AHL American Hockey League

The NHL has officially cancelled the remainder of the preseason, and finally Friday to discuss non-central issues of the Bargaining Agreement after a two-week hiatus. (Calgary Herald)

While the owners and the NHLPA are looking for a way to salvage what is left of the season, the AHL is gearing up as usual.

With no professional hockey as of yet, the AHL has taken center stage in various media outlets as the biggest game in North American Hockey.

The KHL is also gaining a lot of attention in North America as many players who are ineligible to play in the AHL are taking contracts with the Russian league.

Yet there is a bevy of young talent that has played less than 160 NHL games (as per the old CBA) who have been sent down to their team’s AHL affiliate.

Players who are already establishing themselves in the NHL are looking at the AHL as a great option. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Brayden Schenn and Jake Gardiner have already reported to their respected affiliate according to The Toronto Star.

For the owners and die hard fans of the AHL, this is gearing up to be a great season. The ability to watch budding NHL stars play, albeit not with their entire NHL team.

Much like what happened during the 2004-05 lockout that cancelled the entire season, the AHL saw a number of star players return for the season.

In 2004-05 it was names like Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and, captain of this year's Stanley Cup winning team, Dustin Brown who went down to play for the AHL.

Certain teams are going to see a great boon of talent help them fight for positioning while the NHL keeps its doors closed.

Edmonton’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons, should see some success with Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall (when he is healthy) playing for the Barons.

The Adirondack Phantoms will also see a boost with players like Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier returning to the AHL.

The Phantoms, who missed the AHL postseason last year, will welcome the return of these players during the lockout.

Even the Calder Cup contenders, the Toronto Marlies, will see a boost from their NHL affiliate during the lockout, albeit a small one.

Many of the players sent down by the Maple Leafs spent last season playing only a few NHL games. Jake Gardiner is the main exception having played 75 games for the Leafs last season.

What has been seeing little press however, is the trickle-down effect that can change the development of these young NHL stars returning to the AHL for the lockout.

While having the top young NHL stars playing with the affiliate teams in the AHL, it can lead to the stifling of the top talent that is already playing for the affiliates.

The top players that are being sent down will likely see the most ice time during their stints in the AHL.

Those who would have been on the top lines will be bumped down and see reduced time and ability to grow as a player.

This means that players who needed a year in the minors before breaking through in the NHL will have to wait another year, unless the lockout is resolved quickly.

For the players in the juniors who are eligible to play in the minors this season, they will have to wait as well.

It could be for a resolution to the lockout or for another year to pass.

This can also have an effect on the prospects coming up this season, while those who are being considered as the top prospects may not be, the players from the second-round down could be as they too could see reduced ice time.

Many are hoping that this season will be salvaged at least in some capacity, for some AHL teams a lengthy lockout could help them greatly.

Teams like the Barons and the Phantoms could be in place for a playoff run, or even potentially the Calder Cup with a long lockout.

On the other side of that coin, if the lockout is resolved quickly it could seriously hurt teams who will lose large numbers of their players who return to the NHL.

So while on paper the lockout seems like a gain for the AHL teams, the uncertainty surrounding it and the length of the lockout could hurt the AHL, its players and the prospects badly.

Dallas Eakins is a rising star in the coaching world, one who isn't just on the cusp of being able to coach in the NHL, but one who could command an NHL gig at the present time. Instead of heading for the bright lights of the NHL he elected to ink a three-year contract extension with the Toronto Marlies on Monday. With the stipulation that he won't be permitted to consider any NHL head coaching opportunities until the 2013-14 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have retained an asset integral to their future success.

Eakins' contributions may not be noticeable at first glance, but rest assured his fingerprints are all over the success the Marlies have enjoyed this season. Under his tutelage, prospects such as Nazem Kadri, Korbinian Holzer and Joe Colborne have become more complete players, and as a result, more NHL-ready. Kadri's development is especially key, as he will be a factor in any success, or lack thereof, the Leafs experience in the coming years. Stuart Percy and Jesse Blacker (a current Marlies rookie) will surely benefit from playing under Eakins' watchful eye next season as well.

Beyond the obvious duty of an AHL coach to prep an organization's top prospects for the NHL, Eakins has been instrumental in developing players that are able to adequately stand-in with the big club when the injury bug bites. Whether that means mentoring Matt Frattin in order to help him regain his confidence in order to be effective at the NHL-level, or providing the parent club with depth options, Eakins has performed admirably.

The true value of Eakins and his contributions will be witnessed in a few short years, when many of the players he's coached, barring any trades, should be ready to play regularly for the Leafs. Players such as the aforementioned Percy and Blacker, as well as Marcel Mueller and Greg McKegg (who will arrive in the AHL next season) are unlikely to turn into stars, but organizational depth is key to any NHL team's success. Without in-house development, an organization becomes devoid of affordable, young talent essential for success in the salary-cap era.

