Persson gets on sheet

In Saturday SEL action, Dennis Persson assisted on the only Timra goal as the Eagles fell to Brynas, 2-1. After being the low-man for a dozen games, the 2006 pick earned top-six minutes for a second consecutive contest, finishing with two shots on goal in 16:45 of time. The helper was Persson's third point (1+2) of the season for Timra, who remains in 10th place in the the twelve-team league with the loss.

11/27 Recap: Persson ups time; Schiestel returns

Dennis Persson returned to the top-six, logging 16:44 of action as Timra defeated Skelleftea, 4-3. Persson, who registered a shot on goal, saw a spike in time due to his covering for the ill Mikko Lehtonen. Drew Schiestel (+1) returned to the Niagara lineup after a two-game absence, picking up an assist on his first shift in the Dogs 6-5 OT win over Brampton. Schiestel's 21 assists have him tied for 7th overall in the O. In Prince Albert, Tyler Ennis (-1) and Tyler Myers did not factor into the scoring as the WHL All-Stars concluded the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge with a 2-1 win over the Russian Selects. A night after dominating the Russians in a 5-0 shutout, the WHL again poured it on, owning the shot count by a 46-23 margin. The victory gives the CHL a 5-1 decision in the 2008 get together.

Persson looking to work back up

In Monday SEL action, Dennis Persson again dressed as the extra defenseman, playing well in his 4:02 of icetime as Timra lost to Djurgarden, 4-2. Persson averaged over 18:00 per game through his first 12 games has since been relegated to #7 status, somewhat because of a knee injury and tentative play, but also due to rest of the Eagles blueline corps returning to health. He's averaged just over 8:00 a game in his last twelve appearances, and he'll need to keep improving if he's to earn bigger, top-six minutes. Chosen 24th overall in 2006, Persson has one goal, one assist, and is -7 in 23 games this season.

11/22 Recap: Byron finding groove, Ennis nets winner

A week after ending a 13-game losing streak, Paul Byron and the Gatineau Olympiques continue to grind away. On Saturday, Byron (-1, 5 SOG) scored a goal and two assists as the Piques won their third straight, 6-2 over Lewiston. Byron now has five goals and 13 points in his last five games, and a line of 10-16-26 for the season. Medicine Hat's Tyler Ennis (+2) scored the game winning goal as the Tigers defeated Regina, 4-1. The flashy left-wing later assisted on an empty netter, upping his point total to 31 through 26 games. The Tigers, 8-0-0-1 in their last nine, will not return to action until Saturday after playing 13 games in 23 days. Tyler Myers (+1) had an assist for Kelowna in their 6-2 drubbing of Prince George. The helper gives the DeWinton, Alberta native points in a career-high five straight games. In the OHL, Nick Crawford had a pair of power play assists as Saginaw downed Barrie, 5-2. The 6'1 defender hadn't had a point in six games since jumping out to 11 through his first 14 games. Niagara's Drew Schiestel (shoulder) remained out of the lineup as the Dogs defeated Sudbury, 5-4. In Chicoutimi, Jacob Lagace registered two shots on net in the Sags 4-1 win over Rimouski. The Beloeil, PQ product has just one point in his last four games after his eight-game point streak ended. Matt Generous scored the second St. Lawrence goal as the Saints dropped a 5-2 decision to Quinnipiac. The defenseman ducked in from the left point for his second of the season to put the Saints ahead 2-1 before the Bobcats would storm back with four unanswered. Brad Eidsness made 27 saves but again failed to get adequate goal support in North Dakota's 3-1 loss at Duluth. Last week's WCHA co-Rookie of the Week, Eidsness record now stands at 4-4-1 on the year with a 2.85 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. Corey Fienhage was a Sioux scratch. Drew MacKenzie (-1) had another solid game for Vermont in their 4-3 win over Boston University. The Catamounts move to 7-3-2 on the year after the weekend sweep of the #2 Terriers. Sophomore Corey Tropp finished -1 as Michigan State lost their second straight at Nebraska-Omaha, 3-1. The Spartans fall to 4-8-2 on the season, and have found their first six-game losing streak in nearly 30 years (1979-80). Alex Biega was even with two shots on goal in Harvard's 2-2 tie with Colgate. Freshman Justin Jokinen was re-inserted into the Mavericks lineup, finishing -1 in Minnesota State's 4-2 win over Michigan Tech. In Sweden, Dennis Persson did not get in on the fun, skating for just 1:05 in Timra's 6-2 win over Linkoping. His play appears "uncertain", perhaps due to a lingering knee issue, and so it seems he has work to do before getting back into the top-6 conversation on the Eagles blueline.

