3/23 Recap: Shipley pots pair; Knapp's season complete

Steven Shipley scored a pair of third period goals Friday to earn the game's #3 star as Niagara dismantled Oshawa 6-1 in game #2 of the OHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal. The two-goal outing was Shipley's first in 20 career playoff games while the multi-point effort was his second. The victory gives the IceDogs a 2-0 series lead heading into Sunday's game #3.

In QMJHL action, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc scored on the power play as Rimouski opened the playoffs with an 8-5 win over Val-d'Or. Foreurs captain Cedrick Henley recorded an assist and a game-high five hits in defeat. The Nics will look to take a 2-0 series lead on Saturday.



In the NCAA East Region semifinal, Connor Knapp made 26 saves in his final game as a collegian as Miami was defeated by Lowell 4-3 in overtime.

Knapp started slowly, getting beat just 1:34 into the game when a shot rang off the crossbar behind him and then went off a crashing player before going over the goal line. Later in the period, a turnover at the Lowell blueline led to Knapp getting beat five-hole on the ensuing breakaway for a shorthanded goal against.

Trailing 3-0 entering the third, the RedHawks scored two goals in 14 seconds early on before completing the comeback midway through the frame to force the OT. However, Lowell ended it quickly by tipping a rebound over Knapp's arm at 2:13 of the extra session to end the RedHawks year.

The 6'6 netminder finishes the season 15-8 with a 1.69 goals against average, a .933 save percentage, and five shutouts. He amassed 46 wins in his four years in Oxford, while setting a Miami record with 13 shutouts.

Elsewhere, Nathan Lieuwen made 25 saves as Kootenay was blanked by Edmonton 3-0 in game #1 of the WHL Western Conference quarterfinal. Mark Pysyk finished +1 for the Oil Kings. The two clubs will continue the series on Sunday.

Kevin Sundher finished even as Brandon was shut out by Calgary, 4-0. Sundher, who was playing his second game after missing 13 of the previous 14 with a concussion, took a five minute rest after trading punches with 17-year old Chase Clayton early in the middle period. After combining for 80 minutes in penalties, the two clubs will unlock their 1-1 series on Sunday.



In the OHL, Gregg Sutch did not return for the third period after getting into a scrap with Trevor Carrick as Barrie was pounded 4-0 by Mississauga in game #2 of their first round series. Sutch, who earlier this season tuned up Leafs prospect Stuart Percy, tried to get his former Majors teammate to go another round before Carrick stepped in to take on the crash-and-banger. Alex Lepkowski finished even on the Colts blueline. The series heads back to Barrie for Monday's game #3.



Dan Catenacci finished -1 as Owen Sound lost to Kitchener 6-2 in game #1 of their OHL Western Conference series. The Attack will look to even the series in Saturday's game #2.

In the AHL, Colin Stuart scored two goals and Maxime Legault added a single as Rochester dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to Binghamton. David Leggio made 33 saves to fall to 23-18-2

Recently inked Phil Varone notched an assist for the Amerks, giving him 39 points in his last 42 games.

The Rundown:
Varone: A
Crawford: A
Adam: A
Biega: A
Szydlowski: even
Lagace: even
McNabb:-2
Brennan: +2
Persson:

Veteran blueliner Dennis Persson skated as a forward while Corey Tropp, Travis Turnbull, and Marcus Foligno continued their tour of duty with the surging Sabres. The Amerks were also playing without Matt MacKenzie, who on Thursday was assigned to Gwinnett of the ECHL.

Next up for the Amerks is a Saturday night tilt with Syracuse.

***

In Friday ECHL play, MacKenzie notched an assist as Gwinnett edged Greenville 3-2 in a shootout. Jonathan Parker did not factor in regulation and missed in his shootout attempt. Riley Boychuk was even with a roughing minor in the win.

3/4 Recap: Shipley gets 20th; Amerks sweep rival

Steven Shipley followed up his hat trick the night before with a goal and an assist Sunday in Niagara’s 13-4 tuning of Erie. The goal, Shipley’s 20th of the year, came as the IceDogs were facing emergency goaltender Connor Crisp, a 17-year old forward who was forced to put on the goalie gear after Ramis Sadikov left the game with an injury. The Otters dressed just one goalie after losing their back-up to injury on Saturday.

In WHL play, Mark Pysyk played even as Edmonton skated to A 3-1 win over Saskatoon. Winners of five straight, the Oil Kings will next host Moose Jaw on Wednesday.

