LOOKING BACK:
In Tuesday’s only AHL action, Manitoba rallied for four goals in the third period to take a 5-3 win at Houston in the opener of a four-game road swing; Mario Bliznak netted a pair of goals for the Moose, Jason Krog had a goal and an assist, and Mark Derlago tallied the eventual game-winning marker.
Mon 12/1
No games scheduled
Tue 12/2
Manitoba 5, HOUSTON 3
LOOKING AHEAD:
Worcester welcomes Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to the DCU Center on Wednesday in the teams’ first of two meetings this season… The Sharks have won three straight home games and seven of eight overall (7-1-0-0) to move into third place in the Atlantic Division… Former AHL All-Star Ryan Vesce sports a four-game scoring streak (3-4-7) for the Sharks, and his 18 points (4-14-18) on the season are tied for the team lead with Tom Cavanagh (9-9-18)… Cavanagh and Cory Larose (9-7-16) each have a team-high nine goals for the campaign… Rookie Jamie McGinn shows a goal in two of his last three outings (2-0-2)… The Penguins’ Chris Minard is tied for second in the AHL in both goals (16) and points (29) and has a point in 19 of 21 games thus far… Rookies Luca Caputi (2-1-3) and Dustin Jeffrey (0-3-3) are riding three-game scoring streaks… Of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s eight shorthanded goals this season, a league-high five have come on the road.
Intra-state rivals Chicago and Peoria square off for the front end of a home-and-home on Wednesday at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill… The Wolves (13-7-1-1, 28 points) remain atop the West Division but are just 3-5-0-0 since a season-high five-game winning streak… Two-time AHL All-Star Brett Sterling has tallied the game-winning goal in each of Chicago’s last two victories and shows 10 points (5-5-10) in 11 games since being reassigned to the Wolves on Nov. 7… Joe Motzko paces the Wolves with 10 goals and 16 points but is without a point in his last three games… Chicago is 11-0-0-0 when taking a lead into the third period… Josh Soares shows two goals and four points over his last two games for the Rivermen, and Nikolay Lemtyugov has a point in three of his last four outings (1-3-4)… Peoria leading scoreres Steve Regier (9-8-17) and Chris Conner (10-6-16) are both currently on NHL recall… The Rivermen are just 3-11-0-2 at Allstate Arena since joining the AHL in 2005.
Houston hosts Manitoba in the back end of a two-game set on Thursday morning at the Toyota Center… The Moose have taken all three meetings with the Aeros on the campaign after Houston had won each of the teams’ previous seven encounters… Mark Cullen has a point in six straight games (5-3-8) and eight of his last nine (6-5-11) for Manitoba and leads the team with 19 points overall (9-10-19)… Rookies Mario Bliznak (3-1-4) and Mark Derlago (2-0-2) have combined for six points over the Moose’s last three games… Manitoba has allowed the fewest goals per game in the league (2.10) and ranks second overall in penalty killing (88.5 percent)… Houston leading goal-scorer Krys Kolanos (13-4-17) has lit the lamp in 10 of his 14 AHL games this season… Two-time AHL All-Star Corey Locke shows a team-high 20 points (5-15-20) for the Aeros… Houston is just 1-4-1-1 in its last seven home games since winning five in a row at the Toyota Center to begin the campaign.
(all times Eastern)
Wed 12/3
Norfolk @ Albany, 7:00
Hartford @ Bridgeport, 7:00
Springfield @ Lowell, 7:00
W-B/Scranton @ Worcester, 7:05
Peoria @ Chicago, 8:00
Thu 12/4
Manitoba @ Houston, 12:05
Milwaukee @ Hamilton, 7:30
Syracuse @ San Antonio, 8:00
ALUMNI WATCH:
In Tuesday’s action, Matt D’Agostini, who leads the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs with 14 goals and 25 points this season, tallied his first career NHL goal in Montreal’s 5-4 win over Atlanta… On Monday, two-time AHL All-Star Pekka Rinne made 30 saves for his first career NHL shutout as Nashville took a 2-0 win at Buffalo.
BY THE NUMBERS:
6 — AHL team scoring leaders currently on recall to the National Hockey League – Hamilton’s Matt D’Agostini, Lake Erie’s Brian Willsie, Norfolk’s Paul Szczechura, Peoria’s Steve Regier, Portland’s Mark Mancari, and Springfield’s Rob Schremp.
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.