Fresh from my BlueJackets.com debut it’s time for the week in review with a just a dash of bad news (sorry folks – can’t all be puppies and rainbows).
Starting off, the Falcons finally had to hit the road after being homebodies for most of the start to the season. Starting with a Wednesday game against the Baby Pens in Scranton, I mean Wilkes-Barre (what’s the difference?) the Falcons would lose 2-1 because of goalie (and Miami alum) Jeff Zatkoff and two goals by Beau Bennett. Bennett would snap Curtis McEllhinney‘s shutout streak at 169:06. Tomas Kubalik would score the Falcons only goal off a deflection, McElhinney would make 30 saves in the loss. The Falcons would move south to Norfolk for a back to back with the Admirals. In Friday’s 3-2 win, Cam Atkinson would score two in the win and Sean Collins also tally his first of the season. Collins would tie the game at one when he’d score on a shot from the right circle. Atkinson’s two goals would both be on special teams – first scoring on the power play when Nick Drazenovic would send a pass that Atkinson simply had to tap in. Atkinson’s second goal would be vintage Atkinson scoring on a shorthanded breakaway after intercepting a pass and snapping it over Frederick Andersen’s glove. Curtis McElhinney would make 36 saves in the win, his ninth of the season. In the rematch on Saturday, the Jacket’s top D prospects would put on a show scoring four of the team’s five goals. But it’d be “the Cooler” (I don’t think that’s his nickname but I needed to make a Roadhouse joke) as the two Daltons on the team would combine for Dalton Smith‘s second of the season, and first since opening night, when he’d score on a backhand past Igor Bobkov. John Moore would score his second of the season when he pinched in and fired a wrist shot past Bobkov. Tim Erixon would be the trailer on a three on two after taking a pass from Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and would fire a wrist shot over Bobkov’s glove for his fourth of the season. Nick Holden and David Savard would score their firsts of the season: Holden’s would be off a nasty wrist shot from the right circle just over Bobkov’s shoulder. Paul Dainton would get his second start of the season making 33 saves in the 5-2 win.
In Evansville, despite playing with a depleted lineup, the IceMen went 2-1 last week. I say depleted because the Ice dressed only 14 players on Saturday and Sunday and 15 on Thursday. Anton Blomqvist would be the only Jackets prospect to play for the IceMen as Will Weber returned to the Falcons and Austin Madaisky suffered a wrist injury. Some were reporting it would require surgery and three months to recover but Gregg Drinnan reports that Austin is heading to Columbus to get a second opinion and Austin tweeted Monday that he was en route. Unfortunately Austin did have surgery, but details about his recovery have not been released. Austin would be held scoreless in the three games. Austin’s injury would send a uproar among Blazer’s reporters/fans that follow me that believe Austin should be in BC back with the WHL’s top team.
Onto the prospects that didn’t score last week: Gianluca Curcuruto would pick up no points and was a -6 as the Whalers went 0-2-1 last week. Now for more sprinklings of bad news, Ryan Murray would captain Team WHL to a 1-0 shootout win then upon returning to the Everett Silvertips, Murray would be injured in the Tips 5-0 loss to Victoria. Here’s a Yahoo blog about how Murray’s injury could keep him out of Canada’s lineup at the World Juniors and include’s Nick Patterson’s account of the injury and some quotes from Scott Howson. Kevin Lynch would be held scoreless as Notre Dame swept Michigan for the first time in Yost since 1978. Thomas Larkin was held off the scoresheet in Colgate’s wins over Dartmouth and Harvard, Seth Ambroz would be held off the scoresheet as Minnesota would take on Wisconsin in the Border Battle but would make his presence known earning a coincidental roughing call with the Badger’s Joe Faust in the first.
Normally I feature our goalies no matter what, but this week two of our goalies only played in one game so I’m gonna include them here. Anton Forsberg would finally return to the Sodertalje crease making 22 saves for his first shutout of the season in SSK’s 6-0 win over Asploven HC, SSK would go 1-1-1 last week. Joonas Korpisalo only played in one game for any of the three Jokerit teams he’s played for. Joonas would start for the J20 team on Sunday against Jokipojat stopping 28 of 30 with the team allowing a empty net goal. I asked Eetu Huisman if Joonas dressed in so few games to give him a bit of a break after playing three games in three nights plus traveling and he seemed to think that was the case but also noted that one of Jokerit’s other goalies was injured during warmups. He didn’t know whether he’d miss any time because of it.
Oscar Dansk-Erie Otters(OHL)
Season Stats 19GP 7-11-0-1 3.70GAA .905Sv%
Oscar went 1-1 for the Otters last week, getting one game off on the weekend. First on Wednesday, the Otters faced Niagara and Oscar would stop 27 of 31 with the Otters also allowing a Ryan Strome empty net goal with five seconds left. On Friday it was announced on twitter that Oscar would start but later, illness (flu) gave Devin Williams his fourth start facing 55 shots in a 3-1 loss stopping 51 (yikes! kid probably saw pucks in his sleep). Oscar would return to the Otters’ net stopping 47 of 49 in regulation and overtime then stopping three of four in a shootout. In his seventh win Oscar would be named first star. In off-ice adventures Oscar will appear in something the Otters must do for Christmas because well… here’s a photo (not sure what to say).
