Chirps from Center Ice

Ah yes, what you have all been waiting for. The East Division Preview here at Chirps from Center Ice. There is so much firepower in this division this year that the entire division itself may implode at a moments notice.

If you follow me on Twitter, you will know that Pens’ beat writer Jonathan Bombulie did something similar on his blog here. JB did his in predicted order of finish. I am just going to keep it uniform, and go in alphabetical order like I did the West, North and Atlantic. Bombulie helped me out a TON by listing the new signings. Much of what I list in “offseason moves” is from JB’s post.

The East Division expands to 8 teams this year with the Charlotte Checkers joining the division. Crossover rules with the Atlantic Division apply for playoffs.

We play every team multiple times. Keeping with prior entries, games against the Penguins an Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza are listed in bold.

So here we go…

Adirondack Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)

Last season: 32-41-3-4 (71 pts.) 7^th place East Division.

Head Coach: Greg Gilbert

Offseason moves: Greg Moore, Dan Jancevski, J.P. Testwuide, Jesse Dudas

The case for: With how loaded this division is, none of the above names give any real hope up in Glens Falls. Jancevski skated with Western Conference Champion Texas last year. These guys coupled with the core from last year can maybe play upset, but I don’t see the Phantoms in it come March.

The case against: There were locker room problems last year, and that is not because the Glens Falls Civic Center is 31 years old. It was largely the players. Most of those guys are gone, but if you are constantly losing, you are not going to have the best attitude. The Phantoms simply will not have enough guns to compete in the division and may be out of it by November.

Beat writer: Paul Post (The Saratogian) / Tim McManus (Post Star) Tim also has a twitter feed.

Twitter: @PhantomsHockey

Vs. WBS: Oct 12, Oct 29, Dec 4, Jan 15, Jan 21*, Mar 26, Apr 10

*- game played in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center

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Albany Devils (New Jersey Devils)

Last season: (as the Lowell Devils in the Atlantic Division) 39-34-4-6 4^th place Atlantic Division. Lost in Atlantic Division Semifinals in 5 games to the Worcester Sharks.

Head Coach: Rick Kowalsky

Offseason moves: Chad Wiseman, Mark Fayne, Harry Young, J-S Berube

The case for: The Devils return to the New York Capital District for the first time in a long time. New head coach, new uniforms, new locker room and the Devils are ready to make a go of it in the East Division.

The case against: With the bass ackwards way that the New Jersey Devils run things and the loss of key players to other teams, the only battle the Devils may find themselves in late could be with Adirondack for last place in the division.

Beat writer: Pete Dougherty (Albany Times Union) / Bill Cain (Daily Gazette) / Chris Fitz Gerald (Troy Record)

Twitter: @AlbanyDevils

Vs. WBS: Nov 16, Nov 24, Dec 1, Dec 12*, Dec 26, Jan 22, Jan 28, Mar 23

*- game will be played in Atlantic City at Boardwalk Hall

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Binghamton Senators (Ottawa Senators)

Last season: 36-35-6-3 (81 pts.) 5^th place East Division

Head Coach: Kurt Kleinendorst

Offseason moves: David Hale, Barry Brust, Francis Lessard, Corey Locke, Andre Benoit

The case for: See above. Benoit, Locke and Brust are legit at this level. Lessard will knock the snot out of you if you look at him funny. The Sens are really high on goaltender Robin Lehner who frustrated WBS late last season and will be stronger and better. Bingo can play dark horse this season and absolutely give teams nightmares within the friendly confines of the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

The case against: Ottawa has a minor league affiliate out of necessity it would appear at times. Binghamton hasn’t been in the playoffs for five straight seasons since the lockout year when the then-loaded Sens were destroyed in 6 games by the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. Bingo has to prove that the past is history. Whether or not the players can will dictate this teams destiny this year.

Beat writer: As of right now the Senators do not have a beat writer.

Twitter: @BSens_Hockey

Vs. WBS: Oct 23, Nov 12, Nov 21, Nov 25, Dec 3, Jan 29, Feb 23, Mar 25

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Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

Last season: (as the Albany River Rats) 49-23-3-5 (94 pts.) 2^nd place East Division. Swept by the Hershey Bears in the East Division Finals.

Head Coach: Jeff Daniels

Offseason moves: Bobby Sanguinetti, Jonathan Matsumoto, Ethan Graham

The case for: This is the team that swept WBS out of the playoffs last year, just in a different uniform and city. That team finished second and always was a step ahead of the Pens whenever Wilkes-Barre tried to get close in the race for 2^nd in the East. This team had an answer for everything we did in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs. The core returns. In fact, it gets better with the additions of Sanguinetti and Matsumoto who are bonafide players at this level, both being AHL All-Stars last season. It’s a loaded lineup that can easily contend and win the division.

The case against: This is also the same team that was swept itself by the Hershey Bears in the same 2010 Calder Cup playoffs. They are an AHL outpost, which means a ton of bus time and airport terminal time. You don’t see many “outpost” teams going far in the Calder Cup Playoffs anymore. Not since the Saint John Flames in 2000-2001 has a team from far won a Championship. You’d have to think come the Spring that the Checkers may be out of gas physically and mentally.

Beat writer: Not that I have seen as of yet.

Twitter: @CheckersHockey

Vs. WBS: Oct 15, Oct 17, Jan 4, Jan 5, Jan 23, Jan 24, Mar 20 and Apr 1

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Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)

Last season: 60-17-0-3 (123 pts.) 1^st place East Division. Won 11^th Calder Cup defeating the Texas Stars in 6 games, after losing the first two games on home ice.

