For the second year in a row, the IceCaps took on the Toronto Marlies for a three-game exhibition series in which the winner lays claim to the Colemans Cup. After taking it home the inaugural year, the IceCaps didn’t even come close to getting their hands on it this year after coming out on the losing end of all three contests.
Ready to shake it off, the IceCaps will begin the season on the road. It’s a bit of a tough start, too, with back-to-back-to-back games against three different opponents. Stefan Matteau will miss the first two games of the season while he serves a two-game suspension carried-over from last season for an illegal hit.
They will pick up right where they left off last season: facing off against the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Hartford Wolf Pack – Friday, October 14
NHL affiliate: New York Rangers
Last time they met: Friday, April 15 – Saturday, April 16, 2016
The IceCaps wrapped up the 2015-16 season with a weekend series against the Wolf Pack. Hopefully they fair a little better than the last time they met. The first game saw the IceCaps fall 4-1 to the Wolf Pack with Michael McCarron scoring the lone goal.
The following evening, they called it a season with a 2-1 victory. Jacob de la Rose got the IceCaps on the board, but it was Tim Bozon who was the hero of the night when he scored the winning goal with just 2:19 left in regulation. Goaltender Eddie Pasquale had an outstanding game, stopping 35 of 36 shots and earning first star of the night.
Albany Devils – Saturday, October 15
NHL affliliate: New Jersey Devils
Last time they met: Friday, March 4 – Saturday, March 5, 2016
Friday night’s game was a rough affair but well worth the effort. The IceCaps came out on the winning end, beating the Devils 3-1. If you failed to see the first or third periods, you didn’t miss much because the middle was where all the action happened.
All three IceCaps goals came during the second period when Charles Hudon, Alexander Ranger, and Brandon McNally all found the back of the net. It’s also where five fights broke out with the two teams divvying up the 94 penalty minutes that were assessed. Pasquale shut the door on 26 shots and all three stars of the night were awarded to IceCaps players.
Although they put up a good fight, the following night was not as kind to the IceCaps. Nikita Scherbak had his first multi-point game as a pro (1G, 2A) and they managed to push the game to an extra frame, but with just 47 seconds left, Brian O’Neill’s shot deflected off of Josiah Didier and past Zach Fucale, giving the Devils a 5-4 victory.
Providence Bruins – Sunday, October 16
NHL affiliate: Boston Bruins
Last time they met: Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4 2015
The IceCaps and Bruins didn’t meet at all last season. The last time they duked it out, the IceCaps were the farm team of the Winnipeg Jets. This will be the first time they will face their Bruins rivals as the Montreal Canadiens affiliate, meaning we can probably expect a little more bad blood this time around. The closest they came to a Habs-versus-Bruins rivalry last time around was when Peter Budaj was minding the net during Saturday’s game.
It was a two-game sweep for the Bruins. A shutout over the IceCaps on Friday night and winning the series with just 23.6 seconds left in the third to make it a 5-4 victory for the Bruins on Saturday.
Although the IceCaps will be missing a few of their 2015-16 star players such as Bud Holloway, Morgan Ellis, Gabriel Dumont, and Darren Dietz this time around, they still have a few aces up their sleeves with Michael McCarron, Charles Hudon, and Nikita Scherbak.
The surplus of goalies also seems to be sorted out now that Mike Condon was scooped up by the Pittsburgh Penguins after being placed on waivers, leaving sophomore Zach Fucale and rookie Charlie Lindgren (once his emergency recall to the Canadiens comes to an end) to mind the nets.
The IceCaps are a pretty young team, but with 14 players from the current roster seeing NHL action last year, they should be in for a good season.
