Connolly, Brett

BCHL

Langley Chiefs 4 @ Penticton Vees 6
C Brendan O’Donnell, PEN: 0-2-2, 0 PIM
Season totals: 42 GP, 17-38-55, 20 PIM

O’Donnell remains second on the Vees in scoring, seven points behind defenseman and Denver commit Joey Leleggia. The 5-10, 180-pound, left-handed defenseman was passed over in the 2010 draft. O’Donnell is tied for 11th in the BCHL points race. Undersized 20-year-old forward David Morley of Victoria, a St. Cloud State commit, leads the league with 68 points in 40 games.

USHL

Fargo Force 3 @ Sioux City Musketeers 1
C Jimmy Mullin, FGO: 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season totals: 27 GP, 14-19-33, +17, 18 PIM

Fargo pulled into a first place tie with Dubuque, though the Fighting Saints still have four games in hand on the Force. Mullin has fallen to fourth in league scoring, eight points behind Indiana’s Blake Coleman. Born in Texas, Coleman is undrafted and is committed to play collegiately with Mullin at Miami of Ohio. Mullin is tied for third in the league in plus/minus, two behind Coleman.

QMJHL

Montreal Juniors 3 @ Val d’Or Foreurs 2
D Charles Landry, MTL: 0-0-0, E, 2 PIM (high sticking), 1 SOG, 0 Hits
Season Totals: 34 GP, 7-22-29, +15, 20 PIM

Montreal upped their lead in the TELUS West Division to seven points over Adam Janosik’s Gatineau Olympiques.

OHL

Saginaw Spirit 3 @ Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 2
D Brock Beukeboom, SSM: 0-0-0, -2, 2 PIM (roughing)
Season Totals: 35 GP, 0-5-5, -8, 50 PIM

In the first game since the Soo fired head coach Denny Lambert, they drew the Western Conference-leading Saginaw Spirit. Despite putting up a good fight, the Greyhounds fell 3-2. Beukeboom remains without a goal this season.

Owen Sound Attack 3 @ Guelph Storm 4
D Geoffrey Schemitsch, OS: 0-0-0, +1, 2 PIM (holding)
Season totals: 33 GP, 1-14-15, +12, 10 PIM
G Michael Zador, OS: Did not play (backup).
With Attack: 4 GP, 2-1-0-0, 4.08 GAA, .867 sv%, 0 SO
With Oshawa: 18 GP, 10-3-1-1, 3.36 GAA, .879 sv%, 1 SO
Season Totals: 22 GP, 12-4-1-1, 3.47 GAA, .877 sv%, 1 SO
C/W Richard Panik, GUE: 1-0-1, E, 4 PIM (tripping, high sticking)
With Guelph: 10 GP, 7-5-12, -5, 12 PIM
With Belleville: 27 GP, 14-17-31, E, 31 PIM
Season totals: 37 GP, 21-22-43, -5, 43 PIM

Panik extended his goal scoring streak to six games when he scored on a penalty shot early in the third period. With the goal, Panik tied his OHL career high of 21 set last season with Belleville and Windsor.

WHL

Kamloops Blazers 3 @ Tri-City Americans 7
RW Carter Ashton, TC: 1-1-2, E, 0 PIM, *Second Star*
With Tri-City: 1 GP, 1-1-2, E, 0 PIM
With Regina: 29 GP, 16-11-27, -11, 44 PIM
Season Totals: 30 GP, 17-12-29, -11, 44 PIM

Ashton finally made his TC debut and didn’t take long to make an impression as he scored the game’s opening goal. He was put on a line with TC leading scorer Adam Hughesman (undrafted), who is fourth in league scoring at 26-32-58.

Chilliwack Bruins 3 @ Prince George Cougars 7
RW Brett Connolly, PG: Did not play (injured – knee).
Season totals: 34 GP, 25-15-40, -5, 12 PIM

Connolly is out 3-6 weeks with a sprained knee suffered in a loss to Chilliwack the last game the Cougars played. PG got a little revenge on the Bruins without Connolly Friday.