11/20 Recap: Crawford gets helper vs. Russians

In Guelph, Nick Crawford (Saginaw) picked up an assist on his first shift as Team OHL skated to a 6-3 win over Team Russia in Game Three of the ADT Challenge. The series will move to St. Catherines for Game Four on Tuesday. Philip Gogulla had an assist in Cologne's 6-5 OT win over the Metro Stars. The left wing set up Jerome Flaake's (TOR) second goal of the season in the second period. Ex-Sabre Dave McLlwain scored the OT winner for the Sharks. Dennis Persson dressed but did not see the ice in Timra's 3-2 win over Lulea.

11/18 Recap: Ennis sets up winner

In Tuesday action, Tyler Ennis set-up the game winning goal as Medicine Hat defeated Prince Albert, 2-1. The Edmonton native went tape-to-tape in a 2-1 break to get the assist with 7:36 to go in the third period. The Tigers win caps a four-games-in-five-nights stretch, and moves them to 7-2-0-1 in their last ten. In Providence, Alex Biega (3 SOG) was +1 in Harvard's 3-3 tie with Brown. Also from Tuesday, Dennis Persson played even over his 17:24 of action as Timra lost to Farjestad, 2-0.

Persson back in action

Dennis Persson returned to the TIK lineup, seeing 12:14 of icetime in the Eagles 2-0 win over SSK. The defender was hobbled by a blow to the knee a week and a half ago, and missed Thursday's win over Frolunda. The shutout was the second in a row for Timra, as the Eagles leap-frog Sodertalje out of last place in the SEL.

Knee keeps Persson out

Dennis Persson was kept out of the lineup as Timra got back on the winning track with a 2-0 shutout of Frolunda. The defenseman injured his knee in last week's loss to Linkoping. He skated lightly in practice sessions over the Karjala Cup break, but it's expected that Timra will make him get a 100% workout in before getting back to game action. The injuries have piled up on Timra's blueline this season. Top rearguards Mikko Lehtonen and Eric Moe missed time early on, while Kimmo Lotvonen and Par Styf join Persson in the current ranks of the injured. Mired in last place and needing help on the blue, the Eagles are said to have a contract offer out to Janne Niinimaa after losing out in the bidding for former Lightning defenseman Janne Niskala.

11/3-4 Recap: Biega blasts winner

In an ECAC Tuesday night match-up, Alex Biega (+1) scored the game winning goal as Harvard defeated RPI, 3-1. While on a third period period power play, the junior defenseman blasted a low, hard shot from the right point that beat Engineers goalie Mathias Lange. The win moves Harvard to 2-0 in league play. Tyler Myers was -2 in Kelowna's 4-1 loss to Tri-City. The WHL contest featured a combined 33 shots on goal between the two clubs. In the lone game from Monday, Dennis Persson continued to skate as the sixth defenseman, logging 8:32 of game play in Timra's 3-2 loss to Linkoping. The last place Eagles will return to the ice next Thursday at Frolunda.

