Calgary: A Week in Review (November 16th to 22th, 2019)

Record this week: 3-1-0
Game 24:
Calgary Chinook 3 Victoria Ronin 5

Chinook lose to the Ronin 5-3

VICTORIA - For the 2nd straight games this season, the Flames allowed the other team to score three in the first period. They never led in the game and chased the entire time. Chinook head coach Eugene Yip saw several positives from the game but lamented that his team spent the duration chasing.

“I thought we had to come from behind, obviously,” said Yip. “We ended up chasing the game and couldn’t get there in the end.” “I feel like I gave them too much momentum to start the first there,” said Price. “The first one got sprayed a little bit in the face and kinda panicked for a second there and couldn’t find the puck and then panicked and put in my own net. The second one, couldn’t get the puck off the wall to Gio and by that time the guy had already sealed off that lane. I’ve just got to make a better play than that.”

Game 25:
Calgary Chinook 3 Portland Owls 2

Chinook score 3 in 1st, hang on for 3-2 win

PORTLAND - David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist to lead the Calgary Chinook to a 3-2 win over the Portland Owls on Monday night. Gaudreau also scored for Chinook. Giordano’s 7th goal of the season came with 21 seconds left in the first, capping a three-goal opening period for the Chinook.
''We were able to keep a lot of pucks in the offensive zone and generate a lot of attempts at the net and a lot of offense as well as a lot of good scoring opportunities,'' Chinook coach Eugene Yip said. ''It was a good start for us.'' ''Obviously, it's really nice to get that goal - especially that late in the period,'' Giordano said. ''You get three goals up. It's really nice, especially when it wasn't
the prettiest one.'' Giordano and Carlson lead the team in points with 27 points each in 25 games.

Game 26:
Parry Sound Orrsmen 2 Calgary Chinook 3

Chinook on two-game winning streak beat Orrsmen 3 to 2.

CALGARY - David Pastrnak deflected in a goal with 8:09 remaining, and the Calgary Chinook win over the Parry Sound Orrsmen 3-2 on Wednesday night. Carey Price made 19 saves for the Chinook.
Brett Connolly and Mike Matheson scored for Parry Sound. Jacob Markstrom stopped 30 shots, enduring a barrage early from the Chinook. Calgary held a 13-5 shot advantage after the first period.
"Just a bad start,” Orrsmen defenceman Brent Seabrook said. “I kind of felt like we were a little disjointed all night. Not a lot of communication out there. We kind of got run around a little bit. We were still in the game and they get the power-play goal and we don't. That's the difference a lot of the time.” Derek Ryan opened the scoring in the first, flipping a rebound backhand over
Markstrom. Pastrnak scored on the power play 11:51 into the third, but Parry Sound quickly
answered as Matheson scored three minutes later.

Game 27:
Long Island Express 3 Calgary Chinook 4

Chinook Snap Express’ 6-Game Win Streak, 4-3

CALGARY - Chinook scored 3 late goals in the 3rd period to come back from a 3-1 deficit and beat the Express 4-3. Barkov, de Haan and Pastrnak each had a goal and an assist, and the Long Island Express suddenly looked much different than they had while winning 6 games in a row. ''Frustrating. ,'' said Express center John Tavares. ''When we do things the right way, we're successful. And you see tonight when we don't do it and we got away from staples of our game, playing heavy and being hard on all pucks and getting pucks deep. When you get away from that, it's tough to win.'' Jimmy Vesey put Long Island up 3-1 early in the third period. Matthew Tkachuk, David Pastrnak and Aleksander Barkov scored three unanswered goals to make a comeback.

''They're a good team. I can see why they've won 6 in a row,'' Tkachuk said. ''We found a way to come out and get to them in the third and find a way to win the hockey game and get a big two points for our team.''

A Weekly Look at the 2019-20 Sudbury Miners: Volume 6 (Games 23-26)

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

Miners Weekly Record: 4 wins, 0 losses, 0 OT loss.
Miners League Standing: 15 wins, 9 losses, 2 OT Loss = 32 points total. Currently sit in 4th place in
the Canosa Conference, 7th overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams: Power Play – 21.5% (7th); Penalty Kill – 82.6% (5th)
Miners Scoring Leader: Center Tyler Seguin (13G – 17A = 30 pts; 10th Overall in the CCHL)

The Sudbury Miners are on a hot streak.

