Les Mooseheads forcent la tenue d'un 6ième match

Pour un deuxième match d’affilé, les Remparts avaient la chance d’envoyer les Mooseheads en vacances pour de bon. Mais pour une 5ième fois en autant de rencontres, les hommes de Dominique Ducharme ont marqué le 1er but du match et en ont profité pour se diriger vers une victoire de 3-2 sur les Diables Rouges, vendredi soir, au Metro Center de Halifax pour forcer la tenue d’un 6ième match qui aura lieu lundi soir au Colisée Pepsi de Québec.

Le jeune prodige des Mooseheads, Nathan Mackinnon, a encore une fois connu un fort match. Il a marqué le but gagnant sur une savante passe de Jonathan Drouin au 3ième tiers et a en plus récolté une mention d’aide. Jusqu’à maintenant, en 9 rencontres en séries éliminatoires, l’attaquant natif de Dartmouth a marqué un impressionnant total de 10 buts et a en plus amassé 5 passes pour un total 15 points. Il a de plus maintenu un différentiel de +9. C’est tout simplement exceptionnel. Surtout qu’il n’est âgé que de 16 ans! De l’autre côté, Mikhail Grigorenko, son rival, si on peut l’appeler ainsi, a connu un autre match difficile. Il a trop souvent été invisible lors de ses présences sur la patinoire. Il a tout de même terminé le match avec une récolté de 1 point. Une passe qu’il a récolé sur le but de Gabriel Desjardins en 3e période.

Cameron Critchlow 5ième, Trey Lewis 1er et Nathan Mackinnon 10ième ont trouvé le fond du filet pour les Mooseheads. Martin Lefebvre 4ième et Gabriel Desjardins, ex-Orignaux, 7ième ont riposté pourQuébec. Halifax a dominé 39-26 au chapitre des tirs au but. Louis Domingue a connu un départ fort acceptable stoppant 36 rondelles. De l’autre côté, Zachary Fucale a encore une fois, je me répète, été incroyable. Il a d’ailleurs volé Adam Erne en 1ière période avec la jambière droite. Il a réalisé 24 arrêts.

Selon Patrick Roy, les Mooseheads méritaient la victoire. «Ils ont bien joué ce soir, ils méritaient assurément la victoire. Ils ont été plus combatifs que nous, ils ont gagné les batails le long des rampes et ils enont profité.» a-t-il affirmé après la rencontre.

9664 spectateurs ont assisté à cet excellent duel. Il s’agit de la 3ième meilleure assistance de l’histoire des Mooseheads au Metro Center. Les 9 & 10 Mai 2005, 10 596 spectateurs avaient assisté aux deux visites de Sidney Crosby alors que celui-ci évoluait à l’époque avec l’Océanic de Rimouski.

Donc, avec cette victoire, un match 6 sera au minimum nécessaire dans cette série pour déclarer un vainqueur. Il aura lieu lundi, 16 Avril, au Colisée Pepsi de Québec. Le match débutera dès 19h (heure de l’Est). Si les Mooseheads parviennent à l’emporter, le match ultime aura lieu immédiatement le lendemain, même heure, même place.

Les Mooseheads acculés au pied du mur

Halifax, NÉ - Les Remparts l’ont emporté par la marque de 5-3 sur lesMooseheads mardi soir au Metro Center de Halifax devant une foule de 8204spectateurs pour ainsi acculer la formation Néo-Écossaise au pied du mur en prenant l’avance3-0 dans cette série quart de final 4 de 7.

L’attaquant numéro 21 des Remparts, Micheal McNamee, a assurémentété la grande vedette de la soirée inscrivant 3 buts pour mériter son tour duchapeau et la 1e étoile du match. Il s’agissait de ses 2e,3e et 4e buts des présentes séries éliminatoires. PatrickRoy attendait justement le réveil de son attaquant qui n’avait marqué qu’unseul but en 6 matchs en séries d’après saison. Il en demandait plus, il en aobtenu d’avantage immédiatement!

Konrad Abeltshauser a ouvert la marque en première période avecun puissant tir de la pointe droite qui a trompé la vigilance de Louis Domingue.Mais l’avance des Orignaux n’a pas duré bien longtemps. À peine 2 minutes plus tard,Micheal McNamee a marqué le premier de ses 3 filets de la soirée pour nivelerla marque 1-1. Un total de 16 minutes de pénalité ont été distribuées lors de cepremier engagement. Après avoir pris les devants 3-1 grâce à des buts deMatthew Boudreau (2e) et d’Alexandre Grenier (2e) au deuxième tiers, les hommesde Dominique Ducharme se sont complètement écroulés. D’abord, Kurt Etchegary (1er)a déjoué Zachary Fucale entre les jambières à l’aide d’un tir frappé de l’enclavepour réduire la marque à 3-2. Puis, une minute plus tard, «Big Mac» MichealMcNamee a inscrit son 2e de la rencontre pour créer l’égalité 3-3.Le deuxième vingt se termina par cette marque. Par la suite, en troisièmepériode, l’ontarien a complété son tour du chapeau avant devoir Jérémie Malouin (6e) confirmer la victoire des siens dans unfilet désert. Les Remparts ont dominé 37-22 au chapitre des tirs au but.

Micheal McNamme (#21) célébrant son tour du chapeau

À noter que surprenamment, en 3 matchs, les Remparts n’ontjamais eu l’avance après deux périodes face aux Mooseheads. Ils l’ont tout demême emporté à 3 reprises. Un aspect qui sera quand même à améliorer pour latroupe de Patrick Roy si celle-ci veut espérer vaincre des équipes commeShawinigan ou Saint-John dans les rondes suivantes. L’avantage numérique seraaussi à peaufiner. Après avoir roulé à un train d’enfer contre les Voltigeurs,l’attaque à 5 des Diables Rouges connait des difficultés récemment.

Les Mooseheads feront donc face à l’élimination dès demainsoir devant leurs partisans au Metro Center. Si Halifax l’emporte, un match 5sera nécessaire vendredi soir, de nouveau en Nouvelle-Écosse en raison duformat 2-3-2 de cette série. Le match débutera dès 18h.


