CHL Daily presented by Dow: Funk scores 60th as Cougars streak moves to 10-0-2
CHL Three Stars
Quentin Musty (SJ) had a career high four goals as he starred in Sudbury’s wild 9-8 overtime win against Windsor. Musty, who also buried the OT winner and had two assists, has 35 goals and 84 points this year and sits 11th in OHL scoring.
Andrew Cristall (WSH) exploded for a career high seven points (2G, 5A) as he led Kelowna to a 9-1 win versus Kamloops. In the process, Cristall passed the 100-point mark for the first time in his career and became the first Rockets player to hit the mark since Colin Long in 2007-08.
Jacob Newcombe had four goals as he powered Cape Breton to a 6-1 win against Saint John. Newcombe, who didn’t make his season debut until Jan. 18 after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last July, has 16 points in 20 games this year.
CHL Top 10
Terik Parascak had five points (2G, 3A) as the Prince George Cougars (2) took down Vancouver 5-3 as their streak extended to 10-0-2. The Cougars’ 42 wins are tied for the second most in the WHL.
Alex Christopoulos had his fourth OHL hat-trick to power the Saginaw Spirit (3) to a 7-2 win against Kingston. The Spirit’s 45 wins are the most in the OHL and trail only Baie-Comeau’s 49 wins in the CHL.
Ruslan Gazizov had a pair of goals as the London Knights (4) defeated Sarnia 6-1. The Knights have 44 wins this year and are tied with Saginaw for the OHL’s best winning percentage at .742.
Egor Sidorov (ANA) scored the game-winner as the Saskatoon Blades (5) beat Medicine Hat 3-1 to record their WHL best 44th win.
Justin Cote had three points but the Drummondville Voltigeurs (6) dropped a third straight contest after a 5-4 defeat to Victoriaville. Drummondville’s 41 wins are tied for the most in the QMJHL’s Western Conference.
Julius Miettinen, who is eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, had three points (1G, 2A) as the Everett Silvertips (8) took down Victoria 4-1 for their 40th win of the season.
Matthew Savoie (BUF) scored twice and added an assist for the Moose Jaw Warriors (10) in their 6-3 win over Regina. The Warriors, who have won seven straight, rank second in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with 41 wins.
NHL prospect watch
Cam Squires (NJ) tallied three helpers as part of Cape Breton’s comfortable 6-1 win over Saint John. Squires leads the Eagles with 59 points and is three goals shy of a second straight 30-goal campaign.
After he tallied a pair of assists in Sudbury’s overtime win against Windsor, David Goyette (SJ) became the first OHL player to 100 points. Goyette is the first Wolves player to record 100 points in a season since Michael Sgarbossa in 2011-12.
🚨🚨🚨🚨🍎🍎#SJSharks prospect Quentin Musty had quite the evening Friday that was capped off with the OT winner for the @Sudbury_Wolves!
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 9, 2024
His teammate, Dalibor Dvorsky (STL), also had a huge offensive performance in Sudbury’s victory versus Windsor after he had five points (2G, 3A). Dvorsky, who’s in his first OHL season, has 73 points (37 goals) in only 45 games.
Dylan Roobroeck (NYR) had his first four-point (1G, 3A) game of the season as Oshawa beat Brantford 6-4 in a battle between the top two teams in the OHL’s Eastern Conference. With the win, the Gens extended their win streak to six games and leapfrogged the Bulldogs in the process to take top spot.
Easton Cowan (TOR) pushed his point streak to 31 games after he scored in London’s win over Sarnia. Cowan’s streak is now the longest this decade in the OHL.
Luca Pinelli (CBJ) and Brady Stonehouse (EDM) each had three points (1G, 2A) as Ottawa cruised past Niagara 7-1. Pinelli’s 75 points lead the 67’s who sit tied fifth in the OHL’s Eastern Conference but just four points behind Oshawa.
Zac Funk (WSH) became the first player in the CHL to reach 60 goals this season after he scored twice in Prince George’s victory over Vancouver. Additionally, Funk made more franchise history as the first player to ever reach the 60-goal mark in Cougars history.
Goals 60 and 61❕#ALLCAPS prospect Zac Funk became the first player in @PGCougars history to cross the 60-goal plateau Friday!
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 9, 2024
Kelowna captain Gabriel Szturc (TB) tallied four points (1G, 3A) during his side’s romp of Kamloops that secured their spot in the 2024 WHL playoffs. Szturc, who signed with the Lightning earlier this week as a free agent, has 74 points (29 goals) in 2023-24.
Carson Bjarnason (PHI) stopped all 23 shots he saw as Brandon blanked Lethbridge 4-0. In 43 games, Bjarnason is 22-16-5 with a .908 save percentage.
Nightly notes
Kitchener’s Luke Ellinas recorded his first OHL hat-trick during Kitchener’s 9-5 win against Flint. The 2024 NHL Draft prospect has 28 points in his first rookie campaign. In defeat, Firebirds overage forward Nolan Dann also had his first three-goal game. Dann’s 61 points leads all Flint skaters.
Briley Wood had a career best five points (2G, 3A) as he powered Wenatchee to an 8-1 road win over Tri-City. Wood, who had seven career points before this season, has 61 in 53 games in his overage season.
Despite their defeat to Prince George, Vancouver secured its spot in the 2024 WHL playoffs. The Giants sit seventh in the Western Conference with a 29-28-4 record.
OHL results (March 8, 2024)
Oshawa 6-4 Brantford
Kitchener 9-5 Flint
London 6-1 Sarnia
Ottawa 7-1 Niagara
Saginaw 7-2 Kingston
Sudbury 9-8 Windsor
Soo 3-1 Guelph
QMJHL results (March 8, 2024)
Cape Breton 6-1 Saint John
Acadie-Bathurst 3-1 Halifax
Quebec 2-1 Gatineau (SO)
Rimouski 5-3 Blainville-Boisbriand
Sherbrooke 4-1 Val-d’Or
Victoriaville 5-4 Drummondville
WHL results (March 8, 2024)
Moose Jaw 6-3 Regina
Edmonton 3-2 Prince Albert
Saskatoon 3-1 Medicine Hat
Red Deer 4-3 Calgary
Brandon 4-0 Lethbridge
Prince George 5-3 Vancouver
Everett 4-1 Victoria
Kelowna 9-1 Kamloops
Seattle 5-4 Spokane
Wenatchee 8-1 Tri-City
Watch live on CHL TV
Available to fans from coast to coast, CHL TV is accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca. Each year, CHL TV offers access to more than 2,000 regular-season games covering the CHL’s three Member Leagues and 60 markets across Canada and the United States. Fans can download the free CHL app via the App Store and Google Play.
