Myers dinged, Ennis effective as selection nears

A night after seeing defensive partner Tyler Cuma (MIN) go down to a knee injury, Tyler Myers and fellow WHL dman Colten Teubert (LAK) found themselves shaking off bumps of their own as Team Red cruised to a 7-2 White at the Canadian Selection camp in Gatineau on Saturday. Myers, who switched teams after previously skating with White, assisted on a Stefan Della Rovere (WAS) power play goal to open scoring in the first period. Myers later left the ice after bumping his knee hard into the boards, but should be OK for Sunday's finale at 6:00. After a goal and an assist on Friday, Tyler Ennis of Medicine Hat got back on the sheet with a helper on a very pretty goal by Wisconsin defenseman Brendan Smith (DET). Jamie Benn (DAL) and Evander Kane ('09) also potted pairs to lead Red.

12/13 Recap: Schiestel loving PP; Eidsness wins again

In a sold-out barn in St. Kitts, Drew Schiestel had a pair of assists as Niagara lost to Mississauga, 4-3. Both helpers came on the power play, upping Schiestel's total to 15 assists this season with the man advantage, good for fifth in the O. The Hamilton native continued to display his superior feet and ability to get the puck to the net, but with a -2 for the third straight game, has sunk to -18 on the season which ranks last in the league. John Cullen ('09, Hamburg, NY) got the call for the Dogs, having a solid first period before getting beaten four times in the final 40:00 including twice through the five-hole on a pair of short-handed breakaways. Cullen did not fare well one-on-one, and will need to be more crisp with his movement in the crease in order to improve his draft position. He sometimes goes down prematurely, rewarding a patient puck carrier. Mississauga forward Casey Cizikas ('09) showed excellent skating ability and nice set of hands with two goals and an assist, while Andrew Shaw ('09) of the Dogs put forth a spirited effort with a goal and assist. Add 15-20 pounds of beef to his 5'11 frame and you have yourself an intriguing 17-year-old. Also from the OHL, Nick Crawford was even as Saginaw posted a 3-2 home-ice win over Erie. In the NCAA, Brad Eidsness made 19 saves to win his fourth straight start, 7-4 over St. Cloud State. The weekend wins over the Huskies represent the first WCHA sweep of the season for the Sioux. Corey Fienhage was again a scratch as Ben Blood saw action as the #6. The Sioux are playing confidently in front of their freshman keeper, using a more open style en route to a 9-5-1 record after dropping their first three games. Matt Generous was even as a Jared Keller goal with less than :01 remaining pushed St. Lawrence to a 4-3 upset of #11 Vermont. The senior defenseman closes the semester with six points (3+3) and a +2 through 16 games. Freshman Drew MacKenzie was +1 for the Catamounts in the loss. Justin Jokinen was even in limited action as #14 Minnesota State was swept by #5 Denver, 5-2. The Pios won their seventh straight without the services of free-agent prospect Tyler Bozak, who was injured in Friday's win. The Mavericks lost their fourth in a row. In the QMJHL, J.S. Allard (+1) garnered an assist for Quebec in their 2-1 win over Acadie-Bathurst. The Alma, QC product picked up the primary on Kelsey Tessier's 10th of the season in the first period for his first point in three games, and 24th on the year. Dennis Persson was even over 16:09 of icetime as Timra got shutout by Farjestad, 3-0. The game was Persson's second in a row on the middle defensive unit while the rotating door into the Eagles infirmary stays active. Mikko Lehtonen returned to the Timra lineup, while Robin Jonsson and Par Styf remain sidelined.

Pirates lose to Baby Pens

Portland stumbled out of the gate, giving up three first period goals in a 5-1 loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Mark Mancari and Chris Butler assisted on Mathieu Darche's third period tally, but at that point the paint was already drying on the Pirates' second consecutive loss. Jhonas Enroth made 20 saves, dropping his record to 8-3-2. The Rundown: Butler: 1A, -2 Mancari: 1A, -2 Schutz: even Gragnani: -1 Kostka: -1 Kennedy: -2 Hunter: 1 SOG Weber: 5-for-fighting Whitmore: -1 Zagrapan: -1

