Thursday, October 31, 2013

Doing the Duclair

Anthony Duclair (Quebec Remparts)
The middle of the week prospect hockey was a mixed bag for New York Ranger and New York Islander prospects who saw action. Actually it was pretty good for anyone named Duclair that is.

Anthony Duclair (NYR 2013 3rd)
had a goal and a assist as his Quebec Remparts needed the shootout before defeating the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 6-5. The Remparts extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games (8-0-1-1) as Duclair with a goal and a assist extended his own scoring streak to 5 games (7-4-11). There has been a lot to like about Duclair's game as of late with the most important stat has been cutting down on taking penalties like he was early in the season. Another is the 29 shots (8 of them Wednesday) he has taken during this streak.

Silly stat shots on goal might be for some but how many people do you know can score goals without taking any shots. The more active you are then the better a chance you have of being productive. Sounds simple but too many players forget that when they hit the ice thinking they need to make the perfect play to score.

Duclair had the secondary assist on Quebec's first goal in the first period and his 15th goal of the season was the 5th of the game in the 3rd period and a shorthanded one (his 2nd of the season). Baie-Comeau with 2 goals of their own in the 3rd forced first overtime then the shootout. Duclair missed on his attempt which might be the only area where Duclair is not playing well at the moment.

Duclair is now 15-8-23 in 16 games.

Mackenzie Skapski (NYR 2013 6th)
gave up just 3 goals on 28 shots through regulation and overtime then stopped 3 shootout attempts to help his Kootenay Ice earn 4-3 win over the Red Deer Rebels. For Skapski, the game helped cap a pretty good month of October as Skapski finished the month with a 5-2-2 record with a 2.85 goals against and a 0.900 save percentage.

In this one Skapski had to overcome a weak first period in which he gave up 2 goals on just 7 shots but just one goal the rest of the game. The win was Kootenay's 2nd and moved the Ice into 4th place in the WHL's Eastern Conference.

Kyle Burroughs (NYI 2013 7th) was scoreless as his Regina Pats shut out the Moose Jaw Warriors 3-0 to improve to 8-8 on the season (7th WHL's Eastern Conference). Burroughs may not have scored but he helped keep the Warriors off the board too.

Loic Leduc (NYI 2012 4th) was scoreless and a +2 but his Cape Breton Screaming Eagles fell to the Sherbrooke Phoenix 6-4. The difference in this game was the special teams as the Phoenix were 3 for 4 on their power plays while Cape Breton was 0 for 3.

The Screaming Eagles fell to 7-9-0-2 after losing their 3rd straight.

Victor Crus-Rydberg (NYI 2013 5th) was scoreless as his Plymouth Whalers were spanked 6-2 by the Saginaw Spirit. Not much to say here as Saginaw scored twice in each of the 3 periods and Plymouth just struggled all night long.

Finally Ryan Pulock (NYI 2012 1st) and his Brandon Wheat Kings were in Portland to face a ref hot Portland Winterhawk team returning home from a 5-0 road trip. I mention that because Brandon is on a 5 game road trip of their own and after a 5-2 loss is 0-4 on their road trip.

Pulock was very invisible in this one as he was either playing sick or hurt but it didn't matter the Wheat Kings (forget the 2 goals the game was long over by then) had nothing. No energy, no speed and no defense as they turned their poor goalie into a target at a shooting gallery as Portland fired 53 shots at him.

If you were on Twitter, you saw my "foot in the mouth" comment as Portland had a 1-0 lead before the game was a minute old. It was 2-0 then 3-0 on shorthanded goals 43 seconds apart before the 1st period ended. Portland built a 5-0 lead and really Brandon was no threat at all.

Yes I know Brandon played the night before but that happens on these east/west road trips. Pulock I am sorry to say was a huge disappointment.

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