Jerome Gauthier-Leduc celebrated his Canadian camp invite in fine fashion Tuesday, scoring two goals and adding an assist as Rimouski doubled Gatineau, 6-3. Leduc, who has scored three or more points five times this season, continues to lead all QMJHL blueliners with 15 goals and 25 assists through his first 27 games. The Oceanic will host Chicoutimi on Friday.
In WHL play, Mark Pysyk made his return to the lineup after a five-game absence, notching an assist and making several heady plays as the Oil Kings cruised to a 4-1 win over Spokane. The two-way defender showed no ill-effects from his upper body injury after taking a solid pop early, and seemed to get better as the game progressed. Edmonton continues their homestand Thursday versus Calgary.
Kevin Sundher collected two assists as Victoria lost to Kamloops, 4-3. The first assist thrust him into the Chilliwack/Victoria all-time franchise lead with 21 points. Sundher, who is currently tied for 6th in WHL scoring with 16 goals and 42 points, will look to extend his four-game point streak Wednesday when the Royals host Kamloops.
In Finland, Joel Armia recorded three shots on goal as Assat lost to SaiPa, 2-1. The speedy wing saw just 10:29 of work in the loss. The Aces tangle with Lukko on Friday.
It took three games, but stud bruiser Zack Kassian made his debut as an NHL pugilist Tuesday, renewing acquaintances with current New York Islander and former OHL toughguy, Matt Martin. The two first tangled in an uneventful junior scrap back in January of 2009. This one went a little differently.
A pair of Sabres defensive prospects will be packing their bags for a chance to play at the World Junior Championship as Mark Pysyk of the Edmonton Oil Kings and Jerome Gauthier-Leduc of the Rimouski Oceanic have been named to the roster for Team Canada's selection camp being held next month in Calgary.
Leduc, who currently leads all QMJHL blueliners with 13 goals and 36 points, and Pysyk, the Oil Kings' responsible two-way captain, were the only Sabres prospects to attend Canada's summer evaluation camp in August.
Pysyk, a 2010 first round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, for one, has been waiting a year for another shot.
“Yeah, since last year when I was up at six in the morning waiting for the phone call,” he said. “I didn’t sleep at all that night (before the final cuts). I was up rolling around, waiting.
“My roommate was Marcus Foligno,” continued Pysyk, “and when I picked up the phone, he said ‘is Mark there? I thought maybe there was a slight chance he wanted Marcus ... but it was me.
“I’m looking forward to another crack at it. I’m fortunate enough to get another chance.”
While Pysyk and Leduc will get a shot, Kevin Sundher's quick start was not rewarded with a camp selection.
"It's obviously a tough pill to swallow," said Sundher, who has 16 goals and 40 points this season.
"It's disappointing. It's not the news I wanted to hear. It was a goal of mine coming into this season but now it can't be reached. I'll focus on my other goals, which are winning games in Victoria and signing a pro deal [he was taken in the third round of the 2010 NHL draft by the Buffalo Sabres]."
The fleet-footed Sundher missed two and two-thirds games with an upper body injury during a crucial stretch earlier this month.
"Everyone has setbacks they have to deal with and there can be no excuses," he said.
Drew MacKenzie scored his third goal of the year Sunday as Vermont held on for a 5-3 win over Dartmouth. The 6'2 senior, who is among the top two-way defensemen in all of Hockey East, has scored all five of his season points in the month of November. Vermont (3-8-1) remains home next weekend to host Maine in a two-game series at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
In Saturday action, Kevin Sundher scored his 16th goal of the year on the power play and added an assist as Victoria lost an exciting contest to Kelowna, 6-5. At 9:01 of the third, Sundher one-timed a Robin Soudek from the right dot to not only tie the game 4-4, but also tie him for the Chilliwack/Victoria franchise all-time record with 217 points (Ryan Howse). Victoria will next face Kamloops on Tuesday, By then Sundher will know if his ticket has been punched for Canada's World Junior Selection Camp.
Gregg Sutch scored his fifth goal of the year as Barrie came up short in a wild 6-5 loss to Sudbury. Sutch capped a seven-goal third period by scoring with the extra attacker in the final minute. Alex Lepokowski remained out of the Colts lineup with a back injury. Barrie travels to Owen Sound on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Joel Armia did not factor into the scoring as Assat fell in overtime to Ilves, 4-2. Armia skated for 13:52 despite serving a 10-minute misconduct during the second period. Assat hosts SaiPa on Tuesday.
