Category Archives: CT Whale
The Connecticut Whale and Norfolk Admirals meet for game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series (ECSF series ‘I’) at 7pm (ET) tonight, at the XL Center in Hartford. The series is knotted, 1-1, after the Admirals defeated the Whale in game 2 on Friday, 4-1.
Pregame notes
—in game 2, the Admirals struck for two early first period goals off the sticks of Alex Killorn and Mike Kostka. In the second period, the Whale cut the score to 2-1 on a goal by Andre Deveaux, but Norfolk recorded two unanswered goals later in the game to secure the 4-1 victory.
—the Whale faced 11 Norfolk power-plays during game 2, and successfully killed nine of them. Connecticut’s penalty-killing in the playoffs works at 90-percent, with a total record of 27-for-30. The Whale power-play is 4-for-26 (15.4-percent) in five playoff games.
—Connecticut’s leading scorers in the post-season are Marek Hrivik (5-1-6), Casey Wellman (1-4-5) and Kelsey Tessier (1-3-4).
—Cam Talbot made 36 saves in game 2, and despite losing the contest he will likely start for the Whale again tonight.
—depending on Brendan Bell’s hurt (missed game 2 with a lower-body injury), Dylan McIlrath may remain in the line-up for game 3. Also, Andre Deveaux has not been given a suspension for his actions during game 2.
—Norfolk’s power-play in the series is 2-for-15, and in the playoffs it is 6-for-41 (14.6-percent). The Admirals penalty-kill in the playoffs is 35-for-37 (94.6-percent).
—the Admirals top playoff scorers are Alexandre Picard (4-5-9), Killorn (2-6-8) and Trevor Smith (2-6-8).
—Dustin Tokarski made 27 saves in game 2, and will likely start again tonight.
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According to a report from Howlings, Connecticut Whale forward Andre Deveaux will not be suspended by the AHL despite receiving a game-misconduct on Friday for physical abuse of an official. At 6:08 of the third period on Friday, Deveaux fought Norfolk’s Brendan Segal and was given 27 penalty-minutes on the play (29 total penalty-minutes in the game). Deveaux scored the lone Whale goal in their 4-1 loss on Friday to the Admirals.
Game 3 of the series will be played on Sunday at 7pm (ET) at the XL Center. The series is tied 1-1.
The Connecticut Whale and Norfolk Admirals met for game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series (ECSF series ‘I’) on Friday, as the Whale attempted to take a 2-0 series lead back to Hartford.
Norfolk opened the scoring early in period 1, on a goal scored by Alex Killorn at the three-minute mark. Killorn was situated in front of Whale goaltender Cam Talbot when he received a pass from Pierre-Cedric Labrie, who had retrieved the loose puck behind Connecticut’s goal. Killorn quickly snapped the puck past Talbot, giving the Admirals a 1-0 lead. Defenseman Keith Aulie also assisted on Killorn’s second goal of the playoffs.
The Whale tried desperately to answer back, firing 13 shots in the period, most of which came on three power-play opportunities. But Admirals goaltender Dustin Tokarski stifled the Whale throughout period 1, stopping each shot to keep his club in the lead.
Norfolk would enter the second period with a two-goal lead, after defenseman Mike Kostka recorded an insurance goal at 17:44 of period 1. The play was started by Norfolk’s leading playoff scorer, Alexandre Picard, who carried the puck through the neutral zone and into Connecticut’s defensive end before reaching the left face-off dot, and sliding a perfect pass across the slot to Kostka; who one-timed the puck behind Talbot and into the Whale’ cage. It was Kostka’s first goal of the post-season, and it provided the Admirals with a 2-0 lead.
The Connecticut Whale and Norfolk Admirals will meet for game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals Series (ECSF series ‘I’) on Friday at 7:30pm (ET) at The Scope in Norfolk, Virginia. Connecticut took game 1, 3-2, on an overtime goal by Andreas Thuresson.
Pregame notes
—in game 1, the Whale and Admirals combined for four goals in the first period, then battled into overtime tied 2-2. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Marek Hrivik scored for the Whale during regulation, while Ondrej Palat and Pierre-Cedric Labrie scored for Norfolk. At the 2:53 mark of overtime, Thuresson scored the game-winning goal for Connecticut, giving the Whale a 1-0 series lead.
—the Whale’ power-play was 0-for-5 in game 1, and is now 3-for-19 in the playoffs. Connecticut’s penalty-killing was 6-for-6 in game 1, and is 18-for-19 in the playoffs.
—Connecticut’s leading scorers in the playoffs are Hrivik (5-0-5) are Casey Wellman (1-4-5).
—Cam Talbot made 31 saves in game 1, and will look to continue his impressive playoff performance between the pipes in game 2.
—Norfolk’s power-play was 0-for-6 in game 1, and is now 4-for-30 in the playoffs. The Admirals penalty-killing was 5-for-5 in game 1, and is now 29-for-30 in the playoffs.
—the Admirals’ top scorers in the playoffs are Alexandre Picard (4-4-8), Trevor Smith (2-5-7) and Alex Killorn (1-6-7).
