2019-2020 PLAYER & GOALIE OF THE WEEK 10
| EASTERN SKATER | TEAM | GP | GOALS | ASISSTS | POINTS | PM | +/- | SOG | S% |
| Phil Kessel | BWB | 4 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8% |
| EASTERN GOALIE | TEAM | GP | GOALS AGAINST | G.A. AVERAGE | SAVES | SAVE % | |||
| Pekka Rinne | TBN | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 59 | .922 | |||
| WESTERN SKATER | TEAM | GP | GOALS | ASSISTS | POINTS | PM | +/- | SOG | S% |
| Timo Meier | BCR | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 33% |
| WESTERN GOALIE | TEAM | GP | GOALS AGAINST | G.A. AVERAGE | SAVES | SAVE % | |||
| Tuukka Rask | GIL | 3 | 7 | 2.36 | 93 | .930 | |||
| Chicago CosaNostra | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Chicago with two games at the Capone Center before the Holiday break. |
| Bucks County Raccoons @ Chicago Cosa Nostra | Bucks County comes in atop the Central Division standings and 3 points ahead of the Underground. The Raccoons get the last 3 Goals of the game and pick up 2 Points on Chicago.
Final Score: Bucks County 4 – Chicago 3 Labatts – 3-Star Selection: Star #1 – Timo Meier 3G Notables: Game Winner: Connor McDavid |
| Yellowknife Braves @ Chicago Cosa Nostra | Yellowknife up 1 point on the Underground invade the Capone Center, & come out hot scoring the first 2 goals and hold a 2-0 lead after two periods of play. Chicago gets 2 back in the 3rd & in the 3 on 3 overtime period Chicago Defenseman Thomas Chabot scores to give the Cosa Nostra the “W”.
Final Score: Chicago 4 – Yellowknife 3 Labatts – 3-Star Selection: Star #1 – Thomas Chabot 1G Notables: Game Winner: Connor McDavid |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Chicago picks up 2 points at home and jumps above Yellowknife, but still trails the Raccoons in the standings. |
| Bathgate Rangers | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Rangers did a rare thing last week – won all 3 games AND ON THE ROAD. This week, they are home for 3 of their 4 games. Can the magic continue?? |
| Chicago Cosa Nostra @Bathgate Rangers | MWHL front office matchup with the Cosa Nostra trying to make the Rangers an offer they can’t refuse. Well, if it was a win, we took the deal. Chicago breaks out for 2 goals in the 1st, Kreider and Dubois. That Dubois goal was one of those last minute scores you hate to see. So, the Rangers responded with a PP goal 49 seconds into the 2nd period by Hertl. 2 1/2 minutes later McCann scores. 3 1/2 minutes later ZBad scores and the Rangers are up 3-2. Score stays that way until the final minute – Chicago pulls Saros and Anderson gets the Empty Netter to make the final 4-2. For the 2nd time in 2 weeks, Georgiev stymies the Cosa Nostra – turning back 28 of 30 shots. Rangers actually attacked a lot in this one with 45 shots on Saros (and 83 attempts). STARS (all BGR) 1. Hertl 1 goal, 1 assist 2. Anderson 1 goal 3. Zibanejad 1 goal |
| Lafayette Homesteaders @ Bathgate Rangers | So, this time it’s the opponents with 40+ SOG (41) and the Rangers get 31 on net. However, neither Bobrovsky or Halak let any of these shots go in. NONE. After 3 periods it was 0-0 and after the OT it was still 0-0. So we got to a SHOOT OUT. Kucherov -stopped (he had 10 shots in the game, no goals). ZBad – skates in, dekes, snaps one quickly – SCORE! Eichel now for the Homesteaders – skates in, winds up, shoots – oh boy, he misses the net! Hertl – skates in, the wrister – SCORE! And the Rangers win the shoot out 2-0 and the game 1-0! STARS: 1. (BGR) Halak 41 saves 2. (LAF) Bobrovsky 31 saves 3. (BGR) McCann (pretty interesting for a guy who is only on the ice for 7:57 of the game)! |
| Jagr Mullets @ Bathgate Rangers | Mullets come to town still smarting after losing to the Rangers at home last week and they waste no time with the payback. Radulov scores inside the 1st minute. However, ZBad steals one 7 minutes later for an unassisted goal to tie it up. But Jagr is having none of the Rangers ideas and in a 1 minute span later in the period they score 2 more goals (Parise and Tkachuk) to go up 3-1 after 1 period. PERIOD 2 – minute and a half in and it’s Jagr again as Rielly gets on the scoring train. THEN THE PENALTIES start to take effect. Toffoli gets nabbed for hooking and Ferland scores a PP goal halfway point in the 2nd and the period ends 4-2 Mullets. THIRD PERIOD – Hertl gets called for tripping (controversial call – seems like Ovechkin gets preferential treatment wherever he goes – he skates right into and over Hertl’s stick, then sprawls – and gets the call). Anyway, he makes the Rangers pay as Ovechkin then scores