Spartan recruit Perlini on radar?

The early reports are in. Steve Bernier was an outstanding deadline pick-up by the Buffalo Sabres. The 22-year old wing is viewed as a big ticket item to most, as he's the only immediate return on the deal that sent Brian Campbell to San Jose.

Here at SabresProspects, the focus instead lays on that sparkling 2008 first-round nugget that also arrived with "Big Bear". The NHL draft is our Super Bowl, and the 2008 selection meeting is currently seen as being on the good side of the "weak/deep" forecasting scuttlebut that fans hear about every year.

One name that Sabres fans need to scratch in their mid-round notebooks is that of 17-year old, Brett Perlini. The 6'2, 180-pound center recently left Ohio (USHL) for his hometown Soo Thunderbirds of the NOJHL, where he has posted 16 goals and 27 points in 15 games. Over the past two seasons in the NOJHL, Perlini has scored 54 goals in 63 contests.

Here's an interesting breakdown of his participation in roughly 30% of the Thunderbirds season:

27 points (7th)
16 goals (5th)
6 PP points (t-4th)
4 GWG (t-2nd)
2 SHG (t-2nd)

Set to join 2007 third-round pick Corey Tropp at Michigan State in the fall, Perlini's scoring knack has been on the scouting radar for quite some time now. The Sabres have already deployed a set of eyes out to the Soo for a viewing, with the press box line also including reps from New Jersey, Detroit, Carolina, and Vancouver.

Those who have an opinion on the Sabres use of video as an integral scouting platform can read this two ways. One, they do indeed have evaluators abroad, sipping coffee while taking notes on players. And two, if video is considered a primary viewing mechanism, one could suggest the low-league visit is indicative of the organization's interest level in the swift skating center.

Buffalo would gladly welcome more scoring weaponry in the cupboards. Perlini moves well down the middle, packs an excellent set of hands, and doesn't mind hitting high-traffic areas to get his points. With his purely offensive skill set attractive at any level, the question of where he would play out his teenage years - the NCAA or with the OHL's Soo Greyhounds - became a widely debated topic until his May commitment to the Spartans.

MSU coach Rick Comley preferred that Perlini jump to the Tier I level of the USHL, where he complied by scoring a goal and four assists in 19 games with the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets. As the club struggled, various issues allowed the talented prospect to head back to the NOJHL in January. Since then, his gross production speaks for itself regardless of the tier II competition.

Don't expect Perlini to actually be chosen with the packaged pick from San Jose. The "Campbell for Bernier + ______" equation will likely be completed with a more well-known player from a bigger league. As it is, the six-team NOJHL rarely produces NCAA talent, let alone an NHL first-round draft pick.

After the first two rounds though, draft position is anyone's guess.

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2/28 recap: Byron looks to hang 10

Paul Byron's 33rd goal of the season capped off a five-goal first period in Gatineau's 5-1 win over Saint John. The nifty Byron is always an exciting player to watch. Tonight, he was buzzing from the first drop, using his speed to find seams with and without the puck. In the process, his smallish frame often initiates contact.

Byron has become more effective on faceoffs as the season has progressed. Entering tonight's contest with a 49.3% success rate at the dot, Byron went on to win 10 of 14 draws in the Olympiques victory.

With the goal, Byron's hand stays hot as he extends his season best point-streak to nine games (12-5-17). He'll look to hit double digits on his run tomorrow night at Shawinigan.

In the OHL, Drew Schiestel picked up an assist as Niagara fell to Brampton, 4-2. The assist was Schiestel's 25th of the year, and 31st point overall, for the playoff-bound IceDogs. Niagara returns to action Saturday night at Sudbury.

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2/28 Recap: Shutout shoutout to Enroth

The Sabres European prospects have completed their day's work, while a few others are getting ready to strap it on back on North American sheets.

In a key match-up, SSK netminder Jhonas Enroth made 33 saves to pitch an important 2-0 blanking of Lulea. The shutout was the second of the year for the 2006 second-round pick. Enroth also assisted on SSK's empty-netter in the game's final minute.

Enroth's shutout keeps SSK in the hunt for the SEL's final playoff spot. Winners over Brynas tonight, Skelleftea is still two points in front of Enroth's club with just four games remaining for both teams.

In Germany, Felix Schutz was active with three shots on goal, but he was unable to connect as Ingolstadt was shut out by second-place Berlin, 2-0.

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2/27 Recap: Breault heating up at right time

With the QMJHL playoffs arriving in three weeks, Baie-Comeau's Benjamin Breault is stepping up his play in what should be his final season of junior hockey. Riding a three-game point streak into tonight's action, the 5'11 center scored two goals and added a pair of assists in the Drakkar's 8-3 rout of Shawinigan.

Breault's goals, one short-handed at the mid-point of the first period and a third-period tally on the power play, raise his season total to 30 on the year. The 2006 seventh-rounder now has five goals and six assists in his last four games, and is leading the charge for the first-place Drakkar with just seven games left to play in the regular season.

In HockeyAllsvenskan, Dennis Persson was whistled for a pair of minor penalties, including one for roughing, as Nykopings defeated Bofors, 5-1.

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2/26 Recap: MacKenzie makes the Donuts...

In the only game on the Tuesday night slate, Drew MacKenzie went 0-0-0 0 0 0 in Waterloo's 2-1 win over Chicago. With the win, the Black Hawks now have a three point cushion over the Steel for third place in the USHL's East Division.

On a slow day on the sheet, let's shine on a light on a positive off of it. Reader response to this interview suggested that Brad Eidsness was a well-spoken young man with a good head on his shoulders. It appears the dedication that he brings to the rink transfers to the textbooks, as Eidsness was named the recipient of the 2008 Enerflex AJHL Scholarship.

The $1,500 scholarship is awarded to the player deemed most deserving among the sixteen applicants (one per AJHL team). Applicants were required to submit an essay describing what they have learned from playing hockey and how they can apply this in their lives after hockey. A Selection Committee composed of representatives from Enerflex has determined the recipient based on the required essay, academic performance, and the quality of reference letters from the applicant’s coaches and educators.

SabresProspects would like to congratulate Brad on his stellar season, both in the crease and the classroom. May you spend that $1500 wisely....on books and perhaps a shiny new laptop battery.

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2/25 Recap: Quiet night before the deadline

In the QMJHL, T.J. Brennan had a game high seven hits, but neither he nor Sabres 2007 fifth-round pick, J.S. Allard, were able to earn points as St. John's defeated Quebec, 2-1. Allard has gone without a point in his last three games.

With SSK alternating starts, Jhonas Enroth got a rest as his troops fell to Brynas in overtime, 4-3. Skelleftea also lost, so they remain one point in front of SSK for the final SEL playoff spot. Bjorn Bjurling (EDM) made 29 saves in place of the Sabres 2006 pick.

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Amerks can't find net in loss

The Rochester Americans, playing with just 16 skaters, were shutout for the second straight home game in a 4-0 loss to Houston.

Scoreless after one, the Aeros broke the game open with a three-goal second period. Much like the Amerks loss last Sunday, two of the Aeros goals came on power plays stemming from penalties called on Mike Weber. Weber totaled eight minutes in the box on the night.

The Rundown:

Sekera - even
Funk - even
Zagrapan - even
Weber - 8 PIM, -1
Mancari - -1
Hunter - -1, 2 PIM
Dennis - DNP

Rochester will get a five-day break before hitting the ice against Syracuse on Saturday. By then, perhaps the likes of Clarke MacArthur, Marc-Andre Gragnani, and Patrick Kaleta will be back in the red, white, and blue sweaters of the Sabres AHL affiliate.

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2/24 Recap: A new Lord Byron?

Paul Byron scored a pair of even-strength goals in Gatineau's 6-2 win over Chicoutimi. And so the streak rolls on for Byron, who has now hit the scoresheet in eight straight contests. During the impressive stretch, Byron has 11 goals and five assists for the surging Olympiques.

Philip Gogulla was +2 as Cologne continued their playoff tune-up with a 4-0 shutout of Hannover. Despite not factoring into any of the Sharks goals, Gogulla still has 13 points in his last eight games with just three to go in the regular season.

Also in the DEL, Felix Schutz was pointless with a single shot on goal in Ingolstadt's 5-4 overtime defeat of Iserlohn.

In the OHL, Drew Schiestel was +1 as Niagara dominated Sudbury, 4-1.

T.J. Brennan and J.S. Allard were both held scoreless as St. John's lost in the shootout to Shawinigan, 3-1. Both Sabres prospects were chosen as Foggies shooters, but were stopped by Cataractes goaltender, Kevin Maletto.

Brad Eidsness got a rest today as his Okotoks Oilers played to a 2-2 tie with Drumheller.

We'll be back shortly with an update on the Amerks game against the Houston Aeros. The teams are scoreless after one. Rochester is playing with just sixteen skaters tonight - including 10 forwards.

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2/23 Recap: Breault goes 1-2-3 for B-C

2006 pick Benjamin Breault scored his 28th goal of the year and added a pair assists in Baie-Comeau's 6-3 win over Quebec. Breault, whose goal came while being down a man, was named the game's first star with his three point night. He now has 63 points in 54 games as the top-line pivot for the Drakkar.

Steady IceDogs defender Drew Schiestel assisted on the first two Niagara goals in their 4-2 road defeat of Peterborough. The 2007 2nd round pick continues to impress after an up-and-down run through the early parts of the season.

T.J. Brennan scored for the second straight night as St. John's defeated Drummondville, 2-1. The first pick of the second round in last June's draft, Brennan now has 12 goals and 34 points for the Fog Devils. Foggies forward J.S. Allard went pointless in the two game set with the Voltigeurs.

In Elitserien, Jhonas Enroth made 21 saves as SSK was defeated by Timra, 1-0. Despite the loss, Enroth is still sparkling with a .928 save percentage and a 2.18 GAA. Meanwhile, SSK remains on the outside looking in by just a point as SEL teams start looking towards the playoffs.

Nick Eno made 22 saves to earn another "W" in Bowling Green's 2-1 win over Ferris State. The weekend split with the Bulldogs was the second time all season that Eno started both games of a weekend set over Flames prospect Jimmy Spratt. The steady frosh has now collected 11 of the Falcons 16 wins on the year.

