Hello all! Back again with the week in review – with a bit of delay as a team had a game rescheduled due to the Terry Trafford tragedy. Let’s look at how our players finished up the regular season after visiting the baby birds in the AHL.
Starting off in Springfield as we usually do, the Falcons had another light week going 2-0 with both games requiring third period comebacks. On Friday night against Albany, the Falcons opened the scoring when Jean Francois Jacques sent a backhand shot past the Devils goalie after intercepting a pass. The Falcons allowed two goals in 2:37 to close out the period, but then 2:56 into the second period, Matt Taormina scored his first with the team when he potted one off the rebound of Ryan Craig‘s shot. Midway through the second well…the Devils would again score two goals again in a little under five minutes to make it 4-2 Devils. The Falcons rallied in the third thankfully when Patrick McNeill opened the scoring on a power play when, after some passing, he fired a shot. It appeared Sean Collins scored but McNeill got credit for his seventh of the season. Five minutes later, Trent Vogelhuber scored his first of the season when he deflected a Denny Urban point shot to tie it at four. A few minutes later the Falcons scored for the third time on the power play (team went 3 for 3 in this game) when Carter Camper got the puck down low and sent a cross crease pass to Jean Francois Jacques who had a wide open net to shoot into for his second of the night. Patrick McNeill picked up his third point of the night sending Michael Chaput and Ryan Craig off on a two on one with Craig finishing it for his 13th of the season. Mike McKenna made 19 saves for his 18th win of the season.
Up next was a game against the baby Bruins. Early in the first Michael Chaput scored his team leading 17th goal of the season when, on the power play, much like Jacques’ goal the night before, off a series of passes he shot right into a fairly open net. That goal gives the team goals on seven straight power plays. After a Bruins goal late in the second, Sean Collins scored 1:14 later to make it 2-1 Falcons when Carter Camper gathered a loose puck and found Collins in front to make it 2-1. Early in the third period, Dana Tyrell scored his second with the team when he had a two on one with Jack Skille and snapped a shot off at the circle. A few minutes later the Bruins struck when Cody Goloubef coughed up the puck and Ryan Spooner was off the races and slid the puck past Mike McKenna. Seven minutes later Ryan Craig scored after Matt Taormina and Cody Goloubef passed back and forth and Ryan Craig picked up the rebound of Taormina’s point shot. Mike McKenna made 31 saves for his 19th win of the season – that equals last year’s total in 10 less games.
Quickly the Falcons will have some new players in the coming day as it the Marko Dano signing was made official – his paperwork is finished and will be coming over to the states. It sounds like he’ll leave Europe today (3/21). It also came out (through his own twitter account and later an announcement by the Jackets) that goalie prospect Anton Forsberg will be coming over since his season in MODO was finished.
Oscar Dansk-Erie Otters (OHL)
Final Season Record 52-14-2-0(3rd in Western Conference)
Regular Season Stats 42GP 29-9-1-0 2.39GAA .909Sv% 6SO
Oscar and the Otters closed out the season with two games last week and they won both. Oscar started on Friday night and made 18 saves for his 29th win of the season. Oscar also started the team’s season finale but was pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots; but the Otters were able to rebound and win the game 8-4 with Devin Williams picking up the win.
The Otters finished third in the OHL’s Western Conference and will face the Saginaw Spirit and fellow Jackets prospect Nick Moutrey. In their four regular season meetings, Oscar started two of the games going 1-1 losing in late September and winning earlier this month – allowing two goals in each game. On the season, Oscar led the OHL in goals against average and tied for the league lead in shutouts. Oscar and backup Devin Williams picked up some hardware as they helped the Otters win the Dave Pinkey Trophy for lowest team GAA for the first time in franchise history.
Kerby Rychel-Guelph Storm (OHL)
Final Regular Season Record 52-12-2-2(1st in Western Conference-Won Midwest Division)
Final Regualar Season Stats 58GP 34-56-90 +41 41PIM
Kerby and the Storm finished the season with three games last week going 2-1 and with Kerby collecting six points. In the week opening win over Kitchener, Kerby picked up a goal and two assists. With the Storm up 2-1 Kerby grabbed the puck out of midair and passed to Matt Finn who skated in and dropped a pass back to Kerby. Rychel then fired a missile past the Rangers goalie. In the second period Nick Ebert won a board battle and found Kerby who sent a cross-rink pass to Robby Fabbri for his 44th). Later with the Storm leading 5-2, Kerby collected a Matt Finn point shot and found Jason Dickinson who curled around to the slot to snap home his 25th of the season. The Storm would win the game 7-3.
Up next was a game against Sarnia and it was UGLY!!!!! for the depleted Sting (dressed only 15 skaters) as the Storm won 13-1. In the absolute blowout Kerby had two goals and an assist scoring the 10th and 11th goals of the game. Kerby was held scoreless in a 2-1 loss to Owen Sound to close out the season.
