Boyko And Garand Go Toe To Toe For 12 Shootout Rounds

Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers)

In the 18 plus seasons that I have been covering the New York Rangers prospects, never have I seen as good a year as the 2021-2022 season been. In just pure entertainment value alone these prospects have put on the kind of show that screams that better days are coming for the franchise. 

Saturday had everything from elimination games to what was the very best head-to-head matchup of Ranger goalie prospects I have ever watched. Dylan Garand of Kamloops and Talyn Boyko of Kelowna combined to stop 64 out of 71 shots during regulation and overtime.

The two goalies then combined to stop 19 out of 24 shots in a 12 round shootout before Garand's Kamloops Blazers earned a 4-3 win over the Boyko's Kelowna Rockets. That neither goalie was awarded a star just for their performance in the shootout is a crime.

The game itself had several different chapters to it as it looked like Kamloops was going to blow Kelowna out in the first period scoring twice in the game's first 8:21 but Boyko kept the Rockets in the game by limiting the damage to just those two goals. 

Talyn Boyko (Kelowna Rockets)

In the second with Kamloops still dominating the game, Kelowna would finally break through with a goal cutting the lead to one at 2-1. In the third the Blazers would go up 3-1 before the Rockets would score twice in 54 seconds to tie the game up at 3-3. 

It should be mentioned that the first five goals scored in this game by both teams were all on the power play, with just one even strength goal for both teams. The game would go into overtime and then the shootout.

Kelowna would shoot first in each round and it took five rounds before anyone would score. In fact until the 12th and final round the teams would match either other shot for shot until Kamloops finally got the win in the 12th round. 

Boyko fell to 24-15-2-2 with a goals against of 3.07 and a save percentage of 0.909. Garand saw his numbers go to 27-7 with a goals against of 2.10 and a save percentage of  0.922. 

The real winners of this contest has to be the New York Rangers as they have two excellent goalie prospects in the WHL and both are proving that they will be excellent asset for the team.

Staying Alive

Simon Kjellberg and his Rensselaer Engineers have forced a deciding game three after earning a 4-3 double-overtime win over Harvard to tie their ECAC quarterfinal series at 1-1. Kjellberg was scoreless on two shots (both came in overtime) with a +3. 

So Sunday, the Engineers look to win their second straight series after losing the first game. 

Stay alive isn't a fair thing to say about Hank Kempf and the Cornell Big Red as they dropped game two to Colgate 4-2. A chance to punch their ticket to the ECAC semifinals was missed as Colgate broke open a 2-1 game with two more goals in the second period. 

Cornell played with a huge lack of on-ice discipline and it hurt them. Kempf had one shot and was a -1.

Advancing

Riley Hughes and his top-seed Northeastern Huskies are headed to the Hockey East semifinals next week after holding on for dear life to eliminate Boston College 3-2. The Huskies jumped out to a three-goal lead in the second period. 

Hughes was scoreless and had two shots but his defensive play late in the third period was a major factor as to why Northeastern survived. Up next for the Huskies is a date against the UConn Huskies next Friday night.

The Rest Of The Prospects

Will Cuylle's goal at 2:35 of overtime gave his Windsor Spitfires a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Erie Otters. 

Cuylle wins it in overtime!

⁦@NYRangers⁩ prospect Will Cuylle scores his 31st goal of the season off Wyatt Johnston's assist to secure the overtime win for @SpitsHockey 🎥 pic.twitter.com/17h5t89YCl

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) March 13, 2022

The game's third star Cuylle goal was his 31st and seventh game-winner as Windsor rallied from down 3-1 to earn the win. Cuylle also had the primary assist on Windsor's first goal of the game coming at 16:40 of the first period tying the game at the time at 1-1.

The 1-1-2 night came off four shots with a +2 and a 5-2 record on faceoffs. For the season Cuylle is 31-27-58 in 44 games.

Brennan Othmann with his 39th goal of the season:

Othmann ties the record! 🚨🚨@NYRangers prospect Brennan Othmann (@BOthmann78) scores his 39th goal of the year to tie the @FlintFirebirds' single-season scoring record 🎥 pic.twitter.com/F5JHKpG5Sg

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) March 13, 2022

The record that they are talking about is the single-season goal-scoring for the Flint Firebirds. It was a power-play goal in the second period for Othmann (his 10th) and put the Firebirds up 4-2. 

Othmann is now 39-39-78 on the season, he is seventh in points for the OHL and second in the league for goal scoring.

Jayden Grubbe had a primary assist on his Red Deer Rebel's first goal as they would go on to earn a 6-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers. Grubbe was credited with one shot with a -1 and was 14-9 on faceoffs. 

Grubbe improved to 9-19-28 just one point shy of his career-best.

Evan Vierling had a primary assist as his Barrie Colts earned a 5-2 win over the Mississauga Steelheads. Vierling set up the Colts' fourth goal on a night where he was 0-1-1 on one shot with a +1a minor for hooking and 5-6 on faceoffs.

Pretty sure Matthew Rempe is headed for his fourth suspension of the season after being ejected for boarding and fighting in the first period of his Seattle Thunderbirds game with the Everett Silvertips.

Rempe was called for boarding at 9:30 of the first period and earned a fighting major because of it. 

Ryder Korczak had a secondary assist but his Moose Jaw Warriors dropped a 5-2 decision to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Korczak was 0-1-1 on four shots with a -1, minors for roughing and tripping while going 10-6 on faceoffs.

Brody Lamb was scoreless as his Green Bay Gamblers dropped their second straight game to the Youngstown Phantoms 2-0. Lamb registered just one shot and was a -1.

Their Season is over

Hugo Ollas and his Merrimack Warriors saw their season end with a 5-1 loss in the Hockey East quarterfinals to UMass-Lowell. Ollas got the start for the Warriors but only lasted two periods giving up five goals on 22 shots. 

The freshman goalie from Sweden had what has to be seen as a good freshman season as he made the transition to playing hockey in North America. A 10-6 record playing in one of the top NCAA programs is a good start.

As is a goals-against 2.24 and a save percentage of 0.920. The goals against were 14th best in the NCAA and the save percentage was 20th. A prospect to keep an eye on for the future. 

Brett Berard and his Providence Friars saw their season end with a 4-2 loss at UMass in the Hockey East quarterfinals.  Berard was held scoreless on three shots with a -1 as he ended the season as Providence's leading scorer at 18-20-38.

The temptation will be for Berard to leave school after his sophomore season but if I was Chris Drury, I would tell Berard to go back to school for another year because (a) he needs to improve his body, adding muscle to his lower body and (b) show some consistency with his overall game.

There is the other question as to what is his NHL future? Is he a goal scorer or a playmaker to me the answer is a playmaker who can chip in an odd goal here and there.