Showing posts with label Hank Kempf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hank Kempf. Show all posts

Sunday, March 13, 2022

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. 

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:

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.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Garand Returns With A Win

Hank Kempf (Jason Wiu)
Our Friday night report starts with the second round of the ECAC playoffs as two New York Ranger defensive prospects are involved. All told, 11 Ranger prospects saw action in an entertaining evening.

Hank Kempf made his ECAC playoffs debut as his Cornell Big Red defeated the Colgate Raiders 3-1 in game one of their "best of three" playoffs series. Kempf who is still looking for his first career goal at the NCAA level was credited with five shots on goal even though he was scoreless on the night. 

The freshman defender was credited with a +1 and a minor penalty for interference. The Big Red look for the sweep on Saturday and hopefully advance to the ECAC semifinals. Their numbers are not strong enough to earn an "at-large" invite to the NCAA tournament.

Simon Kjellberg and his Rensselaer Engineers let a 3-0 lead getaway as they dropped game one of their ECAC playoff series to the Harvard Crimson 4-3 in overtime. Kjellberg was scoreless on three shots with a -2 and one blocked shot. 

For the second straight playoff series, the Engineers are going to have to win on Saturday to force a game three on Sunday if they want to advance. This time though they will have to do it on the road.

You can catch either game on ESPN+. 

Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers)
After missing eight straight games with a lower-body injury, Dylan Garand returned to the Kamloops Blazers lineup in time to face Talyn Boyko and his Kelowna Rockets. Entering this contest Garand was 0-3 against the Rockets this season and given that Garand has only lost seven games, he badly wanted this win. 

Garand stopped 24 out of 26 shots as the Blazers defeated the Rockets for just the second time in seven games this season. Garand looked really good showing no rust or issues with his "lower-body injury".

It helped that Garand's teammates got the jump on Boyko and the Rockets outshooting them 16-8 in the first period. Garand earned his 26th win of the season to improve to 26-7 with a goals-against of 2.08 which leads the WHL, a save percentage of 0.922 (second WHL), and his 26 wins are second best in the WHL.

For Talyn Boyko, he gave up four goals while facing 37 shots, he didn't play badly, just had the misfortune of playing against a fired-up Kamloops team on their ice. Boyko falls to 24-15-2-1 with a goals-against of  3.08 and a save percentage of 0.909

It is Friday so that means it is time for your Brennan Othmann highlight clip:

Othmann scored his 38th of the season to help his Flint Firebirds earn a big 6-2 win over the second-place London Knights in the battle for the OHL's Western Conference championship. The goal was Flint's third of the game and proved to be the game-winner for the Firebirds who open up a six-point lead over the Knights.

The win is big because the Knights hold three games in hand on the Firebirds so the win puts the Firebirds up in the tiebreaker. Othmann would also earn a primary assist on the Firebirds' fifth goal so his line for the night looks like 1-1-2  on six shots with a +2, and a double minor for high-sticking.

Brody Lamb had a career-best 1-2-3 but it wasn't enough to keep the Youngstown Phantoms from defeating his Green Bay Gamblers 6-5. Lamb would get his Gamblers on the scoreboard with a goal at 12:38 of the first period. 

Point number two would come when Lamb was credited with the primary assist on the Gambler's third goal of the game coming at 19:18 of the second period tying the game at 3-3. The third point was a secondary assist on Green Bay's fifth goal coming at 9:47 of the third.

The 1-2-3 effort improved Lamb's season totals to 15-14-29, a respectable number for a rookie at the USHL level. Remember Lamb is heading to Minnesota of the NCAA next season so this is a nice help for his development.

Ryder Korczak had a quiet night going scoreless as his Moose Jaw Warriors defeated the Calgary Hitmen 5-2. A rare night as Korczak didn't record a shot, was a -1, and went 6-5 on faceoffs.

Evan Vierling was held scoreless as his Barrie Colts defeated the Niagara IceDogs 6-3. Vierling was credited with five shots and was a +1 as he was 12-10 on his faceoffs.

Jayden Grubbe and his Red Deer Rebels hosted the Medicine Hat Tigers in WHL action with the Rebels coming out on top 6-3. Grubbe was scoreless on four shots and was 13-8 on his faceoffs.

Will Cuylle and his Windsor Spitfires dropped a 6-3 decision to the Erie Otters in OHL action. Cuylle would earn a primary assist for his only point as he was 0-1-1 on two shots with a -2 and a minor for hooking. 

The Spitfires captain is a career-best 30-26-56 in 43 games.

Matthew Rempe was scoreless as his Seattle Thunderbirds fell to the Portland Winterhawks 3-2 via the shootout. Rempe was credited with four shots with a +1 and went 8-6 on his faceoffs.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Berard's OT Winner Beats The Black Bears

Brett Berard (Providence Friars)
Saturday night had two thrilling standout performances from the eight New York Ranger prospects who saw action. It was hard to pick which one was the better of the two but in the end seeing a Brett Berard carry his team to an overtime win won out.

Brett Berard had a two goal effort including a breakaway overtime game-winner as his Providence Friars finished their Hockey East regular season with a come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win over the Maine Black Bears.

With the Friars down 2-0, Berard got them on the board with his 16th goal of the season at 5:30 of the second period. The Friars would tie the game in the third period to force overtime. 

And in the overtime period, this might be the best game-winning goal of the season by a Rangers prospect. Berard goals coast-to-coast and flips a backhanded shot into the net for his 17th and a 3-2 Providence win.

Berard finishes the regular season as Providence's leading goal scorer and overall scorer with a 17-20-37 mark. The Friars now have to wait to see who they will face in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs. 

The Friars can finish no worse than seventh which means they will host an opening round contest. This year the Hockey East is having a single-elimination playoff format and Providence's only hope of a NCAA tournament invite will require them to win the Hockey East tournament.

You might forgive the Sarnia Sting if they don't want to face Brennan Othmann anymore this season. Facing Othmann for the third time in six days, Othmann save his best for last as he had a career best 1-4-5 night as his Flint Firebirds spanked the Sting 8-3. 

Over the last three games Othmann is 2-6-8 as the Firebirds extended their point streak to 11 games (9-0-1-1) with the win. Othmann got his night going with a secondary assist on the Firebirds third goal of the game at 12:10 of the second period.

After Sarnia had tied the score at 3-3, Othmann earned his second point of the night when he set up linemate Riley Piercy for the eventual game winning goal. Now on the following clip it is the second goal scored and you have to look carefully to see Othmann make a nice drop pass setting up Piercy.

That goal at 7:01 of the third period made it a 4-3 game and Othmann's third point of the night would come 51 seconds later at 8:00 when he would be credited with a secondary assist on the Firebirds fifth goal of the game.

Point number four would come on linemate Piercy's hat trick goal, a secondary assist for Othmann at 14:28 and a 6-3 Firebirds lead. Finally Othmann would cap his night with his fifth point when he scored his 35th goal of the season on a one-timer from the left of the right face-off circleat 16:45 for the Firebirds eight goal of the game.

At 35-38-73, Othmann is seventh in the OHL for points and second for goals. 

Riley Hughes and his Northeastern Huskies spotted the UConn Huskies a 2-0 lead before scoring five unanswered goals to earn a 5-2 win in Hockey East action. Hughes set up his kid brother for the game-tying goal in the third period. 