The fact that organizations such as the Detroit Red Wings have achieved success by developing their own talent is evidence that a shared vision at all levels within the organizational hierarchy is needed. An organization needs to run on a vertical integration model of sorts, if you will. With Brian Burke and new head coach Randy Carlyle stressing work ethic and accountability; Eakins has made every effort to instill that organizational mantra deep within the minds of his players. 

The players, and the Leafs organization as a whole will be better for it. The only way to build in today's NHL is from the ground up, and while Brian Burke has eschewed that rebuilding method thus far in Toronto, Eakins is providing the organization with a stable foundation as he mentors the club's heralded and unheralded prospects alike.

After a season that saw the Hamilton Bulldogs win 34 of their 76 games and finish 11 points out of a playoff spot, there is much uncertainty regarding the future of the franchise.

The Bulldogs have only nine players under contract for next season, including Phil Lefebvre (11 points), Joe Stejskal (three points), Alain Berger (seven points), Louis Leblanc (22 points), Gabriel Dumont (24 points), Robert Mayer (2.94 GAA, .909 SV%), Joonas Nattinen (21 points), Ian Schultz (23 points) and Alexander Avtsin (14 points).

That means the future of leading scorers Brian Willsie (18 goals, 26 assists), Andreas Engqvist (20 goals, 23 assists) and Aaron Palushaj (15 goals, 20 assists) are up in the air at this time. Their top offensive defensemen Frederic St-Denis (three goals, 25 assists) and Garrett Stafford (eight goals, 16 assists) are also potential free agents.

Probably the most important free agent will be Captain Alex Henry (one goal, six assists), who has been a rock on defence for Hamilton. Also, the Dogs' top goalie Nathan Lawson may not be back with the team next year (2.57 GAA, .914 SV%).

Although answers to the futures of some of the key players will not likely be apparent until their parent club, the Montreal Canadiens, makes a decision on who will become their next general manager. Currently potential GMs include: Blair Mackasey (Minnesota Wild Director of Player Personnel, Julien BriseBois (Tampa Bay Lightning Assistant GM, former Montreal Canadiens Assistant GM in charge of the Bulldogs from 2007-2010), Marc Bergevin (Chicago Blackhawks Assistant GM), Claude Loiselle (Toronto Maple Leafs Assistant GM) and Patrick Roy (Quebec Remparts Head Coach & GM). 

Let’s take a look at the Montreal Canadiens prospects that may become Hamilton Bulldogs next season.

Player	Position	Acquired	Currently Playing	About his game
Michael Bournival	Centre	Trade with Colorado Avalanche in 2010	QMJHL, Shawinigan Cataractes	“Bournival is best characterized by his tireless work ethic and intense competitive drive. Even while not scoring, he is easily noticed when on the ice. He possesses the ability to play in all three zones and has a no-quit attitude.” (From Hockey’s Future)
Brendan Gallagher	Right Wing	Round 5, 147th overall in 2010	WHL, Vancouver Giants	“A dangerous scorer in the WHL, Gallagher has terrific quickness, as well as a hard and accurate shot. He is always active and never passive on a shift, able to find open space, while entering high-traffic areas as well. Gallagher is an intense, cerebral player with good overall skills. He utilizes his smaller size to his advantage at the WHL level.” (From Hockey’s Future)
Patrick Holland	Right Wing	Trade with Calgary Flames in 2012	WHL, Tri-City Americans	“Holland is one of those players who can sometimes go unnoticed but he can do it all. He sees the ice well, can set up teammates, will score the big goal and can shut down the opposition's best players. He played a big role this season on the team's penalty killing unit and at times produced star games when his team seemed to need it. Holland needs to add more muscle mass to his thin frame while continuing his improvement of his two-way game to play at the professional level.” (From Hockey’s Future)
Jarred Tinordi	Defense	Round 1, 22nd overall in 2010	OHL, London Knights	“Tinordi possesses multiple talents that cannot be learned, such as an NHL pedigree and gargantuan stature. When at his best, he makes a habit of overpowering his opponents. He thrives when protecting the area around his net and in the corners. Tinordi skates well for his size, brings grit and toughness in the mold of a defensive defenseman, as well as leadership capability.” (From Hockey’s Future)
Morgan Ellis	Defense	Round 4, 117th overall in 2010	QMJHL, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles	“A right-handed stay-at-home defender, Ellis is not overly imposing, but is nevertheless strong and smooth on his skates, and sound in his own zone. He brings a great deal of poise and composure on and off the ice, and serves as captain of his QMJHL squad, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.” (From Hockey’s Future)
Greg Pateryn	Defense	Trade with Toronto, 2008	NCAA, University of Michigan Wolverines	“At 6'3" and 214 pounds, Pateryn has assumed a role as one of the University of Michigan’s toughest and most physical defenders. He utilizes his body very well, both in delivering checks as well as matching up against some of the CCHA's bigger forwards.” (From Hockey’s Future)

Judging by the Montreal Canadiens' current prospect pool, the Bulldogs could potentially have three forwards and three defensemen joining them for the 2012-13 AHL season.

