The cancellation of the 2019-20 American Hockey League due to the Coronavirus pandemic, denied us of some intriguing stories heading down the stretch and into the post-season.

The Milwaukee Admirals had led from the get-go, dispatching all before them as they compiled a record of 41-14-8. Nashville’s affiliate has failed to make it past the first round since 2011, missed out on the playoffs entirely in two of the last five years and was looking to add to their single championship won in 2004.

Milwaukee’s closest pursuers were divisional rivals Iowa Wild who has been historically bad since their inception in 2013.
Minnesota’s affiliate made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history during the 2018-19 campaign and was having a season to remember as they chased down the Admirals with a 37-18-8 record, good for second in the Western Conference and the league.

The potential divisional final (second round) of the play-offs between the Central Division foes would have been something to savour had it transpired.

Out in the Eastern Conference, it was the Belleville Senators who were taking all the plaudits with their talented young forwards making waves. Ottawa’s affiliate was leading the North Division with an impressive 38-20-5 record and was set on course to make their first appearance in the play-offs after two failures since their inception.

However, the best story might have been one of Jekyll and Hyde featuring the Binghamton Devils.
Heading into the 2019-20 season, Binghamton had won just 53 of 152 games in franchise history and held a goal differential of -131.

If Devils fans thought that was going to change in the third season they were in for a rude awakening.

At least to begin with.

Binghamton posted losing records in October, November and December.

Things came to a head when they lost an eighth straight game on December 13, 2019.
That 5-3 defeat to Springfield in which Binghamton recovered from a two-goal deficit in the first period only to then capitulate in the final forty minutes, left the Devils languishing in the standings with a 7-15-4 record.

Changes were sorely needed.

The veterans on the team including experienced goal Cory Schneider and Captain Ben Street held a frank meeting to discuss what should be done.

At the same time, the coaching staff opted to scrap the defensive and neutral zone systems used in the organisation and it’s worth noting that New Jersey was also struggling.
It takes a bold head coach to go against organisation protocol and much credit to should to Mark Dennehy, only into his second season as a professional coach, for making a brave decision in which he was ultimately vindicated.

There were also immediate changes on the roster thanks to the Taylor Hall trade with Nate Schnarr and Nick Merkley bolstering the Devils firepower.

The spark lit by the alterations in mid-December led to an almost instant turnaround.

Binghamton won three straight to end 2019 and carried that into January with the winning streak extending to eight.
Winners of nine of eleven games through the first month of 2020, the Devils went 8-5 in February with a three-game losing streak halting the runaway train but more help was on route.

Trade deadline moves in February would also assist the Devils, albeit in a short time frame before the cancellation.
Goaltender Zane McIntyre performed like a god, winning all four starts, posting two shutouts and giving up a combined three goals in the other two games.

Janne Kuokkanen played just six games but helped the Devils win five of those by contributing three goals and three assists during his limited stay.

Binghamton was 5-0 in March before the stoppage and had hoisted themselves from the bottom of the North Division into a playoff berth and was now a team nobody wanted to face.

The Devils had swept two, yes two, three-in-three weekends, were undeniable in the shootout with a 6-0 record and accumulated forty of a possible 54 points since December 27, 2019.

A post-season berth was far from secured but no follower of the American League would have bet against them continuing to surge up the standings and even claiming second place in the North Division.

What might have been for the team that turned their season around?