Game Report: Red Deer 3 Lethbridge 2 (SO)

1ST PERIOD No Scoring 2ND PERIOD No Scoring 3RD PERIOD LET M. Erkamps (5) (J. Watson, R. Duke) 11:22 (PP)
R.D B. Gaudet (4) (B. Maxwell, R. Dieno) 14:43 (PP)
LET S. Mckechnie (22) (G. Hood, B. Ramsay) 16:28
R.D R. Dieno (15) (T. Elson, J. Hamilton) 18:28 OT No Scoring Shootout Lethbridge Axel Blomqvist Miss Brady Ramsay Miss Reid Duke Miss Red Deer Rhyse Dieno Goal Dominik Volek Miss Lethbridge Ty Rimmer 43/45 Red Deer Patrik Bartosak 29/31 Lethbridge 1. Jamal Watson RW - Watson continues to be a player that flies under the radar of a lot of scouting services but remains high on my personal list. Watson has a ton of physical tools and a projectable frame to become a scoring power forward. While the numbers haven't backed him up this year, you can see the projection in his game. The key for him to stay with the program and keep the intensity up. If he wants it bad enough, he has the tools to become a top flight power forward. He has the speed and the power is slowly starting to show in his game. 2. Ty Rimmer G - Ty Rimmer has been nothing short of amazing for the Hurricanes this season. The Hurricanes boast a highly skilled but young club this season, and with a team that takes as many chances as they do, sometimes that backfires. Rimmer has been there many times when things have gone awry. He faces a lot of rubber night in, night out, but he keeps his team in games, like tonight, where they were able to squeak out with a point, although two points was within their grasp. Rimmer is a top flight goaltender in the WHL and one has to wonder if pro scouts have taken notice of his game this year. Red Deer 1. Rhyse Dieno RW - Dieno was quiet for the majority but when it was time to make a play, he made one. Tied the game late and then scored the lone shootout goal. Dieno is what one calls an "opportunistic" scorer. When he gets a chance he rarely makes a mistake. Dieno has burst onto the scene this year. Scouts like myself continue look at Dieno with intrigue as we wonder whats coming next with him, but as long as he continues to make head turning plays, he'll continue to turn heads. 2. Patrik Bartosak G - Bartosak matched Rimmer save for save, especially early in the game when Lethbridge came out guns ablazing. He kept the game scoreless long enough to allow his team to gain some traction as the Rebels couldn't match intensity early on. Bartosak is a lot like other European goaltenders, plays big in the net, doesn't waste a lot of movement, but athletic enough to make the lateral save. Bartosak and Rimmer were fantastic in this game when it looked like the entire game was going to be scoreless.

Game Report: Victoria 6 Vancouver 4

1ST PERIOD VIC B. Magee (20) (S. Hodges, A. Gogolev) 3:52
VAN C. Popoff (6)  6:36
VAN C. Franson (19) (R. Zalitach) 11:02
2ND PERIOD VIC B. Fushimi (4) (S. Hodges) 3:43
VAN J. Houck (14)  4:52 (PS)
VIC B. Magee (21) (A. Gogolev, B. Cote) 8:05 (PP)
VIC B. Magee (22) (B. Cote, A. Gogolev) 13:38 (PP) 3RD PERIOD VIC B. Magee (23) (A. Gogolev, A. Carroll) 0:32 VIC B. Fushimi (5) (J. Crooks, J. Hicketts) 2:21 (PP) VAN J. Houck (15) (B. Kulak, C. Franson) 17:35 (PP) Vancouver Payton Lee 15/20 Jared Rathjen 8/9 Victoria Patrik Polivka 20/24 Vancouver 1. Jackson Houck RW - Houck plays the game hard and this game was no different for the most part. Scored on a penalty shot and scored a late one on a sharp angle shot. Was a pest on the forecheck while the game was still being contested. If Houck can continue to score consistantly he may be looked upon being more than just a checking/energy player, but a player that can get offensive looks and become an offensive threat. Houck plays the game the right way and continues to impress. Look for him to be drafted in the upcoming 2013 Draft. 2. Mason Geertsen D - Geertsen has been given more responsibility since moving from Edmonton to Vancouver. Is still a work in progress but the foundation is there. When they traded David Musil for Mason Geertsen, what Vancouver was essentially getting was a younger verion of Musil in Geertsen. Geertsen is already wearing a letter with the Giants which speaks to his style of being a gamer. Geertsen isn't as much of a slam dunk to get drafted as much as Houck is, but Geertsen is likely to hear his name during the 2013 NHL Draft. Victoria 1. Brandon Magee RW - Magee had one of those games that many players dream of. Having the puck land on your stick with a gaping net to look at. It happened 4 times for Magee tonight. He and Alex Gogolev were in sync on this night as Gogolev assisted on each of his goals. Gogolev was driving wide, attracting defenders which allowed Magee to pick up loose change around the net. Magee has uncanny knack of disappearing into traffic but emerging with the puck. Happened often on this night. Magee doesn't play as physical as he has in years past, but is looked to more for offense. 2. Joe Hicketts D - Continue to be impressed with Hicketts potential. Plays with a lot of composure and is very comfortable using his stick in defensive situations. He's a player of short stature, but doesn't get rattled when its time to make a play. Made a countless amount of seem passes that revved up the Royals offense. Hicketts is equally effective with the long pass or the short pass. His passing and mobility make him a handful on a Royals breakout. Plays with a lot of poise considering he is only 16 years old. Hicketts is 2014 NHL Draft eligible.

