3/17 Recap: Shipley tunes up as Dogs eye run

Steven Shipley scored a goal and two assists Saturday as Niagara hammered Ottawa, 7-3. The 6'3 center is coming on of late on a line with Mitchell Theoret and David Pacan, scoring six goal and 10 points in his last seven games. After finishing the regular season on Sunday with a trip to Mississauga, the top-seeded IceDogs will open the 2012 playoffs on Thursday versus Oshawa.



Dan Catenacci snapped a five-game funk with a faceoff win assist as Owen Sound lost to Guelph, 3-1. With the pair of weekend losses to the Storm, the Attack slip to a 6th place finish in the OHL Western Conference. Owen Sound will be without leading scorer Mike Halmo (suspension) for the entire first round playoff match-up with Kitchener, meaning that Catenacci, who finished the regular season with 33 goals and 72 points, will need to step it up if the Attack is to defend their league crown.



Cedrick Henley recorded an assist as Val-d'Or defeated Baie-Comeau, 7-4. The 6'5 power forward finishes the regular season as Val-d'Or's seventh leading scorer, posting a career-best 13 goals and 39 points in 53 games. The Foreurs will wait for the outcome of Sunday action to learn where they'll be traveling for the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.

Gregg Sutch and Alex Lepkowski did not factor as Barrie was rolled by Brampton, 5-2. Sutch was stung late when he blocked a shot but should be good to go next week when the Colts begin the playoffs at home versus Mississauga.

Colin Jacobs logged a -1 as Seattle lost to Everett, 6-4. The Thunderbirds will now face a must-win situation on Sunday when they battle Portland in the final game of the regular season. Currently two points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, a Seattle victory will force a one-game tiebreaker with Everett on Tuesday.

Mark Pysyk finished +1 as Edmonton finished the regular season with a 7-3 win over Red Deer. The Oil Kings, who enter the WHL playoffs as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, will face defending league champion Kootenay in the first round. The first two games will be played at Rexall on Friday and Sunday.

Nathan Lieuwen made 14 saves as Kootenay was blanked by Calgary, 3-0. The ICE 2011-12 co-MVP, Lieuwen finishes the regular season with 27 wins (11th in WHL), a 2.50 goals against average (3rd) and .914 save percentage (5th).

Brad Eidsness backed up as North Dakota reeled off their seventh straight win to claim the WCHA Final Five Championship with a 4-0 shutout win over Denver. The Sioux victory gives them the automatic bid into the NCAA brackets. Their opponent will be announced Sunday at noon.

Kevin Sundher did not play as Brandon closed out the regular season with a 7-2 win over Regina. The Wheat Kings, who finish as the #6 seed in the WHL Eastern Conference, will hope to have the speedy center back on Thursday when they begin their opening round playoff series at Calgary.

***

In AHL play, blueliners T.J. Brennan (14th) and Nick Crawford (4th) added regulation goals and Paul Szczechura scored in overtime as Rochester edged Binghamton, 4-3.

Travis Turnbull also scored for the Amerks while David Leggio made 33 stops for his fifth win in his last six starts.

The Rundown:
Brennan: G, +1, 6 SOG
Crawford: G, +1, 2 SOG
Lagace: 2 SOG
Adam: -1, 4 SOG
Biega: +1, 2 SOG
Szydlowski: +1

On Friday, Orchard Park native Nick Schaus scored a late power play goal to give Syracuse a 4-3 win over the Amerks. Szczechura and fellow vets Colin Stuart and Evan Rankin provided the Rochester marks, while Phil Varone added two assists.

The Rundown:
Brennan: A, -3, 5 PIM
Biega: A,
Adam: A, 4 SOG
Lagace: 2 PIM
Crawford: +1
Szydlowski: even

Winners of eight of their last 10, the Amerks welcome Syracuse to the BCA for mid-week tilt on Wednesday.

