AHL
The St. John's IceCaps played a trio of games this week and much like the big club, they are struggling. The Caps picked up a single win in their three attempts and even that came in an extended shootout. In addition to the on ice struggles, the IceCaps have caught an injury bug. Prospects Eric O`Dell and Scott Kosmachuk both missed time.
It wasn't all bad for the IceCaps though Carl Klingberg picked up a goal and three assists over the course of these three games. This catapulted him into a tie for the team's scoring lead (7 points in 9 games). Ben Chiarot and John Albert also picked up a couple apples each. The rest: JC Lipon 1A, Kichton 1A, Cormier 1G.
Connor Hellebuyck also saw some ice this week. He was only scheduled to play one of the three games, but for the second time this season he took the ice in relief of Peter Budaj. Connor played well in both appearances. He stopped 37 of 38 shots in his start, and pulled out the win in the shootout – despite not stopping many shots. It is worth noting that this was his first shootout in years. Helle also stopped 15 of 16 in his relief appearance.
CHL
Nikolaj Ehlers and his Halifax Mooseheads don't appear to be the offensive powerhouse of old. Ehlers did average a point per game (1G, 2A) over his three games this week, but all three points came in one outing. Halifax as a team combined for one goal in the other two games. The Winnipeg Jets' other QMJHL prospect, Jan Kostalek continues to roll. He picked up two assists in two games played. Kostalek is on a four game assist streak and 3G, 4A in his last 8 games.
Jimmy Lodge's Saginaw Spirit played three games this past week. Jimmy got dinged in the first, missed the second and scored two goals in the third. Lodge's points streak did come to an end, but he has still managed to post six goals and two assist for eight points in his last six games.
The Portland Winterhawks played three games this week and both Winnipeg Jets prospects averaged a point per game. Nic Petan recorded three assists and Chase De Leo posted two goals and four assists. Eric Comrie also played a couple games this week. He posted a .915 save percentage across the two outings, but was unable to pick up a win.
Elsewhere in the WHL, Nelson Nogier picked up his second point of the season. Nogier isn't much of a scorer, but coaches rave about his defensive acumen. Josh Morrissey and Axel Blomqvist also played a trio of games. Morrissey recorded one goal and two assists in the third of his three games and Axel Blomqvist remains hot, he picked up one goal and four assists in his three games played.
NCAA
Things were quiet on the NCAA front. Jack Glover hasn't found a regular roster spot as of yet and a few other the other prospects aren't known for their scoring. On the plus side, Andrew Copp picked up his first point of the season and Tucker Poolman is making a case for a regular roster spot. He picked up his second goal of the season this week and is starting to earn powerplay time on a very deep defensive team.
Jamie Phillips also stood out. Phillips is an oft forgotten goalie prospect, but he is off to a strong start this year. Phillips played two games this weekend, one was a 33 save shutout and he stopped 34 of 35 in the other. Michigan Tech won both games.
Three Stars
1) Jamie Phillips makes his first appearance in the three stars section. A strong week of play saw him stop 67 of 68 shots for a .986 save percentage. Phillips has taken over as the starting goalie at Michigan Tech after two up and down seasons as a backup and he has done nothing but impress. To date he has posted a .954 save percentage and a 1.25 goals against average and helped to lift his team to four straight wins.
2) Chase De Leo keeps rolling and rolling. He picked up another six points this week and extended his points streak to six games. De Leo has only been blanked once in his 14 games played this year and has skyrocketed to 5th in WHL scoring.
3) Connor Hellebuyck makes his second Thelree Start appearance very early the season. Helle posted a combinded .963 save percentage in his two appearances and won his lone start. To date, Connor has posted a .926 save percentage and a 3-1-1 record good for seven of the IceCaps nine points on the season. It is still very very early, but the early numbers do nothing to quell optimism.
