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Last night we thought about the irony regarding 2008 3rd round pick Evgeny Grachev scoring his first career OHL goal after his fellow Ranger prospect Alexi Cherepanov has just passed away.

So what are we to think when on the very next evening that Grachev scores another goal only this one was his first career OHL game winning goal? The answer is easy for us; Evgeny Grachev earns his very first Prospect Park Star of the Evening.

But that is not all that Grachev's second goal of the season did as that goal scored at 11:28 of the 3rd period to give Grachev's Brampton Battalion a 1-0 win over the host Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. Not to mention that the goal also gave Brampton GM/Coach Stan Butler his 400th win of his CHL coaching career.

What made this goal special was how it did in fact remind of us of Alexi Cherepanov because of how Grachev scored the goal. Grachev picked up a loose puck off a defensive zone faceoff, carried it up the ice before launching a nasty shot that handcuffed Mississauga goalie Chris Carrozzi.

As with the goal that Grachev scored on Thursday night this one was a beauty, a goal scorer's goal and what is scary is that Grachev made it look easy. Grachev is still adapting to playing in the OHL but with each passing game it is getting very hard to contain one's excitement about his play.

The Rest of the Prospect Action

Michael Del Zotto had an assist but his Oshawa Generals defense and penalty killing units were terrible as the Generals lost to the Sarina Sting 8-6 in other OHL action. Del Zotto had a quiet evening but the Generals gave up 4 power play goals on 7 chances which is what doomed them.

Carl Hagelin was scoreless as his 2nd ranked Michigan Wolverines could not muster any real offense and were upset on the road by Northern Michigan 2-0 in CCHA play. The Wolverines left their game back at home and paid for it.

The Wolverines were the opposite of the Oshawa Generals as their downfall was their lack of offensive attack as they went 0 for 8 on the power play and only managed 15 shots on goal for the entire game.

Derek Stepan's Wisconsin Badgers are going to regret how they lost on the road to the Denver Pioneers 6-5 in their WCHA opener. The Badgers gave away leads of 4-1 and 5-4 after surrendering 4 third period goals in this loss.

Stepan as with the case with most freshman had an up and down game with no points as he was being used as a center for the Badgers. It is interesting to note that the Ranger's 2008 2nd round pick was centering the grandson of former Ranger great Boom Boom Geofforion.

Max Campbell and his Western Michigan Broncos struggled on the road as well as they dropped a 5-2 decision on the road to Minnesota/Duluth in the CCHA opener for both teams. Campbell had the bad luck of being on the ice for the game winning and empty net goals which resulted in his earning a -2. for the evening.

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies gave 2007 2nd round pick Antoine Lafleur the night off after surrendering 6 goals in his last game but the Huskies still lost 3-2 to the Montreal Junior in QMJHL action.

Tomas Kundratek remains out with his hand injury but his Medicine Hat Tiger did not need him as the Tigers shut out the Chilliwack Bruins 3-0 in WHL action.

(Evgeny Grachev picture courtesy of the Brampton Battalion)