Crédit photo: Le Journal de Québec

Second round ready to go

After Chicoutimi's 4-3 overtime win over Bathurst in Game 6 Sunday night, the second round of the playoffs is set to go.

The No. 1 Saint John Sea Dogs will play the 13th-seeded Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who upset the Victoriaville Tigres 4-0. The series starts Friday April 6 in Saint John with Game Two going on Saturday. The series will switch to Baie-Comeau for games three, four and five on April 10, 11 and 13 respectively. Games six and seven will be back in Saint John on April 16 and 17.

Shawinigan will play the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

Shawinigan won their first-round matchup against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 4-0.

The series gets underway Friday April 6 and April 7 in Shawinigan.

The third series includes the third-placed Blainville-Boisbriand Armada taking on the seventh-seeded Rimouski Oceanic.

Armada won their series against Gatineau 4-0. Rimouski swept Val-'d'Or in four games.

The series kicks off Friday April 6 in Blainville.

Last but not least, the Quebec Remparts will battle against the Halifax Mooseheads. This series will feature Mooseheads' Nathan MacKinnon going up against Remparts' Mikhail Grigorenko.

Quebec swept Drummondville in the first round and Halifax swept rival Moncton Wildcats.

This will be the second series in the second round to have a 2-3-2 format. Quebec gets games one and two on Friday and Saturday, and Halifax gets games three to five. Games six and seven will come back to Quebec if necessary.

Stay tuned for The Q Spot's second round predictions.

Click here for playoff bracket.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Who's Hot, Who's Not: Feb. 20th - 26th

Two wingers from one of the league’s lowest ranked clubs take home hottest players of the week honours here at the q spot, and a team other than the Sea Dogs will be recognized for their strong play of late.  With less distinction, one of the league’s top scorers on what should be one of the top ranked teams is cooling down, and there’s no foreshadowing it, P.E.I is freezing in February.

The Val d’Or Foreurs may be near the QMJHL basement in 14^th place but the teams’ second leadings scorer Benjamin Casavant is one of the hottest producers in the league right now. Casavant has 29 goals and 60 points in 51 games this season.  Even at over a point per game on the season, February has been a good month.  Casavant is in the midst of a nine game point streak this month that at one point saw him score a goal in seven straight. He has 12 points in those nine games.

Anthony Mantha may be a surprise second entry for the lowly Foreurs this week. Prior to the beginning of February, Mantha had managed only 23 points in 55 games, and then only two points in his first four games to start the month.  But since then, Mantha has put together a six game goal scoring streak where he earned 12 points.  In ten games this month Mantha has put up 14 points and 26 points in his last 18.

This is the longest goal scoring streaks for both Mantha (Current) and Casavant (broken 02/26) QMJHL careers, and both players second longest points streak. Mantha had an eight game streak lasting until the end of January and Casavant has twice reached the 10 point plateau.

Despite Halifax’s strong play of late, 25 goal scorer Matthew Boudreau has struggled.  A two goal output on February 10^th against Chicoutimi improved Boudreau to a point per game with 52 points in 52 games.  Boudreau and the Mooseheads have played seven times since that game with Halifax sporting an impressive 5-2 record. Yet Boudreau hasn’t scored a point and is a minus five in those same seven games.  Boudreau’s will look to break out of his slump over the next three games which are against Gatineau and Rouyn-Noranda. In the two games against those two clubs this season, Boudreau has scored two goals and added an assist to go with a plus three rating.

Last week’s cold team of the week, the Chicoutimi Saguenees, continue to struggle, and nobody is feeling it more than leading scorer Guillaume Asselin. Asselin sits 18^th in league scoring with 67 points in 59 games but has only scored one goal and one assist in his last seven games.  A four game slump in the middle of those seven games was the longest he has been held without a point this season.

The Halifax Mooseheads are the surprise hot team of the QMJHL this week.  Halifax entered what may have been their hardest stretch of the year including four games in five nights on the road.  In their last nine games Halifax has had to play Shawinigan and Victoriaville twice, and Saint John and Chicoutimi once. Shawinigan, Saint John, and Victoriaville are first, second, and third in points this season.  Halifax won four of those six games and are 6-2-0-1 in their last nine. Within those nine games the Mooseheads have even managed a four game winning streak, swept Victoriaville and split with Shawinigan. One of their two losses was a hotly contested 4-3 against the Saint John Sea Dogs. Their only other regulation loss was to the memorial cup hosts Shawinigan. 

You don’t have to travel from this week’s hottest team to find its coldest. The P.E.I Rocket have had a dismal February. The Rocket have now lost eight straight being outscored 45-13 in the process. Four in a row were at home by a combined score of 24-3. Positive news is leading scorer Ben Duffy is starting to break out of his slump with two points in his last three games. Less fortunate news is the team’s next game will be against the Saint John Sea dogs at Harbour Station.  Their last meeting ended in a 10-1 drubbing.

Honourable Mentions: 

The Saint John Sea Dogs have won 14 straight games now, and 15 of their last 16.

Montreal Canadians first round pick Nathan Beaulieu of the Saint John Sea Dogs had a seven game point streak snapped Saturday in Moncton. Beaulieu has 1 goal and 14 points in nine games in February. 

16-year-old Halifax Mooseheads forward Ryan Falkenham had a four game streak snapped Saturday against Shawinigan. The longest streak of the young rookie’s career saw him score four goals and add two assists.

*Disclaimer- 15 of 16 does not include forfeit to Gatineau that Saint John originally won.

Halifax Mooseheads battle Sea Dogs in Saint John tonight

The two longest winning streaks in the QMJHL will be on the line tonight in Saint John as the Halifax Mooseheads visit Harbour Station.

The powerhouse Saint John Sea Dogs (41-14-2-0) boast an impressive 11 game winning streak and have only lost one game in 2012. Expect to see their high flying offence on display tonight in front of their hometown fans. Saint John has scored 21 goals in their last three games.