Tim Kennedy scored his 16th goal of the season on the power play, but his Spartans allowed a goal in the final minute of all three periods en route to a 5-2 loss to Michigan at Joe Louis Arena. In the second period, a Jeff Petry shot rebounded in the high slot to a waiting Kennedy who potted his third goal in four games. Freshman right wing Corey Tropp punched up one shot on goal in the loss. The Spartans will close the regular season next weekend against Eno and the Falcons.

Alex Biega was even with five shots on net as Harvard defeated Brown, 2-1. The Crimson have now won four straight games since their loss to Boston College in the finals of the Beanpot.

Andrew Orpik scored the only Eagles goal right out of the penalty box, his fifth of the season, as Boston College dropped another game to New Hampshire, 5-1. Nathan Gerbe was held scoreless with five shots on goal for the second straight night, and has just one point in his last five outings.

Chris Butler was even as Denver used a weekend broom on Alaska-Anchorage, 3-1.

Matt Generous was -1 as St. Lawrence lost to union, 3-1. The Saints lost their fourth straight game despite out-shooting the Dutchmen 47-26.

Brad Eidsness faced just 17 shots, stopping 15 of them, as Okotoks defeated Camrose by a 3-2 score.

Drew MacKenzie registered a shot on goal as Waterloo exercised the weekend sweep over Green Bay with a 2-1 win.

Tonight also marked the NHL debut of Sabres prospect Marc-Andre Gragnani, who appeared in a Buffalo sweater in their 4-3 loss to the Rangers. Drafted as a defenseman but playing well as a wing at the AHL level, Gragnani was -1 with two hooking penalties in nearly six and half minutes of ice time. The hooking calls were the result of not moving his feet, something that can't be done at the top level. It's an overwhelming experience to play in your first NHL game, so he shall receive a mulligan from SabresProspects.com.

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2/22 Recap: Gogulla passes in the clutch

In DEL play, Philip Gogulla continued to rack up assists with two more in Cologne's 5-4 OT win over Duisburg. Down 4-2 with under three minutes to play, Gogulla picked up the primary helpers as the Sharks rallied with two goals in 1:40 to force the extra session. The Dusseldorf-born left wing furthered his career best totals of 31 assists and 41 points as Cologne clinched a playoff birth with the win.

Felix Schutz assisted on the game's first goal as Ingolstadt edged Straubing, 4-3. The 2006 fourth-rounder will carry a season-best three-game point streak into Sunday's contest with the Iserlohn Roosters.

Michigan State LW Tim Kennedy scored a goal and an assist as the Spartans upended top-ranked Michigan, 5-2. Just 18 seconds after Justin Abdelkader gave the Spartans a 3-1 lead, the Buffalo native pounded home an Abdelkader rebound to break the game open in the early third. Kennedy was one of three Spartans to post a game-best +3 in the big win at Munn. Buffalo's 2007 third-rounder, Corey Tropp, hit a post on a first-period breakaway, and ended up scoreless for the Spartans.

Chris Butler scored the game-winning goal while short-handed to give Denver a much-needed 4-2 victory over Alaska-Anchorage. Breaking down the ice on a two-on-one, Tyler Bozak delivered a perfect pass to Butler who directed the puck home for the Pioneers. The goal was Butler's second of the season after a 2006-07 campaign which saw him pot 10 from the Denver blue line.

Matt Generous netted his third goal of the year as St. Lawrence fell to RPI, 4-2. Down 3-1 in the third, Generous went hard to the net to finish a give-and-go pass from Casey Parenteau. RPI was strong down the stretch as the Saints continued their season-long struggle.

Freshman goaltender Nick Eno made 39 saves for the second consecutive start, but this time the result was different as Bowling Green lost to Ferris State, 2-1. Ferris dominated from the get-go as 33 of Eno's stops came in the first forty minutes.

Boston College LW Nathan Gerbe fired seven shots on the Wildcat net, but proved unsuccessful in the Eagle's 2-0 shutout loss to #3 New Hampshire. The crucial loss leaves Boston College trailing UNH by eight points for the Hockey East season title. Like the rest of the Eagles squad, junior RW Andrew Orpik had a quiet night in defeat.

Alex Biega notched an assist in Harvard's 6-1 trouncing of Yale.

Paul Byron had an assist in Gatineau's 3-2 loss to Drummondville. With twelve seconds to play, Byron set-up a Jean-Philip Chabot goal to send the game into overtime. The assist extends Byron's point-streak to seven games.

In the OHL, Drew Schiestel was even in Niagara's 2-1 win over Mississauga-St. Mike's.

Drew MacKenzie was +1 as Waterloo beat up on Green Bay, 6-1.

Dennis Persson went scoreless as Nykoping took it on the chin in a 9-3 loss to Leksands.

In the AHL, Binghamton used three power play goals to shut down Rochester, 4-0. Adam Dennis made 22 saves to take the loss in his ninth straight start in the Amerks crease. Bad blood permeates this rivalry, and the night's chippiness resulted in Mark Mancari and Mike Funk each receiving misconducts as part of the festivities.

Defenseman Mike Weber missed the game to attend the funeral of former teammate and close friend, Mickey Renaud. The Amerks were also without F/D Marc-Andre Gragnani, who earned his first call-up to the NHL thanks to his fine play of late as a forward.

The rundown:

Dennis - 22 saves
Mancari - 12 PIM, 6 SOG
Funk - 12 PIM
Zagrapan - 3 SOG
Sekera - 4 SOG
Hunter - 3 SOG
Weber - DNP
Hunter - 3 SOG

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2/21 Recap: Brennan comes up short

T.J. Brennan scored his 11th goal of the season in the final minute of play, but it was too little too late as St. John's fell to Acadie-Bathurst, 3-2. The short-handed goal was Brennan's first this year for the Foggies. J.S. Allard was pointless with a pair of minor penalties in the loss.

Brad Eidsness made 30 saves in Okotoks' 3-2 loss to top-ranked Camrose. All the scoring was done in the first period, with the Sabres 2005 fifth-round pick making 19 stops the rest of the way. Unfortunately, the Oilers couldn't get another mark on the board while he was doing so to take the loss.

Jhonas Enroth had the night off as SSK held off Mora, 1-0.

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SabresProspects will return Saturday evening

Hi Folks,

After some business related travel, and the ensuing woes of getting back to the bunker, SabresProspects will return full-throttle Saturday evening. Many apologies for delays in getting you the freshest info from Thursday and Friday contests.

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News and Notes: Rough week for Weber

It's been a rough week for Amerks defenseman Mike Weber. First, he returns to the lineup on Sunday after a two game suspension, only to carry his physical play into penalty box, costing his team two goals against.

"He just wanted to make an impact in his return," Cunneyworth said. "We want him physical and playing the body, but not that way."

Then, he gets a call on Tuesday afternoon with news that his good friend Mickey Renaud had collapsed and died. Weber and Renaud were teammates last season in Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League.

"He was like a little brother to me," said Weber, a rookie defenseman for the Rochester Americans.

Renaud, the son of former Amerks defenseman Mark Renaud, was captain of the Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires and Weber's teammate the past two seasons.

He was drafted in the fifth round, 143rd overall, by the Calgary Flames in June.

"You find yourself asking, 'Why?'" Weber said following practice on Tuesday. "He was my workout partner. Here's a healthy, 19-year-old kid, getting ready to sign a contract with Calgary, and he's gone in a second."

Weber has asked for permission to attend Renaud's funeral and could miss Friday's home game against the Binghamton Senators. The Amerks are home tonight to play the Albany River Rats at 7:05 p.m.

"It's all business (tonight)," Weber said. "He's a hockey player so he'd want me to play. He should have been right here in my shoes next season, playing his first pro season.

USCHO is running an article about Bowling Green's goalie tandem of Freshman Nick Eno (2007, 7th round), and junior Jimmy Spratt (CAL). It's a pretty unique situation for a NCAA club to have two NHL draftees between the pipes.

NHLers in waiting, Eno and Spratt have created a formidable duo in net

Eno, on the other hand, probably couldn't wait to escape his doomed fate with an Eastern Junior Hockey League team called the Green Mountain Glades. He finished his lone year in juniors with nine wins in 25 starts.

"Last year [in juniors], we didn't have the best team, so there were a few times when I'd see 40 or 50 shots a night," Eno said.

Even with that amount of pucks flying at him some nights, Nick Eno ranked in the top 10 in save percentage and goals against average in the EJHL last winter.

Thus, when Eno started out 4-0 with the Falcons in 2007, and has now continued to a 10-6 mark with two weekends to go, it surely is a refresher for the freshman goalie.

As expected, some suspensions were handed out after the melee at the end of the second period of Saturday's DU-UND contest. Chris Butler wasn't penalized in the fracas, but there's still a nice shot of him looking for a piece of the action in the Denver Post.

The Niagara IceDogs recently held an open skate with the public that also featured a skills competition. Sabres 2007 second-rounder Drew Schiestel took home first place in the puck relay portion of the event. 2008 draftniks get out your clipboard: Alex Pietrangelo's slap shot clocked in at 96 MPH.

Finally, don't look now, but Nathan Gerbe has some company in the national points-per-game race. Senior Ryan Cruthers of Robert Morris picked up three points at Bemidji over the weekend to tie him with the Sabres 2005 pick at 1.52 ppg. Michigan's Kevin Porter is right behind at 1.5 ppg. Gerbe will need to keep pace as #7 Boston College has a key home-and-home battle with #3 New Hampshire this weekend.

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2/20 Recap: Grags bags another; Dennis comes up big

Marc-Andre Gragnani scored short-handed to force overtime in Rochester's 2-1 win over Albany. Skating at a forward position, Gragnani's seventh goal of the year extends his streak to eight consecutive games with a point, and his three shorties are now tops among AHL rookies. Adam Dennis earned the win by stopping 39 River Rat shots (33 in the first forty minutes), while Andrej Sekera added an assist on the Gragnani goal.

The rundown:

Gragnani - goal, +1
Sekera - assist, +1
Weber - 2 PIM
Hunter - +1
Zagrapan - 4 PIM
Funk - even
Mancari - even
Dennis - 39 saves

In the Q, Ben Breault picked up a goal and an assist before getting tossed from the game in Baie-Comeau's 7-1 rout of Quebec. With just under seven minutes to go in the second period, Breault was whistled for a dangerous check from behind on Remparts defenseman Samuel Groulx. The hit earned Breault five and a game, and luckily Groulx, ranked #161 on CSB's mid-term list for next June's draft, seemed uninjured on the play.

