LOOKING BACK:
In Tuesday’s only AHL action, Maxim Noreau, Morten Madsen and John Lammers all tallied power-play goals and Nolan Schaefer made 21 saves in net to lead Houston over Iowa, 3-1, at the Toyota Center… The victory snapped the Aeros’ three-game losing skid.
Mon 10/27
No games scheduled
Tue 10/28
HOUSTON 3, Iowa 1
LOOKING AHEAD:
Two of the league’s top teams battle tonight when Providence visits Chicago to kick off a three-game West Division road swing… The Bruins are 5-0-1-0 to start the year, while the defending Calder Cup champion Wolves are on a 4-0-0-1 run since dropping their first two contests… Providence defenseman Johnny Boychuk has found the scoresheet in all six games this season and leads AHL defensemen with nine assists and 11 points… Martins Karsums is also sporting a six-game scoring streak (3-5-8) out of the gate for the B’s… Providence ranks fifth in the league in offense (3.83 goals per game), but the Wolves are first in goals allowed (1.86 per game)… Ondrej Pavelec has stopped 190 of 202 shots (1.69, .941) while starting all seven games for Chicago… Joe Motzko has a four-game scoring streak (3-2-5) and a team-high six points on the campaign… Chicago scored a league-high 107 power-play goals in 2007-08, but is 3-for-43 (7.0 percent) so far this year.
First place in the North Division is on the line when Syracuse (5-1-0-0) begins a four-game road swing tonight in Grand Rapids (4-0-1-0)… Former Griffins defenseman Clay Wilson has a team-high four goals for the Crunch, and his seven points are tied for the team lead… Wilson has three goals and five points in his last two contests… Rookie Nikita Filatov, the sixth overall pick in last summer’s NHL Draft, was returned to the Crunch by parent-club Columbus on Tuesday; Filatov scored in each of Syracuse’s first two games prior to his recall… Steve Mason, who backstopped Canada to gold at the 2008 World Junior Championships, is poised to make his pro debut in net for Syracuse with Dan LaCosta on recall to the Blue Jackets… Ville Leino leads the Griffins with nine points (4-5-9) and has at least one in all five games to start his North American career… Justin Abdelkader’s six goals – tops among AHL rookies – have come on just 11 shots for Grand Rapids, which ranks second in offense (5.20 gpg)… The Griffins have won 13 of 18 meetings with the Crunch all-time, including seven of nine at Van Andel Arena.
Hershey begins a stretch of seven road games out of eight tonight at Hamilton in a rematch of the 2007 Calder Cup Finals… The Bears (7-1-0-0) are tied for first place overall in the AHL, and their average of 5.50 goals per game is tops in the league… Three-time AHL All-Star Keith Aucoin leads the circuit with 17 points (5-12-17) through eight games, while teammates Alexandre Giroux (8-4-12), Graham Mink (6-5-11) and Chris Bourque (4-7-11) also rank among the top 10… Giroux’s eight goals are setting the pace in that category… Rookie Oskar Osala sports three goals over his last two games for the Bears… Hershey has taken a lead into the third period in six of its eight games (6-0-0-0)… Matt D’Agostini shows a team-high 10 points (4-6-10) for the Bulldogs, who are winless in three straight games since a 4-0-0-0 start… Yanick Lehoux has registered a point in four of his last five games (3-3-6)… The Bulldogs have scored 12 of their 23 goals in the third period, outscoring opponents 12-6 in that stanza… Hershey holds a 15-9 scoring edge of its own in the third.
(all times Eastern)
Wed 10/29
Syracuse @ Grand Rapids, 7:00
Portland @ Hartford, 7:00
Lowell @ Manchester, 7:00
Philadelphia @ Norfolk, 7:15
Hershey @ Hamilton, 7:30
Providence @ Chicago, 8:00
Manitoba @ Quad City, 8:05
Thu 10/30
No games scheduled
ALUMNI WATCH:
Joffrey Lupul netted a pair of goals on Tuesday to help Philadelphia to a 7-0 win at Atlanta in a game that featured a rematch of the affiliates and head coaches (John Stevens, John Anderson) from the 2005 Calder Cup Finals.
BY THE NUMBERS:
Philadelphia netminder Scott Munroe’s goals-aganst average through his first three games (2-0-1)… Munroe has stopped 86 of 90 shots (.956) for the Phantoms, who visit division-rival Norfolk tonight.
AHL LIVE:
AHL Live brings AHL action to your computer all season long with live video webcasts and highlights of every AHL game… Visit theahl.com or ahllive.com for details.
