New Jersey Devils Prospect Update: Week 13

The Albany Devils had a long and difficult weekend with three games in three nights, but fought through to get 5 of a possible 6 points. While Matteau and Santini were eliminated from the WJC when the Russians defeated the U.S. this morning, both were impressive throughout the tournament. Keep reading for other prospect updates and statistics from the previous week.

Albany Notes:

• The Albany Devils played three games in three nights last weekend and won two out of three.
• The first game was a 2-0 victory over the Adirondack Phantoms on Friday night. It was Kinkaid's fourth shutout of the season, typing Jeff Frazee's single season shutout record. He made 19 saves for the win. Scott Timmins and Chris McKelvie scored the goals. Here are the highlights:

• Keith Kinkaid helped lead the Devils to another victory on Saturday with a 4-1 win over the Portland Pirates. The win set a franchise-record with six straight home wins. Kinkaid made 38 saves and Joe Whitney, Seth Helgeson, Mike Sislo and Rod Pelley scored for Albany. Here are the highlights:

• In their third game in three nights, the Devils fell to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 3-2 in the shootout. Scott Wedgewood was in net and made 32 saves during regulation and overtime plus five more during the shootout. Tim Sesito and Joe Whitney scored the two goals. It was Albany's first loss of the season when leading after the second period.
• Tim Sestito was returned to Albany after playing in New Jersey for nine games. In the two games played since returning, he has one goal.
• Stefan Matteu has been playing well for the U.S. at the WJC in Sweden. In five games played, he has three goals and an assist along with eight shots and ten penalty minutes.

• Seth Helgeson scored his first professional goal over the weekend. He has been a solid stay-at-home defenseman for the Albany Devils and isn't expected to contribute often on the score sheet, so this was a bonus and a well-earned contribution from him. He and Dan Kelly are the only two defensemen to play in every game for Albany so far this season.
• Leo Scaglione Jr. of The Hockey Writers wrote an interesting piece on the Albany players who have stepped up since so many of their strongest players have been brought to New Jersey due to injuries. Without Boucher, Merrill, Gelinas, Sestito, and now Matteau due to the WJC, Scaglione writes about five players who have emerged to keep the team on track.
• The Albany Devils are currently sitting at 4^th in the Eastern Conference with 42 points on the season.

Other Notes:

• Myles Bell had a strong week with two goals and two assists in two games. He is currently second on the Rockets in scoring with 35 points in 34 games. The Rockets are the top team in the WHL by a wide margin - they have 64 points on the season with just three losses in 36 games.
• While he has only played in nine games this season, Derek Rodwell has been making the most of the opportunities he gets. He got his third goal of the season over the weekend.
• Steve Santini has been a strong presence on the blue line for the U.S. WJC team. He has just one goal in five games for the team, but was noticeably impressive throughout the tournament. The Russians eliminated the U.S. in the quarterfinals this morning. This is what Santini had to say,

"It's a short tournament. You can't take stick penalties. Any time you don't stick to your system, it's going to come back and bite you. It's not a 62-game season. It's really a seven-game season."

Prospect of the Week:

Keith Kinkaid get's the honors again this week. With another win and shutout from to goalie over the weekend, he leads the AHL in shutouts and goals-against average (1.92). He has won six of his last seven starts and has 13 wins on the season. He has 51 career wins in the AHL. After his record tying shutout and 50^th win he said,

"I didn't even know about that. Its just another team win and we want to get as many wins as possible and try to solidify a playoff spot early if we can."

What do you think of Matteau and Santini's game in their short-lived WJC performances? Do you think Kinkaid will keep getting better and keep dominating in the AHL? Feel free to discuss your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!