***

In Texas, Drew Schiestel recorded an assist as Texas dropped both ends of a Friday/Saturday set to Oklahoma City. Schiestel has four assists and a +1 rating in six games since being re-assigned to the Stars top affiliate.

***

In the Coast League, Corey Fienhage picked up a pair of assists and Jonathan Parker chipped in a helper as Gwinnett held on for a 4-3 win over Greenville. Riley Boychuk recorded two shots on net in the win.

Since we haven't fed the savages in a while, here's a clip of Boychuk refining his pugilistic skills last weekend against the Road Warriors.

Amerks streak ends at three

In Friday AHL play, goals by Brayden McNabb and Luke Adam got Rochester out to a 2-0 lead, but Grand Rapids struck three times in the third to overcome the Amerks, 4-3. The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for the Sabres farmhands.

McNabb gave Rochester a 1-0 lead when he jumped into the slot to beat Ty Conklin for his fourth of the year at 14:54 of the first.

At 1:51 of the second, Rochester gained the two-goal lead when Adam scarfed up a rebound for his first goal in an Amerks sweater.

After the Griffins cashed three straight tallies, T.J. Brennan added his 12th of the year on the power play to tie the game with under seven minutes to play.

Francis Pare answered for Grand Rapids three minutes later to cap the scoring.

David Leggio finished with 28 saves in defeat, while Phil Varone picked up a pair of assists for his seventh multi-point game of the year.

The Rundown:
McNabb: G, -1, 2 SOG
Adam: G, +1, 6 SOG
Brennan: PPG, 4 SOG
Foligno: 5 PIM
Szydlowski: 2 SOG
Crawford: -2
Persson: -1

The Amerks will be in Toronto on Saturday to begin a back-to-back set with the first place Marlies.

***

In the ECHL, Corey Fienhage scored in part of a four-goal third period as Gwinneett as poured it on last to earn an 8-6 win over Trenton. Matt MacKenzie (7 SOG) and Riley Boychuk picked up assists in the win, while Jonathan Parker logged a -3 rating.

11/24 Recap: Leduc lifts Nics; Boychuk nails Nailer

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc notched a regulation goal and then the only marker in the shootout to lead Rimouski to a 4-3 win over Gatineau. The goal, Leduc's 13th of the year, gives the puck mover 35 points through his first 24 games. The Oceanic (16-13-0-0) travel to Blainville-Boisbriand on Friday.

In ECHL play, Riley Boychuk earned his second fighting major of the year as Gwinnett was handled by Wheeling, 5-1. With the Gladiators trailing 4-1 midway through the third, Boychuk dropped journeyman Joe Tolles with a one punch knock out. Corey Fienhage recorded a shot on goal in the loss. The Glads (8-6-2-2) will rematch with the first-place Nailers on Friday.



Elsewhere, Gregg Sutch finished even as Barrie earned a 4-3 shootout win over Sarnia. Alex Lepkowski sat out with a back injury, while stud 2012 prospect Nail Yakupov scored a pair of goals, an assist, and a shootout tally to lead the Sting in a losing effort. The Colts (12-8-2-1) will put their four-game winning streak on the line Friday at London.

Steven Shipley did not factor into the scoring as Niagara dumped Brampton, 6-1. Niagara (12-10-0-2) will square off with Windsor on Friday.

11/20 Recap: Cat cashes two, Lieuwen bests Giants

Dan Catenacci scored two goals Sunday as Owen Sound was toppled in overtime by London, 3-2. The injury-riddled Attack competed hard after getting ripped by coach Greg Ireland for Saturday's soft effort, but eventually lost via a power play in the OT. Max Domi ('13) had a goal and two helpers for London. With four points in two weekend losses to the CHL's top-ranked Knights, Catenaci ups his team-leading totals to 14 goals and 29 points in his first 26 games. The Attack (12-12-2) will take a two-game road trip to Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie beginning Friday.

