Grubbe's Goal Helps Red Deer Earn OT Win

Jayden Grubbe (Red Deer Rebels)

The New York Rangers prospects playing at the junior level are into the final two weeks of regular season play and all but one prospect is playoff bound. Five prospects saw action on Friday with some mixed results.

Jayden Grubbe and his Red Deer Rebels have quietly made a late-season run at the WHL's Central Division title. Friday night they had to rally twice before earning a 5-4 overtime win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. 

The Red Deer captain, Grubbe had a goal on two shots and was 17-9 on faceoffs to help the Rebels extend their unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-0-1). Grubbe's goal was a blistering one-timer off a centering pass just 40 seconds into the third period, which tied the game at 3-3. 

It was the 14th goal of the season for Grubbe and extended his scoring streak to four games (4-1-5) as he improved his season totals to 14-20-34. The Rebels are four points behind the Edmonton Oil Kings for the WHL's Central Division title with three games left in the regular season.

Dylan Garand and his Kamloops Blazers got more than they bargained for from the Victoria Royals as the teams traded goals all game until Kamloops scored the game-winner with just four seconds left in regulation to earn a 4-3 win. The win kept the Blazers mathematically alive for the WHL's Western Conference championship with three games left.

Garand stopped 17 of 20 shots to earn his WHL-leading 33rd win as he improved to 33-8 with a 2.08 goals against and a 0.929 save percentage. The Kamloops goalie is second in the WHL for goals against and save percentage.

Will Cuylle earned a secondary assist on his Windsor Spitfires first goal as they cruised to a 7-1 win over the Guelph Storm. The win was the 12th straight for the Spitfires as they have clinched the OHL's Western Conference Championship as well as the West Division title. 

Cuylle was credited with four shots as his secondary assist improved his season totals to 42-37-79 as he has set new career highs in goals, assists, points, power -play goals and game-winning goals, a category that he leads the OHL with nine game-winners.

Evan Vierling was scoreless on three shots as his Barrie Colts were spanked by the Kingston Frontenacs 9-3. The only area that Vierling stood out was on his faceoffs as he was 14-2. The Colts are locked into the fifth seed in the OHL's Eastern Conference.

Brody Lamb had the primary assists on both of his Green Bay Gambler's goals, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Gamblers from losing 5-2 to the Chicago Steel. The loss drops Green Bay seven points out of sixth place and the final playoff spot in the USHL's Eastern Conference with just six games left to play. 

Lamb improved to 17-22-39 on the season, which aren't bad numbers as he heads to Minnesota of the Big Ten conference next season.