Liam Pettersson – Djurgardens IF – U20 Nationell
Sweden defeated Slovakia 4-1 in their opener of the Five Nations U20 Tournament. Pettersson earned the secondary assist on the game winning goal with a perfect tic-tac-toe goal.
In Sweden’s second game of the tournament, a 9-2 rout of Switzerland, Pettersson continued to bolster his case for a spot on the World Junior Championship roster. The left-shot defenseman scored the game-winning goal on a shot from the left point that slipped through the goaltender’s grasp and trickled over the goal line. He also chipped in two assists, finishing with a three-point performance in the lopsided victory.
Pettersson kept his push for a WJC roster spot alive when he scored the opening goal in Sweden’s 4-2 win over Finland on Saturday. With 2 goals and 3 assists, he has points in each of Sweden’s first three games and leads all defensemen and is second overall in scoring in the tournament. While he’s been involved in 36% of Sweden’s offense, he’s only been on the ice for 1 goal against.
On Sunday, Sweden capped off a perfect 4-0 run at the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Czechia. For the first time in four games, Pettersson was held off the scoresheet, but his overall performance remained among the tournament’s best. He finished with two goals and three assists, ranking second in tournament scoring and leading all defensemen in points.
A couple of months ago, Pettersson appeared to be a long shot to make Sweden’s World Junior Championship roster. Since then, however, his play has elevated him into the discussion and put him on the radar as a candidate for selection.
Kirill Yemelyanov, Matvei Kotkov – Loko Yaroslav – KHL
Loko was blanked 1-0 by Lada on Monday. Kotkov had 1 SOG with 14:30 TOI while Yemelyanov had 1 SOG and 8:04 TOI in the loss.
They bounced back into the win column Thursday with a 4-1 victory over Spartak, the club for which Yuri Ivanov plays part-time, improving their record to 16-6-0 and moving into second place in the Western Conference. Kotkov was held off the scoresheet and did not record a shot on goal while skating 9:47. Yemelyanov did not dress for the game.
In Friday, they lost 1-0 to Lada once again, this time in a shootout. Kotkov had zeroes across the board and only played 8:26. Yemelyanov did not dress.
Loko defeated Neftekhimik 5-1 on Sunday. Kotkov scored his sixth of the season with just 3 seconds remaining in the game. He had 3 SOG and was a plus-2 with 12:40 TOI. Yemelyanov did not play.
Nils Bartholdsson – Rogle BK – U20 Nationell
Off week.
Oscar Olsson – Orebro HK – U20 Nationell
Off week and hopefully he will be back from his injury when play resumes.
Vashek Blanar – HV71 – U20 Nationell
Czechia lost their first game of the Five Nations U20 tournament by a score of 402 to Switzerland on Wednesday. Blanar did not register a hot and had 3 SOG while skating on the second defensive pair. He saw time in all situations, which is a good sign if he is to make the WJC roster.
On Friday, they improved to 1-1 with a 4-1 win over Finland. Blanar did not factor in on the 4 Czech goals. A 2-minute kneeing penalty did not prove costly, but could have been worse.
As noted above, Czechia closed out the tournament with a 2-1 loss to Sweden on Sunday, finishing second in the standings with a 2-2-0 record. While Blanar did not register a point during the event, he consistently created offensive opportunities from the back end and emerged as one of Czechia’s most effective defensemen. Based on his performance, he appears to be a strong candidate to earn a spot on Czechia’s World Junior Championship roster.
Cole Spicer – Western Michigan
Western Michigan continues to roll as they defeated North Dakota in a shootout Friday, but the score is officially a 2-2 tie. Spicer did not register a point, had 2 SOG and was 6 for 15 on the dot.
Saturday was a different story as North Dakota won 4-1. Spicer did not register a point, had 1 SOG and was 5 for 16 on the dot and was pointless over the weekend.
Casper Nassen – Lake Superior State
Lake Superior had a couple of exhibition games against Maryville as it was a bye week for them.
