2/10 Recap: Kassian collects, Jacobs ramping up

In Friday AHL action, Zack Kassian scored a pair of goals while Corey Tropp (three assists) and Brayden McNabb (two assists) posted multi-point nights in Rochester's 9-4 blowout win over Texas. Kassian, whose effort included a short-handed tally, has now scored five goals on 12 shots in his last three games with Rochester.

Travis Turnbull (+5) earned the game's first star with two goals and an assist. Jonathan Parker, Paul Szczechura, Derek Whitmore, Mark Voakes, and Maxime Legault added singles for the Amerks.

All but four Amerks skaters (Lagace, Schiestel, Persson, Ryan) earned a point in the win. Drew MacIntyre made 23 stops to move to 8-11-0-2 on the year.

The Rundown:
Kassian: 2G, 6 SOG, +2
Parker: G, 3 SOG
Tropp: 3A, +4
McNabb: 2A, +2
Fienhage: 2A, +1
Crawford: A, +1
Foligno: A
Lagace: 2 SOG
Schiestel: +1
Persson: +2

The Amerks (22-18-6-3, 2nd in North Division) host San Antonio on Saturday.

***

Colin Jacobs recorded a goal and an assist as Seattle lost to Spokane, 5-4. While on a 5x3 in the middle period, the 6'1 center took a long pass and buried the breakaway backhander for his third goal in his last four games. The T-Birds will welcome another division rival to town on Saturday when they host Portland.

Kevin Sundher scored his 26th of the year and second in as many games as Brandon doubled Swift Current, 6-3. The win snaps the Wheat Kings six-game losing streak at home. Brandon will travel to Medicine Hat on Sunday.

Connor Knapp was forced to make just 11 saves as #12 Miami downed Alabama-Huntsville 3-1 in a non-conference affair. The 6'6 senior, who has now started eight of Miami's last 11 games, moves to 9-6 on the year. The two clubs will close the set Saturday in Oxford.



Justin Jokinen picked up an assist as Minnesota State defeated Alaska-Anchorage, 3-2. The senior wing now has a goal and three assists in three games this season versus the Seawolves. The teams will play it back on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc finished +1 as Rimouski edged Quebec, 2-1. Leduc continues to lead all QMJHL defenders in scoring with 60 points (24+36), nine more than his next closest competitor. The Oceanic will battle Blainville-Boisbriand on Saturday.

Cedrick Henley registered three hits as Val-d'Or was dealt a 3-1 defeat by Moncton. The 6'5 captain will look to snap an eight-game point drought on Saturday when the Foreurs host Cape Breton.

Alex Lepkowski skated even while Gregg Sutch got into his third fight of the year (and second in a week) as Barrie got past Sudbury, 4-3. Winners of five straight, the Colts will host the Niagara IceDogs (winners of four straight) on Saturday.



Drew MacKenzie was held to one shot on goal as Vermont was blown out by #5 Boston College, 6-1. The senior rearguard has gathered points in 18 of his last 24 games. The Catamounts are off until Friday when they visit New Hampshire.

Mark Adams logged a shot on goal as Providence earned a 4-3 win over #12 Maine. The friars move on to face Massachusetts on Saturday.

Christian Isackson saw action as the fourth line center, finishing -2 with a shot on goal as #2 Minnesota suffered a 5-3 loss at #14 Denver. The six-footer will look to dress in both ends of a WCHA set for the first time when the clubs rematch Saturday at Magness.

Mark Pysyk logged a season-low -3 rating as Edmonton dropped a 5-4 overtime decision at Prince George. The Oil Kings, ranked sixth in the latest CHL rankings, will look for the road split when the clubs play the rematch on Saturday.

Brad Eidsness served as backup as #16 North Dakota downed #3 Minnesota-Duluth, 3-1. The Sioux will likely keep the same lineup when they go for the sweep on Saturday.

Nathan Lieuwen was given the night off as Kootenay was shut out 2-0 by Red Deer. The ICE host Saskatoon on Saturday.

Kassian adds pair in Amerks loss

Zack Kassian added two goals to his stat line Wednesday but the Amerks were halted by Toronto, 4-3. Maxime Legault (2009, 7th round) added the other Rochester mark, while Brayden McNabb added a pair of assists.

