10/12 Recap: Amerks open with win

Corey Tropp scored a pair of goals and Mark Mancari scored the only mark in the shootout as Rochester opened the 2012-13 season Friday with a 6-5 win over Syracuse.

Tropp lit the lamp in the game's opening minute when he tapped in a two-on-one feed from Cody Hodgson. Later in the period,  Tropp batted down a Luke Adam shot in front of the net and beat Dustin Tokarski to give the Amerks a 2-1 lead. Marcus Foligno scored shortly after Tropp's second goal to give the Amerks a 3-1 advantage at the first intermission.

Mark Pysyk notched his first professional goal in the second period before the Crunch went on to score four unanswered the take a 5-4 lead midway through the final frame. Mark Mancari rounded out the Rochester scoring to make it 5-5 with under four minutes to play in regulation to force the OT.

David Leggio made 29 saves and another five in the shootout to earn the win. Tropp suffered a lower body injury and is unlikely to play when the Amerks continue their opening weekend Saturday in Toronto.

In the QMJHL, Mikhail Grigorenko continued his superb start to the 2012-13 season by scoring two goals and an assist to extend his point streak to nine games as Quebec defeated Gatineau 4-1. The talented Russian currently ranks second in QMJHL scoring with eight goals and 20 points through the Remparts' first nine games. The Remparts are off until Wednesday's tilt with Saint John.


 In Finland, Joel Armia scored his sixth goal of the year as Assat doubled Tappara 4-2. The 6-foot-3 sniper got the Aces on the board when he cut to the net and directed a Michael Ryan pass past the Tappara netminder. The two clubs will play it back on Saturday.



Linus Ullmark made 30 saves as MODO J20 downed Leksands 6-2. Ullmark was making his return to SuperElit action after a three-week loan to Mora IK of HockeyAllsvenskan. MODO and Leksands will play a rematch on Saturday.

In the WHL, Colin Jacobs picked up an assist as Prince George downed Lethbridge 3-2. The helper extends Jacobs' season-starting point streak to a career-best eight games (7+7). The Cougars continue their road trip Saturday in Medicine Hat.

Logan Nelson saw his five-game point streak come to an end as Victoria lost to Kelowna 4-1. The Royals and Rockets will again face off Saturday in Victoria.

Andrey Makarov made 24 saves as Saskatoon lost to Kootenay 4-3. The Blades have lost five straight games to occupy last place in the East Division.

In OHL action, Brady Austin was +1 as Belleville pitched a 2-0 shutout of Brampton. The Bulls, who have secured five wins through the season's first eight games, return to the ice Saturday versus Oshawa.

Justin Kea logged a +1 as Saginaw smoked Sudbury 6-1. The Spirit moves on to face Brampton on Sunday.

Alex Lepkowski (-1) did not point as Barrie got past Oshawa 4-3 in a shootout. Barrie will host Sudbury on Saturday.

Christian Isackson scored his first goal of the year as Minnesota downed Michigan State 5-1. Skating with Florida prospects Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau, Isackson buried a wrist shot from the slot for the first regular season goal of his collegiate career. The Gophers and Spartans will conclude their opening weekend set on Saturday.


Brad Navin (2 SOG) and Jake McCabe (4 SOG) each went without a point as Wisconsin lost to Northern Michigan 2-1. McCabe was paired with Frankie Simonelli on the Badgers blueline after sitting out last weekend's tune-up win over the U.S. Under-18. Navin formed a line with Keegan Meuer and Brendan Woods. The Badgers will look for the weekend split on Saturday.

Mark Adams finished +1 as Providence opened the season with an 8-2 throttling of Sacred Heart. The Friars finish their weekend Saturday with a visit to Boston University.

Judd Peterson was +1 with three shots on goal as Cedar Rapids dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to Muskegon. The RoughRiders take on Green Bay on Saturday.