The Canadiens are, however, very thin at the goaltending position and do not have any prospects waiting to make the jump to professional hockey. Regardless, once the Canadiens hire a new GM, there will be much work needed to shape the Hamilton Bulldogs roster for the upcoming season.

This could be a particularly pivotal season for the Hamilton Bulldogs franchise, as their lease agreement with Copps Coliseum as well as their affiliation agreement with the Montreal Canadiens both expire after the 2012-13 AHL season.

There have been rumors in the past that Laval, Quebec could be a city to which the team would move. However, there is no arena there that is currently large enough to house an AHL franchise.

There is also potential that the Bulldogs may stay in Hamilton but be forced to seek a new NHL partner if the Canadiens decide they want to move another existing AHL franchise to Quebec.

These scenarios may become obsolete, though, as Owner Michael Andlauer has begun negotiations with the City of Hamilton to extend the Bulldogs lease on Copps Coliseum for another five years. However, a challenge in these negotiations will be the fact that the City of Hamilton is looking to have Copps Coliseum and HECFI (the company that runs Copps) taken over and operated by a private management company (see this article from the Hamilton Spectator). The city will not likely enter into a long-term agreement prior to a private company taking over the reins.

After looking at the Bulldogs' attendance figures, they show that the franchise is in the middle of the pack in terms of AHL attendance.

For the 2011-12 AHL season, the Bulldogs were 20th out of 30 AHL franchises in average attendance at 4,848, while the league average is 5,638. The top attendance in the AHL this past season was the Hershey Bears at 9,872; the lowest was the Albany Devils at 3,435. 

Over the past seven years, the Hamilton Bulldogs rank 18th out of 30 teams in average attendance at 4,669 fans per game. The highest average attendance in the league during the past seven years is the Hershey Bears at 9,046 per game and the lowest is the Springfield Falcons at 3,607 per game. The AHL average attendance per game during that same seven-year period for the current franchises is 5,352 fans per game.

With all that in mind, the Bulldogs will be in Hamilton for at least next season. Judging by Hamilton Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer’s sincere desire to keep the team in Hamilton for the long term, I believe we will see the Bulldogs remain in Hamilton past the 2012-13 season. The Montreal Canadiens may not re-affiliate with the club, but I believe there will be another NHL club out there that will pick up the affiliation in that scenario.

After writing this article, it was announced that former Chicago Blackhawks Assistant General Manager Marc Bergevin will be the Montreal Canadiens' new general manager. This can only mean good things for the Hamilton Bulldogs as Bergevin is well respected for his eye for talent. It has also been rumoured and reported by Darren Dreger of TSN.ca that Rick Dudley is in line to become his assistant, which would likely mean that he would also be handling the Bulldogs talent. Any way you spin this, it means brighter days ahead for Bulldog fans in Hamilton.

 Follow Mike on Twitter @mikeburse

The Norfolk Admirals' epic history-making and record-breaking win streak grew to 21 games Wednesday after the Admirals and goalie Dustin Tokarski shut out the St. John's IceCaps 2-0 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

Backed by second-period goals by LW Ondrej Palat (his eighth), a short-handed effort, and the game-winning power-play goal by RW Richard Panik (19) deep in the second, Tokarski stood on his head in net and turned away all 32 IceCap shots.

Rookie center Tyler Johnson's goal-scoring streak ended at nine, but his consecutive point scoring streak stretched to 13 games, assisting on both Norfolk goals. Johnson now has 35 points (14 G, 21 A) during the streak and 26 points ( 11 G, 15 A) in his last 13.

Tokarski made 11 saves in the third period on way to recording his 10th straight win and fifth shutout of the season. 

Killing an IceCap penalty in the second, 21-year-old birthday boy Palat started the scoring 12:27 into the second frame on a rebound off a Mark Barberio right circle shot. Barberio's shot came after Johnson stripped a St. Johns player of the puck at his own blue line and got the puck past a defender in the neutral zone. Johnson skated into the IceCaps zone and dropped the puck to Barberio.

Palat took Barberio's shot in deep and off balance, back-handed his shot past IceCaps goalie David Aebischer (14-9-2), who did all he could to keep his squad in the game, stopping 25-of-27 Admiral shots.

Panik added the insurance tally in the second off a deflection off a IceCaps defender that just beat Aebischer five-hole.

The 21st straight victory tied the Admirals with two other professional sports records of the New England Patriots (over the 2003 and 2004 seasons) and the 1935 Chicago Cubs.

The win put the Admirals at 48-18-1-2 and dropped the IceCaps to 39-20-5-3. The IceCaps still sit atop the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference with 86 points and third in the conference.

The Admirals hope to continue their winning ways Friday night against the same IceCaps at Scope Arena.

