Saturday, March 24, 2012

Yuck

Score 2 for the New York Islander prospects as they won both match ups against the New York Ranger prospects on Friday evening. We won't talk about how badly we did in our NCAA predictions other than to say we were consistent as we got all 4 games wrong (including seeing the team we picked to win it all get knocked off).

Nobody really played strong enough to deserve a star so we will start with the Islander/Ranger prospect match ups. We had one outcome that we expected but we're going to start with the upset of the Plymouth Whalers.

The Guelph Storm entered the OHL playoffs as the seventh seed in the OHL's Western Conference but thanks to Andrey Pedan (NYI 2011 3rd), the Storm upset the second-seeded Plymouth Whalers in game one of their series 4-2.

Pedan scored his first career playoff goal when he used a screen to convert on a power-play for his Gueph Storm's third goal of the game at 4:07 of the second period. It gave the Storm a 3-0 lead and Pedan should thank Ranger prospect JT Miller (NYR 2011 1st) for scoring his first career playoff goal at 3:18 the third period which cut the Storms lead to one goal 3-2.

That turned Pedan's goal into the game-winning one as Gueph takes a 1-0 series lead over the Whalers with the second game of the series schedule for Sunday at the Guelph. The game also featured a first for us as Pedan was called for a strange double minor being called for diving and holding during the same series of plays.

Pedan was 1-0-1 Even 6 PIMs while Miller was 1-0-1, -2 and 2 PIMs with Game 2 on Sunday in Guelph.

Everyone was asking which Ranger prospects what we see getting to the CT Whale and how fast but they get there. Ryan Strome (NYI 2011 1st) is doing his very best to make sure that the Whale get the services of Christian Thomas (NYR 2010 2nd) much sooner than later.

Strome set up what proved to be the game-winning goal as his Niagara IceDogs just rolled all over Thomas's Oshawa Generals 6-1 to take a 2-0 series lead. The IceDogs have won both games of the series with a combined score of 14-3 as the series isn't even close to being just a mismatch.

Strome added a secondary assist on the IceDogs's third goal and in the two games so far has been 1-4-5. Thomas did not score and it's going to be hard for him the score when he has basically an entire IceDog line shadowing him.

Game three will be in Niagara on Sunday.

The Islander Report

Kirill Kabanov (NYI 2010 3rd) got his 2012 QMJHL playoffs off to the right start with the goal and the game's second star to help his Shawinigan Cataractes win game one of their series with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 7-1.

Forgive us but it is hard to get excited when the team with the second best record in the QMJHL beating up on the team with the second worst record in the QMJHL. Kabanov scored his goal as part of a 4 goal first period.

Game 2 will be tomorrow afternoon (4 PM local time)

Brendan Kichton (NYI 2011 5th) had a secondary assist on his Spokane Chief's third goal of the game but was injured after taking a puck off the face during the third period and did not return as the Chiefs lost game one of their series with the Vancouver Giants 7-5.

No word regarding Kichton status as this is the playoffs and we do not have the "need to know" regarding injury updates. When we find out we will post an update but if the Chiefs were lose Kichton then they are in big trouble as they can't afford to lose his offense.

Scott Mayfield (NYI 2011 2nd) and his third seed Denver Pioneers saw their season come to an end after second-seeded Ferris State edged them 2-1 at the Midwest Regional in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mayfield was scoreless and held without a shot.

Mayfield ends his freshman season 3-9-12, +5 with 76 PIMS. We would say that Mayfield work hard enough in the second half to turn the season into a much more positive season than we expected out of him.

The Ranger Report

Steven Fogarty (NYR 2011 3rd) had a primary assist on what proved to be the series winning goal as his Penticton Vees defeated the Chilliwack Chiefs 3-0 to win their BCHL playoff series 4-2. We won't kid anybody as the Vees in our eyes came very close to blowing a series and losing it after the regular season they had.

The Chiefs outworked them and outplayed them in several of the games and we hope that Penticton learned something as they have all of three days before facing the Merritt Centennials for the BCHL Interior Conference Finals.

Fogarty is 1-1-2 after the first-round.

Michael St. Croix (NYR 2011 4th)had a goal (1st) as his Edmonton Oil Kings shut out the Kootenay Ice 3-0 to take game one of the best-of-seven series. St. Croix scored what was Edmonton second goal of the game as both teams struggled to really find a good offensive flow.

Edmonton had best find a way to get a power-play going after going over 0 for 6 in game one as these games are gonna be way closer than they should be. Game 2 will be Sunday in Edmonton.

Samuel Noreau (NYR 2011 5th) was scoreless but his 13th seeded Baie-Comeau Drakkar shocked fourth-seeded Victoriaville Tigre 4-3 to win game one of their QMJHL playoff series. Noreau had a quiet night with just one shot and -1 as the Drakkar pulled off the upset of the night in the CHL.

The Drakkar will not have much time to enjoy this win as game two is scheduled for Saturday afternoon (4 PM local time).

Dylan McIlrath (NYR 2010 1st) and his Moose Jaw Warriors did everything right defensively holding the Regina Pats to just 15 shots on goal but Regina got three goals from no shots to steal game one 3-2. Special teams is what cost Moose Jaw as they went 1 for 6 on their power plays and were 2 for 4 on the penalty kill.

The one thing that Regina has done is get into the heads of the Moose Jaw Warriors as McIlrath and company just could not solve them. McIlrath had a mostly quiet evening but were pretty sure on Saturday night; McIlrath will be more active.

If he is not then Regina might steal a second game.

Shane McColgan (NYR 2011 5th) and his Kelowna Rockets for 39:59 were able to stay with the Portland Winterhawks but a Portland goal with a little over a second remaining in the second period was a backbreaker. It gave Portland a 3-2 lead going into the third period and Portland added another just under 3 minutes into the third.

Kelowna fell 6-3 in game one to Portland as McColgan was held to just a secondary assist. For Kelowna too any chance at all then McColgan has to put the puck in the net as Kelowna just does not have the firepower to match the Winterhawks.

Game two to be Saturday night in Portland

JT Miller (NYR 2011 1st) and his Plymouth Whalers let the Guelph Storm build a 3-0 lead then rallied behind Miller's first career playoff goal but still came up short losing 4-2 in game one of their series. Dropping home ice against a team that you struggled against during the regular season is not a good way going.

The series will resume on Sunday in Guelph and if the Whalers don't show up at the starting time then Miller just might get his wish about turning pro earlier.

Did not play

Mitchell Theoret (NYI 2011 7th) was a healthy scratch for the Niagara IceDogs in game two of their series against Oshawa. Theoret was a scratch in game one as well.

Scott Stajcer (NYR 2009 5th) was the backup goalie as his Owen Sound Attack dropped game one of the series with the Kitchener Rangers 6-2. Way things are going Ranger prospects might want to consider carpooling down to Hartford when they join the Whale.

We expect it to be Stajcer's turn in game two to lose to Kitchener as Owen Sound has no defense to protect their goalies whatsoever

(Pedan - Guelph Storm, Strome - Niagara IceDogs)

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