Prospects Of The Week
Tanner Howe Helps Hitmen Advance To Second Round Of WHL Playoffs
Tanner Howe helped the Calgary Hitmen sweep the Saskatoon Blades in the first round of the WHL Playoffs with a goal and four assists in two games last week and two goals and nine points in the series. The 2024 second round scored the eventual game winner and added a secondary assist in a 4-1 win in Game 3 o the series, and recorded two primary and one secondary assist in a 6-2 in Game 4. Howe leads the team with nine points headed into the next round against the Lethbridge Hurricanes starting Thursday.
Gabe Klassen Leads Wheeling Offense In Weekend Series Against Reading
After recording only two points in the previous six games headed into the weekend, Gabe Klassen led the Wheeling Nailers offense with four goals and six points in three games over the weekend. The undrafted forward signed to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins opened and closed the scoring and added a secondary assist in a 6-3 win on Friday, scored late in a failed comeback attempt after notching a primary assist in a 5-4 loss on Saturday, and opened the scoring again in a 3-1 on Sunday. Klassen ranks third on Wheeling with 19 goals and fourth wit 44 points in 65 games after leading the Portland Winterhawks–and ranking seventh the WHL–with 106 points in 67 games last season.
Brampton Steelheads Season Ends Despite Decent Production From Finn Harding
The Brampton Steelheads season ended on Sunday, losing in six games to the Oshawa Generals despite decent production from Finn Harding. The 2024 seventh round pick finished with five points–all assists–in the series, including a primary assist on the lone Brampton goal in a 4-1 loss on Thursday and two helpers–one primary and one secondary a 6-3 win on Friday. Harding went without a point in a 3-1 loss on Sunday, bringing a breakout season on the backend to a quick end after leading blueliners on the team with 57 points in 67 regular season games and five points in six postseason games.
Down On The Farm
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Gets Outscored 10-1 In Weekend Series Against Cleveland
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton fell behind 1-0 in the first period and 4-0 by the end of the second period in a 7-0 loss to the Cleveland Monsters on Friday night. Vasily Ponomarev got the Penguins on the board in the third period off Atley Calvert and Chase Stillman assists. Filip Larsson surrendered seven goals on 36 shots in the loss.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton fell behind 36 seconds into a rematch on Saturday rematch and lost 3-0. Sergei Murashov stopped 21 shots in the loss.
Wheeling Nailers Win Two Of Three In Weekend Series Against Reading
Gabe Klassen led the way with two goals and three points and David Jankowski scored and added three assists in a 6-3 win over the Reading Royals on Friday night. Brent Johnson scored and recorded a helper, and Philip Waugh and Logan Pietila added goals. Chase Pietila and Louie Roehl recorded two assists, and Mats Lindgren, Mathieu De St. Phalle, Matthew Quercia added helpers. Taylor Gauthier stopped 25 shots in the win.
The Wheeling Nailers fell behind and lost 5-4 in a rematch on Saturday. Logan Pietila and Klassen scored and added helpers, and Jankowski and Quercia added goals. Jordan Martel recorded two assists and Lindgren and De St. Phalle added helpers. Thomas Gale stopped 30 of 35 shots in the loss.
Eli Lieffers, Klassen, and Lindgren helped the Nailers jump out to a 3-0 lead in a 3-1 win over the Royals to close the weekend. Peter Laviolette, Waugh, Kyle Jackson, Martel, Logan Pietila, and Roehl recorded assists, and Gauthier stopped 34 shots in the win.