2022-2023 PLAYER & GOALIE OF THE WEEK #16

EASTERN SKATER TEAM GP GOALS ASSISTS POINTS PM  +/-  SOG S%
Roman Jose BWB 4 4 4 8 0 1 12 33%
                   
EASTERN GOALIE TEAM GP GOALS AGAINST G.A. AVERAGE SAVES SAVE %
Cam Talbot CIN 3 5 1.67 105 .955
                   
WESTERN SKATER TEAM GP GOALS ASSISTS POINTS PM  +/-  SOG S%
Sam Reinhart CAL 4 4 4 8 0 3 15 27%
                   
WESTERN GOALIE TEAM GP GOALS AGAINST G.A. AVERAGE SAVES SAVE %
Anton Forsberg LGD 2 3 1.49 56 .949
                   

Gilbert Sharks
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Just one home game versus mighty Jagr
GAME #1: JAGR MULLETS@ GILBERT SHARKS Mackinnon scores for the Sharks with just over a minute left to send the game to OT but Jagr wins the shootout
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Not a terrible performance against a really good team but 2 points would have been better than 1
California Regulators
GAME #1: ALAMO DEFENDERS@ CALIFORNIA REGULATORS California 6, Alamo 3
GAME #2: LA GREAT DANES@ CALIFORNIA REGULATORS California 1, LA 4
GAME #3: CHARLOTTE BUZZARDS@ CALIFORNIA REGULATORS California 8, Charlotte 5
GAME #4: BUCKS COUNTY BOBCATS@ CALIFORNIA REGULATORS California 6, Bucks County 3
WEEKLY SUMMARY: A good week at home for California. 4 games, 6 points.
Jagr Mullets
GAME #1: CHICAGO COSA NOSTRA@ JAGR MULLETS Jagr doubles up Chicago 6-3.

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 5:43 EV CHI Bunting (19), assisted by Burakovsky (28) and Hanifin (25)
1 10:58 PP JAG Hedman (9), assisted by Tkachuk (41)
1 18:10 SH CHI Theodore (4), unassisted
2 11:18 EV JAG Lindholm (22), assisted by Letang (42) and Bergeron (29)
2 13:26 EV JAG Matthews (54), assisted by Hedman (46) and Svechnikov (33)
3 1:54 EV JAG Matthews (55), assisted by Kaprizov (50) and Svechnikov (34)
3 4:32 PP CHI DeBrincat (30), unassisted
3 9:26 EV JAG Tkachuk (32), assisted by Letang (43) and Lindholm (27)
3 18:52 EN JAG Kaprizov (31), assisted by Svechnikov (35) and Toews (44)

Star 1: JAG Matthews 2 G
Star 2: JAG Lindholm 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 3: JAG Kaprizov 1 G, 2 Pts

GWG: Auston Matthews

Notables: CHI Parayko 5 blocks
JAG Svechnikov 3 assists, Matthews 16 faceoffs won, Bergeron 18 faceoffs won

WEEKLY SUMMARY: 1 win at home
Alamo Defenders
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Gilbert plays at Alamo
GAME #1: GILBERT SHARKS@ ALAMO DEFENDERS Alamo is looking to try to get into the playoffs while the Sharks are in a good position in the division.

No scoring in the 1st period.

In the 2nd period, Severson scores his 6th goal of the year. Both goalies doing a great job.

In the 3rd, Stamkos scores his 34th goal with 59 seconds to go.

We go to OT, and Draisaitl nets his 52nd goal of the season to win the game for the Defenders.