The Mooseheads (33-18-2-4) will be in tough trying to shut down first round selections Jonathan Huberdeau and Nathan Beaulieu. Each have nine points in their past three games. If that weren’t enough for the Mooseheads defenders to think about, Charlie Coyle and Tomas Jurco each have six points in those same three games.

Halifax has been impressive themselves lately, winners of four straight and six of their past 10. Halifax will be hoping for their leading scorer, Nathan MacKinnon, to return from a thumb injury. He will be a game time decision.

The Mooseheads last played in Bathurst where they exploded for six second period goals before allowing five in the third to set up a tense final minute.

The Sea Dogs lead the season series 5-1 and outscoring Halifax by a margin of 31-15. Their last match was a 7-3 Sea Dog victory. In that game, Coyle and Jurco each scored two goals and Huberdeau added two assists.

Who to watch tonight:

Jonathan Huberdeau (Saint John) – 26GP -19G -33A -52PTS, Has scored five points in three games against Halifax this season.

Zach Fucale(Halifax) – 47GP-3.11GAA -.892S%, Has given up more than three goals only twice in his last seven games.

Moosheads survive tough road trip

The Halifax Mooseheads returned home after a successful road trip which concluded Sunday evening in Victoriaville, Que. The Mooseheads earned five points out of a maximum of eight despite playing some of the league’s top teams in a span of five days.

It started Wednesday night in Baie Comeau against the Drakkar. This game featured a lot of publicity of all the wrong reasons as there was a controversial, although quite successful, marketing campaign targeting 16-year-old star Nathan MacKinnon. In front of a very detestable crowd, MacKinnon would score the game’s first goal. Halifax eventually lost 2-1 in a shootout.

Friday night in Chicoutimi was a rematch of the January tilt which was aired nationally on Rogers Sportsnet. The Moose lost that game 7-4 but were able to exact some revenge Friday thanks in part to Matt Boudreau’s two goals, one of which came on the power play. The Moose would go on to win 4-1.

Saturday saw the Memorial Cup hosts Shawinigan prove too strong for the depleted and weary Mooseheads. Shawinigan won the game 5-2 outshooting Halifax 43-17 in the process. Despite Shawinigan carrying the play most of the night, Halifax kept the score close until the final minute when Shawinigan scored two goals in the empty net.

Halifax’s roadtrip came to a conclusion Sunday afternoon in Victoriaville. Andrew Ryan scored his seventh of the season and Alex Grenier scored in the shootout to give Halifax a 2-1 victory.

The Mooseheads (30-18-2-4) won’t have much time to rest after what could be their toughest road trip of the season. They play back-to-back games at home starting Thursday night against the sixth-place Rimouski Oceanic (34-22-0-0). Then on Friday, the Moose will once again play the fourth-place VictoriavilleTigres (35-16-1-3).

Fucale, Huberdeau and Brunelle named Telus three stars of the week

Zachery Fucale, Jonathan Huberdeau and Jonathan Brunelle have been named the Telus three stars of the week, the QMJHL announced today.

The week is the period spanning from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12.

Zachery Fucale, 16, of the Halifax Moosheads is the week's first star.

The rookie goaltender posted a 2-1-0-1 record and a 1.44 goals-against average.

On Wednesday Feb. 8, Fucale made 35 saves in a win over the Drakkar. On Friday Feb. 10, he made 32 saves and was named the game's first star in a 4-1 win over the Chicotumi Sagueneens. On Saturday, he allowed three goals on 41 shots against the Shawinigan Cataractes in a 5-2 loss. On Sunday, he made 23 saves in a 2-1 shootout win over the Victoriaville Tigres.

The week's second star is Saint John Sea Dogs superstar Jonathan Huberdeau.

The 18-year-old recorded four goals for six points in two games.

In a 5-0 win over the P.E.I. Rocket on Saturday, the St. Jerome, Que. native had a hat-trick and added an assist. The next day, he recorded a goal and an assist in a 7-2 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs captain has 17 goals and 45 points in 24 games this season.

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles captain Jonathan Brunelle is the third star of the week.

The 20-year-old forward had three goals for eight points.

On Thursday Feb. 9, Brunelle collected two assists against the Gatineau Olympiques. On Saturday, he scored a goal and added a pair of assists. On Sunday, he had a pair of a goals and an assist.

The Boisbriand, Que. native has 23 goals and 69 points in 54 games this season.

Photo courtesy of metro.ca

nolan@theqspot.ca

Three QMJHL Players in Bob MacKenzie's latest draft rankings

Bob McKenzie named his top 30 players for the upcoming draft in a rankings special Tuesday night on TSN. Of the 30 players he named, two currently play in the QMJHL and one is slated to play in the Q next season.

Here are the players named by MacKenzie:

2. Mikhail Grigorenko, F, Quebec Remparts - Grigorenko started the season as a one-dimensional player, and Patrick Roy has turned him into a well rounded player, says MacKenzie. MacKenzie compared Grigorenko to Evgeni Malkin & Pavel Datsyuk. He called him a "200 foot player". He also said some scouts might rather Grigorenko as he's a big center. He noted that Grigorenko hasn't played well since high ankle sprain. He said that if the team with the first overall pick thinks they're close they might take him over Nail Yakupov, because of his two way play.
He also noted that most scouts said they would take Yakupov, but he has talked to some that would rather take Grigorenko. His biggest asset is that he's a big, two-way center, a hot comodity in today's NHL.

24. Martin Frk, F, Halifax. MacKenzie did not speak in depth about Frk, but he has Frk ranked in and around where most have him ranked. No real surprise there.

*25. Stefan Matteau, F, USA. Matteau is not playing in the QMJHL currently, as he is currently with USA Under-18, but he will join the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada next season, where his father is the coach. His ranking is on par with where others have him ranked as well.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Grigorenko handed golden opportunity by CHL boss

Many fans were left disappointed Wednesday night as potential first overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft, Nail Yakupov, skipped out on the Top Prospects game.

