Opposing goalies: Charlotte Checkers‘ Mike Murphy(31) and Binghamton Senators‘ gargantuan Robin Lehner(40) meet in the handshake line that concludes any playoff series in hockey.
Category: AHL
tier 2 junior hockey
3rd year, Trenton, NJ-born defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti(6) completed his first season with Charlotte Checkers but the former New York Rangers‘ 1st round pick in the 2006 draft (#21 overall) and AHL All-Star has been somewhat of an under-performer so far.
Carolina Hurricanes‘ 2010 2nd round draft pick (#37 overall) Justin Faulk(3) signed an entry level contract and had been helping out Charlotte Checkers‘ defense for 13 games of the AHL postseason after his college team Minnesota-Duluth won the NCAA crown.
Look for him to start next season with the Checkers.
Giant-sized 6’5″ Ottawa 2009 1st round draft pick (#9 overall) defenseman, Jared Cowen(4) is done with his junior career and has stepped onto the blue line for the Binghamton Senators‘ AHL Calder Cup run.
He’s looked pretty good out there and folks have been overheard saying this may be the only time they get to see him in Broome County.
I think he’s more likely to split his time fairly equally in the NHL and AHL next season.
Binghamton is happy to have 6’4″ rookie defenseman Eric Gryba(2) back in the lineup for the start of the AHL Eastern Conference Finals vs. Charlotte, which they took in 4 games and have been resting bodies since last Wednesday.
Binghamton Senators is riding rookie goaltender Robin Lehner(40) to the AHL Calder Cup final, which he may just win like young goalies named Varlamov and Neuvirth did the same. Keep it in the East.
At 6’4″ he’s a monster so can shoulder the load. Look for him to be up in Ottawa next season more than he was this past season.
Binghamton Senators‘ center Ryan Potulny(22) was a 3rd round pick in 2007 (#87 overall) by Philadelphia Flyers. He spent the first two years as a pro in their system before moving on for a couple of seasons with Edmonton and Springfield Falcons. He then started 2010/2011 with Rockford IceHogs and Chicago Blackhawks before being dealt to Ottawa/Binghamton Senators at the trade deadline.
He leads AHL Calder Cup playoff scoring with 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists) in 17 games. Here he gets his helmet adjusted before taking to the ice for the third period.
Binghamton Senators‘ center Zack Smith(18) is having an exceptional AHL Calder Cup run with 6 goals and 11 helpers in 17 games.
This is impressive for sure but it’s the kind of points he’s put up that has been most important; a hat trick in one game, a short-handed goal, an assist from the offensive face-off dots for the series clinching goal to get to the Finals.
His outstanding play has earned him a two-year one way contract with Ottawa for the next couple of seasons.
B-Sens‘ rookie forward Colin Greening(15) goes to task with Checkers‘ not-so-heavyweight Oskar Osala(32) in a surprise bout of fisticuffs in game 3 of the series.
I didn’t see what happened but Geoff Kinrade(7) looks like he’s slow to get up in the background of the pic, which might have something to do with it.
Greening also recently signed himself a three year one-way deal with Ottawa through the 2013/2014 season.
B-Sens’ captain Ryan Keller(28) lines up for the offensive zone face-off in OT just seconds before potting the series-winning goal, sending the 4100+ fans in Broome Country Veteran’s Memorial Arena into delirious celebration mode.
The win marks the first trip to the AHL Calder Cup Finals for the team established in 2002.