Kassian finished his own rebound to get the Amerks on the board at 1:43 of the second period, halving the Marlies lead to 2-1.



After the Marlies regained a two-goal lead in the third, Corey Tropp started a passing play that resulted in Legault's fourth of the year.



Trailing 4-2 in the game's final minute, Kassian tipped in his second of the game and 13th of the year with just :04 to go to complete the scoring.



The Amerks (21-18-6-3) remain in second place in the North Division.

Mike Ryan earned an assist in his first game back since October 14th.

The Rundown:
Kassian: 2G, 4 SOG, +1
McNabb: 2A, 3 SOG, +3
Tropp: A, 1 SOG
Schiestel: +2
Fienhage: +1
Lagace: even
Crawford: even
Persson: -2

More points than vowels: Szczechura guides Amerks win

In Saturday AHL action, Paul Szczechura's overtime winner capped his four-point night to lead the Amerks to 5-4 win over Syracuse. Brayden McNabb and Marcus Foligno each chipped in with pairs of assists in the win to extend their point streaks to four games.

Trailing 4-2 entering the third period, the Amerks started the comeback by clicking on their only power play of the night when Travis Turnbull redirected Drew Schiestel's point shot at 7:49.


It was all Szczechura from there, as the center forced the extra session with his second goal of the night with under five minutes left in regulation before cashing in OT for his first career hat trick. The four points ties his career high. McNabb drew the lone assist on both the tying and winning marks.



With a one-time goal in the second period, Phil Varone has now earned a point in 14 of his last 20 games.

Drew McIntyre made 33 saves to improve to 7-11-0-2 on the year.

The Rundown:
Foligno: 2A, +4, 6 SOG
McNabb: 2A, +3
Schiestel: A
Lagace: A
Crawford: A, -1
Parker: 3 SOG
Szydlowski: 1 SOG
Persson: -1

***

On Friday, the Amerks were defeated 3-2 in overtime by visiting Abbotsford to split the back-to-back set. Szczechura and Igor Gongalsky had the Amerks goals.

The Rundown:
Foligno: A
McNabb: +1
Schiestel: -1, 2 SOG
Lagace: -1, 2 SOG
Crawford: -1
Parker: even
Persson: +1

Leduc lopped; Pysyk's prospects improve

Mark Pysyk and Jerome Gauthier-Leduc arrived in Calgary Saturday along with 39 others for the start of Hockey Canada's 2012 World Junior Selection Camp and the final leg in achieving a dream of every kid who ever laces them up in the Great White North.

After two scrimmages and a round of cuts, one Sabres prospect remains.

A favorite to crack Canada's top-six entering camp, Edmonton Oil Kings captain Mark Pysyk has continued his steady play through the Red/White tilts, maintaining good gaps and showing his smarts in all three zones while paired with Joe Morrow (game #1) and Nathan Beaulieu (game #2).

Pysyk generally limits his mistakes, making him the perfect type of rearguard for tournament play, but he did commit a turnover early that resulted in a power play opportunity for Team Red early in Sunday's contest. He did not earn a point in either game, but was on the ice for one goal against (right D #5 below - excuse poor quality).



As a whole it appears that the benching he received last week against Calgary (for play demmed "selfish" by EDM bench boss Derek Laxdal) has paid some dividends. Pysyk's feet and aptitude have stood out as they do on most nights. He simply looks bigger, stronger, and more ready than he was a season ago, likely solidifying his spot on the team as a solid minute-eater.

Unlike Pysyk who has a more complete two-way package, fellow White blueliner Leduc was brought to camp for one reason - offense. Leduc (#3), a mobile righty who leads all Canadian major-junior defensemen with 47 points, used his cannon shot to get an assist on the game winning goal in White's 3-2 opening night win on Sunday.



Leduc would again show his shot in White's 2-0 loss in game #2, firing a hard slapper off the pipe near the end of the game that resulted in him defending a 2x1 going back the other way (taking the pass away, leaving the goalie to take the shooter).



However when the calls were made Tuesday morning as Canada cut their roster down, Leduc was among the first to get sent home.

Given the depth of competition, the move was not surprising. Canada has some well-rounded options who can carry the full-time luggage, and it was going to be a hard sell putting Leduc in the top six.

