Monday October 14
In QMJHL action, the Moncton Wildcats beat the Charlottetown Islanders 5-1, marking their fourth win in a row. This victory pushed them into second place in the Eastern Conference and earned them the top ranking in the CHL Top-10. Loke Johansson stood out with solid defense, especially in the second period when the Wildcats received four minor penalties in just over three minutes. Johansson was only able to rest when he took one of those penalties. During that time, the Islanders managed to score one powerplay goal, just 11 seconds after Johansson took his seat in the sin bin.
Tuesday October 15
Cory Pronman of the Athletic released his 2022 re-draft and there are some questionable opinions on his list. Beginning with Frederic Brunet who was the 132nd pick in 2022, Pronman now has him 75th in a re-draft and in Tier 7 meaning he has a chance to play in the NHL.
However, here’s where it gets confusing: Matthew Poitras was the 54th pick and would be 43rd on his redraft. Dans Locmelis, who was drafted 119th would go 34th in a re-draft, ahead of Poitras. Both are Tier 6, projected to play in the NHL.
Thursday October 17
The Moncton Wildcats won a high-scoring game against the Saint John Sea Dogs, finishing 8-5. This victory marked their fifth consecutive win, giving them a points percentage of .833, the best in the QMJHL. Johansson assisted on the Wildcats’ sixth goal, which was also the eventual winning goal of the match. The game lacked strong defensive play overall.
In the NCAA, Robert Morris defeated Miami (Ohio) 5-1 in a non-conference match. Casper Nassen finished the game a minus-1 and without a shot on goal. Nassen’s modest 3-game point streak came to an end.
Friday October 18
In the USHL, the Dubuque Fighting Saints fell to a record of 5-3-0-0 after losing 5-0 to the Omaha Lancers. Cole Spicer remains out of the lineup due to an injury he sustained in the season’s first game. Jonathan Morello has not scored in the last three games, finishing with an even plus/minus and leading the team with four shots on goal. Kristian Kostadinski has also not scored in four games, ending with a minus-2 rating and no shots on goal.
In a QMJHL match, Moncton defeated the Chicoutimi Sagueneens with a score of 7-1, bringing their record to 8-1-1-0 and securing the top position in the league standings. Johansson contributed with an assist, marking his second in as many games and his fourth assist overall in four games. He is still adapting to the North American ice and is facing challenges with players moving to the outside. However, he is making progress and improving his performance.
In NCAA action, Providence College defeated Arizona State by a score of 4-1. Philip Svedeback made 27 saves out of 28 shots, earning his first win of the season. This performance was a significant improvement from his earlier game. He demonstrated better control, tracked the puck effectively, and maintained good positioning throughout. This victory was crucial for him to regain his confidence, and now he needs to build on this success.
U-Mass’s record moved to 2-2-0 after a 4-3 defeat against Sacred Heart in a non-conference match. Despite losing, U-Mass had a clear edge in play, outshooting Sacred Heart 36-20. Dans Locmelis contributed with 2 assists and finished the game with a plus-1 rating along with two shots on goal. He won 13 out of 22 face-offs while centering the third line. With 4 assists in 4 games, Locmelis is still looking for his first goal of the season.
Boston College defeated American International 5-0, improving their record to 2-1-0. Bruins fans are particularly interested in this team because they have three Bruins prospects, including Dean Letourneau, a first-round pick in 2024. Letourneau is still seeking his first point in the NCAA. He performed well in the first period, creating opportunities and playing physically. His performance faded in the second and third periods, but he still had some good moments. Oskar Jellvik contributed an assist and has scored points in all three of his games this season. Andre Gasseau also added an assist, marking his first point of the season. Jellvik struggled in faceoffs, going 0-8, while Gasseau excelled at 8-2. Letourneau, who continues to play center on the third line, was 3-1.
North Dakota remains undefeated with a record of 2-0-0 after overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat Minnesota State 3-2, scoring three goals in the third period. Jake Schmaltz is adjusting to a new role this season, centering the fourth line and focusing on defense. He did not score in this game and ended with a minus-1 rating and two shots on goal. Despite this, he has been effective in face-offs, winning 8 out of 11. His defensive abilities have become his main strength, even though he once showed potential in scoring.
Minnesota beat Minnesota-Duluth 7-5, improving their record to 2-1-0. They took an early 4-0 lead in the first period and maintained control throughout the game. Beckett Hendrickson contributed an assist on the winning goal, marking his first of the season. He ended the game with a plus-1 rating and four shots on goal, playing as the left wing on the third line. His energy and strong effort, particularly in pursuing the puck, stood out once again.