Alamo 2 Gilbert 1 (OT)

1-Severson
2-Mike Smith
3-Draisaitl

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Alamo wins it’s home game versus Gilbert.
Cincinnati Inferno
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Three chances for the Cincinnati Inferno to cash wins at The Incinerator this week as Flin Flon, Portland and Brentwood come calling.
GAME #1: FLIN FLON BOMBERS@ CINCINNATI INFERNO CIN 4, FFB 2
GAME #2: PORTLAND STORM@ CINCINNATI INFERNO CIN 4, POR 1
GAME #3: BRENTWOOD BANDITS@ CINCINNATI INFERNO BWB 3, CIN 2
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Two nice divisional wins keeps the Inferno firmly lodged in the playoff hunt.
Chicago Cosa Nostra
WEEKLY PREVIEW: One lone home game on the old Capone Center Ice for the Cosa Nostra this week.
GAME #1: BUCKS COUNTY BOBCATS@ CHICAGO COSA NOSTRA Chicago gets 2 in the first and holds on. Solid home week, can the road be just as nice?

Final Score: Chicago 2 – Bucks County 1

Labatts 3-Star Selection:
Star 1: CHI – Juuse Saros 38 Saves
Star 2: CHI – Alex DeBrincat 1G
Star 3: CHI – Shea Theodore 1G

Game Winner: – Shea Theodore

Notables:
BCR – Connor McDavid 16 Faceoff Wins
CHI – Juuse Saros 38 Saves.

WEEKLY SUMMARY: 2 points are nice when you only have one game on home ice.
Bucks County Bobcats
WEEKLY PREVIEW: The Cats host division rival Toledo in their only home game this week
GAME #1: TOLEDO WALLEYE@ BUCKS COUNTY BOBCATS Bucks County 5 Toledo 4

Bucks County’s 15th ranked PP scored it’s second goal of the game on a McDavid deflection to break a 3-3 tie with 1:51 left in the 3rd period and ultimately lead the Bobcats to a 5-4 win after an empty net goal and a tally by Toledo with the goalie pulled to trim the lead back to 1.

Star 1: BCB Meier 1 G, 4 Pts
Star 2: BCB McDavid 1 G, 4 Pts
Star 3: TOL Kucherov 2 G, 3 Pts

GWG: Timo Meier

Notables: TOL Trocheck 17 faceoffs won
BCB McDavid 3 assists, Meier 3 assists, Campbell 37 saves

WEEKLY SUMMARY: 2 power play goals and an empty net goal in the same game? To infinity…..and beyond!
Flin Flon Bombers
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Charlotte ,Alamo,and Gilbert
GAME #1: CHARLOTTE BUZZARDS@ FLIN FLON BOMBERS Flin Flon comes out and takes the Buzzards to the woodshop,Eriksson Ek and Landeskog score twice in the first as the Bombers lead 3-0. Ryan Johansen and Mitch Marner respond to cut the score to 3-2, but Jack Hughes extends the lead to 4-2 at the end of 2.The Great 8 cuts it to 4-3, but Necas scores 22 seconds later to take it back to 5-3. Philip Danault scores for the Buzzards and makes it 5-4, they pull their goalie and bomb Casey DeSmith, but to no avail, 5-4 Flin Flon
GAME #2: ALAMO DEFENDERS@ FLIN FLON BOMBERS Leon Draisaitl scores the only goal of the first as Alamo leads 1-0 after 1. Jack Hughes scores the only goal of the second as both goalies play well in the first two periods. Quick and Fleury would both break down in the third period, Ryan O’Reilly and Oliver Bjorkstrand put the Bombers up 3-1, but Gustav Nyquist scores to cut it to 3-2. The game would stay that way, two empty net goals, 1 by David Pastrnak and one by Blake Wheeler bring this game to a close 4-3
GAME #3: GILBERT SHARKS@ FLIN FLON BOMBERS Six goals would be scored in the first period of this one, but the Bombers would have 4 of them.Necas and Erikkson Ek both score in the second to extend the lead to 6-2. Nathan MacKinnon scores an academic goal in the third as the game ends 6-3
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Finally a really good homestand
Bathgate Rangers
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Rangers have 2 home games, I’d say we were trying to catch Jagr, but that seems like a moot point. So we are working to stay high in the playoff race! But we do get to play Jagr this week!
GAME #1: JAGR MULLETS@ BATHGATE RANGERS I don’t think we were getting his minor league affiliates but we beat up on them like they were. Hmmm. Play was tight until Zibanejad scores with 4 1/2 left in the 1st. But shortly after that he goes off for roughing and Tkachuk nets the PP equalizer. But a minute later Buchnevich tallies and the Rangers retake the lead (for good) and end the first up 2-1.