—Dustin Tokarski made 26 saves in game 1, and played well despite the loss. He will likely start again for game 2.
Follow me on twitter for more Whale playoff coverage @NickPerri_SNYRB
Email me at nickpnyrwriter@gmail.com.
On Wednesday, the Connecticut Whale and Norfolk Admirals opened their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series (ECSF series ‘I’) at The Scope in Norfolk, Virginia. An exuberant Norfolk crowd of 3,223 was treated to an overtime thriller, as the Whale and Admirals battled hard through three periods, tied at 2-2.
Overtime didn’t last long, however, as the Whale received a lucky-bounce just three minutes in to win the game 3-2, and take a 1-0 series lead.
The scoring began at 5:43 of the first-period, when Norfolk’s Ondrej Palat recorded his first goal of the playoffs to give the Admirals a 1-0 lead. Palat was situated to the right of Whale’ goaltender Cam Talbot, and found a loose rebound which he quickly snapped into Connecticut’s goal. Brandon Segal and Trevor Smith assisted on the score.
At 8:18 of the opening period, the Whale tied the game on a goal by rookie Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, his second of the post-season. Audy-Marchessault buried a Tim Erixon rebound past Norfolk’ goalie, Dustin Tokarski for the goal. Twelve seconds later, at 8:30, Whale’ forward Marek Hrivik continued his playoff heroics, tallying his fifth goal of the post-season to give the Whale a 2-1 lead. The play was started by J.T. Miller, who beat two Admirals’ defenseman to the puck behind Norfolk’s net and shuffled a pass to Casey Wellman who was waiting near the left face-off dot. Wellman sent a centering feed to Hrivik, who lifted a shot past Tokarski for the lead.
Norfolk tied the game at 16:56 of the first-frame on a goal scored by Pierre-Cedric Labrie, his second of the playoffs. Labrie collected a Mark Barberio rebound in the crease, and fired a shot past Talbot’s left-pad to tie the score at 2-2. Alex Killorn also assisted on the goal.
The Connecticut Whale and Norfolk Admirals kick-off their Eastern Conference Semi-Finals Series (ECSF Series ‘I’) on Wednesday at 7:15pm (ET), with game 1 being played at The Scope in Norfolk, Virginia. The Whale is coming off a three-game sweep over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in round 1, while Norfolk advanced with a game 4 win over the Manchester Monarchs.
Pregame notes
—the Whale finished its first-round series with three-straight wins; starting with back-to-back 3-0 victories in games 1 and 2, and finishing with a 4-3 overtime win in game 3.
—during the series, the Whale power-play struck for three goals on 14 chances, giving it a 21.4-percent conversion rate—the sixth-best from round 1. Connecticut’s penalty-killing was an impressive 12-for-13 (92.3-percent) in the series, which was good enough for third-best in the first-round.
—Connecticut’s top scorers from round 1 included rookie Marek Hrivik (4-0-4), Casey Wellman (1-3-4), rookie Ryan Bourque (2-1-3), and Kelsey Tessier (1-2-3).
—the Whale started Cam Talbot for all three games, and he finished the series with a 3-0-0 record, two shutouts, .92 goals-against-average (GAA), and a .977 save-percentage (SVP).
—the Whale recently added defenseman Dylan McIlrath to its roster, and there is a chance that he dresses during the series. Forward Shane McColgan and defenseman Samuel Noreau were both released from their Amateur Tryout’s (ATO’s) with the Whale.
—both teams have injured players that they hope will return during the series, with the Whale missing forward Andrew Yogan (lower-body injury) and the Admirals missing forward Tyler Johnson (upper-body injury).
—Norfolk won its first-round series against Manchester in game 4, with a 4-3 overtime win. Norfolk also won game 1, 3-2, and game 3, 5-2; but lost game 2, 5-2.
—the Admirals power-play was 4-for-24 in the series, giving them the ninth-best in round 1 at 16.7-percent. The Admirals penalty-killing was 24-for-25 in the series, giving them the second-best in round 1 at 96-percent.
—Norfolk’s top scorers in series were Alexandre Picard (4-4-8), Trevor Smith (2-4-6) and rookie Alex Killorn (1-5-6).
—the Admirals started both of their goaltenders during the series, giving Jaroslav Janus games 1 and 2 and Dustin Tokarsi appeared in games 3 and 4. Janus was 1-1-0 with a 3.08 GAA and .897 SVP, while Tokarsi was 2-0-0 with a 2.25 GAA and .904 SVP. Janus was the better goaltender against the Whale during the regular-season.
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Email me at nickpnyrwriter@gmail.com.
In case you missed it from earlier today…the Connecticut Whale has added defenseman Dylan McIlrath to its roster through re-assignment by the New York Rangers.
McIlrath, 20, was the Rangers‘ first-round pick in 2010 (10th overall). He played in 52 regular-season games with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL this season, scoring three goals and 20 assists, while amassing 127 penalty-minutes and a plus-7 rating. During the post-season, he appeared in 14 games with Moose Jaw and recorded six assists.
