Each week we will take an in-depth look at one young member of the organization, while providing an overview on performances over the last seven days of players below the NHL level. This includes players at the junior (CHL, USHL, etc.) and collegiate (NCAA) levels, as well as professional (AHL, ECHL) ranks.
Standout Player: Noah Juulsen
Juulsen played in both games for Team WHL in the Canada-Russia Series, and after finishing without a point and a -1 on Monday, had an excellent performance Tuesday.
Juulsen scored the go-ahead goal (and eventual game-winner) early in the third, taking a feed from Arizona prospect Nick Merkley and one-timing it past Anton Krasotkin. The defenceman was on the ice for all four Team WHL goals.
Juulsen picked up his remarkable season for the Everett Silvertips after the two-game set. First he notched two assists in a 2-1 win over Portland on Friday night. Then in a 3-2 loss on Saturday, he scored his seventh of the season in only his fifteenth game. He tallied seven in 63 games all of last season.
#Habs Noah Juulsen just sniped his 7th goal of the season. That ties his total from last season in 48 less games. 15P in 15GP. pic.twitter.com/ZCwMH08ZMK
— Mitch Brown (@MitchLBrown) November 13, 2016
Performances from November 7 – 13, 2016
CHL
Mikhail Sergachev was held without a point in two games for Windsor, as well as in a Russia-Team OHL series game. Sergachev is playing a similar game to what all saw in Montreal; at this stage, he has a somewhat risky but high-reward style where his flashy skill has you drooling at his potential, and likely outweighs the occasional error that occurs in his game.
Jeremiah Addison, on the other hand, didn’t have a quiet game for Windsor on Sunday. After setting up a Sean Day tally late in the first period, Addison would score his ninth of the year to give the Spits a 3-1 lead before the end of the second. Peterborough drew even in the third, but Addison tallied his second of the night with just 1:39 remaining to give Windsor the win and move them back into first in the OHL’s West Division. The 20-year-old was named the game’s first star.
Matt Bradley kept his strong start to the year going in his only game, scoring to put Medicine Hat up 3-2 early in the third. Bradley later added his eighth of the season into an empty net to seal the victory. His 21 points in 19 games rank third among Tigers skaters, with the talented squad off to a 13-5-1 mark.
Will Bitten got rewarded for some of his typical hard work, notching an assist in each of the Bulldogs’ contests. In addition, he represented Team OHL in the Canada-Russia Series Thursday night. Despite being held off the scoresheet in a 4-3 loss, he was noticeable with his hard-nosed forechecking game.
Victor Mete scored his seventh of the season Friday in a 7-0 London romp, putting him just one off his career high. The following night, he assisted on an Alex Formenton tally that put the Knights up 3-1, which gave him 18 points through 18 games, ranking third among all OHL defencemen.
What. A. Goal. #Habs Victor Mete explodes through three defenders and undresses Helvig. Tops it off by going top shelf. pic.twitter.com/izHAbkueqb
— Mitch Brown (@MitchLBrown) November 12, 2016
Michael Pezzetta picked up his first assist of the season on a Dmitry Sokolov goal in the second period Saturday, but it wasn’t enough as Sudbury lost 3-1. Pezzetta did his part, going 13/19 on the faceoff dot in addition to the point, but won only 50% of his draws the following night in a 4-2 loss to Oshawa.
Simon Bourque had a productive weekend after a quiet night in a 6-3 loss on Wednesday (finishing -2). Bourque’s power-play goal on Friday put Rimouski up 2-0, with the Oceanic eventually winning 3-2. Then in a 6-3 win over Quebec Saturday, Bourque set-up the game’s opening goal.
NCAA
Nikolas Koberstein took what could have been a costly penalty Friday, putting his team short-handed after they’d pulled within one from down 3-0, but a strong kill kept it closer until Alaska did manage to tie the game, with the game ending knotted at 3. The Nanooks prevailed 3-1 over UAH on Saturday, with Koberstein finishing with a shot and a +1 rating (on the ice for Alaska’s first goal).
Casey Staum was in the Dubuque starting lineup Friday night, paired with undrafted 20-year-old Jeff Baum. Staum was held pointless, finishing a -1 in a 3-2 victory.
Colin Sullivan had the rare privilege of playing both Miami games on the weekend. The 6’1″ 23-year-old was a +1 on Friday, though his Redhawks were unable to hold a 4-1 lead taken midway through the second stanza, surrendering four third-period goals in a 6-4 loss. On Saturday, Sullivan was in the penalty box early in the first when Omaha opened the scoring, with the visitors ultimately topping Miami by a 6-2 margin.
Jake Evans had a big night Saturday as his unit with Andrew Oglevie (undrafted 21-year-old) and Cam Morrison (Colorado Avalanche 2016 second-round pick) paced Notre Dame to a 5-2 victory over Northeastern. Evans finished the night with a goal and two helpers, his marker standing as the insurance goal that put the Fighting Irish up 4-2 with just over six minutes to play. The rematch between the two teams on Sunday was postponed due to ice conditions after 40 minutes of scoreless hockey had been played.
AHL/ECHL
Nikita Scherbak stayed hot despite a pair of losses for the IceCaps this weekend, the only true Hab “prospect” to register more than one point (others being Chris Terry and Mark Barberio). His goal tied Saturday’s game at one in the second period, and it seemed to open the floodgates, as Mike McCarron would later notch his second of the season before Scherbak again set up Mark Barberio to, at the time, give his side a 3-1 advantage. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Albany pulled back within one late in the frame, and added two in the third to take it 4-3.
Scherbak’s goal was his seventh of the season (T-3rd in the league), putting him just one back of Charles Hudon’s eight (T-1st in the league) for the team lead.
Nikita Scherbak makes it 1-1. Pushed Andrew MacWilliam (a strong player) off the puck followed by a quick, sneaky shot. pic.twitter.com/vDUsNoH2YC
— Mitch Brown (@MitchLBrown) November 12, 2016
Stefan Matteau also maintained a hot hand this week, as a goal Friday gives him four in his past five outings.
For more on the IceCaps play this weekend, check out the EOTP AHL Hub.
Goaltenders
Charlie Lindgren continues to look like a legitimate NHL prospect, sparkling between the pipes even without being able to get the IceCaps a win on Friday. Lindgren stopped 30 of 32 Springfield shots (while St. John’s fired only 21 on the night), but the baby Habs couldn’t muster much in the way of offence, only spoiling a Reto Berra shutout bid once the Falcons had scored an empty-netter to take a 3-0 lead.
Michael McNiven had a tougher week, getting pulled early on Tuesday night after allowing two goals on the first three shots he faced. He was better on Saturday, stopping 24 of the 26 shots sent his direction, but coming out on the losing side of a 2-1 overtime decision to the Ottawa 67’s.
Zachary Fucale is still struggling to find consistency in his game playing in the ECHL. In picking up his second win of the season Friday, Fucale allowed two goals on 19 shots, before giving up four goals on 26 shots Sunday in a loss. Some goalies take far long to develop than others, but at this stage, it’s likely Fucale will have moved on to another organization before he finds his game — if he ever will.
Hayden Hawkey and the Providence Friars had the week off, but will be back in action next weekend.
