Hello, all! The conference finals are underway meaning its time to catch up on the Jackets five…I mean six…prospects playing in the CHL playoffs. Yes folks, I can explain my confusion as the Jackets added another prospects in between series.
Justin Scott-Barrie Colts (OHL Won Series 4-0)
Series Stats 4GP 4-2-6 +5 4PIM
Playoff Stats 11GP 14-2-16 +16 4PIM
So let’s start with the new guy. Technically Scott wasn’t a CBJ prospect during the 2nd round series but he is now! First up in the opening round, the Colts managed a seven game series win over Mississauga. Justin erupted for 10 goals including a four goal game in a 6-5 overtime win. After taking seven games to take care of the Fish, the Colts made quick work of the North Bay Battalion. Starting off in game one, with the Colts leading 1-0, Justin received a drop pass and started a tic tac toe sequence that Andrew Mangiapane finished to make it 2-0 Colts. Later in the game, the Colts big line connected again when, with the Colts leading 4-2, Kevin Lebanc chipped the puck out of the zone. Mangiapane spun away from a check and found Justin who had a wide open lane with only a bit of defense against him, so Scott skated in on an empty net and scored his 11th of the post season.
In game two, the Colts let the Battalion take a 2-0 lead before Kevin LeBanc took a pass and manuevered into the slot before finding Justin at the left faceoff dot. Justin fired a shot top corner to make it 2-1. The Colts scored later to send the game into overtime. Early in OT, LeBanc skated in and passed to Mangiapane who sent a cross rink pass to Justin who scored from about the same spot as his first goal in the game.
After that, it was another game, another goal for Justin as the series switched to North Bay. Late in the third, Mangiapane skated in and with Justin trailing, Mangiapane pass to Justin in the slot who made it 4-2 with his 14th of the playoffs
Game four would be all Colts but Justin would pick up only his second assist of the playoffs. The Colts big line skated in with Justin skating through the Battalion’s defense and flicking a pass to Mangiapane who snapped a one timer to make it 4-0 in a 6-0 Colts win.
Jordan Maletta-Niagara IceDogs (OHL Won Series 4-1)
Series Stats 4GP 0-7-7 +2 2PIM
Playoff Stats 9GP 1-8-9 +1 7PIM
Jordan and the IceDogs took on the Eastern Conference’s top seed – the Kingston Frontenacs. Jordan went without a point in one game before going on a tear. Starting off in game two, late in the third with the Dogs leading 3-2, Jordan gathered a loose puck and got it to the point and Anthony Mantha who fired a shot to make it 4-2. Two minutes later, Jordan picked up an assist on Aleksander Miskulovich’s goal but you don’t see Jordan in the highlight. The Dogs then allowed three goals in just under five minutes sending the game to overtime and then double overtime until, off a faceoff in the Front’s zone that Jordan won, the puck went back to Anthony DiFruscia who fired off a one timer to give the Dogs a 2-0 series lead.
In game three Jordan would again help set up the game winner. Early in overtime with the game tied at two, Jordan drove to the net with his attempt being pokechecked away. Brendan Perlini would gather the puck however and skate around the net before passing to Aaron Hayden at the point who hammered a shot to win it and make it 3-0.
Jordan was the star in the Dogs game four victory. Starting off in the first, there was an all CBJ assist goal as off a draw Jordan chipped the puck to Blake Siebenaler who passed to Brendan Perlini to make it 1-0 on a one timer. Six minutes later – after a bit of a Benny Hill music sequence with two players trying to corral the puck – Jordan got the puck out of the chaos and skated in and found Perlini on the doorstep to make it 2-0. The Fronts scored early in the third but the Dogs answered just 17 seconds later. Jordan skated in along the wall while fighting off a check and then passed to Johnny Corneil in the slot who made it 3-1 Dogs. The Dogs ended up holding on to win and sweeping the top seed Fronts. Kingston is the first number one seed to not make the Eastern Conference Finals since Barrie was swept by Sudbury in 2007.
The Dogs led the series for all except for 21:29 in games two and three.
Blake Siebenaler-Niagara IceDogs (OHL Won Series 4-0)
Series Stats 4GP 0-2-2 +1 0PIM
Playoff Stats 9GP 0-3-3 -2 0PIM
Blake, like Jordan, went without a point in game one before picking up one in game two.
In the first, with the Dogs trailing 1-0, Blake kept the puck in at the blueline and fired a shot that was tipped in by Kyle Langdon. Langdon’s second goal of the playoffs made it 1-1 in a 6-5 overtime win.
Blake went without a point in game three before picking up another assist in game four.
Midway through the first, Jordan Maletta won the draw back to Blake who then passed to Brendan Perlini who fired a shot to make it 1-0 in a 3-1 game four win securing the Dogs’ sweep. In the next round, the Dogs will face off against the Barrie Colts meaning a CBJ prospect is guaranteed a spot in the OHL Finals.
Olivier LeBlanc-Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL Lose Series 4-3)
Regular Season Stats 59GP 5-31-36 +30 70PIM
Series Stats 0-3-3 -1 2PIM
Final Playoff Stats 13GP 0-11-11 +5 10PIM
Olivier and the Eagles faced off against the Saint John Sea Dogs in an all Maritmes series also meaning Olivier had to face off against his old team. Olivier would go pointless in games one through three before picking up two points in game four.
In the third period, with the game tied at one, Olivier handled the puck below the goal line before passing to Maxim Lazarev. Lazarev’s shot was stopped but Pheilx Martineau picked up the rebound to make it 2-1. 1:30 later, Olivier took a pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois and then switched sides before Olivier passed back and Pierre-Luc hammered the puck in to make it 3-1 in a 4-1 Eagles win.
Olivier went without a point in games five and six before picking up an assist in game seven. His point came in the second, on Michael Joly’s 11th of the playoffs. Sadly the rest of the game would be all Sea Dogs – they went on to score five straight before Evgeni Svechnikov made it 5-2 in a 6-2 game seven loss.
This could possibly end Olivier’s time as a CBJ prospect as the team needs to decide if they’ll sign him. I think Olivier should be signed even if he doesn’t really fit the CBJ style of player as I believe he can play any type of game you want him too.
Keegan Kolesar-Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL Won Series 4-1)
Series Stats 4GP 2-1-3 +5 0PIM
Playoff Stats 7GP 5-1-6 +11 4PIM
Keegan missed game one of their series with Everett due to his first round suspension, but in game three Keegan picked up an assist on Mathew Barzal’s goal to make it 2-1. Unfortunately, there’s no footage of his effort in the highlights. Late in the third, Keegan scored the insurance goal when Ethan Bear blocked a shot and Keegan chased after the puck and then, with a Silvertip all over him, he shot the puck into the empty net to make it 3-1 and tie the series at one.
In game three, Keegan scored again when he took a pass from Barzal just above the circles to make it 3-0 in a 5-0 TBirds win. Keegan did take a dirty knee on knee hit in the game from a player that seemed to be targeting Keegan in the series.
Overall, the TBirds have been one of the hottest teams, going 20-1-1-0 since their last regulation loss on February 20th. In the Western Conference final (in which the Jackets have had a prospect every year since the 2010-11 season) the Birds will be facing off against the Kelowna Rockets.
Additionally, Keegan was the focus of an article in the Seattle Times saying he’s a key to Seattle’s success.
There you have it folks, another round in the world of CBJ prospects. I’ll be back with a recap of the next round. Hopefully the sixth prospect, Kole Sherwood, can find his way back on to the Knights roster in London’s Western Conference Final against Erie.
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