Jerome Gauthier-Leduc finished -2 as Rimouski was beaten by Shawinigan, 6-3. Rimouski and Gatineau square off on Tuesday. Like Sundher, Leduc is expected to hear his name called when Canada's Selection Camp roster is announced on Monday.
Cedrick Henley was unable to score as Val-d'Or edged Baie-Comeau, 5-4. Les Foreurs are off until Friday when they host Victoriaville.
Steven Shipley did not get on the scoresheet as Niagara doubled Sarnia, 4-2. The Sting were without stud '12 prospect Nail Yakupov, who sat out with a bad back. Niagara and Erie will battle in St. Kitts on Thursday.
Dan Catenacci failed to get a point in his return to his old stomping grounds as Owen Sound cruised to a 5-2 win over Sault Ste. Marie. Catenacci leads the Attack with 15 goals and 30 points through 28 games since coming over from the Hounds in an offseason trade.
Mark Pysyk missed his fifth game with an upper body injury as Edmonton downed Lethbridge, 5-2. A final cut for the 2011 squad, it seems that Pysyk will get an invite to Canada's camp despite the day-to-day ding. The OKs welcome Spokane to Rexall on Tuesday.
In NCAA play, Brad Navin recorded two shots on goal as Wisconsin defeated Mercyhurst, 5-2. The big freshman moved up to left wing on the third line as the Badgers earned the non-conference weekend sweep. Wisconsin will get a weekend off before resuming their WCHA schedule on December 9th versus Duluth.
Justin Jokinen set up the game-tying goal and contributed a productive seven shots on goal as Minnesota State played to a 5-5 tie with Alaska-Anchorage. Despite spending the majority of his career in Mankato down the right side, the senior has continued to open eyes with his special teams work while manning the center position on the Mavs checking line. Minnesota State travels to Minneapolis next weekend to take on the Gophers.
Christian Isackson played even as Minnesota and Michigan State skated to a 4-4 tie. Isackson, who played in just his third game of the year after nine straight scratches, nearly earned a penalty in the second penalty when his stick inadvertently clipped a linesman in the head, forcing the crew to work shorthanded the rest of the way.
At the Denver Cup Classic, Connor Knapp served as backup as Miami won the first place trophy with a 4-2 win over the host Pioneers. Unbeaten in their last eight, the RedHawks return to action next Friday at Northern Michigan.
In the Denver Cup Classic third place game, Mark Adams played even as Providence lost to Princeton, 3-1. The Tigers scored the game winner as Adams sat in the box with an interference penalty. The Friars will next host top-ranked Merrimack on Friday.
Brad Eidsness did not get the start as North Dakota earned the weekend sweep with 4-3 win over Colorado College. Eidsness was excellent in relief of Aaron Dell in Friday's win but the Sioux opted to not let their #1 goaltender get cold heading into next weekend's set at Anchorage.
The Buffalo Sabres have recalled rookie defenseman Brayden McNabb from Rochester of the American Hockey League. The 20-year old, who gets the call thanks to Robyn Regher becoming the ninth Sabre to hit the injury list, will make his NHL debut Saturday against Washington.
McNabb (6’5”, 212 lbs., 1/21/90), who is playing in his rookie AHL season, has played 19 games for the Americans this season and has tallied 10 points (1+9).
The Davidson, Saskatchewan native was selected by Buffalo in the third round (66th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. In four full seasons (2007-11) with the Kootenay Ice of the WHL, McNabb had 176 points (50+126) in 258 games, along with 419 PIMs. The Sabres signed McNabb to a three-year entry level contract on May 18.
A 2009 third rounder who has performed like a player befitting a higher pick, McNabb has logged major minutes with the Ice over the past two seasons, playing as physical as his 6'4, 218-pound frame suggests while finishing among WHL blue line scoring leaders (6th in 2009-10, 3rd in 2010-11).