In WHL play, Nathan Lieuwen made 27 saves to guide Kootenay to a 4-1 win over Vancouver. The 6'5 netminder, who entered the contest without a win in his three previous starts, shut the door with 22 stops over the final thirty minutes to halt the Giants winning streak at six. Sam Reinhart ('14) paced the winners with a goal and three assists. Lieuwen will look to get win #12 when the ICE (15-5-1-2) travel to Prince George on Tuesday.

Gregg Sutch played even with a minor penalty as Barrie won at Kingston, 3-1. The 6'2 grinder has just one assist in his last six games while finding himself outside of the scoring lines. Colts blueliner Alex Lepkowski did not play for the second straight game with a sore back. Barrie (11-8-2-1) will next head to Sarnia on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Steven Shipley finished -1 as Niagara lost to Ottawa, 5-2. With four goals in 19 games (.21 per game), the fourth-year man in pace for the fewest goals of his OHL career. The IceDogs (11-10-0-2) are on until Thursday when they host Brampton.

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc (-1) sent three shots on goal as Rimouski was nipped by Halifax, 2-1. Despite scoring just once in his last 13 games, Leduc continues to lead all Q defenders with 12 goals and 34 points. The Oceanic (15-13-0-0) travel to Gatineau on Thursday.

Brad Eidsness backed up Aaron Dell for the seventh straight game as North Dakota was blanked at Bemidji, 1-0. The Sioux slide to a 4-7-1 on the year heading into next weekend's set with Colorado College. Eidsness, a senior, has started just eight of the Sioux's last 56 contests since being named an All-WCHA 2nd teamer as a sophomore.

In ECHL play, Riley Boychuk scored his first professional goal but it was all Gwinnett could muster in suffering a 6-1 loss to South Carolina. The 6'5 wing, who paced all skaters with six shots on goal, wired home a power play tally at 15:53 of the third to break Philip Grubauer's shutout. Corey Fienhage was -3 for the Gladiators (8-5-2-2, 2nd place South Division).

Amerks lose; Boychuk scraps in Coast League debut

Big Joe Finley scored his first goal as an Amerk Friday, but Rochester saw their four-game winning streak halted in a 2-1 loss to Toronto. With the game knotted 1-1 in the final frame, the Amerks allowed a shorthanded goal with 2:28 left to slip to 8-6-2-1 on the year.

From Kevin O.'s Rochester D&C Recap:

The tie will be broken today when the teams play again, this time in Toronto at 3 p.m.

"We have to get it back and cancel this out and save the weekend," said defenseman Joe Finley, who scored the Amerks goal 6:38 into the first period.

The Amerks thought they were in great position to win the game as they headed to a power play with only 3:25 to play.

Instead, the Marlies penalty killers pressured the Amerks into a turnover, and from the giveaway came D'Amigo's goal, his third of the season.

The Rundown:
Szydlowski: A, +1
Kassian: -1, 3 SOG
McNabb: -1, 1 SOG, 4 PIM
Foligno: even
Crawford: 4 SOG
Biega: 2 PIM
Parker: -1
Schiestel: -2, 1 SOG
MacKenzie: even
Lagace: even

***

Riley Boychuk made his ECHL debut Friday, posting four shots on goal and his first professional fighting major as Gwinnett downed South Carolina, 4-2. Boychuk tangled with Washington prospect Dustin Stevenson on his very first shift of the game. Corey Fienhage finished -1 with a roughing minor.

10/28 Recap: Leduc streak snapped; Sundher leads pack

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc saw his 12-game point streak come to an end Friday as Rimouski came up short against Shawinigan, 2-1. The 6'1 righty remains the QMJHL's top scoring defenseman, ranking fifth in the league with 26 points (11+15). Leduc's roll was the longest for a Sabres defensive prospect since Kootenay's Brayden McNabb ripped off an 11-gamer last year. Marc-Andre Gragnani posted a 10-game streak for PEI back in 2005-06. Leduc will look to start anew Sunday against Victoriaville.

