tried to convince him to come play for us at the time but he ended up in the Central league where he scored 20 something goals in 30 games. That caught our eye and then we pursued him again, but we didn’t get him, Idaho did and he scored another 20 something goals in 30 games, a couple of which were against us. He scored an overtime winner against us. He is one of those prolific scorers that when he gets hot, he gets hot. He wasn’t getting the ice time he had gotten last year, so we started pursuing him earlier to see if there was a fit there. The timing was right and we were able to make a deal with Idaho and get him on our team. We are excited and hope that he might provide a nice offensive punch for us.”
Gron’s numbers speak for themselves, averaging a point per game over the last three seasons, excluding playoff games. He was named to the 2011-2012 NCAA First All-Star Team during his time at NMU and the ECHL Rookie of the month for February 2013 while he played for the Steelheads. He seems to be able to hold his own carrying the puck down the ice through traffic and knows when to get the puck off the tape quick close on the net. While with the CHL Bloomington Blaze, he made a spectacular play down the ice, deke-ing twice then put the puck past the netminder and got a hat trick to boot. Watch it here.
Tyler is excited to play for San Francisco, and he thinks the change is something that is going to help him with his game and development as a player. He wants to contribute and help his new team win some games.
“I’m an offensively minded player and I enjoy scoring goals, as every hockey player does, I’m sure. I like to consider myself good in the pressure situations, maybe score a goal late if we’re down one and you need to even the game up and go into overtime.”
As San Francisco has frequently found themselves in close games before their scoring took a tank, Gron’s last minute heroics may give the Bulls the drive to finish a game in the win column.
Bored of regular stuffing? Emeril Lagasse takes the tradition Thanksgiving dish to a new level with this Spinach Artichoke stuffing.
While the ingredients list is a bit lengthy, even the worst of chefs can accomplish this (trust me, I’m speaking from experience). It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and an hour in the oven. It recipe makes 10-12 servings, so you can cook for a big crowd or have leftovers for days.
Grocery List:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds spinach, washed (3 cups cooked and roughly chopped)
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Emeril’s Italian Essence, or other Italian seasoning blend
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 (8 1/2-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, any tough outer leaves removed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons lemon juice
12 to 14 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old French bread (1 loaf)
1 pound Brie, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Once you have all the ingredients together, the hard part is pretty much over.
First preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Then, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted– about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool, squeeze as much water from spinach as possible (it helps to use a paper towel and soak up the water), then roughly chop, and put aside.
Next, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden brown and tender– about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 2 teaspoons of Italian Essence, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant– about 30 seconds. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
Combine eggs, cream, chicken stock, lemon juice, remaining 1 tablespoon Italian Essence, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the bread, spinach, artichoke mixture, brie, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and parsley and stir. If bread does not absorb all of liquid immediately then let rest until this happens, about 20 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm and enjoy!
Bam.
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/savory-spinach-and-artichoke-stuffing-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback
The Stockton Thunder came from behind twice to close out the weekend series against the Idaho Steelheads, with Andrew Clark netting the overtime goal with just 45 seconds left on the extra frame, the final score 4-3. Brad Phillips made his first start in net for the Stockton Thunder after Parker Milner’s call up to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last week forced Head Coach Rich Kromm to find another netminder. This was his first regular season game since leaving the Ontario Reign’s training camp at the beginning of the season.
Thunder netminder Brad Phillips
“I thought he was pretty steady considering he hasn’t been playing much. He’s had a couple practices with the team. We tested him a couple times tonight on odd man opportunities where he made some real good saves so he was challenged early on and I thought he responded well,” Head Coach Rich Kromm said of Phillip’s first game in net for the Thunder.
Idaho came out of the gate, shooting hard after losing 3-1 to the Thunder on Saturday night. Ten seconds into the first frame, Phillips got his first test of the game, stopping the Steelheads early attempt. The Thunder took an early penalty when a broken play at the blueline by Shawn Boutin turned over the puck to the Steelheads. Landon Oslanski tried to stuff the advance into the Stockton zone and drew a slashing call at 3:17 into the first period, putting Idaho on the power play. Tommy Grant would find the back of the net after the puck was mishandled by Phillips. Mitch Wahl and William Rapuzzi picked up the assists on the goal.
