January 5-11 CBJ Prospect Week in Review

Greetings all! back to some semblance of normalcy with the week in review.

Starting off in Springfield as we always do. First some news on Monday – the AHL announced its All Star rosters with Falcons defenseman Austin Madaisky and goaltender Anton Forsberg being named to the roster. The AHL does it backwards (or smarter?) compared to the NHL. They announce their roster first then have fans vote on the starters – you can vote here to get Anton and Austin in the starting lineup.

As far as on the ice goings on – the boys started off in a game against rival Providence where they picked up a 2-1 win. The Baby Bears opened the scoring in the first before the Falcons scored twice in the second period. Marko Dano scored his eighth of the season with Michael Chaput and Frederic St Denis picking up assists. Four minutes later, Adam Cracknell scored his first with the Falcons with Luke Adam and Kerby Rychel picking up assists. Anton Forsberg made 29 saves in the win – his 17th win of the season.

Up next against Hartford, TJ Tynan opened the scoring off a pretty passing sequence with Trent Vogelhuber and Ryan Craig. After a Dylan McIlrath goal, (I’m as surprised as all of you) Rychel scored his eighth of the season when he deflected a St. Denis shot to make it 2-1. After the Pack tied it, Madaisky gave the Falcons the lead when he snapped a shot home to make it 3-2 but the Pack tied it with only 35 seconds remaining. The Falcons would end up falling in overtime when one time Jacket (Traverse City only, but still) Marek Hrivik scored 4:30 into overtime. Oscar Dansk made 32 saves in the loss.

To close out the weekend against Albany, the Falcons were trailing 1-0 when Madaisky tied the game when his shot trickled past the Devils goalie. Early in the third, Dana Tyrell gathered the puck and was off on a two on none with a dman just behind Rychel. Tyrell then tapped a pass over to Rychel who scored his ninth of the season. Anton Forsberg had 30 saves in his 18th win of the season. It should also be noted that Marko Dano missed the last two games of the weekend after taking a hard hit on Friday from Rob Flick who earned a game misconduct on the play.

Blake Siebenaler-Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Season Stats 39GP 7-16-23 -4 17PIM

It was a light week for Blake and the Dogs as they only played two games. Starting off on Thursday against Barrie, Blake picked up two assists in a 5-2 victory. The win was also Dogs’ coach Marty Williamson’s 400th career win. Blake was held pointless in a 5-4 win over Sudbury. The Dogs are one of the OHL’s hottest teams lately winning four straight and going 7-2-0-1 in its last 10 and Blake has points in seven of them picking up three goals and eight assists in this span.

Nick Moutrey-North Bay Battalion (OHL)
North Bay Stats 2GP 1-2-3 +2 2PIM
Season Stats 38GP 16-27-43 +10 42PIM

As I said last week Nick was one of the Battalion’s big trade deadline pickups and he make his debut against the Ottawa 67s. Nick wouldn’t take long to make an impact with the Troops. Late in the first Nick and his linemates went on a three on two with Nick sending a pass in front to fellow trade deadline pickup Ryan Kujawinski who deflected the puck in to make it 2-0 Battalion. Nick helped out again, this time shorthanded when he raced in (not sure if he beat an icing or not refs arm wasn’t up) and skated around before sending the puck in the middle. A 67 failed to gather the puck and Mike Amadio gathered it and slid it past the 67s goalie. Late in the third, a 67’s defenseman couldn’t  keep the puck in and Nick was off to the races – skating in and sliding a shot past the 67s goalie. Nick was named 1st star in the 6-3 win. The three points tied Nick’s career high set in 12-13 in 28 less games. Sadly it will be awhile before Nick can add to his total as he was injured in the next game when ex-teammate (with Saginaw now with Plymouth) Sean Callaghan sent him hard into the boards. According to the game recap Nick suffered a sprained ankle and will be out two to three weeks.