Quinnipiac’s record is now 1-1-0 after losing 2-1 to Maine. Chris Pelosi earned his first NCAA point by assisting on Quinnipiac’s only goal. The freshman showed good effort, which is commendable at this stage. However, Elliott Groenewold faced challenges in defense, struggling throughout. Two back-to-back penalties in the second period for interference and holding are an indication of his struggles.
Saturday October 19
Dubuque secured a victory against the Des Moines Buccaneers, winning 6-0, and moved into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 6-3-0-0. Morello ended his three-game stretch without a point by contributing an assist, finishing the game with a plus-1 rating and no shots on goal. Kostadinski did not record any points and has now gone five games without one. He ended the match with a plus-1 rating and two shots on goal.
In the SHL, Linkoping lost to Rogle by a score of 4-1. Jonathan Myrenberg has now missed 11 games this season, and his absence is taking its toll on the team, which has a record of 4 wins, 1 overtime win, 2 losses, and 4 defeats without him. Currently, Linkoping ranks 9th in the standings, with only two teams allowing more goals than they have.
In the NCAA, Miami (Ohio) faced Robert Morris and lost for the second time in 3 nights. Nassen contributed to Miami’s only goal, which came during a power play in the second period, reducing the deficit, but that was as close as they got. Nassen’s quick adjustment to North American hockey has been a pleasant surprise. He has made a strong start, though it’s uncertain if he can keep up his current almost point-per-game rate.
After suffering a loss to Sacred Heart the night before, U-Mass bounced back strong with a 6-1 win. Locmelis assisted on the game-winning goal, recorded a plus-2 rating, had one shot on goal, and won 65% of his faceoffs. Although he hasn’t scored his first goal of the season yet, he has been averaging a point per game with five assists over five games.
North Dakota’s record fell to 2-1-0 after a 3-0 defeat against Minnesota State. Schmaltz did not score in this game and ended with a minus-1 rating, along with 2 shots on goal and a faceoff win rate of 11 out of 16. Although he is still seeking his first point of the season in a more defensive role, he is taking more shots than before. In the past few seasons, he averaged 1.23, 1.58, and 1.36 shots per game, but this season he is currently averaging 1.67 shots per game.
Minnesota defeated Minnesota-Duluth once again, this time by a score of 5-1. Hendrickson was not in on the scoring and was a plus-1 with 2 SOG in the contest. I continue to be impressed with his work ethic and compete level as well as his constant pursuit of the puck.
Quinnipiac lost 6-5 to Maine in overtime. Pelosi gave Quinnipiac a 5-4 lead early in the third with his first career goal only to have Maine tie it with 28 seconds remaining and force overtime where the took the win. This was Pelosi’s best game to date. He finished with 2 SOG and was 10 for 17 on the dot.
Boston College defeated the USNTDP 8-4 in an exhibition game. Jellvik and Gasseau had assists in the win while Letourneau had a goal and an assist. Letourneau left the game with an injury and did not return.
Sunday October 20
It was a rough day for Moncton as they lost 6-3 to the Cape Breton Eagles in QMJHL action. No points for Johansson and he was a minus-1 with 2 shots on goal.
The Providence Bruins lost to the Springfield Thunderbirds on Saturday, by a final score of 4-2. Fabian Lysell and John Farinacci both scored their first goals of the season. Tyler Pitlick, who joined the team on a PTO earlier that week, assisted on Farinacci’s goal. Jordan Oesterle assisted on Lysell’s goal, extending his point streak to three games. Brandon Bussi saved 20 out of 24 shots but is still searching for his first win of the season.
In the rematch on Sunday, Michael DiPietro stopped all 23 shots he faced as Providence won 3-0. Oesterle kept his streak alive with his second goal of the season set up by Riley Duran and Lysell. It was Lysell’s best game of the season to date. He even stood up for himself after a hit in the second period. Vinni Lettieri added his third of the season from Farinacci and Ryan Mast. Patrick Brown sealed the win with an empty net goal.
Here’s a look at the Providence Bruins leaders. You will notice a column called “Benchrates” This is provided by our friends at Benchrates. Created by a retired hockey player, Benchrates has created an 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:
On Monday, Chris Nosek and myself will be on the Dom-Hockey Podcast discussing all the Bruins prospects and if anyone is ready to help the big club. If you enjoy the show, please give us a like and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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