tier 1 pro hockey league
Either someone keeps super-charging 6th year pro, Binghamton Senators’ center Ryan Potulny’s(22) Wheaties or he’s just happy to be in the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons and it’s showing.
In 15 postseason games he has 13 goals and 9 assists to lead all AHL players in Calder Cup playoff points.
Lots of coaches in the East and Atlantic Divisions were talking about Binghamton to be a threat going into the Calder Cup playoffs, especially with the NHL recruits they were loaned by Ottawa.
Rookie goalie Robin Lehner(40) posted his 2nd shutout of the postseason Friday night after an horrendous 1st game where he was pulled, yet the team still got the win.
The B-Sens own a 2-0 games advantage vs. Charlotte in the AHL Eastern Conference Finals with the next 3 at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
Undrafted 2nd year pro Brandon Svendsen(17) is another player that started the season with ECHL Kalamazoo Wings but got the call-up to play with Bridgeport Sound Tigers and stayed with the team on pto’s for 61 games earning 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists).
In 10 regular season games with the Wings, he has 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists). Uncanny.
In 14 Kelly Cup playoff games he’s at 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists).
He may see himself another two-way AHL deal next season.
Before getting called-up by Bridgeport to play 33 games this season in the AHL, defenseman Wes O’Neill(8) was named team captain for Kalamazoo Wings in the ECHL, the team he started the year with.
As soon as the season ended for the Sound Tigers, O’Neill went right back to being the Wings‘ captain and has helped guide his team into the Kelly Cup finals vs. Alaska Aces.
Binghamton team captain Ryan Keller(28) was signed in the off-season to a one-year two-way deal but didn’t register the call-up to Ottawa.
No problem, because he is tearing up the AHL Calder Cup scoring sheet with 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 13 games.
Ottawa‘s 2005 4th round draft pick (#94 overall), 4th year center Cody Bass(16) only received a one game call-up to the NHL this season but has played 34 career games with the Senators.
He is a player known for his hard-nosed style and ability in the face-off circle but not so much for his point production.
Of all the players Ottawa has called up to the NHL and sent back down to Binghamton no one has been a bigger surprise than undrafted Marlborough, MA native, forward Bobby Butler.
In 36 games he posted 10 goals and 11 assists.
In 13 Calder Cup playoff games, he has 7 goals and 2 assist.
I believe at least a couple of those goals were game-winners too.
I wish I picked him as one of my forwards in the Calder Cup Challenge contest.
Undrafted, 6th year pro, Andre Benoit(61) signed a one-year two-way deal with Ottawa in the offseason. He had a career year with 55 points (11 goals, 44 assists) and played his first NHL games, registering an assist in 8 games played. Still, pretty good for a guy who has been a pest out there every game I’ve seen him play.
In 13 AHL Calder Cup games with Binghamton, he has 1 goal and 8 assists. I except him to sign another one if not two year deal with the Sens.
3rd year pro Zach Smith(18), originally drafted by Ottawa in 2008 (3rd round, #79 overall) played the most games in the NHL this season of the 8 assigned. He played in 55 games notching 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) and a hefty 120 penalty minutes.
He has also contributed nicely to Binghamton‘s AHL Calder Cup playoffs run with 10 points in 14 games played.
There’s was definitely a line of thinking that the Pirates were anxious to get Jhonas Enroth(1) back from Buffalo to help them with their AHL Calder Cup run.
He was assigned when the Sabres were bounced from the playoffs but didn’t prove to be the savior Portland had hoped for going 1-2 with his 2nd loss being the final one of the 2010/2011 season.
Got to love that he’s wearing all his Sabres‘ equipment.
