3/23 Recap: Schiestel, Breault lend helping hands

IceDogs defender Drew Schiestel had a pair of assists and was +1 in Niagara's 5-0 thrashing of Mississauga-St. Michael's. The IceDogs now hold a 3-0 series lead, and will look for the sweep Tuesday night in the Majors' barn. In three playoff wins, Schiestel has three assists and is +3. In the QMJHL, Benjamin Breault also had a pair of assists as Baie-Comeau evened their series at one game apiece with a 5-2 win over Rimouski. With over 60 minutes in penalties, the physical affair was at times more reminiscent of a Rougeau Brothers tag-team match than a QMJHL playoff game. In the RSL, Vjacheslav Buravchikov went scoreless as Kazan dropped their first game of the playoffs, 3-0 to Salavat Yulaev. Ak-Bars now trail the semi-final series, 1-0. With Nathan Paetsch cleared by doctors to return to the Buffalo lineup, Michael Funk has been returned to Rochester. Funk was -3 in four games with the Sabres.

Five fight for Frozen Four

Five Buffalo Sabres prospects will take the ice in the NCAA Tournament. Without an overdrawn explanation, let's take a look at the field of sixteen: EAST - Albany Michigan vs Niagara St. Cloud State vs. Clarkson WEST - Colorado Springs Colorado College vs. Michigan State (Tim Kennedy, Corey Tropp) Notre Dame vs. New Hampshire MIDWEST - Madison North Dakota vs. Princeton Wisconsin vs. Denver (Chris Butler) NORTHEAST - Worcester Minnesota vs. Boston College (Nathan Gerbe, Andrew Orpik) Miami vs. Air Force

3/22 Recap: Gerbe, Butler tabbed for All-Tourney teams

Nathan Gerbe scored an empty net goal and dodged a check to set-up the eventual game winner as Boston College shut down Vermont 4-0 to win the Hockey East tournament title. Now the national leader in points (Kevin Porter of Michigan went 0-0-0), Gerbe's four goals and five assists in four games earned him Tournament MVP honors. Also contributing was C Andrew Orpik, whose pretty pass resulted in a first period power-play goal for BC. The Eagles figure to be a #2 seed in Worcester when the brackets are rolled out tomorrow morning. Chris Butler played another strong game as Denver earned the WCHA tourney title and Broadmoor Cup with a 2-1 win over Minnesota. In a very competitive tournament, Butler was recognized for his excellent play with placement on the All-Tournament Team. The Pioneers enter the NCAA tourney on a strong note, and will be a #2 seed in possibly Albany when play begins next week. In the ECAC Tournament championship game, D Alex Biega had an assist as Harvard fell to Princeton, 4-1. With the Crimson trailing 2-1 in the third, Biega took an interference penalty that enabled a Tigers goal on the ensuing power play. It would appear that Harvard's season is over, as an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament is unlikely for the Crimson. The sophomore played 34 games this season, scoring three goals and 19 assists to wind up as the team's fourth-leading scorer. In the QMJHL playoffs, Paul Byron had an assist as Gatineau trounced Shawinigan, 9-3. Les Olympiques now lead the first-round series 2-0. T.J. Brennan (-2) had an assist as St. John's lost to Acadie-Bathurst, 5-4. The Foggies now trail the Titan 2-0 in the series. J.S. Allard went pointless for St. John's in the loss. Benjamin Breault and the rest of his Drakkar teammates were shut down as Baie-Comeau dropped the first game of their match-up with Rimouski, 3-0. In the AHL, Marc-Andre Gragnani had a goal and an assist, and Dylan Hunter added his 18th of the season as the Amerks lost to the B-Sens, 7-4. Clarke MacArthur and Mark Mancari also added assists for Rochester. In the loss, Gragnani and Hunter extend their point streaks to four games each, while MacArthur has now registered a point in three straight. Once the Amerks leading scorer, Marek Zagrapan has now gone 14 games without a goal. The Rundown: Gragnani - goal, assist, +1 Hunter - goal, 5 SOG, +1 MacArthur - assist, +1 Mancari - assist, +2 Zagrapan - 2 SOG Drew MacKenzie did not dress in Waterloo's 3-2 overtime win over Ohio. After last night's game misconduct, his third of the season and second for grabbing a facemask, it's possible that his absence is due to a mandatory league suspension.