Kevin Sundher scored a pair of regulation goals, his sixth and seventh of the year, as Victoria lost a 4-3 shootout to Seattle. The two clubs went scoreless for two periods before opening things up with a six-goal third. Sundher opened scoring 23-seconds in with an unassisted shorthanded goal. He'd later force overtime with just 1:25 to play to give him 27 points this season, overcoming Leduc for tops among all Sabres prospects. Per the WHL injury report, T-Birds center Colin Jacobs remains out for a month with an upper body injury. The two clubs will play it back on Saturday.



Gregg Sutch scored a goal and an assist while tossing his weight around throughout as Barrie lost at Brampton, 4-3. The 6'2 checker has four points (2+2) in his last three games, and it's fair to expect those numbers to keep spiking if he continues skating on a line with Winnipeg Jets property Mark Scheifele. Alex Lepkowski missed his eighth game with an upper body injury. The Colts host Windsor on Saturday.



Elsewhere, Cedrick Henley notched two assists as Val-d'Or lost to Halifax, 3-2. The 6'5 forward had five assists in his first 10 games, but has four goals and three assists in five game since. The teams will play a rematch on Saturday.

Dan Catenacci picked up a power play assist but finished a game-low -3 as Owen Sound was edged in overtime at London, 3-2. Seven of Catenacci's 11 helpers this season have come with the man advantage. The Attack host Oshawa on Saturday.

Mark Pysyk logged a -1 as Edmonton dropped their fourth game of the year, falling to the Regina Pats 4-1. Pysyk took a third period cross-checking penalty that resulted on a Dominik Volek ('12) goal to give the Pats a 3-1 lead. The Oil Kings travel to Brandon on Saturday.

In NCAA play, Connor Knapp was pulled after allowing four goals in 27-minutes of work as #16 Miami  lost for the second straight night to #18 Lake Superior, 5-3. Knapp had stopped 11 of 15 shots prior to getting the hook. The Redhawks (2-6-0), who were swept at home for the first time since 2006-07, will look to snap a five-game losing streak next weekend at Alaska.

Brad Navin (1 SOG) committed a costly hooking penalty late as Wisconsin lost to Nebraska-Omaha, 5-4. With Navin off to the box at 18:42 of the third, the Badgers gave up a power play goal with 21-seconds left in regulation to fall to 3-4-0 on the year. The series continues Saturday in Madison.

Christian Isackson was a scratch as #8 Minnesota cruised to a 5-0 win over Alaska-Anchorage. The Gophers and Seawolves will do it again Saturday.

Brad Eidsness served as backup as #12 North Dakota suffered a 4-0 home-ice defeat at the hands of St. Cloud State. It's unclear as of now, but Eidsness could get the nod Saturday as the Sioux (2-4-1) look to earn the split.

Drew MacKenzie did not play due to injury as Vermont opened their Hockey East schedule with a 4-1 loss to #9 Merrimack. The Catamounts and Warriors will rematch on Saturday.

Mark Adams remained out with a lower body injury as Providence lost in OT at Maine, 5-4. The sophomore is likely still multiple weeks away from returning to the Friars.

In the ECHL, Corey Fienhage tapped-in a 2x1 finish for his second professional goal as Gwinnett fell in overtime to Wheeling, 3-2. The 6'3 defenseman has two goals and an assist in six Coast League contests.

Fienhage getting going in Gwinnett

Congratulations to Sabres 2008 third-rounder Corey Fienhage, who on Friday scored his first professional goal as the ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators cruised to a 6-1 win over Greenville.




The 6'3, 215-pound defenseman followed that up with his first assist the following evening when his slap shot from the point was tipped-in by Dartmouth product Scott Fleming in the Glads 4-2 loss to the Road Warriors.

Fienhage has two points in his first four games as pro. Last season in Kamloops, he didn't score his first major-junior goal until December 28th (his 35th game).

Buffalo signed Fienhage to an AHL contract during training camp.