10/3 Recap: Amerks drop exhibition opener

Luke Adam, Phil Varone, and Brayden McNabb all had goals as the Rochester Americans opened the 2012 preseason Wednesday with a 4-3 home-ice loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Mark Mancari compiled three assists in his first game back in an Amerks sweater since 2007-08, while rookie Mark Pysyk added a pair of helpers from the blueline. David Leggio made 28 saves for the Amerks, who will complete the home-and-home series with the Baby Penguins on Friday. We'll have more on the Amerks as the AHL regular season approaches.

Elsewhere, Logan Nelson assisted on the game winning goal as Victoria slipped past Medicine Hat 4-3 in overtime. The Royals overcame a 3-0 deficit en route to moving into first place in the B.C. Division. Victoria (4-1-0-0) returns to action Friday at Spokane.


Justin Kea picked up an assist as Saginaw dropped a 6-5 see-saw battle with Sault Ste. Marie. The power forward prospect has three points (1+2) through the Spirit's first five games. Saginaw will host Niagara on Friday.



Andrey Makarov made 24 saves as Saskatoon lost to Red Deer 5-3. After scoring the game's first goal, Saskatoon surrendered four unanswered to slip to fifth place in East Division. The first goal allowed was an absolute highlight-reel play by Matt Dumba (MIN), who slipped to his knees but maintained control of the puck before roofing a shot over Makarov's shoulder. The Blades will tangle with Swift Current on Friday.


In Sweden, Linus Ullmark made 15 stops as Mora IK was defeated by Orebro HK 5-3. Ullmark allowed four goals against including one of the power play before Orebro potted an empty-netter to seal the win. Mora gets back at it Sunday versus Karlskrona HK.

5/24 Recap: Pysyk bows out

Mark Pysyk saw his excellent junior career come to an end Thursday as the Edmonton Oil Kings were hammered by the Shawinigan Cataractes 6-1 in the Memorial Cup 3rd place tiebreaker. The Oil Kings runs ends the most successful season in franchise history, while for the 20-year old Pysyk, the sting of defeat will soon pass with his NHL deal inked last June and the start of his pro career just a few short months away.

After falling in a 2-0 hole at the end of the opening frame, the Oil Kings quickly allowed two more goals within the first three minutes of the second to seal their fate. The steady leader helped create the Oil Kings lone goal of the night when his long pass out of the zone was corralled and fed to Henrik Samuelsson ('12) at 16:28 of the middle frame.



The Oil Kings competed admirably in the third, but the host team held their ground to storm their way into Friday's semifinal match-up with bitter QMJHL rival, Saint John.

Pysyk finished the tournament with three assists, and -3 rating, and 12 penalty minutes.

With the Sabres having eight defenseman (Myers, Ehrhoff, Sekera, Regehr, Leopold, Sulzer, Weber, McNabb) ready to compete for top club duty, Pysyk can comfortably enter the AHL next season and hone his all-around craft in quality minutes. He'll want to get bigger up top to gain more leverage, but overall his skating and two-way skills are close to ready. There's no rush to have him in Buffalo, though, so for now pencil him in for depth and figure he'll give the team some nice flexibility once his development spikes.

5/21-22 Recap: Cup hopes take hit as Oil Kings drop pair

Mark Pysyk registered a shot on goal Tuesday as Edmonton was defeated by the London Knights 4-1 in their final round robin game of the 2012 Mastercard Memorial Cup. The Oil Kings, who fall to 1-2 in tournament play, are now in the tough spot of needing to defeat all three teams (tiebreaker, semifinal, final) in four nights in order to win the prestigious junior trophy.

For the second straight night, the Oil Kings fell behind early as Griffin Reinhart's failed drop pass led to a Ryan Rupert goal at 1:17. Things got tougher for the WHL champs minutes later when Pysyk was whistled for a high-sticking double minor. The Knights couldn't capitalize with the four-minute man advantage but did get another on the board shortly after as a trailing Bo Horvat batted in a Chris Tierney rebound for a 2-0 lead.

