Win Some Lose Some

Ryan Pulock (Brandon Wheat Kings)

It was a bit of a strange evening for the New York Ranger and New York Islander prospects as teams in certain cases just left their games back at the hotel or some won by not winning. The effects of the long season may also be catching up to several players as the back ends of these Friday/Saturday/Sunday games are showing the weaker performances.

Tonight's Star Ryan Pulock Brandon Wheat Kings

The more I watch Ryan Pulock (NYI 2013 1st) try to carry his Brandon Wheat Kings to the playoffs the more I wonder just how good he would be with a stronger supporting cast. Playing with 4 regulars out due to injury or suspension, Pulock has been the kind of team captain you wish you had on your team. None of thise "come on boys we can do this" with Pulock as it is "Follow me boys" and leading by his play.

Against the Moose Jaw Warriors, Pulock and his teammates were desparate for a win after going winless in their last 8 games. The game's 2nd star, Pulock put up a 1-2-3 game to help the Wheat Kings to a 7-4 win over the Warriors. Pulock did his damage in the 2nd period as the Wheat Kings blew the game open with a 5 goal period.

Pulock started with a secondary assist on Tim McGauley's 2nd goal of the game which came on the power play at 4:55. The goal gave Brandon a 5-1 lead and Pulock was just warming up. Pulock made it a 6-1 game when he scored his 20th goal of the season, also on the power play at 10:26. Then Pulock repeated the secondary assist on McGauley's hat trick goal which made it 7-1 at 11:11.

For Pulock it was his 3rd straight game with a goal as he is 3-3-6 in his last 3 games. I would consider Pulock for WHL player of the week had the Wheat Kings won at least 2 of these games but stopping the winless streak is going to be his reward. Pulock is 20-33-53 as Brandon gets the win and opens a 4 point lead over 8th placed Prince Albert and 9th placed Red Deer.

The Rest of the Prospects

Ryan Graves (NYR 2013 4th) was scoreless on 4 shots but was a +4 with a hit as his Val-d'Or Foreurs won their 8th straight bombing the Moncton Wildcats 11-2. Graves was strong on the blueline as the Foreurs held the Wildcats to 20 shots and blanked them on 3 power plays. The win moved the Foreurs to within 3 points of Telus Division leaders the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada who lost on Saturday night.

Since getting Graves from the Charlottetown Islanders, the Foreurs are 13-4 with Graves in their starting lineup.

Loic Leduc (NYI 2012 4th) since being traded to the Rimouski Oceanic has gone a long way from being a 6'6 project defenseman to the Oceanic's starter and Rimouski's place in the standings is better for it. Leduc had a 1 assist +3 evening as his Oceanic defeated the Sherbrooke Phoenix 6-3 for their 8th straight win and cut the Baie-Comeau Drakkar's lead in the Telus East Division to just 5 points with 9 games remaining.

Leduc is 5-8-13 on the season between Rimouski and Cape Breton.

Kyle Burroughs (NYI 2013 7th) and his Regina Pats defeated Adam Tambellini 5-4 in a game that needed 9 shootout rounds to determine a winner. Burroughs was scoreless with a fight and a +1 as his Pats extended their unbeaten streak to 8 games and held their lead over Swift Current to 6 points.

Adam Tambellini (NYR 2013 3rd) scored his 15th goal and 9th on the power play as the shootout loss may have changed their winning streak to an unbeatend streak (10 games), the point that Calgary gained in this game was enough to let them claim 1st place in the WHL's Eastern Conference as the Edmonton Oil Kings lost. Tambellini is 15-14-29 on the season.

Jesse Graham (NYI 2012 6th) scored his 11th goal of the season as his Saginaw Spirit earned a 5-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack. Graham scored an empty net goal with 19 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Spirit to improve to 11-33-44 on the season.

Victor Crus Rydberg (NYI 2013 5th) scored his 9th goal of the season in a losing effort as his Plymouth Whalers lost to the London Knights 4-3. Crus Rydberg scored Plymouth's second goal of the game in the second period to see his season totals increase to 9-22-31.

Adam Pelech (NYI 2012 3rd) had an assist while teammate Troy Donay (NYR 2013 UFA) was scoreless as their Erie Otters were spanked 8-2 by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 8-2. The loss was the Otters 3rd straight and allowed the London Knights to move past them into 3rd place in the OHL's Western Conference. Pelech's assist moves him to 9-37-46.

Mackenzie Skapski (NYR 2013 6th) did not make it past the first period as Skapski was yanked after giving up 4 goals on 15 shots as his Kootenay Ice were spanked by Spokane 6-3. The blame is not all on Skapski as his teammates forgot to show up until the second period after they were out shot 15-4 and down 4-0. Skapski loses for just the 2nd time in Feburary falls to 25-15-2-1, 2.69 goals against and a 0.918 save percentage. The loss stops the Ice's 4 game winning streak and leaves them 5 points behind Medicine Hat for 4th place in the WHL's Eastern Conference.

Cristoval Nieves (NYR 2012 2nd) had a secondary assist on an empty net goal as his 10th ranked Michigan Wolverines defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions 5-2. For Nieves it was his 11th assist and 13th point on the season as Michigan ended a 3 game winless streak.

Steven Fogarty (NYR 2011 3rd) was scoreless as his Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated Doyle Somerby's (NYI 2012 5th) Boston University Terriers 2-0.

There was no reason given why Griffin Reinhart (NYI 2012 1st) was not in the Edmonton Oil King lineup but any question about the difference maker he is can be seen in how his coach reacts to a bad 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Giants.

Eamon McAdam (NYI 2013 3rd) did not dress in Penn State's 5-2 loss to the Michigan Wolverines.

Something Wonderful is going to happen to the Prospect Park. Change is coming watch for it