a PP goal to make it 5-2 with 16 minutes to play. You’d think that was it for Bathgate, well, think again. Letang gets whistled for boarding (4 minutes worth) and Anderson AND Hertl score PP goals to pull it to within one at 5-4 with 12 1/2 minutes left. Final minute, Halak skates off – and the Rangers make the extra attacker work a ZBad connects from Hertl and Zadorov to tie the game at 5-5 and send it to OT!. Well, OT turned out not to favor the home team – both teams had their chances but it was the non-call with 2 to go when Provorov got run over!! that turned the game. After that rush failed (and no penalty called), Jagr took the puck back into the Ranger end. Pulock shoots, Halak stops it, and eventually Couture gains control and fires a wrister that got by Halak low on the glove side and it was all over. Jagr wins 6-5! Wild Game! STARS: 1. (BGR) Zibanejad 2 goals, 2 assists! 2. (JAG) Radulov 1 goal, 2 assists 3. (JAG) Ovechkin 1 goal, 1 assist These two teams are really starting to build up a rivalry this year!! |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Rangers end up getting 5 of 6 points on the homestand – that’s 11 of 12 (plus another road game this week) in the past two weeks. Probably a franchise record. And we’ll take it, the youngsters are putting thing together. Hope the break doesn’t mess that up. |
| Yellowknife Braves | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | One home game against the playoff hungry Toledo Walleye |
| Toledo Walleye @ Yellowknife Braves | Yellowknife hang on and win it 4-3 |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | One home game yields a much needed 2 points |
| Cincinnati Inferno | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | The Cincinnati Inferno host three opponents this week, including a pair above them in the Atlantic Division standings. |
| Yellowknife Braves @ Cincinnati Inferno | Cincinnati 5, Yellowknife 4 (OT)
Ryan Suter’s fourth goal of the year 90 seconds into overtime lifted Cincinnati to a 5-4 triumph over Yellowknife. The goal capped a two goal rally by the Inferno in the third period to force the extra session. Connor Hellebuyck turned away 25 shots and assisted on the game winner for Cincinnati, while Marc-Andre Fleury took the loss, stopping 25 shots as well. Sebastian Aho had two goals and an assist for the Braves. |
| Charlotte Buzzards @ Cincinnati Inferno | Cincinnati 4, Charlotte 3 (OT)
Sidney Crosby’s goal with 55 seconds remaining in overtime was the difference in the 4-3 win for Cincinnati. The Inferno scored twice in the final minute of regulation to force the extra stanza, as Nate Schmidt’s score with nine seconds left in regulation put the teams into the bonus time. The turning point in this game was a five minute power play for Charlotte early in the third period with a 2-1 lead. John Carlson went off for cross checking and the Inferno’s penalty killing (15th in the MWHL at 72.5%) — stopped the Buzzards for the full five minutes. Connor Hellebuyck took the win, stopping 26 shots, while Carey Price absorbed the loss after turning away 42 shots. Cincinnati had 34 scoring chances to just nine for Charlotte. |
| Thunder Bay NorWesters @ Cincinnati Inferno | Thunder Bay 4, Cincinnati 1
In a relatively evenly played game (statistically), the NorWesters netted goals in each of the periods and added an empty netter late to claim the 4-1 win. No play on either side had more than a point and the biggest statistical discrepancy was the blocked shots–which favored Thunder Bay, 25-11. Pekka Rinne took the win with 32 saves, while Jacob Markstrom took the loss with 23 stops. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Two out of three is not horrific for Cincinnati, which heads into the break looking to upgrade its personnel for the second half of the season. |
| Thunder Bay Nor’Westers | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Two home games LA and Guentzel |
| LA Great Danes @ Thunder Bay NorWesters | Busy Holiday season – No report LA (5) TBN (7) Looks like both defenses was hung over. |
| Guentzel Gunners @ Thunder Bay NorWesters | Guentzel (4) Thunder Bay (2) |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | 1-1 at home not what we expected but a split none the less |
| Alamo Defenders | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Alamo hosts Gilbert |
| Gilbert Sharks @ Alamo Defenders | The Sharks score three in the first period. Engelland,Danault, and Oshie all score for Gilbert. In the 3rd, Alamo finally scores on a Greene goal. Gilbert wins 3-1. Alamo with the shot advantage, 35-19.