Kreider then takes over the scoring getting one late in the 2nd and then very early in the 3rd. That made the final a surprising 4-1 Rangers win over Jagr. Skinner 31 shots to earn the win. Markstom stopped 22 of 26.

STARS (all BGR)
1. Kreider 2 goals
2. Zibanejad 1 goal 2 assists
3. Skinner 31 saves

GAME #2: LA GREAT DANES@ BATHGATE RANGERS OK – we start the home stand with the 2nd best team in the league and then face those Great Danes, the best in the league, for the other game. However, we get to face Forsberg – not Shesterkin (who is definitely playing for the wrong team).

Well dang – Kopitar beats the Rangers and Francouz 30 seconds into the game. Probably a lot of beer didn’t made it to the seats! But Reilly is quilty of a charge at the 7 minute point and Tavares score a PP goal to tie it up! But ugh, Strome was clearing the puck but it goes over the glass with 7 to go and Rielly gets his 2nd assist in the game setting up Nylander for the go ahead PP goal and it’s 2-1 after 1.

The 2nd period saw lots of action and chances (19 SOGs total) and 2 PPs for LA – but both goalies, Forsberg and Francouz, hold steady and with no scoring it’s still 2-1 after 2.

Rangers get a nice break as the 3rd starts with Rielly going off (again) for 2 minutes for cross checking in the opening minute. And again, the Rangers and Kreider capitalize on with a PP goal to tie the game. Rangers get another PP opportunity in the 3rd, but he final 18 minutes go scoreless.

So we go to OT – Rangers have the WORST abilities in OT, we will need to finally make some changes – but to only took Barkov 49 seconds to score the winner for LA – and yup, Rielly set him up for it! 3 assists on the 3 LA goals (and 2 assists for the Rangers as their 2 goals were PPs when he was in the box). So Reilly had a hand in ALL 5 goals!

STARS (all LA)
1. Barkov 1 goal (game winner)
2. Kopitar 1 goal
3. Nylander 1 goal

Hmmm, the local writers didn’t give anything to Rielly for his 3 assists! LA seems to have our number. We outshoot them 37-27, at faceoff them 60-40% but doesn’t seem to matter, they’re just GOOD!!

WEEKLY SUMMARY: 2 games, 3 points, beat Jagr, not a bad week! Are we going to be a Cup winner again? Who knows, some really great teams to look up at.
LA Great Danes
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Single home game versus Pittsburgh. Aleksander Barkov will not be in the lineup for roster management purposes. But that has a different meaning than in the NHL. Not taking Pitt lightly as Shesterkin is back in net after Forsberg played in both of LA’s road games this week, so looking for a bounce-back effort from Igor after a less than stellar week 15.
GAME #1: PITTSBURGH MINERS@ LA GREAT DANES LA gets the first 17 shots on goal of the game, but Bobrovsky stops them all. It seems to be a bad habit lately, but LA takes a 4-minute cross check at 14:31 before Pitt evens registers a shot. But of course, a Garland wrap-around beats a cold Shesterkin and Pitt leads 1-0 despite being outshot 17-1 at this point. SOG 17-3 LA for the period and 1-0 Miners.

In the second, it looks like the recent NYR Shesterkin and not the Vezina winner of last season as Kaliyev scores on Pitt’s 2nd scoring chance of the game on a long slap shot at the 4:30 mark. But Scheifele and Nylander score 1 1/2 minutes apart to tie the game midway through the 2nd, shots 28-8 at this point and the game is tied at 2. Another LA penalty and another PPG by Garland puts the Miners back in front 3 minutes later, and the period ends with Pitt up 3-2.

