Top Five Teams to Come Through the Utica Aud at the AHL Halfway Point
by Jay Flemma, Special to Facewash Magazine
As we close in on the AHL All-star break, the plucky, feisty, surprising Utica Comets are the darlings of the AHL and a feel-good story resounding all around hockey. Yes, they lost last night 2-1 to Milwaukee on a goal in the final minute, but with three players on the All-star team, (Goalie Jacob Markstrom, Center Cal O’Reilly, and defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti) ad head coach Travis Green set to skipper the squad, there’s life and pride all up and down Genesee Street.
They have been the Cardiac Comets, however, consistently playing more one-goal games than any other AHL team. Sometimes it’s tough to differentiate between the contenders and pretenders that have come through the Aud this season to face the Comets. Moreover, we are creeping towards the playoffs and the Comets need to focus on securing the North Division title as well as, perhaps, the top seed overall in the Western Conference. Let’s take a look back at the best teams to come through the Aud and how they match up against Travis and the boys. We’ll also highlight the thoughts of other hockey fans and experts.
5. Adirondack Flames
Everyone agrees – it’s a statistical outlier that the Comets are 7-0 against their division foe and neighbor to the east. “It’s misleading. All the games have been close and could have gone either way,” said Green, and he’s right. The last time the two teams met in Utica Markstrom had to bail out the Comets with 42 saves, many of them as acrobatic as a Flying Wallendas trapeze act. The Flames get solid goaltending from Joni Ortio. He ranks third in the AHL in wins and fifth in the league in saves.
4. San Antonio Rampage
The Panthers affiliate is both speedy and skillful on the one hand, yet bruising and relentless on the other. They outplayed Utica in October yet lost 5-2, but returned on New Year’s Day to smear the Comets 3-0. They controlled the tempo in the October matchup dominating at times and dismantled the Comets in the second Utica match-up when they came out flat. Bobby Butler is fifth in the AHL in scoring. Goaltending and defense are bugaboos however. Though they have an AHL top-5 power play, their penalty kill ranks a dismal 25th overall.
3. Milwaukee Admirals
They have the number one goalie in the AHL in Magnus Hellberg, who has been Hell on other teams. He stopped 27 shots in their 2-1 win at the Aud last night, and helped propel the Nashville affiliate into a tie for fourth place in the Conference, a position from which they would host a potential deciding game in a first round playoff series. It was their sixth consecutive win. Center Austin Watson leads the AHL in game winning goals (5).
2. Syracuse Crunch
Stop yelling, They can hear you all the way in Rochester. There’s nothing to be done about it. They stumbled out of the gate, but they mirror Utica by having two phenomenal goaltenders and being gritty, chippy, and smart. They clog the neutral zone, slowing or stymieing the Comets’ transition game. They keep both forecheckers above the puck to harry the transition game further. All five guys working puck out of defensive zone as a single unit.
It’s a great system. Too bad their branding is so ghastly.
“Already this season they have a 10-game winning streak to their credit. As well, the Crunch just may have the strongest goaltending duo this season – aside from Utica – with Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kristers Gudlevskis on top of their game,” explains Adam Reid, founder and publisher of AHLWriters.com.
1. Chicago Wolves – Don’t let their pedestrian 19-14-4 record (42 pts.) fool you because the St. Louis Blues’ affiliate has earned the respect of players around the league. They are the best passing team we’ve see this year, consistently tape to tape. They have speed speed speed! They are as rough and tumble as anyone in the league. They came into Utica early in the season and dominated both games, winning the opening game 3-0, frustratingly losing the on a seeing-eye bouncing puck. They’ll be itching for some payback, and might get their chance come playoff time. They’ll be much more than just a tough out.
VOICES FROM THE ARENA
ADAM REID/AHL.COM’S TOP 5 AHL SQUADS
1. Utica Comets – It is hard to argue against anyone who says that the Utica Comets are the strongest team in the American Hockey League right now. Since returning from injury Jacob Markstrom is playing lights out and giving the Comets a chance to win every night. Markstrom is leading the league in shutouts, and save percentage. As well, Cal O’Reilly has been a bright spot as he has put up 30 points in 37 games thus far.
2. Manchester Monarchs – The Monarchs…three players in the top four scoring this season with Brian O’Neill, Nick Shore and Jordan Weal. Goaltender Jean-Francois Berube leads the league with 19 wins in just 26 games.
3. Syracuse Crunch
4. Milwaukee Admirals – The Admirals top 3 scorers are rookies in their first season in the American Hockey League so it will be interesting how they fare down the stretch.
5. Springfield Falcons – Their longest winning streak this year so far has been 11-games and only on three occasions have the Falcons lost consecutive games.
FAN POLL – TOP 5 TEAMS THEY WANT TO SEE NEXT YEAR
1. Scranton Wilkes-Barre Penguins
2. Hershey Bears
3. Bridgeport Sound Tigers
4. Lehigh Valley Phantoms
5. St. John’s Ice Caps
UTICA GREEN MEN’S TOP FIVE VISITING TEAMS…TO HATE
5. Binghamton Sens – “They are chippy, angry, and they hit hard.”
4. Rochester Amerks
3. Syracuse Crunch
2. San Antonio Rampage – “They hate us…especially [name redacted]. He threatened to kick our butts!”
1. Adirondack Flames
SEASON TICKET HOLDER DAN REESE
5. San Antonio Rampage
4. Grand Rapids Griffins
3. Toronto Marlies
2. Adirondack Flames
1. Syracuse Crunch