In Sweden, Dennis Persson had a power play assist as Nykoping did some routing of their own with a 7-1 win over AIK. Persson now has points in three consecutive games, and is playing steady defensively with the increased ice time he's seeing in HockeyAllsvenskan.

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2/19 Recap: Germans show well in match-up

Philip Gogulla and Felix Schutz each had a goal and an assist as Cologne defeated Ingolstadt, 7-5. Gogulla is now a point shy of 40 on the season for Cologne, while Ingolstadt's Schutz scored his second short-handed goal of the season, and will look for his first three-game point streak on Friday against Straubing.

Jhonas Enroth made 28 saves, but it wasn't enough as SKK lost to Djurgardens, 3-1. With the loss and a Skelleftea win the night before, SSK drops out of the final playoff slot to 9th place in the SEL.

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2/18 Recap: Hockey world rocked by OHL death

Okotoks netminder Brad Eidsness made just 18 saves in the Oilers 4-3 OT win over the Calgary Royals. Despite the win, it appears that Camrose has the AJHL South Division locked up thanks to a win of their own over the Calgary Canucks earlier in the day. Regardless, the Oilers would like to send a reminder that the second season is just beginning when the two clubs lock horns Thursday and Saturday.

In the USHL, Black Hawks defenseman Drew MacKenzie was pointless with three shots on goal in Waterloo's 2-0 loss to Tri-City.

The Sabres prospect happenings are overshadowed by the sudden loss of Windsor Spitfires center, Mickey Renaud. Taken from the world at just 19 years of age, Renaud collapsed at his home Monday, and was pronounced dead just hours later at a local hospital.

Renaud was a 6'3, 220-pound center who was showing promise as a two-way performer. The captain of the Spits, he was a fifth-round pick by Calgary last June.

Anyone who had seen Mickey develop over the past two seasons will tell you that he had a future playing professional hockey like his father, Mark, and uncle, Chris. Mark Renaud played 10 games for the Buffalo Sabres in 1983-84.

With deepest sympathy, SabresProspects.com would like to extend its thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of Mickey Renaud as they deal with the tragic loss.

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Schedule for week of 2/18-2/24

Monday through Thursday will be fairly slow this week, with just ten games to fill the gap. SabresProspects may even get a reprieve from the coffee IV for a few days.

All good things come to an end though, as Friday kicks off a wild 32-game weekend that is sure get the cha-chings going at the Tim Horton's down the block...

Game To Watch

Sabres prospects Philip Gogulla (2005, 2nd round) and Felix Schutz (2006, 4th round) will do battle on Tuesday as Ingolstadt visits Cologne. The meeting will be the third between the German forwards this season, with Schutz (2-2-4, +2) getting the better of Gogulla (1 goal, +2) in the two previous encounters.

Other Notes

Michigan and Michigan State (Tim Kennedy, Corey Tropp) will take the ice for what should be another exciting set to settle the state of Michigan's hockey affairs.

In New England, New Hampshire and Boston College (Nathan Gerbe, Andrew Orpik) will swap home-ice as the top of the Hockey East standings start to settle out.

In the AJHL, Brad Eidsness and the Okotoks Oilers have another home-and-home series with top-ranked Camrose on Thursday and Saturday.


The complete run down:

Monday (2/18)
Waterloo at Tri-City
Calgary Royals at Okotoks

Tuesday (2/19)
SSK at Djurgardens
Ingolstadt at Cologne

Wednesday (2/20)
Albany at Rochester
Baie-Comeau at Quebec
AIK at Nykopings

Thursday (2/21)
Mora at SSK
Okotoks at Camrose
St. John's at Acadie-Bathurst

Friday (2/22)
Niagara at Mississagua-St. Michael's
Drummondville at Gatineau
Yale at Harvard
Ferris St. at Bowling Green
New Hampshire at Boston College
Alaska-Anchorage at Denver
Michigan at Michigan State
St. Lawrence at RPI
Green Bay at Waterloo
Nykopings at Leksands
Duisburg at Cologne
Straubing at Ingolstadt
Binghamton at Rochester

Saturday (2/23)
Michigan vs.Michigan State (at Joe Louis Arena)
Alaska-Anchorage at Denver
Ferris St. at Bowling Green
Boston College at New Hampshire
Brown at Harvard
St. Lawrence at Union
Quebec at Baie-Comeau
St. John's at Drummondville
Niagara at Peterborough
Green Bay at Waterloo
Camrose at Okotoks
SSK at Timra

Sunday (2/24)
Sudbury at Niagara
Chicoutimi at Gatineau
St. John's at Shawinigan
Drumheller at Okotoks
Ingolstadt at Iserlohn
Hannover at Cologne
Houston at Rochester

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2/17 Recap: Byron Flows

Paul Byron potted his 30th goal of the season to go along with an assist as Gatineau pounded last-place Drummondville, 9-2. Les Olympiques got most of their mileage out of a Matthew Pistilli hat trick and a four-assist effort from Claude Giroux (PHI) to win their fifth game in a row. Byron, on the other hand, is in the midst of a six-game point streak that has seen him go 9-4-13.

Benjamin Breault scored his 26th goal of the season on the power play in Baie-Comeau's 5-3 loss to Chicoutimi. Breault was also pocketed an assist in the game against Marek Zagrapan's former club. Despite the two points, the former seventh rounder was -2 for the Drakkar.

In Rochester, the Amerks out-shot defending AHL champion Hamilton 34-21, but could only find the back of the net once in a 4-1 loss. Dylan Hunter scored the lone Amerks goal, his 11th of the season, and Adam Dennis made 18 saves in the loss. Marc-Andre Gragnani notched another assist to extend his point-streak to a season-high seven games.

The line:

Hunter - goal, +1, 2 PIM
Gragnani - assist, +1
Mancari +1
Weber - 6 PIM
Zagrapan -1
Funk -1
Sekera - even
Dennis - 18 saves

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NHL Digest interview with SabresProspects.com

Recently, yours truly sat down with Neil Bristow of nhldigest.com to chat up the Sabres prospect stable as part of the "The Neil Show".

Read the interview here

Neil covered lots of ground with some really good questions. It's always fun to step out of the normal routine and talk about these players in a different venue. Give it a read, and make sure to check out some of Neil's previous interviews with personalities like John Buccigross, Bill Clement, Gary Green, and others while you're there.

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2/17: He Schutz, he scores

In the DEL this evening, Ingolstadt center Felix Schutz erupted for a pair of goals and an assist in a 5-2 win over Duisburg. In forty games in 2007-08, the German center has collected 11 goals and 23 total points. The three-point finish was the first multi-point game for the 2006 pick since a two goal, two assist outing against Philip Gogulla's Kolner Haie back on October 26th.

Defenseman Drew Schiestel picked up an assist and was +3 as Niagara trounced visiting Barrie, 7-1, in front of a sellout crowd in St. Catherines. For his work, Schiestel how has a solid 28 points in 56 games (.5 ppg), with an elevated +10 rating. Thanks to the win, a Kingston loss to Oshawa later tonight will clinch a playoff birth for the IceDogs.

Results are still pending for two QMJHL contests featuring Benjamin Breault and Paul Byron. Stop back for those updates, as well a recap of tonight's Amerks-Bulldogs matchup from Blue Cross Arena.

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2/16 Recap: Eno tops UNO; Byron stays hot

In the AHL, the Rochester Americans saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with a 3-2 overtime loss to Syracuse. Andrej Sekera scored his second goal of the year, and first since the season opener, on a first-period power play. Marek Zagrapan picked up helpers on both Rochester goals to raise his season point total to 31, while Marc-Andre Gragnani extended his point-streak to six games with an assist. Adam Dennis made 30 saves in the loss. Mike Funk was given a misconduct at the end of the game after voicing concerns about uneven officiating.

In juniors, Gatineau center Paul Byron scored a pair of even-strength goals, including the game winner, and added an assist as the Olympiques defeated Victoriaville, 4-1. On the ice for all four Gatineau goals, the three-point night earned Byron the game's #1 star. The 5'10, 140-pound pivot now has 29 goals and 51 points in 41 games, after going 21-23-44 in 68 games in 2006-07.

2007 fifth-rounder Jean-Simon Allard notched three assists as St. John's held on to their 5-0 lead to defeat PEI, 5-4. Like Byron, Allard was also a solid +4 on the evening. Fog Devils Defenseman T.J. Brennan was +2 with a team-best six shots on goal.

Brad Eidsness and the Okotoks Oilers avenged Frday's loss, getting the home-and-home split with a 4-2 win over Olds. The 2007 fifth-rounder made 35 saves for the win in a contest featuring 26 power plays between the two clubs.

Black Hawks defenseman Drew MacKenzie checked out with a -3 as Waterloo took a 7-1 whooping from USHL cellar-dweller, Des Moines.

In the NCAA, Nick Eno faced 40 shots, stopping all but one as Bowling Green defeated Nebraska-Omaha, 3-1. Tonight's victory was the tenth in a solid freshman season for the Howell, MI native, as his brickwall effort earned him the game's #2 star. Bowling Green climbed their way back to .500 with the win.

Tim Kennedy had an assist on the power play as #7 Michigan State swept lowly Western Michigan with a 4-2 afternoon win. Spartans coach Rick Comley continued his season of line juggling, placing Corey Tropp on the third unit where he was even with three shots on goal. Next week, the Spartans will take on Michigan in a key CCHA battle.

Nathan Gerbe had a power play assist and zero misconducts as #8 Boston College earned a weekend split by defeating #18 Lowell, 5-2. Andrew Orpik also had an assist for BC, bringing his point total to nine on the year.

Chris Butler was again -1 as #6 Denver got outplayed by #3 North Dakota in a 4-1 loss. The game featured 122 penalty minutes thanks to a melee at the end of the second period, but Butler was only responsible for a holding minor. The weekend sweep slides Denver down the pairwise rankings, with the 6-8 cluster of teams now likely to involve the Pios, Michigan State, and Boston College.

Saints defenseman Matt Generous was also -1 for the second consecutive night as St. Lawrence lost to Brown, 3-1. His +12 is still good for sixth in the ECAC.

Alex Biega was +2 with five shots on goal as Harvard cooled surging #16 Quinnipiac, 4-1. Over the past four games, the stocky rearguard has seen his season plus/minus go from -1 to +7.

