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.

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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.

3/27 Recap: Five more bounced as Sioux, Eagles lose

Brad Eidsness put forth a solid effort Saturday, stopping 20 shots and keeping his team competitive as North Dakota lost in the NCAA Northeast Regional to Yale, 3-2. Eidsness was beaten by a first period tip before surrendering goals via an inside cut-and-deke and a bad rebound off the rear boards to allow the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead through 40-minutes. The sophomore ends his season 24-10-4 with a 2.11 goals against average and .914 save percentage. Corey Fienhage was even on the Sioux blue to end the year with two assists and a +4 rating in 30 appearances.




At the NCAA Midwest Regional in Fort Wayne, Connor Knapp served as back-up as Miami edged Alabama-Huntsville, 2-1. With Coach Enrico Blasi sticking to his goaltender rotation, Cody Reichard earned the nod over the hot-handed Knapp to guide the RedHawks into a Sunday showdown versus CCHA rival Michigan with a Frozen berth on the line. The RedHawks and Wolverines will rematch last week's CCHA semifinal which saw UM light Reichard up for five goals and force Knapp in to stop the bleeding. As of now, it is unclear who gets the Sunday call, but there's no question that Knapp is deserving.

In the QMJHL, Luke Adam (-2), Maxime Legault (-2), and Jacob Lagacé (-1) were all quiet as Cape Breton was bounced out of the playoffs thanks to a 4-0 blanking by Moncton. Legault, who had the best scoring chance of the three when he was stopped on an early breakaway, was the best Eagles forward throughout the 4-1 series loss, showing heart and character when the majority of the club was playing a baffling uninspired brand of hockey.

Adam, a candidate for league MVP, ends the series with three goals, an assist, and a -8 rating. Legault banged in a goal, while Lagacé collected three assists and just eight shots on goal in the five-game affair. It is expected that the Sabres will look to bolster their AHL affiliate in Portland by adding one or two Eagles for the playoff run. SabresProspects sees Adam and Legault as the most logical choices for extended duty.

In the USHL, Mark Adams was whistled for three minor penalties as Chicago lost to Des Moines, 4-3.

3/24 Recap: Adam trick keeps Eagles alive

Luke Adam notched his first career playoff hat trick Wednesday as Cape Breton emerged from their rut with a 4-1 win over Moncton. After a scoreless first period, Adam opened the gates on a second period power play when his point shot fluked off of Nicola Riopel's glove. He'd cash his own rebound upstairs for his second power play goal of the game at 3:38 of the third before riding another man advantage a few minutes later to complete the hat trick.

Jacob Lagacé posted a pair of assists for Cape Breton, while Maxime Legault registered one shot on net. Outplayed in the first three games of the quarterfinal series, the Eagles now trail the best-of-seven 3-1 heading into Saturday's game five.

Also from the QMJHL, Jordon Southorn finished -1 as PEI lost in overtime to Saint John, 2-1. The Sea Dogs will return home for Friday's match-up holding a 3-1 series lead, putting Southorn and the Rocket on the brink of elimination along with the Eagle troika.

In the OHL, Marcus Foligno was even as Sudbury saw their 2009-10 season end with a 6-3 loss to Barrie. The 6'3 forward missed a chance at his second postseason goal when he rang one off the post late in the first period with the score tied 1-1. Nick Crawford (+2) earned an assist, his seventh point of the playoffs, for the broom-toting Colts.

In the WHL, Brayden McNabb was +1 as Kootenay lost to Medicine Hat, 5-1. The series is now even at two games apiece. On Tuesday, the Tigers started their claw-back by defeating Ice by a 4-1 count. McNabb earned an assist in the loss while picking up a fighting major for the second consecutive night.

3/23 Recap: Kassian cashes in win; Eagle trio teetering

Zack Kassian scored a goal and an assist Tuesday as Windsor outshot Erie 58-19 en route to taking a 7-6 win and a commanding three-games-to-one advantage in their OHL first round series. Skating primarily on a line with Eric Wellwood and Stephen Johnston, Kassian hobbled off the ice midway through the first after getting hit in the leg by teammate Ryan Ellis' point shot. He would return to the bench a few shifts into period two, eventually getting his groove back by giving Windsor a 5-4 lead on the power play with :10 play in the period. Often found down low and now being used in front on the PP, the 6'3 forward has three points in three playoff games after posting the same total in nine games over the previous two postseasons with Peterborough. The Spits will look to close out the Otters on Thursday.

