Greetings, all! Time for another week in the world of Blue Jackets prospects…and by “world” I mean Springfield, Massachusetts as we’ll be focusing on the Falcons with other prospects’ seasons wrapping up.
The Falcons finished off its home schedule but started off the week in Bridgeport in a game I bet some players thought was an April Fool’s joke, “an 11am game on April Fools? Ok, coach you got us.” After a scoreless first, the Tigers scored in the second before Falcons’ captain, Ryan Craig, finally got the team on the board picking up the rebound of a Sean Collins shot. The goal continued Craig’s tear of late – He’s picked up four points in his last five games.
Just under four minutes later, Mike Hoeffel scored his eighth of the season to clinch the win. In the 2-1 win, Seth Ambroz got into his first pro fight when he took on one-time Youngstown Phantom, Scott Mayfield.
The next game up was against Albany, and it would go scoreless through regulation and overtime forcing a shootout. It was the Falcons third 1-0 shootout game of the season – and in fact, the second in a row against Albany – but it was the first the Falcons lost. TJ Tynan, Sean Collins and Michael Chaput all failed to score in the three rounds. Matt Lorito was the third shooter for Albany and he netted the winning shot. Goaltender Scott Munroe made 26 saves in the game and stopped two of three in the shootout.
To finish off the home schedule, the Portland Pirates came to town with ex-Jacket Mike McKenna getting the start. The Falcons scored early with Derek Docken scoring his first pro goal 2:34 into the game. In the second, Tynan scored off a pretty one-timer set up by Sonny Milano and Ryan Craig. Later in the second, Craig scored at the doorstep by deflecting a Josh Anderson shot (seems like that should be the other way around). Early in the third, Collins scored his 16th goal of the season on a breakaway. The Pirates coach pulled McKenna early which led to a Josh Anderson goal 16:02 into the third. But the Pirates would add one more goal before time expired to make it a 5-2 victory for the Falcons.
The Birds have four games left including a trip into…THE FUTURE as they’ll close out the season against the St John’s IceCaps. As of Sunday morning’s AHL playoff primer, the Falcons are tied with eighth place Portland but the Pirates have three games in hand.
In other Falcon’s news, NHL.com wrote an article on the Falcons leading scorer TJ Tynan.
In the Euro Hockey Tour, Daniel Zaar and Sweden split a pair of games with Slovakia in which Daniel was held pointless.
I’m still having a little trouble finding an update on Elvis Merzlikins and what’s going on and if he is with the Latvian National Team preparing for the World Championships.
I’ll be back later this week with an update on the Jackets prospects still taking part in the CHL playoffs.
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