After getting preseason NHL exposure this past fall, the ICE captain returned to set single-season and all-time franchise marks in goals, assists, and points for a defenseman while earning a spot on the WHL's Eastern Conference First All-Star Team. He took his game to a different level in the playoffs, shutting down the likes of Brayden Schenn, Curtis Hamilton, Linden Vey, and Emerson Etem while setting even more franchise offensive marks including a solid 11-game point streak to lead the Ice to the league finals. His 24 points in the 2011 postseason were the most for a Sabres prospect since Paul Byron ripped off 21-11-32 in 19 games back in 2007-08.
A bona fide point machine at the junior level, the economy-minded McNabb provides offense by making good pinches, finding sticks with slap-passes, and most importantly by getting lots of shots to the net. He's best when keeping it simple and limiting the chance for a turnover. Not possessing a quick first step, he may see spots to lug the puck up ice here and there as a pro (by comparison though, Mike Weber is probably the better skater at this stage), but his impact will be that of a point-contributor who block shots and plays tough in front of his goalie.
Expect McNabb to be signed and off to Portland next season where he can ease his way in. If his feet adjust quickly to the AHL pace, it's fair to think he could position himself for a stop-gap call-up by Christmas. Until that happens, becoming a stronger skater should remain the focal point of his development.
Well I was close on that "spot call-up by Christmas" part, although I thought we'd still be weeks away. As of now it's unclear how long McNabb or any of the other Amerks call-ups will remain with the Sabres, but they're here and it's time to win some games.
Just like when Tropp, Brennan, and Kassian arrived from Rochester, the immediate issue is who to pair McNabb with. My earliest guess is that McNabb steps in for Regehr in a stay-at-home role on a pair with vet Leopold, leaving Brennan/Gragnani together while elevating Ehrhoff/Sekera to top-pair minutes.
As a side note, it is interesting that the Sabres opted for McNabb instead of Drew Schiestel, who has looked solid lately after recovering a from a minor knee injury at the start of the season. Schiestel is an excellent skater with more experience, but there's no question that McNabb has the more rugged style. I imagine it was that ingredient that served as a tiebreaker as the Sabres again get a chance to gauge where some of their prospects stand on the NHL development curve.
Joel Armia notched his fifth goal of year Friday as Assat downed Ilves, 5-3. Parked in front of the net on a third period power play, the big wing nimbly tipped a shot in for Assat's insurance marker. Armia (13:33 TOI) now has three goals in his last four games. He'll look to keep the upward trend going on Saturday when the two clubs complete the home-and-home at Ilves.
In OHL play, Steven Shipley scored his fifth goal of the season as Niagara defeated Windsor, 6-3. The 6'3 center opened scoring with a power play marker at 5:48 of the first period to end a five-game point slumber. Niagara will visit a tough Sarnia club on Saturday.
Kevin Sundher struck late on the power play as Victoria lost to Kamloops, 4-1. The six-foot center notched his 15th of the year with 3:51 left in regulation to break Cole Cheveldave's shutout. With 38 points in 23 games, Sundher will now patiently wait to get a call when Team Canada's World Junior Selection Camp roster is announced on Monday.
Elsewhere, Nathan Lieuwen stopped all 35 shots he faced as Kootenay blanked Kelowna, 4-0. The shutout, Lieuwen's second of the year and eighth of his career, improved his league lead in the goals against average (1.78) and save percentage (.938) categories. The ICE are off until Wednesday when they visit Saskatoon.
Daniel Catenacci scored his 15th goal of the year but was stoned in his shootout attempt as Owen Sound dropped a 4-3 decision to Sudbury. Catenacci, who now has goals in three straight after scoring in just one of his previous dozen games, will be in familiar territory Saturday when the Attack travels to Sault Ste. Marie for the first time since his trade this fall.
Gregg Sutch (+1) picked up an assist as Barrie thumped London, 6-2. The 6'2 grinder has gone eight games without a goal since getting bumped out of Barrie's loaded top-six. Alex Lepkowski missed his fourth straight game with a back injury.
In QMJHL action, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc posted a pair of assists as Rimouski downed Blainville-Boisbriand, 5-3. The helpers, one shorthanded and the other with the man advantage to set-up Alexandre Mallet's game winner, give Leduc 37 points on the season - 12 more than other QMJHL defenseman. It seems that Canada will look hard at Leduc as an offensive option since Ryan Murphy of the Kitchener Rangers is still sidelined with a concussion.