Persson ups average in loss

On Saturday, Dennis Persson (-1) skated on Timra's third pair, seeing 16:34 of action in their 5-1 loss to Lulea. Fellow rearguards Kimmo Lotvonen and Par Styf remained out of the lineup due to injury, causing Persson to see a bump in time. Even if Persson, 20, is being relegated to bottom pair minutes, it's still much better than the limited SEL time he saw last season with Djurgardens before being loaned to tier II Nykoping. In 18 games, he's scored two points while averaging 15:26 worth of shifts after a 2007-08 season that saw him average of just 7:22 a night in 21 games. The Swede will next take the ice on Monday when the Eagles skate against Linkopings.

10/30 Recap: Schiestel leading Dog race at quarter turn

Drew Schiestel (-1) had a power play assist for Niagara in their 3-1 win over Guelph. Having registered a point in all but three of his 16 games, the Hamilton native continues to lead the Dogs in scoring with two goals and 15 assists. John Cullen (Hamburg, NY) made 23 saves for Niagara in relief of Mark Visentin to get the W. With 25% of the regular season complete, the 5-7-1-4 IceDogs are tied with Barrie for 2nd place in the Central Division. In a beggar's night contest, RW Andrew Orpik had two shots on goal as #2 Boston College upended Merrimack, 4-1. Jimmy Hayes (TOR) potted a pair of goals to lead the Eagles. Starting to ramp his way back up, Dennis Persson (-1) logged 13:48 of play in Timra's 4-0 loss to MODO. Prize 2009 prospect Victor Hedman was +2 for MODO, while former NHLers Niklas Sundstrom and Per Svartvadet paced the victors with two points each. Finally, a bizarre incident in Moscow caused the contest between Kazan (Vjacheslav Buravchikov) and Dynamo to be suspended after one period of play. It appears that smoke filled the arena after a Dynamo goal celebration, and would not dissipate despite several measures to clear the air. Buravchikov will return to action on Sunday.

10/28 Recap: Persson extra; Slava update

Dennis Persson was the seventh defenseman for a third straight game, registering two shots on goal in 10:50 of action in Timra's 4-3 win over Skelleftea. Defenseman Eric Moe, 20, was Timra's best player in just his sixth game of the season, potting a goal and an assist while being paired with the Eagles top d-gun Mikko Lehtonen. Moe's production has been a pleasant surprise for Timra, and his rise up the depth chart continues to come at Persson's expense. In the KHL, Vjacheslav Buravchikov went pointless in Kazan's 8-3 win over Minsk. The 6'1 defender is averaging 16:10 of time on the bottom pair for the third-place club while contributing a goal, an assist, and a -2 rating in 19 games.

10/25 Recap: Crawford posts career high in loss

In the OHL, Nick Crawford had a career-high three assists for Saginaw in their 5-4 loss to Niagara. All three helpers came on the power play as the Spirit and Dogs traded goals through the first two periods. Drew Schiestel (+3) had a point shot tipped in by Matt Piva for his 14th assist of the season in the win.

Elsewhere,Tyler Ennis scored his fifth goal of the season as Medicine Hat failed to make it four wins in a row with a 5-2 loss to Calgary. The power play marker was Ennis' seventh point in his last four games after posting six through the first nine, and it seems the talented forward is ready to apply some heat to the Tigers offense. The Hitmen extend their unbeaten streak to six games with the win.

Also from the WHL, Tyler Myers (-2) had two assists for the second straight night in Kelowna's 3-2 loss to Brandon. The four-point weekend brings his season point total to eight on the year.

J.S. Allard (2 PIM) failed to register a point as Quebec lost at Rimouski, 2-1. The loss to the Nics was the Remparts first road defeat this season.

Jordon Southorn was -1 in PEI's 4-3 loss to Rouyn-Noranda. The Rocket will look to shake it off when they face Val-d'Or on Sunday.