“They got a good bounce across so I just played the puck. I thought they were going to shoot but they went for the other side and I had to scramble over there to get to it and it went off the post and in,” said Phillips of the power play goal.
Another loss at the blueline by the Thunder’s Ben Rosen would again lead to an Idaho power play. As the Steelheads broke into the zone picking up Rosen’s bobbling puck, Stockton’s Jason Clark, recently assigned by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, took a tripping call, sending Idaho back on the power play. The Thunder successfully killed off the penalty and followed up with a good drive into the Steelheads zone. Andrew Clark circled the zone, looking for opportunity to get the Thunder on the board, attempted a wraparound, but Steelheads netminder Ostergard would freeze the puck keeping the score 1-0.
Stockton began the second period on the power play and after settling the puck in the Idaho zone, got to work cycling high to low. Shawn Boutin and Corey Trivino passed back and forth, getting down behind the Idaho net. Boutin then found Joey Martin camped in front of the net, who wristed the puck up and over Ostergard, tying the game 1-1.
Extra-curricular activities filled the middle of the second as Thunder’s Michal Spacek was drilled into the boards. After a little poking and prodding, the two team captains Thunder’s Garet Hunt and Steelheads Justin Mercier dropped the gloves and were promptly sent off to the box to cool their heels, giving both teams time to skate 4 on 4.
Gaelan Patterson and Michal Spacek tussle in the third period
At the bottom of second period, the Thunder gained two power play opportunities as Idaho’s Brett Robinson became a marked man, and took 2 penalties in a row, the second being a high stick on Thunder’s J.P. Burkemper. Brayden Irwin put Stockton ahead 2-1 on the power play banging one home from the right circle after Corey Trivino and Joey Martin cycled the puck high to low and fed Irwin a pass from behind the net, beating Ostergard.
The third period opened with more pushing and shoving, Michal Spacek, after an earlier altercation, dropped the gloves with Steelheads forward Gaelan Patterson. Both would go to the box for five, but Spacek would draw a cross-checking call and Idaho got to work on the power play. Tommy Grant found the back of Phillips’ net for a second time, off a feed from Nigro and Wahl to tie the game back up 2-1. Idaho did not waste any time getting another puck to the back of Stockton’s net just 31 seconds later as forward Tyler Gron stepped into the slot and fired the puck past the glove side of Phillips to take the lead 3-2. It was the first time this season that the Thunder have blown a lead in the third period.
Thunder forward Ryan Constant, an impact player throughout the game shot from the point through traffic, where J.P. Burkemper tipped it in to tie the contest 3-3 and sent the contest to an extra frame. Andrew Clark, who had been circling the Idaho net all evening, notched the game winning goal with just 45 seconds left on the OT clock.
“I cycled it down to Hunt, he made a good play to Constant who wrapped it around the net. I was just going to the net, looking for a rebound and then it popped out to me and went in.”
Head Coach Kromm talked about Clark’s hockey sense after the game. “He’s pretty consistent all the time. We know what we are getting out of Andrew every night. He competes hard and he’s very smart and a very creative player. Sometimes I think people underestimate his offensive ability, but he’s very creative and we saw that tonight for sure.”
The overtime win for Stockton gave Brad Phillips his first win with the team and he stopped 27 of 30 shots, not bad for a guy who stepped in when he got the call, after contemplating hanging up the pads. “It felt great to be out there, and to get the win, it was awesome.”
The Stockton Thunder return to action on Wednesday night when they travel to Ontario to face the Reign.The Idaho Steelheads head home to take on the Las Vegas Wranglers on Tuesday night.
The Worcester Sharks entered the weekend coming off a 3 game series with the St. John’s IceCaps where they took 5 out of 6 points. They were coming into the weekend playing another three games, this time in 3 days, and looking to get a couple more wins. As a team, they have been struggling to put forth a consistent effort but really seem to want to turn that around.
On Friday, the Sharks headed up to Manchester for the first time in Manchester and the second time of the 12 game series over the course of the season. The Manchester Monarchs have suffered a number of call ups and injuries but that has not seemed to stop them from charging forward. They struck first Friday night and that really seemed to set the tone of the game. Although only a few minutes later Curt Gogol evened the score for the Sharks, it would all go downhill from there. Sharks forward Daniil Tarasov, who has been leading the team in goals, was unavailable all weekend. The Sharks brought back a blast from the past in Dan DaSilva who started the season in the ECHL. He skated on the top line with Bracken Kearns and Freddie Hamilton.
