We’ve got two weeks to cover so let’s skip the formalities and just get on to the review.
The Falcons have played five games since our last update going 3-1-1. Starting off against Bridgeport, the Falcons won 5-4 with Curtis McElhinney making 16 saves in the win. Michael Chaput would open the scoring when he took a pass from Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and snapped a wrist shot over Kevin Poulin’s shoulder for his third of the season. JAM would pick up another point by scoring his eighth of the season when Tim Erixon would fire a blast from the point and the puck would bounce right to Marchessault who had a wide open net on which to shoot. El Nino would strike just 28 seconds later to tie the game at two. Still in the first period, Michael Chaput would set Ryan Russell and Jonathan Audy-Marchessault on a two on one and Russell would take it the whole way snapping it over Poulin’s shoulder. Ryan Craig would score to make it 4-2 after a pretty passing play by Cam Atkinson and Tim Erixon where Craig would bang home a rebound. To close out the game with a 4-3 score, Nick Drazenovic would score on a bit of a knucklepuck shot for his 10th of the season.
The next night it’d be off to Albany to face the Devils with the Devs winning 4-1. The Falcons only goal would be scored by who else but Cam Atkinson for his team leading 17th goal when he’d slam home a rebound to make it 1-1. Allen York would take the loss stopping 24 of 27 with the Devils scoring an empty net goal.
To close out the week it’d be off to Providence to play the baby Bruins with Curtis McEllhinney making a season high 47 saves including a penalty shot in a 4-1 win. Audy-Marchessault would open the scoring when he’d find a loose puck after a scramble in front for his 10th of the season. After a Bruins goal in the second period, it’d be all Falcons in the third. Ryan Johansen would score his 13th of the season off a pretty passing play when Sean Collins would find The Johan at the faceoff dot and he fired it past Michael Hutchinson. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault would strike again when he’d gather a loose puck at the blue line and fire it past Hutchinson from outside the faceoff dot. Ryan Craig would score his 10th of the season into an empty net after Ryan Russell’s shot was blocked by a Bruin.
The next week the end of NHL’s lockout would start to affect the Falcons as both John Moore and Cam Atkinson would be recalled and missed Friday’s game with Worchester. With the Sharks leading 1-0 Michael Chaput and Tomas Kubalik would be on a 2-1 with Chaput throwing a pass into the slot that caught Kubalik’s stick just to send it over Sateri’s shoulder. Ryan Johansen would score his 14th of the season when he followed up a Audy-Marchessault shot taapping in a rebound. After the Sharks would strike again making it 3-2, with less than a minute left, the Falcons would earn a power play plus an empty net. Tim Erixon would launch a bomb from the point and Tomas Kubalik would do what he does best depositing the rebound for his second of the game and eighth of the season. The Sharks would win it on overtime however, with Curtis McEllhinney making 22 saves in the 4-3 overtime loss.
The Falcons would lose four more players to the Jackets before Saturday’s game also losing Curtis McEllhinney to an injury giving Allen York the start. Ryan Craig would open the scoring with his 11th of the season when Nick Drazenovic would either fire a close range shot or tap it across to Craig. Cody Goloubef would score his first of the season when he fired a blast from the point after Nick Drazenovic would do most of the work getting it out to him. JAM would score his first of the night after some pretty passing between Nick Drazenovic (sensing a pattern) and Ryan Craig who’d send a cross crease pass for JAM to put home his 12th of the season. Audy-Marchesault would strike again in the third after Nick Drazenovic and Sean Collins would attempt a close two on one with Collins corralling the puck and finding an incoming JAM for his 13th of the year. Allen York would stop 23 in the 4-2 Falcons win.
Leading the Birds in scoring by a mile was Audy-Marchessault scoring five goals and four assists. Second in scoring goes to three Falcons each of whom picked up five points: Tim Erixon picked up five assists, Nick Drazenovic had a goal and four assists (all four in one game) and Ryan Craig scored three goals and two assists. Michael Chaput would collect his first two multipoint games of his career with a goal and three assists, other Falcons with four points include Nick Holden (0-4-4).
Down in Evansville, Anton Blomqvist would continue to be the only Jackets prospect to play for the IceMen dressing in three of the team’s five games picking up his second assist of the season in a win over Fort Wayne. Anton would be recalled to Springfield due to the end of the lockout roster changes, thus missing the team’s last two games.
Oscar Dansk-Erie Otters(OHL)
Season Stats 29GP 8-15-2-3 .902Sv% 3.02GAA
Oscar returned to the Otters net after not playing at all in the World Juniors. Oscar started against Owen Sound only playing the first period stopping eight of 11. Back up Devin Williams would play the rest of the way earning a 4-3 victory. The game would be Oscar’s first action since December 9th. Otters beat writer Victor Fernandes would tell me that Otters coach Kris Knoblauch would second guess his decision to start Oscar after only one practice. Oscar wouldn’t play in a 4-3 loss to Sagnaw, but he did earn the next start against Plymouth and fellow Jackets prospect Gianluca Curcuruto with Oscar making 40 saves in the 4-3 overtime loss and being name second star.
