First off today: congratulations to Cole Cassels and the Oshawa Generals for their 2-1 overtime win over the Kelowna Rockets to capture the 2015 Memorial Cup.
Cassels didn't get a point in the deciding game, but would have had the primary assist on the winning goal late in the third period if Hunter Smith hadn't knocked the puck into the net with a high stick.
The right call was made, disallowing the goal, and the Generals went on to win at the 1:28 mark of overtime on the second goal of the game from 17-year-old Anthony Cirelli—a skinny 6'0" center who's draft-eligible and is ranked 67th by Central Scouting, and who's in just his first year of major junior.
With 36 points in 68 games in the regular season and 10 points in the playoffs, will the 160-pound Cirelli's stock rise based on his big game on Sunday? He scored the winning goal from the side of the crease, fighting off a defender to bang in a loose puck. A pretty gutsy play for a player with his build.
Though Cole Cassels was held off the scoresheet on Sunday, he went a solid 17-of-31 in the face-off circle and recorded three hits—second on his team behind 6'6" Michael McCarron, who was taken in the first round by Montreal in Cassels' draft year, 2013.
Cassels' dad, former Canuck Andrew, also showed some grit and determination in getting to Quebec City to watch his son's win, driving more than 750 miles just days after having hip replacement surgery.
Click here for that story, from Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch.
“The doc said, ‘You’re going to be sore,’” Cassels said, “and I said, ‘What’s the difference between being sore at home and sore on the road?’ I can’t fly, so my lovely wife is chauffeuring me, and treating me very nicely. Plus, I have some meds.”
Arace also has a quote from Cole about besting Connor McDavid in the OHL Final:
“We really didn’t say anything to each other,” Cole said. “We just put our heads down and played. I just tried to keep him in front of me; he’s the fastest player in (Canadian juniors). I tried to keep my stick in front of his stick, to make it hard for him to get the puck. When he did get it, I made sure I closed on him.”
I've said this before, but it bears repeating now that he's at the end of his junior career. I'm excited to see what this kid brings to the Canucks' summer development camp and especially the Young Stars Tournament, where he'll likely get another chance to go up against McDavid.
Comets One Game Away
It wasn't their best game, but the Utica Comets scored three early goals and hung on to beat the Grand Rapids Griffins 3-2 on Sunday, despite being outshot 34-21.
Brendan Gaunce recorded two assists and had one of his best games of the playoffs, while Jacob Markstrom was once again named first star as he shut the door for the Comets.
This stick save topped them all.
Even U.S. sports channel ESPN, notorious for its disinterest in hockey, named it the number one play of the day on their Top 10 last night. From minor-league hockey, at that!
Markstrom has been the backbone of the Comets' playoff run, and for all the talk of how he has always been a good AHL goalie, this is his first real taste of postseason success. In his only other AHL playoff appearance, he was 4-4 in eight games with the Rockford IceHogs back in 2012, with a 2.85 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. This year, he's 10-7 so far, with a 1.98 goals-against and .928 save percentage.
Though his NHL audition with the Canucks was sketchy earlier this year, Markstrom's gaining valuable experience and needs to be treated as an important asset this summer. Even if he was to agree to a contract that could put him back in the AHL next season, he won't clear waivers again, and the Canucks will lose him for nothing if he decides to go back to Europe.
Lack for a Second?
Which brings us to this rumour from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, floated here in his Sunday column.
The main focus of the article is on Ottawa's crowded crease, where Andrew Hammond's new contract has basically made either Craig Anderson or Robin Lehner expendable.
Garrioch lays out the possible suitors, starting with San Jose, Buffalo and Edmonton and also considering Dallas, St. Louis and Toronto. He includes Vancouver's Eddie Lack among a list of other goalies who could be available, stating definitively that "The Canucks are trying to make room for Jacob Markstrom and GM Jim Benning is seeking a second-round pick in return."
I know Lack is beloved here in Vancouver, but this seems plausible to me. I don't think Benning is willing to move Ryan Miller, his first big signing as Canucks general manager and a player he's been loyal to since their days back in Buffalo. I also think the more Benning watches Markstrom dazzle in Utica, the more excited he becomes about giving him a real shot at an NHL job.
Markstrom is two years younger than Lack, and he has the big, athletic body that lines him up with the "Tampa Bay model" that's in vogue now that Ben Bishop and the Lightning have reached the Stanley Cup Final. Also, Lack has just one year left until he reaches unrestricted free agency, while Markstrom will be an RFA this summer.
Last week, Benning stated pretty definitively that he wanted to make a decision on the goaltending situation, so it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he was starting to work the phones now. We may not see a deal until closer to the draft, but Lack will be an attractive commodity—and will almost certainly have a new home by September.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»