THE AHL REPORT

The AHL Report is the newest section to be added to the family of Illegal Curve feature articles, appearing each and every Sunday at your favourite hockey blog. Although the report will explore a wide range of topics, a special emphasis will be placed on developing prospects and NHL call-ups.

It was a busy week in the American Hockey League, with goalie goals, fisticuffs, trades and playoff races in both the Eastern and Western Conferences ramping up, so let’s get right to the latest news and notes……

– Manitoba Moose goaltender Drew MacIntyre made history-and highlight reels across the sports world- on Wednesday night by scoring the overtime goal in 2-1 victory over the Chicago Wolves. It should be noted that MacIntyre was credited for the goal but didn’t actually shoot the puck into the net. With the Moose about to receive a delayed penalty, the Wolves passed the puck to a phantom defenseman, and the disc sailed all the way to the other end of the ice into an empty net. From what I could find on the ‘Net, MacIntyre was the second Moose goaltender to score a goal (Fred Brathwaite being the other) and only the 9th such player do so in the history of the AHL. MacIntyre, a 2001 Detroit Red Wings draft pick, has been sensational for the Moose this year, sporting a 21-15-1 record, 2.14 GAA and .927 save percentage. He also has one goal and an assist on offense.

Here is the youtube.com link to the goal: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GBmBBRf2ooE

– In a Euro Curve/AHL Report crossover story, it appears Russian forward Stanislav Chistov may have some problems reporting to the Providence Bruins. Chistov, who was recently placed on waivers by the Boston Bruins, played in the Russian Super League past the December 15 deadline for players who are transferring from a European league to the AHL. Providence, which already has a stacked offense with the likes of Pascal Pelletier and Jeff Hoggan, would love to have the skill set Chistov offers for their playoff run.

– The Hershey Bears and Springfield Falcons pulled off a major move on Thursday, before the clear-day roster deadline, as slick defenseman Danny Syvret was sent to the Bears in exchange for rugged forward Grant Potulny. The 22-year-old Syvret, an Edmonton Oilers prospect, is expected to find himself in a better situation in Hershey, while Potulny is expected to help out Springfield’s top line, particularly leading scorer Robbie Schremp.

– 3-time Stanley Cup champion Darren McCarty recently signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings, and is skating with the Grand Rapids Griffins until he proves he is capable of moving up. McCarty played in only 32 games with the Calgary Flames in 2006’07 and had been previously playing with the Flint Generals of the East Coast Hockey League this season. In weekend games against the Manitoba Moose on Friday and Saturday, McCarty chucked the knuckles on two separate occasions. McCarty first tangled with genetic freak Zack Fitzgerald and then threw down with defenseman Nathan McIver. From all accounts, McCarty took both fights.

Here is a list of the Top 10 scorers in the American Hockey League (as of Feb.23, 2008)

1 Jason Krog, Chicago Wolves (25 goals, 52 assists, 77 points)
2 Martin St. Pierre, Rockford IceHogs (16 goals, 49 assists, 65 points)
3. Cal O’Reilly,Milwaukee Admirals (13 goals, 49 assists, 62 points)
4. Grant Stevenson,Quad City Flames (25 goals, 34 assists, 59 points)
5. Jeff Tambellini, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (29 goals, 29 assists, 58 points)
6. Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, Hartford Wolf Pack (24 goals, 34 assists, 58 points)
7. Teddy Purcell, Manchester Monarchs (16 goals, 42 assists, 58 points)
8. Pascal Pelletier, Providence Bruins (28 goals, 28 assists, 56 points)
9 Andrew Ebbett, Portland Pirates (13 goals, 42 assists, 55 points)
10 Gabe Gauthier, Manchester Monarchs (20 goals, 32 assists, 52 points)

For Illegal Curve, I’m Ezra Ginsburg.