Josh Anderson-London Knights(OHL)
Season Stats 45GP 13-16-29 +8 42PIM
January 1st the Knights would do something for the first time in 24 games – they lost. In the 6-5 overtime loss to Sarnia, Josh would pick up an assist on Chris Tierney’s 11th goal of the season. Josh would also get into his fourth fighting major of the season when he took on Anthony DeAngelo with Josh earning the decision. The Knights would try and bounce back against the Saginaw Spirit and boy did they by winning 8-2 with Josh scoring his 12th goal of the season. With the Knights up 3-0 Brett Welychka would bring the puck up ice and find Josh standing at the side of the net where Josh would bang it home with authority. The next night it’d be the Kitchener Rangers coming to Budweiser Gardens with the Knights picking up a 3-2 win and Josh picking up the game winner – his second of the season. With the Knights leading 2-0 in the second period Josh would lead a rush before dropping a pass to Max Domi who’d find Chris Tierney in the slot. Tierney would fire a shot on which Josh would tap in the rebound for a new career high 13th goal of the season. Josh would be held scoreless in the Knights three games last week as the team would go 1-2. Josh would only play in two periods of a 10-5 win over Ottawa before being shutdown due to a charley horse as a precaution. Saturday’s loss to Saginaw would be the first time since November 1st that the Knights didn’t pick up at least a point earning 56 of 58 in that span.
Boone Jenner-Oshawa Generals(OHL)
Season Stats 34GP 30-29-59 +13 30PIM
After playing for Team Canada, and before heading to Columbus for training camp, Boone would play in two Generals games scoring three goals. In his return to the Generals lineup against Ottawa, during the second period, Boone would curl in tapping in his own rebound for his 28th goal of the season. Boone later added another goal when he fired the puck from the center red line to give the Generals a 2-0 victory earning Boone first star honors. Boone and the Generals welcomed the Peterborough Petes to town during what some people were wondering “could this be Boone’s last game as a General” well…who knows! Anyhoo – in the 4-3 shootout win Boone would score his 30th goal of the season in the second period making it 3-0, Boone would shoot in the shootout missing the goal.
Gianluca Curcuruto-Plymouth Whalers(OHL)
Season Stats 41GP 3-17-20 +7 20PIM
Gianluca and the Whale would open 2013 against the Guelph Storm. In the 6-2 Whalers win, Gianluca would pick up an assist on Danny Vanderwiel’s (of the Island lake Vanderwiels) third of the night. In the Whaler’s next game, Gianluca would do something he’d never done before – picking up his first two goal game of his career. Early in the game with the Whalers on the power play, Gianluca would fire a blast from the point and, going off the commentary, the goalie would stop it but his own teammate would put it in the back of the net. Later in the game after the Whalers had a goal called back, Gianluca would clinch the game with authority with an absolute bomb from the point to win it with 13 seconds left. Gianluca would be named first star in the 4-3 win. In Plymouth’s next game Curcuruto would be held scoreless in a 3-2 overtime win. The team’s next game would be against in-state rival, the Saginaw Spirit. The 6-5 loss to the Spirit be a back and forth affair with the Spirit winning 6-5. Gianluca would pick up an assist when he’d flick the puck to Matt Mistele who went off on a two on one with Capitals first rounder Tom Wilson who then finished it for his 12th of the season. Gianluca would be held off the scoresheet in a win over Brampton but would pick up an assist in a overtime win over fellow Jackets prospect Oscar Dansk. Off a faceoff, Gianluca would fire a blast that had Oscar making two spectacular saves but Ryan Hartman would be on the doorstep to score his 15th of the season on his way to a hat trick in a 4-3 overtime win.
Lukas Sedlak-Chicoutimi Sagueneens
Season Stats 36GP 11-14-25 +2 41PIM
After captaining the Czech Republic’s entry into the World Juniors, Lukas would return to the Sagueneens lineup in a 4-1 win over Quebec. In the win, Lukas would win 19 of 27 draws on the night. The next night in a 5-1 win over expansion Sherbrooke, Lukas would pick up his fifth multi point game of the season picking up two assists winning nine of 17 faceoffs. To close out last week, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies would come to town and despite going pointless in the 4-2 loss, Lukas would win 20 of 24 faceoffs.
Thomas Larkin-Colgate(ECAC)
Season Stats 20GP 2-6-8 32PIM
Last week, Thomas and the Red Raiders would welcome Sacred Heart to Hamilton and it’d be a rough weekend for the Pioneers being outscored 15-2. In Friday’s 6-2 win, Thomas would pick up an assist on Joe Wilson’s second period shorthanded goal for his sixth assist of the season. In Saturday’s 9-0 win, Thomas was held scoreless. After a week off, the Raiders will return to action traveling to RPI and Union.
