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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2/1 Recap: Eno notches ninth; Kennedy-Tropp clicks

Bowling Green's Nick Eno held his ground through the final forty minutes to earn a key 5-2 road win at Ohio State. The freshman netminder stopped 39 Buckeye shots in all, backstopping his way to a hard-earned ninth win of the season. BGSU coach Scott Paluch would be wise to ride the hand hot tomorrow night as the Falcons go for the road sweep.

In E. Lansing, freshman Corey Tropp had his best night as a collegian, scoring a power-play goal and assisting on a pair of Justin Abdelkader tallies in #5 Michigan State's 5-4 OT loss to unranked Nebraska-Omaha. After UNO opened scoring 5:09 into the game, it was Tim Kennedy to Tropp to Abdelkader to tie it up a minute later. Kennedy would later assist on the second Abdelkader goal as well, with their line combining for eight points and 13 shots on goal.

#9 Boston College welcomed #13 Providence to Chestnut Hill, but had a hard time getting things going in a 3-2 loss to the Friars. LW Nathan Gerbe, once again named the Hockey East Player of the Month earlier in the day, was held without a point despite his game-best seven shots on net. The Hobey favorite finished a -1, after being on the ice for the game winning goal against in the third period. Andrew Orpik (7th, 2006) had an assist as he, Kyle Kucharski, and Matt Lombardi formed a swarming fourth-line attack for the Eagles in the loss.

#4 Denver, who has a history of struggling in Mankato, came out flat after a week off en route to getting bounced by the Mavs, 5-1. Chris Butler (-3) assisted on Rhett Rakhshani's power-play goal early in the second, but that's all the Pios could muster on a night that saw their defensemen get pounded on the forecheck. Coach George Gwozdecky chastised his team's defensive effort, so look for Denver to show equal output in all three zones as the two teams go at it again tomrrow.

Alex Biega pumped thorugh a game-high five shots on goal, but was -1 in Harvard's 4-2 loss to Brown. The Crimson will kick off the Beanpot on Monday against Northeastern.

In the QMJHL, Benjamin Breault had a goal and an assist as Baie-Comeau got pounded by Rouyn-Noranda, 8-4. Breault was busy with the man advantage, as both of his points and most of his seven shots on goal came on the power play. Even strength was a different story, as the Pembroke, Ontario native finished an unsavory -3 as the second-place Huskies doubled-up the first-place Drakkar.

Jean-Simon Allard opened scoring with his 15th of the year en route to being named the game's #2 star as St. John's defeated Halifax, 3-1. Defenseman T.J. Brennan was +1 with a air of minor penalties for the Fog Devils.

Paul Byron did everything but bury one for Gatineau in their 3-1 loss to Rimouski. The Sabres 6th round pick in 2007, Byron finished the night with four blocked shots, and a team leading four hits, and seven shots on goal.

Brad Eidsness was also in action tonight as Okotok's faced-off against Brooks. Those results will be posted shortly. In the meantime, check out a brief interview clip with the Sabres 2007 fifth-round pick on the front page of ajhl.ca.

Waterloo defender Drew MacKenzie did not play in Waterloo's 4-1 loss to Sioux City.

1/29 Recap: Eidsness slick in Oilers win

In a battle of the South Division's best, the Okotoks Oilers used a pair of power play goals and 29 saves from the games #1 star, Brad Eidsness, to up-end the top-ranked Junior "A" club in all of Canada, the Camrose Kodiaks, 2-1. Holding a 2-1 lead, the AJHL's top goaltender stopped all 15 shots in the third as the Kodiaks did everything but score. Camrose was turning up the heat in the last five minutes when Eidsness robbed the league's leading point-getter, Joe Colborne, with a game saving glove. Colbourne, a DU recruit pegged as a first-rounder in 2008 by many draft publications, was standing all alone in the crease when Eidsness stuck his arm up at the last second to keep the puck out of the net. He would make another save two minutes later that left the Kodiaks radio announcer with nothing left to say except, "That's why he's the best goaltender in the league, folks." Hoping to inch back into the CJAHL Top 15 for the first time since mid-December, Okotoks (36-9-0-4) gets to see Camrose (41-5-0-5) four more times this season. Elsewhere, it was a full slate 'Q'uesday with all four Sabres QMJHL prospects seeing the ice. Benjamin Breault assisted on the first and last Drakkar goals in their 4-2 win at Moncton. J.S. Allard had an assist, and T.J. Brennan was -1 as St. John's took a 7-2 licking from Halifax. Paul Byron went pointless for his second game in a row as Gatineau fell to Val-D'Or, 4-2. A -2 for the night, Byron hopes to also kick a three-game goalless streak at Rimouski on Friday.