Saskatoon Blades 5 @ Swift Current Broncos 2
D Teigan Zahn, SAS: 0-0-0, -2, 9 PIM (roughing, fighting vs. Christian Mangus, roughing)
Season totals: 44 GP, 2-10-12, +8, 75 PIM

Zahn is now wearing No.55 for Saskatoon after switching from No.4. Brayden Schenn has yet to make his Blades debut.

By far the biggest question mark with Brett Connolly when the Lightning took him sixth overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft was his durability. Connolly was coming off a 16 game season in 2009-2010 because of two hip injuries. Though doctors cleared the young sniper before the draft, Connolly slid from a possible No.3 pick to what some called a gamble at No.6.

Connolly has put his injuries behind him this year to the tune of 25 goals in 34 games and being chosen for Team Canada at the World Junior tournament.

Now, just four games back from his time in Buffalo, Connolly is hitting the injured list again. Prince George's leading scorer was involved in a knee-on-knee collision with Steve Oursov of the Chilliwack Bruins Wednesday and the Prince George Citizen is reporting he suffered a sprained knee. No penalty was called on the play, though Cougars coach Dean Clark says Oursov could be suspended. The Citizen says Connolly tried to skate after the collision but was quickly escorted to the locker room for further evaluation.

He will miss a minimum of three weeks and could miss up to six.

“It’s very unfortunate, Brett obviously went through some injury woes last year and this is another setback for him, but certainly nothing like last year,” Clark told the Citizen. “It’s just a matter of him doing the hard work and getting the rehab done and he’ll come back when he’s ready.”

QMJHL

Quebec Remparts 4 @ Gatineau Olympiques 3
D Adam Janosik, GAT: 1-1-2, +1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG, 1 Hit, *Third Star*
Season Totals: 36 GP, 6-15-21, +7, 20 PIM

Janosik has four points in his last two games as he had another goal and assist Wednesday. His confidence has skyrocketed since he was Slovakia’s second leading scorer at the World Junior tournament.

WHL

Prince George Cougars 2 @ Chilliwack Bruins 5
RW Brett Connolly, PG: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM
Season totals: 34 GP, 25-15-40, -5, 12 PIM

Connolly was scoreless for the second game in a row and Prince George was badly outshot (35-24) for the second game in a row, losing to the Bruins in Chilliwack. The Cougars remain tied with Vancouver for the B.C. Division lead at 21-18-2-1.

Saskatoon Blades 3 @ Regina Pats 4 (SO)
D Teigan Zahn, SAS: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season totals: 43 GP, 2-10-12, +10, 66 PIM

Saskatoon put up 62 – that’s right – 62 shots against Regina goaltender Matt Hewitt (2011 draft), who was the game’s First Star. Hewitt led the Pats to a shootout win. Regina had 33 shots. Brayden Schenn has yet to suit up for Saskatoon.

WHL

Seattle Thunderbirds 1 @ Tri-City Americans 7
RW Carter Ashton, TC: Did not play.
With Regina: 29 GP, 16-11-27, -11, 44 PIM
With Tri-City: 0 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 29 GP, 16-11-27, -11, 44 PIM

Ashton, who will wear No.7 with TC, has yet to make his debut for the Americans after being traded by Regina before the World Junior tournament. TC has scored nine and seven goals in their last two games, respectively, so Ashton’s addition can only make them more dangerous. The Tri-City Herald reports Ashton will join the Americans today (January 12).

Prince George Cougars 2 @ Vancouver Giants 5
RW Brett Connolly, PG: 0-0-0, -2, 2 PIM (hooking)
Season totals: 33 GP, 25-15-40, -4, 12 PIM

Connolly had his two game post-WJC goal streak stopped as PG was outshot 41-16 in the game.

Brandon Wheat Kings 4 @ Saskatoon Blades 5 (SO)
D Teigan Zahn, SAS: 0-0-0, -1, 2 PIM (interference)
Season totals: 42 GP, 2-10-12, +10, 66 PIM

Newly acquired Blade Brayden Schenn, who started the year with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, did not play in this game. He was traded from Brandon earlier in the week. His addition gives the Blades, already with the best record in the league, a legitimate shot at the Memorial Cup. Schenn’s Team Canada (WJC) teammate Curtis Hamilton was named First Star for Saskatoon.

