Monday Morning Rap Sheet

Some Sabremetrics to enjoy with your Monday morning coffee...



NEWS & NOTES

WINTER WARMTH

*Marcus Foligno is on a four-game point streak (2+6); has 5-12-17 in 10 games since return from WJC
*Marc-Andre Gragnani is on a four-game point streak; is 1-7-8, +9 over span
*Christian Isackson has four goals in his last five games (2 GWG)
*Brayden McNabb has 4-9-13 in his last seven games
*Riley Boychuk has 3-4-7, 2 GWG, +7 in his last six games
*Mark Pysyk has 1-6-7 in his last seven games

WINTER CHILL

*Zack Kassian (hampered by flu) has points in just one of his last five games
*Luke Adam has zero goals in seven games after being sent back to Portland
*Demoted ECHL forward Jacob Lagace has zero points in his last four games
*Steven Shipley has points in just three of his last 12 games
*Kevin Sundher -8 in his last five games

LEADERBOARDS

*Brayden McNabb ranks 3rd in WHL scoring for defensemen
*Jerome Gauthier-Leduc tied for 10th in QMJHL scoring for defensemen
*Connor Knapp currently ranked 20th in NCAA goals against average
*Zack Kassian ranks 9th in OHL assists
*Riley Boychuk ranks 21st in WHL PIM

SHORTHANDED HORSES

*Marcus Foligno is tied for 1st in the OHL with five shorthanded goals
*Steven Shipley and Brayden McNabb each have two short-handed assists

POWER-PLAYERS

*Marcus Foligno has nine power-play goals (19th in OHL)
*Paul Byron has 7 PPG (t16th in AHL)
*Kevin Sundher, Brayden McNabb, Zack Kassian each have 4 PPG
*Matt MacKenzie has 17 power-play assists (t12th in WHL)
*Zack Kassian has 17 PPA (10th in OHL)
*Kevin Sundher has 16 PPA (t17th in WHL)
*Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and Brayden McNabb have 11 PPA.

WINNERS

*Three of Christian Isackson's nine goals this season have been game winners
*Marcus Foligno, Gregg Sutch, and Riley Boychuk each have 2 GWG
*Both of Jacob Lagace's goals while with Portland were GWG

IT'S TRICKY

*Marcus Foligno has two hat tricks this season
*Justin Jokinen has the only other hat trick thus far

INJURED/RUSTY

Cedrick Henley (wrist) has missed the past 33 games

FIGHT LEADERS

*Corey Tropp (7)
*Gregg Sutch, Maxime Legault (5)
*Zack Kassian, Marcus Foligno (4)
*Brayden McNabb, Riley Boychuk, Corey Fienhage, Matt MacKenzie (3)
*T.J. Brennan (2)
*Kevin Sundher, Paul Byron, Cedrick Henley, Mark Pysyk (1)

STOPPERS

*Connor Knapp owns the only two prospect shutouts this season
*Portland's David Leggio, 26, has one shutout this year but is out of prospect scope
*Jhonas Enroth was tops in shutouts last season with five
*Nick Eno has yet to record a collegiate shutout
*Brad Eidsness has not started since November 19th, a span of 16 games
*Eidsness played in 41 games in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons

PLUS

*Four defensemen in top-5 (Pysyk +19, Biega +18, McNabb +15, Schiestel +15)
*Sutch (+16) only forward in top-5
*Nick Crawford topped the 2009-10 leaderboard with a +53
*Tyler Mylers was tops in 2008-09 with a +31

MINUS

*Corey Fienhage sits lowest on totem pole with -15 rating. Ranked 609th in WHL, only 27 players have a lower +/-
*Zack Kassian clocked in with prospect low of -17 in 2009-10
*Drew Schiestel rated lowest in 2008-09 with a -29

OLD FRIENDS

*Andrew Orpik 41GP 4-12-16 with Wheeling (ECHL)
*Jordon Southorn 21GP 0-4-4 with Trenton (ECHL)
*Matt Generous 15GP 0-0-0 25 PIM with Lake Erie (AHL). Previously had 1-4-5 with Reading (ECHL)
*Dylan Hunter 14GP 1-1-2 with Milwaukee (AHL). Previously had 21 pts in 22 games with Cincinnati (ECHL)

1/30 Recap: Kassian getting debugged; Sutch scratched

Zack Kassian continued to battle a flu bug Sunday as Windsor coughed up a late lead in a 5-4 loss to Kitchener. The 6'3 winger, who started the game at RW with Alexander Khoklachev and Tom Kuhnhackl and later saw saw time at center, made a few nice set-ups, killed penalties, and later drew one after receiving a pass in front of the Rangers net, but did not produce any points for the fourth time in his past five games. Entering the third period with a 4-2 lead, the Spitfires were 17-0 when leading after two before allowing the Rangers three unanswered goals. Windsor (27-16-2-2) returns to action on Thursday when they host Mississauga.

