Zach The River Rat

The Albany River Rats defeated the Springfield Falcons 3-1 in the first of a three game homestand before the AHL All-Star game.

Two nights later, the Rats improved to 15-25-5-5, shutting out the visiting Portland Pirates 2-0. It was Albany's third win in a row and fifth in seven games as they try and claw their way out of the bottom of the East Division.

Zach Parise (NJ), C, Albany

What can be said that hasn't been said before - the puck just follows him around .. always involved in the play whether it's on offense or defense and is clearly emerging as a leader for the Rats .. battles hard along the boards and doesn't shy away from traffic .. seemed to be buzzing around the opposing net all game .. saw time on the second penalty kill unit, scored one nice shorthanded goal on a breakaway and was foiled on another after intercepting the puck .. also assisted on the first goal of the game, creating a rebound off of a quick shot .. earned a well deserved second star of the game, which probably would have been a first if Pascal Rheaume hadn't scored his 100th goal as a Rat on an open-netter .. currently sits fourth in rookie points and first in assists .. great hands, solid defensive awareness, fluid skating, good vision and leadership qualities will make Parise a star in the NHL, especially if rule changes open the game up.

Aleksander Suglobov (NJ), RW, Albany

Couldn't control several passes, but created a few scoring chances by stickhandling into the slot .. made a terrific tape-to-tape pass which led to a decent shot on net .. certainly won't be garnering Selke interest if he makes it to the NHL permanently due to his weak backchecking and almost non-existent defensive awareness .. showed some grit in a scrum and didn't avoid traffic to make plays, although he seems to float at times .. currently third in team scoring with 14 goals and 28 points due to his crafty stick handling and good speed.

Mike Egener (TB), D, Springfield

Big blueliner seems to be learning to keep his temper in check, showing impressive restraint while remaining a physical force .. matched up against Parise's line all game, but didn't see any powerplay time .. knocked Krisjanis Redlihs out of the game with a big clean hit, and was a beast in front of his own net .. allowed a River Rat player to split him and his defensive partner down the middle for a clean breakaway, but made up for it later with a sliding block that broke up a scoring chance .. showed solid leadership and awareness in the defensive zone, and did well keeping the puck in the offensive zone when pinching .. good stay-at-home defenseman who plays with an edge.

Adam Henrich (TB), LW, Springfield

At times created room for himself using his size and strong skating, but could have driven to the net more frequently .. saw time on the power play with the first unit .. when parked in front of the opposing net, he is hard to move and can create havoc for defensemen .. strong on the forecheck, Henrich created several opportunities by either stealing the puck in the opposition zone or taking the body .. this is a big strong kid who could really be a force in the power forward mold, if he developed a nastier edge to his game.

Aaron Voros (NJ), RW, Albany

At 6-4 and 195 pounds, Voros is a tough obstacle for defenders to handle while parked in front of the net, which tends to produce scoring opportunities .. his screening of the Portland goaltender while on the power play led directly to a goal by Adrian Foster .. used his body well and stuck up for Zach Parise by getting in an opponent's face after a questionable hit .. put the Rats down a man after taking a bad hooking penalty .. for a guy who is only two seasons removed from having surgery to remove a bone tumor in his leg, Voros has developed extremely well .. he's a warrior on the forecheck and in front of the net, and fills his defensive responsibilities well .. tied for 14th currently in rookie scoring with 21 points, and his 118 penalty minutes puts him 13th .. good hands, an accurate shot and unrelenting toughness will make Voros a solid third or even possibly second-line forward in the NHL.

Matt DeMarchi (NJ), D, Albany

Solid and steady blueliner who keeps things simple .. plays physically, especially along the boards and in front of the net and is positionally sound .. keeps the puck in play well when pinching and makes smart outlet passes to start the rush .. seemed to be on the ice every other shift due to injuries to other Albany defensemen .. unspectacular in a good way .. could be a second or third pairing D-man at next level with some upside as a potential safe cover for a more offensive partner on the first pairing.

Steve Eminger (Wsh), D, Portland

Impressive stickhandler with a smooth stride and good speed .. showed tremendous poise when handling the puck and joining the rush on offense .. did not get rattled and made a solid play to keep the puck in the offensive zone on the power play .. pinches extremely well .. can leg the puck out of the defensive zone just as well as he can make a clean outlet pass .. blocked several hard shots including a slapshot from the point which he appeared to take on the knee .. did not play overly physical, but didn't shy away form contact either .. still, a nastier edge to his game would propel him to another level, considering, at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he certainly has the size to do more.

Jakub Klepis (Wsh), C, Portland

A smooth skater and incredible stickhandler with the ability to thread passes through traffic .. backchecked very well and showed solid defensive awareness .. also displayed a feisty edge to his game and wasn't afraid to get involved physically .. strong on the power play and was always aware of where the open man was .. did miss a prime scoring opportunity when he tried a drop-pass to a teammate instead of shooting as he had an opening .. his upside is a first or second-line center, but he might also end up anchoring the checking line and penalty kill unit depending on his development.