In the SEL, Jhonas Enroth rested while Bjorn Bjurling made 34 saves in a 2-2 tie with Skelleftea. SSK and Skelleftea are currently tied for the 8th and final elitserien playoff spot.

In the RSL, Vjacheslav Buravchikov has finally scored a goal for Ak-Bars. Through 40 games this season, the steady defender has one goal and 10 PIM. Over the past five games, he's raised his plus/minus from -3 to +1.

React:

2/15 Recap: Kennedy, Persson "back"; Gerbe snaps

Friday was rather stacked in terms of the Sabres prospects schedule. Let's take a trip around the rinks for an update on over twenty Sabres properties to hit the ice in fifteen different games.

Marek Zagrapan scored his 16th goal of the season in Rochester's 4-2 win over Hershey. Marc-Andre Gragnani assisted on the Zagrapan goal to extend his point streak to five games while the Amerks won their third straight. Adam Dennis made 29 saves for the win, and has now been in net for 13 of the team's 16 victories. Andrej Sekera was a game-best +3.

Earlier in the week, it was learned that Amerks defenseman Mike Weber was suspended for two games following a checking him from behind major in the final minute of play on Sunday. He'll again sit out tomorrow's contest with Syracuse, then return to the lineup on Sunday against Hamilton.

Elsewhere, Tim Kennedy scored a short-handed goal and added an assist in Michigan State's 3-0 shutout of Western Michigan. Kennedy's third period goal ends a career-long thirteen game drought. 2007 third rounder Corey Tropp, who was re-united with Kennedy and Justin Abdelkader (DET) for this one, did not register a point. The win gives the Spartans a first-round bye in the CCHA tournament. The two clubs will play it back tomorrow at Western.

Dennis Persson scored his first goal of the season and assisted on another in Nykopings' 4-3 loss Nybro. The Sabres first round pick in 2006, Persson now has three points in his last two games after a quiet offensive season to date.

Gatineau's Paul Byron had a goal and an assist the Olympques pounded Shawinigan, 8-1. The 5'10 center, who had five blocked shots to go along with his power play marker, was named the game's #3 star.

Harvard sophomore Alex Biega followed a nice showing in the Beanpot final on Monday with two assists tonight in the Crimson's 3-2 win over Princeton. The Montreal-born defenseman has a goal and four assists in his last three games.

Nathan Gerbe and Andrew Orpik were both held scoreless as Boston College lost to Lowell, 3-1. In the second period, Gerbe lost his cool by punching a Lowell player in the head to earn a roughing minor. On his way to the box, a few choice words for the official earned himself another ten minutes of "time out". With the Eagles trailing, the frustrated Gerbe has to know better than to hurt his team's comeback chances with a senseless misconduct.

In the DEL, Philip Gogulla assisted on the game-tying goal as Cologne went on to defeat Sinupret, 3-2 in overtime. Under contract with Buffalo, Gogulla now has 28 assists and 37 total points this season with the Sharks.

Chris Butler was -1 as Denver stumbled in a 5-4 loss at North Dakota. Butler was beaten late on a great wraparound play by T.J. Oshie (STL) to set-up the game winner. North Dakota trailed the Pios 4-1 in the second before scoring four unanswered goals for the win.

Matt Generous was -1 as St. Lawrence lost to Yale, 4-3.

T.J. Brennan and J.S. Allard both were without points as St. John's fell to PEI, 4-1. Brennan was +1 with five shots on net, while Allard was only able to muster one of the Foggies 52 shots on goal.

Benjamin Breault was -1 with five shots on goal in Baie-Comeau's 4-1 loss to Halifax.

In the AJHL, Brad Eidsness made 40 saves in a 4-3 OT loss to Olds. The loss was the Sioux recruit's fourth on the year against 26 wins.

Drew MacKenzie had three shots on goal in Waterloo's 4-2 win over Des Moines.

Drew Schiestel was -3 as Niagara put forth a disappointing effort in their 5-2 loss at Erie.

Nick Eno had the night off in Bowling Green's 5-3 loss to UNO.

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2/14 Recap: Shooting Efficiency

Today, Jhonas Enroth made 37 saves in SSK's 4-3 OT loss to Farjestad. SSK currently owns a tiebreaker with Skelleftea for the eighth and final SEL playoff spot, and can ill afford any late season losses. Enroth has kept a 2.11 GAA this season, stopping 572 of 615 shots along the way for a league-best .930 save percentage. He'll need to maintain his sparkling play down the stretch for SSK to hold that spot.

In Germany, Felix Schutz did not connect with any of his three shots on goal as Ingolstadt defeated Augsburger, 4-2. The center is shooting at an 11.3% clip on the season, with nine goals on 80 total shots.

To some, shooting efficiency is the ugly step child of statistics. It's just "there", right at the end of the stat line. To others, it's a good indication of a player's "hands". Regardless, it's only viewed properly when taking into consideration how many shots on goal the player actually has.

Prospect tweener Patrick Kaleta is hitting on 11.9% of his tries while on recall, good for sixth on the Sabres, but he's only taken nine shots all year long. His time in Rochester reveals a better sampling, where he's a 4% shooter (25 shots). In combined time for 2007-08, he is scoring on 5.9% of his shots (2/34).

The Sabres have some prospects who really like to shoot the puck. Nathan Gerbe has fired 149 times this season in just 27 games, with most of them coming from close range. That's an impressive 5.5 shots per game for a 5'5 left wing. Gerbe is shifty, using that smallish frame to get down low and convert quality chances. He leads the nation in points per game (1.59) while carrying a 14.8 shooting percentage. Simply put, Gerbe produces.

Another player known for getting to the net, Tim Kennedy leads Michigan State with 13 goals on 84 shots. He takes about half the number of shots Gerbe has (2.7 shots per game), but connects at a better clip with a 15.5 shooting percentage.

Other top shooting percentanges amongst Sabres forward prospects with at least forty shots on goal include:

Dylan Hunter - 15.9% (63 shots)
Marek Zagrapan - 14.9% (101 shots)
Benjamin Breault - 13.9% (180 shots)
J.S. Allard - 12.8% (117 shots)
Corey Tropp - 12.8% (47 shots)

Cologne's Philip Gogulla, who is having his finest season as a professional with 36 points, currently connects just 9.9% of the time. However, Gogulla's 27 assists are tied for second on the Sharks, rendering him rather effective in a broader offensive sense.

Who is the most efficient shooting forward in the Sabres prospects ranks? Gatineau center Paul Byron has scored 26 goals on 125 shots this season. That computes to 20.8% success, a total that is ninth-best among Q players with a minimum of 100 shots.

Shooting percentage isn't indicative of a player's overall value. It's just another shade used to paint a picture of a player's game.

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2/13 Recap: Persson gets a helper

Happy Valentines Day, all you hockey lovers!

Here's a quick capsule on two games from last night:

Drew Schiestel went pointless as the IceDogs fell to Belleville, 6-2. Tied at one apiece after twenty minutes, Niagara simply made too many mistakes the rest of the way. Belleville would score four goals in the second period, widening their East Division lead to seven points over Oshawa with the win.

Dennis Persson had an assist, his first point as a member of Nykopings, in their 1-0 win over Sundsvall. The Sabres first round pick in 2006, Persson has been a fixture in Nykopings’ top-four since his mid-season move to the Allsvenskan. The 6’1 blueliner had one assist in 21 games with Djurgardens of the SEL.

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2/12 Recap: Schutz gets a goal

A presumably tired Philip Gogulla was -2 in Cologne's 4-3 OT loss to second-place Berlin. DEL play resumed after a ten-day layoff, but Gogulla's season carried on through the break as a member of Germany's entry at the Skoda Cup. The Dusseldorf-born left wing had three assists in three games against teams from France, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Assists have been Gogulla's thing, as he's served 27 helpers to just nine goals in the Sharks' 44 games this season.

Gogulla's Team Germany mate, Felix Schutz, scored his ninth goal of the year as Ingolstadt took down Hamburg, 4-3. The goal ups his season point total to 20, good for eighth on the Ingolstadt roster. Schutz went without a point in two Skoda games.

Edit:

Brad Eidsness made 20 saves in Okotoks' 5-2 win over the Calgary Canucks. The Chestermere, Alberta native shrugged off a loss to Camrose on Sunday, just his third regulation defeat this season, to pick up his league-best 26th win.

With an 8-1-0-1 record in their last ten, the Oilers have reappeared in the AJAHL Top 15 Rankings (#14) for the first time in 2008.

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Eagles down Crimson for Beanpot

Defenseman Nick Petrecki (SJ) scored the game winning goal for Boston College, giving the Eagles their first Beanpot win since 2004. The three Sabres prospects playing tonight - Nathan Gerbe, Alex Biega, and Andrew Orpik - each performed well in their respective roles. Major dogs heading into the final, Harvard has nothing to hang their heads about. Anything can happen with the enthusiasm of the tournament, and the two teams were dead even in shots on goal after regulation play. The extra session was the difference however, as BC outshot Harvard 7-0 leading up to the Petrecki winner. Final score: BC 6, Harvard 5.

Nathan Gerbe 0-0-0 -1 2 PIM 5 SOG
Andrew Orpik 1-0-1 +1 2 SOG
Alex Biega 0-2-2 +3 4 SOG

React:

Going to OT in Beanpot final

It's been a back and forth affair in Boston tonight, with BC and Harvard knotted 5-5 after regulation. It'll be an exciting sudden death session to say the least.

- Alex Biega (+3) has made some nice defensive plays throughout to go along with his two assists. His swift skating makes him noticeable on most shifts, as he's counted on to be a Crimson motor from the back end. His wrister towards the net was deflected in by Mike Taylor for the game-tying goal.

- Andrew Orpik, along with linemates Matt Lombardi and Kyle Kucharski, have provided a spark in the Eagles offensive zone. The trio owned the boards in the third, with their crashing style creating the fifth BC goal (credited to Orpik).

- Nathan Gerbe has been more active since the start of the second period. He's often been found flying around the net, both with the puck and on the forecheck, and his #9 jersey has been active after the whistle as well. He showed a great burst late, going around a defender while shorthanded to create a scoring opportunity. Pointless thus far, Gerbe looks to again be the hero after last Monday's OT goal against BU.

Sudden death now underway....