In the QMJHL, Maxime Legault scored a power play goal as Cape Breton lost their third straight playoff game to Moncton, 3-2. Legault, who fired seven shots on net, scored his first goal of the postseason at 13:37 of the third to halve the Wildcat lead to 2-1. Luke Adam (-3, 20-12 at the dot) finished with seven shots on goal in addition to two others ringing posts, while Jacob Lagacé (-2) contributed two shots for the Screaming Eagles. Trailing the series 3-0 heading into Wednesday's game four, the Adam-to-Portland watch is officially underway. Legault may not be far behind, with Lagacé's status still questionable.

In Charlottetown, Jordon Southorn was -1 as PEI dropped a 3-0 shutout to Saint John. After lining up seven hits in the first two games including a monster in game two, the 6'2 blueliner did not register in that column in the loss. The Sea Dogs will take a 2-1 series lead into Wednesday's tilt in PEI.

3/20 Recap: Eidsness keeps rolling; Knapp now the man?

Brad Eidsness made 29 saves Saturday as #5 North Dakota earned a 5-3 win over St. Cloud State to take the 2010 Broadmmor Trophy as WCHA Tournament Champion. Eidsness has really turned his game on in the tourney, making several difficult stops to help the Sioux right the ship after surrendering goals on the first two shifts of the game. Corey Fienhage was even in his stay-back role on the Sioux blueline. North Dakota now waits for the NCAA pairings where they will likely head to Worcester.

Connor Knapp made 12 saves as #2 Miami defeated Ferris State, 2-1. The #2 star of the game, Knapp looks poised to snatch the RedHawks' starting job when the NCAA tourney unfolds. Miami is expected to be a #1 seed, perhaps in the Ft. Wayne regional.

In the QMJHL, Jordon Southorn made headlines with a five-minute charging major as PEI evened their series with a 6-3 win over Saint John. Southorn was called for charging and a game misconduct with 6:20 to play in the third period, allowing the Sea Dogs to score two unnecessary power play goals. The hit is captured at the 3:30 mark of the highlight reel below:




Elsewhere in the Q, Luke Adam, Jacob Lagacé, and Maxime Legault all posted obvious bagels as Cape Breton got smoked by Moncton, 6-0. The Wildcats look to be on cruise control with a 2-0 series lead.

In the OHL, Nick Crawford picked up a power play assist as Barrie edged Sudbury, 2-1. A tighter affair after the Colts 11-4 shellacking to open the series, the physical affair was settled on special teams as all three goals were scored with the man advantage. Marcus Foligno was credited with an assist for the Wolves.

In the WHL, Brayden McNabb was +1 with an assist as Kootenay pitched a 4-0 shutout of Medicine Hat. The Ice victory gives them a 2-0 series edge heading into game #3 in Medicine Hat.

In the USHL, Mark Adams was +1 as Chicago lost to Green Bay, 3-1.

3/19 Recap: Eids guides Sioux; McNabb chips in

Brad Eidsness made 23 saves Friday as #5 North Dakota trumped #1 Denver in the WCHA semifinal, 4-3. The Chestermere, Alberta native, who made a highlight reel save with his skate midway through the third period, was beaten by a 4-4 wrister from the dot, another wrister from the point, and a quick backhand down low in the final minute. Corey Fienhage finished +1 on the Sioux blueline. North Dakota moves on to face #6 St. Cloud State for the Broadmoor Trophy on Saturday. An Eidness start would be the second consecutive weekend of back-to-back-to-backers for the sophomore.

Connor Knapp stopped all four shots he faced in the final 12:53 of relief as #2 Miami lost their CCHA semifinal to #17 Michigan, 5-2 in Joe Louis Arena. Knapp is expected to get the start when the RedHawks play what should be a hotly contested third place game with #8 Ferris State on Saturday afternoon. A solid performance could see him keep the starting gig into the NCAA tourney after three poor showings by Hobey Baker finalist Cody Reichard.

In the Hockey East semifinal, Drew MacKenzie (-1) posted three shots on goal as #14 Vermont was shut out by #4 Boston College, 3-0. Jimmy Hayes (TOR) had a goal and two assists, while Chris Kreider (NYR) added a goal and an assist to pace the Eagles. The Catamounts season is for now on hold as they will be in the running for an at-large bid when the NCAA tournament field is announced on Sunday.

