Let’s get to it with a look at last week’s performance from all of our Blue Jacket’s prospects.
This was one of the Falcons busier weeks as the team played four games going 4-0 in one week for the first time since November11-17 2002. Starting off with a Tuesday matchup against Manchester. itwas a wild one with the teams combining for 12 goals and the Falcons having something they hadn’t had since February of 2011 – we’ll get to that. Jonathan Audy-Marchessault would score his 14th, 15th, and 16th goals of the season. With the Falcons trailing 1-0 in the first, JAM picked up his own rebound to tie it at one even though the announcer gave it to Sean Collins. Michael Chaput continued his strong play of late when he made it 2-1. Chaput found a loose puck and snapped it past Mannino for his fifth of the year. After another Monarchs goal, JAM would strike again snapping a wrist shot from the faceoff circle. the first period would end with the Falcons leading 3-2. The second period would be almost all Monarchs as they’d score two goals with Springfield signed Wade MacLeod scoring the Falcons only goal when he’d take a rink long pass from Cody Goloubef and made a nice move around a diving dman before shooting. The third period would be all Falcons with Michael Chaput and Tomas Kubalik combining on a goal just 43 seconds into the period for Kubalik’s ninth of the season. After Andy Andreoff would tie it at five, with the Falcons on the power play, a scramble in front resulted in Ryan Craig tapping the puck out to Nick Holden who tapped it over to JAM who unleashed a rocket over Mannino’s glove to finish the trick. Michael Chaput would finish the scoring with his second of the night, Allen York would make 22 saves in the 7-5 win.
Thursday it’d be announced that three Falcons were named to the AHL’s Eastern Conference All Star team as forward Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, defenseman Tim Erixon and goalie Curtis McElhinney were given this honor. This is the third time the Falcons have had three all stars but the first since 1999.
Friday night it’d be the Connecticut Whale coming to town. Tim Erixon who was just sent back to Springfield after participating in training camp would tie the game on a pretty breakaway that the Whale’s goalie would get a piece of it but it’d bounce behind him. Nick Drazenovic scored to make it 2-1 but I guess the goal wasn’t good enough for the highlights so I can only tell you about it. Ryan Craig would score in his fifth straight home game when he’d bang home a rebound off a Tim Erixon blast from the point. Tomas Kubalik made it 4-1 when he scored in his usual manner by deflecting a Nick Holden point shot. Allen York made 24 saves in the 4-2 win – his fourth of the season setting a new career high in the AHL.
Saturday night the Albany Devils would come to town and all the scoring would happen in the first period. Nick Drazenovic opened the scoring off a pretty passing play getting the puck out to Tim Erixon. Tim’s blast would bounce right to Drazenovic who had pretty much an empty net to shoot at. 1:46 later the Devils would tie it up and that’d be it until the shootout when Sean Collins and Wade MacLeod would beat Jeff Frazee. Paul Dainton would make 35 saves in regulation and overtime stopping four of five in the 2-1 shootout win.
To close out the busy week it’d be off to Bridgeport to take on the Sound Tigers. In the first period with the Falcons on the power play, Nick Drazenovic would tap in a loose puck for his 13th of the season and for the third game in a row and the 11th straight game the Falcons had scored a power play goal. Wade MacLeod would score his second of the weekend/season off the wackiest bounce this side of a Warner Brothers cartoon when he’d try a cross rink pass and a Sound Tigers defender would tap it and somehow the puck would go untouched all the way into the net. Nick Holden would handle the rest of the Falcons goal scoring picking up his second career two-goal game. The first goal was when he was the trailer on a shorthanded two on one. Nick Drazenovic would try to break to the slot losing the puck off a hit and that’s when Holden picked up the loose puck snapping it past Kevin Poulin. The second would be a little more normal for Holden when he’d score on a slapshot. It appears Poulin got a piece of it but, you have to get the whole thing to stop it. Paul Dainton would make 28 saves in the win – his third of the season. For the first time this season(at least off the top of my head) we had a tie for Falcons leading scorers as both Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Nick Drazenovic would pick up seven points each with three goals and four assists, Nick Holden was a close second with six points(2-4-6). Michael Chaput (who I think will have a increased role with the NHL lockout ended) tied with the Springfield captain with five points.
