Devils Weekly #16
Lowell Returns From Break With Three in Three
Devils go 2-1-0-1 last week, head into All-Star break in third

Last Week:
Tue., 1/12 – Devils @ PORTLAND PIRATES – W 2-1
Wed., 1/13 – DEVILS vs. Syracuse Crunch – L 2-3
Fri., 1/15 - Devils @ MANCHESTER MONARCHS – W 5-2
Sat., 1/16 – DEVILS vs. Portland Pirates – SOL 2-3

This Week:
Fri., 1/22 - Devils @ PROVIDENCE BRUINS, 7:05PM
Sat., 1/23 – Devils @ PORTLAND PIRATES, 7:00PM
Sun., 1/24 – DEVILS vs. Norfolk Admirals, 4:00PM

In the last week before the AHL All-Star break, the Lowell Devils registered a 2-1-0-1 record over a four-game, five-day stretch.  Lowell opened the week defeating Portland on the road on Tuesday, 2-1, but fell on Wednesday at home, 3-2, to Syracuse. The Devils rebounded nice on Friday with a 5-2 win over Manchester in New Hampshire.  Lowell could not rope in the final two points of the weekend with a 3-2 shootout loss to Portland on Saturday. Despite taking five out of a possible eight points, the Devils fell into third place in the Atlantic Division at 25-16-3-1.  With 54 points, Lowell is just three behind the first-place Monarchs. 

Lowell returns to action after the All-Star break with a three-game, three-day weekend.  The Devils visit Providence on Friday and Portland on Saturday and come home to host Norfolk on Sunday afternoon.  

Rewind:
Tuesday, Devils 2 vs. PIRATES 1
Mike McKenna stopped 29 shots and picked up his third consecutive win as Lowell fended off Portland, 2-1, at the Cumberland County Civic Center. The Devils took a 1-0 lead before the first intermission on Patrick Davis’ power play tally and his 12th goal of the season.   The Devils then received some insurance during a 5-on-3 advantage in the third period on Alexander Vasyunov’s rebound goal.  TJ Brennan ruined McKenna’s shutout bid with 6:13 left in regulation with his first of the season.

Wednesday, DEVILS 2 vs. Crunch 3
In the first-ever match-up between Lowell and Syracuse, it was the Crunch coming out on top with a 3-2 win at the Tsongas Arena.  The Devils staked the Crunch a 3-0 cushion before getting on the board with 7.8 seconds left in the second period on Eric Castonguay’s second of the season.  Brad Mills got Lowell within a goal in the early minutes of the third frame, but Devils would be unable to tally the equalizer.  Jeff Frazee suffered the loss despite making 20 saves in relief.

Friday, Devils 5 vs. MONARCHS 2
Tim Sestito’s three-point night (2g-1a) and Jeff Frazee’s 38 saves helped the Devils defeat the Monarchs, 5-2, at the Verizon Wireless Arena. The Devils jumped out to a 1-0 lead with Sestito scoring 1:13 before the first break. In the second period, Nick Palmieri and Rob Davison beat Jonathan Bernier over a 1:14 span to make the score, 3-0.  Sestito picked up another goal in the third and made it a four-goal cushion for Lowell before Tom Cavanaugh and Bud Holloway broke through for the Monarchs.   

Saturday, DEVILS 2 vs. Pirates 3 (SO)
Lowell twice fought back to tie the score against Portland, but eventually succumbed in the shootout, 3-2, at the Tsongas Arena. Michael Swift helped the Devils respond late in the first period after Phillip Gogulla gave Portland the early edge.  Nathan Gerbe’s power play goal in the middle period put the Pirates on top until Ben Walter knotted the match at 8:37 of the third.  In the shootout, Jhonas Enroth denied the first three Devils shooters, while Paul Byron, Nathan Gerbe and Mark Mancari converted past Mike McKenna for the win.

Around the Horns
The Devils are currently on a team season best three-game road winning streak...Lowell has put up five goals in four out of six games versus Manchester this season.  The Monarchs have the second ranked defense in the AHL at 2.30 goals allowed per game…Cory Murphy has recorded points in eight of his last 12 games (1g-9a)…Rob Davison recorded his fourth goal of the year and the game-winner on Friday at Manchester. All four of his goals this season have been the game-winning tally for the Devils...All 12 of Tim Sestito’s goals this season have come at even-strength. 

Coming Up
On Friday, the Devils return to Providence for the first time since December 20 and for the seventh meeting out of ten this season.   Lowell has won four of the last five against Providence including a 5-1 victory on December 26 at the Tsongas Arena.  Ben Walter has posted four goals in six games versus his former team, while Jeff Frazee is 3-1-0 against the Bruins with a 1.00 GAA and a .969 save percentage.  Providence is currently seventh in the Atlantic with a 20-21-3-0 record and will play seven of its next nine games at home.    

Lowell will face Portland for the third time in its last six games when the two teams battle on Saturday in Maine.  The Devils are 2-1-1-1 against the Pirates this season after falling 3-2 in shootout last Saturday.   Mike McKenna has started four of the five contests versus the Pirates, going 2-1-1 with a 1.48 GAA and a .951 save percentage.  Portland is 5-3-2-0 in its last ten games and tied for fourth (21-15-5-2) in the division with Hartford. 

The Devils host the Norfolk Admirals on Sunday for the second and final time this season.  Lowell took the 2-1 decision over Norfolk at the Tsongas Arena on November 20.  The Admirals (17-23-2-0) have notched just two wins in their last eleven games and have fallen into seventh place in the East Division. Norfolk is the AHL’s least penalized team, averaging 12.1 penalty minutes per game.  The Devils are 4-8-1-0 all-time against the Admirals.  Lowell visits Norfolk for a two-game set on Mar. 12 and 13. 

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Leaders for Lowell

• Goals: Ben Walter (14)
• Assists: Cory Murphy (21)
• Points: Ben Walter (31)
• PIM: Louis Robitaille (191)
• Plus/Minus: Tyler Eckford (+14)
• Wins: Mike McKenna (14)
• G.A.A.: Mike McKenna (2.30)
• Save %:  Mike McKenna (.926)

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