Happy Olympic Break all! Back again with another light week in the CBJ prospect world. The Falcons were the busiest team last week with four games, a front office shake up and two roster moves before the Olympic roster freeze.
Before the team’s game on Tuesday against Albany, it was announced that President and Part owner Bruce Landon would be stepping down but will remain as Director of Hockey Operations. As for the game against the little Devils the Falcons picked up a 4-0 victory with Mike McKennna making 25 saves in the win for his third shutout of the season. In the win Alex Aleardi, Spencer Machacek, Frederic St Denis and Jonathan Marchessault scored with Marchessault also adding an assist.
On Thursday the team would trade forward Spencer Machacek for forward Paul Thompson. Thompson had a Cy Young season last year scoring 20 goals and adding nine assists in 58 games played. This year he only has seven points in 39 games before the trade. Before Friday night’s game/the Olympic Roster Freeze the Falcons swung a deal with Providence acquiring former Miami RedHawks star Carter Camper for defenseman Blake Parlett. Camper is a tiny offensive star who picked up 47 and 48 points in his first two full AHL seasons with at least 30 assists. In 41 games played this season Camper has 31 points with 23 being assists. Unfortunately, Camper has been out of the lineup since January 19th with a toe injury.
That night the Falcons welcomed the Syracuse Crunch to town for the start of a back to back home and home. Seven minutes in Dalton Smith skated around the net and took a shot with Lukas Sedlak banging in the rebound to make it 1-0. Just under three minutes later a Crunch defenseman tried to clear the puck but Jack Skille – fresh off a line change – stole the puck and snapped a shot past Allen York (yeah that Allen York). After a second period goal by Syracuse, J_M got the puck out to Will Weber whose point shot was deflected by Jean Francois Jacques for his 6th of the season. After another Crunch goal, Marchessault again got the puck and attempted a wraparound. The shot was stopped but the rebound went straight to Michael Chaput for his 11th of the season to makeit 4-2. Mike McKenna made 27 saves in his 13th win of the season.
The rematch was a wild one and boy would highlights help…but there are none. Anyhoo, Dalton Prout opened the scoring 3:19 in, but the Crunch scored two minutes later. Four minutes later Jack Skille struck for the second time last week with his sixth goal of the season. The second period would go a lot like the first as Jean Francois Jacques and Alex Aleardi scored. The Crunch also added another to make it 4-2. The Crunch went on to pot three third period goals with Tim Miller adding the Falcons fifth goal. Dalton Prout won the game for the Falcons 3:52 into overtime with his second of the night. In the victory Mike McKenna had a season high 36 saves.
To close out the week the Falcons traveled to Providence for a game against the Bruins. In the 3-1 loss, Alex Aleardi scored the Falcons only goal. In the loss Jeremy Smith made 17 saves.
Kerby Rychel-Guelph Storm (OHL)
Season Stats 43GP 24-41-65 +31 34PIM
The Storm went 3-0 last week with Kerby picking up multiple points in each win. Starting off against Kitchener, Kerby notched an assist on Zack Mitchell’s goal when he got the puck to Nick Ebert who shot and Mitchell picked up the rebound to make it 2-0. Early in the third period, Kerby took a pass from Robby Fabbri and maneuvered the puck around the Rangers goalie to make it 9-3. The game ended with a score of 10-4. Kerby also got in a third period fight to complete the Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
Up next was a game against Mississauga. In the second period Kerby got the puck to Robby Fabbri who made a great move to make it 4-0. In the third period Kerby worked a give and go with Zack Mitchell with Mitchell dropping the puck to Matt Finn to score the extra point in what would be a 8-0 Storm win.
To close out the week the Belleville Bulls came to town with the Storm picking up its closest win of the week in a 7-4 victory. Kerby struck one minute after the Bulls opened the scoring. Robby Fabbri intercepted a pass and shot picking up his own rebound and shooting again but ultimately Kerby netted the goal for his 24th goal of the season. Late in the first Zack Mitchell won a board battle and got the puck to Kerby who sent a cross-crease pass to Fabbri who made it 3-1.
Josh Anderson-London Knights (OHL)
Season Stats 45GP 20-17-37 +16 72PIM
Josh and the Knights opened the week against Owen Sound with Josh picking up his 12th multi point game of the season. Josh picked up an assist on the opening goal when Max Domi brought the puck in to the zone and got it out front (they must of thought Josh got a piece of it but I don’t see it) with Chris Teirney gathering the loose puck and firing it to make it 1-0. Josh picked up another assist on Chris Teirney’s second of the night but I’m not sure how from the highlights. The Knights would win 7-3.
Josh would be held off the scoresheet in a blowout loss to Erie on Saturday night. To close out the week, Josh and the Knights took on Gianluca Curcuruto and the Whalers. In the 5-4 victory, Josh opened the scoring with his 20th of the season and 10th on the power play.
Gianluca Curcuruto-Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
Season Stats 43GP 5-15-20 -9 12PIM
Gianluca and the Whalers opened the week against the Soo Greyhounds with Gianluca picking up an assist on the a fifth goal – an empty net goal scored by Connor Chatham. The point came when ‘the Chin’ dump the puck into the zone and Chatham outbattled Oilers first round pick Darnell Nurse to score his second of the night in the 5-1 win. Up next was a game against the North Bay Battalion. It was another 5-1 Whalers victory with Gianluca scoring his fifth goal of the season to close out the scoring. In the third period Gianluca was part of a three on two with Gianluca taking a pass from Danny Vanderwhiel (of the Island Lake Vanderwhiels) and fired a laser that the Whalers play by play guy thinks the goalie never saw. Gianluca was held off the scoreless in a loss to London on Sunday.
