Vancouver Canucks Prospects Playoffs Watch Week 2
The future for the Vancouver Canucks looks bright. It looks even brighter than it did last week as all junior prospects enter their respective playoffs.
With the Vancouver Canucks starting to look like a team in a full rebuild, the importance of a strong prospects pool has never been bigger. Thankfully, all Canucks prospects seem to be doing just fine with many pleasant surprises along the way. Here is week two of the prospects watch playoffs style.
The NCAA
All three prospects are now entering the NCAA Regionals play that will determine what four teams will play in the Frozen Four Championships. The first round started on Friday with all three of the Canucks prospects in action.
After Thatcher Demko and his Boston College were ousted in the H-East competition last weekend by Adam Gaudette‘s Northeastern University, it was Brock Boeser‘s turn to end Gaudette’s hot streak. Adam Gaudette ends the season with 30 points in 40 games played and really led the charge for Northeastern’s return to the playoffs.
Boeser had three assists this past weekend, one in which his team settled for a third-place tie in the NCHC championships. Boeser extended his scoring streak 10 games on Friday, where he recorded two assists and his first playoff goal in eliminating Gaudette’s Northeastern University. Should the Canucks be concerned that Boeser took so long to record a goal in post-season play? All the goals seem to be going to Nick Schmaltz, his centreman, who is a Chicago Blackhawks property. Of course, it had to be a Canuck and a Blackhawk on the same line, right?
I don’t know who you were cheering for when Boeser and Gaudette went toe-to-toe on Friday, but Boeser’s team pulled through with the win. North Dakota will face Michigan on Saturday, who are favourites to win the championship.
Then there is Demko who will lead his BC Eagles into a rivalry game against Harvard University. Although he let in five goals in the loss to Gaudette’s team last week in the Hockey East Championship, he made this ridiculous save:
This Friday, Demko and the Boston College Eagles faced Harvard, and the Eagles have defeated their Beantown rivals 4-1. Demko made 32 saves on 33 shots for the win. Boston College will face Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, who defeated Boeser’s North Dakota team last week for the NCHC championship.
Terrific. Now, time for the WHL and the OHL!
Next: The WHL and the OHL
The WHL and the OHL
The two leagues started their 2016 playoffs this week and for the Canucks, it is a tale of two teams. The WHL’s Prince George Cougars are the underdogs while the Erie Otters are big-time favourites for the championship. Why do I care? Take a look.
TATE OLSON
Olson is the only Canucks prospect in the WHL and he will look to push the Prince George Cougars past the Seattle Thunderbirds. That will not be an easy task for Olson who was picked in the seventh round, as the Thunderbirds finished atop the US Division with a 45-23-4 record. Olson finished regular season play with 47 points in 65 games played, among the top-20 WHL defencemen in scoring.
The Thunderbirds took Game One of the series in overtime after scoring two unanswered goals when the Cougars had a one-goal lead. Prince George tied things up with 30 seconds remaining in regulation, only to lose in overtime 3-2. Olson was physical out there, depended on heavily by his coach in overtime.
KYLE PETTIT
Who saw this coming? I just about wrote Kyle Pettit off as a poor producer that was getting carried into the playoffs by a strong team behind him. Well, it turns out on Friday, I was wrong and it was Pettit who carried his team to a dominating 5-1 win over Saginaw Spirit.
Pettit had two goals, the first two playoff goals (in fact, the first two playoff points) of his OHL career, and was named the first star of the game. Sorry about calling your 21 points in 58 games a minuscule production, Kyle. Please continue with this strong push. Let’s see if you can match the Cole Cassels hype and the Jared McCann hype from last year’s OHL playoffs!
Next: The QMJHL
The QMJHL
Friday and Saturday will mark the first two games of the QMJHL playoffs with all three Canucks prospects in action. In an 18-team league, the top 16 teams have made the cut — and luckily for Vancouver, all three prospects are in. Not as lucky, though, might be the opposition they are facing. Here are your matchups in the Q. All three prospects head into the first round as the underdogs.
D Carl Neill (#15 Sherbrooke vs. #2 Shawinigan)
The captain of the 15th-ranked Sherbrooke Phoenix led his team in a big-time upset over the second-ranked Shawinigan Cataractes on Friday. Neill scored a goal and an assist in Sherbrooke’s 3-2 win over the Cataractes. He also recorded two hits in the game that saw Sherbrooke score all three of their goals on the powerplay.
D Guillaume Brisebois (#14 Acadie-Bathurst vs. #3 Saint John)
The next underdogs in line are the 14th-ranked Acadie-Bathurst Titans, who are up against the third-ranked Saint John Sea Dogs. Captain Guillaume Brisebois had one assist in a 4-1 loss to the Sea Dogs. Interesting to note how the Canucks have two captains drafted in the QMJHL. Speaks to Jim Benning‘s emphasis on work ethic and leadership, the intangibles.
The Canucks could certainly use some of that here in Vancouver. It losses wouldn’t hurt as much if the Canucks had, at least, some of the intangibles.
C Dmitry Zhukenov (#10 Chicoutimi vs. #7 Cape Breton)
Centreman Dmitry Zhukenov had an assist and recorded a hit in a minor upset for his club. The 10th-ranked Chicoutimi Saguenéens scored three unanswered goals to defeat the seventh-ranked Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. (That is one heck of a name. The FIGHTING HAWKS in the NCAA and the SCREAMING EAGLES in the QMJHL? Give me a break!)
All three prospects go at it again on Saturday night.
Next: The AHL: UTICA COMETS
The AHL: UTICA COMETS
Things are looking bad for the Utica Comets. The Comets dropped their fifth-straight loss against the Hershey Bears on Friday night and will try their luck again on Saturday against the Binghamton Senators.
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The Comets are 1-4-3 in their last eight games, managing to grab just five of possible 16 points in that span.
Although their playoff chances look secure, this is certainly not a good sign for the Comets. They have lost centreman Brendan Gaunce and defenceman Andrey Pedan to the injury-riddled Vancouver Canucks and had to return Chris Higgins to Vancouver as well.
Although the Canucks have sent down winger Alex Grenier back to Utica, the Comets have to find more ways to score, just like the Canucks. The Comets were forced to recall Curtis Valk from the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings.
The way the playoffs are shaping up, too, the Comets are in a tough position as they are set to play the Albany Devils. Since February 20th, the Comets have lost all three of their meetings against the Devils by a combined score of 12-6.
Without top-tier netminding from the likes of Jacob Markstrom this time around, the Comets seem to be in a little bit of a trouble late in the season. One good news, however, is that with Friday’s goal, Jordan Subban and his 11 goals is good to tie Esa Lindell for the most goals by a rookie defenceman in the AHL.
Let’s end on a positive note, eh?
Who did it better @tdemko30 or @kaskisuo? @BCHockeyNews @UMDMensHockey pic.twitter.com/dkNT07jwiv
— Matt Dewkett (@MDewkettPhoto) March 26, 2016
Next: Analysis: Picking Defence at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft
With just two weeks left in the NHL season, the prospects are at the centre of our attention, as they should be. The future has not looked this bright for the Canucks, but is this just the beginning? Who cares, though. These men are playing great hockey!