IceCaps Firing on All Cylinders

The St. John’s IceCaps are off to a tremendous start. They currently sit atop the North Division with 0.750 winning percentage and with 22 goals-for through six games.

After Sylvain Lefebvre’s Hamilton Bulldogs disappointed year after year, this early start has been quite the surprise. It gets continually mentioned that the Bulldogs, now IceCaps utilize the same system as the Montreal Canadiens to aid in the transition for call-ups. The IceCaps aren’t having quite the same success as Montreal with its new aggressive style, but it has paid dividends already.

The Andrighetto, Hudon, and Holloway Trio

The combination of Sven Andrighetto, Charles Hudon, and Bud Holloway is undeniable the most offensively-gifted line that Sylvain Lefebvre has assembled throughout his tenure as the head coach of the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate.

Andrighetto and Hudon have continued to display excellent chemistry with each other this year, with both racking up six points in six games. Andrighetto’s high-energy, speedy game, works so well with Hudon’s more methodical, two-way with offensive flair approach.

The final component of the IceCaps top line is Bud Holloway. Holloway is currently tied for the lead in the AHL scoring race, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. He led the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs in scoring twice, and followed it up with an incredible season with Skellefteå AIK, where he won the scoring race, league MVP, and the championship. Holloway owns an absolute cannon of a shot, excellent finishing ability, and fairly good vision. It’s early, but he has lived up to the role as the IceCaps’ go-to finisher.

An Active, Confident Defence

There are no instantly recognizable names on the IceCaps’ blueline. However, this defensive corps certainly has some upside. Say goodbye to the Joe Finleys and Joel Chouinards, the Canadiens’ affiliate now sports a highly mobile blue line with puck movers as the focal points. While they’ve had some serious defensive breakdowns, they continue to improve and do more good than bad.

Unsurprisingly, Mark Barberio, the former AHL Top Defenceman Award winner, has been the IceCaps #1 thus far. Barberio is an offensive-minded defender who plays a fairly underrated defensive game. Partner Morgan Ellis, whose late season push earned him his second contract with the organization, has also gotten off to a good start with three points in six games. The duo is quite mobile, and demonstrates no fear jumping into the rush.

The rest of the defenders are also having success. 24-year-old defender Joel Hanley has four points in six games, and has been a very solid secondary shutdown option for the IceCaps. Mac Bennett and Darren Dietz are both playing with a level of confidence that has been absent since turning pro. Meanwhile, Brett Lernout continues to improve with each passing game.

The x-factor is Ryan Johnston, an NCAA free agent signing who has been out with injury. Johnston was extremely impressive during the rookie tournament. When he returns, his high-end mobility will fit in well with what is a smooth-skating blueline.

Two Unexpected Emergences: Christian Thomas & Michael McCarron

Thomas has never been a scorer in the AHL, despite his illustrious junior career. In fact, he has averaged just 13.7 goals per season in his three-year AHL career. In six games this year, Thomas already three and added three assists.

To make it even more impressive, two of those three goals have been goals on legitimate NHL wrist shots, which he just hasn’t used enough in the AHL. His most recent goal was a tremendous end-to-end rush followed with a snipe, displaying a level of confidence and desire to use his tools that hasn’t been displayed since junior. It’s too early to say if he will keep it up, but there’s no denying that he has looked fabulous.

Thomas’s linemate, Michael McCarron, has been extremely impressive in his own right. After a lengthy adjustment period to the OHL, many were expecting the same in the AHL. A hat trick and two assists later, and McCarron doesn’t appear to have missed a beat. (With that said, McCarron isn’t shooting at nearly the same volume he did in junior. Over time, that should change).

Perhaps even more impressive (and sustainable) than his offence has been McCarron’s defence. From opening day, McCarron has been counted upon to be one of the team’s top shutdown options. He has taken on a huge role, taking important faceoffs, getting hard match ups, and playing the penalty kill—and he has thrived.

Depth Contributions

Depth scoring has been a huge problem in the past few years, but right now, that looks like it has changed. Daniel Carr, the third member of the Thomas and McCarron line, continues to impress as a two-way goalscorer.

The third line of Gabriel Dumont, Nikita Scherbak, and Jacob de la Rose has been quite frustrating thus far, but are improving game-by-game. While they have gotten some decent opportunities, only Dumont has scored this season. There’s no doubt that Scherbak and de la Rose will have solid years, and it’s just a matter of time before they start getting the points.

The fourth line composed of Markus Eisenschmid, Jeremy Grégoire, and Connor Crisp has shown to be quite effective, especially once they obtain possession down low. Grégoire in particular has been excellent, especially on the penalty kill where he uses his smarts and aggressiveness well.

The x-factor here is Tim Bozon. Bozon, a four-time 30 goalscorer in the WHL, has been injured since the start of the season. He has the skill to contribute in the league as early as this season, but it remains to be seen how he will adjust to the professional game.

The Big Question: Consistency

Once again this is a young team. The line up consists of mostly first and second year players. While the blue line is older than the offence, it’s still quite inexperienced. Consistency is key.

Goaltending has come into question early on, but Dustin Tokarski hasn’t been nearly as bad as the numbers would indicate and Zach Fucale looks fairly impressive thus far.

The IceCaps have already had some scares, allowing five goals in the third period versus Bridgeport and blowing a two-goal lead over Binghamton and losing in overtime. This IceCaps team looks like they could do some damage, and finally end the playoff drought for the Canadiens’ farm team. They’ll face their first big test of the season tonight: A rematch versus Bridgeport, the only team to beat the IceCaps in regulation this season.