Prospect Report, Overseas Roundup and The Week Ahead 11/5-11/11
Texas Stars
The Stars had only one game last week and it didn't go so well as they lost 4-1 to the Grand Rapids Griffins. It's been a tough couple of weeks for the Stars as they've lost five of their last six games (allowing at least four goals in all those losses) and the same problems keep cropping up. A listless power play (0 for 7 against the Griffins, now 3 for 38 on the year), taking too many penalties (six more times on the PK) and a surprising stuggle from the Stars' net minders.
The special teams troubles are a familiar problem to Dallas Stars fans and it seems to be a system wide issue. The power-play just doesn't work.
A couple things of note from the Griffins game were season debuts for Colton Sceviour and Scott Glennie. Sceviour returned from injury problems and scored a goal in his first game back. Glennie has been riding the pine the whole year and was pretty invisible on the ice. He looked really rusty in against the Griffins.
Nov. 9 - Toronto Marlies @ Texas Stars
Nov. 10 - Lake Erie Monsters @ Texas Stars
Nov. 11 - Texas Stars @ Houston Aeros
The Overseas Pros
Jamie Benn - Hamburg Freezers
It took a little while, but now Benn is really in a groove with the Freezers. In three games last week (all wins), Benn had three goals and an assist on nine shots to go along with first star honors in a game against Red Bull Munchen. It's his third solid week in a row and he's now the only Freezers player to be averaging a point per game. It's good to see Benn humming right along again and I just wish it was in a Stars uniform.
All European hockey is taking the next off so Benn has no games next week.
Jaromir Jagr - HC Kladno
First off, is there any way we can bottle this Jagr for the Stars whenever the NHL returns? The Czech veteran was at his best last week with two goals and four assists in two explosive wins for Kladno. Jagr has really picked up his game in the last weeks and has shown up on the scoresheet a whole lot. Unfortunately for him, the league has no games this week so Jagr and his hot streak will have to wait until next Monday to continue putting points on the board.
Stephane Robidas - HIFK Helsinki
Robidas found himself on the scoresheet a couple of times last week with a goal and an assist in three games played. His team actually won two of games, which is double what they had for the previous two weeks and the defense was improved. His one-month long contract will be ending soon though, so it'll be interesting to see what he does then. The SM-Liiga has no games this upcoming week, so it's more rest for Robi.
Tom Wandell - Severstal Cherepovets
Wandell was his usual self this past week. He registered no points and six shots in three games (two losses) while struggling a bit at the face-off dot. He's been getting top-line minutes but just can't produce points. In 11 games with Severstal, he only has four points (all assists). Like much of Europe, the KHL has no games next week.
Philip Larsen - Rauman Lukko
Larsen had three games last week and had no points to show for it. He hasn't registered a point for the better part of a month now.
CHL Prospects
Radek Faksa - Kitchener Rangers
Faksa had another pretty slow week with only two assists in three games as his Rangers went 2-1-0-0. He's scored only one goal since Oct. 5 and has struggled to get on the scoresheet at all the past couple of weeks. He's still been playing pretty well though in his all-around game and is working hard on the ice. He just hasn't been producing too much.
Nov. 6 - Mississauga Steelheads @ Kitchener Rangers
Nov. 9 - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds @ Kitchener Rangers
Nov. 11 - Kitchener Rangers @ Oshawa Generals
Brett Ritchie - Niagara IceDogs
Boy you want to talk about an explosion. Ritchie had one of the greatest weeks ever with 10(!) goals and three assists in three games, including back-to-back games with at least four goals. Granted, his two explosive games came against teams with a porous defense (Guelph and Peterborough) but still he scored nine goals during the weekend. He just basically put up a months worth of points in three games. His goals alone would have kept the IceDogs undefeated last week.
Ritchie now sits third in the OHL with 29 points on the season, four behind his teammate Ryan Strome (who had a damn fine week as well with three goals and nine assists). He's also tied for third in goals and 12th in assists in the OHL.
It's all about consistency now for Ritchie. I highly doubt he'll reach these numbers again, but he needs to be able to average a point per game pace for the rest of the season and he'll be guranteed a top-line spot with the Texas Stars next year.
Ritchie will get another shot at the Petes this upcoming weekend so it'll be fascinating to see what he does for an encore.
Nov. 9 - Niagara IceDogs @ Mississauga Steelheads
Nov. 10 - Peterborough Petes @ Niagara IceDogs
Gemel Smith - Owen Sound Attack
Gemel Smith had a bit quieter week than Ritchie, but it was still damn impressive. Smith continues to (in my opinion at least) to be the Stars most intriguing CHL prospect with another solid week with three goals and four assists in three games. He had an 11-game point streak broken against the Kitchener Rangers on Sunday going up against Radek Faksa as the Attack suffered just their second regulation loss of the season.
Smith is in the top-20 in the OHL for goals and assists and number 17 in total points. He's been the most consistent Stars prospect so far this season and look for some more numbers from him this week as they take on three bad defensive teams.
Nov. 7 - Guelph Storm @ Owen Sound Attack
Nov. 9 - Owen Sound Attack @ Brampton Battalion
Nov. 10 - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds @ Owen Sound Attack
Matej Stransky - Saskatoon Blades
Stransky had his second straight week in which he registered a goal and two assists in three games. The Blades managed to win two of those three to take them out of the cellar in their division.
Stransky has been playing very well for the past month and has at least a point in eight of the last nine games. He's been very consistent but nothing to flashy thus far.
Nov. 9 - Regina Pats @ Saskatoon Blades
Nov. 10 - Seattle Thunderbirds @ Saskatoon Blades
Mike Winther - Prince Albert Raiders
Things cooled down a lot for Winther following his hat trick last Saturday. In three games last week, Winther was only able to register one assist (though his team went 2-1-0-0).
Nov. 7 - Swift Current Broncos @ Prince Albert Raiders
Nov. 9 - Seattle Thunderbirds @ Prince Albert Raiders
Nov. 10 - Prince Albert Raiders @ Swift Current Broncos
Branden Troock - Seattle Thunderbirds
Another week went by with nary a sighting of young Mr. Troock. He rode the pine again for all three Thunderbirds games last week and hasn't played since Oct. 20.
Nov. 6 - Seattle Thunderbirds @ Brandon Wheat Kings
Nov. 7 - Seattle Thunderbirds @ Regina Pats
Nov. 9 - Seattle Thunderbirds @ Prince Albert Raiders
Nov. 10 - Seattle Thunderbirds @ Saskatoon Blades
Troy Vance - Victoriaville Tigers
Vance had his second point in two weeks as he registered an assist in one of the Tigers two games last week. He now has seven assists on the year.
Nov. 9 - Cape Breton Screaming Eagles @ Victoriaville Tigers
Nov. 10 - Halifax Mooseheads @ Victoriaville Tigers
Maxime Lagace - Prince Edward Island Rocket
Lagace got one start last week and played poorly once again. He allowed six goals on 34 shots in a 6-5 loss. He's started 10 of the Rockets 18 games so far this season and has allowed six or more goals in five of them. It's a mighty struggle for Lagace right now.
Nov. 9 - PEI Rocket @ Quebec Remparts
Nov. 10 - PEI Rocket @ Rimouski Oceanic