Sonny Milano-Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
Season Stats 22GP 10-25-35 -8 8PIM

Sonny returned to the Whalers lineup against Nick Moutrey and the Battalion. In the 6-3 victory, Sonny was named first star and picked up his first four point game of the season with two goals and two assists. Sonny and the rest of the Whalers were held pointless in a 3-0 loss to the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds. To say the Greyhounds had loaded up at the OHL deadline would be an understatement as they added two NHL first round picks to the lineup.

Markus Soberg-Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Season Stats 35GP 9-11-20 -2 16PIM

It appears that Markus may have finally made it over the expected learning curve – he picked up 10 points in his last 10 games going back to December. The Spits opened the week against Belleville when, after scoring the first two they allowed five straight to the Bulls. Markus helped start the comeback when he picked up an assist on Anthony Stefano’s first with the team. Late in the third with the Spitfires trailing 5-4, Markus capitalized on a bad line change and fired a shot for his first shorthanded goal of the season. The Spits completed the comeback to win 5-4.

After being held pointless against Ottawa, Markus came back with another big game against Kingston with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in attendance (OHL is honoring Canada’s first PM with a patch on their team’s jerseys). In the 3-2 overtime win, Markus picked up his first multi goal game. Midway through the first Markus entered the zone with speed and threw a shot on net from just above the goal line and it appears that the Fronts goalie stopped it but the puck snuck past him to give the Spitfires a 1-0 lead. Markus’ second goal came early in the second off a three on two with his linemates after the puck was forced into the corner. It was then that Jamie Lewis threw the puck into the slot to a waiting Markus who scored his ninth of the season off the one timer.

Olivier LeBlanc-Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
Cape Breton Stats 3GP 0-3-3 +1 4PIM
Season Stats 40GP 4-21-25 +22 67PIM

Olivier was traded to Screaming Eagles and in his welcoming tweet from coach Marc-Andre Dumont he used the #leader hashtag which prompted your friendly neighborhood prospect geek to make an observation that would come true. I said that recently traded and fellow Jackets prospect Julien Pelletier’s alternate captain’s A would look good on Olivier and just before his Eagles debut Olivier was named an alternate captain. In his debut against Gatineau, Olivier picked up an assist on Marcus Hinds second goal of the first period of a 5-4 Eagles win. Up next against Acadie-Bathurst Olivier picked up his first two point game with the Eagles with two assists in an 8-1 Eagles win. Olivier had his four game point streak snapped in a 4-0 win over Acadie-Bathurst.

Julien Pelletier-Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Rouyn-Noranda Stats 3GP 2-1-3 -1 2PIM
Season Stats 29GP 7-10-17 -12 16PIM

After the Eagles granted Julien his trade request he would be held without a point in his debut before picking up his first points in almost two months(though he did miss a lot of time with either suspension or injury). In a game against Chicoutimi Julien would pick up his first point as a dog when Jean-Christophe Beaudin would bang home the rebound of Julien’s shot. Two and a half minutes later Julien would score his first when from the circle he’d unleash a shot making it 3-0 Huskies in a 5-2 Dogs win, Julien would be named third star in the victory. To close out the weekend with a rematch against Chicoutimi Julien would score seventh goal of the season along with adding the game winner in the shootout of a 3-2 shootout win.

Peter Quenneville-Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Season Stats 43GP 10-28-38 E 16PIM

Peter had his three game pointless streak snapped in a nationally televised game on Sunday afternoon against Calgary. In the second period, 49 seconds after Jayce Hawryluk scored, Peter would tie the game at two. On a two on two rush, Peter took a pass from Eric Roy and fired a bullet past the Hitmen’s goalie to make it 2-2 in what would end up being a 5-4 Wheat Kings victory. You can see all the highlights here – this was also the first game in which Peter and his brother John have both scored goals since November 14th.