Game Report: Calgary 5 Prince George 3

1ST PERIOD CAL J. Zgraggen (3) (C. Lang, J. Virtanen) 2:55
P.G D. Ehrhardt (2) (C. Witala, T. Bourke) 7:04
P.G M. McNulty (7)  12:11 (PP)
CAL A. Roach (11) 13:49
2ND PERIOD CAL G. Chase (13) (J. Virtanen) 6:45 (SH)
CAL V. Rask (4) (Z. Jones, C. Sylvester) 17:36
3RD PERIOD CAL Z. Jones (17) (V. Rask, C. Mayor) 12:03
P.G Z. Pochiro (6) 19:22 Prince George Brett Zarowney 29/34 Calgary Chris Driedger 19/22 Prince George 1. Troy Bourke LW - Bourke was the best of forward bunch for Prince George on this night. Bourke was doing his best to get the puck towards the opposing net as often as he could. Prince George suffers from a lack fo scoring depth at forward these days from the departure of Alex Forsberg and Daulton Siwak. Bourke is a shifty playmaker who along with Colin Jacobs are the two go to offensive players left on the Cougars. 2. Marc McNulty D - The Cougars suffer from a serious lack of underexposure in these parts. McNulty likely should have been on previous top 30 lists of mine, but this is the first time I have seen him play. He has a decent all around game. Chips in offensive with a nice low shot, uses his reach effectively defensively, but he is one lanky son of a gun. Sits at 6'6" 190 lbs, could stand to bulk up a bit but has some nice skills and uses them effectively in both the offensive and defensive zones. Decent enough skater but has that hitch in his step. You can tell he must have had a massive, quick growth spurt. Calgary 1. Zane Jones LW - That curious deal that sent Alex Goglev to Victoria and landed Zane Jones in Calgary has really worked out well for both clubs. Jones has emerged as a big bodied secondary scoring forward that makes life tough on opposing defensemen. Jones has really fit like a glove on this squad. He plays up and down his wing, produces and doesn't need a lot of minutes in order to be productive. The depth of the Hitmen forwards has been eqally impressive ast heir top line has this season. 2. Alex Roach D - Second game in a row where I've seen the Hitmen play and Roach be one of the more impressive players. Scored a beauty goal by going end to end, then ripping a shot that sent the water bottle flying off the net. Unfortunately for Roach, he only made it through 23 minutes of the game before taking a shot to the throat area and had to leave the game. Alex Roach is one player that has really caught my eye over the last couple of weeks and seems to have the momentum of a runaway locamotive. Hopefully his injury doesn't keep him out too long.

Game Report: Medicine Hat 2 Edmonton 1

1ST PERIOD M.H T. Cox (13) (T. Lewington, L. McVeigh) 14:41 (PP)
2ND PERIOD M.H E. Pearce (20) (T. Cox) 11:03
EDM K. Lowe (11) (M. St. Croix, D. Musil) 15:16 3RD PERIOD No Scoring Medicine Hat Cam Lanigan 28/29 Edmonton Tristan Jarry 25/27 Medicine Hat 1. Trevor Cox C - Dimiutive forward was the best skater on either side on this night. Cox tallied the opener with a solid one-timer on a 5 on 3. A rather sleepy game from both sides. Tigers competed while the Oil Kings looked lethargic. Cox looked for open ice all night and made plays when he had the chance. Talied an assist as well on the goal by Elgin Pearce. 2. Cam Lanigan G - Lanigan got stronger as the game went on as the Tigers offense slowly waned throughout. Lanigan only faced 5 shots in the first period as the Oil Kings got off to a very slow start. Lanigan left very little in terms of second shot opportunites. A lot of "one and done" on this night for the Oil Kings. It's always a feel good story when an ex-player of a certain team is one of the best players of the opposing club. Edmonton 1. Travis Ewanyk C - To say the Oil Kings forwards were lethargic would be an understatement. No flow, very little battle, a lot of one on one play. Traivs Ewanyk was the best of the bunch as he tried to get things going early with a fight with Tyler Lewington 2 1/2 minutes into the game. But things didn't get much better from there. Ewanyk answered the beel early but it was as if it didn't matter. 2. Keegan Lowe D - Scored the lone goal for the Oil Kings when he tried to make a cross slot pass that hit a Tigers' stick and beat Lanigan blocker side. Lowe had some chances with some clear looks on shots but very little was coming easy for the Oil kings on this night. Gotta give credit to the Tigers for making the Oil Kings battle for every inch of ice and taking advantage of a back to back situation for the Oil Kings. Lowe has gotten more and more reliable as the season has worn on.