The constant message from Management and the Coaching Staff seems to have sunk in finally
with this team, as the Miners have won 5 of their last 6 games, including a current win streak of 4. They continue to sit in 4th place in the Canosa Conference but are slowly gaining ground on the top spot, while solidifying a playoff spot.

“We’ve been playing some good hockey lately…..something we knew we were capable of doing”,
stated Miner's defenseman Josh Morrissey. “We have the confidence back in our room, and feel we can start to make a charge up the standings”.

But, that was not the biggest news to hit the Nickel City this past week.

The Miners pulled off another big trade this past week, to acquire help now and for the future.
The deal brought them another top young player in Sebastian Aho, along with veteran defenseman Ryan Suter and a couple of 5th round picks. The cost was not cheap to acquire this talent, as the Miners would surrender current CCHL players in Brandon Carlo and Kevin Fiala, along with top prospects Alex Turcotte and Matt Boldy in the deal.

“It’s really no different than the deal we made for Tyler (Seguin) we made earlier this year. We
have drafted the depth to make these types of moves without depleting the prospect cupboard”, stated
General Manager Terry James. “We feel that this group is on the cusp of something special and something that could be sustained for years. As a Management team, we need to exhaust all avenues to help make that happen. This deal sends a message to our team and the league that the Miners are serious about being a contender”.

MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Chris Tierney

Tierney is a multi-dimensional forward who is reliable in all situations. He has good hockey sense
and his ability to play within a structured system effectively sets him apart. He has very impressive speed and tenacity. He provides much-needed depth to a team, but skilled and dangerous forward that is capable of playing anywhere in the line-up. Since he is responsible in his own end as well, he is sometimes featured on the penalty kill.

MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW: Nick Robertson

What Robertson lacks in size, he makes up for in skill. He is one of the most creative players in
the OHL. His skating is slick and smooth, and his puck control draws defenses into him, which opens up lanes and space for his line-mates. He is also very tenacious on the puck in the offensive zone and is terrific at forcing turnovers with his quick feet and stick. He does not possess great size and needs to mature physically to make him stronger playing through checks. The upside is incredibly high though, with Robertson possessing the skill set to be a front line player. Expected CCHL arrival: 2022-23.

State of the Loons : Throwing in the Towel?

When the team boarded the plane in Siberia to take the grueling red-eye flight back to Capeside - their record was a solid 14-7-2. Sitting at 30 points was good for 4th in the Corfield Conference and positioned for another playoff run. The Miners were in town Monday night for the second half of the long-distance back to back. Bright and early Monday morning prior to the Miners/Loons game, Sudbury Gm Terry James was seen in the Nest lobby waiting to meet with GM Czepiel. The two met behind closed doors throughout the afternoon and were seen sitting together during their team's game that night in the owner's box.

At the post-game press conferences each team announced a major trade: Sudbury acquired defenseman Ryan Suter, center Sebastian Aho and two mid-round draft picks. Capeside acquired defenseman Brandon Carlo, winger Kevin Fiala and two blue-chip prospects in Alex Turcotte and Matthew Boldy. And it did not end there... An hour later Czepiel was again at the podium announcing a deal with Georgetown which sent last year's MVP David Krejci, prospects Kupari and Gylander and a 2nd round pick to the Millers for top goaltending prospect Ilya Samsonov and a first-round pick.

So ...Many fans are wondering - What the Hell?

Czepiel spoke with us - "When we looked at this year's team we see a team that can definitely make the playoffs, but we see a team with a lot of holes and a lot of players that are not living up to expectations. The issue is, we do not have many future assets that we can use to strengthen this year's team. After last year's unexpected success we sent away a lot of draft picks and young players and that has left us dry. So we made a tough decision. We are reloading - not rebuilding. By reacquiring Carlo we add a young, cheap, defensively sound defenseman to an aging defensive group. Turcotte and Samsonov could be ready to jump in as early as next year. The trading away of Aho and Kupari doesn't make a lot of sense, but the addition of Turcotte creates a log jam on our center depth chart with Dubois, Turcotte, Beecher, and Zegras. Our goal from day one has been to build a team that will be able to remain successful year after year, not just for a one or two year window. I believe that these moves can help make that a reality."

