The Vancouver Canucks Young Stars were outplayed by the Calgary Flames' prospects as this year's prospects tournament wrapped up in Penticton on Monday.
The Canucks were outshot 43-28 as they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Flames in overtime. Michael Carcone, Jordan Subban and Yan-Pavel Laplante were your goal scorers. Laplante also got into a fight with Ryan Lomberg in the first period. Here are your highlights:
Thatcher Demko played the first two periods of the game, giving up three goals on 25 shots. He stretched out for one spectacular toe save, using his long legs and improved flexibility to shut down the bottom of the net, but didn't look great on a couple of goals that were scored off the rush.
Michael Garteig came in at the beginning of the third period, with the score tied 3-3. He made 15 saves to help the Canucks get to overtime, then made two more saves in the extra frame before Lomberg iced the game for the Flames on a shorthanded breakaway.
How do we sum up this prospect camp? Over to you, Jim Benning:
Building off Benning's comments with my own thoughts:
• Olli Juolevi - very promising prospect, excited to see him in main camp, not ready for NHL
• Free-agent signings: Troy Stecher, Michael Carcone and Yan-Pavel Laplante have all done well. Benning cracks a smile as he mentions that Laplante picked up a Gordie Howe hat trick against the Flames.
Benning says he thinks Stecher "will get games with us this year." To me, that sounds like the plan will be for him to start in Utica—especially since he won't need to clear waivers—but possibly be the first injury call-up off the blue line.
I'm eager to see if Stecher can push that timeline in training camp and make a strong case to make the team on opening night.
• Benning says most of the prospects will be joining the Canucks at main camp. Veterans will do medical testing on Thursday at Rogers Arena, then the on-ice sessions start Friday in Whistler.
If you missed it, click here for the list of veterans that will be attending camp. And add one more name to the list, announced Monday:
Jack Skille, 29, gets #Canucks PTO. Seventh overall pick (2005, Chicago) is 6'1", 216 lbs., just 38G in 343 NHL games. Bottom-six push.
Skille joins James Sheppard and Tuomo Ruutu as former top-10 picks that didn't realize their potential at the NHL level. Skille's 29, has good size and put up eight goals and 14 points in 74 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season, averaging just 8:50 of ice time per game. That's a career high for him in NHL games played in a single season, and in goals, so maybe he's a (very) late bloomer?
Eight goals is actually quite good for a bottom-six winger. This PTO seems like it could turn into something meaningful.
One Young Stars invitee has also earned a PTO for main camp:
Benning says prospect tourney free agent Marc-Olivier Roy will be among those invited to #Canucks main camp
The 21-year-old looked like one of Vancouver's more dynamic forwards in Penticton, so he'll get a chance to keep fighting for a contract.
• Cole Cassels has shown that he's better than what we saw last year, when he was coming off that offseason abdominal surgery. He'll need to show it in Utica, but he's back in the mix as a legitimate prospect at centre.
• Expect both Thatcher Demko and Michael Garteig to get some game action during preseason.
• The mention of Jordan Subban's name makes Benning's brow furrow. He says he thinks the biggest obstacle for Subban is "defending at his size." I don't think Jordan did anything to build his case for an NHL job in Penticton this year.
• Benning's also not bullish on Guillaume Brisebois. Says he needs more "urgency" in his game.
Before camp begins, the annual Jake Milford Charity Invitational golf tournament will roll in Surrey on Wednesday. TSN1040 is typically live on site from that event and gets some good tidbits from returning players over the course of the day. Of course, several of the Canucks' big names will be absent this year due to World Cup.
On that note—congratulations to Jannik Hansen and Team Europe, who are well-positioned to qualify for the tournament semifinal after their overtime win over the Czech Republic on Monday. Hansen was held off the scoresheet but was an integral part of Zdeno Chara's goal, which opened the scoring.
Jacob Markstrom will be back on the bench when Team Sweden takes on Team Finland today at noon PT, as Henrik Lundqvist returns to the net. Very curious to see how that plays out.
In the late game, Canada can end Team USA's chances of advancing to the semifinal with a win over the Americans. John Tortorella has pulled his two Columbus Blue Jackets, Jack Johnson and Brandon Dubinsky, from the lineup in favour of Kyle Palmieri and Dustin Byfuglien. Game time: 5 p.m. PT.
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