The St. John’s Ice Caps missed the playoffs last season. It was the fifth straight season the Montreal Canadiens AHL team failed to make the postseason. The 2016-17 season got off to a tough start for the club last night.
The St. John’s Ice Caps kicked off the 2016-17 season last night when they faced the Hartford Wolf Pack. The top affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens carries some of the top prospects in the system for the Habs.
The Canadiens AHL affiliate has missed the postseason for the past five years. The team will be moving to Laval next season, and are hoping to be competitive so fans in St. John’s will support them in their final season on the rock.
After missing the playoffs their last four seasons in Hamilton, and their first year in Newfoundland, it’s about time the Habs top prospects got some playoff experience before making the big club.
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However, things got off to a rocky start, as the Ice Caps fell 6-3 to the Wolf Pack.
Things started off poorly as the Ice Caps found themselves down a goal less than two minutes into the game. Adam Tambellini beat Ice Caps goaltender Zach Fucale to give the Wolf Pack a very early lead.
Habs fifth round pick in 2012, Charles Hudon scored midway through the first to tie things up. Hudon was one of the Caps leading scorers last year. The 22 year old forward had 28 goals and 53 points in 67 AHL games last season. He was brought up to the Habs for three games and notched a pair of assists.
Fifteen seconds later the Ice Caps were trailing again. Tambellini set up a Philip McRae goal to give the Wolf Pack the 2-1 edge.
Chris Terry scored on a late power play to tie the game at two. Terry was signed by the Habs this summer to bring some scoring to the St. John’s Ice Caps lineup. Terry scored eight goals in 68 games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season.
Though he wasn’t a sniper at the NHL level, Terry is a proven scorer in the minor leagues. The 27 year old has played 381 AHL games in his career and scored 302 points. His last full season in the AHL was in 2013-14 when he scored 69 points in 70 games.
The goal was assisted by Hudon and Mark Barberio, an offensive defenseman who finds himself back in the minors. Barberio played 26 games for the Ice Caps last year and scored 20 points. He was called up to the Habs for the remainder of the year. Barberio scored 10 points in 30 NHL games, but was returned to the minors after a mediocre training camp.
A Robin Kivacs goal in the second period and a Cristoval Nieves goal less than a minute into the third gave the Wolf Pack a two goal lead. Newly named Ice Caps captain Max Friberg scored 2:46 into the final frame to pull St. John’s within one.
It was as close as the Ice Caps would come to tying the game. A John Gilmour goal just over a minute later would restore the two goal lead. Marek Hrivik scored into an empty net to seal the 6-3 victory for Hartford.
It was a tough night for Fucale. The Canadiens second round pick in 2013 allowed five goals on 29 shots. Fucale is coming off an inconsistent rookie season with the Ice Caps. He posted a 3.13 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
Fucale was one of the most successful Junior goaltenders of all time. That success hasn’t followed him to the professional level just yet. You can’t judge a goaltender on one game, so let’s hope that Fucale can bounce back quickly from a tough opening night.
He will get a chance quickly as the St. John’s Ice Caps are back in action today against the Albany Devils. The Ice Caps finish up a busy weekend tomorrow afternoon when they head to Providence to take on the Bruins.