Will the "reload" continue? Recent UFA signings Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Jack Johnson will be able to be moved in a few weeks. Veterans Nick Holden and Brook Orpik could be dealt soon to teams with playoff aspirations. Adding young wingers should be the Loons priority over the next few months as that is the team's area of weakness.

Updated top 10 prospect list

10 Egor Afanasyev
 9 John Beecher
 8 Matthew Boldy
 7 Bode Wilde
 6 Jakub Lauko
 5 Ian Mitchell
 4 Oliver Wahlstrom
 3 Ilya Samsonov
 2 Trevor Zegras
 1 Alex Turcotte

Sudbury Miners Prospect Report: Winter 2019

CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):

With the CCHL well underway, there is no time like the present to see which players may be plying their trade in the Nickel City in the very near future. The Miners has spent the better part of three (3) years building prospect depth that has allowed them to acquire such talent as Tyler Seguin and Sebastian Aho, while not sacrificing the future.

To be considered a prospect for this report, the player is not currently on the CCHL active roster and/or has not played one full CCHL season.

Below are the Sudbury Miners top-10 CCHL prospects for Winter 2019

1. Kirby Dach – C. Dach looks like he’ll be the future face of the Sudbury Miners. He combines all
the right tools in his IQ, patience and pure skill. You can’t nail down one talent that stands out
because there’s just so many. He can play in his own end and dominate in the offensive end.
He’s just going to get better, and that will be exciting to watch.

2. Martin Necas – C/W. An explosive offensive talent who can play both centre and the wing,
Necas is known for his incredible speed, agility, and confidence. He has tantalizing puck skills
and the ability to fool opposing players with ease. His creativity and unpredictability make him a
consistent threat in all three zones of the ice.

3. Cole Caulfield – W. Despite his small stature, Caufield is an elite skater and a pure goal-scorer.
He has a full arsenal of shots, all of which can result in the puck in the back of the net. The
Miners have a future superstar in their system, even if he spends a couple of seasons developing
before he gets to the CCHL.

4. Spencer Knight – G. If there is one trait to Knight’s game is that there is no panic in the way he
plays. Yet, he can move quickly to get to pucks. When a tough save needs to be made, he’s
there, square, in perfect form even if it requires him to move to get there. His explosive,
controlled movement and lightning-quick reflexes will allow him to thrive in the CCHL.

5. Grigori Denisenko – W. Denisenko doesn’t seem to get discussed a whole lot, but there’s no
question that he’s one of the best prospects outside of the CCHL. He’s a great skater, with some
of the best puck handling skills seen in recent years. He sets the pace when he’s on the ice and
should be an elite, top-line player in the CCHL.

6. Joel Farabee – W. Farabee is lethal one-on-one and his elusiveness allows him to navigate
around defences with his strong skating ability. His ceiling is as a top-six forward, who is
responsible in his own end. His offensive ability alone should make him a star for the Miners.

7. Philip Broberg – D. Broberg seems to be a polarizing prospect - some scouts have him high,
some very low. With that being said, there is no questions that he’s an elite skater who can blow
by entire teams when his wheels get going. He’s solid offensively as well, as a set-up man from
the point. He needs to fine-tune his game, but there’s lots to like about Broberg.

8. Peyton Krebs – C/W. Krebs is a well-rounded prospect that brings an offensive flair to his game
and is known as a leader. He’s a great playmaker and skater. A big selling point in Krebs’ game is
his defensive skill. There aren’t many players at the same age that are as sound in their own
zone as he is.

9. Rasmus Sandin – D. Sandin is an extremely talented defenseman with a nose for making great
passes. Whether it’s a pass up the ice from his own zone or a cross-ice pass in the opponent’s
end, Sandin can do it. He’s very patient with his passes, waiting for the right moment to strike.
He continues to round out his defensive game in the minors and could be ready for the CCHL as
early as next season.

10. Alex Formenton – W. When you think of Alex Formenton, you think of speed. He’s one of the
fastest CCHL prospects and is learning how to use that speed properly to generate chances or
defend. He has some more developing to do offensively before he hits the CCHL full time, but
he’s getting close.