Gogulla ends 6OT game

In game three of the DEL quarterfinal, LW Philip Gogulla scored at 8:16 of the sixth overtime to give Cologne a thrilling 5-4 win over Mannheim. Drafted 48th overall in 2005, Gogulla's first career playoff goal finished off the longest hockey game played in 72 years, and puts the Sharks ahead 2-1 in the series. The two clubs take a rest on Sunday before lacing them back up on Monday.

3/21 Recap: Eagles get by with a little help from Na-than

Boston College LW Nathan Gerbe piled up three assists as the Eagles stunned favorite New Hampshire in triple overtime, 5-4, to advance to the Hockey East championship game against Vermont. The NCAA leader in shots on goal, Gerbe used the extra time to rack up an impressive 15 on the night. Two of his assists were secondary, but he had many scoring chances of his own throughout. The junior was robbed by a Kevin Regan (BOS) kick save early on, missed an open net on a late-second period power play, and later was unsuccessful on breakaway in the second overtime. The triple helper vaults Gerbe into the national lead for points-per-game (1.45). Andrew Orpik, perhaps still feeling the lingering effects from his previous shoulder injury, again centered the Eagles' fourth unit. At the WCHA tournament, D Chris Butler was even in Denver's 3-1 win over North Dakota. The win propels the Pioneers into the tourney finals this evening in St. Paul, where they'll face surprising Minnesota fresh off an upset of Colorado College. Harvard D Alex Biega notched an assist in their 3-1 ECAC semifinal win over Cornell. The sophomore earned the point when his point shot was tipped by Jon Pelle for the third Crimson goal. Harvard will face Princeton tonight in Albany. In game two of their first-round playoff battle, D Drew Schiestel was +2 with a power-play assist as Niagara defeated Mississauga-St. Michael's, 3-1. The IceDogs jump out to a 2-0 series lead, with game three dropping on Easter Sunday. Paul Byron scored Gatineau's third goal as les Olympiques opened their playoff year with a 4-3 win over Shawinigan. Byron's first of the playoffs came on the power play in the final minute of the second period. Ray Giroux (PHI) made a pretty pass to the centerman, who corralled the puck on his tape to snap a quickie past Cats' goalie Kevin Maletto. J.S. Allard cashed-in a pair a goals, while T.J. Brennan added one of his own in the Fog Devils' 8-5 loss to Acadie-Bathurst. Allard and Brennan each picked up assists as well as St. John's falls behind 1-0 in the first round match-up. The Waterloo Black Hawks’ five-game win-streak ended with a 4-3 loss to Chicago that saw a total of 63 minutes in penalties doled out to both teams. Drew MacKenzie of Waterloo drew the harshest penalty of the game when he received a five minutes major for grabbing the face mask, and a 10 minute game misconduct for the face mask incident. In the AHL, Rochester won their second in a row with a 4-2 defeat of Grand Rapids. Marc-Andre Gragnani one-timed his 11th of the season to get the Amerks on the board in the first. Dylan Hunter would add a pair of goals (16,17), while Clarke MacArthur scored his 13th in the win. Adam Dennis made 32 saves for Rochester, who heads to Binghamton tonight for a 7:05 start. The Rundown: Hunter - two goals, +2 MacArthur - goal, assist, +2 Gragnani - goal, assist, +1 Mancari - assist, +1 Zagrapan - 0-0-0 0 0 Dennis - 32 saves

