Greetings all! Time for the Week in Review. The Monsters had one game at home in Cleveland before they hit the road for 10 games. And it was Cavs night! The Monsters took on the top team in the AHL, the Toronto Marlies. In the second, Kerby Rychel would take a hit in the corner but would get the puck to TJ Tynan in the slot to score his second of the season. Early in the third, Michael Paliotta would fire a shot to give the Monsters a 2-0 lead off a pretty passing sequence. The Monsters took the win, 2-1 with the Marlies scoring late to make it close, with Anton Forsberg making 19 saves in the win. In the rematch on New Years Eve, the Monsters would let the Marlies take the lead before Michael Paliotta would strike again. Michael Chaput found Steve Weinstein, who passed it to Paliotta to tie it at one. Three minutes later Toronto would take a 2-1 lead, but late in the period the Monsters would strike shorthanded. Josh Anderson intercepted a pass and go on a two on one with Trent Vogelhuber, finishing it for his fifth of the season and second shorthanded. Ex-Jacket Matt Frattin would add the game winner, and Anton Forsberg would make 27 saves in the 3-2 loss. Afterwards, they loaded up the bus and were off to Milwaukee for a game with the Admirals. The Monsters allowed the Ads a 2-0 lead before Ryan Craig would score on the doorstep after taking a pass from Josh Anderson and TJ Tynan. The assist was TJ’s 20th of the season. Joonas Korpisalo would take the loss in the game, making 21 saves with Lake Erie allowing an empty net goal for the final score of 3-1. To close out the week it was off to Chicago for a game with the Wolves, and well it wouldn’t be pretty. The Wolves jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Josh Anderson would strike late in the second. Josh took the pass from TJ Tynan, who powered into the zone and scored off his backhand while being tripped. Joonas Korpisalo would take the loss stopping 22 of 27, before being recalled by the Jackets due to Curtis McElhinney’s injury.
Blake Siebenaler – Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Season Stats 36GP 3-14-17 +9 6PIM
Blake opened the week going without a point against Barrie before starting his current assist streak. The streak would begin against Sudbury, when late in the third period Blake gathered a loose puck, handled it near the wall, and fired a shot that was stopped. Fortunately Johnny Corneil buried the rebound for his second of the night in the 3-1 Dogs win. Next up against Kitchener, Blake would again be part of the last goal of the game but this time in a Niagara loss. On New Years Eve, with the Dogs wearing the tuxedo jerseys from their new arena opener last season, Blake passed to his D partner Vince Dunn who sent a crossrink pass to Graham Knott at the circle for a one timer to make it 5-2 Rangers. To close out the week Blake would assist…on the last goal of the game again. Anyhoo, after the Dogs allowed the 67’s a 3-0 lead, the Dogs clawed their way back tying the game before Blake fired a blast from the point that was stopped with William Lochead screening the goalie and banging home the rebound for his first career goal. CBJ Traverse City invite Dante Salituro piled up 3 points in the game, giving him 47 points in 35 games.
On Saturday the Windsor Spitfires announced that Markus Soberg had voluntarily left the team to according to GM/Owner Warren Rychel: “Markus has opted to explore some opportunities in Europe.” Markus never really seemed to find his game in North America, scoring only 38 points in 83 games with the Spits. This move helped Windsor, as Markus was taking up both an overager and an import spot, so the move gave them some roster flexibility as the OHL trade deadlines approach (separate ones for overagers and everyone else). What’s next for Markus is a bit of an unknown. My best bet would be a deal in Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second tier league or possibly back home in Norway.
Olivier LeBlanc – Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)
Season Stats 36GP 2-20-22 +15 49PIM
Coming out of the holiday break, Olivier would be held pointless in a 4-1 loss to Charlottetown, a game that included the return of “The Flying Dutchman” Daniel Sprong from the Penguins. In his next game, while wearing special Battle of Nova Scotia jerseys, Olivier would pick up an assist. He sent a pass to Michael Joly, who found Pierre-Luc Dubois in the slot to make it 5-4 in a 6-4 Eagles win. Olivier would go pointless in the next two games. In Sunday’s game against Saint John, Olivier laid a hit on Oliver Felixson that would earn him a three game suspension.
