One can never underestimate the heart of a champion.
The Edmonton Oil Kings bounced back from a disappointing, recent three-game losing skid with a road warrior mentality that sees last year’s Western Hockey League champs now riding an impressive win streak. Oilers prospect Mitch Moroz did more than just provide physical play last week, providing key offence to keep the streak alive in Brandon on Friday.
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Hot team: Halifax Mooseheads
The Mooseheads passed through two tough tests in a home-and-home with the Moncton Wildcats, winning both games. The winning streak, and ability to surpass the record for most wins by a team in one season, however, was snapped in Bathurst on Wednesday. The Mooseheads can still tie the mark of 58 wins in a season if they win all four remaining games, including a rematch with the Titan on Monday.
Cold team: Rimouski Oceanic
The Oceanic are sputtering down the stretch as injuries take a toll on the young squad. Rimouski has just two wins in its last 10 games and is currently riding a two-game losing streak. First place in the Telus East Division standings is still up for grabs with Baie-Comeau leading the Oceanic by two points heading into the final week. The difference between winning the division and not are the potential playoff meetings with an expansion team, Sherbrooke, or a hard-working team from Gatineau.
Game of the week: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies vs. Val-d’Or Foreurs, Tuesday
The Battle of Highway 117 is heated at the best of times, and now playoff positioning, not to mention a potential first-round playoff meeting, ups the ante even more. The Huskies begin the week in eighth-overall, the last team to hold home-ice in the opening round, with the Foreurs two spots lower in 10th. The Foreurs only trail the Huskies by three points with three games remaining in each team’s schedule, meaning they would need to win this game and receive help to finish in eighth. This should have the intensity of playoff game, with a potential playoff meeting on the horizon.
Canadian NHL teams’ QMJHL prospects
David Honzik, Cape Breton (Canucks) — drafted 71st overall in 2011
Wins have been hard to come by in Cape Breton this season, but Honzik stood tall in his team’s 4-3 win over Moncton on Wednesday, stopping 35 of 38 shots. He didn’t fare as well in his next game, a 6-0 loss to P.E.I. where he was pulled after allowing five goals on 33 shots.
Charles Hudon, Chicoutimi (Canadiens) — drafted 122nd overall in 2012
Hudon broke through his three-game drought with a goal and three assists in a 7-2 rout over Sherbrooke. He had a goal and four helpers in three games last week, setting career highs with 30 goals and 69 points this season.
Francois Brassard, Quebec (Senators) — drafted 166th overall in 2012
Brassard is playing his best hockey of the season right now. The second-year goaltender stopped 101 of 107 shots in three wins last week for a .944 save percentage. His season total is now .909, tied for second best in the league.
Ontario Hockey League
Hot team: Oshawa Generals
The Generals are hitting their stride at the right time, and in doing so, have kept hope alive in finishing first in the Eastern Conference. They won both games on the weekend over Kingston and Brampton to bring the winning streak to seven games. The Generals don’t have much room for error since they trail Barrie and Belleville by four points. If nothing else, they’re building good habits for the playoffs.
Cold team: Mississauga Steelheads
The Steelheads may look back on the past couple weeks as missed opportunities to clinch a playoff spot, if they can’t pull it out in the final week. Mississauga is tied for seventh with Kingston for the final two spots, but the Peterborough Petes trail by just two points. The Steelheads have just one win in the last 10 games and eight consecutive losses, tightening a playoff race that appeared all but out of reach for the Petes one month ago.
Game of the week: Mississauga Steelheads vs. Peterborough Petes, Tuesday
With some stability behind the bench and in the front office now, the Petes are flourishing down the stretch and could be on the verge of the unthinkable: a playoff spot. This proud and historic franchise fell on hard times in recent years, including consecutive non-playoff seasons, a run they would like to end this year. The good news for them is they control their own destiny, with games against Mississauga and Kingston in two of their final three outings. If the Petes are going to see the playoffs, a regulation win is crucial on Tuesday.