Josh Anderson-London Knights(OHL)
Season Stats 23GP 5-11-16 +1 25PIM
The Knights are currently on the OHL’s longest current winning streak at eight games going 3-0 last week. Josh would only have one assist in these games. Thursday was a wild one with the Knights trailing 3-0 going on to win 4-3. In Friday’s 5-2 win over Owen Sound, Josh would earn the primary assist passing it to Miles Liberati for a shot from the slot to make it 3-2 Knights. The assist was Josh’s 11th which beats his career high set last year in his rookie season – it’s promising to see Josh reach this number in 41 less games than last year as well. Josh would be held scoreless in the Knights 4-3 win over Kitchener.
Boone Jenner-Oshawa Generals(OHL)
Season Stats 25GP 20-16-36 +5 26PIM
A rough week for the Generals as they’d go 1-1-1. Boone would pick up three goals on the weekend giving him three straight 20 goal seasons in addition to having scored 19 his rookie year. On Thursday, Boone and the Generals would roar out to 3-0 lead in the first with Boone scoring his 18th goal at the 13:09 mark. Unfortunately, the Generals would fall apart allowing three third period goals then losing in OT; but Boone was named second star. Boone would be held pointless in a 5-1 win over Belleville. Then on Sunday, in a 5-3 loss to Mississauga, Boone would score two goals and be named first star in the loss. In off-ice adventures, with a little help from Cincy native Tyler Biggs, here’s Boone and the boys getting ready for a Christmas parade in Oshawa (nice stache Boone).
Lukas Sedlak-Chicoutimi Sagueneens(QMJHL)
Season Stats 25GP 11-10-21 +7 37
The Sags would go 2-1 last week with Lukas scoring two goals and a assist – one being featured in the QMJHL plays of the week. In a game against Victoriaville, Lukas would have a goal and a assist in the 7-2 Sags win with the goal being the highlight(about 38 seconds in; also ignore the few Petr Straka highlights…sigh) on a two on one with Charles Hudon. Hudon would be on a breakaway and just before getting to the crease would pass over to Lukas for his ninth of the season. On Friday night against Rimouski, while not scoring any points Lukas would put on a absolute clinic at the faceoff circle winning 30 of 35 in a 4-3 in a shootout win. To close out the weekend against Drummondville, Lukas would score his 10th to make it 2-1 Sags in the second before the team allowed the Voltigeurs to score two goals just 16 seconds apart including a empty net goal. Lukas would win 18 of 27 draws in the loss.
Martin Ouelette-Maine(Hockey East)
Season Stats 5GP 1-3-1 2.59GAA .905Sv%
It was a light week for the Black Bears playing only one game against UMass. In the game against the Minutemen, Martin would stop 30 of 32 for his third straight strong performance despite allowing the game tying goal with only 1:08 remaining. Martin would get some positive praise from the Maine Hockey Journal and CBJProspect source Matt Soucy.
Mike Reilly-Minnesota(WCHA)
Season Stats 11GP 0-6-6 6PIM
As I said above, it would be the Gophers and Badgers taking part in the Border Battle. In Friday’s 2-2 tie Mike would be held scoreless, but in Saturday’s 3-1 win Mike would pick up his sixth assist on Nick Bjujstad’s team leading sixth goal of the season. I can’t tell for sure, but going off Minnesota’s music video, uh I mean highlight video (seriously Kanye West? You’re Minnesota for crying out loud) it was a outlet pass sending Bjugstad on a breakaway.
Drew Olson-Minnesota-Duluth(WCHA)
Season Stats 10GP 1-1-2 14PIM
Drew and the Bulldogs would travel to North Dakota to face the Fighting Sioux on Friday. It would be Drew who would be a semi hero scoring the game tying goal at the 14:08 mark of the third period. On Saturday night, Drew would be his normal pointless self in a 4-3 overtime loss. Both games would get chippy including this scrum/fight in front of the benches.
Daniel Zaar-Rogle BK(Sweden)
Season Stats J20 12GP 5-6-11 +1 4PIM
Another week of bouncing between riding the bus with the junior team and flying with the big club (I’m guessing that’s how it is – could be buses for both for all I know). Daniel would alternate days/games for two games with the big club earning a win and a loss. Daniel would be held scoreless. Zaar would also play three games with the J20 team going 2-1. First on Wednesday, in a 8-4 win against Malmo, Daniel would be held scoreless. In Rogle’s 5-2 loss to HV71, Daniel would pick up a assist on Hampus Olsson’s third period goal. To close out the week Rogle would play Linkopings HC and it would be Daniel doing his Drew Olson impression scoring the game tying goal with a little under 10 minutes to play before Rogle won it 3-2 in the shootout.
There you have it – another week in CBJ Prospect land. I may have mentioned a certain video interview from Erie and, if you’re interested, you can see it…here (shuts off internet and Twitter).
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