Martin Ouellette-Maine(Hockey East)
Season Stats 13GP 3-6-3 .916Sv% 2.29GAA 1SO
Martin and the Black Bears would open 2013 against Mercyhurst on Friday night. Martin was solid stopping 25 of 26 in a 2-1 win. Martin then got the night off on Saturday losing 5-2. The next week Martin started against Northeastern with Martin remaining solid stopping 31 of 32 in a 1-1 tie with the Huskies. The next night would be a rough one as Martin only played half the game stopping only 13 of 17 in 26:11 of ice time in 6-0 Black Bears loss.
Kevin Lynch-Michigan(CCHA)
Season Stats 22GP 5-6-11 26PIM
Kevin and the Wolverines played an exhibition last week against the US U-18 team with the US winning 5-3. Kevin would be scoreless in the loss. A rough season for Michigan got worse with Bowling Green laying a 5-1 beating on them with Kevin again being held scoreless. Alaska would come to town with the Nanooks sweeping Michigan for the first time ever (this being the CCHA’s last season – nice timing) and their first win in Yost since 2006. In Friday’s 5-4 loss, Kevin would pick up an assist on Andrew Copp’s goal when Kevin would drive to the net firing a shot from an odd angle allowing Copp to put it past the Nanooks goalie. Kevin would be held scoreless in a 4-1 loss on Saturday.
Seth Ambroz Mike Reilly-Minnesota(WCHA)
Season Stats SA-22GP 7-5-12 16PIM MR-20GP 2-9-11 2PIM
Minnesota would also play three games last week starting the week off with a match-up against Notre Dame and fellow CBJ prospect TJ Tynan. In the 4-1 Gophers win, all three prospects would be held scoreless. For Friday and Saturday night it’d be back to WCHA play with the Alaska-Anchorage SeaWolves coming to town. Mike would be the only prospect picking up an assist on the game winning goal when he faked a shot and sent a pass to Ben Marshall for Ben’s fourth of the season. Saturday would be a lot more normal for these games I’m guessing with Minny destroying the Wolves 7-1. Seth picked up a goal and an assist. Seth opened the scoring when he gathered a loose puck and snapped it over the Alaska goaltender for his seventh of the season but only his first at home. Seth would earn an assist on the game’s last goal for his fifth assist of the season.
TJ Tynan-Notre Dame(CCHA)
Season Stats 21GP 5-11-16 16PIM
Quickly, in “stuff I haven’t reported because I hadn’t done an update in a while,” TJ was named the CCHA’s Warrior Player of the Month in December 2012 for picking up seven points in the Irish’s four wins. TJ and the #2 ranked Irish would travel to Minnesota for a game against the top ranked Golden Gophers. In the 4-1 Gophers win, TJ would be held off the scoresheet for the first time in six games. TJ would find his way back to the scoresheet in the Irish’s next game picking up an assist on the game’s only goal in a 1-0 game. Heres how the Irish’s website described the goal:
“T.J. Tynan got the play in motion by moving the puck from the left boards to Russo in the high slot. The sophomore defenseman then moved the puck to the right boards to defenseman Sam Calabrese. Calabrese returned the pass to Russo who one-timed a wrist shot through a screen in front that beat Michigan State goaltender Jake Hildebrand over his stick-hand shoulder.”
The assist would be TJ’s 111th point as an Irishman putting him three points from tying Kevin Deeth for 35th all time. TJ would be held off the scoresheet in the Irish’s other game with Michigan State – a 4-1 loss to the Spartans.
Daniel Zaar-Rogle BK(Sweden)
Daniel and the J20 Roglers (best I could come up with) would open the second half of the J20 season with a 5-4 win over Malmo with Daniel scoring two goals in the win. Daniel would score Rogle’s only goal in a 4-1 loss to Vaxjo Lakers HC giving him three goals in two games and 10 shots on goal. Daniel would spend the rest of last week with the main club and boy was he a factor in the team’s two games averaging a whopping 1:24 in icetime…wait a second. Yes, in two games Daniel played 2:48 and that was in one game – a loss to Leksands. In the team’s 3-0 win over Vaxjo, Daniel would dress but not play a second (anyone else think that’s crazy dumb for a 18-year-old skill player?).
Anton Forsberg-Sodertlje SK
Season Stats with League Rank in Parenthesis 35GP 16(T4th)-7 .934Sv%(1) 1.95GAA(1) 3SO(T3)
Anton would start against Karlskrona HK making 23 saves in the 5-2 SSK win. Anton would get a night off and his backup/dance partner (more on that later) Sebastian Idoff, would earn a shutout in a 3-0 victory over Asploven HC. Idoff would get the start again against Tingryds AIF picking up a 4-2 win over AIF and when SSK wins you know what that means…Goalie Gangam Style!!! After two games off Anton would return to the SSK crease making 23 saves in a 3-1 win over Malmo and SSK’s sixth straight win.
As for Joonas Korpisalo. he hasn’t played a game since the World Juniors. He has been serving as the backup on Jokerit since returning to the Jesters.
There you have it folks, two weeks worth of Blue Jackets prospect updates! I’ll try to never do this again but I can’t make any promises and also THE NHL IS BACK!!!! (Hockey never left folks, or I’ve been talking about some other sport for the last few months)
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