Adirondack goes 2-1-0 during Ontario Road Trip

Adirondack completed a three game swing through southern Ontario, going 2-1-0 on the road trip. On Wednesday in Hamilton, the Flames could not hold a two goal lead in the third period – allowing the game to go into overtime. Taylor Vause’s winner midway through the overtime stanza gained the Flames the extra point against a team they chase in the standings.

The Flames then had back to back games at Toronto – a team that they have struggled against of late. Those struggles continued on Friday, as Adirondack fell behind early and never recovered, resulting in a 5-3 loss. Saturday was a different story. Doug Carr got his first start since late January and his first win of the season, leading the team to a 3-1 victory. Carr faced 30 shots and the team was short handed nine times in the contest. Saturday's game also marked the return of Bill Arnold, who had a goal and an assist in the contest. Arnold had been out with a shoulder injury since January 9th, and the team missed his solid, gritty play.

Adirondack has moved into ninth place in the Western Conference, one point behind eighth place Texas with a game in hand and two points behind seventh place Hamilton with four games in hand.

Random Observations

• Turner Elson’s play has really moved to another level. He is a leader on the ice, plays well in all three zones and has found his scoring touch. In the last 10 games, he has seven goals and three assists. Among players presently in Adirondack, he is now second on the team in scoring with 24 points.
• David Wolf had an interesting road trip – one goal, two assists and 19 PIM.
• The Flames were 13 for 13 on the penalty kill against Toronto this weekend, but gave up two power play goals against Hamilton on three attempts. They are in the middle of the 30-team league on the penalty kill at 83.7%.
• The Flames were 3 for 15 on the power play this weekend. They are eighth in the league in this category (19.0%) and have been streaky all season.
• It was nice to see Doug Carr get a solid start Saturday. In his brief time in Adirondack, he is 1-1-0 with a 1.58 GAA and .950 SV% in two starts and two relief appearances. Brad Thiessen is 3-2-1 since Joni Ortio went down with the high ankle sprain and has seen his GAA increase and SV% decrease over this stretch. If Carr can effectively take some additional minutes down the stretch – that would be valuable until Ortio’s return.
• Bill Arnold’s absence the last two months cannot be understated. He is an excellent two way player who can add to the score sheet. He is tough to play against, covers defensively for other teammates and having him back down the stretch will be a huge addition.
• Since Mark Cundari has been given a chance to dress every night, he has produced offensively from the blue line. In his last 10 games, he has five goals and six assists. He is not a shut down defenseman, but is solid and adds a nice offensive element.

The Flames return home Tuesday night to take on the Hamilton Bulldogs, followed by three games in three nights this coming weekend – Syracuse, Toronto and Binghamton. A strong week will put them in a solid position entering the final month of the season.

by Keith Mcafee