In the AHL, T.J. Brennan (13th) and Mark Voakes each scored in regulation and Phil Varone found net in the shootout as Rochester earned a 3-2 win over Toronto to sweep the home-and-home with the North Division leader.

Rookie defenseman Matt MacKenzie returned to the Amerks lineup after missing three months with a lower body injury.

The Rundown:
Brennan: G, 3 SOG, fighting major
McNabb: A, -2
MacKenzie: even
Adam: -1
Biega: -2, fighting major
Szydlowski: -1
Crawford: -1
Schiestel: -1

The Amerks (28-22-6-3, 2nd place in North Division) welcome Binghamton to town on Friday.

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.

Lagace marks as Amerks double Devils

In Friday night AHL action, Jacob Lagace scored a goal and an assist as Rochester doubled Albany, 4-2. Matt MacKenzie added a pair of assists, his first professional points, to help the Amerks improve to 9-7-2-1 on the year.

Lagace scored his sixth of the season when he took a long Alex Biega pass and went in alone to beat Jeff Frazee as he was falling to the ice. The multi-point night was the first of Lagace's season and fourth of his two-year career.

Veterans Colin Stuart, Shaone Morrisonn, and Derek Whitmore added single markers for the Amerks, who will next host Hamilton on Saturday.

The Rundown:
Lagace: G, A
MacKenzie: 2A
Foligno: +1
Biega: A, +1
Schiestel: 1 SOG
Crawford: -1
McNabb: -1
Szydlowski: -1
Boychuk: -1

Quick strikes key Amerks to victory

The Rochester Americans used quick starting abilities Friday, scoring all of their goals in the opening minutes of the first two periods to defeat Binghamton, 3-2.

Jacob Lagace and Zack Kassian put the Amerks in the drivers seat early with goals before the game was three minutes old. The tallies were the fourth of the season for each player.

With Rochester holding a 2-1 lead at the first intermission, Marcus Foligno would snatch the eventual game-winner just 1:39 into the middle frame. The marker was Foligno's fourth of the year and first game clincher of his professional career.

The game featured three fights, with Matt MacKenzie earning his second major of the season sandwiched between a Joe Finley-Francis Lessard double header.

Paul Szczechura made his Amerks debut, notching an assist on the Kassian goal. Maxime Legault (-1) also made his first appearance of the season.

The Rundown:
Foligno: GWG, +1, 3 SOG
Kassian: G, +1, 3 SOG
Lagace: G, +2, 2 SOG
Schiestel: 1A, +2, 3 SOG
McNabb: +2
Crawford: 3 SOG
MacKenzie: -1, fighting major
Brennan: 4 SOG
Biega: 4 PIM
Boychuk: DNP
Parker: DNP
Szydlowski: DNP
Persson: DNP

The Amerks square off with Syracuse on Saturday.

10/5 Recap: Sabres ink trio to three-year deals

Mark Pysyk skated -1 Wednesday as Edmonton defeated Kootenay in a shootout, 2-1. Pysyk, who has two assists and a -2 rating through his first five games, will next take the ice Friday at Moose Jaw. ICE netminder Nathan Lieuwen made 26 saves in suffering his second defeat in a row. He enters Saturday’s tilt at Red Deer toting a 1.36 goals against average and .949 save percentage.

In the QMJHL, Cedrick Henley racked up three hits and two shots on goal as Val-d’Or lost a shootout to Rouyn-Noranda, 5-4. The 6’5 forward has yet to find the net through six regular season contests.

On Tuesday, Joel Armia posted an assist as Assat lost to Tappara, 3-2. Armia now has a goal and four assists with an even rating through his first nine games.

In case you missed it, the Sabres announced Wednesday that they have signed 2010 third-round draft pick, Matt MacKenzie.

The Buffalo Sabres signed Tri-City Americans defenseman Matt MacKenzie, the team's 2010 third-round draft pick, to a three-year entry-level contract worth $1.8 million.

Drafted 83rd overall, MacKenzie has 18 goals and 80 assists for 98 points, and 180 penalty minutes in 225 games split between the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen and the Americans.

From New Westminster, British Columbia, MacKenzie, who will turn 20 on Oct. 15, was preparing for his second season with Tri-City, but he is scheduled to stay with the Rochester Americans (AHL).

On Thursday, the Sabres followed up the MacKenzie announcement by signing 2010 7th rounder Riley Boychuk and undrafted free agent winger Jonathan Parker to three-year entry level deals.

