Edmonton Oil Kings       4            Shawinigan Cataracts   3

KING HENRIK ARRIVES!

Last night, the Edmonton Oil Kings defeated the Shawinigan Cataracts to open the Memorial Cup Tournament.  Oil Kings Center Henrik Samuelsson was the hero scoring the game-winning goal at 13:42 of the 3^rd Period. Henrik, the son of former NHLer Ulf Samuelsson, received a pass in the slot and rifled it past the outstretched glove of Cataracts goalie Alex Dubeau.

Dubeau, the younger of the two Shawinigan goalies, was the surprise starting goaltender for this game.  Many people believed that Head Coach Eric Veilleux would have dressed Gabriel Girard instead because of his experience.  Nevertheless, Dubeau answered the challenge and played a solid game.  He was tested early but managed to keep his nerves in check.  He made several key saves and was able to keep his team into this game until the very end.

Edmonton opened the scoring at 2:41 of the 1^st Period after a defensive error by defenseman Jonathan Narbonne created a 2-man breakaway.  Narbonne overcommitted on offense and got caught out of position in transition.  Oil Kings Center Michael St. Croix whizzed past him with the puck and fed a pass to Left Winger Kristian Pelss.  Pelss made no mistake, one-timing a shot into the open side of the net.  This was the start that Edmonton had planned for since they considered this game an extension of their playoff season.  Edmonton had only wrapped up their WHL Championship title last week, while Shawinigan was playing their first game in over a month.  This was the Cataracts’ first game since being ousted in the 2^nd Round of the QMJHL playoffs.

The Cataracts tied the game at 8:36 of the 1^st Period.  After a blazing point shot by Brandon Gormley on the Power Play, Center Michael Chaput snapped the rebound past WHL Playoff MVP Laurent Brossoit.  This changed the momentum of the game in Shawinigan’s favour, but a calm Edmonton team was able to weather the storm and get out of the period tied 1-1.

After a quiet and scoreless 2^nd Period, the action picked up in the 3^rd Period.  The Oil Kings came out firing and received immediate results as Griffin Reinhart and Martin Gernat scored goals within the first six minutes of the period to give Edmonton the 3-1 lead. 

But the home team still had some fight left in them.  Backed by the strong goaltending of Alex Dubeau, the Cataracts battled back to tie the game 3-3.  Left Winger Anton Zlobin poked a puck through the legs of goaltender Laurent Broissoit at 6:37. The goal would be video reviewed and stand after some confusion between the referee and video official.  Michael Chaput would later score his 2^nd goal to tie the game at 13:19.  That’s until the aforementioned Henrik Samuelsson scored the game-winning goal for Edmonton.

Up next, Edmonton will face the defending Memorial Cup champs from Saint John on Monday.  While Shawinigan looks to rebound against the London Knights on Sunday. The Saint John Sea Dogs and London Knights go head-to-head in tonight’s match-up.

SCORING SUMMARY

1^st Period

EDM – Kristian Pelss 1 (Michael St. Croix)  2:41

SHA – Michael Chaput 1 (Brandon Gormley)  8:36 (PP)

3^rd Period

EDM – Griffin Reinhart 1 (Unassisted)  1:01

EDM – Martin Gernat 1 (Mark Pysyk, Rhett Rachinski)  5:40

SHA – Anton Zlobin 1 (Loik Poudrier)  6:37

SHA – Michael Chaput 2 (Unassisted)  13:19

EDM – Henrik Samuelsson (Stephane Legault, Griffin Reinhart)  13:42

THE THREE STARS:

EDM: Griffin Reinhart – 1 Goal, 1 Assist, +1 Rating

SHA: Michael Chaput – 2 Goals, 3 Shots

EDM: Martin Gernat – 1 Goal, 5 Shots, +5 Rating

STATS:

Shots:

EDM:     9 +5 + 11 = 25

SHA:      14 + 5 +14 = 33

Goaltending:

EDM   Laurent Brossoit – 30 Saves

SHA:  Alex Dubeau – 20 Saves

Specialty Teams:

EDM – 0/2 on Power Play

SHA – 1/3 on Power Play

Stay tuned to Hockeysense for continuing coverage of this year’s Memorial Cup  Tournament.  Enjoy tonight’s game!