In the WHL playoffs, Brayden McNabb hit for a pair of assists as Kootenay defeated Medicine Hat, 6-3. Trailing 1-0 in the first period, the 6'4 defenseman helped put Kootenay on the board when his high wrist shot was deflected past the Tigers Tyler Bunz. Earlier in the day, McNabb was named a WHL Eastern Conference First Team All Star. The Ice will look to hold serve entering game #2 Saturday in Cranbrook.

In the QMJHL, Luke Adam (-2) and Jacob Lagacé (-2) each had assists as Cape Breton opened their playoff year with a 6-3 loss to Moncton. Adam, who won just 8 of 21 faceoffs, saw his line get outplayed by the Cats counter-punching trio led by Kelsey Tessier (3G, 1A). Maxime Legault (-1) picked up a pair of minor penalties for the losing side. Game #2 will be played on Saturday.

Jordon Southorn registered a game-high six hits as PEI got blasted 8-3 by Saint John. The Rocket fall behind 1-0 in their best-of-seven first round series, with the two clubs playing it back on Saturday.

In the USHL, Mark Adams was -1 as Chicago lost to Team USA, 5-3.

3/14 Recap: Knapp nips Buckeyes; Adam not quite nifty

Connor Knapp made 22 saves Sunday as #2 Miami held on to defeat Ohio State, 2-1. Facing little action in the opening stanza, the 6'5 Knapp was excellent in the final 40-minutes, making 20 of his saves while allowing a single Buckeye marker off a quick feed to a wide open C.J. Severyn. The York, NY native was particularly stout against a flurry in the closing minutes to earn the game's #1 star.

The win sends the RedHawks to Detroit next weekend for a CCHA semifinal match-up against surging Michigan. With Knapp stepping up after Cody Reichard's poor performance on Saturday, it would behoove Miami bench boss Enrico Blasi to, at the very least, extend his regular season logic of the Friday/Saturday rotation. Last year, Knapp and Reichard split duties before Blasi tabbed Reichard as the lead man for their run to the NCAA final.

In the WCHA, Brad Eidsness made 18 saves as North Dakota ended Minnesota's season with a 4-1 win in game three of the first round series. Backing a strong two-way effort by the Sioux, Eidsness shut the door after getting beaten early by a 30-footer through traffic to notch his 21st win of the year. North Dakota moves on to the WCHA Final Five in St. Paul where they'll face Minnesota-Duluth in Thursday's 4/5 play-in. Corey Fienhage is expected to remain as the Sioux's #7 defenseman.

In Durham, Drew MacKenzie chipped in three shots on goal as Vermont stunned New Hampshire in overtime, 1-0. The sophomore defenseman had a good look in the final minute of regulation but was stopped by UNH netminder Brian Foster. Entering the Hockey East tourney as the #8 seed, the Catamounts grinded out back-to-back shutouts to knock out the top-seeded Wildcats and skate into Boston for Friday's semifinal match-up against Boston College.

Justin Jokinen did not play as Minnesota State saw their season end with a 3-2 overtime loss to St. Cloud State.

In the QMJHL, Luke Adam fired six shots on net but could not connect for goal #50 as Cape Breton closed the regular season with a 4-2 win over Bathurst. The big center, who missed a yawning net with four minutes left and another long attempt with the empty net as time expired, did earn an assist in the victory to finish with a career-best 90 points.

Jacob Lagacé opened scoring on the power play when he one-timed his 35th goal of the season past Titan netminder Francois Lacerte, while Maxime Legault took the Sunday day of rest as the confident Eagles completed a four-game winning streak to end the regular season. Finishing third in the Atlantic Division and seventh overall, Cape Breton will open the playoffs Friday in Moncton.

Elsewhere in the Q, Jordon Southorn was even with a fighting major as PEI defeated Halifax, 3-2 in overtime. Meaningless in terms of playoff implications, the chippy affair featured a total of five fights. The Rocket now face the tall task of winning a seven-game playoff series against the potent Saint John Sea Dogs.

In the OHL, Marcus Foligno was even as Sudbury lost to Ottawa, 3-2. The 6'3 grinder ends the regular season with career highs in goals (14), points (39), and PIM (156). Ryan Martindale ('10) posted three assists to lead the 67's. The Wolves move on to the playoffs where they'll face Nick Crawford and the CHL's #1 ranked Barrie Colts in the first round.