From the Sabres:

Boychuk (6’4”, 205 lbs., 2/20/91) picked up 30 points (14+16) and 157 penalty minutes with the Portland Winterhawks (WHL) in 2010-11. A native of Abbotsford, BC, Boychuk was the Sabres’ seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In four seasons with the Winterhawks, Boychuk has accumulated 83 points (39+44) and 391 penalty minutes in 194 games.

Parker (5’10”, 195 lbs., 9/25/91) spent the 2010-11 season with the Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), leading the team in both goals (45) and points (86). In three WHL seasons with the Raiders and the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Solana Beach, CA native has totaled 155 points (77+78) and 140 penalty minutes in 205 games.

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.

9/3 Recap: Juices flow early as CHL pre-season heats up

The CHL exhibition schedule has opened, and with a Friday trip to Buffalo on the horizon, a couple of Sabres prospects are already sporting their gameface.

Matt MacKenzie recorded an assist and a fighting major Friday as Tri-City opened the WHL pre-season with a 5-2 win over Everett. Things got a little testy in the final minutes after the Ams, who dominated the Tips with 45-14 shot advantage, exploded for four third-period goals to break a 1-1 stalemate. Tips dman Tye Hand ('13) was whistled for boarding with 1:20 to play. Shortly thereafter with just :44 remaining, MacKenzie got into a jousting match with Tyler Maxwell that resulted in a slashing minor, fighting major, and game misconduct.

Both MacKenzie and Riley Boychuk would sit out Saturday as Tri-City used a shootout to edge Portland, 5-4.

Kevin Sundher got his 2011 pre-season off to an interesting start Saturday, collecting a -2 and an ejection as Victoria got throttled by Kelowna, 7-2. Sundher got an early shower when he and Colton Sissons ('12) were tossed for fighting with :21 to play in the opening frame. Sundher had previously served two minutes for an elbow as the Rockets shot out to a 4-0 lead.

Save some of that for Traverse City, boys.

In Saturday OHL action, Steven Shipley did not register a point as Niagara shut out Erie, 2-0. Shipley played as the third line center between veteran David Pacan and 16-year old Trevor Petersen.

As usual, the QMJHL was the first to get running with two weeks of exhibition games already in the books.

On Thursday, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc registered three hits as Rimouski defeated Denmark's U20 squad, 3-1. The 6'2 defender has picked up where he left off last year, scoring a goal and three assists in four pre-season tilts while looking poised to wear a letter on a sweater. The Nics open the regular season Friday against Blainville-Boisbriand, the same day that rookies are scheduled to report to Buffalo for the start of camp.

Cedrick Henley scored his first goal of the pre-season Friday as Val-d'Or lost to Blainville-Boisbriand, 6-3. The marker was Henley's first point in two games thus far (+2, 2 PIM).

***

Sunday scheudule:

Owen Sound (Catenacci) vs. Barrie (Lepkowski, Sutch)
Portland (Boychuk) vs. Spokane
Edmonton (Pysyk) vs. Swift Current
Seattle (Jacobs - not likely) vs. Everett

4/19 Recap: Season ends for MacKenzie

Matt MacKenzie logged a -3 Tuesday as Tri-City saw their season come to a close with a 5-4 overtime collapse at Spokane. The Ams held a three-goal lead before falling apart in the third, allowing the Chiefs to score four unanswered goals in the first nine minutes of the period. TC would get one back on the power-play to force OT, but Spokane outworked the Americans to advance to meet Portland in the Western Conference Final. The 19-year old MacKenzie finishes the post-season with one goal, four assists, and a -1 rating in 10 games.

In the OHL, Zack Kassian finished -2 as Windsor lost game #1 of the OHL Western Conference Final to Owen Sound, 8-1. The Spits looked a little gassed coming off a one day break between rounds, allowing five goals in the middle frame to fall behind 7-1 heading into the third. After potting a hat trick in Sunday's clincher over the Spirit, Kassian was active offensively in the opening twenty before the Attack took control for the remainder. The Spits are going to need Kassian to show up ready to go for Thursday's game #2 in Windsor.

Steven Shipley skated -1 as Niagara opened the OHL Eastern Conference Final with a 3-0 shutout loss to Mississauga. Sabres 2010 fifth-rounder Gregg Sutch was a healthy scratch for the Majors, while 2011 eligible Ryan Strome earned a rare fighting major for the IceDogs. The teams will reconvene Thursday in St. Catharines for game #2.