Prospects Of The Week

Kale Dach Helps Calgary Hitmen Sweep In First Round Of WHL Playoffs With Four Points

Kale Dach helped the Calgary Hitmen sweep the Brandon Wheat Kings in the opening round of the WHL playoffs with two goals and two assists in four games, including three points in the deciding game on Wednesday. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period of Game 4, Dach scored early in the second period and recorded primary assists on the second and third Hitmen goals in a 4-2 comeback win.

Calgary advances to face the top-seeded Prince Albert Raiders after finishing in fourth place in the Eastern Conference in the regular season. The Hitmen won the regular season series between the two teams 3-1. Dach recorded four points–three goals and one assist–against Prince Albert and led the Hitmen with 34 goals and 75 points in 63 games during the regular season.

Atley Calvert Ends Point Drought With Two-Point Weekend For Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Atley Calvert snapped a pointless streak at 11 games and scored for the first time since February with a goal and two points for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last week. Calvert set up the eventual game winner in a 3-1 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday and gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 5-0 lead in a 6-2 win over Lehigh Valley the next night.

Calvert ranks seventh on the team with 31 points in 65 games. The undrafted forward recorded 36 points in 38 games with the Wheeling Nailers as a rookie last season before being called up to and sticking with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, posting 14 points in 25 games. A prolific scorer in the WHL with 105 goals in 237 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors, look for Calvert to play a significant depth scoring role for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the postseason.

Gabe Klassen Extends Point Streak, Continues Strong AHL Progression In Second Professional Season

Gabe Klassen extended a point streak to four games with a goal and two helpers in two games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last week. Klassen opened the scoring and added a secondary assist on the second Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal in a 3-1 win over Lehigh Valley on Friday night and recorded a primary assist on the opening goal of a 6-2 win over Lehigh Valley the next night.

The undrafted forward ranks fifth on the team with 34 points in 55 games, showing good progression after recording three points in only six AHL games and 43 points in 65 ECHL games last season as a rookie. Maybe a potential late bloomer, look for Klassen to be a significant contributor for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the playoffs and possibly garner some interest in signing a deal at the NHL level.

Down On The Farm

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Dominate Lehigh Valley In Weekend Sweep

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins dominated Lehigh Valley in a 3-1 win on Friday night, outshooting the Phantoms 33-24, including 18-6 in the first period. Avery Hayes scored and added two helpers. Gabe Klassen scored and finished with a helper. Rafael Harvey-Pinard scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal. Finn Harding, Atley Calvert, and Sergei Murashov all recorded assists. Murashov stopped 32 shots in the win.

The Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and a 5-0 lead before the Phantoms scored in a 6-2 win on Saturday. Aaron Huglen scored a hat trick and added a helper. Rutger McGroarty scored and recorded two helpers. Aidan McDonough and Atley Calvert scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goals. Ville Koivunen recorded two assists. Klassen, Harrison Brunicke, Finn Harding, Sebastian Aho, and Alex Alexeyev all finished with helpers. Joel Blomqvist stopped 22 of 24 shots in the win.

Wheeling Nailers Win High-Scoring Matchups

The Wheeling Nailers won a back-and-forth 8-5 game over the Fort Wayne Komets on Wednesday. Brayden Edwards scored twice. Ryan McAllister and Connor Lockhart both scored and recorded three assists. Logan Pietila, Matthew Quercia, Blake Bennett, and Tanner Andrew scored the other Wheeling goals. Brent Johnson recorded a pair of helpers. Emil Pieniniemi, Craig Armstrong, and Tristan Thompson all finished with assists. Taylor Gauthier stopped 28 of 33 shots in the win.

The Nailers beat the Toledo Walleye 4-2 on Saturday night. Ryan McAllister scored twice. Mike Posma and Pieniniemi scored the other Wheeling goals. Brayden Edwards recorded two assists. Armstrong, Blake Bennett, Quercia, Aidan Sutter, and Alexander Kuqali all finished with assists. Taylor Gauthier turned away 26 shots in the win.