Please read my piece here for a detailed analysis of the streak.

Thanks for reading!

Game recap used from norfolkadmirals.com

The Norfolk Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, set world professional hockey's longest winning streak at 19 when they defeated the Albany Devils 2-1 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. on Friday, March 23.

Tyler Johnson grabbed the game winner with his 29th goal of the season, and the very next evening, he scored his 29th goal as the Admirals again took down the Devils, this time by a score of 4-3, to extend the winning streak to 20 games.

Twenty consecutive wins! I don't care if you're talking about peewee hockey—this record is impressive at any level in any sport.

The Admirals broke the previous record of 18-straight wins by the 1990 Peoria Rivermen of the IHL. In a good omen for the Admirals, the Rivermen went on to win their second IHL Turner Cup championship.

The Pittsburgh Penguins established the NHL's longest winning streak at 17 games during the 1992-'93 regular season.

The 1990-'91 Philadelphia Flyers hold world professional hockey's longest unbeaten streak at a remarkable 35 games, having won 25 games and tied 10 others. Remember, it wasn't until the 2005-'06 season when the NHL instituted shootouts thereby eliminating ties.

Incredibly, during the Admirals' streak only one game had to even go into overtime. The Admirals and Syracuse Crunch went to a shootout on Feb. 18, which was eventually won by the streaking Admirals, 3-2.

In analyzing the streak, I will highlight some notable statistics, select the closest games that threatened to end the streak and pick the three stars that excelled.

Notable Statistics

Streak span: Feb. 10-current (last lost to Springfield Falcons 4-2 on Feb. 5)

Goals scored: 82 for a 4.05 goals per game average

Goals against: 33 for a 1.65 goals against average

Power play: 28 for 102 for 27 percent

Penalty kill: 69 out of 83 killed for 83 percent

Extra Energy

Another amazing stat is that the Admirals have won back-to-back-to-back games on three separate occasions during this amazing run.

In the AHL, teams routinely play three games in a row throughout the season. In the NHL, you can see teams losing energy in the second game in a back-to-back stretch. To not stumble in any of those third games is pretty unreal.

The last game in the latest of three consecutive contests resulted in a decisive 6-3 win to notch the Admirals' 15th-straight win.

Deep into the season, third game in a row, long winning streak in the balance and they went out and scored six goals.

Pretty incredible.

Games That Threatened the Streak

Feb. 18: Syracuse Crunch (20-23-4-4 after game) at Norfolk (33-18-1-2 after game)

The Admirals dug themselves a 2-0 hole into the third period until defenseman Mark Barberio cut the lead in half.

Right-winger Richard Panik tied the game at two on the power play at the 9:02 mark and sent the contest into overtime.

Neither team could score in the extra frame, sending the battle into a shootout. The third round saw a do-or-die moment for the Admirals, who were down to their last shooter trailing 1-0 after a second-round tally by Crunch forward Jean-Francois Jacques.

Defenseman Mike Kostka cooly tied the shootout by scoring against netminder Iiro Tarkki in what would prove to be a crucial moment in extending the streak.

Rookie center Johnson also came up clutch in the sixth round, tying up the epic battle once again.

Michel Ouellet was the hero, tallying the shootout-winning goal in the ninth round of the contest. The 3-2 shootout win was the sixth in a row for the Admirals.

Feb. 24: Norfolk (34-18-1-2) At Binghamton Senators (21-30-2-1)

The Admirals staged another comeback with their next meeting against the Senators. Norfolk fell behind 2-0 after the first period, but goals by Brandon Segal (14th) in the second frame and Evan Oberg (fifth) in the third period tied the game. 

This led to the dramatic ending of the battle. With 30 seconds left in the third period, Pierre-Cedric Labrie beat Senator goalie Mike McKenna between the pads from the left faceoff circle after taking a rebound from a Tyler Johnson shot.

Both goalies were stellar in the contest, with McKenna stopping 36 of 39 shots and Admirals goalie Dustin Tokarski stopping 33 of 35 shots. The 3-2 win gave the Admirals their seventh-straight victory.

Feb. 25: Norfolk (35-18-1-2) At Hershey Bears (29-18-4-5)

This time, it was the Admirals who jumped out to an early lead in the first period, with goals by Barberio (eighth) and Ouellet (11th), to put them up 2-0.

The Bears scored a goal in the first period, and current point-scoring leader Chris Bourque (25 G, 59 A, 84 PTS) tallied another for the Bears in the second with the man advantage to notch the contest at two.

Still in the second period, the Admirals regained the lead at 3-2 on Segal's 15th of the season, but were matched by a Bears power-play goal to notch it at three.

Capping off an action-packed third stanza, Segal scored his 16th of the year and second of the game with the man advantage with a deflection on Barberio's shot that beat Bears goalie Braden Holtby five-hole.