Amerks take one in OT

Marc-Andre Gragnani scored a power-play goal and assisted on the overtime game winner in Rochester's 5-4 win over Lake-Erie. The Amerks entered the third period trailing 4-2, and used non-Sabres properties to score a pair of third period goals to force the extra session. Continuing to produce as a left wing, Gragnani now has 43 points in his first professional season. Clarke MacArthur added an assist for the Amerks, while Adam Dennis made 29 saves to earn his 15th win. Gragnani - goal, assist, -2 MacArthur - assist, 5 SOG, -2 Hunter - assist, -1 Mancari - 4 SOG, -1 Zagrapan - 1 SOG, 2 PIM Dennis - 29 saves Old friend Jeff Jillson was -2 for Lake Erie. --- In Russia, Vjacheslav Buravchikov and Ak-Bars have advanced to the SuperLiga semi-finals to face Salavat Yulaev Ufa. A sixth-rounder in 2005, Buravchikov has a goal and an assist as his club has swept their way through the first two playoff rounds. Artem Kriukov saw his season end in the quarterfinals as SKA fell to Lokomotiv three games to one.

Gerbe for Hobey; Butler honored by WCHA

The Hobey Watch continues for Boston College left wing Nathan Gerbe, who today was named as one of ten finalists for the trophy given to the nation's top player. From hobeybaker.com:

Nathan Gerbe – Boston College, Junior, Forward, Oxford, Michigan This 5’5” dynamo packs a powerful punch and is entering the Hockey East playoff tournament as the nation’s second leading scorer with 52 points. His 27 goals rank tied for third in the country including bagging three in last weekend’s playoffs. Gerbe was named First Team Hockey East and has helped the Eagles to the past two Frozen Fours. • Has played in two straight NCAA championship games – Buffalo draft pick • Has 27 goals, 25 assists for 52 points in 37 games – Communications major • Has 9 PPG, 3 shorthanded, 4 winning goals – active in community service

The next step is the announcement of the Hobey Hat Trick on April 2nd, when the list of ten gets whittled down to three. Nine days later (4/11), the winner will be announced at the Frozen Four. The 10 finalists are: Nathan Gerbe, Jr, F, Boston College Ryan Jones, Sr, F, Miami Kevin Porter, Sr, F, Michigan Jeff Lerg, Jr, G, Michigan State Lee Jubinville, Jr, F, Princeton Simon Lambert, Sr, F, RIT Ryan Lasch, So, F, St. Cloud State Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Sr, G, North Dakota T.J. Oshie, Jr, F, North Dakota Kevin Regan, Sr, G, New Hampshire --- Denver D Chris Butler has been named to the All-WCHA Second Team. The Sabres 4th round pick in the 2005 draft, Butler has gone 3-14-17 +8 in 38 games for the Pioneers this season. The St. Louis native has anchored the blueline all season long for a surprising Pioneers team that boasts just eight upperclassmen, and is a virtual lock to forego his senior season for a professional contract. The All-WCHA roll call First Team F — Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud State F — T.J. Oshie, North Dakota F — Chad Rau, Colorado College D — Jack Hillen, Colorado College D — Taylor Chorney, North Dakota G — Richard Bachman, Colorado College Second Team F — Andreas Nodl, St. Cloud State F — Garrett Roe, St. Cloud State F — Ryan Duncan, North Dakota D — Chris Butler, Denver D — Chay Genoway, North Dakota G — Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, North Dakota Third Team F — Tyler Bozak, Denver F — Kyle Turris, Wisconsin F — Blake Wheeler, Minnesota D — Jamie McBain, Wisconsin D — Robbie Bina, North Dakota G — Peter Mannino, Denver Rookie Team F — Kyle Turris, Wisconsin F — Tyler Bozak, Denver F — Garrett Roe, St. Cloud State D — Cade Fairchild, Minnesota D — Ryan McDonagh, Wisconsin G — Richard Bachman, Colorado College Player of the Year Richard Bachman, Colorado College Rookie of the Year Richard Bachman, Colorado College Defensive Player of the Year Jack Hillen, Colorado College Student-Athlete of the Year Joel Hanson, Minnesota State Coach of the Year Troy Jutting, Minnesota State --- To game results... Philip Gogulla went pointless as Cologne dropped game two of their DEL quarterfinal series with Mannheim, 2-1. With the teams trading home ice wins, the series will resume on Saturday in Cologne. Drew Schiestel opened the playoff season with a solid defensive effort in Niagara's 4-0 shutout of Mississauga-St. Michael's. Kudos to St. Catharines for loads of energy in their barn as the OHL playoffs returned to the Niagara Peninsula.

