Grigorenko earns helper in Russian loss

Mikhail Grigorenko recorded an assist Thursday as Russia prepped for the 2013 World Junior Championship with a 3-2 loss to Canada. The game played in Yaroslavl was the first of the Canada/Russia Challenge, a four-game event that will conclude next week with games three and four in Halifax. The two countries will go right back at it on Friday.

Grigorenko stood out with his size and vision. He showed both his raw and cerebral skills when the puck was on his stick, and he seemed to know where his linemates were at all times. His secondary helper came in the third period on a Nail Yakupov power play tally.

Courtesy of my friend James, you can view all of Grigorenko's shifts here:

McCabe shows well in USA win

Jake McCabe played strong defensively Wednesday but did not get in on the scoring as Team USA defeated Finland 5-2 at the United States National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, NY. Paired with Connor Murphy, the Wisconsin sophomore saw his tough, physical game emerge in his own zone for a full sixty minutes while displaying flashes of his up-ice skills.

The Sabres' top pick in 2011, Joel Armia, did not point for Finland for the second straight game after scoring a goal in their opener versus Team Blue.

Nic Kerdiles scored the game winning goal late in third. Stefan Matteau, Sean Kuraly, John Gaudreau, and Stefan Noesen added the other American marks. Miro Aaltonen paced the Finns with a pair of goals.

Team USA will return to action Thursday against Team Sweden. Finland gets another crack at Sweden on Friday.

Armia shut out as Swedes roll

Joel Armia was held off the score sheet Tuesday as Finland was throttled by Sweden 8-2 at the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid.

Jusso Ikonen ('13) scored his third goal of camp to give Finland a 2-1 lead in the first minute of the second period, but the Swedes took over from there with seven unanswered strikes. The Finns, who drop to 0-2 in their overseas visit, return to action Wednesday against Team USA.

William Karlsson led the Swedes with a hat trick. Viktor Arvidsson potted a pair of goals while Filip Forsberg had a goal and two helpers. Karlsson and Arvidsson each have five points (2+3) through the Swedes first two games. Sweden has outscored their opponents by a 13-3 count through their first two games. They’ll take on Team USA on Friday.

Nelson heads home, McCabe remains

Logan Nelson has been released from the United States National Junior Development Camp following Team White’s Monday loss to Sweden. The Victoria Royals forward was unable to point in any of the three games he appeared in while playing both the center and wing positions.

Nelson was one of 11 cuts from the USA camp roster, leaving 34 players including Sabres prospect Jake McCabe in Lake Placid for more action. USA is off Tuesday before closing camp with games Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Armia scores, Americans eye cuts

Joel Armia scored the game's first goal Monday but Finland was overcome by USA Blue 5-4 at the United States National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid. Mario Lucia paced Blue with a hat trick including the game winning goal in the final minute of play. Sean Kuraly and Alex Galchenyuk rounded out the scoring for Team Blue.

Armia scored at 8:39 of the opening period when Blue's mismanagement of the puck in their zone allowed Robert Leino to find the sniper in the slot for a point-blank wrister. Armia, 19, is considered one of Finland's headliners for the 2013 U20 squad in what will be his third World Junior Championship.

Shifty 2013 eligible Jussi Ikonen notched a pair of goals for Finland, while London Knights defender Olli Maatta tallied the other.

Finland returns to action Tuesday afternoon for a tilt with rival Sweden.

The Swedes made their Lake Placid debut Monday with a 5-1 dismantling of USA White. Victor Rask led the defending U20 champs with two goals. Pontus Aberg, Mika Zibanejad, and Viktor Arvidsson added singles for Team Sweden.

Minnesota commit Mike Reilly scored the lone goal for White to join Sabres prospect Jake McCabe as the only American defensemen in camp with a goal. McCabe and 2012 draft mate Logan Nelson were held off the scoresheet in the loss.

Phil Housley and the USA Hockey brass will conduct a cutdown Monday evening before preparing the trimmed down squad for the final three games of camp. McCabe was an average performer on a crowded blueline but could earn a spot on USA's final pair for the balance of the week. Nelson seems like a longer shot despite a good camp showing, an experience that will translate well as he kicks off what should be his final year of major-junior.

Details to follow as the cuts are announced.

White falls to Blue

Sean Kuraly (SJS) struck for a pair of early goals Sunday, and John Gibson (ANA) stopped all 21 shots he faced as Team Blue avenged their opening day loss with a 4-3 win over Team White at USA's National Junior Evaluation Camp.

Sabres prospects Jake McCabe and Logan Nelson did not factor into the White scoring. McCabe showed his active two-way game and physical side while earning regular shifts on both PP and PK. He made some nice break-ups. He was whistled for a hit from behind on Johnny Gaudreau. Also of note was a key hustle play to get a clear while killing off a 5x3 in the third period.

After playing wing in Saturday's win, Nelson was moved to center on a line with Tyler Biggs (TOR) and Jimmy Vesey (NAS). He fared well at the dot, save for a few losses when opposite Alex Galchenyuk (MON), and showed quick feet and an ability to convert loose pucks into plays at the net.

After Kuraly beat Anthony Stolarz (PHI) for a pair of goals in the top half of the first, Vince Trocheck (FLA) connected on the power play for White after a nice cross-ice feed from Joakim Ryan (SJS) at 11:22. White would cash-in another cross-ice look at 17:17 when J.T. Miller (NYR) hit Stefan Matteau (NJD) for a one-timer to even the score heading into the first intermission.