Segal's tally proved to be the game winner, while giving the Admirals their eighth-straight win and tying their franchise record for most consecutive wins. The 4-3 win also tied the AHL record for most consecutive wins in a season.

Feb. 26: Norfolk (36-18-1-2) At Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (32-18-2-5)

The Admirals set their franchise record with their ninth-straight win in another back-and-forth, tight affair that saw the Admirals tie the game 1-1 late in the second period on a PP goal by Barberio.

Norfolk surged ahead 2-1 in the third frame on a Jean-Philippe Cote goal early in the third, his first of the year. (Cote had joined the team in mid-November.)

A game Bears squad refused to die, and notched the contest at two in the third period.

However, more late-game heroics ensued when right-winger Carter Ashton notched his 19th tally of the season on a rebound with the man advantage with just over two minutes left in the third period vanquishing the Bears 3-2.

Feb. 29: Hershey (29-19-4-5) at Norfolk (37-18-1-2)

The Admirals continued their winning ways with their 10th consecutive victory, beating the Bears 2-1 in another nail-biter.

Norfolk grabbed the lead in the second period on sniper Cory Conacher's 30th of the year on a power play.

The Bears tied the contest on a man advantage of their own halfway through the third, but minutes later LW Ondrej Palat scored the game-winner after taking a Johnson pass, skating around the Bears' defenders and wristing the deciding tally past netminder Braden Holtby just inside the right post.

Admirals goalie Jaroslav Janus outplayed Holtby, saving 29 of 30 shots while the Bears 'keeper stopped 18 of 20 shots.

March 23: Albany Devils (28-27-6-5) at Norfolk (46-18-1-2)

For the most part, the Admirals picked up fairly easy victories.

They were sitting at 18-straight wins—tied with the longest world professional hockey winning streak—prior to to this matchup with Albany, the first of a back-to-back series with the Devils.

Albany grabbed the lead in the first period, but 18 seconds later, Cote locked up the contest at 1-1.

The Admirals' march toward history and a 19th-straight win would not be denied as Johnson scored from in tight in the second period, converting a rebound after a shot and great individual effort by right-winger Panik.

The goal was Johnson's 28th twine bender of the season and extended his consecutive games scoring a goal streak to eight games and his point scoring streak to 11 games.

These Admirals like their streaks.

Norkolk's penalty-kill unit and goalie Jaroslav Janus (26 saves on 27 shots) were especially stingy on the evening, denying eight of nine Devils power-play chances. Devils goalie Jeff Frazee matched Janus' performance with 26 saves of his own (on 28 shots).

March 24: Albany (28-28-6-5) at Norfolk (47-18-1-2)

In a rematch from the previous night, the Devils were no less troublesome and pesky. Palat opened up the scoring in the first period with his seventh of the year, but the Devils countered on a short-handed goal in the first and on a power play in the second frame to take a 2-1 lead.

The Admirals then scored three-straight on goals from centerman Alex Killorn (first) late in the second period to tie it at two. Johnson scored on a power-play goal on a slap shot from the left circle early in the third frame.

Norfolk added an important insurance goal (and what proved to be the game-winner), stretching the lead to 4-2 on Alexandre Picard's sixth goal of the season with a tap-in with just over six minutes to play.

Albany made it interesting with a late goal to make it 4-3, but could get no closer as netminder Dustin Tokarski (34 saves on 37 shots) would not allow the game-tying goal to get by him. With his 76th career win, Tokarski set an Admirals record for career wins by a goaltender. 

The win stretched the team's win streak to 20 games.

3 Stars During the Streak

First Star

Tyler Johnson, C

Johnson has one game-winner during the streak and appeared on eight of the 20 Three Stars lists with three First-Star selections.

More amazingly, Johnson has a current goal-scoring streak of nine games, scoring 11 goals since March 3 and a 12-game point scoring streak dating back to Feb. 26, during which he has tallied 24 points (11 G, 13 A).

During the Admirals' entire 20-game winning streak, Johnson has 33 points (14 G, 19 A).

For the season, Johnson is seventh in the AHL in scoring with 61 points (29 G, 32 A) in 67 games played.

Not too bad for a rookie.

Second Star

Jaroslav Janus, G

On a team that has only surrendered a 1.65 GAA on a 20-game winning streak, either Janus or fellow goalie Dustin Tokarski would have to be selected as one of the Three Stars.

Janus gets the Second Star because of his stingy 1.45 GAA and .943 save percentage and because he was picked as one of the Three Stars (and three First-Star selections) in six of the 11 games he appeared in.

Janus gets the because of his superior GAA and save percentage he has over Tokarski  (1.89 GAA, .928 save percentage). Tokarski recorded more shutouts (two) than Janus (one), but Janus still gets the nod here.

Third Star

Cory Conacher, LW

Conacher has tallied the third-most points at 20 (9 G, 11 A) on the Admirals during the streak and has netted three game-winners.