The lines all seemed to struggle to put together solid passes and help out goalie Harri Sateri keep pucks out of his net. Manchester went on to score 3 more, including a late third period goal from Brandon Kozun that sealed the 4-1 victory. The two teams would meet again on Sunday afternoon, but that game was in Worcester.
But before the Sharks and Monarchs could have their rematch, the Sharks hosted the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in Worcester. The game was also their annual Teddy Bear Toss where fans are requested to bring teddy bears and toss them on the ice following the first Sharks goal. Over the years, the Sharks have not had a great history with the teddy bear toss games, usually losing.
However, this game seemed like it could be different. The Sound Tigers are struggling this season as well and Sharks rookie goalie Troy Grosenick has impressed so far when he played. The Sharks also had a score to settle after the first time the Sound Tigers visited. It was an 7-1 loss for the Sharks and they showed that they had not forgotten that.
Veteran enforcer Jimmy Bonneau made his return to the line-up after having his leg cut open by the blade of a skate and needing stitches. He had not been available the last time the two teams met and showed he was going to make up for it. On his first shift, he squared off with Justin Johnson and after a flurry of punches, Bonneau landed the final one. The pair got five for fighting and an extra minor for removing their helmets. Two seconds later (without exaggeration) Sharks tough guy Matt Pelech squared off with Brett Gallant. This pair also got the fighting major as well as a minor unsportsmanlike conduct for removing their helmets.
Despite the Sharks vastly outshooting Bridgeport, it was the Sound Tigers that struck first. They only had a shot up on the board when Dallas Jackson beat Grosenick. It was disheartening considering the pressure the Sharks had been putting on Sound Tigers goalie Kenny Reiter, but they did not let it get to them. The Sharks continued to dominate on the shots board. Things just weren’t going the way that they needed them to. It seemed like the fans were going to have to wait until the end of the game and just throw their bears then without a goal being scored when an unlikely player had his first goal. Defenseman Taylor Doherty had his first of the season as he sniped a goal from the blue line.
The Sharks held on through the end of regulation and forced overtime. Although it looked like they might have had a goal in overtime, the puck did not cross the line and the teams were headed to the shootout. It was the first professional shootout appearance for Grosenick and he certainly did not disappoint. He turned away all four shooters he faced. On the other hand, Worcester only had to put out three shooters with both Brodie Reid and James Livingston netting goals.
When Sunday afternoon rolled around, the Sharks were ready to take on the Monarchs again. They had looked a lot more put together on Saturday night than they had on Friday. Their biggest struggle seemed to be looking a little snake bitten and having seriously bad luck. Unfortunately, that bad luck carried over into Sunday afternoon. The Sharks were once again leading on shots, but it was the Monarchs that struck first. Rookie Scott Sabourin scored his fourth goal in three games and has been really stepping up for Manchester. The goal came with less than 30 seconds left in the first.
Around the middle of the second period, the Shark suffered from more bad luck. The puck took a bad bounce and right went by Grosenick who got the second straight start. It was a goal he would obviously want back and it gave the Monarchs the two goal lead. Manchester took the 2-0 lead into the third period. It was not for a lack of effort, though, as the Sharks were doing everything but score. They were keeping the pressure on and working well together.
Right at the beginning of the third, Monarchs forward Jordan Weal caught Rylan Schwartz with a high stick. It caused Schwartz to have to look for three missing teeth on the ice and sent Weal to the box for a double minor. As the penalty was winding down, Sharks defenseman Matt Tennyson came up with a huge power play goal to cut the lead to 1 for Manchester. That paved the way for Schwartz, who did not miss a step despite losing teeth, to tie the game up.
The Sharks held the Monarchs off through regulation and the overtime period. Grosenick found himself back in a shootout for the second time in less than 24 hours. He might have wished he could have that second Monarchs goal back, but he stood tall in the shootout. He turned away four of five shooters, only letting Brandon Kozun get by him. They Sharks only had to use four skaters with Dan DaSilva and Sebastian Stalberg netting them for Worcester. The two shootout wins were come from behind wins that put the Sharks on an unexpected winning streak.