This season Kerby, despite having a down year in goals (down from 40 to 34) picked it up in the assists category setting a new career high with 56. 33 of those came in 31 games just with Guelph. With the help of Storm stats guru Brian Taylor, I have these numbers for Kerby. In his 33 games with the Storm, Kerby:
- had goals in 15 of the games and points in 25 of them;
- The Storm never lost when Kerby had a goal and went 22-3-0-0 when he had a point including going 16-1-0-0 when he had multiple points;
- the team was 25-5-0-1 with Kerby in the lineup;
- Kerby was on the ice for 24 Storm power play goals and only two against.
The OHL does a Coach’s Poll after the season and Kerby was voted to have the second best shot in the Western Conference.
Up next for the Storm is a matchup with the Plymouth Whalers and fellow Jackets prospect Gianluca Curcuruto. In six games against the Whalers this season (four with Windsor and two with Guelph) Kerby collected four goals and six assists including a four point game early in the season.
Josh Anderson-London Knights(OHL)Final Regular Season Record 49-14-1-4(4th in the Western Conference)
Final Regular Season Stats 59GP 27-24-51 +31 81PIM
The Knights played three games last week with Josh only playing in two as he was scratched the in the season finale against Sault Ste. Marie. In a 4-2 win against Owen Sound, Josh picked up two assists his 16th multi point game of the season. Josh was held scoreless in the team’s next game against Saginaw.
Josh set new career highs in goals, points and power play goals this season. In the Coach’s Poll mentioned above Josh was named the Western Conference’s Hardest Worker and Best Body Checker. That marks the second year in a row a Jackets’ prospect won the Hardest Worker award -some kid named Jenner won the Eastern Conference’s award last season (he also was second in the Eastern Conference’s Best Body-Checker). Up next for Josh and the Knights is a series against the Windsor Spitfires. In six games against the Spits Josh had points in four of them. He picked up multiple points each time with a total of five goals and three assists.
Gianluca Curcuruto-Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
Final Regular Season Record 28-33-0-7(8th in the Western Conference)
Final Regular Season Stats 57GP 7-21-28 -14 16PIM
Gianluca played in two of the Whalers’ three games last week and was held scoreless in a 2-1 loss to Owen Sound when the team allowed two third period goals. Gianluca was a healthy scratch – likely to give him some rest before the playoffs. This might seem odd but the Whalers were locked into eighth place no matter what happened in the their last two games . Gianluca did dress in the team’s season finale and scored his seventh goal of the season early in the second with the Whalers trailing 1-0. With the Whalers on the power play Gianluca got the puck at the point and fired a low wrist shot through a screen to make it 1-1 in what ended as a 4-1 victory in the team’s season finale.
This would be a down season compared to last season with Plymouth but Gianluca again led the Whalers Dmen in scoringeven after missing time with an injury. The Whalers have a rough road in the playoffs going against the top seed Guelph Storm and Kerby Rychel. This season, in three games against the Storm, Gianluca was held scoreless.
Nick Moutrey-Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Final Regular Season Record 33-30-4-1 (6th in the Western Conference)
Final Regular Season Stats 68GP 15-26-41 +13 82PIM
It was a hard week for Nick and the Spirit as the body of teammate Terry Trafford was found after he had been missing after being removed from the team. The tragedy postponed Wednesday’s game against Sault Ste. Marie until Monday the 17th and turned that game into the team’s season finale. When the team did get back to normalcy in a game against the Soo, Nick picked up an assist on Nick Ringuette’s third goal of the season. Unfortunately, the game ended in a 6-5 loss to the Greyhounds.
Nick was held scoreless in a 6-2 loss to London and picked up an assist on Justin Kea’s game winner 3:38 into overtime. Nick just missed matching last year’s totals missing by a goal and an assist. In the playoffs, the Sprirt will face off against the Erie Otters. In four games versus the Otters this season, Nick picked up only one assist in the team’s first meeting. A few OHL writers believe the Spirit is that team “no one wants to face” in the playoffs but I’m not 100% sure why.
Peter Quenneville-Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Final Regular Season Record 34-29-6-3(7th in the Eastern Conference)
Final Regular Season Stats with Brandon 44GP 21-31-52 -11 10PIM with Quinnipiac 5GP 0-4-4 +1 2PIM
As you may remember, Peter started the season at Quinnipiac University and collected four assists in five games before suffering an injury and then leaving school to join his brother John and the Wheat Kings in November (I wrote about it here). Last week Peter returned from an injury that cost him 10 games and boy did he make up for lost time in a back-to-back with first round opponent the Regina Pats. Starting off on Friday night, Peter was a part of every goal in a 4-3 overtime win. Midway through the first Peter stole the puck from Carter Hansen and was off to the races for his 17th goal of the season. Peter’s first assist was a goofy one when he tried a cross rink pass but it bounced off a Pats’ skate and went in front to Richard Nejezchleb for his 32nd. Peter was part hero when, with 35 seconds left after some passing, the puck got down low to Nejezchleb who was in Gretzky’s office. He passed to Tim McGauley who sent a cross-crease pass to Peter who finished for his 18th. In overtime, with the Kings on the power play, Peter worked a passing sequence with Ryan Pulock and Eric Roy with Roy finishing it with his 11th of the season.