He has also been selected as one of the Three Stars in four of the games, garnering First Star honors three times, tying him with Johnson, Janus and Mark Barberio. 

For the season, Conacher ranks second in the AHL in scoring with 72 points (34 G, 38 A).

Honorable Mention Stars

Richard Panik, RW

Panik just missed out on the top three because he had no game-winners. I placed a lot of importance on scoring the decisive goal and helping the team continue the streak. Panik had none while Conacher had three.

Panik has tallied the second-most points on the Admirals with 21 (8 G, 13 A) and has been a very solid contributor to the streak.

Mark Barberio, D

A key figure on the Admirals' blue line, Barberio has helped shut down opponents' offenses and has contributed 17 points (5 G, 12 A) during the run.

He has been on four Three Star lists and has received top spot three times. He also has tallied one game-winner.

Despite being a defenseman, Barberio ranks 16th in the AHL in scoring with 56 points (11 G, 45 A).

Ondrej Palat, LW

Palat has amassed 16 points (4 G, 12 A) during the streak and scored one game-winning goal. He was selected to be one of the Three Stars four times with two first-place nods.

Will the Streak Continue?

There's one thing I do know for sure. The Admirals will be hard-pressed to match Jahangir Khan's streak of 555-straight wins in squash from 1981-1986. The record stands as the longest recorded winning streak in professional sports history.

If the Admirals win on Wednesday and extend their winning streak to 21 games, they will match the New England Patriots' run over the 2003 and 2004 seasons and the used-to-be-good Chicago Cubs of 1935.

Norfolk has a lot of work to do to catch the amazing feat of the 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers who won 33-straight games.

Next up for the Admirals is a very tough task, with a two-game set against the St. John's IceCaps, who currently have the AHL's third-most points with 86. The IceCaps (39-19-5-3) boast the league's third-ranked power-play unit at 21.4 percent and will provide a staunch test to the Admirals' quest to keep the run going.

The streak has, above all else, helped the Admirals already clinch a playoff berth and establish a firm grip on first place in the Eastern Conference with an 11-point lead over their closest pursuers—the IceCaps—and a 12-point lead over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the East Division.

With only eight regular-season games remaining, the Admirals are in excellent position to maintain the No. 1 seed and get home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Skating around with the Calder Cup will lessen any pain felt by the ending (should it happen this season) of the streak.

For Chicago Blackhawks goalie prospect Alexander Salak, a disappointing season managed to get even worse in the last two weeks. When Salak was signed back in June, he had to be thinking that he was headed for a season of NHL hockey. Instead, he may have just written his own ticket back to Europe.

Salak, obtained from Florida last February in the trade that brought Michael Frolik to Chicago, had a solid training camp for the Blackhawks, but that was where the good times ended.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Salak saga, the young goalie was sent to Rockford in favor of Ray Emery. He then proceeded to pout about it for the first few weeks of the season, and was ineffective when he finally started playing. Just when his game was coming around, he injured an ankle and was out for two months.

Salak beat the Chicago Wolves 2-1 in his return to action February 10th, stopping 27 shots. He also looked good in relief of Carter Hutton the next day and in a hard-luck 1-0 loss to Peoria February 15th.

That may just be the high point of Salak's year.

After giving up four goals in a 4-3 overtime loss to Toronto, Salak suffered a meltdown late in Rockford's game with Hamilton.

In the span of 38 seconds late in the third period, Salak allowed three goals to sink the IceHogs. Salak followed the collapse with an on-ice tantrum directed at his teammates and was pulled from the contest.

Salak has had very few bright moments in Rockford this season and has often lost his head in games. The Hamilton incident is merely an exclamation point on a dreadful performance in the 2011-12 campaign.

Hutton started and won three straight games since taking over for the sulking Salak in Hamilton. He allowed three goals in wins over Chicago and Milwaukee before shutting out the Wolves in a 1-0 overtime win in front of Hall Of Famer Tony Esposito.

Salak did get to present Esposito with an IceHogs sweater before the game. There was no word if Tony-O gave Salak any advice on how to grow up, but the Rockford net belongs to Hutton for the foreseeable future.

Hutton was rewarded with a one-year NHL contract from the Blackhawks last week. Expect him to get the call if the 'Hawks are in need of a goalie down the stretch. The IceHogs lost in a shootout with Abbotsford Wednesday night at the BMO Center, but Hutton continued to play well, allowing two goals on 37 shots to help Rockford pick up a point.

The 26-year-old has come to Rockford and taken advantage of a limited opportunity. By displaying a professional attitude and fitting into the team dynamic, he has parlayed that chance into a starting job. Salak has done the polar opposite, and is now at a crossroads with regards to his future with the organization.

Rough February Dashes Playoff Chances

The IceHogs went 4-5-1-1 for the month, even after sweeping last weekend's three games. Rockford really needed to continue a hot January to have a realistic shot at the AHL playoff picture. As it is, the IceHogs sit above just Texas in the Western Conference with 55 points.