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After one: Gerbe bottled up, Biega +2

At the end of one at the Beanpot, Harvard has a surprising 2-1 lead over Boston College. Nathan Gerbe is having difficulty getting it going, while the entire Eagles squad has been unsuccessul in cracking the neutral zone versus a diligent Crimson defense. Alex Biega, who can look like one of college hockey's better defensemen when he's skating hard, was on the ice for both Harvard goals. With BC's having trouble getting it deep, one might think that Andrew Orpik's physical play will come in handy as the Eagles amend their game plan to more of a dump-and-chase style.

After 20:00

Harvard 2, Boston College 1

Biega +2
Gerbe -1, 2 SOG
Orpik even

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Schedule for the week of 2/11-2/17

A quick glance at college and junior standings shows many clubs with Sabres properties right in the thick of playoff hunts for their respective leagues. Here's a look at the 39-game slate for the week.

Game To Watch

The week's schedule is headlined by the Beanpot final, featuring Sabres prospects Nathan Gerbe and Andrew Orpik of Boston College, and Alex Biega of Harvard. The final of the Boston-based tourney gives the Hobey hopeful, Gerbe, a prestigious platform to display his skillful game. Hobey or not, Gerbe seems to be a lock to sign with Buffalo after a junior season that looks to include a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Other Notes

Philip Gogulla's Cologne Sharks will face the only teams ahead of them in the standings - Berlin and Sinupret - on Tuesday and Friday.

Drew Schiestel and Niagara will take on one of the OHL's top clubs, Belleville, on Wednesday.

A Saturday elitserien match-up between Jhonas Enroth's SSK and Skelleftea will feature two clubs battling for the SEL's final playoff spot.

"The Ralph" will be the setting for a battle between the WCHA's second and third place teams when Denver and North Dakota drop the puck this Friday and Saturday.

The AHL schedule makers give the Amerks four days off before three consecutive games on Friday through Sunday.


The Full Schedule

Monday 2/11
Harvard vs. Boston College

Tuesday 2/12
Berlin at Cologne
Hamburg at Ingolstadt
Okotoks at Calgary Canucks

Wednesday 2/13
Niagara at Belleville
Nykopings at Sundsvall

Thursday 2/14
SSK at Farjestad
Ingolstadt at Augsburger

Friday 2/15
Hershey at Rochester
Shawinigan at Gatineau
PEI at St. John's
Halifax at Baie-Comeau
Niagara at Erie
Nybro at Nykopings
Sinupret at Cologne
Okotoks at Olds
Des Moines at Waterloo
St. Lawrence at Yale
Princeton at Harvard
Lowell at Boston College
Bowling Green at Nebraska-Omaha
Western Michigan at Michigan State
Denver at North Dakota

Saturday 2/16
Rochester at Syracuse
SSK at Skelleftea
Victoriaville at Gatineau
PEI at St. John's
Olds at Okotoks
Waterloo at Des Moines
Michigan State at Western Michigan
Quinnipiac at Harvard
St. Lawrence at Brown
Boston College at Lowell
Bowling Green at Nebraska-Omaha
Denver at North Dakota

Sunday 2/17
Hamilton at Rochester
Barrie at Niagara
Duisberg at Ingolstadt
Gatineau at Drummondville
Baie-Comeau at Chicoutimi

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2/10: Dennis blanks Griffins

Adam Dennis made 33 saves to post his 2nd shutout in a week and third of the season as Rochester eeked out a 1-0 win over Grand Rapids. Scoreless after two periods, Marc-Andre Gragnani stole a puck at the Amerks blueline and sprinted down the ice to bury his own rebound against Adam Berkhoel for the game's only goal. The shorthanded marker would hold up, giving the Amerks their first winning streak since late November.

The line:

Gragnani goal (6), 4 PIM
Zagrapan 4 PIM
Hunter +1
Weber -1, 15 PIM, checking from behind major
Mancari, Sekera, Funk - 0's
Dennis 33 saves, shutout


In Camrose, the Kodiaks finally caught up with the league's top goaltender, Brad Eidsness, to defeat Okotoks, 5-2. Eidsness made 26 saves in the loss, as his Oilers now trail Camrose by five points for the top spot in the AJHL's South Division with just five games remaining.

Drew Schiestel continued his solid defensive play with a +2 as Niagara rode another Michael Swift (undrafted) hat trick to a 5-2 win over the Mississaugua-St.Michael's Majors.

Philip Gogulla picked up another assist at the Skoda Cup in Germany's 4-1 win over Slovakia. German C Felix Schutz failed to get on the score sheet for the second straight game. Gogulla played in all three games for Germany, collecting three assists. With the Slovakia loss, Switzerland takes the title in the round robin tourney.

React:

2/9 Recap: Kennedy's unlucky 13

In a CCHA match-up, Michigan State's Tim Kennedy and Corey Tropp were again held without points in a 3-0 loss to Northern Michigan. The Buffalo-born Kennedy has now gone without a goal in his last 13 games - the longest such stretch of his career. The Spartans, who lost both weekend games in Marquette and three of their last four, will need to right the ship in next weekend's home-and-home series with last place Western.

Bowling Green's Nick Eno got the nod against Alaska as the Falcons fell to the Nanooks, 4-1. The Howell, MI made 24 saves in the loss, dropping his record to 9-6 on the season.

Landon Novotney gave Alaska the early jump, beating Eno high blocker side on the game's first shot at the :27 mark.

Less than two minutes into the second, a failed clearing attempt allowed Nanooks defenseman Steve Vanoosten to jump up and beat a sprawling Eno for the 2-0 lead. The Falcons would later halve that lead before a scrum at the foot of the crease forced both Eno and the puck into the Falcons net. Video review would uphold the goal, giving Alaska a 3-1 edge after two.

Eno kept his team in the game, making a nice breakaway save with the shaft of his stick in the opening minutes of the third. However, Bowling Green could not beat Eno's counterpart Wylie Rogers in the final twenty, as the sharp Nanooks netminder stopped 22 shots and a total of 46 in all. Alaska would eventually add an empty netter to earn the road split.

In Denver, Chris Butler (+2) had an assist in the Pioneers 4-1 win over Minnesota. Quarterbacking a Pioneers power play, Butler let go a wrister that was tipped in by Rhett Rakhshani to give Denver a 2-0 lead. The Pios took seven of a possible eight points from the Gophers this season.

Matt Generous went scoreless while anchoring the St. Lawrence defense in their 4-2 win over Cornell. The mobile rearguard is +14 entering the final month of play, a ten-goal differential over his closest teammate in the category.

Vermont recruit and 2007 seventh rounder Drew MacKenzie drew a fighting major and a game misconduct in Waterloo's 6-5 loss to Omaha. Midway through the third period, MacKenzie paired off with Thrashers prospect Will O'Neill after Black Hawks winger Jordan Samuels-Thomas earned an elbowing major. Omaha scored two goals in the power play that followed to seal the win.

In the Q, T.J. Brennan scored his 10th goal of the season, but it was all St. John's could put up in a 2-1 loss to Baie-Comeau. 2007 third-round pick J.S. Allard went scoreless in the back-to-back set, adding two shots on net for the Fog Devils.

Despite a game-best six shots on goal, Drakkar center Benjamin Breault saw his four-game point streak come to an end in the win. Over the stretch, the 19-year old picked up two goals and five helpers while centering Baie-Comeau's top line.

In the AJHL, Brad Eidsness got a rest but his Oilers kept cruising with a 6-3 win over Clarke MacArthur's former club, the Drayton Valley Thunder.

In the second game of the Skoda Cup, Philip Gogulla had two assists as Germany defeated France, 6-5. Felix Schutz did not factor into any of the German goals.

React:

Byron nets winner; Amerks take shootout

A quick update on a pair of afternoon contests...

2007 sixth-round pick Paul Byron scored the game winning goal on the power play and assisted on another in Gatineau's 3-0 shutout of Quebec. The goal was Byron's 26th on the year, and only his fifth with the man advantage. The Ottawa native also won 80% of his draws this afternoon, and has kept his shooting percentage above 20% all season.

Adam Dennis stopped 16 shots, and four of five in the shootout, as Rochester defeated San Antonio, 3-2, in a matinee at the BCA. Sabres properties Andrej Sekera (+2), Marc-Andre Gragnani (+1), and Mark Mancari (+1) all picked up assists as the Amerks came from behind to win their fourth game in their last 30 tries.

The rest:

Hunter +1
Funk even
Weber -1
Zagrapan -1

Keep it here for updates as seven games featuring nine Sabres picks are just getting underway.

React:

2/8 Recap: Biega back on board

Alex Biega pumped home the first Crimson goal less than four minutes in as Harvard defeated Union, 3-2. After a turnover made its way to the point, Biega blasted a low slapper to score on the first shot of the game. The goal was the second of the season for the 2005 fifth-round pick, and first since November 9th, after netting six last year as a freshman.

Matt Generous collected two shots on goal as St. Lawrence could not recover from a quick pair of Tyler Burton goals in a 2-1 loss to Colgate.

Michigan State coach Rick Comley removed Corey Tropp from the top line with Justin Abdelkader (DET) and fellow Sabres prospect Tim Kennedy, but it did little to provide a spark as the Spartans fell to Northern Michigan, 3-1. Kennedy punched up four shots on goal, while Tropp was -1 against a Northern team that blocked 25 shots.

In the WCHA, junior defenseman Chris Butler was +1 with four shots on goal as #7 Denver played to a 1-1 tie with #20 Minnesota. The Pioneers were playing their first home game since the announcement that leading scorer Brock Trotter had bolted the program for the pros.

Drew Schiestel (+1) was on the ice as ex-Knight Jordan Foreman buried the overtime winner in the IceDogs 2-1 win over London. Niagara will return to St. Catherines for a Sunday afternoon tilt with Mississauga-St. Mike's.

Waterloo's Drew MacKenzie posted zeros while returning from a two-game absence due to illness in the Black Hawks' 5-2 win at Sioux Falls.

Over the pond at the Skoda Cup, Germany's Philip Gogulla was held scoreless in a 2-0 shutout loss to host Switzerland. Felix Schutz was a DNP for Germany.

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Four more for Gerbe

After setting up the first Eagles goal, Nathan Gerbe assisted on third period goals by Dan Bertram and Ben Smith to push Boston College past Massachusetts, 4-1. Gerbe filled an empty net late to complete the four-point night.