Game Report: Team Orr 3 Team Cherry 0

1ST PERIOD ORR Adam Erne (1) (Seth Jones, Laurent Dauphin) 3:39 2ND PERIOD
ORR Laurent Dauphin (1)  4:07
ORR Nicolas Petan (1) (Anthony Duclair, Oliver Bjorkstrand) 7:24

3RD PERIOD
No Scoring

Team Orr
Spencer Martin 16/16
Philippe Desrosiers 4/4

Team Cherry
Zachary Fucale 17/20
Tristan Jarry 16/16

Team Orr
1. Laurent Dauphin C - Got a chance to play in the game when Hunter Shinkaruk was out with the flu and made the most of it. Tallied a goal and an assist and play very well with Quebec Remparts Adam Erne and Nick Sorensen. Most dangerous line of the night, at least early on. Dauphin played a well rounded game did a little bit of everything helping Team Orr to victory. This game at least put him on the map for the 2013 Draft.
2. Nikita Zadorov D - Very impressed with the way Zadorov played defense tonight. Won a lot of battles, threw some bone jarring hits, all while being composed with the puck. Between Zadorov and Seth Jones, Team Cherry was locked out of the Team Orr zone for most of the night. If Zadorov can find any comfort in his shooting, he could become a top 15 pick, but as it is, I have him ranked to go in the bottom end of the first round.

Team Cherry
1. Ryan Hartman RW - Hartman did what he could to try and get some emotion on his team's side by starting the game hitting and then getting into a scrap, but Team Orr defense was just impenetrable. Hartman rode shotgun with the Nathan McKinnon/Jonathan Drouin combo, but had very few good looks on the Team Orr net. Hartman may have a future as a pest/moderate scorer/ 2nd or 3rd line type player type. Plenty of character in this player who represented Team USA at the World Junior Championships and won gold.
2. Tristan Jarry G - The goaltenders were the stars for Team Cherry. Zach Fucale started and eventually could hold back the pressure of Team Orr, while Jarry faced the same pressure and stood up to it making all of his saves even though there were a few hairy moments. Jarry was the player that likely improved his stock the most in this game as he doesn't get the chance to start a lot with the Edmonton Oil Kings with Laurent Brossoit getting the majority of the games. Jarry proved tonight that its just not the Edmonton Oil Kings' defense that is the reason for his miniscule numbers this season.

Game Report: Kelowna 6 Tri-City 3

1ST PERIOD T.C M. Plutnar, (4) (R. Chynoweth), 2:18
T.C B. McCue, (14) (J. Feser), 12:18
KEL R. Stadel, (2) (J. Barnett, C. Rigby), 13:35
KEL R. Chartier, (10) (J. Lees, M. Bowey), 16:23 (PP)
2ND PERIOD KEL D. McKinlay, (14) (M. Johnston), 3:51
KEL D. McKinlay, (15) (C. Heffley, J. Lees), 8:42
T.C C. Rankin, (18) (M. Topping), 9:11
3RD PERIOD KEL R. Olsen, (20) (D. McKinlay, Z. Franko), 5:58
KEL M. Bowey, (9) (J. Barnett, D. McKinlay), 8:16 Tri-City Luke Lee-Knight 24/30 Kelowna Jordon Cooke 26/29 Tri-City 1. Justin Feser C - Feser was the most dangerous forward on this night for the Americans. Tallied only one assist but had a few other failed opportunites. Feser a shifty forward with a quick release. Feser is the clear offensive leader of the Americans, 20 points clear of the next Americans player. It will be interesting to see if Feser gets any attention from the pro ranks as he plays in his 20 year old season and finishes up his WHL tenure. 2. Michal Plutnar D - Americans had a tough time dealing with the tenacity at which the Rockets play with. Plutnar held his own against the Rockets to go along with opening the scoring on a wrist shot from the point that found a Rockets stick and found the top of the net. Plutnar is a puckmoving Dman that has a solid, understated defensive game. Kelowna 1. Dylen McKinlay RW - McKinley was the most productive player for either side on this night. Scored twice to go along with 2 assists. McKinley has a knack for getting off quick shots no matter the angle. Scored twice off of rebound opportunities, catching the goaltender off guard. McKinley has emerged as one of the go-to offensive forwards on the Rockets this year. Leads the Rockets with a +36 which tells me he is getting things done at both ends of the ice. 2. Madison Bowey D -  The game itself was a Madison Bowey style game. Up and down the ice with authority. Bowey added a goal and an assist to the Rockets cause. Bowey could very be the fastest/agile skater in the WHL. Effortless he is in getting around the ice. Scored a goal on a nice one-timer, something that I wasn't sure was in his repertoire. Rockets have an excellent blend of defensemen. Bowey is their push the pace guy, that is looking to create open space for his teammates and himself.