Cromwell, CT, October 3, 2012 – The Albany Devils defeated the Connecticut Whale, 3-1, Wednesday night at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT, in the Whale’s AHL preseason opener.
Brandon Burlon, Harri Pesonen and Darcy Zajac scored for Albany, and J.T. Miller had the lone Connecticut goal. The Devils outshot the Whale, 34-19.
The game remained scoreless until there were only 42.7 seconds remaining in the first period, when the Devils scored a power-play goal. The goal came during a seven-minute Albany power play, created when the Whale’s Brent Henley repeatedly punched the Devils’ J.S. Berube, who did not respond.
During the man advantage, Burlon fired a shot from the left-wing boards that went through a Zajac screen and eluded Connecticut starting goaltender Jason Missiaen.
The power play carried over into the second period, and Albany struck again at 2:57 of the second, on a goal by Pesonen. Pesonen got his stick free in front of the Whale goal and deflected a right-point shot by Roman Hrabarenka past Missiaen.
The Devils made it a 3-0 lead at 6:52, with Zajac jamming the puck past Missiaen off of a goalmouth scramble.
The Whale finally got on the board on a five-on-three power play at 16:08, as Miller took a pass from Sean Collins and one-timed the puck past Albany’s Maxime Clermont.
The win in net went to Jeff Frazee, who stopped all 10 shots he faced before giving way to Clermont at the 10:48 mark of the second period. Clermont stopped seven of eight shots. The Whale also changed goaltenders at 10:48 of the second, with Bryan Hince (no goals on 12 shots) replacing Missiaen, who made 16 saves in absorbing the loss.
The Whale are back in preseason action Thursday night, traveling to Worcester to meet the Sharks, at the College of the Holy Cross’ Hart Center. Faceoff is 7:00 PM. The Whale’s only other home preseason game is this Sunday, October 7, as they and the Sharks rematch at the Koeppel Community Sports Center on the campus of Trinity College. That game faces off at 2:00 PM.
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Albany Devils 3 at Connecticut Whale 1
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 – Champions Skating Center
Albany 1 2 0 – 3
Connecticut 0 1 0 – 1
1st Period-1, Albany, Burlon 1 (Hrabarenka, Wiseman), 19:17 (PP). Penalties-Haczyk Alb (checking to the head), 3:48; Henley Ct (roughing), 7:06; Gelinas Alb (cross-checking), 10:49; Kelly Alb (fighting), 14:50; Delisle Ct (fighting), 14:50; Henley Ct (instigating, fighting, misconduct – instigating, game misconduct – aggressor), 16:47.
2nd Period-2, Albany, Pesonen 1 (Hrabarenka, Sestito), 2:57 (PP). 3, Albany, Zajac 2 (Berube, Carrier), 6:52. 4, Connecticut, Miller 2 (Collins, Piche), 16:08 (PP). Penalties-Zajac Alb (fighting), 7:20; Haley Ct (fighting), 7:20; Burlon Alb (interference), 14:51; Wohlberg Alb (hooking), 15:14.
3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Hoeffel Alb (holding), 4:07; Yogan Ct (interference), 10:36; Baier Alb (hooking), 17:18.
Shots on Goal-Albany 9-13-12-34. Connecticut 8-4-7-19.
Power Play Opportunities-Albany 2 / 4; Connecticut 1 / 6.
Goalies-Albany, Frazee 3-0-0 (10 shots-10 saves); Clermont 0-0-0 (8 shots-7 saves). Connecticut, Missiaen 0-1-0 (19 shots-16 saves); Hince — (12 shots-12 saves).
A-0
Referees-Terry Koharski (10).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Brent Colby (7).
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