One person who should not have been left disappointed is the player battling Yakupov for first overall. His name is Mikhail Grigorenko.

Grigorenko had a prime opportunity to display his talents in front of hundreds of scouts and have all their eyes on him. If Yakupov had played, Grigorenko still would have been on display, but in a more diluted fashion.

The Top Prospects game is one of the most important games for scouts to evaluate players. Aside from the World Junior Championship, this game is the single biggest indicator of how a player can fare against top competition.

Grigorenko did in fact impress, dazzling scouts with his vision and playmaking skills. There were some criticisms, but that was just white noise.

If Yakupov, a fellow Russian just like Grigorenko, had played, maybe scouts would have been solely focused on him, thus missing out on the brilliance that is Grigorenko.

And now, Grigorenko has been gifted another opportunity to shine, without Yakupov breathing down his neck.

David Branch, president of the CHL, and commissioner of the OHL (Where Yakupov plays), handed down a two game suspension to Yakupov for skipping out on the game.

This may come as a surprise to some, as Yakupov is the OHL’s biggest star, and main attraction, but skipping the game, without sufficient evidence of an injury, means an automatic two game ban. This is similar to the suspension Martin Frk of the Halifax Mooseheads, received for opting to rest, rather than participate for his country in the World Junior Championship.

Grigorenko, who has already played 14 more games than Yakupov, due to injury, needs to capitalize on every opportunity he can. Grigorenko’s points per game is 1.51 compared to Yakupov’s 1.89. That’s a wide margin to make up. That’s why these two games are crucial for Grigorenko.

The suspension to Yakupov could have happened to Grigorenko as well, had he not traveled to Kelowna for the game. But Grigorenko did go, much to the dismay of Remparts Head Coach and General Manager Patrick Roy.

Grigorenko was examined by doctors on site and cleared to play in the game.

And this is what Branch’s problem with the folks in Sarnia was. Had he at least taken the trip, the medical staff on site could have looked at him. If they deemed him not healthy enough to play, no suspension would have been handed down. Clearly though, it was more a case of him not participating, than being injured, as Yakupov was healthy enough to play in Sarnia’s game against Kingston just three days prior to the event.

So, again it is Grigorenko’s time to shine. While it is only a two game suspension, chances are, with Yakupov out, all eyes will again be turned to Grigorenko. If he can have a couple strong games, perhaps scouts will start paying attention to him more and more. Certainly when Yakupov returns, eyes will again be on him. But you can bet Grigorenko will do everything in his power to keep as much of the spotlight on him.

Hopefully the unintentional gift given to him by Branch can be repaid come the NHL draft in June in the form of going first overall.

You can bet Grigorenko would love nothing more.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Game Previews-February 3rd, 2012

Game of Interest:

Saint John (36-13-0-2) at Drummondville (21-25-2-4)- Something has to give. Both teams have winning streaks; Drummondville has a four game streak going, while Saint John is riding a five game streak. This is a definite game of interest.

Players to Watch

Jonathan Oligny (Drummondville) & Ian Saab (Saint John). Oligny and Saab are one and two respectively in penalty minutes and major penalties. Expect them to drop the gloves tonight.

Other games on the Q schedule tonight:
Moncton (23-23-3-2) at Halifax (27-16-2-3)

Cape Breton (20-28-0-2) at P.E.I. (16-31-2-2)

Rimouski (31-21-0-0) at Quebec (32-12-4-2)

Victoriaville (33-16-1-2) at Baie-Comeau (24-22-1-3)

Gatineau (19-23-4-4) at Blainville-Boisbriand (27-20-2-1)

Rouyn-Noranda (16-29-2-3) at Chicoutimi (26-16-3-6)

Val-d’Or (21-26-0-4) at Shawinigan (34-11-2-3)

Weegar commits to Mooseheads next season

Halifax Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell’s job this summer may have gotten a whole lot easier.

The Halifax Mooseheads announced today that Mackenzie “Mac” Weegar of the Nepean Raiders will commit to the team for the 2012-13 season.

Weegar reported to the Mooseheads training camp this past summer after being acquired by trade from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies just after the OHL Waiver draft.

A relative unknown to most who follow the Mooseheads, the offensive defenseman turned heads at camp, with a lot of fans predicting him to make the opening night line-up. Unfortunately for Weegar, the play of Josh Desmond and Mitchell Shewfelt couldn’t guarantee that spot.

With the NCAA eligibility deadline looming, Weegar informed the team he would not be remaining at camp, leaving the team and fans wondering what the future held. The question will now be about where Weegar will fit into next seasons depth chart.

Weegar’s offensive talents, if able to translate to the major junior level will solve a lot of problems that Russell was going to face this offseason. Weegar is second in defensive scoring in the Central Canada Tier 1 Junior Hockey League at just over a point per game. His 10 Goals and 44 points in 43 games lag only behind teammate Ryan Johnston. The Mooseheads will be expecting Weegar’s offense to fill the void that will inevitably be left when Konrad Abeltshauser, Halifax’s current offensive leader from the blue line, turns pro at the conclusion of this season.

The arrival of Weegar should also give Russell a few more assets to work with this offseason. The Mooseheads will still need to find at least one top pairing defenseman if they want to compete on the national level. Possibly two, if Steve Gillard is unable to recover from his concussion and return to past form. This will leave Desmond, Shewfelt, Austyn Hardie, newly acquired Brendan Duke and prospect Brian Lovell competing for the three remaining spots. This will leave Russell with some tough choices this summer as two of those names will likely be included in a move to acquire needed 20-year-old players.

Weegar currently stands at 5-11 and 183-pounds according to NHL Central Scouting who also have the right hander ranked 160th among North American skaters leading into the 2012 NHL draft.

The QMJHL at the Home Hardware Top Prospects Game

Well, it’s that time of the year again.

The CHL’s finest draft-eligible prospects have gathered in Kelowna, B.C. to play in tonight’s Home Hardware Top Prospects Game. The game can be seen on Rogers Sportsnet beginning at 10 p.m. EST (11 p.m. Atlantic time.)

