Greetings all! Time again for the week in review. It was the last week of competition in the CHL’s regular season and a lot of team awards and playoff standings were handed out and announced.
We’ll start off in the AHL first, though. First up for the Springfield Falcons, on Wednesday it was announced that 2012 third round pick Joonas Korpisalo would be joining the Falcons as his season with Ilves having just completed (seems quicker than when they brought Anton Forsberg last season). With that, it was time for another round of Oscar Dansk in the ECHL in Kalamazoo but more on that later.
First up on Friday, the Falcons welcomed the worst team in the East, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Falcons continued what has seemed like a trend lately by allowing the first goal before TJ Tynan scored his ninth of the season off his own rebound to make it 1-1. The Falcons allowed two third period goals and fell by a score of 3-1, Scott Munroe had 26 saves in the loss.
Up next against Hartford, the trend continued for the seventh straight game (one game in this stretch was a 1-0 shootout win so nobody scored first) when Carl Lindberg scored score early in the second before Ryan Craig struck 10 minutes later. The game went to a shootout with Michael Chaput scoring the game winner in the fourth round. Scott Munroe made 15 saves in regulation and OT. He also stopped all four Pack shooters.
To close out the week, Korpisalo went into the Birds crease and, for some reason the Falcons decided to take the night off from shooting the puck. The Falcons only had six shots through two periods even with Luke Adam’s late first period goal. The Birds streak of allowing the first goal continued in the game as well. Joonas Korpisalo would make 21 saves in his North American debut, his counterpart Kristers Gudlevskis would only have to make 13 saves in the 4-1 loss by the Falcons.
Oscar Dansk sat the bench on Friday against Ft Wayne, a 4-3 Wings win, before going into the crease against Toledo on Saturday. In the 5-2 Kalamazoo loss, Oscar stopped 30 of 35. This would be the fifth time in seven starts with the Wings facing 30 or more shots.
Since it’s the last weekly recap for the players’ regular seasons, I’ll post player stats for the entire year, no matter what may still happen for post-season play unlike my usual week to week updates.
Blake Siebenaler-Niagara IceDogs (OHL) Final Regular Season Stats 66GP 12-25-37 +7 30PIM Blake only played in one of the Dogs games last week because he was assessed a match penalty in the game against Barrie. As an additional consequence, Blake was suspended for the Dogs last two games. Blake set new career high in every stat category this season except games played, finishing second to draft prospect Vince Dunn among Niagara defensemen. Blake and the Dogs will face off against the Ottawa 67s in the first round in the Eastern Conference’s four-five matchup.
Nick Moutrey-North Bay Battalion (OHL) Final Regular Season Stats 62GP 25-38-63 +19 54PIM Stats with North Bay 26GP 10-12-22 +10 14PIM Stats with Saginaw 36GP 15-26-41 +9 40PIM Nick and the Troops opened the week against Ottawa. Late in the first, Nick led the charge by skating into the zone before sending a pass to Ryan Kujawinski for Ryan’s 30th of the season. Late in the game with North Bay leading 4-2, the 67s coach pulled the old Patrick Roy “pull the goalie early” trick and Nick scored his 25th goal of the season when he slapped the puck away from a defender, gathered it up and skated to center ice before icing the game when his goal made it 5-2. Up next against Mississauga Nick picked up an assist on Ryan Kujawinski’s goal when Nick gathered the puck from a faceoff with Ryku. The Battalion won the game 6-3. Nick was held without a point in a 6-0 win in the season finale against first round opponent Kingston. The two teams will be the Eastern Conference’s three-six matchup in the playoffs.
Sonny Milano-Plymouth Whalers (OHL) Final Regular Season Stats 50GP 22-46-68 -17 24PIM Sonny and the Whalers finished up the regular season with Sonny picking up an assist in a 7-3 loss to Owen Sound. Sonny was held without a point in the next game against Kitchener and I was told by a Whalers fan on Saturday that he didn’t play at all in the third period of the game – more on the reason for that later. Saturday, I headed to Plymouth for the final Whalers game and for a chance to see Sonny vs McDavid. Upon arriving at the in-arena restaurant I was told the news above and that he wouldn’t be playing in the finale as he was en route to Springfield Sunday morning according to his father (who liked my Milano jersey).
