Still playing a bit of catch up folks so today we’ll be seeing how the Jackets three prospects playing across the pond are doing.
Daniel Zaar-Lulea Hockey (SHL)
CHL Stats 6GP 3-5-8 +4 0PIM
SHL Stats 10GP 3-5-8 +3 0PIM
Daniel has been the busiest of all the prospects. He’s been playing games since late August due to playing in the Champions Hockey League. The CHL is kind of like a World Cup of European hockey champions. It starts off with a round robin in which you play the members of your group twice. Lulea, Zaar’s group, is pretty easy – they play Germany’s Hamburg Freezers (featuring 3 ex CBJ players), England’s Nottingham Panthers, and Finland’s Lukko Rauma.
Lulea got off to a hot start feasting on Hamburg and Nottingham in blowouts before getting a challenge in the Fins. Starting off against Hamburg, Daniel had a big game where he collected three assists on the team’s four goals (all in the first period). Early in the first, Daniel skated down the wing and sent a centering pass to Lucas Wallmark to make it 1-0 Bears (Wolves? I’m not very sure). Four minutes later, Daniel passed from the corner to Chris Abbott who passed to Per Ledin making it 2-0. Late in the first, up 3-0 with Lulea on a five on three with all five players touching the puck, Daniel found Abbott in front who then passed to Ledin to make it 4-0.
Up next against the Panthers, Daniel was held pointless in a 10-1 win (have I noted when prospects go without a point in games like this it drive me crazy?).
In the rematch with the Freezers, late in the game with Lulea leading 5-0, on the power play Lucas Wallmark passed it to Ledin in the slot who would backhand a pass to Daniel who fired into a pretty much wide open net to make it 6-0.
Their rematch with Nottingham would be just as bad as their first game with Lulea winning 9-1 but this time Daniel would contribute in a big way. Midway through the first, Daniel scored a normal Daniel Zaar goal when he took a crossrink pass from Kristian Nakyva and fired a rocket to make it 2-0. Daniel picked up an assist on the 5-0 goal when he took a shot that started a scramble in front with Per Ledin finishing it. Daniel also scored on a breakaway making it 7-0 in a 9-1 win.
In the game against Lukko Rauma, Daniel picked up an assist when he passed to Chris Abbott below the goal line. He found Lucas Wallmark would made it 1-0. Lulea would go on to win the game 3-1, Daniel and all of Lulea would be held scoreless in a 2-0 loss to Lukko Rauma somehow clinching Lukko first place in Group K.
Up next in the CHL for Daniel is a quarterfinal game against Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg who went 5-1 in Group I outscoring opponents 23-8. As for SHL play (which started while CHL play was going on) Daniel was the hero of Lulea’s season opener when he scored the game winner in the shootout of a 3-2 win with a nifty backhand (which count towards season totals in Sweden).
Up next in a game against Farjestad BK (featuring the Norwegian Nightmare Ole-Kristian Tollefsen) Daniel laid a big hit early in the game before picking up two assists. Late in the first, it’s hard to tell from the highlight but it appears Daniel may have gotten a piece of a pass going to Lucas Wallmark who made it 1-1. In the third, with the game tied at two, Daniel was part of a scrum in front with the puck trickling past the goalpost with Per Ledin gathering the puck and knocking it in to clinch a 3-2 victory.
Daniel continued his strong start by adding an assist against Orebro Hockey. In the third Daniel cycled the puck to Wallmark who found Kristian Nakyva who whiffed on his first attempt but got the puck in on his second shot bouncing off an Orebroian’s(?) foot past their goalie to make it 2-1 in a 3-1 win. The next game was another match up with another assist on the game winner for Daniel. With the game tied at one in the third Daniel would fire a shot with Per Ledin gathering the rebound getting it out to Kristain Nakyva who’d fire a shot to make it 2-1.
Daniel would be a star in a blowout win over Leksands. He collected three points including his first two goal game. In the third with Lulea leading 3-0, Daniel skated in, fired a shot and Markus Oskarsson picked up the rebound to make it 4-0. With the Bears (let’s go with Bears) leading 5-0, Daniel took a cross-rink pass from Per Ledin and fired a shot that would be tipped by a Leksands player to make it 6-0. Late in the third, Daniel showed off that lethal shot of his (with the net being the only thing keeping it from ending it up in the third row probably) making it 8-0. Daniel has been held pointless in Lulea’s last five games but is still tied for fifth in SHL scoring.
Joonas Korpisalo-Ilves (Liiga-Finland)
Season Stats 3GP 2-1 1.35GAA .952Sv%
Joonas started the Lynxes first three games going 2-1 and allowing only four goals in the three games. First up against Tappara, Joonas made 21 saves in a 2-1 loss. Up next against HPK, Joonas had 31 saves in a 5-1 victory for his first win of the season. Finally, Joonas lined up in a game against the…Squirrels, Mongooses lets move on. In the 3-1 win Joonas made 28 saves for his second win of the season. Joonas did suffer an injury and has missed the Lynxes last seven games, I was told by Miika Arponen that its a groin issue but the coach expects him back this week.
Elvis Merzlikins-HC Lugano (National League A-Switzerland)
5GP 3-1-1 2.55GAA .914Sv%
It appears Panthers coach Patrick Fischer is alternating between his two goalies with Daniel Manzato being the only one to start back to back games. In his season debut against Genève-Servette HC, Elvis stopped 29 of 32 in regulation and then four of five in a shootout, also picking up two penalty minutes (we’ll be hearing this a lot…or at least a lot more than normal with goalies). After Manzato made his two straight starts, Elvis got back in the net against one of the top teams in the league HC Davos. Elvis had 32 saves in the 2-1 loss. After a night off, Elvis went back in against EHC Biel. In the 7-4 win, Elvis would make 22 saves and picked up an assist on Sebastien Reuille’s first period goal, along with picking up another penalty. An assist, a penalty and a win…the Elvis Merzlikins hat trick ladies and gentleman. In an overtime loss to EV Zug, Elvis stopped 28 of 31 in a 3-2 overtime loss. To close out, Elvis and the Panthers welcomed the ZSC Lions – the top team in National League. In the 2-1 win, Elvis made 27 saves.
There you have it folks, our first update on our European prospects. I’ll try and get back to my normal schedule starting next week with our full update on everybody.
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