In the USHL, Mark Adams was +2 with an assist as Chicago downed Indiana, 5-4.

3/12 Recap: Adam on cusp; Eidsness blanks Gophers

Luke Adam scored his 49th goal of the season Friday as Cape Breton defeated Moncton, 4-0. Adam, whose goal total trails Drummondville's Gabriel Dumont (50) for the QMJHL lead, will look to hit the half-century mark when the regular season concludes on Sunday. Maxime Legault continued to show why he was acquired at the deadline, scoring his 17th of the season, closing quickly on the forecheck, and earning a fighting major as the Screaming Eagles looked to make a statement against the team they will square off with in round one of the playoffs. Jacob Lagacé was assessed a pair of minor penalties in the win.

Elsewhere in the Q, Jordon Southorn was -1 as PEI lost to Saint John, 4-0. The Rocket are locked in to face the Sea Dogs when the playoffs begin next week.

In the OHL, Marcus Foligno finished +2 with a fighting major as Sudbury clinched a playoff spot with a 5-3 win over Kingston. The Wolves will face either Barrie or Ottawa in the first round. In the final minutes of the game, Foligno dumped a Fronts player in the corner and had to defend his actions against Derek Froats.



Zack Kassian was even as Windsor sat five starters in a 4-3 overtime loss to London. On Thursday, the 6'3 forward netted a goal in his second game since returning from suspension as the Spits defeated Plymouth, 6-4. Kassian, who is still battling some rust, got in down low to take a pass and score his 10 goal of the year, and first since January 14th. After clinching the Western Conference title with the Thursday win, the Spits will finish the regular season Saturday in Sarnia.

Nick Crawford was -1 as Barrie beat Brampton, 4-2. Crawford still holds a three-point lead as the OHL's top scoring rearguard with one game remaining on the schedule.

In the WHL, Brayden McNabb was +1 as Kootenay doubled Red Deer, 4-2. The Ice, who have one regular season game remaining versus Edmonton, will face Medicine Hat in the first round of the playoffs.

In the WCHA playoffs, Brad Eidsness stopped all 27 shots sent his way as #5 North Dakota pounded Minnesota, 6-0. The game #1 shutout, Eidsness' second of the season, gives the sophomore 20 wins for the second straight season. Corey Fienhage did not dress for the Sioux. Fast forward to the 2:00 mark below for a pretty sweet glove save by the 2007 fifth round pick.



In Hockey East, Drew MacKenzie scored his fourth goal of the season as #19 Vermont lost their playoff opener at #11 New Hampshire, 7-4. The sophomore roofed a wrister from the point to tie the game 1-1 in the first period.

In the opening game of an ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series, Alex Biega was -2 with four shots on goal as Harvard lost at #9 Cornell, 4-1. Cornell scored the final four goals of the game to pull away and take control of the best-of-three.

In the CCHA playoffs, Corey Tropp finished -3 as #10 Michigan State lost to rival Michigan 5-1. The Wolverines used three first period tallies to take the 1-0 road lead.

Connor Knapp looked on as #2 Miami opened their playoff year by cruising to a 6-2 win over Ohio State.

Justin Jokinen did not make the trip (healthy scratch) as Mankato opened the first round of the WCHA playoffs with a 4-3 OT win at #7 St. Cloud State.

In USHL action, Roo Adams was -2 as Chicago lost to Tri-City, 4-1.

3/10 Recap: Legault propels Eagles

Maxime Legault scored a pair of goals Wednesday as Cape Breton defeated the CHL's #2 ranked club Saint John, 4-3 in a shootout. Trailing 3-1 in the third period, Legault potted his 15th and 16th goals of the season over the final 15-minutes to force the OT. Playing his most effective two-way game since arriving from Shawinigan, Legault had a chance at a natural hat trick but failed to connect on a penalty shot.

Luke Adam added his league-leading 48th goal of the season for the Eagles, while Jacob Lagacé earned an assist and a shootout goal. Lagacé, going through open ice with his head down, was wiped out with a big hit late in the second period causing 5'6 teammate Brad Cuzner to come to his aid by taking on 6'4 Simon Despres.

In the WHL, Brayden McNabb picked up a pair of minor penalties as Kootenay defeated Red Deer, 5-1.