I’m going to start skipping the players that didn’t score all together and use this spot for more of a news segment (if you liked the old way please let me know). First some bad news: Oscar Dansk’s 2013 has gone from bad to worse. In the Otter’s game on Friday night, Oscar was ran over by a Sarnia forward leaving the game after the second period. Oscar was actually having a good night stopping 14 of 17 in what would end up being a 7-6 Otters loss. It was reported by Otter’s beat writer Victor Fernandes that Oscar would be evaluated Tuesday for a possible concussion and that he’ll miss at least a week.
Last week I mentioned how Rogle wasn’t using Daniel Zaar right dressing him then having him barely play or not play at all. This week, Daniel was loaned to BIK Karlskoga of Allsvenken. Quickly Allsvenken is Sweden’s second tier league where Anton Forsberg is currently playing who is also on loan from MODO in Elitserien. Here’s a translated interview with Daniel after the move. Daniel would be put on BIK’s top line for his first game but he’d be held scoreless. Heres a picture of Daniel’s jersey.
For the first time in months we’ll quickly touch on Jacket’s first round pick Ryan Murray who returned to Everett and had a good article written by CBJProspects source Nick Patterson of The Everett Herald.
Boone Jenner-Oshawa Generals(OHL)
Season Stats 37GP 32-23-55 +14 36PIM
Boone Jenner was sent back to the Generals after attending the Blue Jackets training camp and let’s just say he told the OHL “IM BACK BABY” in the Generals 6-1 win over Kingston, Boone picked up his second four-point game of the season. Boone would open the scoring with one of the easier goals of his season when, after a pretty passing play, the Fronts goalie would commit to Michael Dal Colle who’d send a pass to Boone who had a wide open net to shoot in. Boone’s second goal would be all Boone Jenner. After winning a faceoff, he charged in untouched/undefended for his 32nd of the season. Boone’s first assist would also be off a faceoff win which went straight to Scott Sabourin for his 18th of the season. Boone’s second assist was a pretty one where he stole the puck as a Fronternacs defenseman would bounce it off the boards but Boone would get there first finding a streaking in Sabourin for his 19th of the season and second of the night. To the shock of no one, Boone was named first star in the 6-1 victory. The next day it’d be the Mississauga Steelheads coming to town and Boone would pick up another point. Boone’s assist came from a faceoff win where he corralled it and delivered the puck to Matt Petgrave who’s blast was deflected by Scott Sabourin.
Gianluca Curcuruto-Plymouth Whalers(OHL)
Season Stats 44GP 5-18-23 +6 22PIM
Gianluca and the Whalers would go 1-1 last week with Gianluca scoring his fourth of the season setting a new career high. Friday night Mississauga would come to town and the Whalers would spot the Fish two goals before Gianluca would strike. Steelheads dman Stuart Percy would try to clear it but the puck would go straight to Curcuruto who instead of his normal bomb from the point sent a mild slapshot that would trickle through Spencer Martin’s legs. This would start the Whalers comeback in a 3-2 victory. Gianluca would be held scoreless in a 7-3 loss on Saturday.
Lukas Sedlak-Chicoutimi Sagueneens(QMJHL)
Season Stats 39GP 12-17-29 +3 49PIM
Lukas would pick up points in both Sags game last week including his sixth multi-point game of the season. Starting off on Friday against Shawinigan Cataractes, Lukas would pick up an assist on Scott Carrier’s first goal of the season. Lukas would win 18 of 34 faceoffs in the loss. Saturday night the PEI Rocket would come to town and Lukas would score his 12th goal of the season also adding an assist winning 15 of 31 faceoffs.