Keegan Lowe scored from the doorstep with 2.6 seconds left in the opening period, but it was all that Edmonton could muster as London would add two more goals over the final forty minutes while the OKs power play failed to connect on any of their six chances.

Edmonton will now face the loser of Wednesday's Shawinigan/Saint John tilt in the 3rd place tiebreaker game on Thursday for the right to keep playing.

On Monday, Pysyk recorded an assist as Edmonton suffered a loss 5-2 to Saint John. The Oil Kings loss created a Memorial Cup tournament first as all four teams finished their first two games with a 1-1 record.



The 6'2 Pysyk has three assists, a -3 rating, three shots on goal, and eight penalty minutes in the tourney's three games.

5/19 Recap: Oil Kings open tourney with win

photo courtesy of The Canadian Press

Mark Pysyk picked up an assist Friday as the WHL Champion Edmonton Oil Kings opened the 2012 Memorial Cup with a 4-3 win over the host Shawinigan Cataractes. The teams combined for a five-goal third period capped by a Henrik Samuelsson ('12) game winner at 13:42. Griffin Reinhart ('12) notched a goal and an assist to earn the game's #1 star.

The teams traded goals in the opening twenty with the Cataractes' tally coming on the power play thanks to Pysyk's roughing penalty at 7:56. The bigger, stronger Pysyk defended his crease after the whistle (right), sending a Cat forward to the ice in the process and him to the box for 40-seconds before the Cats tied the game.

The tie would hold into the third period, but the gates quickly opened with Reinhart's goal at the 1:01 mark.

With the teams playing four-on-four, Pysyk drew two defenders his way before sliding a pass to Martin Gernat (EDM) for a wrister that upped the Oil Kings lead to 3-1 at 5:32.





The Cataractes kept the heat on with two goals to make it a 3-3 game before Samuelsson finished a nice three-way passing play to get his third game winner of the playoffs.

Pysyk, who rounded his effort with two hits, would again head to the box with just under five minutes to play, but this time his mates were able to kill the it off and preserve the lead the rest of the way.

The Oil Kings will now get the weekend off before facing the defending champion Saint John Sea Dogs on Monday.

5/13 Recap: Pysyk captains Oil Kings to WHL title

Mark Pysyk was a stalwart in big minutes Sunday, posting a healthy +3 rating as the Edmonton Oil Kings captured the Ed Chynoweth Trophy with a 4-1 win over the Portland Winterhawks in Game Seven of the WHL Championship. Over 12,500 fans in Rexall Place cheered loudly as Pysyk, a native Edmontonian, hoisted the franchise's first trophy since re-joining the WHL in 2007-08.

The valuable leader elevated his game at both ends of the rink in the final round. Along with managing the pace of play and scoring perhaps the biggest goal in franchise history with his Game Five winner, Pysyk leveraged his smarts and continued emergence of his physical game to neutralize the Hawks' top line of Sven Bartschi (CAL), Ty Rattie (STL), and Marcel Noebels (PHI) in the deciding game. He didn't get to win gold with Team Canada, but the big game experience kicked in when his team needed it.

For Pysyk, the championship completes a junior hockey voyage that began with him being the club's first-ever draft pick in 2007 and end as two-year captain. The face of the modern day Oil Kings since day one, Pysyk joins Tyler Myers (2009), Matt MacKenzie (2010), and Brayden McNabb (2011) to give the Sabres a WHL champion blueliner for the fourth straight year. He finishes the playoffs with three goals, including one shorthanded and a game winner, and 11 points.

Pysyk will add one more chapter to his junior resume by leading the Oil Kings into the 2012 Mastercard Memorial Cup. They'll open the tournament Friday (5/18) with a date against host Shawinigan, who haven't played since April 17th. Edmonton will then battle the defending champion Saint John Sea Dogs on Monday (5/21) before closing the round-robin against the OHL's London Knights on Tuesday (5/22).