McIlrath made his pro-debut with the Whale last season, playing in two regular-season games and registering seven penalty-minutes and a minus-1 rating. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound, blueliner will join the Whale in time for the second-round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, which begin on Wednesday in Norfolk for the Whale. Next season is expected to be McIlrath’s first full pro-season, and he will likely spend it in a Whale’ uniform.
According to the NY Post, 20-year-old Connecticut Whale forward Marek Hrivik is gaining interest from NHL clubs, including the New York Rangers. Hrivik joined the Whale on an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement on March 30, and made his pro debut the next day in a game against the Adirondack Phantoms.
Hrivik appeared in eight regular-season games with the Whale, scoring a goal and totaling 19 shots while playing on a line with Casey Wellman and fellow rookie Steve Moses. Hrivik was a first-round playoff hero for the Whale, scoring four goals in three games against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He leads the Whale in playoff goals and is tied for the team lead in points entering round 2.
The Slovakian-winger played three seasons in the QMJHL with the Moncton Wildcats before joining the Whale, and he amassed 93 goals, 111 assists and 204 points in 179 games played with Moncton. Hrivik has already attended two NHL training camps, but has yet to sign a deal. In 2010, Hrivik was invited to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ camp, and in 2011 he received an invite from the Phoenix Coyotes.
Hrivik possesses an abundance of skills, including his speed, strength, quick-release, and hockey sense in all zones. Hrivik’s size is a bonus, as the winger skates at 6-foot-2, 197-pounds. The second-round of the playoffs begins Wednesday for the Whale when it visits the Norfolk Admirals for game 1, and Hrivik may play an important role in Connecticut’s quest for the Calder Cup.
Jonathan Audy-Marchessault
Another Whale rookie that the Rangers, among other NHL clubs, have interest in is 5-foot-9, 175-pound, forward Jonathan Audy-Marchessault. The Rangers invited Audy-Marchessault to training camp last September, and his performance with the Whale this season is proof as to why teams are interested in the talented forward.
Audy-Marchessault, 21, finished the season as the only Whale skater to appear in all 76 regular-season games. He finished the year tied for first on the team in scoring, with 24 goals (second on the team), 40 assists (team leader) and 64 points. During the first-round of the playoffs, Audy-Marchessault recorded a goal and a team-leading 16 shots in three games.
Before joining the Whale on a Standard Player (AHL) Contract this summer, Audy-Marchessault spent four seasons in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts. He totaled 98 goals, 141 assists and 239 points in 254 games with Quebec.
Follow me on twitter for more Whale playoff coverage @NickPerri_SNYRB
Email me at nickpnyrwriter@gmail.com.
The Connecticut Whale was the first 2012 Calder Cup Playoff team to advance this post-season, completing a three-game sweep over first-round opponent Bridgeport on Sunday with a 4-3 overtime win. Connecticut finally learned its Eastern Conference Semi-Final opponent on Friday, when the first-place Norfolk Admirals defeated the Manchester Monarchs to win their series (3-1), and the second-place St. John’s IceCaps beat the Syracuse Crunch to finish their series (3-1).
Connecticut and Norfolk will begin their best-of-7 series on Wednesday, May 2, when the Admirals host the Whale at 7:15pm (ET). Game 2 will be played on Friday, May 4, in Norfolk at 7:30pm, and games 3 and 4 are scheduled for Sunday, May 6, and Monday, May 7; both to played in Hartford at 7pm. If necessary, game 5 will take place in Bridgeport (Whale home game) on Wednesday, May 9, at 7pm. Game 6, if necessary, will be played in Norfolk on Friday, May 11, at 7:30pm, and a game 7 would take place in Norfolk on Sunday, May 13, at 5pm.
During the regular-season, the Whale and Admirals met four times and all four battles resulted in Norfolk victories. The first and second of the four games were played in Norfolk on January 13 and 14. The Admirals won, 3-1 and 4-2. On January 21, the Whale hosted Norfolk for the first time, and despite a strong effort by the hosts, Norfolk skated away with a 5-4 shootout win. Then on March 10, the Whale lost to Norfolk, 3-1, on home ice to conclude the season-series.
On Friday, two of the three remaining Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series finished, with the first-place Norfolk Admirals and second-place Saint John’s IceCaps moving on to round 2. The Connecticut Whale, who became the first playoff team to reach the second-round with an overtime win on Sunday, will play the Admirals in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals (ECSF); beginning with game 1 on Wednesday.
Here is the full schedule according to the Admirals:
Game 1: Wednesday, May 2—7:15pm (ET) at the Scope in Norfolk, Virginia
Game 2: Friday, May 4—7:30pm at the Scope
Game 3: Sunday, May 6—7pm at the XL Center in Hartford
Game 4: Monday, May 7—7pm at the XL Center
*Game 5: Wednesday, May 9—7pm at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport (Whale home game)
*Game 6: Friday, May 11—7:30pm at the Scope
*Game 7: Sunday, May 13—5pm at the Scope
*If necessary
Check the blog this weekend for my full ECSF series preview.
Follow me on twitter for more Whale playoff coverage @NickPerri_SNYRB
Email me at nickpnyrwriter@gmail.com.
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