IceCaps open home stand with a much-needed victory

The IceCaps won Friday night, opening what will be an eight-game homestead with a 3-1 victory over the Rochester Americans, However, the two much-needed points gained are only part of the tale for a St. John’s team involved in an incredibly tight race for playoff position in the AHL’s North Division.
Only six points separate the top five teams in the division — so the IceCaps and their followers must pay heed to the division-leading Syracuse Crunch, who lost to the incredibly hot Utica Comets Friday; the Albany Devils, who ended up on the wrong side of a shootout decision against Springfield; and the Toronto Marlies, who doubled the Binghamton Senators 4-2.
As a result, Syracuse begins today with 73 points, followed by Albany and Toronto, each with 71, St. John’s with 68 and Utica with 67.
The Devils and Comets both have a game in the hand in the others, leading to this situation: since the AHL orders its standings based on points percentage, Utica continues to hold fourth place and what would be the final playoff position by a sliver, a mere 6/1000th of a point over the IceCaps.
Fourth-liners Mark MacMillan and Jeremy Gregoire and defenceman Ryan Johnston scored the goals for St. John’s (30-25-8) on Friday, while Jean Dupuy had the lone marker for Rochester (24-35-2).
First star Charlie Lindgren made turned aside 31 shots for the IceCaps, who have won three in a row. Rochester’s Linus Ullmark had 24 saves, including spectacular stops on Chris Terry in the first period, Yannick Veilleux in the second and Jacob de la Rose in the third. But while Ullmark kept his team without hailing distance, he’d probably like to have back Gregoire’s second-period tally, which stood as the game-winner, but only after being confirmed through a video review.
After Gregoire took a lofted pass from defenceman Keegan Lowe and got behind Rochester defenceman Mat Bodie, he squirted the puck through Ullmark’s pads, only to have it lie directly on the goal line. When the Americans’ netminder realized the puck was behind him, he spun around to corral it, only to inadvertently push it over the line.
The teams meet in a rematch 7:30 tonight at Mile One in what will be their last regular-season get-together.

Notes
Prior to Friday’s game, St. John’s leading scorer Chris Terry was presented with his award as AHL player of the month for February … The IceCaps started their celebration of 20 years of the AHL in St. John’s by honouring assistant equipment manager Shannon Coady for reaching the 1,500-game mark in the league … Neither team scored on the power play Friday, with Rochester having four chances and St. John’s two. That leaves St. John’s with just one goal in its last 28 power-play opportunities. … Among those in the Mile One press box Friday was former St. John’s Maple Leafs head coach Lou Crawford, now a professional scout for the Vancouver Canucks … Announced attendance Friday was 3,653 …