Greetings again, all! I’m back for another week in the world of CBJ prospects.
Starting off in Cleveland, the Monsters were in for an early, but important, series against division rival, Charlotte Checkers. The Checkers were finishing up a 10-game road trip to start the season. Also bolstering the club, Friday night, forwards Daniel Zaar and Josh Anderson also made their season debuts, returning from injuries sustained during their time with the Blue Jackets in the pre-season.
Early in the first, Markus Hannikainen got credit for a goal that went in off a Checkers’ defenseman with Sonny Milano and Kerby Rychel picking up assists. In the second, the big fella got his first pro goal when Ryan Craig came out of a board battle and delivered the puck to the Oleg Yevenko who snapped a shot from the blueline to give the Monsters a 2-1 lead. Four minutes later, just after a power play, TJ Tynan got the puck to Hannikainen who shot, and the rebound went to Kerby Rychel for his third goal of the season. The Checkers added a third period goal to make it 3-2. Anton Forsberg made 31 saves in his third win of the season.
After a day off due to a Cavs game, the Monsters and Checkers were back at it with Joonas Korpisalo getting the call. The Monsters got off to a fast start with Zaar scoring his first North American goal when he skated in and fired a shot from the far side of the right circle right over the Checkers goalie’s shoulder. Just over a minute later Milano scored his first pro goal when, after a failed clearing attempt, Rychel passed to Milano who got a shot past goalie, Drew McIntyre. After a Checkers goal, the Monsters struck again in the second when Milano skated in and got the puck to Andrew Bodnarchuk who passed to Rychel. Rychel then hammered a shot past McIntyre from the circle. After the Monsters allowed two goals in 1:23 the second period finally came to an end.
Early in the third, Kyle Hagel chose poorly when he decided to take on “The Belarussian Giant” Yevenko. A few minutes later Zaar Struck again when the Michaels (Paliotta and Chaput) worked a back and forth passing sequence before Chaput sent a crosscrease pass to Zaar who snapped it past the Checkers goalie. Four minutes later, Trent Vogelhuber scored on a penalty kill when a Checker’s players stick broke allowing Trent to go off to the races. The Monsters allowed two third period goals, including the second with 31 seconds left in the game.
Overtime solved nothing and the game went to a shootout with Korpisalo stopping the Checkers first two shooters before Derek Ryan scored, all three Monsters shooters would miss. Korpisalo made 29 saves in the loss. Monsters Head Coach Jared Bednar continues to play lineup bingo every night with Saturday night being Oliver Bjorkstrand’s night to sit. Next week will be the Monsters first three in three of the season as they head to Milwaukee and then close out the weekend with two against Iowa.
In Cincinnati, Peter Quenneville got another CBJ draft pick as company as Seth Ambroz joined the Cyclones this week. Starting off against Kalamazoo, Peter continued his strong play by picking up an assist on the Cyclones’ only goal in a 3-1 loss. Up next against Fort Wayne, Peter achieved his first multipoint gameby picking up two assists in a 5-1 win over the Komets.
Kole Sherwood-London Knights (OHL)
Season Stats 15GP 6-10-16 +8 12PIM
Kole and the Knights opened the weekend against the Windsor Spitfires and Kole picked up an assist in the match. In the third period, Kole skated in and passed to Ryan Valentini who went on a two on one before passing to Aaron Berisha who made it 5-1 in 6-3 Knights win.
Up next against Saginaw, Kole was part of a 7-0 blowout when, with the Knights leading 2-0, Kole shot and the goalie stopped it right at the post before Mitchell Marner tapped the puck in to make it 3-0.
To open up November, Kole added to his point streak when he earned an assist off a drop pass to Aaron Berisha who found Max Jones who snapped a shot past the Greyhounds keeper to make it 2-0 in a 6-0 win.
Blake Siebenaler-Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Season Stats 15GP 2-2-4 +7 4PIM
Yes, folks, Blake is still around he just went without a point in all 12 IceDogs games in October before picking up his first point since opening night this past week. In a 3-1 IceDogs win, Blake opened the scoring when he took a pass at the point and hammered a shot from just above the circles for his first point since September 25th.
Markus Soberg-Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Season Stats 3GP 1-0-1 -2 0PIM
Markus Soberg finally made his season debut against the Flint Firebirds Thursday but didn’t get on the scoresheet.Up next in a game against London, Markus scored his first of the season when, with the Spits trailing 3-0 and on the power play, Jalen Chatfield sent a perfect slap pass to Markus who fired a shot for his first goal since February 20th of last season. Markus held pointless in a 5-1 win over Guelph.
Olivier LeBlanc-Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)
Season Stats 16GP 1-11-12 +8 35PIM
Olivier and the Eagles opened the weekend with a rivalry game against the Moncton Wildcats. Olivier opened the scoring with his first of the season when he took a pass, skated in to the zone and fired a shot in the slot. Late in the second, Olivier fired a blast from the point that Pierre-Luc Dubois gathered and turned into a goal, shooting over the sprawled out Wildcats goalie. The game ended 6-5 in overtime for the Eagles. Next in a 6-2 win over Val-d’Or, Olivier picked up an assist on Pierre-Luc Dubois’ third period goal. Olivier was held without a point in a 6-5 overtime loss to Rouyn-Noranda.