Elsewhere in the OHL, Gregg Sutch was listed as a healthy scratch as Mississauga defeated Sarnia, 7-1. The 6'2 grinder, who returned this weekend for a pair of games after missing the previous eight, was on the receiving end of a stick-brreaking slash from Peterborough goaltender Bryce O'Hagan in the final minute of the Majors' Saturday night win.

1/29 Recap: Foligno hits 50; Isackson pots winner

Marcus Foligno scored his 20th goal of the season Saturday and added two assists as Sudbury gutted out a thrilling 7-6 win over Guelph. The three-point night gives Foligno an even 50 points through 38 games. Trailing 6-5 with a little over three minutes to play, the Wolves attacked with two goals including the short-handed game-winner with just two ticks on the clock to secure the victory. Sudbury (18-26-2-1) will look to make it eight wins in their last ten when they travel to Soo on Tuesday.

Elsewhere in the OHL, Gregg Sutch finished -1 with a late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as Mississauga defeated  Peterborough, 5-2. Sutch, who is gettng his legs back after an eight-game injury stint, has seven goals, 21 points, and a +16 rating this season. The CHL's #2 ranked Majors (36-8-0-2) will play host to Sarnia on Sunday.

Steven Shipley posted bagels across the board as Niagara scored a 5-4 win over Saginaw. The struggling Shipley has registered points in just three of the 12 games in 2011. Niagara (31-11-2-4, #8 in CHL rankings) are off until Thursday when they host the Greyhounds.

In the WHL, Mark Pysyk (+1) notched a pair of assists as Edmonton doubled Prince Albert, 4-2. The Oil Kings captain closes his most productive offensive month of the season with a goal and eight assists in 13 January games. To date, the smooth defender has 24 points (2+22) and a shiny +19 rating through 42 contests. Edmonton (23-24-0-3) opens the February portion of the schedule Tuesday in Seattle.

Brayden McNabb (+1) saw his five-game point streak come to an end as Kootenay won in OT against Lethbridge, 4-3. The 6'4 minute-eater is currently ranked third among WHL defensemen with 45 points (13+32). The Ice (32-16-1-2) host lowly Calgary on Tuesday.

Matt MacKenzie did not factor into the scoring as Tri-City edged Spokane, 5-4. The 6'2 defenseman was whistled for a pair of minor penalties (checking from behind and hooking), with each leading to Chiefs popwer play tallies. The surging Americans (31-13-2-1)  host Edmonton on Wednesday.

Riley Boychuk was +1 with a roughing minor as Portland defeated Seattle, 5-2. Despite being suspended for the first two games of the month, the 6'5 forward closes January with four goals, two game winners, four assists, and a +9 rating for his best ten-game stretch of the 2010-11 season. The #10 ranked Winterhawks (34-15-0-3) are off until Friday when they host the Oil Kings.

Corey Fienhage played even as Kamloops defeated Chilliwack, 5-1. Kevin Sundher, whose hooking penalty at 1:07 of the first period led to the first Blazer goal, finished -2 for the Bruins (21-24-2-2). Chilliwack will take a four-game losing streak into Wednesday's meeting at Kelowna, while the Blazers (22-28-2-1) are also off until a midweek tilt with Everett.

In USHL play, Christian Isackson potted the game-winning goal as Sioux Falls downed Waterloo, 6-4. The Minnesota commit has nine goals, 21 points, and 100 shots on goal through 32 junior "A" games this season. The Stampede (19-11-4) next play Wednesday night in Omaha.

In NCAA action, Justin Jokinen recorded five shots on goal as Minnesota State was handled by St. Cloud State, 6-2. Talk about crazy-8's, the junior forward has eight goals, eight assists, eight minor penalties, and a -8 rating in 28 games this season. The Mavericks (11-11-6) will look to get back above the .500 mark next week when they host Bemidji.

Mark Adams finished -1 as Providence was swept by #7 New Hampshire, 5-1. The freshman rearguard has an assist and a -6 rating through his first 23 NCAA contests. With the loss, the Friars (7-12-5) conclude a futile six-game run against top-15 teams (BC, Maine, UNH).

