Maybe the first thing we should ask Clark if there is any way to convince Glen Sather that the Saint John Sea Dogs play in the OHL or WHL as the more we watch Tomas Jurco the more we like him.
Sather as we have already mentioned has only selected 1 player from the QMJHL out of 33 first round picks in his career. Boy it would be really nice to make it 2 for 34 as the player who is doing more to raise his draft stock has become a human highlight reel.
From the 2011 CHL Top Prospect's Game-
But at the 2011 Memorial Cup we have a new nickname for Jurco and it is "The Finisher" as every time Saint Johns has needed a big goal, it has been Jurco who has scored it. Against the Kootenay Ice on Tuesday night Jurco scored with scored his 4th goal of the Cup to tie the game at 4-4 with just 15 seconds.
Well actually Jurco got credit for a goal that went off of all places his neck but the 6'2 right wing from Slovakia has made sure people have gotten to know his name really well. Jurco scored 2 goals to take over the Memorial Cup scoring lead with a 4-1-5 mark in 3 games.
It was Jurco who's goal against Owen Sound that clinched a spot in the Memorial Cup finals on Sunday. That goal alone could be a huge difference as the Sea Dogs attempt to become the 1st team from the QMJHL to win the cup since 2006.
Jurco who was ranked 20th in the final CSB rankings has become a YouTube star thanks to videos like the one we posted for you. Jurco though wants to be known for more than his slight of hand with his hockey sticks.
"I'm not a clown," Jurco said Monday prior to his scoring the game-tying goal in the Sea Dogs' 3-2 overtime win against the Owen Sound Attack in Monday's MasterCard Memorial Cup game. "I'm a hockey player."
One of our favorites Sunaya Sapurji of the Buzzing the Net crew said it best when she tweeted
Yesterday Tomas Jurco said "I am not a clown" he's right, he's the whole darn circus!
But more than anything else that is raising his draft stature with us is his maturity off the ice and how he is handling himself. Being a New York Ranger 1st round pick has to be one of the hardest spots to be in of all hockey but Jurco shows he can handle it.
The skinny on him is that he works hard at everything he does and while some may think he is a bit cocky; that would make him an ideal New Yorker. He needs some bulk as most kids do but his hands might be the fastest we have seen period.
That alone says a lot as among the Rangers and their prospects they have Derek Stepan and Christian Thomas who are no slouches either. Jurco is not soft either as he goes right into traffic to make a play.
This is one magician that has an act worthy of Broadway.
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It was a meaningless game for the Sea Dogs who already are set for Sunday's final and they rested several key players. It was one of those games where the Sea Dogs win by losing.
First they are off until Sunday but the win by Kootenay means the loser of Wednesday's game between Mississauga and Owen Sound now has to play a tiebreaker game on Thursday.
Do not discount this as while Kootenay has Wednesday off, the loser of Wednesday's game will need to play on 3 straight days in order to earn the 2nd spot in the final on Sunday.
But if there was ever a team that has gotten more help from the on-ice officials during this playoff season, it has been the Kootenay Ice. Call it sour grapes going back to the WHL finals but even the overtime winner against Saint John was because a linesman blew an offsides call.
Give the Ice their due as they have taken full advantage of these calls and if we were the other 3 teams in the Memorial Cup then be nervous as Windsor proved you can come all the way from the tiebreaker to win the Cup.
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Closing our eyes, Owen Sound will go with Jordan Binnington against Mississauga but should Owen Sound lose then wonder which goalie would play in the tiebreaker game?
If you have to play 3 games in 3 nights and you have 3 guys who are good enough to start then roll the dice and put in Scott Stajcer in the tiebreaker. If he wins then you have Mississauga scratching their heads wondering who gets the start on Friday (we go right back to Binnington who has 2 big wins against Mississauga under his belt).
(Jurco courtesy of Saint John Sea Dogs)
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