Julien Pelletier-Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
Season Stats 14GP 7-2-9 -6 15PIM
Julien started the week by picking up just his second assist of the season in a 5-4 shootout loss, but he also added a goal in the shootout and that makes him two for two in the skills competition on the season. To close out the week against Blainville-Boisbriand, Julien was held pointless but did get into his one fight per year.
Paul Bittner-Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season Stats 14GP 4-7-11 +2 21PIM
Paul and the Hawks opened the week with a game against the Tri-City Americans (and their new CBJ looking jerseys) and Paul picked up two assists. First on Rodrigo Abols’ goal – when Bittner’s shot went into the corner, Jack Doughtery gathered it and fired with Abols tipping it past the Ams goalie. Paul picked up another assist later on Keoni Texeira’s third period goal.
Next, as part of a home and home with Everett, Paul got the Winterhawks on the board when, out of a board battle, Caleb Jones found Paul in the slot allowing him to snap a shot home for his fourth of the season. In the 2-1 Winterhawks win Paul was named third star.
Finishing off the home and home, Paul was held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 Winterhawks loss. That snapped a four game point streak for Bittner, during which he picked up 6 points.
Keegan Kolesar-Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season Stats 13GP 10-11-21 +8 17PIM
Keegan and the TBirds opened the week taking on the top team in the WHL, the Brandon Wheat Kings and Keegan had himself a night. Early in the second, Keegan took an outlet pass and skated into the zone before firing a shot from just above the circles. Late in the third, with the Birds leading 4-2, Keegan gathered a loose puck and skated into the zone, firing right at the blueline towards the empty net. That shot was blocked but Keegan gathered the puck and shot again from just off the wall for his second of the night. Just under a minute later, Keegan earned his first career hat trick when Nolan Volcan drove to the net, shooting but Mathew Barzal gathered the rebound and tapped the puck to Keegan who had an almost empty net to shoot into for his third of the night. Keegan was named third star in the win.
After that, the Birds loaded up the bus to start a eight game road trip. First up it was off to Cranbrook, BC to face the Kootenay Ice. In the 5-2 Birds win, Keegan helped get the Birds on the board when, trailing 1-0, Mathew Barzal’s shot was stopped and Keegan gathered the puck, fired and Ryan Gropp scored off the rebound to tie at one. Late in the third, Keegan scored his 10th of the season when, off a scrambly sequence, he gathered the puck in the slot to make it 5-1 in a 5-2 Seattle win.
Keegan and the Tbirds closed the week out in Calgary for a game against the Hitmen. Keegan picked up his 20th point of the season with an assist on Nolan Volcan’s fifth of the season. Kolesar added another assist late in the second on Brandon Schuldhaus’ first career goal. Sadly, the Birds fell 4-3 when the Hitmen scored a goal with four seconds remaining. The game ended a nine game streak of Seattle allowing two goals or less.
Zach Werenski-Michigan (Big 10)
Season Stats 6GP 1-4-5 +1 0PIM
The Wolverines welcomed the Robert Morris Colonials this weekend and allowed the Colonials to roar out to a 3-1 lead before the Wolverines remembered “oh wait we’re Michigan Ice Hockey.” The team then proceeded to score four third period goals including one by our favorite Wolverine. With the game tied at three, Zach passed to Kyle Connor who passed right back while Zach was skating in to the zone. Werenski deked around a defender and showed patience before firing a shot to make it 4-3 in a 5-3 Wolverines win. Zach and all the Wolverines were held pointless in a 4-0 loss to RMU on Saturday.
Gabriel Carlsson-Linkoping (SHL)
Season Stats 12GP 1-0-1 E 2PIM
Gabriel and the Lions opened the week with a 3-2 win over Lulea. Then, Gabriel would have a career highlight in the team’s next game against Djurgarden. In the game against DIF, midway through the first, Jakob Lilja curled around the net and found Erik Brissle in the corner. Brissle found Gabriel who was skating into the slot right off a line change and the Jacket prospect snapped a shot to make it 1-0 in a 2-1 win.
Oscar Dansk-Rogle (SHL)
Season Stats 13GP 6-4-2-1 2.22GAA .923Sv% 1SO
Oscar opened the week with a night off when his team lost 1-0 to Skelleftea AIK. Oscar went into the crease for the next game and picked up his fifth win of the season while making 26 saves in a 6-3 win. In the rematch the next day, Oscar was at it again with 22 saves, including a few spectacular ones (1,2) in a 4-2 win.
Markus Nutivaara-Karpat (Liiga)
Season Stats 19GP 4-3-7 +1 8PIM
Markus and the Stoats opened the week against the Lynx and Markus scored his fourth of the season in the second period. Karpat was leading 3-0 when Markus intercepted a pass and skated into the slot before snapping a shot to make it 4-0 in a 5-2 win. Markus was held pointless in a 4-1 win over Tappara.
Elvis Merzlikins-HC Lugano (National League A)
Season Stats 16GP 7-5-2-1 2.67GAA .925Sv% 1SO
Elvis opened the week making his sixth straight start with backup Daniel Manzato still injured. Starting off against SCL, Elvis had a season-high 37 saves in a 4-2 win, his seventh of the year. Up next against Geneve-Servette, Elvis made 35 saves in a 4-2 loss. In October, Elvis played 631:08 of 725:39 total time or about 87 percent of the time available to him in the entire month.
There you have it folks, another month in the world of CBJ prospects. It’ll be a bit of a light week next week as the European teams take an international break. See you then!
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