Gilbert 3 Alamo 1 1st – Rask |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Gilbert wins 3-1. |
| Gilbert Sharks | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Gilbert has 3 home games this block |
| Gilbert Sharks @ Charlotte Buzzards | Gilbert plays its most complete game of the season scoring 3 early goals and smothering Charlotte… until 5 minutes left in the game when Charlotte nets 4 goals to win 5-3 |
| Alamo Defenders @ Gilbert Sharks | Gilbert once again has a lead in the 2nd period but Alamo pours it on the rest of the way to win 6-2. |
| LA Great Danes @ Gilbert Sharks | The battle for the worst team in the MWHL. LA takes this round 2-1. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Gilbert goes 0-3 at home |
| Brentwood Bandits | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | The Bandits still find themselves in 2nd place in the Metro and among the top teams in the league… what will they do now that we’re nearing the halfway point of the season?
Three home games this week might shed more light on it… |
| Alamo Defenders @ Brentwood Bandits | Brentwood remembers that the Alamo is coming into town and Tavares and company get the offense rolling to the tune of a 6-3 win.
Tavares had 2G and 1A but last year’s Art Ross winner Kessel had a 5 point night with a goal and 4 assists. Murray made 30 saves in the win. |
| Bathgate Rangers @ Brentwood Bandits | Bathgate gets all wet to the tune of a Bandits 6-3 win (2nd game in a row with the same score!).
Tyler Johnson gets the HT and adds an assist as the 2nd line provides all the offense needed. Murray did himself better by saving 43 to keep the Bandits in the game! Georgiev was not so lucky, only saving 14 out of 19 (one empty netter). |
| Lafayette Homesteaders @ Brentwood Bandits | The Homesteaders come to town to try to prove they are better than the bottom of the division, and they might have done that by hanging on to win a high scoring affair 6-5 despite blowing a 5-1 lead!
The Bandits almost pulled of a great comeback. Down 5-1 and the 6-3, the Bandits score 2 goals in the last 4 minutes of the 3rd, but can’t put in the tying goal!! Debrusk scores a 3rd period HT (19, 20, 21) and Tavares goes 1G, 2A and Kessel 3A. Murray comes back down to earth as he only saves 25 of 31. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | 3 games, 4 points. Not bad. But what will the Bandits do moving forward? Can they compete with the the “Jagrnaut” Mullets? The lack of good offers for Tavares or Kessel might be a “play the hand you are dealt” situation for the Bandits.
Coach Tom Atkins slipped out the back after the game and was asleep in the Lazy-Boy with the remote in his hand before 11PM, so no questions have been answered. |
| Bucks County Raccoons | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Division home games against Yellowknife and Toledo |
| Yellowknife Braves @ Bucks County Raccoons | Yellowknife scores 2 in the first period for a 2-0 lead and add a PP goal late in the third to hold off a Bucks County comeback attempt and defeat the Raccoons 4-2. |
| Toledo Walleye @ Bucks County Raccoons | McDavid and Meier score 2 goals each as Bucks County, with the help of an empty net goal, defeat Toledo 7-5. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Bucks County, the 2nd best defensive team in the MWHL, gives up 9 goals in two home games for split. In the words of the great philosopher Alfred E. Newman, “what,me worry?” |
| Toledo Walleye | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Chicago comes to town this week for the only game in Toledo. Both teams hovering in the bottom half of the conference, but only 6 points out of 1st place. |
| Chicago Cosa Nostra @ Toledo Walleye | Chicago 6, Toledo 4 – A great back and forth game. Tied 4 times. In the end, Chicago hits for the cycle with a shortie, power play, even strength, and empty netter.
