A Really Dull Saturday Night

Want to talk about a quiet night for both New York Ranger and New York Islander prospects? Well say hello to our Saturday night when goals were really had to come by and only Roman Horak did anything that stood out for stars.

Roman Horak (NYR 2009 5th) earned the game's second star with a goal and a assist as the Chilliwack Bruins ended a 7game winless streak with a 4-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers. Horak's 22nd goal of the season 24 seconds into the 3rd period gave Chilliwack a 3-2 lead as the young center from the Czech Republic set a new career high in goals.

Horak also had a secondary assist on Chilliwack's 2nd goal helped to earn him the game's second star as Horak is now 22-26-58. It was the only star awarded to any of the Ranger or Islander prospects.

The other highlight we have is Max Campbell (NYR 2007 5th) and his Western Michigan Broncos setting a new school record after they defeated Bowling Green 3-1 to extend their unbeaten streak to 13 straight games. The longest active unbeaten streak in the NCAA breaks a Western Michigan record set back in the 1985-86 season.

Campbell did not score as he took 4 shots and now for the Broncos the schedule really gets tougher. Currently in 4th place in the CCHA, the Broncos will over the next 3 weekends face 1st place Miami (13th), 3rd place Michigan (9th) and 2nd place Notre Dame (10th).

Speaking of Miami and Michigan as Carl Hagelin (NYR 2007 6th) and his Michigan Wolverines were shut out 3-0 by the Miami Redhawks. The Redhawks swept the weekend series and leaped past Michigan and idle Notre Dame to take over 1st place in the CCHA.

Michigan lost their 3rd straight game and fell into 3rd place in thre CCHA.

In Hockey East action, Blake Kessel (NYI 2007 6th) and his 6th ranked New Hampshire Wildcats defeated Maine 5-4 to take sole possession of 1st place in the conference. Kessel coming off a 3 assist night was scoreless.

12th ranked Merrimack crushed Danny Hobbs (NYR 2007 7th) and his UMass/Amherst Minutemen 11-2. Hobb scored his 7th goal of the season at 16:44 of the first period to tie the game at 1-1 but that was the end of Minutemen highlights as Merrimack scored 6 unanswered goals.

Hobbs is 7-13-20 on the season.

In the WCHA, Matt Donovan (NYI 2008 4th) had an assist for his 20th point of the season as his 3rd ranked Denver Pioneers earned a split of their weekend series after defeating rival Colorado College 5-3. The teams split the weekend series with each team winning on home ice.

QMJHL

Kirill Kabanov (NYI 2010 3rd) scored his 7th goal of the season to help his Lewiston Maineaics shut out the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 5-0 for their 5th straight win. Kabanov is now 7-10-17 in 23 games for the Maineaics.

Ryan Bourque (NYR 2009 3rd) had an assist on what turned out to be the game winning goal as his Quebec Remparts defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 6-3. For Bourque his 24th assist on the season on Quebec's 4th goal of the game gives him 48 points on the season in 37 games.

OHL

Ethan Werek (NYR 2009 2nd) had 2 assists but his Kingston Frontenacs left their defense home losing to the last place Barrie Colts 8-6. Werek who now has a 3 game scoring streak improved his stats to 17-20-37

Jason Wilson (2010 5th) was scoreless as his Niagara IceDogs extended their unbeaten streak to 5 games with a 2-0 shut out of the Brampton Battalion. The IceDogs won despite being out shot 37-24.

WHL

Dylan McIlrath (NYR 2010 1st) sat out his Moose Jaw Warriors game with the Medicine Hat with what was called a "lower body injury" but we can confirm was a knee injury. Moose Jaw Coach Dave Hunchak said on the Moose Jaw pregame show that "McIlrath was hurt after a blind side hit which tweaked his knee."

Hunchak also said that McIlrath will be checked out by the Moose Jaw doctors upon the team's return home on Monday. We will update his condition when we get more information.

David Toews (NYI 2008 3rd) was scoreless as his Brandon Wheat Kings lost to the Swift Current Broncos 5-3. The 2 teams exchanged spots in the WHL's Eastern Conference standings again with Swift Current moving back into 7th.

Finally in what had to be the longest and perhaps strangest lopsided win we have ever seen; Nino Niederreiter (NYI 2010 1st) and his Portland Winterhawks whipped on the Tri-City Americans 8-2.  Niederreiter was scoreless on "Portland Buckaroo" night as the game turned into a fight fest in the last minute of the game.

Hey Mike Johnson and Jim Hiller cmon guys really 4 fights in the last minute? Maybe what really needs to happen is coaches are given 1 game per fight suspension in the game's final 5 minutes.

Maybe just maybe circus acts like tonight's last minute would be prevented.

(Horak/Chilliwack Bruins)