9/23 Recap: JGL pots pair; Cat strikes again

In our first Friday of CHL action, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc picked up where he left off a season ago, cashing two goals, adding an assist, and leading his team with five shots on goal as Rimouski came from behind to earn a 6-5 shootout win over Chicoutimi. Trailing  4-2 heading into the third, the Nics battled back to a 5-5 tie with 2:19 left in regulation to force the extra time and tiebreaker.




Leduc, who finished last season on a tear with an impressive 18 points in his final 10 games to wind up as the QMJHL's #2 scorer among defensemen, is certainly out to stake an early offensive claim as Team Canada starts weeding out their 2012 World Junior hopefuls. The multi-goal game is the fourth in his last eight regular season contests (going back to 2010-11), a span that has seen the 6'2 defender convert nine of his last 15 shots on goal (remember five of those came Friday). Rimouski will next hit the ice Sunday when they host Shawinigan.

Also from the Q, Cedrick Henley collected an assist and eight hits as Val-d'Or lost a 5-4 shootout to the defending Memorial Cup champions, Saint John. The 6'5 wing's physical effort comes one night removed from a three-assist outing in his season debut. The Foreurs return to action Saturday in PEI.

Dan Catenacci continued his warm OHL start, scoring the game's first goal on the power play and adding an assist as Owen Sound closed out Guelph, 6-4. The 5'10 center now has four points (2+2) in his first two games as a member of the Attack. Catenacci, who scored just six goals in his final 30 games of 2010-11, will look to maintain his current 136-point pace Saturday when the Attack take on Saginaw.



Alex Lepkowski (+1) assisted on an empty-net goal as Barrie got past Brampton, 3-1. Colts forward Gregg Sutch played even with a cross-checking minor in the win. The Colts are now off until Thursday when they meet up with Owen Sound.

Kevin Sundher finished -1 as the Victoria Royals lost their inaugural WHL contest to Vancouver, 5-2. Earlier in the day, the Royals announced that Sundher would serve as an alternate captain for the 2011-12 season. The Royals and Giants will head back to Victoria Saturday for the Royals home opener -- the first WHL home game in Victoria since the Cougars fled for Prince George back in 1994.

Nathan Lieuwen earned the start in Kootenay's 2011-12 opener, making 27 saves as the ICE fell in the shootout to Red Deer, 3-2. The 6'5 netminder, who played well in helping the Sabres to the Traverse City title, surrendered three goals in the six-round shootout to put the ICE in a 0-1 hole to begin the year. Kootenay will look for the first win Saturday against Calgary.

In SM-liiga action, Joel Armia earned the primary assist on the game winning goal as Assat defeated the Blues, 3-1. The big wing dumped the puck off and pushed to the net as a screen to earn his second point in as many games. Assat returns to action Saturday versus HPK.

***

Earlier Friday, the Sabres dispatched the first eleven players to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

F: Riley Boychuk, Jacob Lagace, Maxime Legault, Shawn Szydlowski, Mark Voakes, Travis Turnbull
D: Matt MacKenzie, Corey Fienhage, Nick Crawford, Alex Biega
G: Jeff Jakaitis

Unsigned draft picks Matt MacKenzie, 19, and Riley Boychuk, 20, are AHL eligible this season and worth the look in Amerks camp, but the Sabres could still elect to return the pair to their WHL clubs.

3/19 Recap: Sundher stars as clubs ready for playoffs

Kevin Sundher hit for two insurance goals and an assist Saturday as Chilliwack blanked Everett, 3-0. The six-foot pivot went to work with the Bruins holding a 1-0 lead after 40-minutes, first forcing Ryan Murray ('11) to cough up the puck allowing him to sail down and pot his 23rd on a shorthanded breakaway, and then snapping a shot from the slot a couple of shifts later for his 24th goal and sixth three-point game of the year. The Surrey native finishes the regular season as the Bruins #3 scorer with 76 points. Depending on what shakes out on Sunday, Chilliwack will visit either Tri-City or Spokane when the WHL playoffs kickoff next week.

