1/12 Recap: Kea connects; Brennan's "Gordie" leads way

Justin Kea notched a goal and an assist Saturday as Saginaw extended their winning streak to five games with a 5-2 victory over London. Kea, who finished with a game-best plus-three rating, was rewarded with the game's number three star while upping his season line to 16-20-36 through 44 games. The Spirit victory was the first time in 29 games that the Knights were defeated in regulation time. Saginaw hosts Sault Ste. Marie on Friday

Dan Catenacci recorded an assist as Owen Sound blasted Kingston 7-0. The polished pivot now has 54 points (22+32) in 42 appearances heading into next Friday's tilt at Kingston.



Alex Lepkowski did not play as Barrie handled Niagara 5-1. The Colts' stay-at-homer returned this week for a pair of games, but was forced to sit Saturday after agitating the shoulder that saw him miss seven games from mid-Dec. to early Jan.

In the WHL, Andrey Makarov made 30 saves as Sakatoon lost to Edmonton 2-1. The Blades are back at it Tuesday versus Kootenay.

Colin Jacobs scored his 14th goal of the year on the power play as Prince George lost a 2-1 overtime decision to Kamloops. The Cougars visit Calgary on Friday.


In NCAA play, Jake McCabe returned to WCHA action, earning an assist on the overtime game winner as Wisconsin swept Minnesota State with a 2-1 overtime victory. The Badgers extended their winning streak to six games, while going unbeaten in their last 10 games (7-0-3). Brad Navin was a healthy scratch for the Badgers, who welcome CCHA power Miami to town next weekend.

Christian Isackson saw his four-game point streak snapped as No. 1 Minnesota skated to a 7-1 win over Alaska-Anchorage. Minnesota returns to action next weekend, hosting WCHA rival North Dakota for the final time in the regular season as members of the WCHA.

In the USHL, Judd Peterson was a game-low minus-three as Cedar Rapids was defeated by Dubuque 4-1. The Riders are off until Wednesday's visit to Omaha.

In SM-Liiga action, Joel Armia directed nine shots in 14:08 of work in Assat's 3-2 win over TPS. Armia has one assist in three games with the Aces since returning from the World Junior Championship. The Aces will be in action again on Tuesday versus Tappara.

Linus Ullmark served as backup MODO lost to Linkopngs 4-3. Ullmark will start for the J20 on Sunday, while the top club is off until Thursday when they face HV71.

In the AHL, T.J. Brennan notched the Gordie Howe hat trick by scoring his 14th goal, picking up an assist, and getting in a second-period scrap as Rochester downed Syracuse 4-1. Rick Schofield, Nick Tarnasky, and Kevin Porter added the other Amerks goals.

Rochester rookie Zemgus Girgensons was wiped out by a Richard Panik elbow in the second period and did not return. Girgensons was taken for observation and more info should be known about his status early next week.

1/11 Recap: Amerks roll; Grigo empty on eve of camp

Brian Flynn scored a goal and an assist Friday to help the Rochester Americans to a 5-2 win over Hamilton. T.J. Brennan, Mark Mancari, Brayden McNabb, and Nick Tarnasky added the other Amerks goals, while Zemgus Girgensons, Luke Adam, and Kevin Porter gathered two assists each. For Girgensons, the two-assist outing was the first multi-point game of his professional career.

The game was a statement for Brennan and McNabb, who both await their missions on the eve of Sabres training camp. Brennan, who currently is tied for 12th in league scoring with 33 points (13+
20), stepped into a booming slap shot for a short-side goal to give the Amerks a 2-1 lead. McNabb dug in and played his physical brand of hockey while adding his third tally of the year. With Marcus Foligno and Cody Hodgson already tabbed for camp duty, the defensive duo are expected to be in the discussion as the Sabres look to round out their troops for the week-long evaluation.

Elsewhere, Mikhail Grigorenko (-2) went without a point for the second straight game as Quebec was embarrassed in a 4-0 home-ice loss to league cellar-dweller Shawinigan. Grigorenko, whose two-game drought is a first in the 2012-13 campaign, will leave for Buffalo early Saturday to participate in his first NHL training camp.

In Western League action, Andrey Makarov returned to action for Saskatoon for the first time since his bronze medal winning performance versus Canada, making 30 saves as the Blades dropped a 3-1 decision to Red Deer. Makarov saw his shutout streak of 134:49 (going back to early Dec.) snapped by surrendering a goal 5:28 into the first period. The Blades battle defending champion Edmonton on Saturday.