Want to talk hockey?  Feel free to email me at ssookdeo@hockeysense.ca or follow me on Twitter @SheldonSookdeo

Tonight, the puck will drop to officially begin the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup Tournament.   The QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataracts will be the host team this year and will have the immediate advantage and enjoyment of playing in front of their home crowd.  Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), the London Knights (OHL), and the Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL) enter into hostile territory and begin their quest to leave town with the championship hardware.      

As with every Memorial Cup, it presents an opportunity for draft-eligible prospects to showcase their talents.  Following their championship run last season, four Saint John Sea Dogs were drafted within the first three rounds of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.  Johnathan Huberdeau was the highest selection after being drafted by the Florida Panthers with the #3 pick. Which players and teams will rise to the occasion this year?  Only time will tell…       

Here’s an in-depth look at this year’s competition:

The Defending Champs – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL Champions)

Regular Season Record:                                50-15-0-3

Playoffs:                                                                  16-1

The Saint John Sea Dogs enter the tourney looking to win their second straight Memorial Cup.  This would duplicate the feat that the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires accomplished in 2010.  They also return with the majority of their core roster intact from last year.  2011 NHL draft picks Jonathan Huberdeau (Florida Panthers – 1^st Round, 3^rd Overall), Nathan Beaulieu (Montreal Canadiens – 1^st Round, 17^th Overall), Zack Phillips (Minnesota Wild – 1^st Round, 28^th Overall), and Tomas Jurco (Detroit Red Wings – 2^nd Round, 35^th Overall) are all back to lead the offensive charge.  They will also get some assistance from Minnesota Wild prospect Charlie Coyle (QMJHL Playoff MVP), who finished tied with teammate Stanislav Galiev with 34 points in 17 games.  Saint John remains the team to beat, and will need to get the some big-game performances like they received last year to repeat.

The Host Team – Shawinigan Cataracts (QMJHL)

Regular Season Record:                                45-16-3-4

Playoffs:                                                                    7-4

The Shawinigan Cataracts will be the underdog team despite being the “home team” and putting together the second-best record in the QMJHL this season.  Unfortunately for them, they did not cherish the results of their fantastic regular season as their playoff run was cut short by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.  For the Cataracts to overcome the odds, they will have to rely on their strong defensive game and have their specialty teams clicking on all cylinders.  They are led by the QMJHL’s top goaltending tandem of Gabriel Girard and Alex Dubeau.  They were ranked 2^nd and 3^rd respectively in GAA (Girard 2.45, & Dubeau 2.56) and will need to be the backbone for their team to survive in this tournament.        

The Gamebreakers – Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL Champions)

Regular Season Record:                                50-15-3-4

Playoffs:                                                                  16-4

The Edmonton Oil Kings will be a team worth watching in this tournament.  The have a balanced attack which could give the Sea Dogs a run for their money.  During the 2011-12 year, the Oil Kings had eleven double-digit goal scorers.  They followed this up by producing eleven double-digit point-scorers during the team’s playoff championship run.  It seems that whenever Edmonton has their backs against the wall, they find a way pull themselves together and fight back.  Bottom line…they are gamebreakers as they continually come up with big plays in critical situations.  Two of their main gamebreakers are goaltender Laurent Brossoit and Center Michael St. Croix.  Calgary Flames prospect Laurent Brossoit started every playoff game in goal, and was named as the WHL Playoff MVP after posting a 2.04 GAA and 0.933 save percentage.  On offence, New York Rangers prospect Michael St.Croix was tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with 19 points.  He also finished the regular season with an impressive 105 points (45 goals, 60 assists) in 72 games played.  Combined with a strong supporting cast, Broissoit and St. Croix make the Oil Kings a legitimate threat to capture the Memorial Cup throne.    

The Young Guns – London Knights (OHL Champions)

Regular Season Record:                                49-18-0-1

Playoffs:                                                                  16-3

The London Knights were massive overachievers during the 2011-12 season.  With a team nucleus comprised relatively of young and inexperienced players, it was a surprise to see the way that they came together and mowed through the opposition during the OHL playoffs.  In succession, they eliminated the Windsor Spitfires, Saginaw Spirit, Kitchener Rangers, and Niagara IceDogs to win the OHL championship.  Nashville Predators prospect Austin Watson was named as the OHL Playoff MVP after recording 17 points (10 goals, 7 assists) in 19 games played.  The team was also backed up by the stellar goaltending of Michael Houser.  Houser posted a 2.47 GAA and 0.925 save percentage with 46 wins and 6 shutouts during the regular season.  The Knights may enter this tourney as the hungriest and most motivated team since they have approximately a third of their players that are draft-eligible this June.  Defenseman Olli Maatta and forward Andreas Athanasiou were both ranked in the Top 40 among North American skaters (#8 and #40 respectively).  Look for them to possibly be the breakout stars in this tournament…  