For Hughes, the assist was his 10th on the season to improve his season numbers to 2-10-12 for the junior forward. With the win, Northeastern has a chance to win the Hockey East regular season championship as they have three games left in their schedule. 

Jayden Grubbe and his Red Deer Rebels played host to the Regina Pats on Saturday looking to hold off Ryder Korczak and the Moose Jaw Warriors for third place in the WHL's Eastern Conference. The Rebels were able to comeback in the third period to earn a 6-4 win. 

Grubbe who struggled badly on his faceoffs on Friday bounced back with a 13-6 effort to go along with a secondary assist on one shot. For Grubbe the assist improved his totals to 8-14-22 as the Rebels won their fourth straight.

Talyn Boyko and his Kelowna Rockets saw three different winning streaks come to an end on Saturday after a 6-2 loss to the Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers were able to end a seven-game losing streak against the Rockets as well as a six-game losing streak to Boyko this season. 

Boyko lost for the first time in his last five starts as he gave up six goals on 38 shots as he played well in spurts but eventually Kamloops got the better of him. But Boyko did make a highlight reel worthy save in the first period.

Boyko saw his numbers drop to 21-13-2-1 with a goals against of 3.03 and a save percentage of 0.910. 

Brody Lamb was scoreless on one shot as his Green Bay Gamblers bounced back from a 11-3 beating at the hands of Team USA NTDP to earn a 3-2 shoot-out win. It was a badly needed win for the Gamblers as they try to hold on to the sixth and final playoff spot in the USHL's Eastern Conference. 

Simon Kjellberg and his Rensselaer Engineers ended their regular season with a 5-1 loss to the Harvard Crimson. Kjellberg was scoreless on two shots with a -1 as he finished his junior season with a career-best 5-17-22.

Next up for Kjellberg and his teammates is the first round of the ECAC playoffs. Rensselaer finished sixth in the ECAC and will host Dartmouth next weekend.

Did Not Play

Hugo Ollas was the backup goalie for his Merrimack Warriors in their game against New Hampshire.

Evan Vierling and his Barrie Colts saw their game against the Peterborough Petes postponed due to Covid issues with the Petes. No make-up game has been announced.

Matthew Rempe sat out the second game of his three-game suspension for his Seattle Thunderbirds. 

Dylan Garand missed his fifth game for his Kamloops Blazers as they hosted the Kelowna Rockets.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, February 26, 2022

Boyko's 30 Saves Key Kelowna Win

We are in the home stretch for the New York Rangers prospect regular season, for those playing in the NCAAs their playoffs are a week to two away from starting depending on the league they are in. Those playing at the CHL or USHL level still have about a month or so but the race for playoff positioning is very much underway. 

Heading into Friday night's game against the Kamloops Blazers, Talyn Boyko and his Kelowna Rockets were still trying to catch the Blazers. Think of the Rockets/Blazers as the Rangers/Islanders as the two rivals really do not like each other.

On Friday, Boyko stopped 30 out of 31 shots to earn the game's second star as the Rockets made it seven straight wins over the Blazers with a 2-1 win. Since joining the Rockets, Boyko is after Friday 6-0 against the Blazers. 

Boyko wasn't just good on Friday night, he was Igor Shesterkin good as the Rockets won their four straight game and Boyko's fourth straight start. Kelowna's team defense was a huge factor as they limited the Blazers to just six shots in the first period. 

In the second Boyko stopped 16 out of 17 as the teams traded goals but in the third, Boyko stopped all eight shots as the Rockets scored the game-winner. For Boyko, the win improved his season totals to 21-12-2-1 with a goals-against of 2.95 and a save percentage of  0.912.

Boyko is fifth in the WHL in wins and 11th in save percentage. And the win pulled the Rockets to within eight points of the WHL's BC Division leaders and just one point behind Seattle for fourth place in the WHL's Western Conference.

Brett Berard and his Providence Friars entered their final weekend of Hockey East play trying to hold onto home-ice advantage for the first round of the Hockey East playoffs. The good news was they were facing the Maine Black Bears who are 10th in an 11 team league. 

Berard got the Friars going with his 15th goal of the season at 12:38 of the first period.

Just under five minutes later at 17:11, Berard got the secondary assist on what proved to be the game-winning goal as the Friars went up 2-0. They would go on to earn a 4-2 win and kept the hope of home ice alive heading into Saturday's regular-season finale against Maine. 

Berard remains Providence's leading scorer at 15-20-35. 

Ryder Korczak had two secondary assists to help his Moose Jaw Warriors extend their unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-0-1) with a 7-0 spanking over the Swift Current Broncos. Korczak's assists came on Moose Jaw's fourth and fifth goals of the game almost 20 minutes apart. 

The Moose Jaw center was 10-10 on his faceoffs as he took six shots and was a +2 with a minor for high-sticking. The assists improved Korczak's totals to 18-43-61 after 52 games. 

More importantly, for Moose Jaw is the win keeps them in the hunt for the WHL's East Division championship as well as third place in the WHL's Eastern Conference.

Brennan Othmann had two assists as his Flint Firebirds spanked the Sarnia Sting 6-0 in OHL action. Both of Othmann's assists were secondary ones as he was 0-2-2 on four shots with a +2 and minors for tripping and hooking. 

Othmann is 34-34-68 on the season, he is seventh in overall points and second in goals. The Firebirds are 8-0-1-1 in their last 10 games as they lead both the OHL's Western Conference and the West Division.

Evan Vierling played a decent game but the rest of his teammates on the Barrie Colts failed to as they lost to the Sudbury Wolves 8-5. Vierling scored his 12th goal of the season at 18:52 of the second period. 

The goal helped cut Sudbury's lead at the time to 4-3 but it was nowhere near close. Overall Vierling was 1-0-1 on fourth shots on four shots and was 11-6 on his faceoffs. Vierling is 12-20 -32 on the season.

Hank Kempf and his Cornell Big Red visited the fifth-ranked Quinnipiac in the final weekend of regular season ECAC action. Cornell was looking to lock down the fourth seed in the ECAC playoffs and the first-round bye that went with it. 

Cornell was able to edge Quinnipiac 1-0 to clinch at least a tie for the fourth seed with just one game left in the regular season. Kempf was scoreless on one shot as he has been throughout his freshman season.

Cornell needs just one point from Saturday's matchup against Princeton and they will have fourth place and the first-round bye. The end of the game was marred by all ten players on the ice earning roughing minors and misconduct penalties.

Simon Kjellberg was scoreless on three shots as his Rensselaer Engineers defeated Dartmouth 6-3 in ECAC action. Kjellberg was credited with three shots and was a -1.

The win means that Rensselaer will finish no worse than sixth in the ECAC and will have home ice for the first round of the ECAC playoffs.

Jayden Grubbe and his Red Deer Rebels scored twice in the third period to come from behind to defeat the Prince Albert Raiders 3-2. Grubbe was scoreless and struggled big time on faceoffs going 4-10.

Red Deer holds a two-point lead over Moose Jaw in the race for the third seed in the WHL's Eastern Conference.

Riley Hughes was scoreless as his Northeastern Huskies faced off against the UConn Huskies in the first of a critical two-game Hockey East clash.  At stake is one of the top seeds in the Hockey East playoffs and game one went to Hughes and his Huskies. 

Hughes was scoreless with a -1 and a high-sticking minor as Northeastern took the first game 3-1. After the win, Northeastern and UConn are tied for third in the Hockey East standings. Game two is Saturday night.