Julien Pelletier – Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
Season Stats 35GP 19-14-33 -17 31PIM
Julien came out of the break…well, passing. After picking up only two assists in his first 14 games, he’s collected 12 in his last 21 games, including five straight currently. First up against Quebec, with the game tied, Julien passed from behind the net to Guilliame Gauthier whose shot was deflected by Daniel Audette to make it 2-1 in a 4-1 Phoenix win. Julien kept the streak alive, again assisting on a Gauthier goal to make it 4-0 in a 4-0 Phoenix win. Up next against Shawinigan, with the Birds leading 1-0m Julien would lead the rush into the zone, passing to Daniel Audette whose shot was deflected in by Kevin Gilbert to make it 2-0 in a 7-4 Phoenix win. Closing out the week against Gatineau, with the game already out of hand trailing 6-1, Julien stole the puck from the Olympiques goalie with the puck going to Daniel Audette in the 7-2 loss.
Keegan Kolesar – Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season Stats 37GP 17-24-41 +6 67PIM
Keegan came out the break having a three game point streak snapped against Spokane before being the hero in the rematch. In the third period, after Kailer Yamamoto tied the game, Keegan chased down the puck and fired a backhand shot at about the goalline. The Chiefs goalie got a piece of it, but it snuck past him to make it 2-1 and secure the T-Birds win. Keegan was then held pointless in the T-birds next two games.
Tyler Bird – Brown (ECAC)
Season Stats 15GP 2-1-3 -5 0PIM
Tyler and the Bears took part in the Sheraton/TD Bank Catamount Classic. The game would be a back and forth affair, appearing to go to overtime before Tyler set up Sam Lafferty’s goal with 47 seconds remaining. The Bears added an empty net goal for the 7-5 victory. Tyler went pointless in the Bear’s next two games.
Ryan Collins – Minnesota (Big 10)
Season Stats 17GP 0-4-4 -2 31PIM
Minnesota opened the new year hosting its annual Marriucci Classic. After going pointless in a win over UConn (the first meeting ever between the two teams), Ryan would pick up an assist on Steve Johnson’s goal in a 4-3 loss in the championship game.
Oscar Dansk – Rogle BK (SHL)
Season Stats 24GP 9-14 2.57GAA .909 Sv% 1SO
The…Griffins? sure why not only played one game during this stretch picking up a blowout win over HV71 and fellow Jackets prospect Kevin Stenlund. In the win Oscar only had to make 12 saves to pick up his ninth win of the season.
Quick a hardware update: on the 28th Vladislav Gavrikov was named the KHL’s best defensemen for last week, as he scored two goals and was a +5 in three wins. A few days later Vladislav would pick up some more hardware, being named the KHL’s top rookie for December. During the month he averaged 16:55 a game, collecting three points (2-1-3) in eight games (seven of them victories), and wasn’t a minus in any game.
Elvis Merzlikins – HC Lugano (Spengler Cup)
Tournament Stats 4GP 2-2 .907Sv% 3.01GAA 1SO
Elvis and the Panthers finished up the Spengler Cup last week. Starting off against Jokerit, Elvis would finally get a night off with current Lake Erie Monster Mark Owuya (recently signed due to the injuries to Bobrovsky and McElhinney) getting the start. Owuya allowed three goals on 27 shots before Elvis took over for the third. He did not fair much better, allowing three goals on 10 shots, with the Panthers falling by the score of 6-4. In the semifinal against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL, Elvis stopped all 30 shots for a 3-0 shutout victory. The win put HCL in the final against Team Canada, featuring three ex-Jackets, including current Monster Manny Malhotra and training camp invite James Sheppard. The game would go back and forth until Matt D’Agostini won it for Canada late in the third. Returning to NLA action, Elvis made 25 saves in a 3-2 shootout win, stopping four of five in the shootout against HC Ambri-Piotta. Up next in the rematch Elvis took the loss, stopping 29 of 32 in his 22nd straight league start.
There you have it folks! As for next week, we’ll have a complete wrap up of the World Juniors along with your usual CBJ Prospect updates.
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