First Toledo goes up with a goal from Vanek. Chicago answers with 2 goals ( Dubois PP and Saad EV) to take a 2-1 lead all the way to 1st intermission. 2nd period, Toledo answers early, with 2 goals (Arvidsson PP and Connolly EV) to flip it to 3-2 Toledo. And just as Toledo looks to go up 2 on a powerplay, Chicago shocks the crowd with a shortie as Wennberg gets the steal and breakaway. 2nd period ends 3-3. 3rd period Toledo gets the edge again, this time Cernak, to make it 4-3. Toledo manages to make the margin hold until just under 5 minutes when Dubois scores his 2nd of the game, for the equalizer. And just as it looks we are headed into overtime, Toews shocks everybody with a blast at the 0:30 mark, and then Sanheim adds an empty netter before the final horn. 1st star – Dubois 2G 3pts |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Chicago with the last minute heart breaker, a road win, to send Toledo alone down into the cellar. sniff. |
| Lafayette Homesteaders | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Laf takes on California and Jagr |
| California Regulators @ Lafayette Homesteaders | LAF 8 CALIF 7
Eichel scores with 55 seconds to get Laf the Win Huberdeau had 4 G and 1 AST |
| Jagr Mullets @ Lafayette Homesteaders | LAF 6 JAGR 4
Brown scores with a couple minutes to put Steaders up and Hutton gets the EN to secure the win |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | 4 surprising pts but still in the basement |
| Charlotte Buzzards | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | The Buzzards jockeyed for division positioning when it hosted fellow Atlantic squads from Thunder Bay and the Land of Guentzel. |
| GAME #1 – VISITING TEAM: | Thunder Bay NorWesters |
| GAME #1 – HOME TEAM: | Charlotte Buzzards |
| GAME #1: | Oh if I only had a dime for every last minute loss: the Norwesters get a game tying goal with 1:29 to play, then just 30 seconds later celebrate the game winning goal by defenseman Seth Jones as they rally and stun the Buzzards, 5-4. Left winger Gabriel Landeskog had tied the game at 5-5 leading to Jones’ heroics. Thunder Bay outscored Charlotte 4-2 in the third period and overcame a 3-1 deficit. Vladimir Tarasenko (two goals for Charlotte) was the top star in a losing effort.
Three stars: Notables: Barkov won 16 faceoffs. Charlotte’s Brent Burns blocked six shots, Jones blocked 5 for Thunder Bay. |
| GAME #2 – VISITING TEAM: | Guentzel Gunners |
| GAME #2 – HOME TEAM: | Charlotte Buzzards |
| GAME #2: | Charlotte overcomes the inspiration behind the Guentzel Gunners for a late 2-1 comeback victory. In a defensive showdown, Jake Guentzel’s second period goal provided the early 1-0 advantage, but the Buzzards rallied with early third period goals from Tarasenko and Anders Lee. From there, Charlotte’s Carey Price was sensational. He dominated with 39 total saves and redeemed himself from his prior late-game collapse against Thunder Bay.
Three stars (all from Charlotte): Notable: Jake Gunetzel won 15 faceoffs which helped the Gunners dominate the offensive zone; Charlotte defensemen Erik Johnson and Travis Hamonic blocked 7 and six blocks respectively to go along with Price’s 39 saves in a defensive masterpiece by the Buzzards. |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Charlotte (2 points in 2 home contests) salvages redemption by winning its last home game, but the team let 1 point then another slip away in the closing moments of the earlier loss to Thunder Bay. It Such late letdowns (and there have been several) will likely come back to haunt the Buzzards somewhere down the road. |
| Jagr Mullets | |
|---|---|
| WEEKLY PREVIEW: | Two home games vs Toledo and Brentwood. |
| GAME #1 – VISITING TEAM: | Toledo Walleye |
| GAME #1 – HOME TEAM: | Jagr Mullets |
| GAME #1: | The Walleye get hooked, getting gaffed for 7 goals in the 7-3 Mullet victory. Ironically, the first two stars are from Toledo – unfortunately the rest of the team didn’t show up. Jagr gets balanced scoring up and down the lineup, as they have 7 different goal scorers.
Scoring Summary Star 1: TOL Arvidsson 2 G, 3 Pts GWG: Auston Matthews Notables: TOL None |
| GAME #2 – VISITING TEAM: | Brentwood Bandits |
| GAME #2 – HOME TEAM: | Jagr Mullets |
| GAME #2: | Next up are the Brentwood Bandnuts, who turn a 3-2 Jagr lead in the 3rd into a 5-3 Brentwood victory.
Might as well call this the Incest Bowl, as half of these players have been on the other team – including the goales (Vasilevskiy and Kuemper). Unfortunately for the Mullets, Kuemper faces a miniscule 20 shots (at least the D showed up), but he lets 5 of them in. Meanwhile, Jagr fires 40 shots on goal but can only slip 3 past AV. Ex-Mullet Alex Galchenyuk is the 1st star with a pair of goals. Scoring Summary Star 1: BWB Galchenyuk 2 G GWG: Alex Galchenyuk Notables: BWB Vasilevskiy 37 saves, Josi 6 blocks |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | Two points are better than no points. |
| California Regulators | |
|---|---|
| LA Great Danes @ California Regulators | LA – 3 CAL – 2 |
| Alamo Defenders @ California Regulators | ALA – 4 CAL – 5 |
| LA Great Danes @ California Regulators | LA – 4 CAL – 5 |
| WEEKLY SUMMARY: | California wins 2 of 3 at home this week. |
Games simmed by the League Office
Bucks County 4, Guentzel 3
Cincinnati 5, Guentzel 3