Drew MacKenzie (-2) contributed two shots on goal as Vermont got lit up by #14 Merrimack, 7-1. The floundering Catamounts (5-15-4), who have at times used the offensive-minded MacKenzie as a wing on the power play, will look to regroup next week when they host Providence.

Connor Knapp did not play as #11 Miami and #9 Notre Dame tied for the second straight night, 2-2. It will be interesting to see what RedHawks coach Enrico Blasi does with his goaltending rotation next weekend when they return home to face #6 Michigan. The junior pair are near identical with Knapp (5-5-4) having a 2.26 GAA and .901 save percentage, while the undrafted Cody Reichard (9-4-0-1) currently checks in with a 2.29 GAA and .901 save percentage. Entering the practice this week, I suspect he will go back to Reichard on Friday with Knapp penciled in for Saturday barring a stellar performance in the opener.

Nick Eno did not play as Bowling Green earned a weekend split with a 2-1 win over Lake Superior. Eno will look to improve his 4-8-1 record next Friday when the Falcons (8-18-2) travel to #16 Western Michigan.

Brad Eidsness remained parked on the bench as #4 North Dakota avenged their Friday showing with a 6-0 shutout of #20 Colorado College. The junior netminder, who hasn't made a WCHA start since November 19th, will need some action soon to improve on a the lowest save percentage (.794) this site has seen in three+ years of existence. The Sioux (19-8-2) will take a week off before hosting Alaska-Anchorage.

1/28 Recap: McNabb continues roll; Kassian ends quiet time

Brayden McNabb had a three-point night Friday, setting up a pair of power play goals and adding an empty-netter of his own  as Kootenay cruised to a 6-3 win over Lethbridge. The output gives the 6'4 defender 10 points over a five-game point streak heading into Saturday's rematch with the Broncos.

Kevin Sundher had two assists as Chilliwack lost to Spokane, 5-3. The special teams helpers, one each on the power play and on the penalty kill, give the 6'0 pivot 45 points in 46 games on the year.

Matt MacKenzie assisted on the game-winning goal as Tri-City defeated Portland, 5-2. Winterhawks forward Riley Boychuk (-2) could not follow-up on Wednesday's career-high effort in the loss.

Mark Pysyk registered a -2 as Edmonton was blanked by Red Deer, 5-0. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ('11) had a goal and an assist for the Rebels.

Corey Fienhage was -1 with an elbowing minor as Kamloops lost to Vancouver, 3-1.

In the OHL, Zack Kassian (+3) picked up two assists as Windsor thumped Kitchener, 7-1. The apples end a season-high three-game point drought for the bullish Kassian, giving him a line of 21-38-59 through 35 games. His career highs were set in 2008-09 when he posted 24-39-63 in 61 games.

Steven Shipley dished two assists as Niagara earned a 6-5 shootout victory over Plymouth. The multi-point effort was Shipley's first since December 3rd.

Marcus Foligno (+1) earned an assist as Sudbury lost to Belleville, 5-3. The grinding forward has points in three straight games heading into Saturday's match-up with Guelph.

Gregg Sutch was kept off the sheet in his first game since January 2nd as Mississauga defeated Brampton, 4-1. The 6'2 checking forward missed the previous eight games due to injury.

In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc rang up six shots on goal and blocked another four as Rimouski lost to Lewiston, 5-4. The Nics gave up four unanswered goals after leading with five minutes to play in the middle frame.

Connor Knapp got the rare Friday start, making 27 saves as Miami played to a 5-5 tie with Notre Dame. With the junior coming off his seventh career shutout, RedHawks coach Enrich Blasi switched up his goaltending rotation to stay with the hot hand. Despite the five goals, Knapp's movement and overall play the past two weeks has been sharper.

Justin Jokinen posted an assist and four shots on goal as Minnesota State tied St. Cloud State, 3-3.

Nick Eno surrendered three goals on 11 shots before getting relieved as Bowling Green lost to Lake Superior, 4-2. The senior netminder allowed two goals on the PK including a 5-3 and a third via a defensive breakdown, prompting Falcons coach Chris Bergeron to make a goalie change early in the second period.


Mark Adams (-1) punched a shot on goal as Providence lost to New Hampshire,

Drew MacKenzie registered a shot on goal as Vermont lost to Merrimack, 2-1.

Brad Eidsness did not play as North  Dakota lost to Colorado College, 4-2.

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On Thursday, Kassian finished -1 as Windsor lost in a shootout to Plymouth, 5-4.

Shipley did not factor as Niagara lost a thriller to London, 7-6.