Brody Lamb and his Green Bay Gamblers went on the road to take on Team USA from the National Training Development Program. They left their game home as they gave up eight goals in the first period as they got blown out 11-3.

Lamb scored Green Bay's first goal of the game in the second period but the game was already over by then. For Lamb, the goal was his 14th of the season as he improved to 14-11-25.

The Gamblers are fighting to earn a berth in the USHL playoffs as they are currently holding the sixth and last spot in the USHL's Eastern Conference. The bad news is their lead is just one point with seventh-place Cedar Rapids holding two games in hand.

Did Not Play

Dylan Garand remains out with a lower boy injury. for his Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers list him as "day-to-day" as he has missed three straight games.

Will Cuylle sat out the second game of his two-game suspension for his Windsor Spitfires. 

Matthew Rempe sat out the first of his three-game suspension for his Seattle Thunderbirds

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, February 20, 2022

Othmann's Firebirds Edge Cuylle's Spitfire in Shootout Thriller

Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)
So stop me if you have heard this one already this week, two top teams face off in a critical matchup. The goalies put on a show as the game ends regulation in a tie, in overtime still tied and it takes eight rounds of the shootout before a winner is decided. 

Another New York Rangers game perhaps? No, but matchup number six between Will Cuylle's Windsor Spitfires and Brennan Othmann's Flint Firebirds. Just like last night this game needed extra time before the Firebirds would finally earn a 3-2 win against their rivals in the OHL's West Division. 

Cuylle would score his 28th goal of the season for the Spitfires while Othmann would go scoreless to end a seven-game scoring streak (4-6-10). Othmann got robbed on a breakaway as I still don't know how Windsor's goalie stopped him.

And Cuylle's goal was another deflected shot that found its way past the Flint goalie. He is 28-20-48 on the season. 


Going to have to start calling Will Cuylle "Magic Man" as the way he can control his stick and deflect shots into the net is something else. You have to look at the plays in slow-motion to see how he can re-direct the puck into the net to believe it. 

But finally, the Flint Firebirds found a way to defeat the Windsor Spitfires as the season series stands at 5-1 in favor of Windsor with two more games left between the two teams.

Talyn Boyko led his Kelowna Rockets to a 3-2 win over the host Prince George Cougars and for the second straight night, Boyko earned a star on the road. Boyko was named the game's second star after stopping 26 out of 28 shots. 

The first goal Boyko surrendered came via video review as the net was being knocked off its moorings as the puck was headed in. It could have gone either way depending on who was the video judge.

Prince George's second goal was a point shot that Boyko appeared to be screened on and never had a chance. In any case, Boyko wins his third straight start and is 10-1 in his last 11 starts.

The Kelowna goalie is now 20-12-2-1 with a 3.10 goals against and a 0.910 save percentage. Boyko is sixth in the WHL for wins and 11th in save percentage. His 0.918 just with Kelowna would have him as 3rd best.

Evan Vierling got his Barrie Colts going with his 11th goal of the season as the Colts spanked the Oshawa Generals 5-1. The goal at 1:20 of the first period opened the scoring as Barrie never trailed in this game.

Vierling improves to 11-19-30 on the season and extended his scoring streak to five games (3-5-8) and the Colts have a three-game winning streak. Barrie has several games in hand on the teams ahead of them in the OHL standings.

Ryder Korczak set up the "dagger" goal as his Moose Jaw Warriors defeated Prince Albert 4-2. The win extended the Warriors' unbeaten streak to five games as they chase Edmonton for the WHL's Eastern Conference title.

Korczak's assist was his 41st and with 18 goals that give him 59 points for the season.v Korczak is third in the WHL for most assists and second in face-off wins.

I do have to share with you guys one heck of a save from this game by Moose Jaw's Carl Tetachuk.


Riley Hughes set up what proved to be the game-winning goal as his Northeastern Huskies got a badly needed win over Boston College 4-1. Hughes set up Matt Demellis for an even-strength goal at 5:18 of the second period putting Northeastern up 2-1 as they went on to win 4-1. 

For the junior forward the assist improves him to 2-9-11 on the season. For Northeastern the win jumps them to fifth in the  Hockey East Standings with five games left on the conference schedule.

Brett Berard was scoreless as his Providence Friars edged the Hockey East-leading UMass-Lowell Riverhawks 3-2. Berard was a +1 on one shot with a roughing minor. 

Providence badly needed this win to have a chance at earning a home-ice advantage in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs.

Jayden Grubbe and his Red Deer Rebels spotted the Winnipeg Ice a 2-0 lead then came back with three unanswered goals in the third period to win 3-2. Grubbe was scoreless with no shots but was 10-6 on his faceoffs.

Hank Kempf was scoreless as his Cornell Big Red defeated Clarkson 6-2 in ECAC action. He was a +2 on one shot as Cornell 15-8-4

Simon Kjellberg had a secondary assist but it was not enough as his Rensselaer Engineers dropped a 5-2 decision to the Yale Bulldogs in ECAC action. Kjellberg earned the assist on the Engineer's second goal of the game late in the third period. 

For Kjellberg, the assist was part of a one-shot with a -1 night. He improves to 5-17-21.

Matthew Rempe was ejected at 1:55 of the first period on his first shift of the game for in my eyes a bogus "knee-to-knee" major penalty. This is what Rempe faces every night, because of his size//

Did Not Play

Hugo Olllas did not get the start for Merrimack against Vermont, as they continue to split the goaltending duties.

Dylan Garand missed his second straight game for his Kamloops Blazers as they hosted the Vancouver Giants. 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, February 19, 2022

Cuylle's Spitfires Earn OT Win Over Othmann's Firebirds

Will Cuylle (Windsor Spitfires)
Another busy Friday night for the New York Ranger prospects as 12 saw action. The night was highlighted by the battle of heavyweight goal scorers as Brennan Othmann and his Flint Firebirds in Windsor to take on Will Cuylle and his Windsor Spitfires. 

Both teams happen to play in the OHL's West Division and even though there are over 20 games remaining in the regular season, these head-to-head matchups become increasingly important with each game. Flint came into this game leading the West Division and the OHL's Western Conference, Windsor was eight points behind but had four games in hand.

This one was as good as advertised with Cuylle's Spitfires earning a 5-4 overtime win. Cuylle got his team going with his 27th goal and 11th power-play to give the Spitfires a 1-0 lead. Somehow Cuylle was able to deflect a shot into the Flint goal coming at 1:53 of the first.

Windsor would score the game's first three goals carrying over to the second period before Othmann would start his team on a comeback. Windsor had gone on the rush but the shot they fired missed and Othmann found the puck in the neutral zone. 

Othmann carried the puck into the attacking zone and he fired a shot that beat the Windsor goalie for his 33rd goal of the season. Those were the only points either player would record in the game. 

Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)

Sorry, Google said the highlights were too big to load here so here is the link to all the goals.

Cuylle improves to 27-20-47 on the season while Othmann is 33-32-64. The Spitfires improve to 5-0 on the season against the Firebirds but the Firebirds hold a six-point lead over the Spitfires in the standings.

Freshman goalie Hugo Ollas wasn't perfect but he was good enough to lead his Merrimack Warriors to a 3-2 win over Vermont in Hockey East action. Ollas stopped 29 out of 31 shots including the last 21 straight shots to earn his team-leading ninth win of the season.