5/12 Recap: Game Seven ordered

Mark Pysyk finished -1 with a double-minor Saturday as Edmonton lost to Portland 3-2 in game #6 of the WHL Championship. With the series locked 3-3, the teams boarded flights for Edmonton following the game in preparation for Sunday's exciting game seven.

Despite not scoring like he did in the final minute Thursday, the steady Pysyk was again effective in creating several opportunities as Derek Laxdall shortened the Oil Kings bench. At one point late in the game, the captain was leveled by Taylor Peters but got right back up with the puck and rang a shot off the crossbar as the Oil Kings looked for a late surge.

Pysyk's chippiness throughout the game was also noted. In the middle frame, he earned an extra two for extra elbows and punches as coincidental minors were doled out to he and Troy Rutkowski (COL). He later brought the stick up high on Oliver Gabriel (CBJ) at the final buzzer. Gabriel received a spearing minor on the play.

The Oil Kings and Winterhawks will drop the puck at 6:00 MST Sunday with the winner skating away with the Ed Chynoweth Cup and the right to represent the WHL at the 2012 Memorial Cup in Shawinigan.

5/10 Recap: Pysyk's winner gives Oil Kings edge

Mark Pysyk scored with 56-seconds left in regulation Thursday to vault Edmonton to an exciting 4-3 win over Portland in game #5 of the WHL Championship. The victory gives the Oil Kings a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Pysyk, who earlier pocketed an assist on the Oil Kings' third goal, made a stellar play on the game winner, gloving a pass down in the neutral zone and unleashing a rising wrister from between the hash marks that breezed past 'Hawks netminder Mac Carruth. The play featured several of the traits we've outlined over the past two seasons - his smarts, positioning, and skating. On top of it all was an "NHL shot" that should have made TSN's top plays.

The game's #1 star, Pysyk will lead the charge into Portland for Saturday's game six and a chance to win Edmonton's first WHL Championship since re-entering the league in the 2007-08 season. Pysyk was the first-ever draft pick for these modern day Oil Kings, having served as team captain for the past two seasons.



In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc punched four shots on goal as Rimouski was swept from the QMJHL's President's Cup final with an 8-0 blowout loss to Saint John. The 6'1 defender concludes his excellent final year of junior, accumulating 37 goals and 93 points in 83 total games between the regular season and playoffs, including a stretch of eight straight with a goal to set an all-time league record for defensemen. The power play specialist is slated to join the Rochester Americans in 2012-13 for his rookie professional season.

5/8 Recap: Pysyk plays part as Oil Kings even series

Mark Pysyk (-2) recorded an assist Tuesday as Edmonton evened the WHL Championship with a 4-3 overtime win at Portland. The helper gives the steady captain nine points (2+7) through 17 postseason tilts.

After letting a forward get behind him for the opening goal a minute-and-a-half in, the 6'2 defender was strong the rest of the way, intercepting passes in his own zone and upping his shot output at the other end. His shot attempt in the final minute of the second period was blocked but landed on the stick of Stephane Legault to give the Oil Kings a 3-1 lead.



Portland stormed back with a pair of third period tallies by Sven Bartschi (CAL) before Rhett Rachinski struck for his second of the game at 9:07 of the OT to tie the series at 2-2. The clubs will head back to Edmonton for Thursday's pivotal game #5.

5/7 Recap: Dogs downed; Oil Kings in unfamiliar hole

Steven Shipley recorded an assist Tuesday as Niagara was defeated by London 3-2 in game #3 of the OHL Championship. The 6'3 center's work around the net while on an second period power play gives him eight points in 18 playoff games. Shipley was also called for tripping with less than two minutes to play as the Dogs looked to tie the game.