Colin Jacobs was kept off the scoresheet as Prince George edged Kamloops 1-0. Jacobs has yet to notch a point in five January games. The Cougars and Blazers play a rematch on Saturday.

In OHL play, newly-named assistant captain Justin Kea was unable to get a point in Saginaw's 4-3 win over Erie. Kea and the Spirit will ride a four-game winning streak into Saturday's game against top-ranked London.

Alex Lepkowski registered a minus-one rating as Barrie suffered 3-2 defeat at Guelph. The Colts welcome Niagara to town on Saturday.

Brady Austin remained out of the lineup with a hand injury as Belleville smoked Kingston 8-2. The Bulls host Windsor on Saturday.

In college action, Christian Isackson notched a pair of assists as No. 1 Minnesota skated to a 4-3 win over Alaska-Anchorage. The helpers extend Isackson's point streak to four games, giving him season totals of 3-11-14 through 21 games. The clubs complete the WCHA set on Saturday.

Jake McCabe made his return from an impeccable performance on Team USA's blueline as the 2013 World Junior Championship as Wisconsin earned a 4-3 overtime victory at Minnesota State. Brad Navin maintained his fourth-line role for the Badgers, who have won five straight and are unbeaten in their last nine games.

In the USHL, Judd Peterson (+1) saw his four-game point streak come to an end as Cedar Rapids defeated Muskegon 4-1. The RoghRiders tangle with Dubuque on Saturday.

1/4 Recap: Leggio backstops Amerks to road victory

David Leggio stopped 48 of 50 shots Friday and Nick Crawford scored the game winning goal on the power play as visiting Rochester earned a 5-2 decision at Abbotsford. After Brian Flynn and Zemgus Girgensons scored second period goals to give the Amerks a 2-0 lead, the teams combined for five stikes in the third with Leggio making 16 key saves to preserve the victory.



The Rundown:
Girgensons: G, +2, 2 SOG
Flynn: G, -1
Crawford: GWG, 2 SOG
Brennan: +1
Pysyk: +1
Gauthier-Leduc: 2 SOG
Sundher: even

In the OHL, Dan Catenacci recorded an assist as Owen Sound was defeated by Plymouth 4-3. Catenacci, who saw his four-game goal streak snapped in a 3-1 loss to Kitchener on Wednesday, remains seventh in OHL scoring with 52 points (21+31).



Justin Kea did not score as Saginaw was hammered by London 8-2. The Spirit tangle with Catenacci and the Attack on Saturday.

Colin Jacobs (-2) saw his two-game point streak snapped as Prince George dropped a 4-2 decision to Kelowna. The two clubs will play it back Saturday in PG.

In NCAA play, Brad Navin skated fourth line minutes as Wisconsin extended their unbeaten streak to seven games (4-0-3) with a 5-3 win at Alaska-Anchorage. Winners of four of their last six, the Badgers will play their second game without Jake McCabe when they rematch with the Seawolves on Saturday.

In the USHL, Judd Peterson extended his point streak to three games with an assist as Cedar Rapids held on for a 3-2 win over Tri-City. The St. Cloud State commit has 18 points (6+12) heading into Saturday's game with Waterloo.

Brennan unloads as Amerks take wild one

T.J. Brennan uncorked a career-best five points (1+4) Wednesday as Rochester climbed out of the Christmas break with a thrilling 7-6 overtime victory over Lake Erie. Marcus Foligno ended it at 2:40 of the extra frame after Cody Hodgson, who added a pair of goals himself including one shorthanded, picked the pocket of a Monsters defender behind the net and sent a cross-ice feed to his waiting winger.

Brennan used his cannon slap shot to get his goal, and also saw point blasts tipped for two of his four assists. His previous career-best single game output was three set back in 2010-11.

Evan Rankin, Zemgus Girgensons, and Mark Mancari were the other Amerks scorers, while David Leggio stopped 32 of 38 shots to earn his 13th victory of the year and fifth when allowing five or more goals.

Luke Adam saw his eight-game point streak come to an end in the win. Adam nearly extended the streak in the overtime session while on a shift with Brian Flynn, but was unable to beat Calvin Pickard with the open opportunity.

Please visit amerks.com for the full game recap and video highlights.

The two clubs will travel to Buffalo Friday for a tilt at nearly-sold out First Niagara Center.

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In SEL play, Linus Ullmark served as backup goaltender as MODO returned from the break by posting a 2-0 shutout of AIK. MODO's top club goes back at it Friday at Lulea.