The Sharks are off until Friday when they head up to Lewiston to take on the Portland Pirates. In an unusual turn, it’s the only game of the weekend for the Sharks.
While I’m coming up on my one year anniversary and my hundredth post with The Pink Puck, I wanted to do something a little different. So as my 100th article for the site (and just a couple weeks from my 1 year anniversary), I thought I would take a moment to write an open letter about myself and my main focuses for the site. This is something really different than anything I’ve done before, so bear with me. It’s a lot different to try and write about yourself than to interview a hockey player and tell his story.
I’ve been an AHL hockey fan since I was 6. Now, I’m in my 19th season of attending AHL games. Things have obviously changed over the years, but I still love the game and more importantly, the league. A lot of people don’t understand why I opt to stick with the AHL instead of the NHL; I get the question a lot when I’m talking to people about being an AHL writer with The Pink Puck. Don’t get me wrong, I love the NHL too. I love hockey at any level. I know the NHL is the tops in terms of talent. But, there’s something about AHL hockey that’s always going to pull my loyalty back.
I grew up a little under an hour west and slightly north of Boston. Most people assume that means that I grew up a Bruins fan. But, for 18 of the 19 seasons I’ve been going to hockey games, there has been an AHL team in Worcester, MA which is less than half an hour away from where I grew up. It was easier to get to those games, less expensive, and the atmosphere was usually more kid friendly. My parents loved it and so did I.
There’s just something about AHL hockey that I can never really explain to someone who has never been to a game. Players in a lot of cases are fighting to improve and to show that they have what it takes to make the NHL. That drive and dedication can be exciting to see. You also get the chance to see rising stars. I couldn’t tell you how many players I’ve seen in the AHL over the years that have gone on to have success in the NHL. But, I can tell you there have been some big names. Some of the players I’ve seen in this area include Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Tuukka Rask, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, and Eric Staal (during the 04-05 lockout). That’s only a fraction and I mostly only get to see the teams in the Eastern Conference of the AHL these days.
The talent of some of the players is undeniable, but the atmosphere is something else too. The crowds in the AHL are smaller and as a result you get more of a connection to the people around you. You get to know the people that sit around you game in and game out. Those people are definitely part of the experience. They are the people that keep things going when the team on the ice is skating through a rough patch. That’s another thing, you get a lot of fan loyalty in the AHL. That might be across hockey in general, but the core group of fans is loyal and keeps on coming to games even when the teams struggles. Sure, they’re going to grumble about the players that are struggling and they’re going to make fun of the team for all the bad plays. But, they’ll be there with their jerseys on just waiting for when the team turns it around.
I know it’s always controversial, but AHL hockey is also just flat out tougher. There are more fights. Whether or not you believe fighting has a place in hockey (I think it belongs in the AHL), you can’t say it isn’t exciting. I can’t count the number of games I’ve seen turn on a fight. One of your guys gets into it with another player, wins the fight, and then that gives momentum to the rest of the fights. But more than just the fighter, there’s more physical play. The play in the AHL can be a little slower and that paves the way for more hitting. It’s easier to catch up with other players. They’re more emphasis on that physicality.
When I was in my junior year of high school, my dad was the one who finally helped me realize there were careers in sports. It was something I had never considered before. Since then, though, it’s a thought that has never really left my mind. It’s the goal that I’m working towards. Then all I saw ahead of me was working my way towards being a sports agent, preferably for hockey because it’s my favorite sport. That’s something I’m still working towards and passionate about. My eyes are just a little more open to the opportunities now. I’m coming to the end of my first semester of law school and I’m more sure than ever that I want to pursue sports law.
Jessica Higham and Winter Adams
It was also this love of all things hockey that allowed me to meet Winter Adams, Editor-in-Chief of The Pink Puck. It wasn’t long after meeting her that I started writing. I have to say, it was something that I had always thought would be cool. It was not something I ever thought I would end up doing. I thought since I had not done any internships with sports media in college, or even majored in something media related, it was something I would never get a chance to try. But, The Pink Puck is all about giving people a chance and that’s exactly what I had. When I joined the site, there were only four writers other than Winter and myself. It has grown a lot since then and I’m happy I’m able to be part of that.
