CHL Daily: NHL Draft prospect Poirier scores 50th goal
Photo credit: Vincent Levesque Rousseau
CHL Three Stars
Defenceman Chas Sharpe had, by far, the best game of his career in the OHL with four points (1G, 3A) in a 7-2 victory for Mississauga against Brantford. Before Sunday, Sharpe had never collected more than two points in a game. The 20-year-old defenceman is having his best season in the OHL, with 19 goals and 52 points in 65 games.
Scott Ratzlaff (BUF) blocked 52 shots allowing the Seattle Thunderbirds to escape with a 5-4 overtime win against the Portland Winterhawks. The goaltender, who turned 19 earlier this month, has a record of 19-26-1, with a .902 save percentage in 48 games this season. Sunday marked the eighth time this season that Ratzlaff has made at least 40 saves in a game.
Paul Ludwinski (CHI) completed his first hat trick since April 2022 in overtime to lead the Kingston Frontenacs to a 4-3 victory over the North Bay Battalion. The Frontenacs’ captain currently has 68 points in 58 games in the 2023-2024 season.
CHL Top 10
The Prince George Cougars (1) extended their point streak to 17 games (15-0-2) as they defeated the Vancouver Giants 6-3. The Cougars are currently tied with the Saskatoon Blades for the most wins in the WHL with 47.
The London Knights (3) secured their fifth consecutive victory with a 7-4 win over the Windsor Spitfires. London now leads the OHL in wins with 48, surpassing the Saginaw Spirit while they maintain the highest winning percentage at .758.
The Baie-Comeau Drakkar (4) defeated the Sherbrooke Phoenix 5-1 with Niks Fenenko contributing a goal and an assist. The Nord-Côtiers have recorded their third consecutive victory and continue to lead the CHL in wins with 52.
The Portland Winterhawks (6) saw their winning streak end at seven games with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Winterhawks were leading 4-2 after 40 minutes of play before allowing their opponents to stage a comeback. Nevertheless, they have scored 20 goals in their last three matches.
The Moose Jaw Warriors (10) secured their second consecutive victory with a 6-3 win over the Regina Pats. Jagger Firkus (SEA) scored twice to help the Warriors earn their 43rd victory. They currently sit second in the WHL’s Eastern Conference behind only Saskatoon.
NHL prospect watch
Colby Barlow (WPG) scored his first hat trick of the season in a 6-4 victory for the Owen Sound Attack over the Sudbury Wolves. The Winnipeg Jets’ first-round pick leads his team with 37 goals in 48 games so far this season.
Easton Cowan (TOR) assisted on Ruslan Gazizov’s 35th goal of the season, making it 5-1 in the Knights’ victory over the Spitfires. This extended Cowan’s point streak to 34 consecutive games to break the franchise record previously held by Dave Gilmore (1993-1994). Cowan has amassed 64 points during the streak and has a total of 92 points this season.
Zac Funk (WSH) added two goals to his tally and contributed an assist in Prince George’s win over Vancouver. The leading goal scorer in the CHL now has 67 goals in 66 games while he has also taken the lead in CHL scoring with 119 points.
Riley Heidt (MIN) contributed three assists in the matchup between the Cougars and the Giants. The Minnesota Wild prospect has collected 30 points in his last 15 games, being held off the scoresheet only once during this period. He ranks as the third-highest scorer in the WHL with 114 points in 64 games.
Kasper Halttunen (SJ) garnered three assists in London’s victory over Windsor. In his rookie season in the OHL, Halttunen now has 32 goals and 60 points in 55 games.
Justin Gill (NYI) added a goal and an assist in the Drakkar’s win against Sherbrooke. Gill is approaching the 100-point milestone for the first time in his career, currently sitting at 96 points in 63 games. He ranks as the second-highest scorer in the QMJHL and fourth in goals with 38.
Quentin Musty (SJ) contributed two goals and an assist in the Wolves’ loss to the Attack. The 18-year-old American now has 92 points in just 50 games, placing him sixth in OHL scoring. He leads the league in points per game with 1.84 and ranks seventh in goals with 39.