William Zellers, Cooper Simpson – University of North Dakota
North Dakota skated to a 2-2 draw with Western Michigan on Friday before falling in the shootout. Neither Zellers or Simpson found the scoresheet and spent some quality time together throughout the game. Zellers recorded three shots on goal, while Simpson finished with one.
North Dakota skated to a 4-1 victory in Saturday’s rematch, but neither Zellers nor Simpson was able to find the scoresheet. Zellers registered two shots on goal, while Simpson put three pucks on net. Both players finished the game with an even plus-minus rating.
Dean Letourneau, Kristian Kostadinski, Will Moore, Roberto Henriquez – Boston College
Things continue to trend in the wrong direction for Boston College, which fell to Vermont 5-2 on Thursday, dropping to 2-5-1 on the season. The Eagles also received little help in goal, as Leo Henriquez made his second start of the year but lasted less than 13 minutes after surrendering three goals on eight shots before being pulled. On the blue line, Boston College relied heavily on five defensemen throughout the night. Kostadinski logged a career-high 21:09 of ice time and finished with a minus-1 rating. The lone bright spot continued to be Dean Letourneau, who scored his sixth goal of the season. The tally extended his season-opening point streak to eight games, making him one of the few consistent offensive performers for an Eagles team still searching for answers early in the year.
In Friday’s rematch, Boston College and Vermont skated to a 4-4 tie before Vermont claimed the shootout. Kostadinski scored the first NCAA goal of his career, wiring a long wrist shot from the point through traffic and into the net. With BC dressing just five defensemen, he logged 24:18 of ice time and finished with two shots on goal. Letourneau saw his eight-game point streak come to an end, but not for a lack of chances, as he fired nine shots on goal, won 15 of 24 faceoffs, and logged 27:39 of ice time. Henriquez did not play, while Moore remains sidelined with an injury.
Chris Pelosi, Elliott Groenewold – Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac improved to 6-2-0 with a 4-1 win over Cornell on Friday, powered by a hat trick from Pelosi. His first goal came after a self-pass down the right wing that sent him in alone, where he beat the goaltender high on the far side. He added a second goal from the slot, finishing a pass with a low shot short side, before completing the hat trick with a shorthanded empty-net marker. Pelosi finished with six shots on goal, won eight of 16 faceoffs, and logged 17:43 of ice time. Groenewold contributed an assist, recorded two shots on goal, and skated 21:09, but was assessed a five-minute major for a hit from behind with just under three minutes remaining in regulation.
Quinnipiac needed overtime to secure a 4-3 victory over Colgate on Saturday, and Pelosi remained at the center of the offensive attack with two assists. One of those helpers came on the game-winning goal, as Pelosi set up Groenewold’s first tally of the season just 18 seconds into overtime. After taking a pass along the right wing, Pelosi carried the puck into the offensive zone and threaded a feed to Groenewold, who beat his defender to the net before finishing with a forehand-backhand move for the winner. Pelosi finished with one shot on goal, won 12 of 21 faceoffs, and logged 20:57 of ice time. Groenewold, meanwhile, recorded four shots on goal while skating a team-high 22:20.
Jonathan Morello – Boston University
BU defeated Michigan State 6-2 on Friday. They improved to 7-2-0 on the season. Morello did not register a point, had 2 SOG and was 3 for 8 on the dot with 15:50 TOI.
It was a different tale on Saturday as Michigan State blanked BU 5-0. Obviously, there were no points for Morello. He managed 3 SOG and was 7 for 12 on the dot with 14:57 TOI.
Beckett Hendrickson – University of Minnesota
Minnesota improved to 3-3-2 on the season with a 4-3 overtime victory over Penn State on Thursday. Hendrickson was held off the scoresheet and did not record a shot on goal, while finishing with a team-worst minus-2 rating in 12:10 of ice time.
Saturday brought a different result as Wisconsin defeated Minnesota 6-0. Nothing much to write home about here as Hendrickson had 8:43 TOI.
Ryan Walsh – Cornell University
Ryan Walsh was named to the US Collegiate roster that will take part at the Spengler Cup next month.