10/16 Recap: Armia suffers concussion

In Tuesday action, Joel Armia was knocked out of the game in the first period as Assat lost in a shootout to SaiPa 3-2. Armia left the game in the seventh minute after a collision with Jere Pulli. Following the game, Assat team sources revealed that Armia had suffered a "mild concussion" with the full extent to be determined following full examination.

In the WHL, Colin Jacobs earned a second-period fighting major and later a game misconduct with two seconds left in the game as Prince George lost to Calgary 5-0. After securing points in the Cougars' first eight games, Jacobs has been kept of the scoresheet in his last two outings.

In Rochester, Zemgus Girgensons recorded his first professional point with an assist on the Amerks' lone goal in a 3-1 loss to Binghamton. Girgensons took a hit along the left boards to advance the puck to Kevin Porter for a pretty goal a little over five minutes into the third. David Leggio made 33 saves in his third straight start, including two stand-out stops on former Ottawa first-rounder Mika Zibanejad. The Amerks return to action Friday versus Grand Rapids.

Prospects set for national camps

With training for the 2012-13 season not officially beginning until late August, a group of Sabres prospects will get a head start by skating with their respective national teams as a first step towards earning a roster spot at the IIHF World Junior Championship. The 2013 tournament will take place in Ufa, Russia from December 26th to January 5th.

The Sabres top pick in 2012, Mikhail Grigorenko, was among 29 players named to Russia's preliminary roster for the Canada-Russia Challenge. The four-game event, which this year replaces Canada's National Junior Development Camp, will be split between Yaroslavl, Russia (August 8-9) and Halifax, Nova Scotia (August 13-14). Filling a prominent role in international play over the past few seasons, the talented center posted five points (2+3) in six games at the 2012 tourney while playing through an ankle injury suffered in the Russians' third tilt. The 6'3 pivot will likely center a line featuring 2012 #1 pick Nail Yakupov down the right side during the series with Canada, who will ice a summer squad absent of any Sabres prospects for the first time since 2007.

Also among the highlighted prospects is 2011 first-round pick, Joel Armia. The 6'3 wing, who recently participated in his first NHL development camp, is a veteran of two U20 tourneys with Team Finland, including a five-goal, seven-point effort at the 2012 event, and should be considered a virtual lock for continued scoring line duty in 2013. A year removed from what he thought was his "worst game ever played", the big-bodied 19-year old will return to New York State (Lake Placid) on August 4th for the four-nation tournament at USA's National Junior Evaluation Camp.

Two picks from the 2012 draft, Jake McCabe and Logan Nelson, will skate in Lake Placid as USA Hockey evaluates a total of 46 under-20 players. The Americans will be split into Team White and Team Blue for intra-squad games and international tune-ups before cutting down for a round robin tourney with their European visitors.

A mobile left-handed warrior, McCabe is one of 17 defensemen in camp, a group that includes four first round NHL picks (Jacob Trouba, Connor Murphy, Jordan Schmaltz, Brady Skjei) and another eyed for top-five status in 2013 (Seth Jones). The 6'0", 195-pounder is set to enter his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin, where he is expected to again log major minutes while manning a point on the Badgers' top PP unit. The Eau Claire, WI native has previous international experience with a 2011 U18 gold medal and should be right in the mix when USA releases their preliminary roster in December.

Nelson, 18, shot on to the radar following his impressive WHL rookie season that saw him collect 23 goals and 62 points (3rd on team, 4th among league rookies) with the Victoria Royals. Playing with an edge while going to the net, the 6'1" wing demonstrated a significant jump from the 6-3-9 posted in 41 games the year before as a member of the USHL's  Des Moines Buccaneers. If the momentum of his stunning rise continues, there is a decent opportunity for him to get a deeper look from the staff headed by fellow Minnesotan and former Sabres first-rounder, Phil Housley.

Linus Ullmark, 19, is one of four netminders in Norrtälje this weekend as Sweden prepares for a two-game set with the Czech Republic on August 1st and 2nd. The 6'3" stopper joins Oscar Dansk (CBS), Niklas Lundström (STL), and Joel Lassinantti in the nets before the Swedes trim their roster from 34 to 22 and head over the pond for USA's camp tourney. Dansk and Lundstrom represent very stiff competition so a strong showing will be necessary for Ullmark to survive the cutdown and get a leg up entering the year with Modo.

Zemgus Girgensons is eligible to play for Latvia at the 2013 tourney, but his availability likely won't be addressed until their selection camp in December. As a contracted NHL player, the Sabres will dictate whether or not he participates. There is no question that the Latvians would love to have their prize forward help them compete after their 2012 promotion.