1/27 Recap: Gogulla goes off, Schiestel solid

It's always a Super Sunday here at SabresProspects.com. Cologne's Philip Gogulla erupted for three assists tonight in the Sharks 5-4 overtime win over Struabing. The three-point night marked his highest output since starting the year with a two goal, one assist performance against Hamburg back in September. The 6'2 left wing signed a contract with the Sabres prior to training camp, but returned to the DEL where his 31 points are third-best on the league's third place team. Gogulla's frequent linemate in IIHF play, Felix Schutz of Ingolstadt, was -1 in a 6-0 shutout loss to Mannheim. The Sabres 4th round pick in 2006, Schutz has just six points in his last 21 games after starting the year with 12 through his first 14. He hasn't recorded a multi-point night in over three months. A neck injury once again sidelined 2006 first-round pick Dennis Persson as Nykopings fell to Vaxjos, 3-1. He should be ready to resume play within the week. In a North American tilt featuring a pair of top-ranked 2008 draft prospects, Drew Schiestel assisted on the game winning goal and was a game-best +3 in Niagara's 3-1 win over Sarnia. Currently rated the #1 North American by Central Scouting Bureau, dynamic Sting center Steven Stamkos was held off the scoresheet for 54:00 before setting up his team's lone goal. To date, the Unionville, ON native has 34 goals and 65 points in 40 games. Schiestel's touted teammate, 6'4, 210-pound defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, demonstrated the strength and ability that's put him top-5 in most 2008 mocks. In the Q, T.J. Brennan assisted on the first two Fog Devil goals in their 4-3 win at PEI. Playing the left side, the New Jersey product also contributed a game-high six shots on goal to spark the visitors. J.S. Allard was -1 for St. John's in the win. Benjamin Breault was quiet offensively as Baie-Comeau continued to roll in their 3-2 shootout win over Victoriaville.

1/25 Recap: Gerbe Disturbs; Amerks Continue Slide

#6 Michigan State opened the weekend's marquee match-up by escaping a hostile Yost Arena with a 1-0 win over #1 Michigan. The line of Justin Abdelkader (DET) centering Sabres prospects Tim Kennedy and Corey Tropp generated ten shots on goal, but could not connect. The Munn will rocking tomorrow as the clubs head back to E. Lansing to complete another installment of the biter rivalry.

With Hobey Baker front-runner Kevin Porter of Michigan posting blanks for just the fourth time all season, Nathan Gerbe had a chance to ease the gap in a showdown against old-friend Ben Bishop and Maine. Instead, the left wing himself put up zeros as the Eagles and Black Bears played to a 3-3 tie. BC banger Andrew Orpik was also in action, but did not register a point for the tenth consecutive game.

Despite going pointless, Gerbe still managed to make some noise on the ice. Midway through the third, the goaltender Bishop took exception as he skated into the crease after the whistle. The netminder shot right at the smaller Gerbe, setting off a slight melee. Gerbe ended up with the extra penalty for his efforts, and Maine would proceed to score on the ensuing power play to earn the tie.

Seeing Bishop lose his cool is not surprising when recalling the 5'5 agitator's attempt to show him up last February. After scoring a goal, Gerbe taunted the Blues draft pick instead of celebrating with teammates, leading Bishop to drop Gerbe to the ice. Needless to say, the two are not fans of each other.

Regardless of your opinion on Gerbe's methods, you have to admire his taste for larger targets. At 6'7, 210 pounds, Ben Bishop is an oak tree in the crease. Two seasons ago, Gerbe blew a fuse in a fight with 6'2, 200-pound Jordan Hart of Merrimack. Gerbe's fearlessness is an uncommon trait in the Sabres' prospect stable.