1/26 Recap: Boychuk pours career high as 'Hawks dominate

Riley Boychuk (+4) contributed a goal and three assists Wednesday as Portland smoked Chilliwack, 9-2. With a career-high four points, the 6'5 power forward elevates his season line to 13-12-25 through 45 games. Last season, Boychuk went 14-16-30 in 66 games.

Brayden McNabb scored a goal and an assist in Kootenay's 5-4 loss to Brandon. The Kootenay captain's second straight two-point outing lifts his season point total to 42 (12+30).

Mark Pysyk scored his second goal of the year as Edmonton lost to Saskatoon, 4-3. The even-strength marker was Pysyk's first since December 3rd.

Corey Fienhage earned an assist and his third fighting major of the season as Kamloops was dominated by Prince George, 9-5. The 6'4 defenseman stepped in to take on Jesse Forsberg after the Cougars forward put a big hit oin the WHL's third leading scorer, Brendan Ranford,






In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc notched an assist as Rimouski lost to Quebec, 5-4.The assist keeps Gauthier-Leduc tied for seventh in scoring among QMJHL defenders with 33 points.

1/23 Recap: McNabb points, Boychuk stays hot on fight-filled Sunday

In Sunday WHL play, Brayden McNabb scored 30-seconds into play and added an assist but Kootenay would eventually be overcome by Red Deer, 6-4. The two-point night raises McNabb's point total to an even 40 on the year. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins posted four assists to lead the Rebels charge.

Riley Boychuk scored his 12th goal of the season as Portland edged Spokane, 6-5 in overtime. The 6'5 banger earned an instigator and fighting major when he dropped the gloves with 6'5 Corbin Baldwin late in the second period. Boychuk stepped in after teammate Bredan Leipisic ('12) was flattened, throwing a big one and getting the sweater up on Baldwin before the refs jumped in.



Kevin Sundher (-2) did not factor into the scoring as Chilliwack got throttled by Vancouver, 7-3. The 6'0 center showed some fire in the loss though, earning his first fighting major of the year when he one-punch KO'd Greg Lamoureux as time expired in the first period. Lamoureux did not return after taking the hard right  hand.







 Matt MacKenzie finished -1 as Tri-City lost to Kelowna, 4-3.

In the OHL, Marcus Foligno finished +1 with an assist as Sudbury defeated Brampton, 3-1. The Wolves captain dropped the gloves for the fourth time this season when he wrestled with the Troops' Scott Tanski.






Steven Shipley finished -1 with a roughing minor as Niagara was doubled by Mississauga, 6-3. Majors forward Gregg Sutch remained out of action with an upper body injury.

In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc registered a -1 as Rimouski lost to Lewiston, 3-1.

In exhibition play, Mark Adams finished +1 as Providence defeated Team USA U18, 5-4.

1/22 Recap: Foligno ramping up; Knapp gets shutout

Marcus Foligno (+1) scored a power play and added two assists Saturday as Sudbury lost in a shootout at Niagara, 5-4. The hard-checking Foligno has 45 points n 35 games this season, including 17 in his last 10 for the most productive ten-game block of his junior career. Steven Shipley was a -1 for the victorious IceDogs.

Zack Kassian saw his 11-game point streak come to an end as Windsor skated past Barrie, 5-2.

In the WHL, Matt MacKenzie finished +2 with a fighting major as Tri-City  defeated Everett, 7-4. Midway through the first period, the 6'2 rearguard engaged Ryan Harrison for his third fight of the year and first as an Am:





Elsewhere in the Dub, Mark Pysyk earned an assist as Edmonton lost in a shootout to Medicine Hat, 6-5.

Kevin Sundher (-3) contributed an assist as Chilliwack was downed by Prince George, 4-3 in a shootout.

Corey Fienhage finished -3 as Kelowna lost to Vancouver, 6-1.

In the NCAA, Connor Knapp made 26 saves to earn his second shutout of the season as Miami downed Michigan State, 4-0. The shutout, the seventh of Knapp's three-year collegiate career, helped the RedHawks earn the split after getting dominated by the Spartans on Friday.

Justin Jokinen (+1) registered an assist and three shots on goal as Minnesota State lost to Wisconsin, 2-1.

Brad Eidsness served as backup as North Dakota defeated Nebraska-Omaha, 4-2.

Drew MacKenzie finished -1 as Vermont was shut down by Massachusetts, 6-0.

In the USHL, Christian Isackson posted two shots on goal as Sioux Falls fell to Team USA, 3-2.

1/21 Recap: Boychuk plays hero

Riley Boychuk scored the overtime winner Friday and added an assist as Portland defeated Everett, 3-2. Boychuk, who netted his 11th of the season in the #1 star effort, has 2+1 and a +5 rating in six games of the 2011 calendar. Perhaps more important, the 6'5 power forward skated his second straight game without a penalty after getting whistled for a minor in seven straight contests.