I consider myself lucky that I found this opportunity to write for the site. I also consider myself lucky that Winter trusted me enough to name me as her Associate Editor towards the end of last season. Working with AHL teams as an AHL fan has been really great. I understand the league and how things work. It’s a lot different from the NHL in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t consider myself an expert but I would say with all the time I’ve spent at games, I might know more than your average person. You can ask any of my friends that aren’t hockey fans, I’m not free on the weekends much from October until April. It’s also been really great to get to work with the teams around the league and see how different teams function. I really value the connections I’m making.
So, now being almost a year in, I wanted to take a minute to look back at my time so far. Looking forward for the next year, I’m still going to be writing as often as I can while I’m in law school. I’m going to be trying to bring our readers new and exciting AHL content (and adding more writers to our AHL ranks). And I’m going to be continuing to spread the word about AHL hockey. If you have anything you’d like to see (or would like to get information about joining the AHL team at The Pink Puck), feel free to email me at jessica@thepinkpuck.com.
The Columbus Blue Jackets had a rough week. We’re not going to talk about the Edmonton game because it’s better all around if we just pretend that didn’t happen and shove our fingers into our ears while singing, “I can’t hear you!” whenever somebody mentions it. The only thing I’ll say about the Vancouver game is that Matty Calvert is finally back, and that brings me more joy than I can possibly express. But after rage quitting the Vancouver game midway through the second period, I got to thinking: why do I care so much? The fact that the Columbus Blue Jackets are having a bad series of games has no direct effect on my life. My paycheck doesn’t depend on their success; there’s no practical consequence of them losing a few games. There would be no practical consequence of them losing all82 games.
And yet. Even knowing that they’re better than getting shut out in Edmonton (LALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU) doesn’t make the loss easier. You forget every win that precedes a loss. I felt so let down, and I couldn’t explain why. I don’t know Jack Johnson or Sergei Bobrovsky or Cam Atkinson personally; they don’t owe me anything, have made me no promises. I’m sure they played what was, in that moment, the best game that they could–even if their best game in that moment, for whatever reason, was terrible.
Here’s the thing about sports: there is no such thing as a “perfect season.” You can’t win every game; the closest anybody has ever come in the NHL is the Detroit Red Wings in the 1995-96 season (with 62). And it doesn’t matter how many your team has won, how many points they’ve collected or how many teams they’ve shut out.
Losing always sucks.
There’s something visceral about it, as a sports fan. Watching your team flame out on the ice is painful. Maybe it’s because we can scream and shout at our TV or from the stands and have no impact on the game whatsoever. Maybe it’s facing the cold reality that we are helpless to do anything but watch things go badly. Maybe it’s because we care about the players, and humans are a fundamentally empathetic species that reacts to the emotions of the people they feel connected to. Maybe it’s because as fans we have identified with and tied ourselves to something, and when that something does badly we feel that it reflects badly on us.
Or maybe it’s because we’ve pinned our hearts to something, and losing forces us to see its flaws. After a loss we are, at the root of our fan loyalty, left hanging. We feel connected to players, feel close to them thanks to social media and PR machines, but the hard truth is that we aren’t, and a loss reminds us of that. Our irrational love for a sports team is justified by a win; it’s exposed as one-sided by a loss.
I’m not saying that athletes and front offices aren’t grateful for fans; that they don’t, on some level, feel beholden to them. But athletes and front offices are grateful and beholden to The Fans, en masse, all-capitals. A player may tell reporters that he “feels like he let the fans down,” but he doesn’t feel like he let Mollyhall Seeley down. Of course he doesn’t. How could he? In what absurd world would this hypothetical player care what Mollyhall Seeley thinks of his gameplay? I can barely skate and I’m too cheap to shell out for Game Center.
And yet I don’t feel let down as part of the fraternity of CBJ Fans, I feel let down as Mollyhall Seeley. And that’s why losing sucks: it’s a whisper that, no matter how many nights I spend glued to my TV, we might notall be in this together.
Nights after a loss, the sports fan isn’t sure that he or she is even in it at all.
Detroit has had a tough November losing 8 out of the 12 games played this month. They had an especially tough stretch losing 6 games in overtime in a row, but they found a win over Buffalo, 3-1. Buffalo continues to struggle and have yet to find a line combination that works best for them.
Buffalo started out strong again and was able to get the first goal of the evening. However, for now the third straight game of scoring first, they have been held to that one goal. Cody Hodgson was able to get his 8th of the season for Buffalo with a nice, patient, goal.