Sawyer Mynio (VAN) scored the overtime winner in Seattle’s triumph over U.S. Division rivals Portland. The defenceman also added two assists. A member of the Thunderbirds team that won the WHL title in 2023, Mynio has currently amassed 12 points in his last eight games. This season, he has collected 52 points in 59 games.
Matthew Savoie (BUF) had another excellent day, with three more assists in Moose Jaw’s victory over Regina. Acquired from the Wenatchee Wild at the WHL trade deadline, Savoie has amassed 65 points in just 33 games this season. He leads the WHL in points per game with 1.97.
Brayden Yager (PIT) had his second four-point game (1G, 3A) of the campaign in the Warriors’ victory over the Pats. Yager has been on a scoring streak in his last 12 games, totalling 19 points during this period. In total, he has scored 34 goals and collected 86 points in 55 games.
Carter Sotheran (FLA) completed a brace in Portland’s overtime loss to Seattle. In his second season in the WHL, the 18-year-old defenceman has accumulated 38 points in 63 games so far this season, with eight points in his last five games.
In the Giants’ loss to the Cougars, Jaden Lipinski (CGY) contributed to all of his team’s goals with two goals and an assist. The 6-foot-4 center is having the best season of his WHL career, tallying 65 points, including 23 goals, in as many games.
Nightly notes
Justin Poirier became the first player in the QMJHL to score 50 goals this season in Baie-Comeau’s triumph over Sherbrooke. In doing so, he became the first player under 18 to accomplish this feat in the QMJHL since Sidney Crosby in 2004-2005. He is also the second draft-eligible prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft to reach 50 goals after Spokane’s Berkly Catton.
Jakub Fibigr collected three assists in the matchup between Mississauga and Brantford. The Czech defenseman, eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, has amassed 41 points in 59 games in his first season in the OHL.
His teammate Mason Zebeski also scored two goals and added an assist. Also draft eligible this year, Zebeski currently has 12 points in his last 12 games. He has recorded 32 points, including 23 goals, in 53 games since the beginning of the campaign.
Terik Parascak scored two goals and added two assists to help Prince George defeat Vancouver. In the process, he became the third player on his team and the eighth in the WHL to surpass the 100-point mark this season. The rookie is also the second draft-eligible player for the 2024 NHL Draft to achieve this feat in the CHL after Catton.
Charlie Paquette scored twice and added an assist to help the Guelph Storm defeat the Kitchener Rangers 5-4. Eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, Paquette has recorded 32 points, including 18 goals, in 64 games so far this season.
Charlie Robertson stopped all 30 shots directed at him, leading the Niagara IceDogs to shut out the Barrie Colts 3-0. Traded from the Battalion to the IceDogs during the OHL trade deadline, Robertson holds a record of 8-11-5 in the 2023-2024 season.
After the Spokane Chiefs confirmed their playoff berth on Saturday, Conner Roulette led the team with two goals and an assist as Spokane defeated the Wenatchee Wild 6-1. The 20-year-old forward is tied for sixth in WHL scoring with 104 points in 66 games.
Beckett Sennecke led his team with a goal and two assists as the Oshawa Generals crushed the Sarnia Sting 7-2. A highly regarded prospect for the 2024 NHL Draft, Sennecke has collected 20 points in his last 10 games. In total, he has amassed 66 points in 61 games in the 2023-2024 season.
Montana’s Saucy Stat Line of the Week
OHL results (March 17, 2024)
Mississauga 7-2 Brantford
Guelph 5-4 Kitchener
Kingston 4-3 North Bay (OT)
Niagara 3-0 Barrie
Owen Sound 6-4 Sudbury
London 7-4 Windsor
Oshawa 7-2 Sarnia
QMJHL results (March 17, 2024)
Saint John 8-4 Charlottetown
Gatineau 4-3 Shawinigan
Baie-Comeau 5-1 Sherbrooke
Cape Breton 3-1 Moncton
WHL results (March 17, 2024)
Calgary 3-2 Lethbridge (OT)
Moose Jaw 6-3 Regina
Prince George 6-3 Vancouver
Swift Current 5-4 Edmonton
Seattle 5-4 Portland (OT)
Spokane 6-1 Wenatchee
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