The Prospect Park

Ryder Korczak (Kamloops Blazers)

The New York Ranger prospects are returning from their holiday break and the newest member of the "this prospect deserves his NYR ELC" Ryder Korczak of the Moose Jaw Warriors picked right up where he left off at the break. The Rangers second of their third-round 2021 NHL Entry Draft picks, Korczak earned the game's second star but with some confusion to go along with it. 

Depending on how you look at things Korczak had either a 3-1-4 game or a 2-1-3 game to help his Warriors to a 7-4 win over the shorthanded Edmonton Oil Kings. The scoresheet says that Korczak had the hat trick but the Warriors game report only credits him with two goals. 

The goal in question was the seventh goal for the Warriors as the only thing clear from the video is that the puck banked in off an Edmonton defender.

It looks to me that while Korczak skates by and appears to have deflected the puck, the evidence isn't strong enough to give him credit for the goal. But let us not nitpick as Korczak hat trick or not still had himself an excellent game. 

Jagger Firkus banks in his 18th of the season off an Edmonton defender!#AllInTogether | @firkus_jagger https://t.co/fQt7JhiO9B pic.twitter.com/vEnXmvixdT

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) December 29, 2021

In the second with his team down 3-2, Korczak tied the game with a wrist shot from inside the slot area. It was his 11th goal of the season and an even-strength goal at 6:14 of the period. Korczak's second point of the night would come on the Warriors' fourth goal when he was credited with a secondary assist as the Warriors took a 4-3 lead at 10:28 on a power-play goal. 

But the young center would make it 5-3 with his second goal and third point of the night. Korczak somehow found a rebound and banged it in for his 12th goal of the season and what would prove to be the game-winning goal.

So depending on who you want to believe Korczak was 2-1-3 or 3-1-4 on five shots and a very nice 15-3 on faceoffs. Overall Korczak leads his Warriors in assists and points no matter which way the scoring winds up. 

Talyn Boyko (Kelowna Rockets)

Goalie Talyn Boyko has nine total wins so far this season, four of those wins have come against the archrival of his Kelowna Rockets, the Kamloops Blazers. The game's second star, Boyko stopped 38 out of 39 shots to help his Rockets to a 2-1 overtime win. 

What makes Boyko so much more impressive against the Blazers is that the Blazers have only eight regulation losses in 28 games. Boyko would give up one first-period goal and then shut the door on the Blazers for the rest of the night. 

It was the third straight win for Boyko and his Rockets as they improved to 14-9-0-3 as Boyko improved to 9-10-1-1 with a 3.40 goals against and a 0.907 save percentage. 

At the World Under-20 Championships, Will Cuylle discovered how life is made easier with one is on the same line as a wunderkind. Cuylle had two assists on one shot and a +3 in 12:12 of playing time as Connor Bedard's linemate as Canada just destroyed Austria 11-2. 

Cuylle has been used as a fourth-line forward playing on both sides with Bedard who if you didn't know who he was before last night then you will before this tournament ends. The 16-yeard old who plays for the Regina Pats in the WHL had four goals on 12 shots (yes 12) in just 14:33 of playing time.

Canada improves to 2-0 in Group A as they face Germany on Wednesday. 

Jayden Grubbe was scoreless on one shot with a -1 and was 13-12 on faceoffs as his Red Deer Rebels rallied from down 5-2 to earn a 7-6 shootout win over the Saskatoon Blades. Grubbe has seen his offense disappear pretty much to nothing and if he wants an NHL contract then he had best find the offense sooner than later.

Matthew Rempe was scoreless on one shot and a -2 while going 8-6 on faceoffs as his Seattle Thunderbirds got spanked at home 6-3 by the Spokane Chiefs. Rempe has his NHL contract but he needs to have a strong second half to not be seen as an ECHL project for next season.

Did Not Play

Dylan Garand was Team Canada's backup goalie against Austria, a smart move by the Canadian coaching staff to get him a game off before back-to-back games.

By now everyone reading this knows that Brett Berard and Team USA had to forfeit their game against the Swiss due to two players testing positive for Covid-19. Not going to add to the mess but like you, I am wondering what happens later today when the USA is scheduled to face Sweden. 

Add Evan Vierling's Barrie Colts to the list of COVID-19 teams in the OHL that has been shut down. The Colts saw last night's game against Owen Sound postponed but have four more games postponed as well. 

Not going to use this space to politicize whether or not one should be getting vaccinated but I will say I will be shocked if the CHL, NCAA, minor leagues, or the NHL all finish the season.