Detroit would score a mere 30 seconds into the second period to tie up the game. Darren Helm would get his 5th of the season on a nice backhanded goal. Buffalo would get a chance to go back into the lead when Steve Ott was awarded a penalty shot after he was hooked while on a breakaway.
The third period would be all Detroit with a power play goal by Johan Franzen halfway through the period and to top it off, an empty net goal scored by Daniel Alfredsson with less than a minute left.
Buffalo was again out shot and outworked throughout most of the game. If they continue to play this way, they will continue to be the worst team in the NHL.
Buffalo’s next game is against Montreal on home ice Wednesday and Detroit heads back home to take on Boston, also on Wednesday night.
This weekend in non-conference play, the Boston University Terriers welcomed the University of North Dakota to the hub for a couple of tilts. Unfortunately for North Dakota, they would spend a good deal of the time on their heels defending the Terrier power play during Friday evening’s first match. In fact, in what is perhaps one of the most painful power play goals to give up, the Terriers would score what would become not only the last goal of the first period, but the last goal of the game, on a too many men on the ice penalty to North Dakota.
When asked after Friday’s game about the penalties, North Dakota’s head coach, Dave Hakstol, said “[When you] attempt to kill the first 5 or 6 minor penalties in a row, that drains your energy and you’re spending money, spending energy killing and trying to play defense rather than putting that energy into getting on our toes and playing in the offense.”
And two of the three goals the Terriers scored on Friday night were power play goals at the end of the first (too many men on the ice) and in the third (elbowing call on UND’s Drake Caggiula).
Unfortunately for North Dakota, they would take more penalties in the second game on Saturday night; the first coming just 22 seconds after puck drop, when Stephane Pattyn was called for charging. However it would be two penalties to Pattyn for roughing at 5:40 (BU’s Matt Grzelcyk, a Boston Bruins prospect, also received a roughing at the same time) and Rocco Grimaldi, a Florida Panthers prospect, for tripping at 6:47 that would put the Terriers on the board first on Saturday. During the 4-on-3 play, BU’s Garrett Noonan, a Nashville Predators prospect, beat UND’s Zane Gothberg, a Boston Bruins prospect, high glove side.
About three minutes after opening the scoring for Boston University on Friday night at 9:14 of the first period with an even-strength goal–the only one BU scored Friday night, Cason Hohmann was boarded by North Dakota’s Andrew Panzarella, and it was clear after the hit that Hohmann was in pain. He was clutching his left arm, and it was hypothesized that he had injured his left hand or wrist. He went to the bench, in obvious discomfort, and down the tunnel and did not return. Unfortunately for the Terriers, he is likely out for a while according to head coach, David Quinn, who explained during the post game presser that it was Hohmann’s shoulder and it was a recurring injury.
While North Dakota tried to change the momentum when they went with sophomore Gothberg in goal on Saturday night, after having started senior Clarke Saunders on Friday night, Terriers coach, Quinn, stated after the win on Friday night that he would be sticking with sophomore Matt O’Connor for the game on Saturday. And O’Connor, who stood tall on Friday, blocking 37 of the 38 shots he saw, managed to stand on his head on Saturday, blocking a career high 55 of the 58 shots he faced. Combined, O’Connor stopped 92 of 96 shots in the two games, which earned him 1st Star accolades on both nights.
Boston University was not as disciplined on Saturday night as they had been on Friday, taking seven penalties during the second game compared to the three they got called on the previous night. And it was during BU’s penalty kill on Jake Moscatel’s charging that alliwed North Dakota to lead in scoring for the first time in the series. Adam Tambellini, a New York Rangers prospect, found himself with an open net after the impressive power play passing of his teammates Brendan O’Connell, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, and Connor Gaarder, to get a shot off from the right circle past O’Connor.
Fortunately for the Terriers, freshman Robbie Baillargeon, an Ottawa Senators prospect, would manage to score the game-tying goal less than four minutes later and then goalies Gothberg (UND) and O’Connor (BU) shut the doors to their respect nets for the remainder of the third and throughout the overtime period. For the Terriers the weekend could be described as a big success. With approximately 17 NHL draft prospects playing between the two teams, it could have been an entirely different scenario had the University of North Dakota not spent so much time on the defensive in penalty killing mode.
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