Texas Stars
It was a pretty good week for the Texas Stars as they went 2-0-1 and extended their lead in the conference to six points.
Cris Nilstorp started one game before getting called up to the Dallas Stars due to the Kari Lehtonen injury and Jack Campbell found himself as the main man. Campbell started the latter two games of the week against the OKC Barons and came away with two wins, including one shutout.
Campbell has played very well this month and will be the starter for the foreseeable future.
No skaters on the team really stood out this week, though Jamie Oleksiak made a big impression on his return to the team. He had a shootout goal in the first game against OKC and provided two assists in the second game. He might get called up to the team soon though with Trevor Daley getting injured.
The Stars are off on a four game road trip during the next week.
Feb. 20 – Texas Stars @ Rochester Americans
Feb. 22 – Texas Stars @ Lake Erie Monsters
Feb. 23 – Texas Stars @ Lake Erie Monsters (again)
Feb. 26 – Texas Stars @ OKC Barons
CHL Prospects
Radek Faksa – Kitchener Rangers
Faksa is still out due to an MCL injury and isn’t expected back on ice for another two or three weeks. With only a month left in the regular season, Faksa probably won’t be back in shape until the playoffs.
Kitchener split their two games last week and currently sits fourth in the conference.
Season totals: 32 games, 7 goals, 19 assists, 22 PIM, +0 rating
Feb. 18 – Kitchener Rangers @ Guelph Storm
Feb. 22 – Saginaw Spirit @ Kitchener Rangers
Feb. 23 – Sudbury Wolves @ Kitchener Rangers
Feb. 24 – Kitchener Rangers @ Brampton Battalion
Brett Ritchie – Niagara IceDogs
Ritchie and his IceDogs had a pretty tough week. Ritchie had three assists, though all of them came in their first game against the terrible Erie Otters, and the IceDogs lost against two of the better teams in the conference (Owen Sound and London).
Ritchie has been up and down lately and hasn’t scored a goal since Feb. 2 (six games ago). It’s his second longest drought of the season and he’s been a bit off since the WJC’s and Stars training camp.
He might just be tired though as he hasn’t played this many games since 2010-2011.
Season totals: 44 games, 31 goals, 31 assists, 38 PIM, +31 rating
Feb. 21 – Mississauga Steelheads @ Niagara IceDogs
Feb. 22 – Niagara IceDogs @ Guelph Storm
Feb. 23 – Kingston Frontenacs @ Niagara IceDogs
Gemel Smith – Owen Sound Attack
Gemel Smith missed all three of the Attack’s games last week as he’s still recovering from a lower body injury. He should be back relatively soon though.
The Attack won two of three last week and are third in the conference.
Season totals: 50 games, 19 goals, 24 assists, 48 PIM, +13 rating
Feb. 18 – Owen Sound Attack @ Peterborough Petes
Feb. 21 – Owen Sound Attack @ Barrie Colts
Feb. 23 – Saginaw Spirit @ Owen Sound Attack
Matej Stransky – Saskatoon Blades
Stransky continued his recent hot streak last week and had two goals and two assists in three games. He’s been the best Stars prospect in the last month and that didn’t change this week.
The only negative was that he had his 10 game points streak snapped in their final game of the week. He had nine goals and nine assists during that streak and has carried the Blades.
The Blades won all three games last week and have won an incredible 11 games in row. The Blades have shot up to second place in the Eastern Conference and have easily been the best WHL team during February.
Season totals: 58 games, 31 goals, 37 assists, 67 PIM, +21 rating
Feb. 18 – Brandon Wheat Kings @ Saskatoon Blades
Feb. 20 – Moose Jaw Warriors @ Saskatoon Blades
Feb. 22 – Brandon Wheat Kings @ Saskatoon Blades
Feb. 23 – Saskatoon Blades @ Moose Jaw Warriors
Mike Winther – Prince Albert Raiders
Winther had a very quiet week with no points at all in the Raiders three games.
It’s been a tough month for Winther as he only has two points in February and only nine points since the calendar turned to 2013 (21 games).
Season totals: 55 games, 18 goals, 24 assists, 53 PIM, +17 rating
Feb. 20 – Prince Albert Raiders @ Medicine Hat Tigers
Feb. 22 – Prince Albert Raiders @ Calgary Hitmen
Feb. 23 – Prince Albert Raiders @ Red Deer Rebels
Branden Troock – Seattle Thunderbirds
Troock missed all three of the Thunderbirds games last week as he still deals with another injury. At this point, it would be a shock to see him back this season.
It’s been a tough, injury-riddled year for Troock. He’s played in only 19 of the Thunderbirds’ 60 games. He’s been injury prone in his career (only nine games played two years ago) and that bug hit him again this season.
Season totals: 19 games, 5 goals, 6 assists, 19 PIM, -5 rating
Feb. 23 – Everett Silvertips @ Seattle Thunderbirds
Feb. 24 – Seattle Thunderbirds @ Vancouver Giants
Troy Vance – Prince Edward Island Rocket
Vance registered his third point this past week with PEI. He had one assist in the Rocket’s four games.
The Rocket were crushed in the two games they had against the league leading Halifax Mooseheads as they were on the wrong end of a combined 12-2 score line.
Season totals: 39 games, 3 goals, 15 assists, 41 PIM, -6 rating (With Victoriaville)
16 games, 0 goals, 3 assists, 6 PIM, +7 rating (With PEI)
Feb. 21 – Drummondville Voltigeurs @ PEI Rocket
Feb. 23 – PEI Rocket @ Moncton Wildcats
Feb. 24 – Cape Breton Screaming Eagles @ PEI Rocket
Maxime Lagace – Prince Edward Island Rocket
Lagace had a roller coaster week. He started two games, was pulled in one game and came in for a pulled goalie in another game giving him a total of three games this past week.
He stopped 49 of 57 shots and went 1-1-0. He was pulled against the Mooseheads as he allowed five goals on just 19 shots but played well against the Acadie-Bathurst in stopping 30 of 32. The up and down week is basically how his season has gone.
Season totals: 29 games, 12-11-1-0, 98 goals allowed, 4.03 GAA, .872 SV%, 1 shutout