The game's #1 star, Gerbe has now amassed 22 goals and 43 total points with a +14 in 26 games. Tonight's point total improves his per game average to 1.65, keeping him in the national lead. With just five weekends left in league play, the Sabres 2005 pick continues to move the needle towards a spot in the Hobey Hat Trick.

Meanwhile, close tabs shall be kept on Hobey front-runner Kevin Porter of Michigan as the #2 Wolverines battle #1 Miami.

React:

Friday action underway

Boston College and Massachusetts are locked in a 1-1 tie through the end of two in Amherst. After potting Monday's game winner off a pass from Brian Gibbons, BC's Nathan Gerbe returned the favor 4:27 into the first period tonight. The Oxford, MI native displayed some nifty puck carrying down the left side, spotting Gibbons for an early Eagles lead. Usually a leader in shots, Gerbe has just two thus far as the teams enter the final frame.

2005 7th rounder Andrew Orpik, whose Monday heroics were nullified when his would-be game winner was waved-off, has a minor penalty for BC.

In the first of two this weekend, Bowling Green currently leads visiting Alaska, 4-1. Freshman goaltender Nick Eno takes a rest tonight, but should be in the Falcons crease tomorrow. Flames prospect Jimmy Spratt had made 20 saves through two periods in place of Eno.

In the first game to finish, T.J. Brennan (-1) picked up an assist in St. John's 4-3 overtime defeat of Baie-Comeau. Benjamin Breault notched a power play assist for the Drakkar in the loss, while Foggies center J.S. Allard added two shots on goal.

Much more to come after the Sabres/Bruins.

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2/7 Recap: Bring on the weekend

In the calm before the weekend storm, Drew Schiestel went pointless as the IceDogs rode a pair of hat tricks by linemates Luca Caputi and Michael Swift to an 8-2 romp over Kingston. Niagara, who showed zero rust after a week-long break, will travel to streaking London tonight before hosting Missisauga-St. Mike's in a Sunday division match-up.

The weekend will feature 21 games for Sabres prospects, highlighted by a QMJHL set between league-leading Baie-Comeau Drakkar (Benjamin Breault), and host St. John's (T.J. Brennan and Jean-Simon Allard). At 37-14-1-4, Baie-Comeau is currently #7 in the CHL Mosaik Mastercard Top 10 Rankings.

Other Friday slap shots:

- Chris Butler and the Denver Pioneers had an up and down week heading into their weekend with Minneosta. First, they gained a commitment from David Carle, brother of former Pio captain and Hobey winner, Matthew Carle. Carle is an offensive minded defenseman, and should arrive in Denver just in time to take the reigns from Butler as it's expected the St. Louis native will forego his senior season and join Buffalo's training camp in the fall.

With that out of the way, news started to trickle down regarding the uncertain situation regarding their leading scorer, Brock Trotter. You may recall that Trotter did not travel with the team in a pair of weekend losses at Mankato due to "unspecified reasons". Rumors that he was hoping to catch on with Kelowna of the WHL were debunked when it was learned that he was signing a deal with the Montreal Canadiens. It's expected that he'll immediately report to Hamilton of the AHL.

Trotter was a key to a young Denver squad, and now even more of the onus is on guys like Butler and Senior captain Andrew Thomas to guide the team into the WCHA playoffs and a a spot in a Frozen Four that they will be hosting.

- It's still difficult to understand how Nathan Gerbe, despite moving up a spot to #2, is still without a first-place vote in CSTV's Hobey Watch. Gerbe not winning the Hobey could be the best thing that happens to his professional career.

- Junior Tim Kennedy leads a balanced Michigan State team in scoring (13-16-29) heading into the weekend against Northern Michigan. 2007 third-rounder Corey Tropp, coming off his best game of the season last week, leads all Spartans freshmen in scoring with six goals and 15 total points.

- The Sabres AHL affiliate in Rochester will look to prevent another losing streak as they welcome San Antonio and Grand Rapids to the BCA on Saturday and Sunday.

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2/6 Recap: Byron gets tricky; Persson returns

In his most dominant performance of the season, Gatineau center Paul Byron scored a goal in each period to lead les Olympiques to a 5-1 victory at Victoriaville.

The hat trick raises Byron’s goal total to 25 in just 38 games, and his 44 total points are equal to last season’s 68-game output.

Besides burying three of his game-high seven shots on goal, the crafty pivot also blocked seven Tigre shots. The night’s “Mr. Everything”, Byron would also prove skilled in the face-off dot, where he was successful in 18 of 23 draws.

Dennis Persson returned to the Nykopings lineup, manning the second defensive pair with his brother Robin in their 2-1 OT loss to Boras. The Sabres first pick in 2006 was out of action for two weeks with a neck injury.

In Rochester, the Amerks were out-hit, out-worked, and ultimately, outscored in their 3-1 loss to Syracuse. The Crunch set the physical pace early, and the Amerks didn’t have an answer.

Regarding Sabres prospects, Andrej Sekera and Marc-Andre Gragnani assisted on the lone Amerks goal in the third. On the power play, Gragnani fired a shot that was tipped in by Panthers prospect, Drew Larman. Adam Dennis made 26 saves in the loss.

Gragnani: 1a, -1
Sekera: 1a, -1
Mancari: -2
Zagrapan: 2 PIM
Weber: -1
Hunter: -1, 5 PIM
Dennis: 26 saves, L

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Sabres Prospect Close-up: Talking Pucks with Brad Eidsness

By Kris Baker

With their fifth-round pick in the 2007 draft, the Buffalo Sabres looked north to the province of Alberta, selecting goaltender Brad Eidsness of the AJHL's Okotoks Oilers.

Eidsness, 18, was coming off his first full season of Junior "A" hockey, where he posted a 24-18-2 record in 48 games, earning a scholarship to NCAA powerhouse North Dakota along the way.

The 2007-08 season has seen Eidsness elevate his play in the Oilers crease. The 5'11 netminder currently leads the league in wins (25), goals against average (1.97), and save percentage (.939) in 29 starts. He's even joined the offense, racking up a pair of assists to round out an impressive stat line. For his work, he was unanimously named a South Division All-Star.

In November, Eidsness backstopped Canada West to a gold medal in the World Junior "A" Challenge in Trail, British Columbia.

This isn't the first time that the Sabres used a fifth-round pick on a Junior "A" goalie on his way to the college game. Back in 1999, Ryan Miller was chosen 138th overall out of the NAHL. Miller used his collegiate minutes at Michigan State to develop into a Hobey Baker winner, and later an NHL All-Star.

Selected 139th, there is no need to place similar expectations on Eidsness' shoulders as he heads to Grand Forks. Nonetheless, Sabres fans should be pleased with the prospect's progression since being drafted.

An engaging talent with a good approach to the game, the AJHL's top goaltender recently took a break from stopping pucks (and writing papers) to talk hockey with SabresProspects.com.


Your Oilers have lost just three of their last 27 games, and have already eclipsed last year's regular season win total. What, if anything, is different this year?

BE: We have a very strong team this year. The biggest difference between this year’s team and lasts is our depth. We have 4 solid lines that contribute this season. Last season we relied heavily on one or two lines. We’ve also had a lot of production from a much more experienced blue line.

You battled mono at the start of the AJHL season. Can you tell me about the process of getting back on the ice? Getting back to 100% had to take some time.

BE: I actually ended up getting it the first day of training camp for our team. It was tough, with a lot of expectations on both myself and the team to have good seasons, to sit out and watch the first month of the season. I ended up in the hospital for seven days and wasn’t able to eat or drink anything over that time period. I lost about 15 pounds in 10 days or so. The doctors said I had the worst case of acute mono they had ever seen.

With that being said, I recovered much faster than anyone expected. I spent about two weeks at my house in Chestermere just recovering and not doing anything. At that point I felt a hundred times better and we decided I would go back and start doing light workouts and see how my body responded. My body felt fine. It was just a matter of building back up my stamina and weight. I did off-ice workouts and on-ice training with my goalie coach for about two weeks before I returned with my team.

I actually ended up starting to play after only one real practice. The biggest thing was just getting my body back into game shape and the only way that was going to happen was by starting to play games. Throughout the whole process my team was very supportive. We tried not to push too hard and in the end it is actually pretty remarkable how fast I recovered.

The Sabres seemed to keep you pretty busy this summer at their prospects camp. How was the experience, and the overall feedback from the Sabres staff?

BE: It was an awesome experience. The camp was very intense and a lot of fun. To see the level that a guy like Drew Stafford is at is pretty eye opening. It definitely gives you an idea of the time and effort you have to put in to be a pro hockey player.

The feedback from the Sabres staff was very good. They work with you one on one and let you know what they would like to see you improve on and at the same time what they think you're doing well. They have also been able to provide resources such as video that is very helpful in development.

You're heading to the University of North Dakota in the fall of 2008. Red Deer owns yours WHL rights. Was that something that was ever on the radar, or was college always your #1 choice to continue playing?

BE: Well, in Western Canada the WHL is much more recognizable than College Hockey. I think I definitely considered the WHL route but after really sitting down with my parents and discussing what the possibilities were we decided that the college route was the option for me.

First of all my parents have always stressed education and I personally believe that it is very important as well. Hockey can only last so long and a university degree is a great option to fall back onto.

The other thing was development. It is a known fact that goalies take longer to develop and we believed that college hockey would give me the best shot at developing. It takes a long time to mature as a goalie and we believed there was no better league than the WCHA to do that in.

Can you tell me about your first visit to Grand Forks? The Ralph is truly an amazing spectacle.

BE: I’ve only been there once and that was on my recruiting visit there last season. It is an amazing facility and it is certainly very exciting knowing I will be playing there next season. With the Ralph and the coaching staff that North Dakota has, I don’t think there is better place to play college hockey.

Who is the toughest shooter you've ever faced?

BE: I think that the best that I’ve played on the ice with was Drew Stafford at the prospects camp this summer. He was on a different level than everybody else and could just dominate. As far as this season goes on our World Jr. A challenge team, Zac Dalpe, who is highly ranked for this years up coming draft and is set to attend Ohio State next fall, has the best release I’ve seen this year.


The AJHL has seen talents like Dany Heatley and Mike Comrie continue on to the NCAA after being drafted. You'll be seeing a lot of another projected talent, 2008 eligible Joe Colborne of Camrose who's enrolling at WCHA rival Denver. How have you fared against him? Your respective performances at the World Jr.A Challenge shined a spotlight on the league.