Martin Ouellette-Maine(Hockey East)
Season Stats 15GP 3-7-4 .918Sv% 2.24GAA 1SO
Maine would welcome Merrimack and the Black Bears finished the weekend still looking for it’s first home win of the season (yes you read that right there 0-8-3). Friday night Martin would be solid in net stopping 25 of 26 in a 1-1 tie with the Warriors. Martin also stopped 25 of 28 in a 3-2 loss Saturday. After Saturday’s loss, Maine Hockey Journal writer Matt Soucy would comment how Shawn Walsh(coach from 85-01) “is rolling in his grave over where this program is.” also saying when I asked if current coach Whitehead is on thin ice he responded with this “Very, very, thin ice underneath the sun, in my opinion. Fans and alumni have wanted his head for some time.”
Seth Ambroz-Minnesota(WCHA)
Season Stats 24GP 7-7-14 12PIM
Seth and the Gophers would welcome hated rival North Dakota to town for the last time in the WCHA. In Friday night’s 5-1 Gophers win, Seth Ambroz would pick up his fourth multi-point game of the season and second in a row. With the game tied at one, Nate Condon fired a shot that the Fighting Sioux’s goalie would stop; but, the rebound came to Seth who’s shot would be stopped but rebounded to Ben Marshall who’d bury it to make it 2-1 Gophers. Seth’s other assist would come on Erik Haula’s empty net goal. Not entirely sure what he did from the highlight video but watch close after the goal to see Seth keep a Sioux away from a scrum that happened after the goal. The team’s last ever WCHA game ended in a 4-4 tie with Ambroz being held off the scoresheet.
TJ Tynan-Notre Dame(CCHA)
Season Stats 24GP 7-13-20 16PIM
TJ and the Irish had another three game week last week starting off with a Tuesday game against Bowling Green. That game resulted in a 5-2 loss where TJ picked up his 6th multi-point game of the season as he was part of both Irish goals. TJ’s assist would come on Bryan Rust’s 6th goal of the season when Rust would tip Tynan’s shot past the Falcons goalie. TJ’s own goal would come on the power play; after a series of passes, Tynan would fire a slapshot from the near circle for his 6th of the season. For its regular weekend matchup, the Alaska Nanooks came to town and TJ continued his strong play of late picking up a goal and an assist. TJ picked up am assist on the Irish’s first goal when he intercepted a Nanooks pass and found Bryan Rust whose shot was stopped but rebounded right to Anders Lee for his 13th of the season. TJ’s goal in the game would be a shorthanded goal and it’d be a pretty one. TJ cherrypicked as Irish Dman Sam Calabrese blocked a shot and then passed it to Tynan and it’d be off to the races for TJ snapping a wristshot past Alaska’s goalie to tie it 3-3. Alaska would end up winning 5-4 on Friday, TJ would be held off the scoresheet on Saturday. In his last 10 games TJ has five goals and seven assists including five multi-point games.
Anton Forsberg-Sodertalje SK(Sweden)
Season Stats 25GP 18-7 .933Sv% 1.92GAA 3SO
Anton and SSK would go 2-0 last week stretching their win streak to eight games. First on Tuesday, Almtuna IS would come to town with SSK winning 3-2 and Anton had 26 saves in the victory. Friday night IF Troja/Ljunby came to town with Sodertalje picking up a 4-1 win. Anton made 23 saves in the win – his 17th of the season. Now if you’ve been reading this blog you know that after a win Anton and his backup Sebastien Idoff like to bust a move. After doing Gangam Style for awhile they went old school and busted out the Macarena(also check out the paint job on the Zamboni – nice teeth). Anton is currently Allsvenkan’s top goalie leading the league in goals against and save percentage and fifth in games won.
Joonas Korpisalo-Jokerit Organization(Finland)
Joonas spent last week with Jokerit and the Jokerit J20 team, he started the week riding the pine with the big club as the Jesters would go 1-1. Saturday and Sunday Joonas would play for the J20 team going 0-2, Friday, Jokerit travelled to Lukko with the home club picking up a 3-2 victory. Joonas had 23 saves in the loss. Sunday, Jokerit would head to “Sport” (sorry that’s all it said on the schedule) and it’d be a rough one – losing 6-2 with Joonas stopping 25 of 31.
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