Head Coach: Mark French

Offseason moves: Kyle Greentree, Dany Sabourin, Brian Fahey, Brian Willsie, Lawrence Nycholat, Joel Rechlicz

The case for: All the Bears do is win. It is a winning mentality in Hershey where the players who put on the “Chocolate and White” are expected to win. They do not rebuild, they simply reload. The East remains Hershey’s division to win unless or until another team does something about it.

The case against: They don’t have Alex Giroux or Chris Bourque anymore. Bourque defected to the KHL (although Washington still maintains his rights in North America until December) and Giroux signed with Edmonton / Oklahoma City. These two were a potent 1-2 punch night in and night out. Hershey has won the last two Calder Cups. That is a ton of travel, games, man-hours and physicality. It wears on the body. Hershey has taken a few steps back to the rest of the competition. Come playoff time, the steam may run out and the Bears could be out of it.

Beat writer: Dan Sernoffsky (Lebanon Daily News) / Tim Leone (Harrisburg Patriot News) Tim also has a twitter feed.

Twitter: @TheHersheyBears

Vs. WBS: Oct 9, Oct 22, Oct 30, Nov 20, Dec 30*, Feb 13, Mar 6, Mar 27, Apr 8 and Apr 9

*- game will be played in Pittsburgh at the Consol Energy Center

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Norfolk Admirals (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Last season: 39-35-3-3 (84 pts.) 4^th place East Division. Victim of the crossover rule as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers finished with 86 pts, thus ousting the Admirals and crossing over to play Hershey in the East Division Semifinals.

Head Coach: Jon Cooper

Offseason moves: Sean Bergenheim, Mike Angelidis, Mathieu Roy, Mike Vernace, Cedrick Desjardins

The case for: It’s a new regime in Tampa Bay with three-time Stanley Cup Champion Steve Yzerman running things in Florida. These signings show that Norfolk is out for revenge this season. By all means too, holding onto 3^rd place in the East until very late in the season until being passed by the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins. Then, to throw more salt in the wound, they get jilted out of a playoff spot as victim of the crossover rule. Just like that, it’s season over for the Admirals. The vengeance this team is going to be fierce from the get-go.

The case against: Goal scoring. The addition of Bergenheim certainly helps. But, he can’t do it all. Norfolk could certainly lose its fair share of 3-2 hockey games this year on Hampton Roads.

Beat writer: The Virginian-Pilot looks like it covers the Admirals by committee. There is a forum powered by dailypress.com here.

Twitter: @NorfolkAdmirals

Vs. WBS: Nov 19, Dec 10, Dec 11, Jan 1, Feb 18, Feb 19, Feb 26, Mar 30

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Syracuse Crunch (Anaheim Ducks)

Last season: (while affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets) 34-39-4-3 (75 pts.) 6^th place East Division

Head Coach: Mark Holick

Offseason moves: Basically bringing in a whole new group of guys since Anaheim was the lone NHL team which did not have a full-time AHL team last year. Players of note include Jason Jaffray, Danny Syvret, Tim Stapleton, Joe DiPenta and Trevor Smith

The case for: Anaheim always ices a quality AHL team, when it has one. It looks like a lineup which can possibly play dark horse in the East and contend and be in the thick of it late.

The case against: Many of the players who will be skating in Crunch uniforms this season were spread out in other AHL uniforms last season. Cohesiveness may take time. Chemistry on the ice and in the locker room is huge. These may take a while. Trying to do so in this division may leave you on the outside looking in come April.

Beat writer: Lindsay Kramer

Twitter: @SyracuseCrunch

Vs. WBS: Nov 6, Dec 18, Dec 29, Jan 19, Feb 5, Apr 3

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Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Last season: 41-34-2-3 (87 pts.) 3^rd place East Division. Swept in East Division Semifinals by the Albany River Rats

Head Coach: John Hynes

Offseason moves: Ryan Craig, Brett Sterling, Andrew Hutchinson, Chris Collins, Corey Potter, Jason DeSantis, Andrew Orpik, Geoff Walker, Ben Street

The case for: Two words: Brett Sterling. Easily the biggest free agent signing ever in the history of the team. Hutchinson was a huge contributor to the Texas Stars run last year. Ryan Craig comes in from Norfolk and adds much needed depth at center. I said when last season started that this season would be the one to watch with the maturation of Eric Tangradi, Keven Veilleux, Joe Vitale and Brad Thiessen. The addition of Sterling, Craig, Hutchinson, et. al shows that Wilkes-Barre is tired of being kicked around by Hershey. The mantra within the Penguins organization has always been, “Develop first, win second.” This philosophy comes at a grave expense of fans of the team in Wilkes-Barre Township who want to see the team win its first Calder Cup. That said, this could be the year. I repeat, this could be the year.

The case against: Goaltending. This seems to be the only department Wilkes-Barre did not upgrade this offseason. Thiessen at times last year looked lost in net, but seemed to stabilize late last year ultimately stealing #1 duties away from John Curry. Curry fell off of a cliff and never recovered. Thiessen will push Curry and vice versa. I don’t see prospects Patrick Killeen, Alexander Pechurskiy or Mattias Modig being relavant in Wilkes-Barre unless something catastrophic happens in front of them on the depth chart. 

Beat writer: Tom Venesky (The Times Leader) and since this is my blog I get to do / say whatever I want. That said, the best in the business writing for the Citizens’ Voice, Jonathan Bombulie (blog / twitter)

Twitter: @WBSPenguins

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So there you have it. All 30 teams. Feel free to agree or disagree with me. Keeping with the West, North and Atlantic before, if you see any typo’s, bad links, or other general errors please drop a line in the comment section. Feel free to share these AHL Previews with everyone you know. The season is almost upon us! Can’t wait to get going! Thank you for reading!