For all the invited prospects, it’s a chance for them to get noticed by scouts in the hopes of receiving an invitation to Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the participants from the QMJHL. A total of nine QMJHL prospects will be in Kelowna, with four on Team Cherry coached by Mark Recchi, and the remaining five will play for Team Orr, led by Pat Quinn.

Team Cherry
Dillon Fournier, D, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (9-20-29, 39 GP)
Even though Rouyn-Noranda is battling with P.E.I. to stay out of the QMJHL basement for the second consecutive year, Dillon Fournier has been a shining light on defence for the Huskies.

As the first pick in the Lewiston MAINEiacs Dispersal Draft in June and the sole QMJHL defender in the Top Prospects Game, the Montréal product is enjoying a breakout season, having already doubled his offensive output in just over half the number of games.

Fournier’s increased production projects similarly to what Sea Dogs defender and Canadiens first-round pick Nathan Beaulieu experienced in 2009-10, his 17-year-old season.

Central Scouting currently has Fournier listed 138th among North American skaters, but a solid showing in Kelowna could increase the attention he gets at the Entry Draft.

Martin Frk, RW, Halifax Mooseheads (8-6-14, 16 GP)
Trailing only Mikhail Grigorenko, Martin Frk is the highest-ranked QMJHL prospect playing in Kelowna tonight.
Currently ranked 25th among North American skaters by Central Scouting, the Czech forward’s draft season was derailed in the preseason by a concussion. He didn’t make his regular season debut until Dec. 9 against P.E.I., but he’s turned it around after a slow start.

Frk may have missed an opportunity to boost his stock by opting out of playing for the Czech Republic at the World Junior Hockey Championships, but he comes into Kelowna with a hot hand, having scored 11 points during his current six-game point streak.
A strong performance from Frk in the Top Prospects Game would do wonders to elevate him toward the place where scouts thought he should be ranked prior to getting injured.

Andrew Ryan, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (5-4-9, 25 GP)
Much like his teammate Frk, Andrew Ryan has also had to battle back from a pre-season injury to regain his form.
A broken ankle at the end of August cost him the first two months of the regular season, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities to impress scouts in Kelowna as he attempts to make up for lost time.

Ryan ranks 64th among North American skaters going into the game, and he’s scored just one point since the start of 2012. However, look for the St. John’s, N.L. native to come out with something to prove tonight as he looks to jump onto the radar of all scouts in attendance.

Brandon Whitney, G, Victoriaville Tigres (20-3-0-1, 2.95 GAA)
If possible, the Kentville, N.S. native has played bigger than his 6-5 stature for Victoriaville this season, which has him ranked third among all North American goaltenders in the most recent Central Scouting rankings.

He’s been a key component in Victoriaville’s efforts this season, having only lost three games while keeping his team within striking distance of Québec and Shawinigan in the TELUS East Division race.

His 20 victories are good enough to tie with Halifax’s Zachary Fucale for tops among rookie goaltenders (tied for fourth in the QMJHL), and he leads all rookie goaltenders with a 2.95 goals-against average (tied for eighth overall.)

With Central Scouting’s top-ranked North American goaltender Malcolm Subban out of the game with a groin injury, this may be Whitney’s shot to step up and put pressure on not only Subban, but also fellow Team Cherry goaltender Matt Murray, who ranks second among North American netminders.
A great performance tonight could strengthen Whitney’s argument for being the best goaltender available at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Team Orr
Francis Beauvillier, C, Rimouski Oceanic (17-7-24, 51 GP)
With teammates Jérôme Gauthier-Leduc and Alex Belzile commanding attention in Rimouski, St-Hyacinthe, Que. native Francis Beauvillier has quietly put together a solid season to date for the Oceanic.

Picked up by Rimouski in the Lewiston dispersal draft, Beauvillier ranks fourth on the team in goals (17) and sixth in points (24) through 51 games to help the Oceanic stay in the hunt for home-ice advantage in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs. His goal totals also eclipse his total from last season with the MAINEiacs, where he scored 11 times in 57 games.

Beauvillier ranks 62nd among North American skaters in the Central Scouting mid-season rankings, so this game is important if he wants to elevate his standing in the eyes of scouts.

Raphaël Bussières, LW, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (16-22-38, 43 GP)
A former first-round selection of the Moncton Wildcats in the 2009 QMJHL Draft, Raphaël Bussières has steadily continued to develop as a player after being traded to Baie-Comeau.
His point production has gone up in each of his three QMJHL seasons, and he’s averaging nearly a point per game in 2011-12. He sits tied for third on the Drakkar in goals (16) and tied for fourth in points (38).

Bussières currently sits just outside the top 50 among North American skaters in the Central Scouting rankings (57th), but a strong showing tonight in Kelowna could put him back into the top 50, and it may well put him on the minds of more NHL scouts as the Entry Draft draws closer.

Mikhail Grigorenko, RW, Québec Remparts (28-36-64, 41 GP)
With Sarnia’s Nail Yakupov out of the Top Prospects Game due to injury, the door may well be open for fellow Russian Mikhail Grigorenko to shine and further fuel debate over whose name should be called first in Pittsburgh this June.

An assistant captain for Team Orr, Grigorenko is ranked as the top prospect in the ISS mid-term rankings and second among North American skaters by Central Scouting. Grigorenko has scored in bunches since coming over to North America, producing at a rate of 1.56 points per game. The numbers could have been higher if he hadn’t played for Russia at the World Junior Hockey Championships over Christmas.

The scary part? He doesn’t turn 18 until the middle of May.

Grigorenko is a big reason why the Remparts are in the hunt in the TELUS East Division, and with a good showing in the Top Prospects Game, he may well stake his claim to the first overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Tomas Hyka, RW, Gatineau Olympiques (17-30-47, 40 GP)
If it weren’t for the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Czech forward Tomas Hyka may have been in the Philadelphia Flyers system instead of this year’s Top Prospects Game.

The Gatineau Olympiques instead became the beneficiaries, selecting Hyka with the eighth selection in the CHL Import Draft this past summer.