A bad bounce resulted in Vermont earning a 1-0 lead 11:55 of the first period as nothing Ollas could do to prevent the goal. Then after Merrimack had scored to tie the game, Vermont scored shorthanded at 14:35 of the first. 

And that was it for Vermont as Ollas slammed the door shut to help his Warriors move into third place in Hockey East all by themselves. Even more unbelievable is that Merrimack with three games left in the conference schedule has a legit chance of winning the regular-season title and the first seed in the Hockey East conference.

Merrimack has never won the Hockey East championship in the 30 seasons as a member. Ollas is helping to change that as he improves to 9-4 with a 2.07 goals against and a 0.924 save percentage. Nationally the freshman goalie is 11th in goals against and 12th in save percentage. 

The game's first star Matthew Rempe was one assist short of a "Gordie Howe" hat trick as he helped his Seattle Thunderbirds win their sixth straight game 3-1 over the Spokane Chiefs.  Rempe's 12th goal of the season at 2:38 of the second broke a 1-1 tie and turned out to be Rempe's second game-winning goal of the season.

You are going to like this goal as Rempe picked up a loose puck in the crease and used his 6'9 size to his advantage to put the puck in the net.

In addition, Rempe picked up his third fighting major when he dropped the gloves with Spokane's Grady Lane. Rempe took two shots earning a +1 with the fighting major and a roughing minor while going 7-5 on faceoffs. 

The Seattle center is 12-3-15 with 57 PIMs on the season.

Third star Talyn Boyko stopped 26 out of 28 shots to lead his Kelowna Rockets to a 3-2 road win over the Prince George Cougars. Boyko stole this win for the Rockets as he kept them in the game over three penalty kills where he stopped 11 shots to keep the game scoreless. 

Over the first and second periods, Boyko stopped 20 shots but gave up goals in the third while facing eight shots. Boyko improves to 19-12-2-1 on a 3.04 goals against and a 0.910 save percentage.

The Rangers 2021 fourth-round pick is sixth in the WHL for wins.

Evan Vierling returned to the Barrie Colts lineup after missing seven straight as the Colts defeated the Mississauga Steelheads 3-1. Vierling had two primary assists on three shots to go along with a +2 and an 8-3 record on faceoffs.

The assists came on Barrie's first and third goals, the first assist was Vierling digging the puck out of the corner and finding Anthony Tabak for a goal just 1:02 into the first period for a 1-0 lead. The other assist came with Barrie up 2-1 in the second and Vierling digging the puck off the sidewall and hitting teammate Ian Lemieux for the goal at 14:52.

For Vierling, the assists improve his season totals to 10-19-29 as he extends a delayed scoring streak to four games (2-5-7).

Junior defenseman Simon Kjellberg had two assists as his Rensselaer Engineers defeated the Brown Bears 4-2. Kjellberg had a primary assist as well as a secondary assist on one shot with a +3 and a tripping minor.

For the season, Kjellberg is 5-16-21 as he is Rensselaer's second-leading scorer.

Jayden Grubbe was scoreless on three shots as his Red Deer Rebels defeated the Saskatoon Blades 5-3. Grubbe may not have scored but he was 11-6 on faceoffs for his Rebels.

Brody Lamb had an assist but his Green Bay Gamblers lost to the Cedar Rapids Roughriders 4-2 in USHL action. Lamb is 1-3-4 in his last three games as he is now 13-11-24 on the season.

Riley Hughes and his Northeastern Huskies dropped a 4-1 decision to Boston College. Hughes was scoreless on three shots and a +1. 

Hank Kempf and his Cornell Big Red are struggling to find wins after dropping a 2-1 decision to St. Lawrence in ECAC action. Kempf was scoreless as he still has yet to score a goal at the NCAA level. 

Brett Berard and his Providence Friars continued their late-season struggles as they dropped a 3-2 to UMass-Lowell in Hockey East action. Berard was scoreless as even though he remains Providence's leading scorer, Berard has just one goal in his last eight games. 

Did Not Play

Dylan Garand did not even dress for his Kamloops Blazers as he is out due to a lower-body injury. Unknown at this time how long Garand will be out but it is a huge blow to the Blazers as they are fighting the Everett Silvertips for the WHL's Western Conference Championships. 

They are also trying to hold off Talyn Boyko and his Kelowna Rockets for the BC Division lead.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Third Star Cuylle's Twin Helpers Give Windsor A Win

Will Cuylle (OHL Images)
Eight New York Ranger prospects hit the ice on Saturday night with six of them getting to see their team earn wins. While most of the talk has been about Brennan Othmann and his Flint Firebirds, there is another prospect whose team also plays in the same OHL division that could wind up facing each other early enough in the OHL playoffs that the loser could wind up joining the Hartford Wolf Pack for their playoff run.

Will Cuylle already has some AHL experience but because of his birthday is playing for the Windsor Spitfires. Cuylle and his Spitfires hosted their arch-rivals the London Knights and handed the Knights a 5-2 loss. 

The game's third star, Cuylle had a 0-2-2 night that included five shots on goal, a -1, a roughing minor at the end of the first period, and he was 3-2 on faceoffs. In other words, a typical day at the rink for the Spitfires captain. 

Cuylle's assists were both secondary ones with both coming on the power play and the second of the two were on the game-winning goal. It is hard not to like the 6'4 210 power forward who is 26-20-46 in just 35 games. 

Remember this is the prospect who scouts have called a "clean version of the Cap's Tom Wilson". Cuylle has tied his career-best in goals but in 28 fewer games and the same can be said for his assists except in 27 fewer games. 

With the win, Cuylle's Spitfires are in fourth place in the OHL's Western Conference, six points behind Brennan Othmann's Flint Firebirds. Cuylle and the Spitfires hold three games in hand and they will be facing Flint next week in a huge "home and home" series.

Brennan Othmann (OHL Images)
Speaking of Brennan Othmann and his Flint Firebirds, they have been a nightmare for the Erie Otters as after their 5-1 win, the Firebirds are 8-0 this season against the Otters. Othmann and company won their fifth straight game as they maintain a one-point lead over the Soo Greyhounds for first place in the OHL's Western Conference and West Division.

Othmann had two secondary assists including on the game-winning goal as he extends his scoring streak to five games (2-6-8). Flint's only loss in their past ten games has been in the only game that Othmann has not scored in. 

On the season, Othmann is now 31-31-62 good to lead his team and is seventh overall in the OHL.

Ryder Korczak's 18th goal at 7:49 of the second period would prove to be the game-winner as Korczak's Moose Jaw Warriors made it two straight wins over the Calgary Hitmen with a 4-1 win. The goal was an even-strength goal and it tied a career-best as Korczak also set a new career-high with his fourth game-winning goal of the season.

As the tweet said if Korczak gets the puck at that spot in the slot then he is not going to miss from there. One thing of concern is that Korczak has been struggling with his faceoffs as of late as he was 5-10 for the night which is nothing like he has been doing this season. 

The goal gives Korczak an 18-38-56 mark in the WHL as he is second in scoring on his team.

Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers)

In a matchup of the top two teams in the WHL's Western Conference, Dylan Garand, and his Kamloops Blazers traveled to Everett to face the Everett Silvertips. It was as expected a battle of heavyweights that went to the shootout before Kamloops would earn the win 5-4. 