Scanning the pool of candidates in the weeks leading up to camp, Leduc seemed more like an ideal #7 than a top-six guy; an ace offensive catalyst who can breathe life into a power play but likely not sturdy enough defensively for a leading role. Through two games he did little to separate himself from the pack.
Leduc's offensive package comes with some uneven play in his own zone that can make for some adventurous shifts. He can get in trouble against physical forwards, and can sometimes get ambitious with the puck as evidenced by an egregious turnover in game #2 that resulted in his defensive partner going to the box for tripping.

A season ago, the Sabres had four players at Canada's camp - Zack Kassian, Marcus Foligno, Pysyk, and Brayden McNabb. Kassian and Foligno made the squad while Pysyk made it to final cuts. McNabb was among the first to get the axe, and proceeded to go on a tear with points in seven straight games as Kootenay started its run to the Memorial Cup.

McNabb takes well-traveled path to Buffalo

The Buffalo Sabres have recalled rookie defenseman Brayden McNabb from Rochester of the American Hockey League. The 20-year old, who gets the call thanks to Robyn Regher becoming the ninth Sabre to hit the injury list, will make his NHL debut Saturday against Washington.

From the Sabres press release:

McNabb (6’5”, 212 lbs., 1/21/90), who is playing in his rookie AHL season, has played 19 games for the Americans this season and has tallied 10 points (1+9).

The Davidson, Saskatchewan native was selected by Buffalo in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. In four full seasons (2007-11) with the Kootenay Ice of the WHL, McNabb had 176 points (50+126) in 258 games, along with 419 PIMs. The Sabres signed McNabb to a three-year entry level contract on May 18.

Here is my profile on McNabb from last spring's prospect rankings:

4) Brayden McNabb, LHD, Kootenay ICE (WHL), 2009 3rd round (66th overall)

A 2009 third rounder who has performed like a player befitting a higher pick, McNabb has logged major minutes with the Ice over the past two seasons, playing as physical as his 6'4, 218-pound frame suggests while finishing among WHL blue line scoring leaders (6^th in 2009-10, 3^rd in 2010-11).

After getting preseason NHL exposure this past fall, the ICE captain returned to set single-season and all-time franchise marks in goals, assists, and points for a defenseman while earning a spot on the WHL's Eastern Conference First All-Star Team. He took his game to a different level in the playoffs, shutting down the likes of Brayden Schenn, Curtis Hamilton, Linden Vey, and Emerson Etem while setting even more franchise offensive marks including a solid 11-game point streak to lead the Ice to the league finals. His 24 points in the 2011 postseason were the most for a Sabres prospect since Paul Byron ripped off 21-11-32 in 19 games back in 2007-08.

A bona fide point machine at the junior level, the economy-minded McNabb provides offense by making good pinches, finding sticks with slap-passes, and most importantly by getting lots of shots to the net. He's best when keeping it simple and limiting the chance for a turnover. Not possessing a quick first step, he may see spots to lug the puck up ice here and there as a pro (by comparison though, Mike Weber is probably the better skater at this stage), but his impact will be that of a point-contributor who block shots and plays tough in front of his goalie. 

Expect McNabb to be signed and off to Portland next season where he can ease his way in. If his feet adjust quickly to the AHL pace, it's fair to think he could position himself for a stop-gap call-up by Christmas. Until that happens, becoming a stronger skater should remain the focal point of his development.

Well I was close on that "spot call-up by Christmas" part, although I thought we'd still be weeks away. As of now it's unclear how long McNabb or any of the other Amerks call-ups will remain with the Sabres, but they're here and it's time to win some games.

Just like when Tropp, Brennan, and Kassian arrived from Rochester, the immediate issue is who to pair McNabb with. My earliest guess is that McNabb steps in for Regehr in a stay-at-home role on a pair with vet Leopold, leaving Brennan/Gragnani together while elevating Ehrhoff/Sekera to top-pair minutes.

As a side note, it is interesting that the Sabres opted for McNabb instead of Drew Schiestel, who has looked solid lately after recovering a from a minor knee injury at the start of the season. Schiestel is an excellent skater with more experience, but there's no question that McNabb has the more rugged style. I imagine it was that ingredient that served as a tiebreaker as the Sabres again get a chance to gauge where some of their prospects stand on the NHL development curve.

