Chirps from Center Ice

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I have to say, I was a little worried when I first heard that the AHL would switch up the format for the All-Star Classic festivities this year. Gone was the “East vs. West” format and in was the concept of a group of AHL All-Stars vs. an actual hockey club. That hockey club was Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League.

Known as “The Green Machine,” Färjestad has 18 Swedish League Championships playing in the highest hockey league in Sweden. It’s a team that has a history of winning versus a team put together from across a 30-team minor league hockey circuit known as the American Hockey League.

Well, on this night, the American Hockey League reigned supreme.

Anchored by three point performances by Rockford’s Brandon Pirri and Binghamton’s Mike Hoffman, the AHL All-Stars crushed Färjestad BK by a score of 7-2.

Chicago’s Jake Allen vs. Frederik Pettersson-Wentzel

Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins All-Star Brian Gibbons skated on a line with Bridgeport’s Ryan Strome and Syracuse’s Brett Connolly.

First Period: Couple of early chances for Färjestad. Allen was tested early by Tomas Hyka but squeezes the pads and makes the save. Next shift, ex-Penguin and current Abbotsford Heat Ben Street hit the post. It was really a nice pace to start by both teams without any actual hitting.

Then, the avalanche started on “The Rock”

Albany’s Joe Whitney centers to Binghamton’s Mike Hoffman to the left of Pettersson-Wentzel and Hoffman tapped it into a wide open net for a 1-0 AHL lead.

Later, Ryan Strome scores to put the AHL up 2-0 when Brian Gibbons forechecked Färjestad’s exit out of their own zone twice, setting up Stome’s goal.

Playing captain and St. John’s IceCap Jason Jaffray sets up Ben Street from behind the net to push the AHL lead to 3-0.

Texas’ Travis Morin, who leads the AHL in scoring, scored to put the AHL All-Stars up 4-0 with a ridiculous deflection from a Cody Goloubef shot from the point. Morin had Linus Fröberg draped on him, reached behind him, and deflected the goal in.

Each player from each of the four lines scored in the period.

Second Period: Färjestad settled down and became more accustomed to the narrower ice.

But Mike Hoffman accelerates past the Färjestad D and passes to Albany’s Joe Whitney but Pettersson-Wentzel made the pad save.

At right about halfway, Rockford’s Brandon Pirri welcomes backup Färjestad goaltender Pekka Tuokkola to the game with a goal :34 after both teams switched goaltenders.

Legit hooking penalty called on Mike Hoffman late and Färjestad had the game’s only power play. But it was the AHL that had the better of the chances shorthanded. Jason Jaffray blocked a shot and led a charge up ice and passed to Ben Street but Tuokkola made the save on Street’s backhand.

Third Period: A Magnus Nygren shot from the point through bodies finally put Färjestad on the board beating relief goaltender Dustin Tokarski. Nygren and Tokarski have a connection, with Nygren skating with Tokarski’s Hamilton Bulldogs earlier this year.

Later, Hoffman and Pirri lead a charge up ice and Pirri finishes off the Hoffman feed to re-gain the five goal lead for the AHL.

Färjestad responds with a Ludwig Byström shot from the point and Rickard Wallin with a Travis Morin-esque deflection and it was 6-2 AHL All-Stars.

Brian Gibbons continued to dog Färjestad on the forecheck, forced another turnover and fed Ryan Strome who scored to re-establish the AHL’s five goal lead.

Unfair that Färjestad travels more than 8,000 kilometers over to St. John’s to play a game against a team of all-stars? The AHL beats a currently mid-pack Swedish team with no NHL prospects? I don’t want to hear it. It took the AHL guts to break the format and put something like this together against a team from overseas. It’s the first time ever that something like this has happened. Bravo for the AHL to stepping up to the challenge against a good Swedish elite team.

Player of the Game for the AHL was Mike Hoffman (1-2-3, +2) and Christian Berglund for Färjestad (-1, 5 shots) Rockford’s Brandon Pirri was named MVP with two goals, an assist and +3.

Pirri is an interesting story. The SportsNet broadcast pretty much wrote off his future with the Chicago Blackhawks. It will be interesting to see if Pirri gets moved at the trade deadline and where he goes. I would not be surprised if he ends up in the AHL’s East Division. Pirri led the AHL last year in points.

One interesting note before I wrap this up, it’ll probably stand to be some kind of AHL All-Star Classic record for Jake Allen. Customarily the goaltenders in these events get lit up like Christmas trees. Allen didn’t allow a single goal. There was one shutout in 1956.

Here is the SendToNews highlight package.

Back to the AHL regular season grind Friday for the Penguins as they travel to Binghamton to face off against Mike Hoffman and the rest of the Senators. Gameday for that will be here on the blog Friday at 3 p.m.