2 Minutes into the 3rd and it’s ANOTHER double-minor on LA, this time Pelech for roughing. Pittsburgh smells blood and pounds the net with 8 shots on the PP. But no goal this time but before LA can regain the puck, Brayden Schenn puts Pitt up 4-2 seven minutes into the 3rd. Sure feels like this is not LA’s night.

But William Nylander makes it a one-goal game at 4-3 with just under 5 minutes left. With the goalie pulled, LA creates a few more chances and Roope Hintz is able to get one by Bobrovsky with 43 seconds left – tie game! Nothing else happens and we go to OT.

No scoring chances in the first half of overtime and it feels like we may see a shootout. But Joshua Norris scores his 39th goal of the season for Pittsburgh with 1:16 left in OT. Miners win 5-4, a well-deserved win for them, and LA can take solace in gaining a point despite the difficult outing by Shesterkin and the 2 double minors and PK struggles.

Garland’s 2 PPG’s for Pitt earns him the game’s first star, Nylander for LA with 2G-1A is #2, and LA’s Morgan Rielly is #3 with 4 assists.

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Anton Forsberg, goalie of the week in week 15, has another big week with 2 road wins, a 1.49 GAA, and .949 save %. For the season, Forsberg does not have the stellar save % that Shesterkin has, but he now has an impressive 18-3-3 record for the season.

With 4 games against the Pacific division coming up in week 17, there will be some serious internal debate on the goalie rotation for the week.

Grosse Pointe Griffins
WEEKLY PREVIEW: A four-game homestand for the struggling Griffins
GAME #1: TOLEDO WALLEYE@ GROSSE POINTE GRIFFINS Vincent Trocheck’s 2nd period PPG gives Toledo a 2-1 lead and Jason Robertson adds an empty-netter to secure a 3-1 victory for the Walleye.
GAME #2: CHICAGO COSA NOSTRA@ GROSSE POINTE GRIFFINS With Grosse Pointe holding a 3-2 second period lead, Chicago erupts for 5 unanswered goals to trounce the Griffins 7-3. Farmington Hills, Michigan DeBrincat nets a pair.
GAME #3: CINCINNATI INFERNO@ GROSSE POINTE GRIFFINS Cam Talbot makes 38 saves to lead the Inferno to a 4-2 win. Kyle Connor has 7 SC’s but is unable to put the puck past Talbot.
GAME #4: ALAMO DEFENDERS@ GROSSE POINTE GRIFFINS Grosse Pointe salvages 2 points with a 5-4 victory. Kyle Connor recovers from being snakebit in the previous game to score the GTG and GWG in the third period. Spencer Knight gets his only start of the homestand and it results in the Griffins’ only win.
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Ilya Samsonov’s nightmare season continues to drag the team down with a save percentage of .871 in 36 games, while Spender Knight is a respectable .907 in 26 games.
Charlotte Buzzards
WEEKLY PREVIEW: The Buzzards were holding a precarious fifth seed in the East as this week began (the top five make the playoffs), and this squad continues to stink on the road, with reported away losses this week to Flin Flon and the California Regulators. At home was a crucial division matchup with Portland (pecking on the heels of Charlotte in the playoff race) and a contest at Toledo.
GAME #1: PORTLAND STORM@ CHARLOTTE BUZZARDS The Buzzards faced a critical February 24 matchup at home against the Storm, just six games behind Charlotte entering the week for the fifth playoff spot – and with Charlotte losing two on the road, who knows how close this race now is (will have to let all the results play out).

As with most of the offensively-challenged Buzzards’ games this season, this had all the makings of a goalie duel, with star Ilya Sorokin in the nets for the home team, and Braden Holtby getting the start for Portland. And this game played out accordingly. Fourth line left winger Alex Iafallo opened the scoring for Charlotte 10 minutes into the game on an even strength goal from assists from his linemates Barrett Hayton and Blake Coleman, but Portland responded with a power play goal within the first minute of the second period, courtesy of Joel Farabee.