Shortly before the Shipley call, a pair of London's 2012 draft eligibles combined for the game winning goal with 3:28 left in regulation as Chris Tierney won a faceoff draw back to Olli Maatta, who in turn rifled a heavy slapper that was tipped in the slot by Tierney for his fourth of the postseason. Maatta, a surefire first-round pick next month, has accumulated an impressive six goals and 21 points in 17 playoff games for the Knights. Niagara heads home for Wednesday's game #4 trailing the series 2-1.



In Sunday action, Mark Pysyk finished with an even rating as Edmonton's three-goal third period rally fell short in a 4-3 loss to Portland. Brendan Leipsic ('12) interrupted the Oil Kings' charge by scoring his second consecutive game winner at 4:37 of the third. Trailing the best-of-seven championship 2-1, the Oil Kings are now behind in a series for the first time this postseason heading into Wednesday's game #4.

With Shipley's IceDogs amd Pysyk's Oil Kings trailing their series 2-1, and Jerome Gauthier-Leduc's Rimouski Oceanic in a 2-0 hole against Saint John in the QMJHL final, the Sabres are in danger of not having a drafted prospect participate in the Memorial Cup for the first time since 2007. Tyler Ennis played for Medicine Hat in the '07 tourney but wasn't draft eligible until 2008.

5/4 recap: Defensive duo dealt defeats

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc produced an assist Friday for his 16th postseason point, but Rimouski was defeated by Saint John 3-2 in double overtime in game #1 of the QMJHL President's Cup final. Leduc's up-ice pass while on the power play garnered a secondary helper as the Nics tied the game 2-2 at 13:20 of the second period. The offensive blueliner, who previously posted a combined 20 shots on goal in the last three games of the semifinal round, fired just one in the game one loss. Rimouski will look to even the series when the teams reconvene for Saturday's game #2.

In the WHL, Mark Pysyk was even as Edmonton dropped a 5-1 decision to Portland in game #2 of the WHL Championship. The loss evens the best-of-seven at one game apiece, while ending the Oil Kings 12-game home-ice winning streak dating back to late February. Brendan Leipsic ('12) and Sven Bartschi (CAL) paved the way for the Winterhawks with two goals each. Portland was playing without star forward Ty Rattie (STL), who was injured in the first period of the Thursday opener. Game #3 will be played Sunday in Portland.

5/3 Recap: Pysyk stars, Shipley solid as teams take openers

Mark Pysyk was named the game's #1 star Thursday as Edmonton opened the 2012 WHL Championship series with a 3-2 win over Portland. The 6'2 captain saw his seeing-eye wrister get through traffic before getting tipped on its way into the Winterhawks cage at 1:25 of the opening period to quickly get the Oil Kings moving in the right direction after a six-day layoff. Pysyk, who along with partner Keegan Lowe (CAR), were set to match-up with the Winterhawks' potent top-line featuring Ty Rattie (STL) and Sven Bartschi (CAL), but the former was wiped out along the boards early on and did not return. The teams will regroup on Friday at Rexall for game #2 with the Oil Kings holding a 1-0 lead.



In the OHL, Steven Shipley played even as Niagara got a goal from Dougie Hamilton (BOS) at 9:03 of the second overtime to secure a 3-2 win over London in game #1 of the OHL Championship. The IceDogs' third line of Shipley at center along with Brett Ritchie (DAL) and Mitchell Theoret (NYI) produced the game's first goal at 4:01 of the opening frame. The 6'3 center, who has emerged as one of the better faceoff men in the entire OHL, was on the ice for several key draws late in regulation and OT. After taking a 1-0 series advantage on the road, the IceDogs will welcome the Knights to their barn in St. Catharines for Saturday's game #2.

