The St. John’s IceCaps kicked off their six-game road trip on Friday night against the Springfield Thunderbirds. It was a penalty-filled contest that the IceCaps came out on the losing end of in a 3-1 deficit.
The following evening, they took on the Albany Devils and, although put up a good fight, didn’t bring home the win that night either, falling 4-3.
Unable to grab any points at the start of the trip, they continue the long battle that lies ahead of them. A Tuesday-night game is just the start of the four games on the docket that end with three straight games this coming weekend.
Chris Terry is leading the charge for the IceCaps, currently on top with 15 points (5G, 10A). Not far behind are Charles Hudon, Nikita Scherbak and Mark Barberio with 12 points apiece.
Sven Andrighetto’s presence was surely missed this past weekend. Andrighetto, who’s been up with the Montreal Canadiens since November 8, quickly leapt onto the IceCaps scoreboard once he was returned to the IceCaps on October 15, scoring at better than a point-per-game with 11 points in 10 games played.
Binghamton Senators – Tuesday, November 15
NHL affiliate: Ottawa Senators
Last time they met: March 8 and 9, 2016
The majority of the players who made a difference the last time these two teams met are no longer with the IceCaps.
When St. John’s faced the Senators late last season, they were still fighting for a playoff spot. After their first meeting on March 8, it looked as if they were inching a little closer to clinching a berth when they topped the Sens 4-2.
Heading into the game, the IceCaps were on a three-game point streak. Max Friberg opened up the scoring just 39 seconds into the first period, and just over midway through, Shane Bakker picked up his first AHL goal to give the IceCaps a two-goal lead.
Gabriel Dumont was on fire during that contest, picking up two assists and the game-winning goal, named first star for his performance.
Hudon also found the back of the net during the second period, reaching a new career high with his team-leading 20th tally of the season.
Netminder Eddie Pasquale picked up his third win in a row, stopping 24 out of 26 shots that came his way.
However, the tables were turned during their meeting the following evening. After out-shooting the Senators 41 to 26 the night before, the shots were pretty even and the IceCaps just couldn’t find the back of the net.
It was Zachary Fucale’s turn between the pipes this time, allowing three goals on 28 shots.
Andrew Yogan scored the lone goal for the IceCaps, extending his point streak to four games.
IceCaps fan favorite, John Scott, picked up his second straight assist and earned the IceCaps Hardest Working Player nod.
The IceCaps were pushed a little farther back from the playoffs after falling 4-1 in the contest.
North Division Standings
| TEAM | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Marlies | 12 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| Syracuse Crunch | 11 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Albany Devils | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Rochster Americans | 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| St. John’s IceCaps | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| Binghamton Senators | 11 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Utica Comets | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
Up next
The IceCaps will have a two-day break before heading into a full weekend. They’re scheduled to face the Rochester Americans on Friday, followed by back-to-back contests against the Toronto Marlies to wrap up the road trip.
