Last year New York Ranger fans just went crazy over 2020 fifth-round selection forward Brett Berard because of his play for Team USA at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships. Generously listed at 5'9 165, Berard played with a heart of players much bigger than he was.
He was a big factor in how Team USA played so the expectations for Berard when he joined the Providence Friars were much higher than they might have been. Berard struggled and found himself playing as an extra forward/power-play specialist by the season's end.
It was clear that Berard needed to add strength and weight for his sophomore season with the Friars. If 2021-22 opening night for Berard and his teammates was any indication then good things are going to happen this season.
Bedard punched in two goals on seven shots with a +3 as Providence spanked Army West Point 7-0.
Bedard recorded the fourth and sixth goals for the Friars. The first goal (1:20 on the clip) was a highlight goal. Bedard pickups up a loose puck behind the Army goal, he then dekes the Army defender out of position and slams the puck into the net.
Goal number two was just as pretty (2:12), Bedard carries the pucks into the offensive zone. He creates his own screen by cutting across in front of the Army defender then fires a wrister top shelf over the goalie's glove hand.
2020 sixth-round pick Matt Rempe is going to have a big season in the WHL and that has zero to do with his 6'8 height. Rempe had two goals 1:49 apart in the second period to lead his Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-1 win over the host Portland Winterhawks in WHL action.
Rempe's second goal was pretty much a repeat of his first goal as he cashed in on a puck that wound up on his stick. If this game was played in Seattle then Rempe would have earned the game's first star after a 2-0-2, 7 SOG, +1, minor for roughing, and 7-9 on his faceoffs,
Rempe had to settle for the game's second star but this was the player I was expecting to see last season. Rempe was dominant, he didn't look like he was afraid to use his size to his advantage. Once he was set up in the crease there was no way to move him out.
If Rempe stays healthy then expect him to put up monster numbers.
Goalie Dylan Garand stopped 25 out of 29 shots as his Kamloops Blazers earned a 5-4 road win over the Prince George Cougars in their WHL season opener. It wasn't pretty but it was more than enough for Garand to earn his first win of the 2021-22 season.
Garand stopped all 12 shots that he faced in the first period, had a weak second where he gave up three goals on 11 shots, and gave up one more goal while facing just six shots in the third. It wasn't pretty but that is perhaps what best describes Garand's game.
The Rangers fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Garand is coming off a 15-3, 2.15 GAA, and 0.921 save percentage. He got off to a slow start last season and by the time the WHL season ended, Garand was one of the top goalies in the WHL.
Center Jayden Grubbe was scoreless on two shots but earned the first fighting major among Rangers prospects. Grubbe's Red Deer Rebels bounced back from a 4-0 loss on Friday to Edmonton Oil Kings to defeat the same Oil Kings 4-1 in their home opener.
The Rebels' captain, it is really hard to call what he had a fight. Grubbe got jumped on by Edmonton's Simon Kubicek and neither threw any punches but both got hit with fighting majors.
Ryder Korczak had a secondary assist for his third point in two games but his Moose Jaw Warriors fell to the Saskatoon Blades 4-2 in WHL action. Korczak took one shot and was 14-13 on his faceoffs.
No goals yet for Korczak but 0-3-3 to start the season isn't bad either.
Junior left-wing Riley Hughes was scoreless as his Northeastern Huskies opened their season with a 4-0 non-conference win over the Bentley Falcons. Hughes was the starting left-wing as well as one of the team's assistant captains.
For the game, Hughes was quiet with a "high-sticking" minor to show for his season's debut. At best Hughes is a long-shot at this point to earn a Ranger's contract.
Exhibition Hockey
Junior left-wing Eric Ciccolini had a secondary assist as his Michigan Wolverines spanked Bowling Green 7-1. Ciccolini did not register any shots but was a +2 with one blocked shot.
Junior defenseman Simon Kjellberg didn't score as his Rensselaer Engineers defeated fellow ECAC member Union College 5-2. Kjellberg who didn't get to play last season due to the Covid-19 causing his team to not play is technically a sophomore as a player.
Kjellberg was credited with four shots on goal, a +2, and one blocked shot.
Did Not Play
Goalie Talyn Boyko was the backup as his Tri-City Americans handed the Spokane Chiefs a 5-3 loss.
Left-Wing Brennan Othmann did not dress for his Flint Firebirds in their exhibition win over the Erie Otters.
No comments:
Post a Comment