Markus Soberg-Windsor Spitfires (OHL) Final Regular Season Stats 61GP 13-17-30 -16 30PIM Markus, like Sonny, closed out the regular season last week. Starting off against Erie, Markus picked up a point in the game with a pretty assist. In the second with the game tied at three, Markus skated through center ice before pulling off a bit of a soccer move – he dropped a pass with a little kick to Lucas Venuto who scored on his second attempt to make it 4-3 in a 7-4 Spitfires loss. Markus was held pointless in the Spitfires last two games but the Spits were really shorthanded, they dressed only 15 skaters. Markus isn’t heading to Springfield – he tweeted he was heading home to Oslo next week.
Olivier LeBlanc-Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) Final Regular Season Stats 58GP 7-27-34 +21 81PIM Stats with Cape Breton 21GP 3-9-12 E 18PIM Stats with Saint John 37GP 4-18-22 +21 63PIM Olivier continues to miss time due to injury. The update I received from Eagles play by play man Patrick McNeil is that Olivier was still on crutches with a cast and there is no timetable for his return – especially since it’s playoff time. Olivier did set a new career high in assists and points along with tying his career high in goals. The Eagles have a bit of a tough road going up against the Memorial Cup hosts the Quebec Remparts but maybe the Eagles can keep up the stretch of the hosts getting knocked out early.
Julien Pelletier-Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL) Final Regular Season Stats 53GP 10-19-29 -21 30PIM Stats with Rouyn-Noranda 27GP 5-10-15 -10 16PIM Stats with Cape Breton 26GP 5-9-14 -11 14PIM A trying regular season ended for Julien last week but it ended on a high note. After being held pointless in a game against Blainville-Broisbrand, Julien had a career night in the season finale against Sherbrooke. In the Huskies 7-3 win, Julien set a career high picking up four assists in the win. In the playoffs the Huskies will face off against the Val-d’Or Foreurs which, according to play-by-play man Jean-Francois Vachon, is a big rivalry. The two teams are the geographically closest among all the Q playoff matchups at just 105 kilometers away from each other (65 miles).
Peter Quenneville-Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) Season Stats 72GP 27-48-75 +20 20PIM Fresh off his player of the week award, Peter opened the week with a goal against Regina. In the 4-1 win Peter scored his 27th goal of the season when, in the third period with the game tied at one, Peter shot first and Tim McGauley picked up the rebound and shot. That rebound was retrieved by Braylon Shmyr who shot with Peter picking up the rebound to make it 2-1 for his fourth game winner of the season in a 4-1 win.
Up next in a defense optional game against Moose Jaw, Peter picked up an assist on the goal that would get the game to overtime. With Moose Jaw leading 6-5 in the third, Peter’s pass was broken up and Kale Clague gathered the puck and passed to Macoy Erkamps who fired a blast from the point to make it 6-6 with the Warriors pulling out the win in overtime. Peter was held pointless in a 9-2 win over Moose Jaw in the Kings’ final game of the season.
With the win the King’s clinched the WHL’s Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the League’s top team. As for their team awards, Peter won the Wheat King’s Keystone Centre Most Sportsmanlike Player award. Up next is a first round series against the three time defending Eastern Conference Champions, Edmonton Oil Kings
Oliver Bjorkstrand-Portland Winterhawks (WHL) Season Stats 59GP 63-55-118 +60 35PIM Ok folks, stop me if you’ve heard this before but your WHL Player of the Week is Oliver Bjorkstrand. This is the fourth time this season Oliver’s earned the honor making it back to back weeks that a Blue Jackets prospect has won it. In four games last week Oliver had 11 points including five goals and six assists.
Going game by game, in the first match up last week, Oliver had another big game and added to his point streak. First, with Portland leading 1-0, Oliver picked up the rebound of a Nic Petan shot and Adam Henry collected the rebound with the goalie down to make it 2-0. In the second, Oliver would drive in and shoot, pick up his own rebound and go behind the net before passing. A Chief’s dman deflected Oliver’s pass right to Adam Henry for his second of the night. Just over three minutes later, Oliver skated in the corner to find Nic Petan moved the puck to Henry who finished off the hat trick (he’s a Dman by the way).
Now for your Bjorkstrand goal that makes me laugh at either the Dman or the goalie. In the third period, a Chiefs dman tried an outlet pass and it bounced off Paul Bittner’s skate and right to Oliver who skated in and deked to make it 7-3 in a 7-4 victory.
Up next against Tri City, Oliver did something he hadn’t done since January 28th – go without a point (I’m as confused as all of you). During his 18 game point streak, Oliver collected 51 points including 27 goals and 24 assists. Next, was a game with rival Seattle. Oliver opened the scoring before most TBirds fans may have sit down. 38 seconds into the game Oliver skated in to just above the circle and snapped a shot off for his 59th goal of the season. In the second, after four straight Tbirds goals, Oliver struck again when he stole the puck from a Seattle player and skated to the slot before firing a rocket for his 60th goal of the year. In the third period, Oliver earned a penalty shot and really not even do anything that fancy – just skate in, get to the slot, and snap home his 61st goal of the season. The Hawks ended up falling by a score of 6-3.