12/12 Recap: Adam back on track; Byron sweet for 16

Luke Adam (+1) had a pair of assists and five shots on goal to earn the game's #1 star as Montreal defeated Val-d'Or, 3-2. Playing center, the 6'2, 203-pounder won 10 of 18 draws while also blocking four Drillers shots. The points snap a four-game drought for the Newfoundland native, while raising his season total to 25. T.J. Brennan added an assist on the power play for the Juniors (17-14-1). Paul Byron chipped in two assists as Gatineau topped Quebec, 4-3. The speedy pivot has now rung up points in 16 straight games datng back to November 1st. J.S. Allard was -3 with a team-leading six shots on goal for the Rems in the loss. Jordon Southorn posted two more assists as PEI came up short versus Moncton, 3-2. Continuing his upward trend of late, both of Southorn's assists came on the power play to give him seven points in his last four games. Also from the Q, Jacob Lagacé assisted on a Michal Hlinka ('09) goal as Chicoutimi lost to Acadie-Bathurst, 4-3 in OT. Lagacé continues to lead the Sags with 27 points in 29 games. Drew Schiestel (-2) drew an assist as Niagara dropped a 7-4 decision to the Majors. The helper was his 27th point of the season, while his -2 dips his overall rating to -17, good for second-worst in the entire OHL. 2009 eligible Casey Cizikas of the Majors had a goal to earn the game's #1 star. Nick Crawford was even as Saginaw lost to Soo 2-1 in a shootout. In the WCHA, Brad Eidsness ran his record to 8-5-1 with a 3-2 decision over St. Cloud. The Albertan made 32 saves in the win, but wasn't as sharp as his previous starts. Freshman rearguard Corey Fienhage did not dress for the Sioux. Justin Jokinen was a healthy scratch for Mankato in their 3-2 loss to Denver. In the DEL, Philip Gogulla finished -1 with a pair of minor penalties in Cologne's 4-2 loss to Hannover.

Pirates update (12/7-12/12)

On Friday, Portland fell to Binghamton, 2-1. Matt Ellis scored the only Pirates goal, with Mike Weber getting an assist on the play. Adam Dennis made 26 saves for his fifth loss in his last six starts. The Rundown: Weber: 1A Schutz: +1, 4 SOG Kostka: 2 SOG Mancari: 1 SOG Gragnani: 1 SOG Kennedy: 1 SOG Butler: -1, 2 SOG Hunter: -1 Whitmore: -1, 3 SOG Zagrapan: -1, 3 SOG Dennis: 26 saves, L The Pirates fared better earlier in the week, taking a 4-3 shootout over Manchester on Tuesday. Mark Mancari and Tim Kennedy scored the Pirates goals in the shootout to ice the win. Marc-Andre Gragnani had pair of assists in regulation, while Mike Kostka, Felix Schutz, and Dylan Hunter all had single helpers in the win. Adam Dennis shut the door in relief of the Jhonas Enroth, who was pulled after making 17 saves through 40:00. The Rundown: Gragnani: 2A, +1 Kostka: 1A, +1 Hunter: 1A, +1 Schutz: 1A Butler: 5 SOG Mancari: 2 SOG Weber: 3 SOG, 4 PIM Kennedy: 2 SOG Whitmore: +1 Zagrapan: 2 PIM Dennis: 12 saves, W Enroth: 17 saves Last Sunday, Portland lost to Worcester, 4-2. Marek Zagrapan netted his fifth of the season when he tipped a Mancari blast on a second period power play. The assist put Mancari on the scoresheet in ten straight AHL contests going back to before his call to Buffalo. Adam Dennis made 26 saves in defeat, while old frined Claude Lemieux scored the second goal of his comeback attempt with the Sharks. The Rundown: Zagrapan: 1G Gragnani: 1A, -2 Kennedy: 1A, -1 Mancari: 1A, -1 Schutz: -2 Butler: -1 Weber: even Kostka: -2 Hunter: -1 Whitmore: 1 SOG Dennis: 26 saves, L Mike Funk did not play and will remain out indefintely after suffering his second concussion of the season thanks to a brutal boarding by Lowell's Anssi Salmela last weekend.