Canadian NHL teams’ OHL prospects
Mark Scheifele, Barrie (Jets) — drafted seventh overall in 2011
Scheifele is finishing his final junior season with a bang. In three games last week, the Jets’ prized prospect scored six times and added three helpers for nine points and a plus-4 rating. He capped off a hat trick on Sunday with the winner over Niagara.
Tyler Biggs, Oshawa (Maple Leafs) — drafted 22nd overall in 2011
Biggs is providing a steady stream of offence to the Generals this season. In two games last week, the power forward scored once and added two assists with a plus-2 rating. He now has 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points.
Matt Puempel, Kitchener (Senators) — drafted 24th overall in 2011
Puempel scored a goal in all three games last week, also picking up one assist for four points. The Senators’ first-round pick sits at 32 goals, two shy of the personal best set as a Peterborough Pete two years ago.
Joshua Leivo, Kitchener (Maple Leafs) — drafted 86th overall in 2011
Leivo snapped a three-game pointless drought with three assists in three games last week. He was rewarded for his stellar junior career with a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs on Monday.
Tobias Rieder, Kitchener (Oilers) — drafted 114th overall in 2011
Rieder broke through offensively with two goals and three assists for five points in three games last week. The German forward now has 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 points in 50 games this season.
Frankie Corrado, Kitchener (Canucks) — drafted 150th overall in 2011
Corrado scored his first goal in a Rangers uniform on Friday, while adding two assists for a three-point week. He was a minus-3, and hasn’t been a plus player in his last six games.
Brady Vail, Windsor (Canadiens) — drafted 94th overall in 2012
Vail set a career-high for points after a goal and three assist performance in two games and a plus-4 last week. He now has 54 points in 65 games, two more points than he had last season in 68 games.
Western Hockey League
Hot team: Edmonton Oil Kings
The defending Ed Chynoweth Cup champions are showing plenty of character in a tough stretch. The Oil Kings ended a homestand and began a road trip with losses before rattling off six straight victories in the past two weeks. Although the Eastern Conference title was not in jeopardy, Edmonton was able to snap the skid while maintaining a faint hope of finishing first overall.
Cold team: Lethbridge Hurricanes
The Hurricanes were among the brighter surprises to begin the season, but their three-year playoff hiatus is on the verge now of becoming four. Lethbridge is having just as much difficult scoring goals lately as it is keeping them out during a five-game losing streak. The ‘Canes have just one win in their last 10 games. They can still make the playoffs, but they’ll need to pull out all the stops to do so.
Game of the week: Lethbridge Hurricanes vs. Kootenay Ice, Tuesday
Like the Petes in the OHL, the Hurricanes control their destiny in the final week of the regular season. Lethbridge plays Kootenay, the team it trails by six points, twice to open the week. Anything less than two regulation wins would be devastating to their cause. The Ice, meanwhile, are among the feel-good stories of the second half. Amidst constant speculation the franchise could be sold and relocated, the Ice overcame a huge deficit in the standings to sit in eighth in the Western Conference. They’ve lost three-straight, however, so the door that remains open to Lethbridge is partially their own doing.
Canadian NHL teams’ WHL prospects
Adam Lowry, Swift Current (Jets) — drafted 67th overall in 2011
Lowry continued his solid season with another impressive week offensively. The fourth-year forward scored three goals and one assist in four games. Lowry provided the game-winners over Moose Jaw and Brandon.
Mitch Moroz, Edmonton (Oilers) — drafted 32nd overall in 2012
Moroz is developing an offensive touch this season. He did all his damage in a 3-2 shootout win over Brandon, scoring once and setting up another. He has 12 goals and 33 points this season.
Brett Kulak, Vancouver (Flames) — drafted 105th overall in 2012
Kulak is finishing strong this season. The sophomore defenceman had three assists and a plus-3 in three games last week. He set personal bests in goals (12), assists (31) and points (43) this season.
Coda Gordon, Swift Current (Flames) — drafted 165th overall in 2012
Gordon set a career high for points this season with 58. He tallied a goal and three assists in four games last week.