Amerks swept; Fienhage, Boychuk hook up

Marcus Foligno and T.J. Brennan each scored goals Saturday but Rochester couldn't close the deal, instead suffering their second straight loss to North Division rival Toronto, 3-2. The Amerks, who entered the weekend riding a four-game winning streak that had kept them in first-place, exit two points behind the division-leading Marlies with an 8-7-2-1 record.

A night after his costly pinch resulted in the game winning goal, Brayden McNabb posted a pair of assists from the Amerks blueline.

Foligno opened the game's scoring from long range, beating Swedish rap star Mark Owuya for his seventh goal of the year at 1:34 of the first period.






With the game tied 1-1 in the middle frame, T.J. Brennan scored his third of the season by tipping a McNabb shot past Owuya.






The Amerks, whose power play is sure to get some attention in practice this week after going a combined 0/11 in the two one-goal losses, welcome Albany to the BCA on Friday.

The Rundown:
Foligno: G, +1, 3 SOG
Brennan: G, +1, 2 SOG
McNabb: 2A, +2, 2 SOG
Kassian: +1, 5 SOG
Schiestel: 1 SOG
Lagace: even
MacKenzie: even
Crawford: -1, 1 SOG
Biega: -1, 2 SOG
Szydlowski: -1

***

In ECHL action, Corey Fienhage scored his third goal of the season as Gwinnett gave up a late marker in a 3-2 loss to South Carolina. Fienhage opened scoring at 11:59 of the first when he and Riley Boychuk broke away for a 2x1 rush. Boychuk earned his first ECHL point on the play.

Kassian cashes winner as Amerks move into first

Zack Kassian scored the game winning goal Friday while Brayden McNabb added an insurance marker to lead Rochester to a 3-1 victory of defending Calder Cup champion Binghamton. The win moves the Amerks ahead of Toronto into first place in the North Division of the AHL's Western Conference.

Kassian's blast from the left dot midway through the second period was his team-leading sixth goal of the year. He'd also pick up an assist to earn the game's #1 star.

McNabb scored his second goal of the year, and second in as many games, on a 5x3 power play at 2:49 of the third period. The 6'5 defender now has three points in his last two games.

Matt MacKenzie, Riley Boychuk, Jonathan Parker, and Dennis Persson all did not dress for the Amerks.

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

The Amerks, who have been clicking since the debut Paul Szczechura (4GP 1+5), will have Corey Tropp back from his four-game recall when they host Grand Rapids on Saturday.

Amerks rally to down Crunch

Brayden McNabb banged the overtime game winner in off the crossbar as Rochester avenged Saturday night's loss with a 6-5 win over Syracuse. The OT tally was the first goal of McNabb's pro career. The 6'5 defender, who earlier was credited with a short-handed assist, was not named to the game's three stars.

Zack Kassian scored his fifth goal of the year on a breakaway and added an assist for the winners, while Alex Biega and Jacob Lagace also chipped in with helpers.

The Rundown:
McNabb: GWG, A, +1
Kassian: G, A
Lagace: A
Biega: A, +1
Szydlowski: A
Crawford: -1
Brennan: +2
Foligno: +1
Schiestel: 1 SOG
Boychuk: DNP
Parker: DNP

Amerks winless skid hits five

In Saturday AHL action, Corey Tropp scored his fourth goal of the season as Rochester's winless skid hit five games with a 3-1 loss to Binghamton.

Brayden McNabb and Phil Varone earned assists on Tropp's even-strength marker, while 2010-11 AHL All-Star Drew Schiestel returned to the lineup after missing eight games with a knee injury.

The Amerks missed an opportunity to enact some revenge on the group that knocked them out of the playoffs a season ago while wearing the colors of the Portland Pirates.

The Rundown:
Tropp: 1G, 7 SOG, 2 PIM
McNabb: 1A, -1, 2 PIM
Schiestel: +1, 3 SOG
Brennan: 3 SOG
Lagace: 2 SOG
Crawford: 1 SOG
Biega: 1 SOG
MacKenzie: even
Foligno: even
Kassian: -2
Parker: -2, 2 SOG
Szydlowski: DNP
Boychuk: DNP

The Amerks and Senators will go at it again Friday in Binghamton.