BE: Joe is a very good player. He has an extremely large frame at 6’5 and when he develops his body he will be a force. Camrose has the top ranked team in the country and have only 6 losses. We are only 5 points behind them right now and play them four more times in the last ten games of the season. We lost to them in overtime early in the season and just recently beat them. It will be a big battle to finish out the year, something that as a team we are really looking forward to.

The World Jr A. Challenge was a great event that we were fortunate enough to win. It is always extremely special to wear the Maple Leaf on the front of your jersey and is a memory I cherish.

Did you have a favorite player growing up? Any goaltenders you modeled your game after?

BE: I think most goaltenders nowadays grew up watching Patrick Roy and tried to take things away from what he did. I am certainly in the boat. Growing up near Calgary I have seen a lot of very good goaltenders like Mikka Kiprusoff, Roberto Luongo, Marty Turco, J.S. Giguere, Curtis Joesph, Eddie Belfour and Patrick Roy come through and play for or against the Flames. I think you try and take a little bit of something out of every guy’s game to add to yours.

Can you tell me a little bit about Brad Eidsness off the ice? What would you be doing if you weren't playing hockey?

BE: I like to think I’m just a pretty normal kid. I really enjoy watching movies and just hanging out watching NHL games on tv with guys on my team. I enjoy most types of music but especially country, (Haha you have to love country growing up in a small town in Western Canada).

This season I’ve been super busy because I’ve also taken a couple university courses each semester just to prepare myself for next year. If I wasn’t playing hockey I’d probably just be enrolled in University in Calgary studying business.

History has shown that goalies can be somewhat strange. Do you have any quirks or pre-game rituals that you wish to share with the readers?

BE: Bill Ranford spoke at our all star game this season and was asked a question along the similar lines. He stated that he thought being a goaltender was difficult enough without having to worry about a bunch of superstitions. I feel the same way. I think to an extent every player prepares for games in their own way with naps, and pre-game meals and what not. I certainly try to maintain a routine when it comes to those things, but as far as superstitions go I try and not to worry about doing little things every game, and just try to go out and stop pucks.

Thanks again for taking the time. Good luck down the stretch. We'll be rooting for you.

BE: No problem. Thank you very much!


You can follow Brad down the stretch in the Oilers quest for the Rogers Wireless Cup by visiting the AJHL's official site.

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2/5 Recap: Twice is nice for Eidsness

Tonight, Brad Eidsness made 25 saves to pick up his 25th win as the Oilers topped first-place Camrose, 4-3. The win was Okotoks' second victory over the Kodiaks in a week.

The Oilers took a 1-0 lead into a wide-open third period that saw the teams see-saw for six goals between them.

Camrose tied the score a little over 5:00 in when Eidsness let a Geoff Peet shot sneak between his legs. The Oilers David Civitarese would answer back less than a minute later to give the lead back to the Oilers.

The teams would exchange goals two more times, with the Kodiaks' Jesse Todd beating Eidsness through the five-hole to knot the game at three. Okotoks would get the game winner just moments later, and hold on for a 4-3 victory.

The CJAHL Top-15 rankings were released earlier in the day, and despite the Oilers victory last Tuesday against the then-#1 Kodiaks, the Oilers are still listed as an honorable mention. Meanwhile, a Ft. McMurray club with fewer points than Okotoks moved up three spots to #11. I hardly think it matters to the Oilers, as they have their sights set on catching Camrose in the league standings. With seven games left in the regular season, the Oilers find themselves three points out of first.

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2/5: Tuesday Slap Shots

- With Maxim Afinogenov re-tweaking his groin in yesterday's practice, and Clarke MacArthur coming down with a bad flu this morning, the Sabres re-called punishing forward Patrick Kaleta from Rochester just 24 hours after sending him down. Kaleta is in the Buffalo lineup tonight, making his presence felt early as the Sabres battle the Bruins.

- It appears that an injury to Ducks prospect Logan MacMillan isn't as severe as originally thought after a Saturday collision with Sabres defensive prospect, T.J. Brennan. With no apparent MCL or ACL damage, the Mooseheads forward instead looks to have a charley horse.

The two players collided knee-on-knee at center ice after Brennan stepped up to meet the rush. MacMillan had to be helped off the ice and did not return. Brennan, the Sabres first of two 2nd round picks in 2007, was called for kneeing on the play and received an extra fighting major after Guillaume Monast came to the defense of his injured Halifax teammate.

- After injuring his shoulder in a January 25th game against Lake Erie, Amerks defenseman Michael Funk is slated to return to action this weekend.

- Speaking of Funk, the Buffalo Sabres Foundation is currently accepting bids for vintage style, game-issued jerseys of the former Portland Winter Hawk, as well as fellow prospects Marek Zagrapan and Marc-Andre Gragnani. Bidding opens at $250 each. The auctions will close on Valentines Day.

- In the only game on tonight's Sabres prospect docket, Brad Eidsness and the Okotoks Oilers (39-9-0-4) host top-ranked Camrose (41-6-0-5). Backed by a strong outing from Eidsness, the Oilers handed the Kodiaks a 2-1 loss in their last meeting one week ago. As always, an update will follow the game.

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Gerbe nets winner in Beanpot thriller

Nathan Gerbe played hero tonight at the Beanpot, one-timing a pass from Brian Gibbons at 7:15 of overtime to vault Boston College past Boston University, 4-3. With the win, the Eagles will face Harvard for the famous title in next Monday's late game.

After knotting it up in the early third, Gerbe converted a nice feed to pot his 21st goal on his ninth shot of the game. With the puck in his skates and his back to the goalie, Gibbons slid a pass to Gerbe, who came down the left side to bury the winner before engaging in a celebratory slide.

Fourth line wing Andrew Orpik made his physical presence felt while delivering one shot on goal for BC.

With 21 goals and 18 assists in 25 games, Gerbe's 1.56 points per game is tops in the country. He trails the national goals and points leaders by three in each category, but has played in three fewer games.

Gerbe's clutch performance tonight creates a dilemma for Hobey Baker voters who frown upon some of Gerbe's on-ice behavior. The question remains whether or not they can soften their stance, and in turn reward the most explosive, productive player currently playing the college game. The nifty Gerbe has just ten games left to show his stuff, including a key weekend set with Hockey East leaders New Hampshire on February 22nd-23rd.

Gerbe and Eagles will sandwich in a game at Massachusetts on Friday before settling the Beanpot with the Crimson.

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Gerbe forces OT at the Beanpot

Or as the clever kids would write, (beanp)OT.

Trailing BU by one just over a minute into the third, Boston College LW Nathan Gerbe connected on the power play to force sudden death at the Beanpot. Sitting on the doorstep, Gerbe poked a loose puck through Brett Bennett's pads to get on the scoresheet.

Boston College was the better team in the third, and Gerbe was abuzz after the goal. The equalizer was his 20th of the season, and 8th on the power play. He currently has a game-high seven shots on goal.

Alex Biega and the Crimson await the winner.

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Gerbe charge helps rival

The second period of BC's match-up with defending Beanpot champ BU didn't go as planned for the Eagles. Leading 2-1 after one, they gave up a pair of power-play goals as BU re-gained the lead heading into the third period. For the most part, Nathan Gerbe has been kept in check by the Terriers D.

Terrier D Kevin Shattenkirk (COL) picked up a blueline turnover along the LW boards and fed a pass to wide-open Nick Bonino (SJ) to tie the game at the 3:57 mark.

Minutes later, Gerbe would play a role in the Terrier's go-ahead goal. Charging to the net short-handed, the Hobey favorite was penalized after making contact with BU netminder, Brett Bennett (PHX).

The call was questionable, and it's easy to suggest Gerbe's past transgressions created an illusion of guilt in the eyes of referee, Tim Bendetto. Bennett, a native of Buffalo, was outside of his crease making a pokecheck when the contact was made. Gerbe even moved aside at the last moment in an attempt to avoid the goalie as he was steered in that direction by Terrier defenseman, Colby Cohen (COL).

With Gerbe in the box, 2006 Beanpot MVP Pete MacArthur cashed in the five-on-three advantage to give BU the lead.

The Eagles will look to even the game quickly, beginning the third with a powerplay that is just one for six on the evening.

At the end of two, its BU 3, BC 2.

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Eagles up after one

At the end of one, Boston College has a 2-1 lead over Boston University. Neither of Nathan Gerbe and Andrew Orpik factored into the Eagle tallies. Gerbe, active on an early power play, had two shots on goal in the period.

The Terriers got out to a 1-0 lead when John McCarthy slipped one past Eagles goalie John Muse athe 4:40 mark.

Anthony Aiello and Benn Ferriero would later answer by scoring two goals in ten seconds to give BC the lead heading into the break.

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Crimson to play for 'Pot

The Buffalo Sabres will have at least one prospect in the Beanpot final, as Alex Biega and the Harvard Crimson sat on their first period jump to surprise #14 Northeastern, 3-1. Harvard advances to the Beanpot final for the first time in a decade, and hasn't taken the trophy home since 1993.

With 31 shots through the first two periods, Harvard was outshot 7-2 in the third. The Huskies held play, but couldn't get another goal on the board. Biega led the Crimson charge, finishing a +3 with four shots on goal. The Montreal native now has one goal, eight assists, and is +1 in 21 games this season.

Boston College, the team that all non-Eagles fans seem to hate, faces off against B-line rival Boston University in just a few minutes. NCAA top-scorer Nathan Gerbe (1.54 ppg) of Boston College is the featured player in tonght's closer at TD Banknorth Garden. Fellow Sabres prospect Andrew Orpik will see key minutes for the Eagles as an energy line banger.

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Harvard leads 3-1 after two

In a year when #14 Northeastern has a chance at capitalizing on underachieving Boston-area teams, the Huskies find themselves trailing Alex Biega and Harvard 3-1 after forty minutes in the opening game of the 2008 Beanpot.

The 2006 fifth-round pick, Biega has been on the ice for all three Crimson goals while collecting three shots on net.

A first-round rematch of the last three finals between Boston College and Boston University follows at 8:00.

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Kaleta sent back down

The Sabres have returned agitating forward Patrick Kaleta to Rochester of the AHL. In 11 games with Buffalo, the Western New York native picked up 4 PIM and was -2 without registering a point.