Here’s the schedule for the Round Robin leg of the Memorial Cup:

1. Fri May 18^th – Edmonton vs. Shawinigan
2. Sat May 19^th – Saint John vs. London
3. Sun May 20^th – Shawinigan vs. London
4. Mon May 21^st – Saint John vs. Edmonton
5. Tues May 22^nd – London vs. Edmonton
6. Wed May 23^rd – Shawinigan vs. Saint John

All games are scheduled for 7:00PM EST.  Enjoy the tourney!

Want to talk hockey?  Feel free to email me at ssookdeo@hockeysense.ca or follow me on Twitter @SheldonSookdeo

With the NHL Entry Draft quickly approaching and just over a month away, our Hockeysense panel presents our final draft rankings for the season.  To no surprise, Sarnia’s Nail Yakupov holds the top spot in our rankings.  After amassing 101 points in 65 games, Yakupov earned OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year honours during the 2010-11 campaign.  This season, Yakupov finished his sophomore season with another 69 points in 42 games, despite missing approximately a third of the season due to a serious knee injury.  He boasts impressive speed combined with elite creativity and stickhandling abilities.  He has the potential to become another Alexander Ovechkin or Pavel Datsyuk-like player.  Having already acquired Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in previous NHL Drafts, the Edmonton Oilers are licking their chops to add another blue-chip prospect to their mix.

Our runner-up for the top spot was Everett Silvertips Captain Ryan Murray.  Murray is a two-way defenseman that really picked up his game during the second half of the 2011-12 WHL season.  He helped to push the Everett Silvertips into the WHL playoffs with his exceptional defensive play and offensive presence.  He knows how to position himself properly, and has good instincts when to jump in offensively to assist his teammates.  He handles the puck extremely well which makes him a dangerous quarterback on the Power Play.  Murray’s star status is on the rise as he’s the only CHL player currently representing Team Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

Quebec Remparts Center Mikhail Grigorenko drops down to our #3 spot.  Grigorenko cooled off a bit after having an explosive start to his rookie QMJHL season.  However, he still managed to win the rookie scoring race with 85 points (40 goals, 45 assists) in 59 games and is the front-runner for QMJHL Rookie of the Year honours.  Grigorenko is a bona fide sniper like Marian Gaborik who rarely misses the mark when he has time and space to work with. He also has deceptive speed and can turn on the jets when scoring opportunity arise.

Sarnia Sting forward Alexander Galchenyuk holds the #4 spot on our list.  Galchenyuk might have been higher on our list, had he not sat out the entire OHL regular-season following knee surgery.  Prior to the injury, Galchenyuk was runner-up to Sarnia teammate Nail Yakupov last season in OHL rookie scoring with 83 points (31 goals, 52 assists) in 68 games played.  Galchenyuk is a natural scorer with soft hands and impressive playmaking abilities.  He is a versatile player that can play on special teams and critical situations.  He has the skill sets to become an Ilya Kovalchuk-type player.   

Swedish prospect Filip Forsberg rounds out our “Fave Five” for this year’s NHL Entry Draft.  Forsberg has outstanding speed and is very difficult to contain.  He can play either wing position and has a nose for the net.  His hard, accurate shot is the main weapon in his arsenal of offensive skills.  Should he develop into a complete player, we could be looking at another Henrik Zetterberg or Nicklas Backstrom in the making.

A major sleeper to keep an eye out for in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft is Finnish prospect Teuvo Teravainen.  Teravainen (currently in our #8 spot) was overlooked by our Hockeysense panel when we posted our initial rankings in January.  His development took several leaps forward this season as he started playing in leagues above his current age group.  Teravainen proved that he could compete and stand his ground against more experienced opponents.  He may possess the most potential out of all players in this year’s draft class and could be a force to be reckoned with once he puts on some size and muscle.  Only time will tell…

 Some Honorable Mentions just missing our Top 30:

• Damon Severson (D), Kelowna (WHL)
• Henrik Samuelsson (RW), Edmonton (WHL)
• Malcolm Subban (G), Belleville Bulls (OHL)
• Tanner Pearson (LW), Barrie Colts (OHL)
• Thomas Wilson (RW), Plymouth (OHL)

It doesn’t end here…stay tuned to Hockeysense as our panel will be running a mock draft in coming weeks. 