Everett dominated the game over most of the first two periods, earning themselves a 3-0 lead as Garand had one deflected past him in the first period. Everett was able to score a shorthand goal in the second to make it 2-0 and added a power-play goal to make it 3-0.

Garand faced 33 shots over the first two periods stopping 30 of them but he kept Kamloops in a game they were getting pushed around all over the ice. Kamloops would get on the scoreboard late in the second on a power play to send the game into the third period with Everett up 3-1. 

In the third Kamloops found their offensive attack as they scored twice in 21 seconds to tie the game at 3-3. They would take the lead at 4-3 at the mid-point of the third period and looked like they would win in regulation. 

But a questionable penalty on Kamloops gave Everett a power-play with 2:10 left in regulation and Everett scored to force overtime at 4-4. Neither team was able to score in overtime forcing the game to the shootout and Garand was perfect stopping four Everett shots before Kamloops would put one in to earn the win. 

Overall Garand stopped 38 out of 41 shots to earn his WHL best 25th win of the season to go 25-7. He leads the WHL with a goals-against of 2.06 and is second in save percentage with a 0.923.

The win pulled Kamloops to within five points of Everett in the race for the WHL's Western Conference championship.

Matthew Rempe and his Seattle Thunderbirds had little trouble with the Victoria Royals earning a 7-3 win. Rempe scored his 11th goal of the season in the second period scoring Seattle's fifth goal of the game. 

Rempe is 11-3-14 on the season as he was 1-0-1 on two shots and was 6-2 on faceoffs. Seattle won their fourth straight as they chase Portland for third place in the WHL's US Division. They were able to pull to within four points of Portland in the standings with the win.

Brody Lamb and his Green Bay Gamblers dropped their second straight to the Youngstown Phantoms 5-2. Lamb had a secondary assist on one shot as the Gamblers fell four points behind the Phantoms for fifth place in the USHL's Eastern Conference.

For Lamb, the assist gives him a 12-9-21 mark in 39 games.

Hank Kempf was scoreless as his Cornell Big Red spanked Union College 5-2. Kempf didn't register any kind of stats in this matchup.

Simon Kjellberg and his Rensselaer Engineers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Colgate Red Raiders in ECAC action. Kjellberg was held scoreless on one shot with a -2 and a high-sticking minor.

Did Not Play

Evan Vierling of the Barrie Colts missed his sixth game due to a shoulder issue.

Talyn Boyko was the backup goalie for his Kelowna Rockets as they faced the Tri-City Americans.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, February 12, 2022

Boyko And Rockets Get Payback

Talyn Boyko (Kelowna Rockets)
Friday night and eight New York Ranger prospects took to the ice with various results and outcomes. This is the time of the year where contracts can be earned or lost. And it is also time when you want to see the prospects stepping up their game. 

Last Sunday the Everett Silvertips ended the winning streaks of Talyn Boyko and his Kelowna Rocket team. A 6-2 spanking in Everett ended the Rocket's eight-game winning streak as well as Boyko's personal six-game winning streak. 

Friday night it was Everett who came in with an eight-game winning streak and it was Boyko and his Rockets who returned the favor earning a 4-3 shootout win. The game's third star, Boyko came up huge in the third and overtime periods while shutting out the Silvertips in the shootout.

Sorry but in my eyes the Rockets don't even get to overtime if not for Boyko's play in the third. The teams would trade goals over the first and second period but Kelowna's offense or lack of outside of the first period is why Boyko should have been the first star.

The Silvertips were the last ones to score in regulation with their goal coming at 11:42 of the second period. Boyko was so-so up that point surrendering three goals on 15 shots but after the Everett's third goal, a different Boyko played. 

In the third, Boyko stopped all 12 shots that he faced then as the Kelowna offense became more inept, Boyko got better. Kelowna misfired on opportunity after opportunity especially in overtime. Despite having the better of the play and scoring chances, Kelowna could only manage one shot on goal.

Meanwhile Everett was getting their shots on net but Boyko was not letting anything get past him. Everett would get four shots on goal and each was an excellent chance that somehow Boyko stopped. 

In the shootout, Boyko stopped all three Everett shooters for his first shootout win in three tries this season. And the Kelowna folks were calling this the team's biggest win of the season with good reason.

With the win Boyko improves to 18-12-2-1 with a goals against of 3.07 and a save percentage of 0.909.  His 18 wins are sixth best among WHL goalies and remember that Boyko started this season with a 1-6-1 record so he is 17-6-1-1 since joining Kelowna.

Brennan Othmann (OHL Images)

Brennan Othmann and his Flint Firebirds needed overtime to knock off the Guelph Storm 5-4. It was another wild game for the Firebirds as this time they rallied from down 3-0 after the first period to earn the win. 

Othmann had two secondary assists to extend his scoring streak to four games (2-4-6) and 10 of his last 11 games (8-11-20) as the Firebirds won their fourth straight to take over first place in both the OHL's Eastern Conference and the West Division.

The first assist was part of Flint's comeback in the second period as it came on Flint's second goal. The other assist was on the game-tying goal which forced overtime. Othman was 0-2-2 on seven shots with a +2 and a minor for interference. 

The assists improved Othmann 31-29-60 which is seventh among OHL scoring leaders. The 31 goals are third in the OHL as Othmann continues his solid play.

Riley Hughes and his Northeastern Huskies kept their hopes alive to win the Hockey East regular-season title with a 4-2 win over current conference leader and 13th-ranked UMass-Lowell. Hughes had a primary assist on the Huskies' first goal as what was a defensive battle for two periods turned into a battle of survival.

Northeastern had limited UMass-Lowell to just 10 shots over the first two periods but UML dominated the third period outshooting the Huskies 17-4. The Huskies were able to limit UML to just one goal and that was why they won. 

Hughes was 0-1-1 on two shots and a +2 to improve his season numbers to 2-8-10. Northeastern's win improves them to 10-6-1-1 in Hockey East which puts them in fifth place after 17 games.

The Huskies are five points behind first-place UML but hold two games in hand. On Monday the Huskies will face Boston University in the Beanpot final, a game which can be seen on the NHL Network starting at 7:30 pm EDT.

In a matchup of Rangers prospect defensemen, junior Simon Kjellberg and his Rensselaer Engineers knocked off freshman Hank Kempf's Cornell Big Red 6-2. Kjellberg recorded two secondary assists in the second period to help his team turn a 1-2 to a 3-2 lead after two periods. 

Kempf was scoreless on three shots with a -1 as his Big Red extended their winless streak to six games (0-3-3). For Kjellberg, the two assists were part of a 0-2-2  night with two shots and a +1 as he improved to 5-14-19.

Ryder Korczak was limited to just one shot as his Moose Jaw Warriors defeated the Prince Albert Raiders 3-1. Korczak besides being scoreless was 10-6 on his faceoffs.

Matthew Rempe was scoreless as his Seattle Thunderbirds spotted the Victoria Royals a goal and then scored six unanswered to earn a 6-1 win. Rempe was credited with three shots and was 5-5 on his faceoffs.

Brody Lamb and his Green Bay Gamblers dropped a 3-1 decision to the Youngstown Phantoms in USHL action. Lamb was a -1 as he didn't record any other stats. 

Jayden Grubbe and his Red Deer Rebels were spanked 4-0 by the Edmonton Oil Kings in WHL action. Grubbe was limited to one shot and was a -1 while going 8-6 on faceoffs.