Hyka must have taken some advice from Flyers star and Gatineau alumnus Claude Giroux during his time in Philadelphia’s camp, because he’s adjusted to the North American game very well. He’s scored over a point per game with the Olympiques this season compared to his 2010-11 season with his hometown under-20 team, BK Mlada Boleslav, where he tallied 31 points in 38 games.

Hyka finds himself ranked 65th among North American skaters according to Central Scouting, but if he can show flashes of the confidence he displayed in his lone exhibition game as a Flyer, or the brilliance he displays in Gatineau offensively and killing penalties, Hyka surely won’t be passed over in this year’s draft as he was last year.

François Tremblay, G, Val D’Or Foreurs (14-22-0-3, 3.78 GAA)
François Tremblay has been a workhorse for Val D’Or this season, ranking fourth among all Q goaltenders in minutes played (2,253) and saves (1,054).

In fact, his workload may well skew his other statistics toward the bottom end of the spectrum, as he doesn’t rank particularly high in save percentage (18th, .881) or goals-against average (20th, 3.78 GAA).

However, Tremblay is a technically-sound, big-bodied goaltender, which should make him a valuable commodity in Pittsburgh this June.

Tremblay currently ranks sixth among North American goaltenders, but with the aforementioned Malcolm Subban, Jon Gillies (Indiana in the USHL) and Saginaw’s Jake Paterson not playing in the game, Tremblay has a golden opportunity to shine and show scouts he’s ready to take the next step.

Rimouski's Beauvillier wins fastest skater

Rimouski Oceanic forward Francis Beauvillier can add an accomplishment to his hockey resume being the CHL's fastest skater.

Beauvillier, 18, in his third QMJHL season and first with Rimouski, posted a time of 14.132 seconds, narrowly edging out Branden Troock of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.
Gatineau Olympiques forward Tomas Hyka placed fifth out of eight skaters with a time of 14.674 seconds.

Other QMJHL players in the skills competition were:

Late addition to the Top Prospects Game, Dillon Fournier of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies hit four targets in eight attempts, finishing fifth out of eight in the accuracy shooting.

Number two ranked player in the CSS, Mikhail Grigorenko of the Quebec Remparts, hit three of eight targets, finishing sixth, and Halifax Mooseheads forward Andrew Ryan finished eighth out of eight, only hitting one target in eight attempts.

In the shootout competition, Baie-Comeau's Raphael Bussieres finished tied for fourth out of 12, and Halifax's Martin Frk finished eighth.

There has been no word yet whether Frk's agent Alan Walsh has scheduled a press conference to discuss Frk's poor showing.

Frk finding success in 2012 despite Moosehead struggles

The Halifax Mooseheads struggles in 2012 continued this weekend with losses to both Cape Breton and Saint John.

Friday night at the Metro Center, Cape Breton capitalized on their chances to beat the Mooseheads 4-3 in a game where Halifax outshot their opponents 42-27.

Then Saturday, in Saint John, the Mooseheads were able to keep up with the Sea Dogs until a three goal onslaught in just over three and a half minutes in the third period, ended any ideas of a Halifax victory. However, not all is dark in Moose Country. Despite a slow start, Martin Frk has taken his game to a new level to start 2012.

Frk’s struggles this season have been well documented. He began the pre-season on fire, with six points in three games, until a concussion put him out of action until mid-December. Then a technicality kept him out of action again until after the World Junior Championships. His initial return was lackluster with only one goal in seven games. It was clear he wasn’t in game shape, and it showed. He was slow, and didn’t look nearly as dangerous as he had last season when, as a 16-year-old rookie, he was second on the Mooseheads in scoring with 22 goals and 50 points. His draft ranking plummeted. Some were projecting Frk a top 5 pick in the NHL draft entering his rookie QMJHL campaign to where he sits currently; 25^th North American Skater by CSS, 32^ndoverall by ISS, and 36^th overall on Craig Button’s Craig’s List on TSN.ca.

But while the Mooseheads are having a slow start to 2012, Martin Frk is breaking out. Frk has been held off the scoresheet only once in seven games to start the New Year. In that span he’s had three multi-point games. Frk now has 10 points on the season, five goals and five assists. Nine of those points have come in 2012. If Frk can maintain this torrid pace, he’ll finish the season with 38 points and 19 goals in only 36 games played.

Mikhail Grigorenko, the QMJHL’s top prospect, is first on the ISS rankings and second among North American skaters on the CSS rankings has 26 goals and 59 points in 37 games for the Quebec Remparts this season. Frk’s 2012 pace would put him at 24 goals and 48 points over that same timeline. Not much of difference for someone who’s currently expected to be drafted at least a full round lower this June at the NHL Entry Draft. It was Nathan MacKinnon who was supposed to be the star of Rogers Sportsnet Friday Night Hockey showdown against Chicoutimi, but it was Frk’s highlight-reel goal and NHL ready shot that dominated discussion. Frk is starting to turn some heads again and if he continues his strong play don’t be surprised to hear his name called much earlier than currently expected on draft day this summer.

Sea Dogs get first sell out of season; down Halifax 7-3

By Blair R. Cameron

The Saint John Sea Dogs were looking to continue there winning ways versus the Halifax Mooseheads at Harbour Station on Saturday Night.

The Mooseheads took the early lead on the home town Dogs, when Ashley took an amazing pass from Marty Frk and made no mistake potting the puck past the Sea Dogs net minder.

The sea dogs did not wait long to get on the board however, when Coyle scored his third of the year off a pass from Zack Phillips. The game was tied at one.

Less than a minute latter it was Coyle again, as he made no mistake on the pass from the Sea Dog captain Jonathan Huberdeau, making it 2-1 Saint John to end the first period.

The Sea Dogs would add to their lead in the second period when Danick Gauthier took a great pass from Grant West on a 2-on-1 play. Gauthier scored his 34th of the year to make it 3-1 Saint John.