Want to talk hockey?  Feel free to email me at ssookdeo@hockeysense.ca or follow me on Twitter @SheldonSookdeo

The third round seemed rather quick after all the seven games series last round. It wasn’t easy, but Saint John continued to roll, beating Chicoutimi in five games. Coyle, Galiev and Phillips continue to dominate and remain one of the hottest lines in the CHL. Rimouski is the surprise team of the playoffs after beating Halifax handily in five games. Nathan Mackinnon and Jonathan Drouin continued to display their chemistry and are previewing what is going to be a strong 2013 crop.  

On paper, it looks like the finals might end quickly. Rimouski will be hoping Saint John is looking ahead and underestimating them. They will have to play at their best to upset the defending champs. 

Check out the third round results and my prediction for the final.

Follow me on Twitter @d_leb or email me at Derek.leblanc@hockeysense.ca

Playoff Leaders-

Saint John VS Chicoutimi

My Prediction- Saint John will advance to the finals in five but the games will be close. Huberdeau will take over.

Actual Result- Saint John wins it in five with three games going to overtime. Huberdeau had three goals, four points and was plus 4.

Top 2012 Prospect-  Charles Hudon (CHI), 5GP 2 g 2 Pts -2

Halifax VS Rimouski

My Prediction- Halifax will continue where they left off and beat Rimouski in five. Martin Frk will step up and lead the series in points.   

Actual Result- Rimouski surprises and wins in five. Frk struggled and had one goal and was -6.

Top 2012 Prospect- Martin Frk/Andrew Ryan (HAL) 5 GP 1 g 1 Pts -6

FINALS-

Saint John VS Rimouski

My Prediction- Saint John wins make quick work of Rimouski with Tesink scoring a couple game winners.  

2012 Prospects-

Saint John

Sebastien Auger- G

Halifax

Martin Frk RW

Andrew Ryan LW

Luca Ciampini LW

Here are my updated QMJHL ranking for the 2012 NHL draft.  My March rankings can be found here. This will be the last time I update my rankings until my final rankings before the draft.  

Follow me on Twitter @d_leb or email me at Derek.leblanc@hockeysense.ca 

April Rankings- (March Rankings) 

 Goalies

Two rounds down and one away from the QMJHL finals. Will Saint John continue to dominate and remain undefeated? Will Halifax continue down the path of becoming the next elite team in the QMJHL? These are just some of the questions the next round will answer for us. 

Check out my predictions below. 

Follow me on Twitter @d_leb or email me at Derek.leblanc@hockeysense.ca

Saint John VS Chicoutimi

My Prediction- Saint John will advance to the finals in five but the games will be close. Huberdeau will take over.  

2012 Prospects

Saint John

Sebastien Auger G

Chicoutimi

Charles Hudon LW

Dominic Poulin D

Halifax VS Rimouski

My Prediction- Halifax will continue where they left off and beat Rimouski in five. Martin Frk will step up and lead the series in points.   

2012 Prospects-

Rimouski

Francis Beauvillier C

Liam O’Brien C

Gabriel Fortin RW

Halifax

Martin Frk RW

Andrew Ryan LW

Luca Ciampini LW

Francois Brassard G

The second round of the QMJHL playoffs was fantastic, with three of the four series’ going the full seven games. It was exciting to watch after a the very lopsided opening round. Saint John moved on rather easily, while Halifax, Chicoutimi and Rimouski took the long road. The final four is somewhat surprising as four of the top five teams from the regular season are done. As many people have said before, the regular season means very little and we are seeing that this year in the QMJHL. 

Check out the second round results and how I did on my predictions below.

Follow me on Twitter @d_leb or email me at Derek.leblanc@hockeysense.ca

Playoff Leaders-

Saint John VS Baie-Comeau

My Prediction- Saint John continues to roll and sweeps Baie-Comeau. Nathan Beaulieu will lead the charge from the backend. 

Actual Result- Saint John sweeps Baie-Comeau and Beaulieu finished the series with three assists and was +6.