Oliver Bjorkstrand-Portland Winterhawks
Season Stats 31GP 25-23-48 +20 23PIM

Oliver returned to the Hawks lineup from the WJC and opened the scoring in a game against Spokane when, on a two on two with Keoni Texeira, he deflected a pass to make it 1-0. At the end of 60, the Hawks fell by a score of 4-1. In the rematch, Oliver again was part of the first goal when he skated along the blueline from the wall and fired a shot that Paul Bittner picked up the rebound to make it 1-0. 41 seconds after Rod Stewart’s son Liam scored to tie it, Oliver skated in and fire for his 23rd of the season. In the second period Oliver skated in and passed the puck to Anton Cederholm who fired a blast to make it 3-2 Hawks. Oliver picked up an assist on Paul Bittner’s hat trick goal to make it 5-3 Hawks and Oliver was named 1st star in the win.

To close out the week Oliver had another big game. In a game against Vancouver, in the second the game was tied at two and the Hawks were on the power play when Oliver was in his usual spot at the circle. He took a pass and shot but would whiff causing the puck to go to the front with Alex Schoenborn and Paul Bittner whacking away at it to make it 3-2. Three minutes later, with the Hawks shorthanded, Oliver won a board battle and skated out and fired a shot for his sixth shorthanded goal of the season just one behind the franchise record. To cap off Oliver’s night he started off the play and drove to the net. He was stopped and, after a couple failed clearing attempts,the puck went out of the zone but Chase De Leo would steal and skate in with a centering pass to Oliver who scored his 25th of the season. Oliver was named first star in the 5-3 victory. Oliver, who was already the Hawks leading import scorer, took over the league import goals lead from Jozef Balej.

Dillon Heatherington-Swift Current Broncos(WHL)
Season Stats 34GP 1-11-12 -8 36PIM

Dillon returned to the Broncos lineup after the WJC. He went without a point in his first two games back before picking up an assist on Dillon Heatherington Night in Swift Current. Here’s an interview with Dillon by the Broncos about the WJC. Against Everett, with the Broncos trailing 3-0, off a faceoff Dillon fired a blast the Tips goalie stopped but Colby Cave scored off the rebound to make it 3-1 in a loss. Dillon was held pointless in a 4-1 loss to Edmonton to close out the week.

Seth Ambroz, Ryan Collins Mike Reilly-Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big 10)
Season Stats
SA: 18GP 2-6-8 +1 14PIM
RC: 13GP 0-5-5 +2 2PIM
MR: 18GP 4-16-20 +8 27PIM
 

The Gophers were off to Ann Arbor for a matchup with Michigan this week. It was pair of wild ones with all three prospects picking up points. First off on Friday night, Ryan Collins helped open the scoring when Connor Reilly picked up the rebound of his point shot to make it 1-0. In the second with the game tied and the Gophers on the power play due to a major, Mike got a pass from Kyle Rau and sent a backhand pass to Travis Boyd who’d make it 3-2. But the Gophers would allow two goals to fall 4-3 in overtime.

Next up in the rematch, Seth Ambroz was the star. Seth’s first point came on Travis Boyd’s goal early in the second period. Later in the second Seth scored his first goal since October 12th against RPI. Seth picked up another assist later in the game on AJ Michaelson’s goal to make it 7-5. The Wolverines would go on to win marking the 800th of Red Berenson’s career. Seth shared his thoughts on the weekend’s games here.

Ryan Collins missed Saturday’s game against Michigan but it was reported by Nate Wells that he missed two practices earlier in the week due to the flu.

Daniel Zaar-Lulea (SHL-Sweden)
Season Stats 37GP 6-13-19 -7 10PIM

Daniel and the Bears opened the week with a 3-0 win over Leksands in which Daniel was held pointless. Up next in a loss to Skelleftea, Daniel picked up an assist on one time Jackets draft pick Lennart Petrell’s third period goal to make it 2-1 Skelleftea. Three minutes later Daniel tied it when he took a pass from Jan Sandstrom behind the net and snapped one home. The Bears ultimately would fall by a score of 4-2. Up next against MODO Daniel was held pointless in a 2-1 victory.

There you have it folks – another week in the world of Jackets prospects we’ll be back again next week. Along with hopefully an update of my top 20 CBJ Prospects.

 

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