Elsewhere, Nick Eno got his third consecutive start as #21 Bowling Green traveled to South Bend to take on #9 Notre Dame. Outshot 16-2 in the first period, the freshman was buzzed for three goals while making several tough saves against the hungry Irish. Eno would let two more past him in the second, eventually giving way to Jimmy Spratt to finish out the 6-1 ugly loss. The loss lowers the Howell, MI native's record to 8-4 on the season.

Rounding out NCAA play, Matt Generous was +1 in the Saints' 3-1 loss to Union. A stabilizing cog on the Saint Lawrence blueline, the Cheshire, CT native is now a team-best +14 with the next best total being a distant +5. Generous is the only drafted player on the SLU roster.

Moving north, Benjamin Breault scored a pair of goals as Q pace-setters Baie-Comeau defeated Acadie-Bathurst, 4-3 in a shootout. The game's #1 star has six points in his last three games, and looks to add to his total Sunday against a Victoriaville club that has given up the third most goals in the league.

The other Sabrecentric game on the Q slate featured Paul Byron, who had a power play assist in Gatineau's 6-0 shutout of Val d'Or.

In Omaha, Drew MacKenzie assisted on the only Black Hawks goal in their 3-1 loss to the Lancers. The Taft product has doubled his production of late with seven points in his last 14 games after posting five points through his first twenty.

Drew Schiestel was +1 as Niagara rode a five-point night from Jordan Foreman to a 6-3 win over last place Kingston.

In Germany, Philip Gogulla was quiet as the third-ranked Cologne Sharks lost to Augsburger, 2-1. Felix Schutz was equally quiet in Ingolstadt's 4-3 loss to Berlin.

Also of note, more Russian Super League stats were recently posted. Artem Kriukov, the infamous first round pick of the 2000 draft, has cooled after his nice start for SKA. Now age 25, the center has scored seven goals for 15 points - a total he seems to have been stuck at for the past fifteen games. All in all, it's an improvement over the four points he had all of last season.

Also in Russia, defenseman Vjacheslav Buravchikov has gone pointless with a -4 in 34 games for Ak Bars.

***

Finally, the sinking ship that is the 2007-08 Rochester Americans season endured another loss last night against Lake Erie. The Amerks started quickly, sprinting out to a 3-0 lead after one. Dylan Hunter had two assists in the opening frame, with Marc-Andre Gragnani, Rej Sekera, and Michael Funk also picking up helpers.

The Avalanche affiliate would claw their way back, scoring three goals of their own in the second. Still deadlocked through the end of OT, the Amerks failed on all five shootout attempts against Tyler Weiman. Meanwhile, Jamie Lundmark beat Tyler Plante to seal the 4-3 Monsters win.

Marek Zagrapan remained out of the lineup as he clears himself of illness, while Marc-Andre Gragnani (+2) shifted back to defense for the entire game.

On a happier note in Rochester, congratulations go out to Mark Mancari, who today was named to his first AHL All-Star game in place of the near-graduated Clarke MacArthur.

1/22 Recap: Brennan bags winner, Persson out with neck injury

Another cold Tuesday night in Buffalo with five games on the developmental slate... In Newfoundland, St. John's co-captain T.J. Brennan fired home the game winner with 1:29 left to play as the Foggies defeated struggling Moncton, 3-2. The goal was Brennan's ninth of the season and sixth on the power play. Fellow 2007 draftee J.S. Allard continued his playmaking ways with two assists for the Fog Devils. The two teams will play it back tomorrow night at Mile One. Drew MacKenzie picked up the primary power play assist on the game winner in Waterloo's 3-2 defeat of Indiana. Brad Eidsness got a rest, giving way to Braely Torris in the Oilers crease as Okotoks traveled up Highway 2 to take on the Calgary Royals. Over the pond in DEL action, Philip Gogulla went pointless in the Sharks 4-1 win over the Metro Stars, while Felix Schutz picked up a pair of minors in Ingolstadt's 3-1 loss at Hannover. Also in Europe, Nykopings defenseman Dennis Persson missed last night's game against Huddinge with a neck injury. He's out at least a week, meaning he'll miss tomorrow's game against Vasteras - a program he should have never left - and likely Sunday's tilt with Yaxjo. Just more bad luck for the Sabres 2006 first-rounder.