Kaleta goes back to the Amerks, where he has one goal, three assists, and 104 PIM in 28 games. He'll be in uniform Wednesday at the BCA when the Amerks face upstate rival Syracuse.

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Schedule for week of 2/4 - 2/10

With the DEL and SEL on hiatus until February 12th, and the OHL taking a breather for their All-Star break, there are just 27 games on the Sabres prospect slate this week.

Games To Watch

This week features the opening round of Boston's famous Beanpot tournament, played between D1 programs Harvard, Northeastern, Boston College, and Boston University.

Alex Biega and the Crimson will kick things off with a Monday night battle against Northeastern. The Huskies have beaten the Crimson in every first-round match-up since 1996. In the same span, Harvard is just 4-20 in Beanpot games.

BC juniors Nathan Gerbe and Andrew Orpik have never hoisted the Beanpot trophy, losing in the finals to Boston University in their two outings. They will have a chance to knock off the Terriers, winners of the past three titles, during Monday's capper. BU and BC have won the last fourteen tourneys between them, and face each other in the first round due to an annual rotating schedule.

Ideally, both Boston College and Harvard will earn victories this week, giving the Sabres three prospects in the raucous finale next Monday.

Other Notes

The Rochester Americans will look to start their first winning streak in quite a while when they host I-90 rival Syracuse on Wednesday.

Chris Butler and the Denver Pioneers will return to Magness after a disappointing weekend of losses in Mankato to take on Minnesota.

After a hard-fought win against Camrose this past week, Brad Eidsness and the Okotoks Oilers will face the team they're trying to catch in the South Division standings two times in the next seven days. The AJHL clubs will swap home-ice on Tuesday and Sunday.

Monday (2/4)
Northeastern vs. Harvard
Boston College vs. Boston University

Tuesday (2/5)
Camrose at Okotoks

Wednesday (2/6)
Gatineau at Victoriaville
Syracuse at Rochester
Boras at Nykopings

Thursday (2/7)
Kingston at Niagara

Friday (2/8)
Michigan State at Northern Michigan
Minnesota at Denver
Harvard at Union
Alaska at Bowling Green
Colgate at St. Lawrence
Waterloo at Sioux Falls
Niagara at London
Baie-Comeau at St. John's

Saturday (2/9)
San Antonio at Rochester
Cornell at St. Lawrence
Alaska at Bowling Green
Minnesota at Denver
Michigan State at Northern Michigan
Quebec at Gatineau
Baie-Comeau at St. John's
Omaha at Waterloo
Drayton Valley at Okotoks

Sunday (2/10)
Grand Rapids at Rochester
Mississauga/St. Mike's at Niagara
Okotoks at Camrose

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2/2 Recap: Eno busy in defeat

Bowling Green frosh Nick Eno stopped 40 Buckeye shots, but Ohio State avoided the home sweep by defeating his Falcons, 4-2. Eno, a 7th round pick in 2007, stopped 79 shots over the two-game split. His 9-5 record computes to fifth-best in the CCHA, while his GAA (2.65) and save percentage (.907) are each ranked seventh.

After walking into a scholarship over the summer thanks to a Josh Unice renege, the Howell, MI native has asserted himself as the Falcons #1 goaltender. Saying this, don't be surprised if Scott Paluch gives Jimmy Spratt a nod next weekend when the Falcons welcome last-place Alaska.

#4 Denver's grip on a #1 NCAA tourney seed continues to loosen after a 3-2 loss at Mankato. 2006 4th round pick Chris Butler (+1) assisted on the first Pioneers goal as the Mavs swept DU for the first time since 1999. Coach Gwozdecky noted an improved effort tonight, with the team having all week to tune-up before hosting Minnesota on Friday. Meanwhile, the DU faithful eagerly await news regarding leading scorer Brock Trotter, who didn't travel with the club this weekend.

In Niagara Falls, Matt Generous had an assist as St. Lawrence and Niagara played to a 4-4 tie. With a man advantage in the third, the Chesire, CT native fed a pass to Brock Mcbride to give SLU the go-ahead goal. However, Niagara would force OT less than a minute later. The steady Generous failed to cash in an overtime opportunity, ringing a shot of the pipe with 2:20 left.

#5 Michigan State avenged last night's upset loss to Nebraska-Omaha with a 4-2 win at Munn. Centered by Justin Abdelkader (DET), Sabres prospects Tim Kennedy and Corey Tropp were held off the scoresheet after combining for five points in the series opener. The contest marked Kennedy's 100th as a Spartan.

In the AJHL, Brad Eidsness made 35 saves in Okotoks' 4-3 double-overtime win over Brooks. The UFA "AAA" Bisons product hasn't lost a start since a January 5th overtime loss to Sherwood Park.

Waterloo's Drew MacKenzie missed his second consecutive game in the Black Hawks 5-3 loss to Lincoln.

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2/2 "Q" round-up: Breault pots winner

Drakkar C Benjamin Breault scored the game winning goal, his 25th of the year, midway through the third period in Baie-Comeau's 6-3 win over Val-d'Or. He also assisted on an empty-netter, raising his point total to 55 on the year (1.15 ppg).

Paul Byron scored his 22nd goal of the season on the power-play as les Olympiques lost to Quebec, 4-3 in OT. The 5'10 center added three blocked shots, and a team-best six shots on goal in the loss.

Halifax jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and held on to defeat St. John's, 3-2. J.S. Allard (+2) picked up an assist on the first Foggies goal. The helper was his 40th of the year, good for 11th in the QMJHL.

Defenseman T.J. Brennan went pointless and picked up seven minutes in penalties after a second period bout with the Mooseheads' Guillaume Monast. The fight ensued after T.J. Brennan injured Anaheim first-rounder Logan MacMillan with a knee.

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Dennis cracks Marlies code

In a late afternoon game, the Rochester Americans rode a 28-save shutout performance by Adam Dennis to defeat the Toronto Marlies, 3-0.

Mark Mancari had a hand in all three goals, scoring the game winner in the final minute of the second period, and setting up two others in the third to cement the win.

Skating as a forward, Marc-Andre Gragnani scored off a Mancari pass to make it 2-1 at 11:03 of the third. Dylan Hunter potted an empty netter with with :23 left on the clock.

Dennis bounced back well from his last outing, which saw him pulled by Randy Cunneyworth after allowing goals on the first three shots of the second period in a 7-2 loss to Cleveland. Playing in front of his hometown crowd, Dennis entered today's game 0-9 with a 4.11 GAA since the beginning of December.

RUNDOWN
Dennis - 28 saves
Mancari - goal, two assists, +3
Hunter - goal, assist, +3, 2 PIM
Gragnani - goal, assist +2
Sekera - assist, +3, 4 SOG
Weber - +1, 2 PIM
Zagrapan - 4 PIM

Three Stars
1. RCH - 53 Adam Dennis
2. RCH - 26 Mark Mancari
3. RCH - 21 Marc-Andre Gragnani

Rochester ended a nine game losing streak with the win. They'll look to begin a streak of a different flavor at the BCA on Wednesday against Syracuse.

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Enroth sparks rally

Entering the game in relief, SSK's Jhonas Enroth continued to play like one of the top goaltenders in Europe by making 33 saves in a 4-4 tie with Farjestad.

The nationally televised contest saw Linus Klasen give SSK the 1-0 lead just 2:20 in. Farjestad took over from there, out-shooting SSK 14-3 to take a 4-1 lead after the opening frame. Sodertalje starter Bjorn Bjurling was chased after allowing three goals in a 10:33 stretch. The switch to Enroth at the 12:53 mark seemed to spark the troops, as he made 29 saves the rest of the way while the SSK offense dug its way out to earn overtime.

With eleven games to play in the SEL regular season, SSK holds the last playoff spot by two points over Skelleftea.

React:

Enroth's rest short-lived

In Sweden, SSK and Farjestad are underway in a battle of SEL playoff contenders. Sabres prospect Jhonas Enroth takes a rest today after three straight wins, giving way to Bjorn Bjurling (EDM) in the SSK crease.

While Enroth wants to play as often as possible, it's probably a good move for Bjurling to get the nod. SSK will enjoy a 12-day rest after tonight's game, and the pair of talented goalies will need to stay sharp with eleven games left on the schedule.

The 2007-08 season marks SSK's return to the SEL after a one-year demotion to the Allsvenskan. They're currently clinging to 8th place in the standings by a single point. Holding that spot down the stretch would land them in the final SEL playoff slot, keeping them out of a relegation series with a possible slip back to the Allsvenskan on the line.

UPDATE:
Enroth's rest lasted less than a period. As this was being posted, Bjurling let in three goals on nine shots, forcing the 19-year old to grab his gear. I guess the coaching decision wasn't such a great one after all. Enroth faced five shots through the end of the period, letting one by. We'll keep our eyes on this one.

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Eidsness blanks Brooks

A night after creasemate Braely Torris posted a 9-0 win over Canmore, Okotoks' Brad Eidsness continued his dominance in the AJHL by pitching a 34-save shutout of his own versus Brooks.

The Sioux recruit is now 23-2-3 on the year with a 1.90 GAA and equally impressive .941 save percentage. Tonight's shutout was his third of the year for the Oilers. The two teams will play it back tomorrow night in Okotoks.

(note: Eidness' shutout total has been corrected.)

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Amerks pick up where they left off

Rochester returned from the All-Star break Friday at the BCA, losing in overtime to Toronto, 3-2. The loss was the Amerks' ninth in a row, and 25th in their last 27 games.

Down 1-0 at the end of two, Marek Zagrapan knotted the score 2:48 into the third. The Slovakian pivot took the return feed from David Brine on the give-and-go and deposited a shot over Justin Pogge's shoulder for his 15th goal of the season.

Just over five minutes later, Mark Mancari would crash and bury a loose puck for an unassisted goal to give the Amerks the 2-1 lead.

As is the case recently, the Amerks couldn't hold on to it. The Marlies would eventually tie the game, and later score off a turnover 1:20 into the extra session to seal the deal.

Michael Funk didn't play tonight due to the infamous upper-body injury, and is out for at least a week. Mike Card remains out due to a serious concussion.

The Amerks line:

Zagrapan: goal
Mancari: goal, 2 PIM
Sekera: +1
Gragnani: +1
Weber: -1, 2 PIM
Hunter: zeros

Tomorrow afternoon, Rochester will attempt to beat the same Marlies club for the first time in seven tries.

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