Did Not Play

Evan Vierling missed his fifth straight game for his Barrie Colts due to a shoulder injury.

Dylan Garand served as his team's backup goalie in his Kamloops Blazer's contest against the Tri-City Americans.


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, February 6, 2022

Ollas' First NCAA Shutout Leads Merrimack Win

Hugo Ollas (Merrimack College)
2021-2022 has been a very good year so far for New York Ranger prospects from leading goal scorers to leading playmakers and a trio of goalie prospects that are unlike any that the franchise has had before. Saturday saw a shutout, two first-stars, and a second star. 

It used to be that was a week's worth of Ranger prospect action, this season it is fast becoming normal as the deeper they get into the season, the better they have played.

Hugo Ollas and his Merrimack Warriors were not expected to be one of the top teams in the Hockey East Conference this year. But with just seven games left in their conference season, Merrimack is not only looking for a top-four finish but a first-round bye and home ice for the quarterfinals.

Hugo Ollas has been a big reason why and it isn't because he is 6'8. After earning his first NCAA shutout 5-0 over the Maine Black Bears, Ollas since the start of 2022 is 5-1 with a goals-against of 1.30 and a 0.949 save percentage.

There are times when it is unfair that most highlight packages are all about the goals scored as Ollas's night was full of his solid saves. The Ranger's seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has been one nice surprise after another. 

Ryder Korczak (Mooe Jaw Warriors)

Ollas stopped all seven shots he faced in the first, then fourteen in the second, and seven more in the third period to earn his seventh win of the season. At 7-4 on the season with a 2.13 goals against and a 0.921 save percentage for the freshman from Sweden. 

And with the win, the Warriors are holding the fourth spot in the Hockey East standings. Thanks to the Covid issues from earlier in the season, the Warriors also have games in hand on the teams ahead of them in the standings. 

For the Warriors, it is simple, cash in those games in hand and they could wind up as high as second place in the Hockey East standings. The NCAA uses a system called Pairwise to determine who earns an at-large invite to the NCAA tournament after tonight the Warriors are 15th and on the rise.

The game's first star Ryder Korczak was 1-2-3 as his Moose Jaw Warriors won their eighth straight game 5-2 over the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Warriors jumped all over the Tigers with four first-period goals and never looked back. 

Korczak scored his 17th goal of the season, set up the game-winning goal, and added a primary assist on the dagger goal. But it was more than just his offense as Korczak was everywhere all game long. 

Korczak wears number 38 in black as you check out the highlights, he is everywhere and you will love the goal he scores as he is falling down to his knees.

The line for the night was 1-2-3 +2 on two shots and 8-11 on faceoffs. For the season, Korczak is 17-38-55 which is eighth in overall scoring in the WHL and the 38 assists are second in the WHL. Korczak is also 58.1% on faceoffs which is second in the WHL.

Dylan Garand and his Kamloops Blazers rode the ferry out to Vancouver Island for the start of a two-game set with the Victoria Royals. Garand and his mates had little trouble with the Royals earning an 8-2 win as Garand was named the game's first star. 

By all rights, Garand deserved a shutout but his skaters didn't play defense in the third period once they went up 5-0. Both Royals' goals came when Kamloops hung Garand out to dry by not having any defensemen in front of him.

Garand didn't give up a goal until 12:24 of the third when Victoria cashed in on a "2-on-0" breakaway. He made the first and even second save on the play but was down and out on the third shot. The best way to describe Victoria's other goal is to say it was a Ranger's third defensive pair's special, both defensemen were nowhere to be seen as a Victoria player was left all alone in front of Garand. 

Still, Garand was credited with 26 saves on 28 shots as Kamloops won their eighth straight game while Garand won his 24th game and seventh straight start.

The WHL leader in wins and goals-against while second in save percentage, Garand improves to 24-6 with a 1.97 GAA and a 0.926 SV%.

Brody Lamb earned the game's second star as his 12th goal of the season proved to be the game-winner as his Green Bay Gamblers held off the Cedar Rapids Roughriders 3-2. Lamb's goal at 4:54 of the second period, a power-play goal gave the Gamblers a 3-0 lead at the time and the Gamblers held the Roughriders off for the win.

The future Minnesota Golden Gopher, Lamb is now 12-8-20 after 32 games. Lamb has three game-winners and eight of his 12 goals have come on the power-play.

Brett Berard was 1-1-2 as his Providence Friars defeated the Vermont Catamounts 4-1. Berard set up Patrick Moynihan for a power-play goal at 11:26 of the first period to open the game's scoring. 

In the second with Providence up 2-0, Berard scored his team-leading 14th goal when he bounced a shot off the post and in. Despite the 1-1-2 effort, Berard was again held to just one shot for the game and that is not going to help his team earn an NCAA tournament spot.

Overall for the season, Berard is 14-18-32 for the season, Berard leads Providence in scoring and goals. Here are the game highlights:

Jayden Grubbe was scoreless as his Red Deer Rebels spanked the Saskatoon Blades 6-1. Grubbe was credited with two shots with a +1 but was 8-13 on his faceoffs.

Simon Kjellberg and his Rensselaer Engineers took on second-ranked Quinnipiac but lost 1-0. The Engineers played well but Quinnipiac's defense was just too much for them to overcome.

Kjellberg had two of the 16 shots that the Engineers were able to manage. 

Matthew Rempf was scoreless as his Seattle Thunderbirds spanked the Vancouver Giants 7-2. Rempf was credited with two shots, a boarding major, and was 4-7 on faceoffs.

Hank Kempf and his 13th-ranked Cornell Big Red played to a 2-2 overtime tie with Colgate in ECAC action. Colgate won the shootout round to earn the extra point in the standings. 

Kempf was scoreless on three shots.

Did Not Play

Evan Vierling remains out for his Barrie Colts with what is being called a "should" injury. This was the third game that Vierling has missed. 

Talyn Boyko was given the night off by his Kelowna Rockets as he was used as the backup as Kelowna won their eighth straight.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, February 5, 2022

Boyko And Garand Each Win Their Sixth Straight Start

Talyn Boyko (Kelowna Rockets)
There once was a time when the New York Rangers had pretty much zero depth at the goalie position even during the days of Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers were super lucky that Lundqvist rarely missed time with injuries. 

Today the Rangers boast Igor Shesterkin and Alexander Georgiev in goal and Adam Huska is still developing at Hartford. Dylan Garand of Kamloops is signed and can join Hartford after this year.

Talyn Boyko of Kelowna is showing signs that he is going to be a very good goalie and then there is Hugo Ollas of Merrimack who the Rangers can watch him develop for the next three years after this but he too is showing serious promise. 

Rangers goalie guru Beniot Allaire has to be loving life now as if these kids are good before they get to work with him, imagine if you will how good they might become under his schooling?

Talyn Boyko led his Kelowna Rockets to their seventh straight win 4-1 over the Spokane Chiefs. Boyko won his sixth straight start stopped 24 out of 25 shots to earn his 17th win of the season. 

A scoreless first period ended with Boyko facing just eight shots but in the second after his team had taken a 2-0 lead, Boyko was beaten clean over his glove by Spokane's Bear Hughes and it is hard to complain about the goal as Hughes has a nasty shot. 

But that was the only goal that Boyko would give up as he stopped 11 of 12 shots in the second and Boyko's teammates limited the Chiefs to just five shots in the third period. The win gives Boyko a 17-11-2-1 record with a goals against of 2.99 and a save percentage of 0.911. 

