Friday Night Fun

SATURDAY UPDATE- We have no idea as to the severity or even if it is the same injury but Dylan McIlrath left his game last night during the 2nd period with a knee injury and did not return,

We are awaiting official confirmation from Moose Jaw on the injury. (Thanks Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note)


For the New York Ranger and New York Islander prospects, Friday night was one of those nights where you had a little bit of everything from great offensive performances to a horror fest.

If you are a fan of the Barrie Colts then you are so glad that you do not have to see Christian Thomas (NYR 2010 2nd) anymore this season. Thomas for the 2nd time this season had a 2-2-4 game against the Colts as his Generals held off the Colts 6-5.

To say that Thomas has owned the Colts is an understatement as in 4 games this season Thomas was 7-5-12. At a nice 37-29-66 in 49 games, Thomas is on a pace to wind up 53-41-94.

The rest of the Ranger prospect report borders on more like April's Fools as you had 3 prospects combine for 21 shots and no goals or watching a normally responsible team totally lose their cool and wind up with 92 minutes in penalties.

The Ranger report can be found here 

The New York Islander side of the story is actually boring compared to what the Ranger prospects did but overall it was a good night for them.

Nino Niederreiter (2010 1st) scored 2 first period goals to help his Portland Winterhawks to a 3-0 first period lead enroute to a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings that was a lot closer than the score indicates.

Niederreiter got Portland going when he scored his 23rd goal just 3 seconds into a Portland power play at 2:08 of the first period for a 1-0 lead. With Portland up 2-0, Niederreiter was hauled down on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot that he converted on for his 24th goal and a 3-0 Winterhawk lead.

The Islander prospects report is right here.

Call us late to the party but tonight was our first look at a player that has been generating some serious buzz in Nail Yakupov of the Sarina Sting. If you have not heard of this very talented young player then write his name down because already people are talking him up as the first pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

He is only 17 and while he is 5'10 170 we can project him out at about 6 ft 190, a right wing who is a scoring machine. 48 games this season and he is 38-38-76 with  45 PIMS.

He was the offense for Sarina against the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors with a goal and 2 primary assists. The Majors are the best defensive team in the OHL and they had their hands full with Yakupov who is 14-11-25 in his last 14 games.

The only first year player in the top 20 in scoring in the OHL (currently 5th) and we wonder what kind of numbers he would be putting up if he was playing on a team like Mississauga or Niagara instead of Sarina.

(Thomas courtesy of Aaron Bell/OHL Images, Niederreiter/Portland Winterhawks, Yakupov/Sarina Sting)