Ennis makes case in Game #1

Medicine Hat's Tyler Ennis scored a goal and an assist for Team White in their 6-3 victory over Red at the Team Canada Selection Camp on Friday. The Edmonton native started (from his knees) and finished a nice passing play with Matt Duchene and Brett Sonne in the third period after assisting on a Duchene goal earlier in the game. Tyler Myers skated for White in the win, and played steady amidst a talented defensive bunch. Some may consider Ennis a safer pick for the team, but Myers has the successful experience of playing for coach Pat Quinn at the U-18's last year. The split squad will play two more games on Saturday and Sunday before the final roster is pared down at the beginning of the next week. The WJC's open December 26th.

12/11 Recap: Persson steps in

Dennis Persson picked up an even-strength assist while totaling 21:35 of time on Timra's second pair as the Eagles defeated Farjestad, 4-3 in overtime. The 6'1 defenseman just missed a scoring opportunity of his own when he rang a shot off the pipe in the third period. Blueliners Mikko Lehtonen and Robin Jonsson were both ill, causing the drastic spike in time for Persson after failing to get a shift in Tuesday's loss. The helper was his fourth point in 30 games this season.

Ennis, Myers skating for Team White

The lines are in from tonight's opening practice of Team Canada's Selection Camp. The five-day camp will determine the final roster for the World Junior Championships that will be played in Ottawa in a couple of weeks. Team Red Jamie Benn (DAL) - John Tavares ('09) - Chris DiDomenico (TOR) Angelo Esposito (ATL) - Patrice Cormier (NJ) - Dana Tyrell (TAM) Evander Kane ('09) - Riley Nash (EDM) - Jamie Arniel (BOS) Stefan Della Rovere (WAS) Defence Thomas Hickey (LAK) - Colten Teubert (LAK) Brendan Smith (DET) - Cody Goloubef (CBS) Patrick Wiercioch (OTT) - Alex Pietrangelo (STL) Kevin Marshall (PHI) Goalies: Jake Allen (STL), Tyson Sexsmith (SJ) Team White Zach Boychuk (CAR)- Cody Hodgson (VAN) - Jordan Eberle (EDM) Tyler Ennis (BUF) - Nazem Kadri ('09) - Matt Duchene ('09) Taylor Hall ('09)- Brett Sonne (STL) - Matt Calvert (CBS) Brayden Schenn ('09) Defence PK Subban (MTL) - Ryan Ellis ('09) Tyler Cuma (MIN) - Tyler Myers (BUF) Keith Aulie (CAL) - Travis Hamonic (NYI) Jared Spurgeon (NYI) Goalies: Chet Pickard (NAS), Dustin Tokarski (TAM)

Eno likely out until January

Ethan Magoc of the Bowling Green News has reported that sophomore Nick Eno will likely lay idle for a few more weeks with a high left ankle sprain suffered before the season opener. The Howell, MI native began skating on the side and doing some individual drills over the course of the week, and should be ready to go after the holiday break.

Paluch also said that Nick Eno will not start this weekend, and likely will not return for the Clarkson series next weekend either. That pushes his first potential start all the way into 2009, for the Ohio State series on Jan. 9-10. Those ankle sprains can be killer.

Eidsness earns WCHA rookie honors

Continuing to play catch-up amidst a tumultuous week... As speculated over the weekend, Brad Eidsness was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week for the week of 12/3-12/9.

University of North Dakota goaltender Brad Eidsness, who backstopped the visiting Fighting Sioux to a two-game road sweep over host Harvard last weekend, is the Red Baron® WCHA Rookie of the Week for Dec. 9-16. A 6-0, 173-pound freshman from Chestermere, Alberta and a draft choice of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, Eidsness stopped 72 of the 76 shots on goal he faced in the 10-1 and 4-3 victories, a series saves percentage of .947, while surrendering just two even-strength goals. Last Friday (Dec. 5) night, Eidsness made a career-high 39 saves in UND's 10-1 win over Harvard, making 20 saves in the second period alone. He also stopped 13 shots while shorthanded, helping the Sioux kill all five Crimson power-play chances. In last Saturday's (Dec. 6) 4-3 come-from-behind triumph, Eidsness stopped another 33 shots, including all six he faced during a crucial 5-minute Harvard power-play in the first period. Eidsness also appeared in his 12th and 13th straight games for North Dakota, the longest streak by a Sioux freshman in 12 years. In his last eight games, Eidsness is 4-2-1 with a 2.01 goals-against average and .933 saves percentage.