Considering that Boyko started the season 1-6-1-0 with a 4.49 goals against and a 0.887 save percentage, then those numbers are remarkable. With Kelowna Boyko is 16-5-1-1 with a 2.52 goals against and a 0.920 save percentage. 

Boyko's 17 wins are sixth best in the WHL, and if you were to look just at his Kelowna numbers then he would be eighth in goals against and third behind Dylan Garand. And Boyko has another year to refine his game with Kelowna as well as a second Rangers training camp.

Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers)
Dylan Garand and his Kamloops Blazers were part of the TSN CHL Game Of The Week as they took on the Vancouver Giants for the ninth time this season. If you thought I was the president of the Dylan Garand fan club, trust me compared to Craig Button of TSN I am not even close. 

Button and the TSN crew were singing Garand's praises from the pre-game to post-game. 

Button: 

          Garand stops all the shots he sees and rarely fails to stop those he can't see. He is one of the best technically sound goalies in the WHL. He isn't the biggest goalie but he is one of the best at positioning.

Garand won his sixth straight start and Kamloops won their seventh straight game over the Giants. It wasn't pretty as the first goal Garand gave up was one he would admit he should of stopped. 

The other goal that he gave up wasn't his fault as Garand was the victim of as perfect a screen as you could have. In all, Garand was 23 of 25 for the night as he earns his WHL best 23rd win of the season.

His 1.97 goals against is best in the WHL and his 0.925 save percentage is second best. And while Kamloops is now 8-1 against Vancouver, if the season ended today they would face each other in the first round of the WHL playoffs. 

It has been a rough season for Riley Hughes of the Northeastern Huskies as a lower body injury cost him two months and eight game on the season. The Rangers 2018 seventh round pick hasn't been much of an offensive weapon during his first two seasons at Northeastern and entering Friday's game against Vermont with just one goal.

Hughes had a goal as well as an assist to help Northeastern edge Vermont 5-4. His goal was a true power forward's goal, coming in on the attack but even after several views, I still don't know how Hughes beat Vermont's goalie but it was a sweet goal coming at 5:37 of the third period and giving Northeastern the lead for good at 3-2.

Hughes is in his junior season at Northeastern and in all honesty it might take a miracle for him to earn a contract from the Rangers. Hughes is 2-7-9 in 18 games this season.

Simon Kjellberg had a two-point night but his Rensselaer Engineers lost to the Princeton Tigers 3-2 in ECAC action. For the third time, this season Kjellberg was 1-1-2 as the junior defenseman has quietly been a bright spot for the inconsistent Engineers.

Kjellberg earned his first point on the Engineers' first goal when he was credited with a secondary assist. It was a power-play goal and gave the Engineers a 1-0 lead in the first period. Kjellberg would score in the second period on a different kind of goal for him.

With the teams at even-strength, the junior defenseman started creeping in from the point and a point shot happened to rebound right to his stick and Kjellberg banged in it for his fifth goal of the season. The goal was a new career-best for Kjellberg as he improved to 5-12-17 (also a new career-best) which is third-best on the Engineers.

Matthew Rempe returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds lineup as his team spanked the Prince George Cougars 7-2. Rempe had a goal in his return on just one shot and a +1 while going 8-5 on facroffs.

The goal was Seattle's seventh of the game coming at 12:41 of the third period. Rempe put back a rebound of a teammate's shot for his 10th goal of the season and 13th overall point.

Brennan Othmann had a secondary assist as his Flint Firebirds defeated the Kitchener Rangers 5-2. Othmann earned his point on the Firebirds' first goal of the game.

The assist was Othmann's 27th and overall he is 30-27-57 as his 0-1-1 came on a game-high seven shots. Othmann remains the OHL leader in goals and sixth in overall scoring.

Ryder Korczak saw his seven-game scoring streak (4-7-11) end but his Moose Jaw Warriors won their seventh-straight game 3-1 over the Swift Current Broncos. It wasn't a strong effort by Korczak as he was limited to just one shot and he was 5-12 on his faceoffs. 

Jayden Grubbe was scoreless on one shot as his Red Deer Rebels edged the Prince Albert Raiders 2-1. It wasn't one of Grubbe's better nights as he struggled on his faceoffs going 6-11.

Will Cuylle and his Windsor Spitfires got spanked by their archrivals the London Knights 5-1. Cuylle had a secondary assist on the Spitfire's only goal as he registered five shots and was a -1.

The assist improves Cuylle to 24-18-42 on the season.

Hank Kempf and his 13th-ranked Cornell Big Red are winless in their last four games (0-2-2) as they dropped a 3-2 decision to Colgate. Kempf was scoreless on four shots and a +1.

Brody Lamb and his Green Bay Gamblers dropped a 3-1 decision to the Chicago Steel. Lamb was only credited with just one shot and was a -1.

Brett Berard was scoreless as his Providence Friars dropped a 2-1 decision to the UConn Huskies. Providence barely had any kind of offense as Berard didn't even register a shot on goal.

Did Not Play 

Hugo Ollas was the backup goalie for the Merrimack Warriors.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Boyko Earns Fifth Straight Win

Talyn Boyko (Kelowna Rockets)
There were 10 New York Ranger prospects originally scheduled to play on Saturday but only seven would actually see the ice. It was a different kind of night as bad starts yielded positive outcomes.

Talyn Boyko got off to a bad start allowing a goal on the first shot that he faced. It looked even worse when Boyko's Kelowna Rockets limited the Vancouver Giants to just two shots total in the first period.

Then it looked even worse when that 1-0 first-period lead carried all the way to the third period as Kelowna couldn't solve Vancouver's goalie. Finally, Kelowna would score to tie the game at 9:53 and then take the lead at 11:19 before finishing off the Giants with a shorthanded goal at 15:40 for a 3-1 lead and eventual win.

The second of the Ranger's two fourth-round draft picks, Boyko after the initial goal would stop 24 straight shots to earn the game's first star and extend the Rockets' winning streak to six straight games. Even better for the Rockets is that they pulled to within three points of fourth-seed Seattle (two games in hand) and five points of third seed Portland (four games in hand). 

This is very much not the same goalie who got off to a 1-6-1 record with Tri-City. The win improved Boyko to 15-5-1-1 2.59 GAA 0.919 SV% as a member of the Rockets and 16-11-2-1 with a goals-against of 3.05 and a save percentage of 0.910.

Brody Lamb (Green Bay Gamblers)
Brody Lamb earned the game's third star as his Green Bay Gamblers defeated the Muskegon Lumberjacks 5-4 in overtime in USHL action. Lamb had a goal and a secondary assist for the Gamblers as they split their weekend set with the Lumberjacks.

The Ranger's first of their 2021 fourth-round draft picks, Lamb earned his secondary assist on Cameron Lund's power-play goal in the second period. At the time it would give his Gamblers a 3-2 lead.

In the third, Lamb would score his 11th goal of the season at 15:43 giving his team a 4-3 lead. Lamb improved his season numbers to 11-9-20 in 34 games.

Ryder Korczak and his Moose Jaw Warriors won their sixth-straight game 4-1 over the Regina Pats. Korczak got the Warriors going when he scored his 16th goal of the season on the power play at 6:11 of the first period.

It won't be until the third replay that you can see Korczak jump into the play and fire the puck in the "five-hole" for goal. The more you see of the Warriors center, the more you are going to like of his all-around game.