With 19 games to play and the team eight points out of the final playoff slot, it doesn't look good. On the other hand, 12 of those games come against Milwaukee, Peoria, Houston and San Antonio. Those four teams occupy the 6-9 seeds in the standings. Winning nine or ten of those games might make things interesting.

New Faces

With Andrew Shaw and Brandon Bollig joining Jimmy Hayes with the Blackhawks, and captain Brandon Segal being traded to the Lightning organization, there are a lot of new faces in new places.

Wednesday saw the debut of Marc-Olivier Vallerand, signed by Rockford to a 30-day PTO. He had 27 goals and 23 assists with Greenville of the ECHL this season, and registered a successful shootout attempt in his first game.

Also scoring a goal in Wednesday's contest was Matt Fornataro, who was the player sent to Rockford in the Segal trade. Fornataro has two goals since coming over from Norfolk and is seeing a lot of time on the power play.

With Segal's departure, defenseman Brian Fahey was named the team's captain for the remainder of the season. Assisting him are defenseman Ryan Stanton and forward Rostislav Olesz.

Forward Paul Zanette has also been recalled again from Toledo of the ECHL, while veteran Wade Brookbank was also signed to a PTO last month and is appearing in the lineup on occasion.

Danis-Pepin Unimpressive Again

One of the new faces in the last few weeks has been hulking defenseman Simon Danis-Pepin, one of Chicago's two second-round picks in the 2006 NHL Draft. Pepin is a 6'7", 230-pound specimen who has had difficulty climbing the ladder in the Blackhawks organization.

Despite his size, Danis-Pepin is not a physical defenseman. He also is not fleet of foot. He possesses an impressive slap shot, but rarely gets the chance to show it off.

He has no points in nine games in Rockford this season. Danis-Pepin has had difficulty staying in the AHL over the last three seasons. Most of his time has been spent in Toledo, where he has 3 goals and six assists in 25 games.

The physical presence has not translated to results on the ice. It wouldn't surprise me if the 'Hawks did not re-sign the big Montreal native when his contract expires.

Kris Humphries wouldn’t be known if it weren’t for Kim Kardashian. Instead of just being another player who averages 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in his career, Humphries is continuously on the front page of tabloids.

But that “marriage” ended so it’s time to move on to being a normal NBA player that averages 5.6 points in their career, right? Wrong.

Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League reached out to Humphries and offered him a position with the club.

Really? Could his off-court life get any weirder?

Does he even have experience with the game of hockey? Apparently just being from Minnesota can result in garnering a position with a real-life club.

"We would welcome Kris Humphries to Syracuse, where unlike Hollywood there are no paparazzi within hundreds of miles and he could reclaim his privacy and self-esteem," said Syracuse Crunch General Manager Vance Lederman. "Being from Minnesota, Humphries will surely enjoy the hockey and feel right at home in the cold, gray, dismal weather we experience this time of year in Central New York."

Is this another joke? Are we experiencing another hoax?

That would be like a Canadian Football League team calling me and offering me a position just because I’m from Western Pennsylvania.

It must be nice.

Just like some people suggested with Humphries and Kardashian’s “marriage” this may be strictly for publicity.

When was the last time we heard about the Crunch?

Exactly.

Humphries, a seven-year NBA veteran, averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds last season—the best numbers of his career.

Maybe he was feeling extremely confident because of being with someone like Kim, but I think he should attempt to duplicate his double-double numbers from a season ago.

Please stick to basketball, Kris. Get away from the extravaganzas and stick to the game you have improved on in the past three seasons.   

While last week was a little quieter for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, there was still some player movement to report and a few games to be played.

In this edition, find out about the Penguins’ two newest signings and how they are faring in the East Division race.

Get caught up on all the latest AHL Penguins news on this rare Friday night off for the team.

Penguins Defeat Portland at Home, Binghamton on the Road

Last Friday night, the Penguins defeated the visiting Portland Pirates by a score of 4-1.

Portland took a 1-0 lead in the first period thanks to Brett MacLean, but just under eight minutes later, Ben Street evened the score.  Joey Mormina gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead at 16:03 of the first with a power-play goal.

Eric Tangradi increased the Penguins' lead to 3-1 at 16:38 of the second, and defenseman Alex Grant picked up his second assist of the night. 

Geoff Walker finished things off with an empty-net goal with 22 seconds left in the game, and  Alexandre Picard tallied a second helper.

Goalie Brad Thiessen took the win with 19 saves on 20 shots.

On Wednesday, the Penguins traveled up Interstate 81 to take on the Binghamton Senators, where they won by a score of 1-0. 

Matt Rust scored his first professional goal; Scott Munroe picked up his second shutout of the season with 25 saves.

Penguins Stumble Against Syracuse

In between games with Portland and Binghamton, the Penguins headed to New York to take on the Syracuse Crunch, losing 5-2.

