Cuylle's Sixth Goal Is Game Three Winner For Windsor

Will Cuylle (OHL Images)

A Tuesday evening with four New York Rangers prospects in action and the prospects saw their teams go 2-2 on the evening. If you think NHL officiating is bad then I really don't think you will care for the officiating at the junior level. 

One thing is very much for sure and that is the NHL, NCAA, USHL, and the three CHL leagues need to sit down and develop a strong solid developmental program that will train on-ice officials to call a level and consistent game everywhere. What is badly hurting the NHL and the rest of hockey is that you can't find the consistency among the refs in the game.

Game three of the series between Will Cuylle's Windsor Spitfires and the Kitchener Rangers got off to a bad start for the Spitfires as they took a five-minute major penalty just 14 seconds into the contest. They were lucky to only have given up one goal during the major penalty.

But that was pretty much it for the Rangers as the Spitfires would score a shorthanded then a power play goal to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Cuylle would make it 3-1 with his sixth goal of the playoffs at 2:06 of the second period, a goal that would wind up being the winner as the Spitfires scored six unanswered goals to earn a 6-2 win.

The tides are turning @SpitsHockey, they've taken flight in Kitchener! 🛩️

Four straight goals including this one, a perfect pass from @DallasStars prospect Wyatt Johnston to @NYRangers prospect Will Cuylle in the second period #WSRvsKIT pic.twitter.com/pzkNLl808Z

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) May 11, 2022

The Windsor captain would add an assist on the Spitfires fifth goal for his fourth multi-point game in the playoffs and earned the game's second star for his play. Cuylle was 1-1-2 +3 on four shots while going 2-5 on faceoffs.

The Spitfires regained the home ice advantage as they take a 2-1 lead in the series. Cuylle is 6-4-10 in nine playoff games to go along with a +11 (fourth in the OHL), his two game-winners are fifth best, and his 18 penalty minutes are the fourth highest so far. 

Game four of this series is set for Thursday in Kitchener.

I write this moment after the Vancouver Giants defeated Dylan Garand and his Kamloops Blazers 3-2 in game three of their WHL playoff series. I really have to question if it is legal for a defending player to be inside his own goal and be able to use his hand and leg to prevent the puck from going in.

Never ever saw a situation like that before in all the years I have watched hockey but the Blazers in my eyes got robbed by the refs tonight. Yes, it was a home game for the Giants who came into this series trailing 2-0 and now are down just 2-1.

Garand stopped 29 out of 32 shots took his first loss of the playoffs and saw his numbers drop to 6-1 with a 1.41 goals against and a 0.945 save percentage. It wasn't a bad effort by the Kamloops goalie but his teammates could be accused of taking the eighth-seeded Giants way too lightly, especially on Vancouver's ice.

Game four will be Thursday night in Vancouver.

Ryder Korczak and his Moose Jaw Warriors looked bad in their losses in games one and two against the Winnipeg Ice. But home-ice proved to be the cure as they held off the Ice for a 3-2 win to cut the Ice's lead to 2-1 in their WHL playoff series. 

Korczak it turns out was signed to his Rangers ELC last week and had two assists for the night. His first was a primary assist on Jagger Firkus's goal. 

Hey Siri, play 'Moves like Jagger' by Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera.@MJWARRIORS | #NHLDraft#WHLPlayoffs | #WPGvsMJ pic.twitter.com/ajIaThIQHS

— The WHL (@TheWHL) May 11, 2022

It was the kind of play we have gotten used to seeing out of Korczak this entire season. The best comparison I can make for Korczak is Ryan Callahan. Every time the Warriors need a faceoff won, they send out Korczak.

Korczak earned a secondary assist on the Warriors' second goal of the game which gave the Warriors their first lead of the series. Even better about the young future Ranger was that with his team clinging to a one-goal lead, Korczak was out on the ice for the final 1:47 taking six faceoffs and just missing an empty-net goal

The line for Korczak was 0-2-2 +1 on four shots with a double minor for high-sticking and a very nice 17-8 record on his faceoffs. Game four will be Wednesday evening in Moose Jaw.

Brennan Othmann was held scoreless as his Flint Firebirds dropped game three of their OHL playoff series 3-2 to the Soo Greyhounds. The Firebirds lead the series 2-1 as they fell behind 3-0 before their rally was one goal short. 

Othmann was held to four shots as he had a three-game goal-scoring streak stopped. Game four will be in Saute Ste Marie, the home of the Soo.