In the SEL, Dennis Persson again dressed as the seventh defenseman (2:16 TOI) as Timra defeated his former club Djurgardens, 3-2 in overtime. The return of 20-year old Erik Moe to the Eagles lineup has offset the loss of Par Styf (hand injury), but has also put Persson in the backseat for the time being. Moe gives the Eagles offense a nice boost from the back end, posting four assists and a steady even rating in five games.

Persson odd man out in loss

Still feeling the lingering effects from a weekend puck to the face, Dennis Persson (2 PIM) saw just 4:59 of ice time in Timra's 3-1 loss to Brynas on Thursday. Despite being tabbed as the seventh defenseman for the contest, Persson created some heat with a solid scoring opportunity late in the second period. The 6'1 defenseman was bleeding from the nose as he left the ice in the second period of Saturday's loss to Rogle. His cheekbone was swollen and it appears stitches were required, but a quick exam after the game revealed no breaks (or dental issues).

Puck drops Persson

Dennis Persson was knocked out of the game after taking a puck in the face during Timra's 5-1 loss to Rogle on Saturday. The defenseman was bleeding from the nose as he made his way off the ice at 14:10 of the second period. Skating 12:50 worth of shifts through slightly more than half the game, Persson was on his way to another twenty-minute workout at the time of the injury. At one point fifth in the SEL standings, October has seen the injury bug cause an Eagles dive into the league's bottom three teams. With Timra's next game not coming until Thursday against Brynas, it's possible that Persson doesn't miss additional game time. The 2006 first round pick has shown developmental strides this season, averaging over 18:00 a night while learning from past mistakes in his 13 appearances. We'll update his status when more info becomes available.

10/16 Recap: The calm before the storm

In Thursday SEL play, Dennis Persson was stationed on Timra's left side for a total of 20:42 in their 2-1 overtime loss to HV71. The 6'1 blueliner didn't score any points, but he made a standout play when breaking up a two-on-one break in the early second period. With Mikko Lehtonen returning to the Eagles lineup, it was unclear how the veteran's presence would impact the progress made by the 20-year old Sabres prospect. If one game is any indication, it would appear that the time is Persson's to lose. In the NCAA, Sophomore Corey Tropp had two shots on goal as #11 Michigan State stumbled on home ice in a 3-0 loss to Lowell. Dressing a total of 13 underclassmen, the mistake-prone Spartans looked every bit inexperienced in the shutout. Tropp has been skating on a line with freshmen Daulton Leveille (ATL) and Andrew Conboy (MTL), but was mixed-and-matched quite a bit last season. Regardless of line combos, expect a sharper Spartan club Friday night when the two play it back at Munn. After a quiet Thursday, a 30-game weekend will make this space a tad more robust. The coffee will be brewing, so stop back throughout to keep tabs on how it all shakes out.

10/13 Recap: Schiestel shines

Drew Schiestel (2 PIM, +1) had a goal and two assists as Niagara ended their five-game skid by defeating Peterborough, 4-2. Schiestel scored the game winner in the third when a Matt Sisca feed found him with just enough net to fill. The three-point effort earned him the game's #1 star, and a season point total (12) that is not only second among OHL defensemen, but also good enough to top all of his fellow Sabres prospects to date. In the SEL, Dennis Persson was -2 while Timra kicked a five-game skid of their own in a 4-3 overtime win over Skelleftea. The 6'1 rearguard again ripped off a nice chunk of time, earning 18:47 of action in the win. Paired on the left side with veteran Par Styf, Persson has an average TOI of 17:48 thus far with the Eagles. Tyler Ennis continues his early season WHL struggles, going -1 with no points in Medicine Hat's 4-3 loss to Kootenay. The Edmonton native has been a minus player in six of nine games this season after a total of 18 minus showings during the entire 2007-08 schedule. Unless the Tigers go out and get some help, Ennis will continue getting hit early and often as the opposing D's main target.