Gogulla gets it on

Philip Gogulla assisted on the first Sharks goal of the playoff season in their 4-3 win over Mannheim. With the win, Cologne takes the 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Sharks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third period, but was forced to work until the end as the defending champion scored three times after. Former Amerk Francois Methot had a goal and an assist as part of the Mannheim comeback attempt.

3/16 Recap: Kennedy, Tropp get unlikely break

In CCHA tourney play, wingers Tim Kennedy and Corey Tropp were each held scoreless as #3 seed Michigan State was ousted by #6 Northern Michigan, 3-2. Tropp, on a break with Kennedy and Justin Abdelkader, missed an opportunity by clanging one off the post in the middle period. The NMU win sends the 'Cats to the CCHA Final Four where they will take on Michigan. The Spartans now get a week off, waiting to learn which NCAA regional bracket they'll be skating in as they attempt to defend their 2007 national title. Defenseman Alex Biega assisted on the game winning goal as Harvard closed out their ECAC series against Quinnipiac with a 3-1 win. It will be an all-Ivy semifinal as the Crimson move on to face Princeton next week. With North Dakota closing out Michigan Tech today, the table is now set for an exciting match-up with Chris Butler and Denver next weekend. The CHL regular season concluded on Sunday, with all four clubs containing Sabres futures qualifying for post-season action. Steady IceDogs rearguard Drew Schiestel closed out his OHL regular season with a power play goal in Niagara's 3-2 overtime defeat of Peterborough. His 8th of the season came on a slapper from the blue line, and coupled with his solid defensive play, helped him earn the game's #1 star. Niagara and Missisauga-St.Michael's will begin their best-of-seven on Thursday in St. Catharines. In the Q, Ben Breault had a goal and an assist as Baie-Comeau edged Rimouski, 4-2. Breault was also +3 while posting a game-high six shots on goal. The 2006 seventh rounder finished the regular season 36-41-77, and will help lead the Drakkar in their first-round match-up with Rimouski. With Claude Giroux resting, Paul Byron had an assist in Gatineau's 3-1 win over Val-d'Or. Finshing the #3 team in the Telus Division, les Olympiques will take on Shawinigan in the first round. 2007 picks T.J. Brennan and J.S. Allard were both held without a point as St. Jonh's lost their second straight to Acadie-Bathurst, 3-2. Brennan's six-game point streak came to an end in the loss, as did the club's final regular season in the Newfoundland outpost. The franchise is packing up and moving to Verdun of the metro Montreal area for 2008-09 play. In the meantime, the Foggies will renew acquaintances with the same Titan team when round one action starts this week.

Season ends for Schutz

In the DEL preliminary round, Felix Schutz finished -2 as ERC Ingolstadt's season came to end with a 4-3 loss to Hamburg. It was reported that Schutz was offered a contract by the Sabres over the summer, but it's unclear whether or not he took the deal before returning to Germany for the 2007-08 season (like fellow German Philip Gogulla). The DEL Rookie of the Year finished the season with 12 goals and 25 total points in 46 games, and an assist in three playoff outings. With his European season now over, one might wonder if it's in the Sabres interest to fly him over for AHL duty. Rochester has been short on players of late, and there are 14 games remaining on the regular season schedule.