Cornell fell to 1-2-0 on the season Friday after dropping a 4-1 decision to Quinnipiac. Walsh picked up an assist on Cornell’s lone goal and led the team with four shots on net. He finished the night with a minus-1 rating, went 12-for-26 in the faceoff circle, and logged 17:26 of ice time.
Cornell got back into the win column with a 3-2 win over Princeton on Saturday. Walsh was held off the scoresheet and was a plus-1 but without a SOG. He went 11 for 24 on the dot.
Cullen McCrate – Brantford Bulldogs – OHL
On Friday, Brantford defeated Sarnia 3-2 to get back into the win column. McCrate is still out with an injury.
McCrate would miss Sunday’s game against the Oshawa Generals.
Cole Chandler – Cape Breton – QMJHL
Cape Breton’s five-game winning streak came to an end Friday with a 4-1 loss to Halifax. Despite the setback, Chandler extended his point streak to five games with an assist. He finished the night with a minus-1 rating, recorded three shots on goal, and won three of seven faceoffs.
On Saturday, Cape Breton dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to Charlottetown. Chandler recorded his sixth goal of the season, pulling the Eagles even at 2-2 on a fortunate bounce late in the second period. A pass from the left corner found Chandler stationed at the top of the crease, where the puck deflected off his skate and lofted over the goaltender. Chandler finished the night with a plus-1 rating, three shots on goal, and won 10 of his 14 faceoffs.
Chandler extended his point streak to seven games with an assist in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats. During that stretch, he has recorded five goals and five assists, continuing to provide consistent offensive production. He is now tracking toward a 25-goal, 41-assist season, putting him remarkably close to my preseason projection of 28 goals and 41 assists.
Jacob Vandeven – London Knights – OHL
The London Knights defeated the Saginaw Spirit 5-3 on Friday. Vandeven had zeroes across the board.
On Sunday, the Knights fell 4-2 to the Sarnia Sting. Vandeven was held pointless with 1 SOG.
Yuri Ivanov – Spartak – MHL
Tending goal for Spartak’s main MHL club on Thursday, Ivanov turned aside 31 of 35 shots in a 5-4 victory over Almaz. While the final numbers show a solid outing, he was at his best through the opening 40 minutes, helping Spartak weather a significant shot deficit as Almaz controlled much of the play and built a 25-17 edge in shots. Despite owning an impressive 1.25 goals-against average and .958 save percentage on the season, his 2-2-0 record remains a puzzling reflection of how well he has played.
On Saturday, Ivanov was brilliant in a 3-1 win over Loko. He stopped 54 of 55 shots he faced including all 23 he faced in the third period as Loko tried to mount a comeback. Ivanov may have found his groove – not that it was lacking – and looks poised to take over the number one role over more experienced goaltenders.
The two teams met again on Sunday and Ivanov turned aside 33 of 34 shots in a dominant 5-1 victory over Loko. He was outstanding throughout the contest, carrying a shutout into the third period before surrendering the lone goal against midway through the frame.
While his 4-2-0 record may not fully reflect the quality of his play, Ivanov’s numbers with the club have been exceptional, highlighted by a 1.18 goals-against average and a .966 save percentage. He just doesn’t always get the run support.
Providence Bruins
Providence rallied for a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Hamilton Hammers on Friday night, powered by a remarkable finish from Michael Eyssimont, who was recalled by Boston on Saturday morning following James Hagens’ injury. Eyssimont erupted for a natural hat trick in the final 2:08 of regulation to complete the comeback. Riley Duran and Alex Steeves each added a goal and an assist, while Ty Gallagher drove the offense from the backend with four assists. Jordan Harris and Ivan Ivan chipped in two assists apiece, and Simon Zajicek turned aside 24 of 28 shots to earn the win.
Their brief win streak came to an end on Saturday as Belleville defeated Providence 5-2. Jiri Patera stopped 27 of 32 shots he faced in the loss. Dans Locmelis scored both goals for Providence and looks to be at full form now. Not much else to say about this game.
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:
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