Nick Moutrey-Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Season Stats 54 13-18-31 +7 60PIM
The Spirit would play in three games last week going 0-3 last week with Nick scoring his 13th goal of the season. After being held pointless in the first two losses Nick opened the scoring 5:12 into the first period but the team would ultimately fall in a 6-5 loss to Sault Ste. Marie. Seriously Saginaw, highlights really help my recaps.
Peter Quenneville-Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Season Stats 37GP 16-27-43 -10 6PIM
Peter had his eight game point streak snapped in a 3-2 loss to Medicine Hat. In the eight game streak Peter scored five goals and added eight assists – I can only hope this goes like the last time Peter had a point streak snapped – before his eight game streak Peter had gone scoreless in two straight after scoring a point in seven straight. Up next was a game against Swift Current and Dillon Heatherington. In the 8-1 victory Peter had his third game with at least three points. In the second period Peter fired a shot that Richard Nejezchleb picked up and then Tim McGauley tipped in to make it 3-1. Peter also earned an assist on Nejezchleb’s goal with only 11 seconds remaining in the second period. 41 seconds into the third period it appears from the highlight that Peter won a board battle and got the puck to McGauley who made it 6-1 Kings. Peter was named third star in the victory. Peter was held off the scoresheet in a 3-0 loss to Swift Current (Broncos must’ve been up for this game it was the mascot’s birthday after all).
Oliver Bjorkstrand-Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season Stats 52GP 38-43-81 +26 24PIM
Oliver and the Hawks just keep rolling along as they went 2-0 last week with Oliver picking up five points in the two victories. Starting off in a blowout victory over Tri-City, Oliver scored the opening goal when Derrick Pouliot skated in and passed to Oliver in front. Late in the first Oliver tried the Nick Foligno between the leg move but couldn’t finish. He was able to hang onto the puck though, and skated around the net to find Taylor Leier in front. Late in the third period Oliver led the rush by skating in and shooting with the rebound going to Derrick Pouliot to make 8-3 Hawks. They would score two more in the last minute to win 10-3 with Oliver being named third star. To close out the week Oliver faced off with the Everett Silvertips and picked up two assists in the 5-3 Hawks win in which Portland score three goals in the third period to secure the win.
Seth Ambroz-Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big Ten)
Season Stats 28GP 12-6-18 +6 18PIM
Minnesota had its 14 game point streak snapped as they were swept by Wisconsin in a rare Thursday and Friday series. In the Friday night loss both Jackets prospects were kept off the score sheet snapping a five game assist/point streak for Mike Reilly in which he picked up eight assists, including five on the power play. On Saturday, Seth scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season and fifth against the Badgers but the Gophers would fall again by a score of 2-1. Here are Seth’s postgame comments about the weekend.
Martin Ouellette-Maine Black Bears (Hockey East)
Season Stats 25GP 12-10-3 .932SV% 2.08GAA 3SO
Martin and the Black Bears travelled to South Bend for a series against TJ Tynan and the Irish. Martin was spectacular all weekend – he stopped 36 of 37 in the Bears 2-1 win on Friday then made a season high tying 39 saves in a 3-2 loss in which the Bears allowed two goals in 24 seconds very late in the third. Mike Eidelbes, who tweets for Inside College Hockey was impressed by Martin tweeting “Maine’s Martin Ouellette was ridiculously good in goal this weekend. Really impressed with his play”. Another thing that pleased me this weekend was that the Irish tweeters I follow started tweeting #Ouellette guessing it’s like when you see your twitter feed filled with Bobrovksy tweets.
TJ Tynan-Notre Dame Figting Irish (Hockey East)
Season Stats 29GP 7-22-29 +7 20PIM
TJ and the Irish welcomed the Maine Black Bears to South Bend earning a split. In the Friday night loss, TJ was held scoreless. In the rematch TJ tied the game when he skated in and got the puck to Mario Lucia who passed it to TJ who snapped a shot past Martin to tie it at one. Late in the third with the Irish goalie pulled, TJ won the faceoff and got the pass from defenseman Shayne Taker who passed it back to Taker. He shrugged off a hit and passed the puck to Bryan Rust who scored to tie it at two. The Irish would score 24 seconds later clinching the victory and TJ was named second star in the 3-2 win.
Europe’s bigger leagues appears to have taken a break for the Olympics. The SHL played games last week but our prospects would go pointless/earn no wins. A prospect would make some news, however. It was announced (translated) that Alexander Wennberg was named the third of four candidates for the SHL rookie of the year award joining teammate Andreas Johnson and MODO’s Gustav Possler. The voting committee for the award are the 12 SHL team captains and a person from The Sweden Games but the captain can’t vote for a teammate so Frolunda’s captain may have an easy vote with 2 Indians eligible. There’s a video that appears to not work in the translated version of the article above so here’s the original post with the video with highlights. Also last week, Marko Dano took part in an All Star Game against the Slovakian Olympic Team (not sure how with no NHL players but that’s what Marko said in the tweet), here’s an action shot that Marko tweeted – he’s wearing his usual 68.
There you have it folks – another week in the world of CBJ prospects. As for next week, we’ll have an update on the CHL and NCAA prospects along with any updates out of Rogle and Ilves. Also next week we’ll have a recap of the AHL All Star Game that will feature Falcons Dmen Cody Goloubef and Frederic St. Denis playing against Swedish club Farjestads.
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