4/27 Recap: Pysyk, Shipley advance; Leduc lights lamp

Mark Pysyk recorded an assist Friday as Edmonton won the WHL Eastern Conference final with a 4-1 win over Moose Jaw. Following the game, the captain opted to honor the superstition of not touching the conference trophy as part of their preparation for what should be an amazing championship battle with the Portland Winterhawks. Pysyk, who has seven points (2+5) and a +6 rating through 13 playoff games, will now draw the assignment of shutting down a Ty Rattie-Sven Bartschi combo that has combined for 54 points in 15 games. The series opens next Thursday in Edmonton.

Steven Shipley went without a point as Niagara captured their first Bobby Orr Trophy as OHL Eastern Eastern Conference champions with a 3-2 game five win over Ottawa. The 6'3 center has posted just one assist in his last 11 games while showing upped intensity and third-line checking value. The IceDogs, who skated the trophy around the ice for the home fans, move on to face the London Knights for the rights to represent the Ontario Hockey League at the 2012 Memorial Cup.

Elsewhere, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc scored his eighth goal of the playoffs as Rimouski inched their way closer to a berth in the QMJHL final with a 9-0 shellacking of Halifax. The power play mark was Leduc's 15th point in 16 games. His eight goals are three more than any other Canadian junior blueliner this postseason. Holding the 3-2 series lead, the Oceanic will need the momentum of the blowout win when they skate into Halifax for Sunday's game six.

4/22 Recap: Ship assists; Oil Kings keep rolling

In Sunday action, Steven Shipley snapped a seven-game point drought with an assist as Niagara couldn't overcome an early four-goal deficit en route to a 7-4 loss to Ottawa. While on a second period power play, the 6'3 Shipley (10 black) planted himself at the edge of the paint and nudged the puck to Dougie Hamilton, who ripped a shot to cut it to a 4-3 deficit. Sean Monahan ('13) had a goal and two assists for the 67's, while defenseman Cody Ceci ('12) added a goal and an assist. The clubs will travel to Ottawa and go right back at it Monday with the series locked at one game each.




In game #2 of the WHL Eastern Conference final, Mark Pysyk logged the usual big minutes but did not factor into the scoring as Edmonton rolled past Moose Jaw, 6-1. The Oil Kings, who defeated the Warriors by an identical score in Friday's opener, extend their winning streak to 21 games dating back to the end of the regular season. The series will shift to Moose Jaw for games three and four on Tuesday and Wednesday.

4/20 Recap: Trio push off with wins

In Friday CHL playoff action, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc logged a +1 as Rimouski opened their QMJHL semifinal round with a 4-1 win over Halifax. The 6'1 righty went without a shot on goal for the first time since November 12th, a span of 55 games. Prize 2013 talent Nathan MacKinnon was held without a point for the second time in 12 playoff games, but still made waves with 1:32 left by smoking Casey Babineau with an open-ice hit to set off a scrum. The teams will play it right back with game #2 Saturday in Halifax.

Mark Pysyk played even as Edmonton kicked off the WHL Eastern Conference final with a 6-1 trouncing of Moose Jaw. The victory gives the Oil Kings 20 straight wins going back the end of the regular season. Edmonton forward Henrik Samuelsson ('12) notched three assists to give him nine points through his first seven playoff games. The series will resume Sunday in Edmonton.

In the OHL, Steven Shipley (+1) went without a point for the seventh straight game as Niagara earned a 2-1 overtime win over Ottawa in game #1 of the OHL Eastern Conference final. The Shipley line produced the game winner when Mitchell Theoret lit the lamp at 5:10 of the OT. Game #2 is Sunday in St. Catharines.

4/10-11 Recap: Pysyk strikes; Lepkowski pots winner

On Wednesday, Mark Pysyk scored on a shorthanded break, his 2nd goal of the playoffs, as Edmonton swept Brandon from the WHL playoffs with a 6-0 victory. The Oil Kings captain took a nice saucer pass and lifted a forehand to give Edmonton a 2-0 lead at 9:00 of the opening period. The Oil Kings move on to face Moose Jaw in the Eastern Conference finals beginning next Friday (4/20). Wheat Kings center Kevin Sundher (-2) was unable to gain a point in the four-game defeat, and finishes his disappointing stay in Brandon with five goals and 14 points in 27 games. The six-footer, who previous earned a three-year deal from the Sabres by averaging 1.60 points-per-game with Victoria before his January trade, is now eligible to sign an ATO with Rochester of the AHL.