Syracuse took a 2-0 lead with goals from Brandon McMillan and Patrick Maroon. 

Walker scored at 12:18 of the second to cut the lead in half, but Kyle Palmieri scored with 21 seconds left in the middle frame to put the Crunch up 3-1. 

Troy Bodie added a goal at 2:54 of the third, making it 4-1.

Brian Gibbons scored at the 13-minute mark of the third to pull the Penguins within two, but Syracuse's Peter Holland put up a goal 1:35 later, making the final score 5-2.

Thiessen was the losing goalie with 24 saves on 29 shots.

Alexandre Picard Called Up…Again

Defenseman Alexandre Picard was once again recalled by the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the week after Deryk Engelland sustained a lower-body injury.

Picard has a plus-five rating in nine NHL games this year and is averaging 12:57 of ice time.  He has seven points and is plus-eight in 14 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

WBS Penguins Sign Dan Henningson and Chris Barton

The Baby Penguins attempted to make up for their defensive corps being deleted by signing Dan Henningson out of the ECHL's Chicago Express.

Henningson spent last season with the Wheeling Nailers, the Penguins’ ECHL affiliate, where he earned 18 points and a plus-19 in 68 games.  In 18 games with the Express this year, he has three points and a plus-four in 18 games.

Barton, a first-year forward out of Merrimack College, is leading ECHL rookies with 24 points through 18 games.  He also has a plus-10.

Current Record and Upcoming Schedule

The Penguins are currently in first place in the AHL’s East Division with a record of 13-7-5 for 31 points.  They are in third place in the Eastern Conference.

Their next five games are as follows:

Saturday, Dec. 10: vs. Hershey Bears, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 13: vs. Binghamton Senators, 7:05 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16: vs. Syracuse Crunch, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17: vs. Norfolk Admirals, 7:05 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 19: vs. Albany Devils, 7:05 p.m.

Watch and Listen

All WBS Penguins games can be heard on their flagship radio station, 102.3 the Mountain.  Tom Grace will call the action with Mike O’Brien as color commentator.

The games can also be viewed on AHL Live for $6 per game.  A variety of season packages are also available.  

The Albany Devils, the American Hockey League affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, are approaching the quarter mark of the 2010-11 season, as they have played 18 games of 76.

The Baby Devils are looking to get into the playoffs for the first time since they became the Devils last season. Albany last made the playoffs when they were known as the River Rats in 2009-10 and had an affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Here is a look at how the Devils are faring so far and what’s ahead as the team approaches a month of games before Christmas.

Key Stats

The Devils currently have a record of 9-7-2 for 20 points and fifth place in the AHL’s Northeast Division. This is their first year in the newly created Northeast Division after being in the East Division last season. Albany is also currently in 12th place in the league’s Eastern Conference and one point out of the last playoff spot.

They are scoring 2.5 goals per game (45 goals scored overall), but surrender about 3.05 goals per contest (55 surrendered overall).

Albany’s special teams are in the basement of the AHL, as their power play is ranked 25th with just a 14.3 percent success rate and their penalty kill is second-to-last at 74 percent.

Key Players

Matt Anderson, Right Wing

Anderson is in his second year with Albany and was the team’s leading scorer last year with 55 points. His performance earned him a trip to the 2011 AHL All-Star Game. He is also a Calder Cup champion, having won the trophy with the Chicago Wolves in 2008.

He currently leads the Devils with 10 points on the season.

Keith Kinkaid, Goaltender

Kinkaid was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Union College and has already spent time with New Jersey this year, but did not get to suit up in a game.

So far in his rookie year, he is sixth in the AHL in wins and has a record of 5-3-0. He has a 2.45 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

Matt Taormina, Defenseman

Taormina is looking to bounce back after a difficult 2010-11 campaign. He made New Jersey’s roster last year, but played just 17 games before missing the rest of the season with a lower-body injury. However, in those 17 games, he had five points and a minus-two rating.

He is currently leading Albany defensemen with eight points and has a plus-three rating.

Joe Whitney, Right Wing

Whitney is another undrafted player who was signed out of Boston College. He is currently tied for the team scoring lead with 10 points and leads the Devils with five goals this season.

Coaching

Rick Kowalsky is back for his second season as Albany’s head coach.

He was known to the Devils organization upon his hire, as he spent four years coaching the former Trenton Devils in the ECHL. His accomplishments include winning the 2009 John Brophy Award as the ECHL’s Coach of the Year and leading Trenton to the North Division Semifinals in the Kelly Cup playoffs.

Upcoming Schedule

Albany’s next five games are as follows:

Saturday, Nov. 26: at Adirondack Phantoms, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 27: at Springfield Falcons, 3:00 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 2: vs. Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 3: at Bridgeport, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 4: vs. Rochester Americans, 4:00 p.m.

This article also appears at The Hockey Writers.