Elsewhere in the WHL, Brayden McNabb (+1) registered an assist, his 50th helper of the year, as Kootenay hammered Lethbridge, 7-1. The 6'4 defenseman caps his fantastic regular season with 22 goals and 72 points, making him the 3rd-most productive WHL blueliner, while his sturdy +25 is representative of the quality (and sheer amount of) even-strength minutes logged during season grind.

Mark Pysyk skated -1 as Edmonton lost their second game in as many nights to Red Deer, 3-1. The weekend set allowed plenty of bad blood to brew prior to the clubs' squaring-off for their best-of-seven playoff round next week. Pysyk scored six goals this season while posting career highs in points (40), penalty minutes (88), and plus/minus (+29) in his first season as Oil Kings captain. He played like a leader to end the year and is sure to be counted on heavily as Edmonton engages the tough task of taking down the Rebs, lead by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ('11).

Matt MacKenzie registered an assist as Tri-City defeated Spokane, 6-4. The two-way defender has points in three of his last four games. He had posted points in three of his previous 17 prior to the productive home stretch. The Ams wrap up the regular season on Sunday versus Seattle.

Riley Boychuk had no points and 17-penalty minutes as Portland defeated Seattle, 5-4. The 6'5 Boychuk earned his sixth fighting major of the year when he dropped the gloves with 6'5 17-year old Mitch Eliot.



Corey Fienhage finished -1 in the final WHL game of his career as Kamloops lost to Prince George, 5-1. The 6'4, 221-pound "Moose", who played his previous two seasons with the University of North Dakota, scored four goals and 10 assists in 70 games this season on the Blazers blueline.

In the OHL, Steven Shipley scored his 18th goal of the year as Niagara pummeled Kingston, 8-4. Ryan Strome ('11) collected four assists to finish tied atop the OHL's scoring list with 106 points (33+73). The IceDogs will await the results of Sunday play before learning their first-round opponent. A Brampton win will see the Dogs play Kingston. A loss will set the stage for shorter drives with a Dogs/Brampton first round match-up.

Marcus Foligno (+3) notched an assist as Sudbury doubled Belleville, 6-3. The 6'3 captain was a physically intimidating throughout, earning a double minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct late in the second period after his hit sparked a powerkeg. The Wolves will close the regular season Sunday with a tilt against their first-round playoff opponent, #2 seed Ottawa.

Zack Kassian notched an assist as Windsor defeated Saginaw, 5-4 in overtime. The bullish wing, who had eight 3+ point efforts before the World Junior Championships and just two after, finishes the regular season with 26-51-77. Just like a year ago, the Spits will face the Erie Otters in the opening round of the playoffs.

In the QMJHL, Cedrick Henley (+1) picked up two assists Val-d'Or lost to Shawinigan, 8-4. The 6'5 Henley, who was called for boarding on the game's first shift, has 17 points in 21 games this season including a goal and seven assists in nine games since returning from wrist surgery. Les Foreurs will close their regular season Sunday against Drummondville.

In the USHL, Christian Isackson scored an empty-net goal and an assist as Sioux Falls rolled past Green Bay, 4-0. The six-foot rookie has 15 goals and 40 points in 51 games this season and has been a point-per-game player over his last 20.

Connor Knapp did not play as #6 Miami won their first-ever CCHA Tournament title with a 4-2 win over #12 Western Michigan. Senior UFA Andy Miele scored a goal and an assist to give him 71 points (24+47) in 38 games this year. By comparison, Nathan Gerbe's best season at BC (2007-08) saw him net 35-33-68 in 43 games. The RedHawks will now wait Sunday's announcement of the NCAA tournament bracket to determine who they'll next face.

Brad Eidsness served as backup as #1 North Dakota won the Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Tornament champs with a 3-2 double-overtime win over #5 Denver. Like Knapp's RedHawks, Eidsness and the Sioux will wait for Sunday to learn who they face as one of the #1 regional seeds.