In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc picked up an assist as Rimouski evened their quarterfinal series at two games apiece with a 4-3 overtime win over Blainville-Boisbriand. The 6'1 defender has gathered five goals and 10 points in eight postseason tilts. Game #5 takes place on Friday.

In Tuesday action, Alex Lepkowski (+3) scored the game winner on the power play for his first career playoff goal as Barrie downed Ottawa, 5-2. The 6'4 defenseman pounded a slapshot from the point to give the Colts a 3-1 lead in the 2nd period. Colts forward Gregg Sutch returned to the lineup after missing three games due to injury. Barrie now takes a 2-1 series advantage in their Eastern Conference semifinal with game #3 coming Thursday.



Steven Shipley finished -1 as Niagara doubled Brampton, 6-3. After busting out with six points (5+1) in the first four postseason games, the 6'3 center has gone without a point in his last five. With a 3-0 series lead in hand, Niagara will look to use the brooms Thursday night in Brampton.

4/7 Recap: Varone winner gets Amerks on track

In Saturday playoff action, Mark Pysyk logged a -2 as Edmonton held on for a 4-3 win over Brandon. The Oil Kings now hold a 2-0 series lead in the WHL Eastern Conference semifinal with game #3 taking place Tuesday in Brandon. Kevin Sundher did not factor into any of the three Wheat Kings goals. The six-foot center has a goal and two assists in seven postseason tilts. 

In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc landed four shots on goal but could not register as Rimouski was shut out by Blainville-Boisbriand, 2-0. With no points in his last two games, Leduc slips to 4th in QMJHL playoff scoring for defensemen (4+4). The series is now tied at a game apiece with the teams heading back to Rimouski for Tuesday's game #3.

In the AHL, Phil Varone scored the game winner just 1:34 into the third period to give Rochester a 3-1 win over Hamilton. Even Rankin and Derek Whitmore also scored for the Amerks, who snapped a a five-game winless skid with four games remaining and the final Western Conference playoff spot still within range. David Leggio made 25 saves in his 19th consecutive start in the Amerks crease.

The Rundown:
Varone: GWG, +2, 3 SOG
Crawford: A, +1
Foligno: 2 SOG
Adam: SOG
Szydlowski: SOG
Tropp: even
Biega: even
Fienhage: even

The Amerks visit Adirondack on Sunday.

4/6 Recap: Leduc streak snapped

Jerome Gauthier-Leduc saw his four-game point streak come to an end Friday as Rimouski defeated Blainville-Boisbriand 5-3 in game #1 of the QMJHL quarterfinal. While not getting in on any of the goals, the 6'1 defenseman did fire a game-best seven shots. Leduc continues to lead league blueliners with eight points (4+4) through five postseason tilts. He'll play his sixth when the Nics travel to Blainville for Saturday's game #2.

In the WHL, Mark Pysyk skated even as top-seeded Edmonton opened their WHL Eastern Conference semifinal with a 2-1 overtime win over Brandon. Kevin Sundher did not record a point but helped get the Wheat Kings going in the third when he was bumped up to center the top line with Mark Stone and Michael Ferland. Brandon would fire 15 of their 29 shots in the final period, including an excellent two-on-one opportunity for Sundher, but could only get one past Laurent Brossiot to fall behind 1-0 in the best of seven series. The two clubs will play game #2 Saturday in Edmonton.

In the OHL, Steven Shipley helped provide late pressure despite being held without a point as Niagara downed Brampton 2-1 in overtime. Amherst native Dylan Blujus ('12) finish +1 for the Troops, who take a 1-0 series deficit back home to Brampton for Sunday's game #2.

