So while the game results and standings will show the St. John’s IceCaps and Albany Devils split a pair of American Hockey League games over the weekend at Mile One Centre — with the IceCaps grabbing three points after forcing overtime Sunday — the truth of the matter is this is one very lucky IceCaps team to have generated any kind of positive results on a snowy St. John’s weekend.
Joe Blandisi, who appeared in 41 games for the parent New Jersey Devils as a rookie pro last season, ruined the IceCaps’ quest for a weekend sweep with the winning goal 1:18 into the extra session Sunday afternoon.
The IceCaps won the series-opener against their North Division rivals Saturday night by a 4-2 count.
For two periods Sunday, the IceCaps were outplayed by their guests, a fact bolstered by the shot clock which read 23-13 in favour of Albany. But it was 1-1 after 40 minutes, on first-period goals by the Devils’ Jacob MacDonald, on the power play, and Charles Hudon, who evened things with 34 seconds left in the opening frame.
It was Hudon’s 12th on the year, tying him for the team lead with Chris Terry.
The IceCaps didn’t even manage their first shot on Devils goalie Ken Appleby until the game was nearly eight minutes old. That was similar to Saturday’s tilt when it took St. John’s over 12 minutes before the team got its first shot of the middle frame, and even longer than that to get one in the third, all of which contributed to the IceCaps being outshot 22-8 over the last 40 minutes of that contest.
“They play really similar to New Jersey,” said the veteran Terry, who was held off the scoresheet Sunday, snapping his AHL consecutive-game points streak at 10. Terry enjoyed a one-goal, one-assist night Saturday.
“Their defence shrinks, and it’s not easy to get shots off.”
The IceCaps awoke from their winter’s nap in the third period Sunday, and played even-steven with the Devils over the final 20 minutes of regulation time.
Veteran goalie Yann Danis got the start after Charlie Lindgren won his 14th game Saturday, and Danis responded with a 30-save, second-star effort against the team he played with last season.
The Devils are first in the North with 50 points, two up on the Syracuse Crunch and four ahead of the IceCaps.
“It’s that time of year,” said Terry, “that you’re starting to look at the standings to see where we are.”
Because of the big storm which hit the region, Saturday’s game drew far fewer than the announced crowd of 3,537. And there appeared to be fewer than the 3,644 listed for Sunday’s rematch.
Nonetheless, IceCaps coach Sylvain Lefebvre said the games against Albany offered a playoff atmosphere.
“It’s tight out there with not much space to work with, and we have to get used to it,” said Lefebvre. “Once you get to the playoffs, this is exactly the type of game you will be playing.”
The IceCaps have four days off before they play host to the Toronto Marlies Friday night and Saturday afternoon at Mile One.
ICECHIPS
Devils coach Rick Kowalsky, one of the longest-tenured AHL coaches with seven years behind the Albany bench, was incensed with referee Nick Gill following a slashing minor to the Devils’ Ben Thomson late in the first. “That’s a joke,” Kowalsky could be heard shouting at the ref. Gill approached the Albany bench at which time Kowalsky proceeded to tear a strip off the official, surprisingly escaping further penalty … The series featured two teams which might not be in the AHL next season. The IceCaps are definitely gone, relocating to Laval, Que. And there’s increasing talk the Devils may be shipping off to Binghamton, N.Y., next year after the Ottawa Senators, who currently operate in Binghamton, pick up stakes and move to Belleville, Ont. … Second-year defenceman Brett Lernout didn’t figure in the scoring, but had a solid game. Lernout played a ton, and was named the game’s third star. First-star honours went to Joe Blandisi, who had the winning goal … The IceCaps’ hardest-working player was Bobby Farnham …
