On Wednesday, Latvia played another exhibition game in preparation for the World Hockey Championships, this time against Finland. The Finns took this one by a score of 3-2 in overtime. After scoring once in regulation and another in a shootout in two games against Austria last week, Dans Locmelis was held off the scoreboard in this contest.
The two teams met in a rematch on Thursday, with Finland once again defeating Latvia by an identical 3-2 score. However, unlike their previous meeting, this game ended in regulation. Locmelis did not register any points for Latvia and played a third-line checking role in this contest.
On Thursday, Boston College blanked Michigan 4-0 in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals to advance to the National Championship game on Saturday. Despite Michigan outshooting BC 32-22, the Wolverines were unable to score on Boston College goaltender Jacob Fowler. Forwards Oskar Jellvik and Andre Gasseau were held without a point for BC in the win.
In the other semifinal matchup, Denver edged Boston University 2-1 in overtime. Though an exciting game, it suffered from poor officiating like I’ve rarely seen at this level of play. Nonetheless, teams must play through adversity. BU’s Ty Gallagher was held scoreless, ending his season. With the offseason ahead, Gallagher faces important decisions about his future.
In game one of the OHL conference semi-finals, the London Knights beat the Kitchener Rangers 5-3 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Jackson Edward, who was held scoreless in London’s sweep of Flint, recorded two assists and finished +2 with two shots on goal in this victory over Kitchener.
The WHL playoffs resumed Friday as Swift Current visited Moose Jaw for game one. Despite being outshot 35-21, Swift Current goalie Reid Dyck led his team to a decisive 7-2 victory, giving the Broncos a 1-0 series lead. Swift Current led 4-2 after two periods while being outshot 28-21 through two and Dyck was the difference. Dyck stopped 33 of 35 shots overall to earn the Broncos’ Workhorse of the Game honors.
With one regular season game left, Beckett Hendrickson of the Dubuque Fighting Saints is heating up at the perfect time for the playoffs. In Dubuque’s 6-3 win over the Waterloo Black Hawks Friday, Hendrickson tallied two assists, finished +3, and put two shots on goal. He is currently riding an impressive 8-game point streak, racking up 6 goals and 8 assists over that span.
The Sioux Falls Stampede suffered a narrow 2-1 loss to the top-ranked Fargo Force, despite Chris Pelosi scoring their lone goal. Pelosi managed two shots on goal and finished +1 for the game. Keeping the contest tight against the USHL-leading Force, who have 42 more points, gives the Stampede confidence as they head into the playoffs.
Denver earned a record-breaking 10th NCAA National Championship title and their 5th in the last 20 years with a 2-0 shutout over Boston College. Boston College struggled to generate offense against Denver’s stifling defense and stellar goaltending from Matt Davis, who turned away the Eagles when they finally mounted an attack in the third period. Early on, Andre Gasseau missed a golden opportunity for Boston College when he hit the side of the net on a wide-open cage, a pivotal moment where converting could have shifted momentum. In the end, Denver played a complete game and proved to be the superior team in securing the championship victory.
On Saturday, London routed Kitchener 5-1 to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in their best-of-7 OHL playoff matchup. Jackson Edward excelled in all facets, scoring once, assisting another goal, registering 3 shots on net, and finishing +2. Edward was particularly effective defensively – he quickly retrieved pucks and ignited fast transitions out of his own zone. He was his usual physical self defending his net front area.
The Moose Jaw Warriors dominated the Swift Current Broncos in game 2 of their best-of-7 WHL playoff series, evening the series at 1-1 with a decisive 7-2 victory. After a first period where everything from the score to SOG to PIMs were even, the floodgates opened in the second as the Warriors scored 4 goals in just over 4 minutes. Goaltender Reid Dyck struggled, uncharacteristically allowing multiple goals over his shoulders. The Warriors would add two more before Dyck was pulled from the game. Now, with the series shifting to Swift Current for games 3 and 4, all eyes will be on how Dyck responds after this difficult outing.
The Dubuque Fighting Saints finished atop the Eastern Conference after losing their final USHL regular season game 4-2 against Madison. Despite the loss, Hendrickson scored once for Dubuque and recorded a game-high 6 shots on goal. With their first-place finish, the Fighting Saints earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They will face the winner of the Madison-Youngstown playoff series in the next round.
Chris Pelosi sat out Sioux Falls’ final regular season game as they prepared to enter the playoffs. Sioux Falls trounced the Fargo Force 8-1 in that contest. In the first round, Sioux Falls will face Tri-City, with the winner advancing to meet Fargo once again.
Here’s a look at the Providence Bruins leaders. You will notice a column called “value” This is provided by our friends at Benchrates. Created by a retired hockey player, Benchrates has created and algorithm that computes values in real time. The value you see is the cap hit value they’ve earned this season to date. Give them a look and check out their site.
Coming up this week:
This and That
Riley Duran recorded his first career professional points with a goal and two assists on Friday, earning first star honors as Providence defeated Utica 5-4 in overtime.
Jaxon Nelson scored his first pro goal on Sunday by going to the net and cleaning up the garbage. Get use to it because you’ll see plenty of those!
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Dom - Hockey 