Up next in the rematch, Peter set a career high. Again, after spotting the Pats a 2-0 lead, Peter struck for the first time. Five minutes into the first,Richard Nejezchleb fought off a Pats defender and got the puck to Peter who snapped a shot off to make it 2-1. Later, with only 40 seconds remaining, Peter tipped in a Ryan Pulock point shot off his body to tie it at two before the first break. Late in the second with the Kings up 4-2, Peter worked a 2-1 with little brother John when John appeared to pass it through a defender’s feet to Peter who completed the hat trick in a 6-3 Kings victory – clinching them a playoff spot. In the playoffs it’ll again be Pat-Wheat Kings. Peter played in seven games against the Pats picking up multiple points in every game but there was one in which he was held scoreless. In total he piced up seven goals and eight assists in earlier matchups.
Oliver Bjorkstrand-Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Final Regular Season Record 54-13-2-3(2nd in Western Conference-Won US Division)
Final Regular Season Stats 69GP 50-59-109 +44 36PIM
Oliver and the Winterhawks were the busiest of all the prospects last week. They played four games last week and went 4-0 to close out the season. Oliver was scoreless in the first game of the week – a 3-2 overtime win with Brendan Leipsec winning it 30 seconds into overtime.
Up next was a game against rival Seattle. Oliver had his 31st multipoint game of the season collecting four in a 5-2 win. In the second period, Oliver collected an assist when he passed the puck to Brendan Leipsec who fired a laser to make it 2-0 Hawks. A little under two minutes later, Oliver struck when he picked up the rebound of a Taylor Leier shot off of a two on one to make it 3-0. After the TBirds scored two goals, 1:36 later Oliver was back at it when he gathered a loose puck and snapped a shot that the Birds goalie couldn’t stop. Seven minutes later Oliver set up Taylor Leier again when on a three on two Oliver passed to Leier who scored on a backhand to make it 5-2.
In the rematch Oliver entered the game with 47 goals and I thought “three goals in two games – Oliver can do that.” Well Oliver did something he did earlier in the season – he saw another prospect pick up a hat trick and saide “anything you can do I can do better” (this was the same night as Peter Quenneville’s hat trick). Early in the second period Oliver was hit along the boards before going to the net and hitting in the rebound on his third whack at it. In the third period with the Hawks leading 5-0…you know this is one of those goals too pretty for me to try and describe so just fast forward to 3:20 and enjoy the filthiness. Late in the third with the Hawks on the power play Leipsec found Oliver in the slot with Oliver waiting a split second before firing a laser to make it 7-0 Hawks. The goal was his 13th goal against the Thunderbirds this season. Here are Portland GM/coach Mike Johnston’s postgame comments praising Oliver.
Oliver was held scoreless in the team’s season finale. Thanks to Winterhawks color commentator Andy Kemper for this stat: the Hawks went 32-3-1-1 whenever Oliver scored a goal. Oliver finished third in the WHL in scoring and was one of only three WHL players with 50 goals tying for second. Oliver’s 109 points led all CHL imports while his 10 game winning goals tied for the WHL lead. Oliver was named a first team WHL Western Conference All Star.
As for the playoffs – Oliver and the Hawks will face the Vancouver Giants in the season series.
Dillon Heatherington-Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
Final Regular Season Record 38-25-3-6 (5th in the Eastern Conference)
Final Regular Season Stats 70GP 6-29-35 +24 63PIM
Dillon was scoreless in a 6-5 win over Saskatoon that included a four goal second period. Up next in the Broncos’ final home game, Dillon picked up an assist and some hardware from the team. In the team’s pregame awards, Dillon won the team’s Tom Ham Memorial Award for Top Defenseman and the team’s RBC Dominion Securities Chairman of the Boards Award (hardest hitter/hardest player in the corners). As for the game, Dillon picked up an assist on Jay Merkley’s empty net shorthanded goal to make it 5-3 Broncos. Dillon also earned his assist by showing why he was the Bronco’s top dman. He blocked a shot as the Warriors were trying to tie it when Colby Cave attempted to clear the puck and then Dillon tapped it to Merkley who fired the puck the length of the ice to make it 5-3 Broncos. The Broncos allowed a goal 25 seconds later but won it 5-4.
Dillon was held scoreless in a rematch with the Warriors – a 3-1 Broncos win.
In the playoffs, the Broncos faced off against the Medicine Hat Tigers. In three games against the Tigers, Dillon had a goal and two assists including one of his six multipoint games adding a goal and an assist in late January. Dillon set a new career high in points and assists this season along with leading the Broncos in +/- for the second year in a row.
There you have it – next week I’ll cover the NCAA prospects conference tournaments and the opening round of the NCAA tournament as well as any European prospect playoffs. I’ll also be covering the week that was in Springfield and start updating the CHL playoffs after each round. Also, with the Hockey News Future Watch issue being out, watch for my State of the Prospect Pool post that’s become an annual post to see how the baby Jackets are looking.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