Top 2012 Prospect-  Tomas Fillipi (BAI), 4GP 3 A 3 Pts -5

Shawinigan VS Chicoutimi

My Prediction- Chicoutimi will win the first game, but Shawinigan will wake up and beat them in six. Gormley will prove he was worth the assets.  

Actual Result- Chicoutimi upsets the Memorial Cup hosts in seven games. Gormley put up five goals and seven points.  

Top 2012 Prospect-  Anton Zlobin (SHA), 7GP 3 G 3 A 6 Pts +3

Blainville-Boisbriand VS Rimouski

My Prediction- It will be close but Blainville-Boisbriand will win in seven. Clapperton will be worthy of his name and lead the series in goals. 

Actual Result- Rimouski wins the long hard series in seven. Clapperton was shutout but had three assists. 

Top 2012 Prospect-  Christopher Clapperton (BLB), 7 GP 3 A 3 Pts

Quebec VS Halifax

My Prediction- This will be the best series of the second round.  It will go seven with Quebec moving on. Patrick Roy will freak out and Grigorenko will quiet the haters.  

Actual Result- The series lived up to the hype and saw Halfiax comeback back from a three game deficit to shock Quebec in a game seven overtime thriller. Roy was relatively calm and Grigorenko was quiet with only two goals and three points.  

Top 2012 Prospect-  Martin Frk (HAL), 7 GP 5 A 5 Pts -1

Eastern Conference

(1) Edmonton Oil Kings vs. (2) Moose Jaw Warriors

Both of these teams are coming into this series an major hot streaks. The Oil Kings have won an unprecedented 19 straight hockey games. That is an incredible run. The breezed by the Brandon Wheat Kings and are firing on all cylinders, receiving scoring from the whole lineup. Moose Jaw on the other hand also swept their opponents, the Medicine Hat Tigers. They outplayed the Tigers in every game and proved to be the deeper team throughout. Lost in the shuffle was the solid goaltending of Luke Siemens. Both teams have a solid group of defense, and deep experienced forwards. Goaltending seems even. On paper it looks like a tie, but I haven’t seen a hotter team than the Edmonton Oil Kings. They are dominating much like the Kootenay Ice did last year. Prediction: Oil Kings in 6

Western Conference

(1) Tri-City Americans vs. (3) Portland Winterhawks

It’s the matchup we have all been waiting for. Both teams were involved in lengthy series. The Winterhawks jumped to a 3-0 series lead only to watch it disappear. They eventually grinded out a seven game series win, but the added games definitely wore down the Hawks. The Americans also struggled against Spokane. The Chiefs frustrated them with their simple, hard working attitude. The Ams also found a way to squeak out a game seven victory, and even came from behind in the third to win that game. The Hawks have the firepower up front to wreak havoc on the Americans defense, but Mac Carruth’s goaltender has been suspect. There is no denying his talent when he is on his game, but if Tri-City can get in his head they could be heading to the final. Adam Hughesman and Brendan Shinnimin will have to continue their strong play and they will also need their defense to step it up a notch. Ty Rimmer has been good up to this point, and will probably have to steal a game or two for the Americans. I’m going to close my eyes and flip a coin on this one. Prediction: Americans in 7

I am 10-2 in my predictions up to this point.

One by one they fall. The season started with 22 teams, but only one will be the league champs.

You can follow me on twitter @ZenonHerasymiuk

During the next four to five weeks, Hockeysense will be reviewing and ranking NHL teams by their depth. When looking at depth, I will focus on all players under contract by the organization and their top 10 prospects. Obviously, most NHL teams do have decent depth which makes it difficult to rank from 30th to 1st, but I accept this challenge.

NHL ORGANIZATIONAL DEPTH

HS RANK 1st: Detroit Red Wings

DEPTH GRADE: A+

That does it for my 2012 organizational rankings; I’ll do this all over again in approximately 335 days!

During the next four to five weeks, Hockeysense will be reviewing and ranking NHL teams by their depth. When looking at depth, I will focus on all players under contract by the organization and their top 10 prospects. Obviously, most NHL teams do have decent depth which makes it difficult to rank from 30th to 1st, but I accept this challenge.

NHL ORGANIZATIONAL DEPTH

HS RANK 2nd: New York Rangers

DEPTH GRADE: A

That only leaves one team! The top ranked team in the NHL by depth is…