The Sea Dogs would take a penalty and it would end up coasting the defending Memorial Cup Champions, as Frk scored to make it 3-2, Shots were 28-23 Sea Dogs after two periods.

The third period did not start off well for Saint John as Halifax scored 45 seconds in on a choppy play in front of the net. They got more than three shots away before one found the back of the net, tying the game at 3-3.

However 23 seconds later, the Sea Dogs Scored again to regain their one goal lead when Stephen MacAuley took an amazing feed from Tomas Jurco at 1:08.

The Dogs then went up by two as Jurco found the back of the net after being robbed three times in the second period. It was his 22nd of the year assisted by Gauthier.

Just seconds later it appeared that the Dogs made it 6-3. However, it was waived off by the refs. They did not disclose a reason nor was the play reviewed. It did not matter as the Sea Dogs made it 6-3 when Adien Kelly blasted one by the Heard's netminder with 12:22 remaining in the third period. They did review this one, and the goal was good.

The Halifax meltdown continued just over a minute latter when Jurco got his second of the night to make it 7-3 Saint John and chased the Halifax starting goalie from the net.

With 7:45 left in the final frame, Halifax took a penalty for hooking; giving the worst QMJHL powerplay another chance. The Sea Dogs then took a questionable tripping call 46 seconds later making way for some 4-on-4 action.

The Moose would then take another penalty for checking from behind at 18:14; but once again Saint John's special teams could not find the back of the net and the dogs would win the game 7-3 in front of 6,408 fans.

Looking ahead: The Sea Dogs will play tomorrow afternoon in Bathurst, Game time is 3 p.m. at the KC Irving Center.

Halifax Mooseheads: Numbers Game

The Halifax Mooseheads have won two of their past three games, defeating Drummondville 6-2 on Thursday night before losing to Chicoutimi by a score of 7-4 on Friday in a game seen nationally on Rogers Sportsnet. The Moose then traveled to Cape Breton where they required a third period comeback in order to secure a 6-4 victory. Here’s ten other numbers you need to know about the past three games.

Halifax gave up only two goals on 18 powerplay opportunities. Both were surrendered to Chicoutimi.

Three Fights in a single game versus Chicoutimi. They play again, in Chicoutimi, Feb. 10,

Jonathan Drouin led the Herd with six points. He now has 10 in nine games.

Brad Cuzner scored his 10^th goal of the season, Shorthanded, against his former club Sunday afternoon. It was the eventual game winner. Four of those 10 goals have come at the expense of the Screaming Eagles.

Nathan MacKinnon scored his team leading 22^nd goal Friday night on Rogers Sportsnet. That’s three less than 17-year-old Quebec Rempart standout Mikhail Grigorenko.

Halifax currently sits at 26 wins, six more than they achieved all of last season.

The Moose powerplay pitched in at 33 per cent, up from their 24 per cent seasonal average.

Chicoutimi amassed 50 shots against the Moose. That’s the most allowed by Halifax this season.

Zach Fucale played 60 minutes against Drummondville. The only game not to feature a Mooseheads goalie swap.

It took Chicoutimi 82 seconds to score three goals in the third period, blowing Friday night’s game wide open. Brodeur scored two of the goals, completing his hat trick.

Bonus Number: 12,265 Fans packed the Metro Center for the Mooseheads two home games.

Mooseheads Weekend Preview

It has been a rocky start to 2012 for the Halifax Mooseheads so far. After losing two straight, the sixth place Mooseheads (24-13-1-3) hope to get back to their winning ways with a matchup against the 14th place Drummondville Voltigeurs (17-22-2-3) on Thursday night. It promises to be an entertaining battle at the Metro Centre as Halifax hasn't lost three straight games since the 2010-11 season, but Drummondville has gained momentum after their home ice win last week over the West Division leading Armada.

The Mooseheads may be leading the season series 2-0, but both of those games were decided by a single goal. Meanwhile, Drummondville is coming off a loss against the Wildcats Wednesday evening.. Alex Emond scored their lone goal. He has three goals in his last two games.

The last time the Mooseheads met Drummondville ended in a 2-1 Halifax victory with goals from Luca Ciampini and Matthew Boudreau along with Nathan MacKinnon chipping in two assists. The Moose power play went one for six that night and they killed off all three Voltigeurs advantages.

Expect a large crowd at the Metro Centre Thursday night as members of the Toronto Blue Jays will be in attendance. Roberto Alomar, Eric Thames, J.P. Arenciebia and Brett Cecil will be signing autographs to any game ticket holders from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. as the East Coast portion of their Winter Tour kicks off in the city.

After Thursday, the Moose will then go national on Friday night against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens (21-14-3-5) to conclude their five game homestand. Rogers Sportsnet will be televising the game nationally to all Sportsnet subscribers as part of their Friday Night hockey programming. To accommodate Rogers programming schedule, the game has been pushed back to 8:00 p.m. The two clubs have yet to meet this season and fans should expect an already tough Chicoutimi squad to play even tougher than their current 9th place standing would suggest with the additions of Mathieu Gagnon, Christian Ouellet and Jean-Gabriel Pageau who are now third, fourth and fifth in team scoring. Chicoutimi got their East Coast swing started Wednesday night in Cape Breton with a 6-0 victory. Pageau and Ouellet each had three points.

The Moose will take a day off before concluding a busy weekend on Sunday when they travel to Centre 200. This will be the seventh meeting between Halifax and Cape Breton this season with the series currently tied 3-3. The Mooseheads are narrowly outscoring the Screaming Eagles 23-22 in that span. Expect the Moose to be led by centre Matthew Boudreau and Brad Cuzner, who always seem to get an added boost against the Screaming Eagles. Boudreau has scored nine points in six games including six goals against Cape Breton this season. Cuzner has nine goals on the season since being waived by the Screaming Eagles. Three of those nine goals have come against his former team this season.

Their last meeting on Dec. 30 resulted in a 6-4 Moosehead victory. The Mooseheads' powerplay has been very efficient at 23 per cent in the six games versus Cape Brenton this season, but Coach Ducharme will look to get a little more out of their penalty kill which has only been 76 per cent efficient.