Vesey gave White the 3-2 lead at 4:22 of the second when he capitalized on a bounce off an official's leg to beat Jon Gillies from the right side. Blue took control from there, starting with a Colin Blackwell (SJS) tally off a Jacob Trouba (WIN) rebound at 12:52 to tie the game. Steven Fogarty (NYR) capped the middle frame by cutting to the middle and scoring a heavy wrister at 18:34. Fogarty's mark made it 4-3 Blue, and eventually held up as the game winner as Gibson shut the door in the final period.

What happens next for McCabe and Nelson will be settled following Monday's White/Sweden tilt. McCabe is the only defender in camp with a goal but could use a strong game to stand out on the crowded blueline. Nelson has played like he belongs but needs to get on the scoresheet. He missed a golden opportunity on a re-direct early in Sunday's loss and hasn't received any power play time in the two games.

McCabe marks in White win

Jake McCabe scored a goal and Logan Nelson provided offensive spark Saturday as Team White opened the USA National Junior Evaluation Camp with a 5-2 win over Team Blue. The teams will return to the ice on Sunday for a 4:00 rematch.

I should say that the teams will return to the "soft" ice, as the 90+ degree heat in Lake Placid delivered a chippy surface that challenged the players from the get-go. 

McCabe, wearing jersey #4 in white, started each period on the left point opposite Notre Dame's Robbie Russo (NYI). He began the game well, showing good vision out of his zone and a smart stick that allowed for a few key clears. The second and third periods had peaks and valleys as good offensive chances were balanced out by some mistimed hits and passes. His third period goal stemmed from good awareness by stepping into the high slot to bury a shot. 

Nelson (#22) skated at wing on a line with Cole Bardreau and Blake Pietila. The unit was unable to score but maintained a quick pace throughout, providing pressure and action around the Blue cage including plays off the draw. Nelson unofficially registered three shots on goal and nearly had an assist when his no-look backhand feed from behind to the net went right to Cole Bardreau for a point-blank opportunity. Later on the same shift he corralled a puck in the left corner and made a strong move to the net where his stuff attempt was thwarted by Providence-bound netminder, Jon Gillies.

Blue dominated play for the majority of the opening period, finally striking with a Colin Blackwell (Harvard) goal at 14:46. White would quickly even the score when Sarnia Sting sniper Reid Boucher finished a play less than a minute later to knot the game 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

The teams began the middle frame with a quick exchange as Travis Boyd (White) and Sean Kuraly (Blue) scored within the first two minutes of play. White would get the go-ahead goal with less than seven minutes left when Seth Jones rocketed a pass from his goal line up the left side to Boucher, who hit a streaking Alex Broadhurst for the finish.

White continued to capitalize despite the poor ice conditions in the third. McCabe beat Gillies to make it 4-2 at 9:59. Nealy three minutes later, Tyler Biggs provided the game's final tally by scoring from in front while on a 4x4.

Michigan commit Jacob Trouba, who was one of USA's better rearguards at the 2012 WJC, was a healthy scratch but could play on Sunday as the split squads prepare for Monday tilts with Finland (Blue) and Sweden (White) before the camp's main cutdown.

Jacobs dealt to Cougars

The Prince George Cougars have acquired Sabres prospect Colin Jacobs from the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for former captain Jesse Forsberg and a pair of 2013 draft picks (5th, 7th round).

Jacobs (6'2", 204 lbs.) scored nine goals and 19 points in 44 games for the T-Birds last season. His year didn't begin until December after off-season shoulder surgery caused him to miss Seattle's first 26 games. The Dallas-area product had previously notched 22 goals and 44 points in 2011-12 to earn a fourth round selection from the Sabres in 2011 NHL draft.

A strong center with excellent playmaking skills, Jacobs has also proven effective in the shootout, clicking at an 80% success rate en route to bagging four game winning goals in 2011-12.

Jacobs recently skated at Sabres development camp in preparation for his fourth WHL season. With a clean bill of health and his eyes on earning an NHL contract, the move to Prince George could see the 19-year old spend time on a line with touted 2013 draft eligible Alex Forsberg, the younger brother of the player he was traded for.

Ullmark stays behind as Swedes head to Lake Placid

Linus Ullmark, one of four goalies to attend Sweden's U20 Evaluation Camp, will not travel with the team as the defending World Junior champions make their way to Lake Placid, NY to participate in USA Hockey's National Junior Development Camp. The 6'3 netminder played the second half of Sweden's 7-0 shutout win over the Czech Republic on Thursday but was unable to crack the 22-man roster that will battle teams from the U.S. and Finland between August 4-11.

Ullmark entered camp looking to be third on the depth chart behind the talented duo of Oscar Dansk (CBS) and Niklas Lundström (STL), and it appears that not much changed after the Swede's outscored the Czech 14-1 in their two-game set. The World Junior journey isn't over for Ullmark, though, as a strong start to his year with MoDo should keep him in position for valuable reserve status when rosters for the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship begin to take shape come December.

Ullmark's omission leaves three prospects - Joel Armia (FIN), Jake McCabe (USA), and Logan Nelson (USA) - as the remaining Sabres properties who will take part in the action starting Saturday.

McCabe, Nelson suit up for White

USA Hockey has divided its roster for the 2012 National Junior Development Camp and the two Sabres prospects in attendance, Jake McCabe and Logan Nelson, will be on the same side skating for Team White.

The 2012 draft mates will begin the tournament with Saturday and Sunday games against USA Blue. White will play their final preliminary game Monday versus Sweden before USA releases some campers and consolidates into one squad for three more tilts with Joel Armia's Team Finland (twice) and the Swedes.

It has yet to be decided whether or not Linus Ullmark will be in Lake Placid. Sweden will announce their camp roster following Thursday's game with the Czech Republic.