Breault captured on film in Junior

Two seasons ago en route to being tabbed by the Sabres in the 2006 draft, Benjamin Breault and his Baie-Comeau Drakkar teammates spent some time with a pair of Canadian filmmakers for the project titled, Junior. The french language documentary, filmed completely behind the scenes with zero game footage, intensely depicts the demanding lifestyle of the Canadian junior hockey player. It's been met with good reviews since its November premier. (Read an interview with the filmmaker here) Often we hear of highly regarded teens sliding in their draft years. Breault, the 57th ranked North American skater in CSB's 2006 final draft rankings, was one of four players trailed by cameras away from the rink. Through the course of the season, the viewer gets to watch the Pembroke, Ontario native deal with the pressure and emotions of being a star prospect while navigating social life as a teenager. A point-per-game player with 30 goals and 68 points that season, the talented center slid to the 7th round on draft day. Heading into play this week for first-place Baie-Comeau, Breault has collected 47 points in 43 games after a 40-40-80 campaign in 2006-07. In October, he was named to represent the QMJHL in the ADT Canada/Russia Challenge but missed the series due to injury (he was replaced by Sabres prospect J.S. Allard). The Sabres own his rights through June, and he'll likely be in Buffalo's camp this fall given the dearth of Amerks offense and the Sabres need to ice a full roster as a single affiliate in 2008-09.

1/20 Recap: Byron's Abuzz; Schutz scores big goal

I'm freezing at pee-wee hockey. Ingolstadt coach Mike Krushelnyski has to be impressed. Playing in front his new coach for the first time, Felix Schutz scored his 9th goal of the season with 3:17 left to force overtime in a wild one with Augsburger. Ingolstadt went on to complete the 7-6 come-from-behind win in the extra session. The 5'11 Schutz sat out two games earlier this week due to sore back muscles. He'll carry a two-game point streak into Tuesday's game at Hannover. The Telus feeds were working well today, so I was able to take in good chunks of games involving Paul Byron and Benjamin Breault. Breault looked in control, scoring a goal and setting up the winner to earn the #2 star in Baie-Comeau's 5-3 win over Victoriaville. One thing I keep noticing about Breault is that he can be crafty with his stick defensively. He's not a "charlie hustle" type, but it was refreshing to see him go down to block a point shot on the PK. The Drakkar are ranked #9 in the latest CHL Mosaik Top 10. The pace slowed down in the Baie-Comeau game, but right on cue, the third period between Gatineau and Shawinigan was filled with wide open, high-energy hockey. The Olympiques color scheme makes it tough to see the numbers, but you always know when Paul Byron is on the ice. He had a "Gerbe" game today with two goals on a game-best six shots on goal in the 4-1 win. Adding sparkle to the game's #2 star was his six blocked shots - also a game-best. As good as Byron was, Claude Giroux was better. The Flyers prospect skated parts of the third with Matthew Pistilli and Gerrit Fauser and dominated every shift. The non-stop pressure of Giroux and his linemates lead to few spirited fights in the final minutes. 2007 2nd round defenseman Drew Schiestel continued his recent upswing in the OHL, netting an assist and a +1 in the IceDogs 4-0 win over Ottawa. Niagara outshot the 67's 43-15 en route to the easy shutout. With 25 points, Schiestel has already eclipsed his point total for last season (21). More importantly, after being a -5 through the first 28 games, he's been a minus player just twice in his past 17 raising his season rating to +3. Hockey fans in Buffalo should consider going to see to see Schiestel next Sunday (1/27) as likely 2008 lottery pick Steven Stamkos and the Sarnia Sting come to town. It's a 2:00 puck drop right over the border in St. Catherines.

Breault's hit not-so gross

This past Tuesday (1/15), 2006 7th rounder Benjamin Breault was given a gross misconduct for running into 6'5 Rimouski goaltender, Jean-Christophe Blanchard. Feeling wronged, some Rimouski fans thought Breault should be suspended. Well, here's the video. You decide if the hit deserved a gross misconduct: A respected Q playmaker, Breault has 20 goals and 45 points this season. He also averages over a hit per game, but not all are of the lamely "gross" variety.