Dayton Musicmen Player Grades after 25 games Part Two (Defense & goalies)

Thirty percent of the 82 game CCHL regular season has passed and it's a good time to see how the boys are performing. We'll use a traditional grading scale with A being the best and F being the worst grades available. In the case of a player being traded to Dayton, a grade will be assigned. In the case of a player being traded from the Musicmen, no grade will be awarded. 






DEFENSE: 

Matt Niskanen: GP- 25, 6/12 - 18 pts. - Part of the team top blueline duo, Niskanen has a solid +7 so far playing heavy minutes thus far this season. GRADE (A)

Ron Hainsey: GP- 22, 5/9 - 14 pts. - Working well with Niskanen so far, he'll be welcomed back to the lineup for the team's next game on Wednesday night. GRADE (B)

Ben Lovejoy: GP- 25, 3/6- 9 pts. - The third Musicman who holds a +11 rating at this point. Working well on the team's second defensive pairing working mostly with Brenden Dillon. GRADE (A)

Brenden Dillon: GP- 25, 1/7 - 8 pts., - Not sexy but his +9 on the year is just fine to the coaches in Dayton. GRADE (B)

Adam McQuaid: GP- 21, 0/4 - 4 pts. - Not much is asked or expected but he's handling his 3rd pairing duties quite well. GRADE - (C)

Roman Polak: GP- 14, Similar to McQaid, he's handling his limited duties rather well. GRADE - (C)

Troy Stecher: GP - 3, GRADE - (Incomplete)

Matt Benning: GP - 3, GRADE - (Incomplete)

GOALIES:

Pekka Rinne: GP - 24, 16-6-2 - Tied for the CCHL lead in Wins and top 5 in most other goaltending catagories. Without question, Rinne is the team's MVP twenty five games into the 2019-20 season. GP - 3, GRADE - (A+)

Corey Crawford: GP - 2, GRADE - (Incomplete)

Dayton Musicmen Player Grades after 25 games...

Thirty percent of the 82 game CCHL regular season has passed and it's a good time to see how the boys are performing. We'll use a traditional grading scale with A being the best and F being the worst grades available. In the case of a player being traded to Dayton, a grade will be assigned. In the case of a player being traded from the Musicmen, no grade will be awarded. 


FORWARDS: 


Jay Beagle: GP-25, 6/7-13 pts. - A strong season for the veteran 3rd line/PK specialist. One of three Musicmen with a good +11 rating helps Dayton's stingy defense keep them in most games.  GRADE: (A)

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare: GP-23, 1/3-5 pts., - Another 4th liner who brings defense first to his game. Good mentor for McCann and on of the team's best checking forwards. GRADE: (C)

Blake Comeau: GP-25, 7/5-12 pts. - Comeau's value doesn't come offense, but rather his stellar defense as witnessed by his league 6th best +11 plus/minus rating. Veteran leadership and responsible play is and has been his calling card for a long time. GRADE: (A)

Evgeni Dadonov: GP-25, 2/11-13 pts. - Another disappointment in the goal scoring department with just 2 tallies so far. In the NHL, Dadonov posted a 14.4% shooting percent last year yet is limping along at just 3.92% - another candidate for a goal scoring breakout before too long. GRADE: (C)

Ryan Dzingel: GP-25, 10/9-19 pts. - Dzingel has played on each of the top three lines and done well regardless of where he's asked to play. GRADE: (A)

Rocco Grimaldi: GP-0, 0 pts. - GRADE: (Incomplete)

Taylor Hall: GP-21, 9/8-17 pts. Coming off an injury-riddled NHL season, the team has limited Hall's ice time in an effort to keep him healthy. GRADE: (B)

Evgeny Kuznetsov: 25 GP, 2/15-17 pts. - Holding down the pivot on the team's 2nd line, Kuznetsov has put up 17 pts. but just 2 goals on the year, more is needed. His shooting percentage of 2.99% compared to his NHL number of 10.9% suggests an adjustment may be coming soon. GRADE: (B)

Evgeni Malkin: 21 GP, 8/11-19 pts. - Since arriving in Dayton several weeks ago, Malkin has taken over the top line center slot and performed very well. On pace for 30 or more goals and a 70+ point season. GRADE: (A)

Jared McCann: GP-24, 2/2-4 pts. - Reduced to the 4th line, McCann is developing and will likely graduate to duty on the team's 3rd line. Solid checking forward. GRADE: (C)