With all of his closest competition being done for the season on Saturday, Oliver clinched the WHL’s Bob Clarke Trophy that goes to the league’s leading scorer making him the first Jackets prospect to win the award. Before the team’s final game against Tri-City, Oliver cleaned up in the team’s awards winning the Booster Club’s fan favorite award, the team’s MVP award and the one I was absolutely shocked that he won (computer blew up due to sarcasm) the award for the team’s leading scorer.
As for the game, just under three minutes after the Americans made it 1-0, Oliver struck for his 62nd goal of the season when he took a pass from Nic Petan out of a spinorama to tie the game at one. Oliver picked up an assist on Paul Bittner’s second period goal but Tri-City would tie it 44 seconds later. The Hawks added two non Bjorkstrand goals (yawn) and the Americans adding a goal 23 seconds later to make it 4-3 before Oliver scored an empty net goal for his 62nd goal and 118th point of the season.
With 118 points in 59 games Oliver averaged two points a game (go ahead – read that again, I’ll wait). His 62 goals made him the only 60 goal scorer in the entire Canadian Hockey League and his 118 points put him at 4th in the entire CHL. In the Playoffs, it’ll be the Seattle Thunderbirds as the Hawks opponents. Against the TBirds this year, Oliver scored 13 goals and added two assists (regular Cy Young no?). Oliver led the WHL in goals, points, shorthanded goals, game winning goals (tied), insurance goals and +/-.
Oliver’s tear and run towards the scoring title began once he returned from the World Juniors and scored 78 points in 31 games. (31GP 42-36-78 +45 averaging 2.5 points per game). Oliver is the first WHL player to average more than a goal per game in a full season since Pavel Brendl scored 73 in 68 games in 98-99. Oliver’s season is tied for seventh all time amongst Winterhawks.
Dillon Heatherington-Swift Current Broncos (WHL) Final Regular Season Stats 48GP 1-14-15 -16 48PIM Dillon and Broncos needed wins to finish their season in order to make the playoffs. Starting off against Moose Jaw, Dillon was held pointless but then picked up points in back to back games for the first time since November (he did miss a lot of time due to injury, though). First up against Lethbridge, Dillon picked up an assist on Jay Merkeley’s 17th goal of the season. Up next in the rematch, Dillon picked up an assist on Colby Cave’s 35th goal of the season. Quickly, a local paper had a player and coach’s vote on the Eastern Conference’s best and Dillon was voted the League’s best defensive defenseman and finished second in the vote for the conference’s top penalty killer. As for the Bronco’s awards, Dillon won the Bronco’s award for leadership and maturity. In the playoffs Dillon and the Broncos will face off against the Regina Pats.
As we switch to the Minnesota Gopher boys, the Big Ten opened the week by handing out its annual awards. Mike Reilly repeated as the league’s defensive player of the year and was also named one of three unanimous choices for the First Team All Big Ten. In the Big Ten Tournament, all three Jackets prospects were held without a point-not that that would stop Mike from being named to the All-Tournament Team. As for the NCAA Tournament (my version of March Madness), the Gophers are now off to Manchester, New Hampshire for a game against the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. What makes this game interesting is this is the fifth time the two squads have met this year and it’s the fifth different arena they’ve played in.
Daniel Zaar-Lulea (SHL-Sweden) Playoff Stats 6GP 2-1-3 +2 0PIM Well since it appears I put game three that was on Monday in my recap last week (delayed recap writing problems) let’s move on to game four. In the 3-2 Lulea win, Daniel picked up an assist. With the Bears trailing 2-1, Daniel took a pass from Lucas Wallmark and passed right back to him. Wallmark then threw a pass in front that Lars Bryggman tipped perfectly to tie it at two in a 3-2 win. Daniel was held pointless in a 3-2 game five overtime loss. Daniel and all of his teammates were held pointless in a 1-0 game six loss which set up a decisive game seven on Tuesday. If the Bears win they move on, lose and Daniel probably has a plane ticket to Springfield, Massachusetts waiting in his locker.
There you have it folks – another week in the world of Blue Jackets prospects. As for next week, we’ll have playoff and tournament hockey and, well hopefully not, but possibly, we could have the beginning of #ReillyWatch.
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