We remained tied, 1-1, well into the third with Sorokin and Holtby (and the defensive units) shining. But Alex Killorn, whose penalty led to the Farabee goal, redeemed himself with an assist to Carter Verhaeghe who subsequently beat Holtby with 7:57 left in regulation. Then just one minute and 35 seconds later, Jonathan Marchessault added an even strength goal for the Buzzards, courtesy of assists from Alex Pietrangelo and Same Bennett.

Trailing 3-1, the Storm was not through: Clayton Keller narrowed the deficit to one, but it came with 39 seconds left in the third following Portland lifting Holtby for an extra man. Holtby stayed out of the nets but Portland could not find the tying goal in the last minute, and the Buzzards had a desperately needed win.
Three stars (all Charlotte):

1. Iafallo 1 G
2. Verhaeghe 1 G
3. Marchessault 1 G

Notable: Verhaeghe (just 12 goals entering the week) and Marchessault (11 goals for the season entering the week of play), had underachieved this whole darn season but finally responded in this crucial game. Charlotte outshot the Storm 29-24. Holtby saved 26 and Sorokin saved 22.

GAME #2: TOLEDO WALLEYE@ CHARLOTTE BUZZARDS This game against the Central leading Walleye featured another goalie duel for the Buzzards, this time with Sorokin squaring off against Thatcher Demko. The Walleye, who fired 14 shots in the first period, finally broke through 13:35 into the game, on a goal from Mason Marchment (just eight goals entering the week), with Andre Mangiapane providing the assist. Goalies continued to dominate but Toledo got a crucial insurance goal halfway through the game, with Nikita Kucherov scoring on the power play. Charlotte continued applying pressure through the rest of the contest(including 13 shots in the third), but Demko stonewalled the home team, saved 31, shut out Charlotte and attained the first star honors in the process. Your final: the Walleye, who have mastered the art of winning the close games this season, blanks the Buzzards, 2-0.

Three stars (all Toledo):
1. Demko 31 saves
2. Kucherov 1 G
3. Marchment 1 G

Notable: Esa Lindell aided the Walleye cause blocking five shots. Charlotte outshot Toledo 31-30.

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Charlotte splits its games at home (scoring just three goals in the two games) and with two losses on the road, there is precious little margin of error down this home stretch if it seeks to grab the third wildcard spot, recently added this year.
Portland Storm
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Portland hosts Bathgate in lone game of week
GAME #1: BATHGATE RANGERS@ PORTLAND STORM Bathgte jumps out to an early 2-0 lead on goals from Hertl (21) and Kreider (46) in the 1st period. Portland responds in the 2nd when Granlund (5) scores and evens the game with 1:21 remaining when Hathaway (5) scores with a 1 man advantage. Bathgate gets the win though when Trouba (6) scores with 38 seconds left
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Portland loses a tough one at home
Pittsburgh Miners
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Miners in tank fest
GAME #1: JAGR MULLETS@ PITTSBURGH MINERS JAgr 5-1
GAME #2: PORTLAND STORM@ PITTSBURGH MINERS Portlnd 3-1
WEEKLY SUMMARY: Ugh Miners lose both
Brentwood Bandits
WEEKLY PREVIEW: Three home games for the suddenly rebuilding Bandits.
GAME #1: BATHGATE RANGERS@ BRENTWOOD BANDITS Despite rebuilding, it’s always nice to beat Bathgate… and that’s what we did. 3-0. 🙂
GAME #2: PITTSBURGH MINERS@ BRENTWOOD BANDITS The last place Miners come in and steal one from Brentwood 4-3.
GAME #3: BUCKS COUNTY BOBCATS@ BRENTWOOD BANDITS This is more of what i’m expecting the last quarter of the season…

Bucks County beats the Bandits handily, 6-3.

WEEKLY SUMMARY: Only one win, but it was against Bathgate. So that’s good… 😉