Daniel Sprong:  GP-13, 0 pts. - Sprong  - despite great talent - hasn't really got a chance to show what he can do in the lineup. 13 games played but just 3-4 shifts and just 3 minutes of ice per game won't give him the opportunity he needs. Using Batherson instead of Sprong shows Corfield's confidence level. GRADE: (Incomplete)

Drake Batherson: GP-5, 1 pt. - 5 games isn't much to grade anybody but Batherson has been averaging 16 minutes per game and skating in a top 6 role. We're expecting a bit more from the rookie. GRADE: (Incomplete)

Juho Lammikko: GP-2, 0 pts. - GRADE: (Incomplete)

Up next - defense and goaltenders...

Calgary: A Week in Review (November 9th to 15th, 2019)

Record this week: 1-3-0

Game 20: Calgary Chinook 2 Niagara Falls Thunder 5

Chinook drop 5-2 decision to Thunder
NIAGARA FALLS -

In what was billed as a bounce back game against the Niagara Falls Thunder, the Chinook are still very much a work in progress. The Thunder capitalized on early mistakes by the Chinook to stake a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes and then close the door with a pair in the 2nd period for a 5-2 victory.
“This was a lesson for us,” said defenceman Mark Giordano. “Obviously we have a long way to go. We have to find a way to win these games because there are going to be many of them this year.”

“It was not enough,” said Yip. “There are some guys who can play better. We have lots of guys looking for a lot of extra ice time and extra opportunities, but there is not much happening.” “There’s no let up from us, which is important, but one thing we’ve done too much this year is put ourselves behind,” said Johnny Gaudreau. “Good teams start to be on top a lot and make other teams come to you.”

That’s two games in a row now that Chinook have give up 5 goals in a game.

Game 21: Las Vegas Aces 2 Calgary Chinook 1

Aces hand Chinook 3rd straight loss

CALGARY - David Perron was pleased that his Las Vegas Aces were finally able to close one out.
Oskar Sundqvist and Jan Rutta scored for the Aces in a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Chinook on Monday. "It was nice to be able to finish one," said Perron. "This trip hasn't been kind to us
in that respect, but we've played some pretty good hockey and to get some results is huge for us."

Calvin de Haan responded for the Calgary Chinook, who have lost three in a row."We just have to keep battling," said Giordano, the Chinook captain. "We have said everything that there is to say. It is just up to us to do it now.” "Everybody here has to look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are doing enough and playing the right way and playing for the team," said Chinook forward Matthew Tkachuk.

Game 22: Calgary Chinook 6 Portland Owls 3

Calgary Chinook snap losing streak with 6-3 win over the Owls

PORTLAND - David Pastrnak had two goals and an assist to lead the Calgary Chinook to a 6-3 win over the Portland Owls on Wednesday. Mark Giordano had two goals for the Chinook, who snapped their three-games losing streak.

Playing alongside Giordano, defenseman John Carlson had three assists. Derek Ryan and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for Calgary, while goalie Carey Price made 19 saves. Radio Gudas, TJ Brodie and Torey Krug scored for the Owls. "We just stayed within our game and tried to play it simple," Pastrnak said. "We got going and just tried to keep our foot on the gas the whole 60 [minutes]."
"We're building every shift, every game throughout the series," Giordano said. "We're getting close to our game and it's pretty dangerous."

Game 23: Portland Owls 5 Calgary Chinook 2

Chinook fall short once again in 5-2 loss to Owls

CALGARY - Not a strong effort for Chinook. It was a difficult night for Calgary from start to finish.
A dominant opening frame for the Owls set the tone early, and Calgary was never able to fully recover.

Torey Krug got the Owls on the board eight minutes into the game when he scored on a breakaway.
Less than 2 minutes later, Portland took a 2-0 lead when Patrick Marleau beat Carey Price cleanly as he capitalized on a Derek Ryan turnover. It was 3-0 at the end of the first period. Calgary responded with a goal from Jakob Silfverberg early in the second period, who blasted a scorcher top-shelf to cut the deficit by one. Price didn’t have his best night, giving up 4 goals on 14 shots for an .714 save
percentage. All in all, it was not a strong effort for the Chinook, who continue to struggle with consistency this season.