1/19 Recap: Gerbe's streak ends; Eno, Eidsness shine

Saturday Night Fever. It might be time for Jhonas Enroth to get his starting job back in the SSK crease. The sensational rookie, who was arguably the best goalie in the SEL before winning silver at the World Juniors, watched again tonight as SSK lost 4-1 to Modo. Bjorn Bjurling, a 28-year old property of the Edmonton Oilers, caught fire and assumed the top spot for SSK right before Enroth left for international action. Bjurling has performed admirably as the top guy, posting a 2.32 GAA and a league-best .931 save percentage in 23 games. Meanwhile Enroth, who himself ranks second and third in SEL GAA and save percentage respectively, should be ready to see his first action since the WJC's on Thursday against Djurgarden. He's battled a bug for much of the two weeks since returning from the Czech Republic. Nathan Gerbe's point scoring tear came to an end as #11 Boston College battled to a 2-2 tie with crosstown rival BU. The 5'6 Hobey Baker favorite caps an impressive run of 27 points in nine games that began November 30th with a hat trick against the same Terriers team that shut him down tonight. The anti-Gerbe camp will be pleased with the unsportsmanlike/goalie interference minor he received just 1:27 into the game after running into Buffalo native Brett Bennett....Fourth-line banger Andrew Orpik was quiet for the Eagles, mustering just one shot on goal. Nick Eno earned another win with 18 saves in Bowling Green's 2-1 decision over Western Michigan. The freshman netminder's record is now 8-3, and he looks to be entrenched as the Falcons' #1 after playing both ends of the weekend set for the first time all season. Sabre prospects LW Tim Kennedy and RW Corey Tropp played together for what I believe to be the first time this season as #7 Michigan State shutout Ohio State, 4-0. Kennedy, the Spartans leading scorer, pitched in two assists while 2007 third-rounder Tropp added a helper of his own. North Dakota recruit Bradley Eidsness upped his record to 20-2-3 in Okotoks' 5-2 win over Lloydminster. Eidsness, who made 34 saves in the contest, leads the AJHL in wins, GAA, and save percentage through Saturday. Benjamin Breault had a pair of assists as Baie-Comeau rode a three-goal third period to beat Drummondville, 6-3. Indicative of his season-to-date, T.J. Brennan had a game-high four shots on goal and was a game-worst -2 in the loss. Brennan, the Sabres 2nd round pick in 2007, is now a disgusting -25 on the Foggies blue line. J.S. Allard opened scoring for the Fog Devils with his 13th of the year at the 2:45 mark of the first period. Chris Butler was +1 in #4 Denver's 4-2 win over Bemidji State. Butler, who is considered a high-end defenseman in the WCHA, had an up-and-down weekend after last Friday's rare icing miscue against Wisconsin. Steady D Matt Generous was St. Lawrence's only "plus player" (+1) in the Saints' 4-1 loss at Colgate. In the USHL, 2007 7th rounder Drew MacKenzie went pointless in Waterloo's 2-0 shutout win over Sioux City.

1/18 Recap: Gerbe dishes; Eno gets a grip

Friday Night Action: Nathan Gerbe had two assists in #11 BC's 5-4 win over #15 Lowell. Andrew Orpik put up zeros for the Eagles. Nick Eno made 35 saves in Bowling Green's 4-1 win over WMU. The foil was on in this one, as a line brawl broke out in the final seconds right after the Falcons scored an empty netter. WMU was frustrated by a slash earlier in the period, and their frustration had an outlet once a one-goal game became a three-goal lead for BGSU. Paul Byron scored his 18th goal of the season and added two assists in Gatineau's 7-2 win over Chicoutimi. Drew MacKenzie (+1) had an assist in Waterloo's 4-1 win over Sioux Falls. Chris Butler was a disappointing -3 as #4 Denver fell to an emerging Air Force club, 5-2. The Falcons made great use of their 16 SOG. Drew Schiestel was also -3 in Niagara's 5-1 loss to Sarnia. Future Sabre Steven Stamkos had two assists for the Sting. Corey Tropp and Tim Kennedy were both even with no points as #7 Michigan State beat Ohio State, 4-1. J.S. Allard was +1 while T.J. Brennan missed a shootout attempt as St. John's lost to Cape Breton, 3-2. Matt Generous was even in the Saints' 3-1 loss to Cornell. Philip Gogulla was -2 as Cologne lost to Iserlohn, 4-3. Ben Breault was -1 in Baie-Comeau's 7-2 loss to Lewiston.