Alex Lepkowski finished -1 and Gregg Sutch remained out with an injury as Barrie lost to Ottawa, 5-1. Rochester native Shane Prince earned the game's #1 star with two goals and an assist for the 67's. Game #2 will be played Sunday afternoon in Ottawa.

3/29-30 Recap: A first for Pysyk

In Thursday action, Mark Pysyk scored his first career playoff goal as Edmonton swept defending champion Kootenay from the WHL playoffs with a 3-1 win. Pysyk's snap shot from the point rebounded high into the air before falling over the line to give the Oil Kings an early 1-0 lead. The Oil Kings will enter the second round of the playoffs with the momentum of 15 consecutive victories going back to the regular season. Kootenay netminder Nathan Lieuwen stopped 24 of 27 shots to earn the #3 star in the final game of his junior career.

Kevin Sundher had an assist as Brandon eliminated Calgary with 3-2 overtime win. The helper gives the six-foot center a goal and two assists through five playoff games. The Wheat Kings and Oil Kings will meet up in a second round royal rumble beginning Friday in Edmonton.

On Friday, Dan Catenacci earned a shorthanded assist but defending champion Owen Sound couldn't muster enough offense en route to getting eliminated from the OHL playoffs with a 4-2 loss at Kitchener. Catenacci finishes the postseason with a goal and three assists as the Attack fall in five games.

In the AHL, Paul Szczechura scored twice and Derek Whitmore contributed three points (1+2) as Rochester allowed a goal with six seconds left in overtime in a 5-4 loss to Toronto. Brian Flynn notched an assist in his first professional game. Luke Adam and Brayden McNabb also added helpers. The Amerks have now earned points in 12 of their last 15 games.

3/28 Recap: Leduc pots winner; Shipley picks pair

In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc scored the game winning goal, his fourth of the series, as Rimouski swept Val-d'Or from the QMJHL playoffs with a 4-3 victory. The QMJHL leading regular season point-getter for defensemen, Leduc again leads the league in the postseason with eight points in four games from the blueline.

The series had a somewhat ugly finish, with fellow Sabres prospect Cedrick Henley (4GP 1-2-3 -1 15 PIM) involved in a skirmish at the final horn and then another shoving match near center match before exiting for the final time this season (below). The Oceanic advance to the second round to face a yet to be determined opponent.

(s/t to Jerome Berube for the video link)

In OHL action, Steven Shipley hit for a pair of goals including one shorthanded as Niagara lost their second in a row to Oshawa, 5-3. The two-goal effort puts the 6'3 center in a tie for the OHL lead with five playoff marks. The series is now locked at two games apiece with game #5 going Saturday in St. Catharines.

Dan Catenacci scored his first goal of the playoffs shorthanded and added an assist as Owen Sound earned an exciting 6-5 overtime win over Kitchener. The Attack get their first win of the series with plenty of work ahead to dig out from their 3-1 deficit. The Attack will again look to extend their season on Friday in Kitchener.



In WHL play, Mark Pysyk notched an assist on the game winner as Edmonton erupted for five third period goals en route to a 6-3 win over Kootenay. Nathan Lieuwen stopped 17 of 18 shots through two periods before allowing four goals in the final frame. He finished the game with 31 saves. The Oil Kings will go for the sweep on Thursday.

In a Wednesday morning tilt, T.J. Brennan scored his 15th goal of the year as Rochester lost to Albany, 2-1. Brennan, who hits the 15-mark for a second straight season, is currently the second leading goal scorer among AHL defenders. The leader, Eric Gelinas of the Devils, has 16 while playing 20 more games.

David Leggio made 32 saves to earn the game's #3 star.

The Rundown:
Brennan: G, -1, 4 SOG
McNabb: A, -1
Adam: 2 SOG
Biega: SOG
Crawford: SOG
Szydlowski: SOG
Lagace: even