DEVILS CLAIM SHUTOUT WIN HEADING INTO BREAK

by Kevin Zalaznik // 12.21.2011 // Recap

Listen to Audio Highlights

ALBANY, N.Y. – Keith Kinkaid made 36 stops and Vladimir Zharkov had a goal and two assists in the Albany Devils 3-0 victory against the Binghamton Senators Wednesday at the Times Union Center. Albany heads into a four-day holiday break on a two-game winning streak and with a 14-11-3-2 record. Binghamton goes to 11-19-1-1.

“We’re slowly starting to get back to where we were,” said head coach Rick Kowalsky. “Tonight was a good test; you never know with these games – guys have plans. We have some guys who are tired and banged up. I thought we played hard tonight after having a real big victory on Monday. Couple of wins to get a little momentum heading into break is nice.”

In his 15th start, Kinkaid registered his second-career shutout by making 17 saves in the first, 15 in the second and nine in the third. He improves to 8-6-0 on the season.

“I thought he got more comfortable as the game wore on,” Kowalsky said. “He had to make some real big saves in traffic, especially in the second period. A shutout is a huge bonus and hopefully a boost in his confidence.”

“Just outside shots, making my life easy,” Kinkaid said of his teammates. “They did a really good job even when I left rebounds of clearing them away. They just did a great job all night.”

Zharkov assisted on the Devils first goal – the game winner – at 2:46 of the second period. Sova threw a floater towards the goal past a screened Mike McKenna. Darcy Zajac obstructed the netminder’s view, while Zharkov andMike Sislo picked up the helpers.

Less than two minutes later, Zharkov ripped a shot from the bottom of the circle off the far right post and behind McKenna at 4:24. Joe Whitney fed the puck from behind the net and Matt Anderson had the second assist.

Nick Palmieri put the finishing touches on the win with an empty-netter at 18:32. Brad Mills and Zharkov had the assists.

Zharkov’s performance was his second multi-point game in five outings. He now has three goals and 11 assists for 14 points.

Albany outshot Binghamton 44-36. Mike McKenna had 41 stops.

The Devils will enjoy the next four days off before traveling to Binghamton on Monday for a 7:05 p.m. contest. Fans can catch the action on 104.5 “The Team” ESPN Radio or online at ahllive.com.

*****

Notes: Matt Corrente played in his first game since Nov. 11. He missed 15 games during that span … Joe Sova netted his second goal of the season in his ninth game. For his career, he has three goals in 20 games. Sova was reassigned on loan by New Jersey from Kalamazoo (ECHL) on Dec. 3 … For the season, Zharkov has 14 points with three goals and 11 assists. He is now 12 points away from 100 career AHL points … Matt Anderson's assist ties him with Steve Zalewski for the team lead with 17 points. Anderson has six goals and 11 assists in 30 games. The assist was also his 150th career AHL point (58g-92a) in 249 games … Goaltender Timo Pielmeier, who was reassigned on loan by New Jersey from Elmira (ECHL), backed up Keith Kinkaid. Pielmeier joined the Devils organization on Dec. 12 … Three Stars: 1. Keith Kinkaid (ALB), 2. Vladimir Zharkov (ALB), 3. Mike McKenna (BNG).

by Kevin Zalaznik // 12.21.2011 // Preview 

Follow the Action 
Listen/Watch: ahllive.com 
Tweet: @albanydevils / #ADevils

Storyline 
Albany and Binghamton are meeting for the fourth time this year and the Senators currently hold the series advantage, 2-1. Last season, the Devils won the season series with a 5-2-1-0 mark. All-time they are 9-5-1-0 against the Senators. Tonight’s game will be the last before a four-day holiday break.

Notables 
- The Devils sit in third place in the Northeast Division with a 13-11-3-2 record (31 pts.) and are 8-5-2-2 at the Times Union Center. The Senators are fifth in the East Division with an 11-18-1-1 mark and are 6-9-0-0 on the road.

- Mike Hoeffel had a breakout game Monday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He netted two goals, including the game winner, and was a plus-2. Hoeffel, who appeared in 10 games at the end of the 2010-11 season, missed time early this year due to injury. For his brief career, he has registered four goals in 19 games.

- Mike Sislo assisted on both of Mike Hoeffel’s goals against the Penguins.Sislo ranks tied for fourth on the team with 12 points with five goals and 7 assists. He also leads the team with a plus-6 rating.

- The Senators are coming off a 4-1 victory at Adirondack Sunday, improving their record to 4-6-0-0 in the last 10 games.

- Mark Parrish and Pat Cannone lead Binghamton with 17 points each. Parrish has produced 10 goals and seven assists, while Cannone has seven goals and 10 assists.

All-Time Series 
Meetings: 15
All-Time: 9-5-1-0
At Devils: 5-3-0-0
At Senators: 4-2-1-0
Season Series: 1-2-0-0

Puck Drop 
Today’s game marks the final game before a four-day holiday break for the Devils. They will travel to Binghamton for a 7:05 p.m. game Monday.