Halifax has only won five times in their last ten games.

36 QMJHL players listed in midterm rankings

Quebec Remparts forward Mikhail Grigorenko tops the NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Yesterday, the Canadian Hockey League announced that 145 CHL players appear on the list.

The domestic rankings list a total of 210 North American skaters including 120 from the CHL, also listing and additional 36 North American goaltenders which includes 25 that currently compete in the CHL.

The QMJHL has 36 representatives on the rankings, with Grigorenko at spot number two, below Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting who is number one.

The highest ranked goaltender for the QMJHL is Victoriaville's Brandon Whitney at number three.

Here is the list of QMJHL players that made the rankings
NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS
RK Name Team
2 Mikhail Grigorenko, Quebec Remparts
25 Martin Frk Halifax, Mooseheads
59 Matej Beran, P.E.I. Rocket
62 Francis Beauvillier, Rimouski Oceanic
64 Andrew Ryan, Halifax Mooseheads
65 Tomas Hyka, Gatineau Olympiques
87 Vladislav Shalimov, Val-d'Or Foreurs
89 Ryan Culkin, Quebec Remparts
93 James Melindy, Moncton Wildcats
96 Charles Hudon, Chicoutimi Sagueneens
102 Liam O'Brien, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
116 Justin Hache, Shawinigan Cataractes
126 Tomas Pavelka, P.E.I. Rocket
128 Anton Zlobin, Shawinigan Cataractes
130 Taylor Burke, Gatineau Olympiques
138 Dillon Fournier, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
168 Loic Leduc, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
173 Tomas Filippi, Baie-Comeau Drakkar
177 Raphael Corriveau, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
186 Sven Andrighetto, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
190 Alexandre Leclerc, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
193 Jeremie Fraser, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
196 Luca Ciampini, Halifax Mooseheads
207 Domenic Poulin, Chicoutimi Sagueneens

NORTH AMERICAN GOALTENDERS
RK Name Team
3 Brandon Whitney, Victoriaville Tigres
6 Francois Tremblay, Val-d'Or Foreurs
13 Etienne Marcoux, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
16 Francois Brassard, Quebec Remparts
18 Maxime Lagace, P.E.I. Rocket
25 Jacob Brennan, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
30 Roman Will, Moncton Wildcats
33 Philippe Trudeau, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

Full list can be viewed here.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Cam's Recipe for Success

Another trade deadline has come and gone, and after waiting 18 days, Moosehead GM Cam Russell finally made his move. His only deal of the session was moving 19-year-old Gabriel Desjardins and two second round picks to Quebec for 18-year-old Brendan Duke and a first round pick. But it’s what Cam Russell didn’t do during this trade period that really represents the new era the Herd are entering.

Russell chose not to trade two of his 19-year-old players: rugged defensemen Sawyer Hannay and high energy forward Brad Cuzner. He also decided to keep his 20-year-old star winger Alexandre Grenier. One could even include Konrad Abeltshauser amongst that list, even if Euro spots among the contenders loading up for a Memorial cup run were nil.

Four players, none of whom are expected to return to the Moose next season, all remain members of the Herd. A buck in the trend to most GM’s, who prefer to gain whatever assets they can in exchange for non-returning players(Contenders non-withstanding of course). It’s always a difficult road to the Memorial Cup, and anyone who bore witness to the Saint John show last Saturday night knows that it’s going to be incredibly tough for any team, let alone Halifax, to beat the Sea Dogs over seven games.

And still, the Mooseheads' front office held the line, making an obvious choice by sending Desjardins away. Carrying 15 forwards wasn’t an option and Desjardins had a combination of value and age working against him. However, the surprising move was to remain silent the rest of the way. It's no secret that Russell wouldn’t acknowledge publically that the Mooseheads' chances of getting past Saint John or Shawinigan are slim at best, but I’m sure he’d tell you how much they like winning, gaining an honorable mention in the CHL top 10 (even if they are cursed), and putting 8,600 people into the Metro Centre.

There is a winning attitude in Halifax right now; an attitude that neither the organization nor the fans have seen in a long time. It's this change that has brought them success. Russell knows how important it is for this team to finish their season as strong as they started it. He knows how important it is for the 16- and 17-year-olds on this team to make it into the second and third rounds of the playoffs. This is where the Mooseheads will find their success. By winning today, they’ll be better tomorrow. Continuing to win and compete hard against everyone will be what defines the Mooseheads from this point. Winning is what Cam Russell needs this team to do, and by holding onto those key players of this team at the deadline, winning is what he’s going to get.

Reid on the Rocket: Rocket edge Mooseheads for fourth straight win

Make it four straight wins for the P.E.I. Rocket.

Ben Duffy scored 13 seconds into the third period to give the P.E.I. Rocket a 5-4 win over the Halifax Mooseheads Friday night in Halifax.

The fourth straight win for the team has upped their season record to 12-25-2-2.

Duffy, along with Matt Bursey, had a goal and an assist each to lead the way for the Rocket.

Matej Beran opened the scoring for P.E.I. with his 17th of the year just 14 seconds into the game. The Rocket made it a quick 2-0 lead with Bursey's fifth of the season at 1:26 before the Mooseheads cut the lead in half with a powerplay goal from Cameron Critchlow at 3:38.

Martin Frk and Konrad Abeltshauser had goals 1:16 apart from each other early in the second period to give the Mooseheads a 3-2 lead.

Alex Noel's fifth of the season tied the game at 9:35, but Halifax responded with a goal from Ryan Falkenham to regain the Moosehead lead.

Olivier Croteau's ninth of the season notched the game at 4-4 at 15:55.

In the third, Duffy finished on a great feed from Yan Pavel Laplante to give the Rocket the 5-4 lead on the powerplay.

Antoine Bibeau made 27 saves for the Rocket. Zachery Fucale made 18 saves in the loss for the Mooseheads.

The Rocket host the Gatineau Olympiques Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Photo by Darrell Kennedy.

nolan@thespot.ca