Comeback falls short for Timra

Defenseman Dennis Persson (2 PIM, 1 SOG) saw 16:23 of action as Timra was defeated by Farjestad, 6-4. Trailing 5-2, comeback-minded Timra scored a pair of goals in the final 20:00, one of which Persson was on the ice for, before FBK found an empy net with :07 to go. And so the winless skid hits five for the Eagles, who will next take the ice on Monday against Skelleftea.

10/8-9 Recap: Ennis nets first multi-point night

My apologies for lacking a timely Wednesday update. I was eagerly awaiting the riveting NHL opening night performance by Def Leppard. Come on, Gary. In a humpday WHL contest, Tyler Ennis scored a goal and an assist as Medicine Hat defeated Edmonton, 5-4. The 5'9 forward scored his second goal of the season early on the power play, then later added an assist to fuel the Tigers third period comeback effort. Currently with five points over seven games, Ennis is going to bust out sooner or later to elevate his sub-1.00 point-per-game status. Wednesday evening also saw three QMJHL games relative to Sabres prospects. Defenseman Jordon Southorn (-1) had an assist as PEI was doubled-up on the road by Saint John, 6-3. The Rocket were out-shot (34-29) and out-hit (25-12) while going an abysmal 0/10 on the power play. The Rocket continues its road ways with visits to Baie-Comeau on Friday and Chicoutimi on Saturday. Paul Byron failed to register a point in Gatineau's 2-1 win over Val d'Or. Continuing to be a controlling presence at the dot, the 5'9 Byron won 12 of his 18 faceoffs. Les Olympiques will battle Rimouski on Sunday. Already in Rimouski, Luke Adam was -1 as Montreal got blanked by the 'Nics, 4-0. Long bus trips can often work against teams as they try to get their legs going, and such was the case with the Juniors on Wednesday. T.J. Brennan did not dress for Montreal. Tonight was relatively quiet, with just two games on the slate before a hectic weekend kicks off. Dennis Persson again piled up the minutes with a healthy 20:17 of time in Timra's 5-2 loss to SSK. The loss was the fourth in a row for the sliding Eagles. In the OHL, Drew Schiestel (-3) had an assist in Niagara's 5-3 loss to Kitchener. Schiestel drew the primary assist on Andrew Agozzino's goal with 1:29 to play to cut the Rangers lead to 4-3. Moments later while still on the power play, the Dogs surrendered a short-handed goal to land themselves a fourth straight loss. It was a shaky night for the Dogs blueline, and there's no end in sight with Alex Pietrangelo sticking with St. Louis for at least the nine game limit. Checking in with the KHL, Vjacheslav Buravchikov now has a goal, an assist, and 4 PIM in 13 games with Kazan. After jumping out to a +5, the 6'1 defenseman has gone -6 over his last four games.

10/7 Recap: Goal goal Gogulla

Yes, that's a Blue Oyster Cult reference. 2005 second round pick Philip Gogulla scored a pair of third period goals to force overtime, but Cologne couldn't seal the comeback in their 4-3 loss to Hamburg. The goals were Gogulla's first of the season, as the Dusseldorf native now has five points through seven DEL games. Currently sitting in last place in the 16-team league, Cologne will lace them up again on Friday at Straubing. With Mikko Lehtonen gone, Dennis Persson logged another 19:57 of ice time in Timra's 2-1 loss to his former club, Djurgardens. Robin Figren (NYI) factored into both goals for DIK en route to handing Persson's Eagles their third consecutive defeat. Timra has slipped from 5th to 8th place during the skid, but has performed admirably considering injuries to three forwards. Wednesday will see another four games on the Sabres prospect slate. Paul Byron and Gatineau will host Val d'Or in a rescheduled make-up after fog consumed Centre Robert-Guertin back on September 14th. Also in the Q, Jordon Southorn and the PEI Rocket will travel to Saint John to battle the Sea Dogs, while Luke Adam and T.J. Brennan hit the road for a tilt with Rimouski. In the WHL, Edmonton will visit Tyler Ennis' Medicine Hat Tigers.