Cedrick Henley scored the deciding goal in the shootout to give Val-d'Or a 5-4 win over Bathurst. The 6'5 captain hasn't scored in his last seven games. He had gotten a goal in six in previous seven leading up to the slumber. The Foreurs will take on Baie-Comeau on Saturday.
Mark Pysyk (upper body) did not play as Edmonton blanked Medicine Hat, 3-0. The Oil Kings captain has missed the last four games while being listed as "day-to-day", but could get back Saturday when Lethbridge comes to town. There is no question that Hockey Canada wished they had seen a little more of Pysyk before Monday's camp announcement.
At the Denver Cup Classic, Connor Knapp made 19 saves in his first start since October 28th to help Miami to a 6-2 win over Providence. Knapp earned the non-league visit, his second of the season, after serving as backup for the previous six games. Mark Adams, who has yet to record a shot on goal in five games since returning from a lower body injury, did not get in on either of the Friars goals. Miami will face the host Pioneers for the tourney title on Saturday. Providence and Princeton will open the day in the consolation.
In the WCHA, Brad Eidsness stopped all 13 shots he faced in relief of starter Aaron Dell as North Dakota held on for a thrilling 7-6 win over Colorado College. Eidsness, who hadn't seen any action since getting yanked in a loss to Wisconsin back on October 21st, entered the game at 10:54 of the second period after Dell allowed six goals on 22 shots. Eidsness stopping the bleeding should lead to a start Saturday when the teams drop the puck for what is sure to be an exciting rematch.
Justin Jokinen potted a goal and an assist as Minnesota State lost to Alaska-Anchorage, 5-4. The multi-point game was the fourth of Jokinen's four-year career in Mankato, and the first against a WCHA opponent.
Brad Navin recorded a shot on goal as Wisconsin throttled Mercyhurst, 7-2. Navin, who moved to center for the front end of the non-league set, has been solid through his first 14 games in Madison despite producing just one assist. The clubs will complete the set on Saturday.
Drew MacKenzie logged a -2 as as Vermont lost to old friend Colgate, 4-1. The schools were meeting for just the third time since the Catamounts left the ECAC for Hockey East in 2005. Vermont welcomes Dartmouth to town on Sunday.
Christian Isackson was scratched for the ninth straight game as Minnesota lost at Michigan State, 4-3. The freshman has appeared in the Gopher lineup just twice thus far. Minnesota will look for the split on Saturday.
In Friday night AHL action, Jacob Lagace scored a goal and an assist as Rochester doubled Albany, 4-2. Matt MacKenzie added a pair of assists, his first professional points, to help the Amerks improve to 9-7-2-1 on the year.
Lagace scored his sixth of the season when he took a long Alex Biega pass and went in alone to beat Jeff Frazee as he was falling to the ice. The multi-point night was the first of Lagace's season and fourth of his two-year career.
Veterans Colin Stuart, Shaone Morrisonn, and Derek Whitmore added single markers for the Amerks, who will next host Hamilton on Saturday.
The Rundown:
Lagace: G, A
MacKenzie: 2A
Foligno: +1
Biega: A, +1
Schiestel: 1 SOG
Crawford: -1
McNabb: -1
Szydlowski: -1
Boychuk: -1
Jerome Gauthier-Leduc notched a regulation goal and then the only marker in the shootout to lead Rimouski to a 4-3 win over Gatineau. The goal, Leduc's 13th of the year, gives the puck mover 35 points through his first 24 games. The Oceanic (16-13-0-0) travel to Blainville-Boisbriand on Friday.
In ECHL play, Riley Boychuk earned his second fighting major of the year as Gwinnett was handled by Wheeling, 5-1. With the Gladiators trailing 4-1 midway through the third, Boychuk dropped journeyman Joe Tolles with a one punch knock out. Corey Fienhage recorded a shot on goal in the loss. The Glads (8-6-2-2) will rematch with the first-place Nailers on Friday.
Elsewhere, Gregg Sutch finished even as Barrie earned a 4-3 shootout win over Sarnia. Alex Lepkowski sat out with a back injury, while stud 2012 prospect Nail Yakupov scored a pair of goals, an assist, and a shootout tally to lead the Sting in a losing effort. The Colts (12-8-2-1) will put their four-game winning streak on the line Friday at London.
Steven Shipley did not factor into the scoring as Niagara dumped Brampton, 6-1. Niagara (12-10-0-2) will square off with Windsor on Friday.