BCHL

Surrey Eagles 3 @ Penticton Vees 4
C Brendan O’Donnell, PEN: 0-1-1, 0 PIM
Season totals: 40 GP, 16-34-50, 18 PIM

O’Donnell earned an assist on the Vees game winning goal scored on the power play midway through the third period. The assist gave O’Donnell 50 points for the year. He had 61 in 55 games last year for the Winnipeg South Blues of the MJHL.

USHL

Waterloo Black Hawks 2 @ Fargo Force 7
C Jimmy Mullin, FGO: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 4 SOG
Season totals: 24 GP, 14-17-31, +17, 18 PIM

Somehow Fargo scored seven goals and their leading scorer, Mullin, didn’t figure in on any of them. He’s likely too busy smiling about the win to care.

QMJHL

Gatineau Olympiques 5 @ Victoriaville Tigres 1
D Adam Janosik, GAT: 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM, 4 SOG, 0 Hits
Season Totals: 34 GP, 4-13-17, +5, 20 PIM

Coming off a strong WJC performance in which he was Slovakia’s second leading scorer to fellow Lightning prospect Richard Panik, Janosik earned the primary assist on Gatineau’s first goal en route to helping the Olympiques to a big road win.

OHL

Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors 5 @ Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 1
D Brock Beukeboom, SSM: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 33 GP, 0-5-5, -6, 48 PIM

The Soo was outshot 35-16 in the game. Not good.

Plymouth Whalers 4 @ Guelph Storm 1
C/W Richard Panik, GUE: 1-0-1, -2, 4 PIM (checking from behind, roughing), *Second Star*
With Guelph: 8 GP, 5-5-10, -4, 8 PIM
With Belleville: 27 GP, 14-17-31, E, 31 PIM
Season totals: 35 GP, 19-22-41, -4, 39 PIM

Panik scored midway through the third to cut the Whalers’ lead to 2-1, but Plymouth added a power play goal a few minutes later to clinch the win. Panik has goals in consecutive games since his return from the WJCs.

Owen Sound Attack 2 @ Kingston Frontenacs 4
D Geoffrey Schemitsch, OS: 0-0-0, -2, 0 PIM
Season totals: 30 GP, 1-13-14, +10, 6 PIM
G Michael Zador, OS: Did not play.
With Attack: 3 GP, 2-0-0-0, 3.20 GAA, .897 sv%, 0 SO
With Oshawa: 18 GP, 10-3-1-1, 3.36 GAA, .879 sv%, 1 SO
Season Totals: 21 GP, 12-3-1-1, 3.34 GAA, .881 sv%, 1 SO

Owen Sound had a 2-0 lead to start the game, but Kingston scored four unanswered goals to win. Kingston’s Eric Gudbranson, the Panthers’ first rounder last year, scored his fourth of the season in his first game back from Team Canada.

WHL

Tri-City Americans 2 @ Everett Silvertips 3
RW Carter Ashton, TC: Did not play.
With Regina: 29 GP, 16-11-27, -11, 44 PIM
With Tri-City: 0 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 29 GP, 16-11-27, -11, 44 PIM

Ashton has yet to make his debut for TC after being traded by Regina before the World Junior tournament.

Vancouver Giants 4 @ Prince George Cougars 3
RW Brett Connolly, PG: 1-1-2, E, 2 PIM (elbowing), *First Star*
Season totals: 31 GP, 23-15-38, -4, 10 PIM

After not scoring in his time for Team Canada, Connolly had a goal and an assist and earned First Star in his return to Prince George. His goal came after he toe-dragged past a defender. The Cougars gave up a third period goal to the Giants, however, and took the loss. With the win, the Giants tied the Cougars for tops in the B.C. Division, though Prince George has two games in hand.

Saskatoon Blades 5 @ Prince Albert Raiders 1
D Teigan Zahn, SAS: 0-0-0, +1, 0 PIM
Season totals: 41 GP, 2-10-12, +11, 64 PIM

Saskatoon is now six points up on Kootenay for the league’s best point total.