Mark Pysyk (+1) notched an assist as Edmonton got doubled by Moose Jaw, 6-3. Pysyk is currently a +19 through 37 games. Last season he finished -19 in 48 games.

Brayden McNabb picked up a power play assist as Kootenay lost at Spokane, 5-2. The 6'4 anchor remains 6th in scoring for WHL defensemen with 37 points (10+27).

Kevin Sundher failed to record a point for the third straight game as Chilliwack needed overtime to earn a 3-2 win over Kamloops. Sundher quiet patch is his longest since he opened the season with a four-game drought. Corey Fienhage finished +1 for the Blazers.

In the QMJHL, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc earned a pair of assists as Rimouski defeated Quebec, 4-3. The 18-year old is currently ranked 6th among QMJHL defensemen with 32 points (8+24).

In the OHL, Steven Shipley scored his 13th goal of the year as Niagara defeated Mississauga, 5-3. Shipley's tip of a Luke Mercer point-shot ended a four-game point drought - his longest in the past two seasons. Gregg Sutch remained out of the lineup with a UBI.

Marcus Foligno did not factor into the scoresheet as Sudbury edged Barrie, 3-2. The quiet night ends his streak of five straight games with a point since returning from the World Juniors.

In the NCAA, Connor Knapp came on in relief to allow two goals on nine shots as Miami lost to Michigan State, 7-4. The RedHawks lose despite outshooting the Spartans by a 46-22 margin.

Brad Eidsness also was given some relief work as North Dakota was doubled by Nebraska-Omaha, 8-4. Eidsness entered play at the midpoint of the game, allowing four goals on 15 shots in his first league action since November 19th (when he was yanked against the same UNO club).

Drew MacKenzie (-1) punched two shots on goal as Vermont skated to a 2-1 win over Massachusetts.

Mark Adams finished -1 as Providence fell in overtime to New Hampshire, 4-3.

Justin Jokinen logged a -2 as Minnesota State fell short against Wisconsin, 3-2.

In the USHL, Christian Isackson contributed three shots on goal as Sioux Falls won a 3-2 OT decision over Youngstown. Earlier in a mid-week tilt, Christian Isackson scored an empty-net goal as Sioux Falls defeated Tri-City, 3-1.

In Thursday play, Zack Kassian extended his point streak to 11 games with a pair of goals as Windsor took a shootout over Brampton, 6-5. Kassian, who potted his 20th and 21st goals of the season, missed the chance at the hat trick in overtime when he missed on a penalty shot after being hauled down just :16 in.

On Wednesday, Matt MacKenzie scored a power play goal as Tri-City shutout Kamloops, 5-0. MacKenzie has two goals in five games since being traded to the Americans after having just two in 40 starts with Calgary. Kamloops' Fienhage picked up 12 PIM on the evening, including a misconduct from a scrum after some Blazers stickwork.

1/18 Recap: McNabb nabs 10th; Pysyk logs a "minus"

Brayden McNabb (+1) scored his 10th goal of the season Tuesday as Kootenay held off Edmonton, 4-3. McNabb made a game-saving play at the goalmouth in the final minute as the surging Oil Kings looked to complete the four-goal comeback. Edmonton captain Mark Pysyk finished -2, ending his 23-game streak of games rated even or better, while adding four penalty minutes (boarding, interference) to his season line.

Matt MacKenzie (-3) saw his two-game point streak come to an end as Tri-City lost to Portland, 5-4. Riley Boychuk missed the game with an unspecified injury for the Winterhawks.

Kevin Sundher (-1) did not factor as Chilliwack was easily handled by Spokane, 6-1. The 6'0 pivot has now gone two games without a point for the just the third time this season after beginning the year with a four-game rut.

Corey Fienhage recorded six penalty minutes as Kamloops used a shootout to edge Seattle, 4-3. The Blazers (21-24-1-1) will square off with MacKenzie and the Ams on Wednesday.

1/17 recap: Isackson clicking in new year

Christian Isackson scored a pair of goals Monday to lead Sioux Falls past Fargo, 3-1. The even-strength tallies, Isackson's sixth and seventh of his USHL career, were enough to spark the Herd to their fifth straight win as future coach Don Luicia looked on. The two-goal output gives the Minnesota commit six points in his last five games after enduring an eight-game point drought that lasted from Black Friday to New Year's Day.

The Stampede (16-10-4) will host Tri-City on Wednesday.