For the game, Korczak was 1-0-1 -1 on four shots and 10-6 on faceoffs. Korczak is 16-36-52 with a seven-game scoring streak (4-7-11).

Brennan Othmann took over the OHL lead in goal scoring as his Flint Firebirds earned their fifth straight win 4-2 over their rivals the Saginaw Spirits. Othmann's goal was Flints' fourth of the game coming at 9:48 of the third period giving the Firebirds a 4-1 lead at the time. 

The Firebirds captain scored off a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle. The sixth-leading scorer in the OHL, Othmann improved to 29-26-55 on the season.

Jayden Grubbe set up the game-winning goal as his Red Deer Rebels won their third straight with an 8-1 spanking of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Grubbe set up Dallon Mellin for Red Deer's second goal of the game at 10:11 of the first period. 

A quiet game for Grubbe as he now has points in three straight games to improve to 8-12-20 on the season. Grubbe was 8-8 on his faceoffs but didn't record a shot on goal in this game. 

The win pulled the Rebels to within two points of the WHL's Central Division leaders the Edmonton Oil Kings and four-point of Eastern Conference-leading Winnipeg.

Evan Vierling and his Barrie Colts dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime decision to the Soo Greyhounds. The Colts who scored at 19:59 of the third period lost when the Greyhounds scored just 46 seconds into the overtime period.

Vierling had a secondary assist on Barrie's first goal to give himself a three-game scoring streak (2-3-5) did not record any shots as he was a -1. He did however go 12-5 on his faceoffs as Vierling improves to 10-17-27 on the season

Hank Kempf and his eighth-ranked Cornell Big Red played rival Harvard to a 2-2 overtime tie. Harvard earned the extra point in the standings by winning the shootout.

Kempf was scoreless on one shot on goal.

Simon Kjellberg and his Rensselaer Engineers were shut out 2-0 by Union College in their annual Mayor's Cup matchup. Kjellberg was credited with one shot on goal and a -1.

Did Not Play

Will Cuylle and his Windsor Spitfires saw their road game against the Erie Otters postponed due to Covid protocols on the Otters' side.

Matthew Rempe missed his third straight game for his Seattle Thunderbirds. Covid is suspected since Rempe has not appeared on any injury list.

Dylan Garand got the night off as he served as the backup goalie for his Kamloops Blazers.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Korczak. Grubbe, And Boyko Have Big Nights For Their Teams

On Henrik Lundqvist night, it was kind of fitting that two New York Ranger goalie prospects helped to lead their teams to wins. But the player who I thought was the key player on Friday night for some reason did not earn a star despite scoring the game's biggest goals.

Ryder Korczak had a 1-1-2 evening as his Moose Jaw Warriors earned their fifth straight win coming from behind to defeat the Winnipeg Ice 5-4 in the shootout. It was Korczak's goal at 17:01 of the third period that tied the game at 4-4 and forced overtime.

Korczak who had the secondary assist on the Warrior's third goal improved his season totals to 15-36-51 which is second-best on his Warriors' team. The 51 points enter Korczak into the WHL's top ten in scoring at number 10. 

The 36 assists are third-best in the WHL as Korczak is looking like a bargain as just a third-round pick. But Korczak wasn't done with the heroics as in the shootout with his team up 1-0 after two rounds of the shootout, Korczak had a chance to finish off the Ice.

The Warriors trail third-place Red Deer by seven points in the WHL's Eastern Conference, they still have a chance somewhat slim to catch the three ahead of them but proved that they can play with all three.

Speaking of Red Deer, whoever lit a fire under the Red Deer captain Jayden Grubbe deserves a steak dinner on the Rangers. The game's first star, Grubbe was a monster on the ice from hitting everything that moved on the ice to go 13-9 on his faceoffs and scoring his eighth goal of the season on a game-high six shots. 

Maybe Grubbe's knee finally feels good or whatever, this version of Jayden Grubbe is exactly the kind of physical power forward that the Rangers so badly need. Red Deer uses him against the other team's best center, plays him on the first power play and penalty kill units. 

Oh and the goal

Imagine trying to stop who is built like the New York Islanders Anders Lee coming down the slot at you? Lee is the best comparison I can make to Grubbe who is now 8-11-19.

Talyn Boyko earned his first WHL shutout as a member of the Kelowna Rockets after he stopped all 25 shots that the Vancouver Giants fired at him as the Rockets had little trouble with the Giants earning a 6-0 win. The game's second star, Boyko really wasn't tested by the Giants as he was aided by a strong Kelowna defense which limited the Giants to 0 for 5 on the power play.

Still, it is just the second shutout in Boyko's WHL career and it gives the Rockets a four-game winning streak as they chase Seattle for the fourth playoff seed in the WHL's Western Conference. The Rockets are six points behind Seattle but hold three games in hand.

The WHL stats for some reason have not updated Boyko's stats but I believe after Friday not, Boyko is 15-11-2-1 with a four game winning streak. Since the trade from Tri-City where Boyko was 1-6-1, Boyko is 14-5-1-1.

Brennan Othmann and his Flint Firebirds came from behind twice before finally defeating the Soo Greyhounds in overtime 5-4. Othmann had a quiet game by his standards with just his 28th goal to show for the night. 

The captain of the Firebirds extended his scoring streak to five games with the goal which came at 1:06 of the third period and tied the game up at 3-3. Othmann is 28-26-54 which is sixth in OHL scoring while the 28th goal is second best in the OHL. 

Dylan Garand had a really easy night as his Kamloops Blazers just dominated Victoria Royals 6-1. Garand faced a total of 11 shots for the entire game (Three in first, five in second, three in third) as the Blazers scored three times in the opening 5:07 of the first period and this game was over.

For Garand, the win improves his record to 21-6 tops in the WHL. Garand saw his goals-against lower to 1.96 (first in WHL) and his save percentage to 0.928 (second in the WHL). 

Brett Berard and his Providence Friars edged eighth-ranked Massachusetts 2-1 in Hockey East Action. Berard was scoreless and did not record any shots but was called for a slashing minor at the end of the first period.

The win gave the Friars third place in Hockey East and pulled them to within three points of second-place Massachusetts. 

Will Cuylle had a quiet night as his Windsor Spitfires edged the Guelph Storm 3-2. Cuylle was scoreless on four shots with a -1 and was 3-1 on faceoffs.

Brody Lamb and his Green Bay Gamblers dropped their second straight game 5-4 to the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Lamb had a primary assist along with minors for roughing and cross-checking. 

Lamb is 10-8-18 on the season but his Gamblers fell to 15-15-2-1 in sixth place of the USHL's Eastern Conference. The Gamblers are five points out of a playoff spot with three games in hand.

Riley Hughes and his 15th-ranked Northeastern Huskies dropped a 2-1 decision to 14th-ranked UMass-Lowell in Hockey East action. Hughes was scoreless on just one shot with a minor for hooking as the Huskies dropped their third straight.

Hank Kempf and his ninth-ranked Cornell Big Red played to a 2-2 overtime tie with Dartmouth as Dartmouth earned the extra standings point via the shootout. Kempf had a quiet night going scoreless and taking just three shots.

Did Not Play

Matthew Rempe missed his second straight game for the Seattle Thunderbirds. The T-birds have been hit hard by Covid but there has been no word as to whether Rempe has it or not.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)