North American Juniors

WHL

Kamloops Blazers 0 @ Tri-City Americans 5
RW Carter Ashton, TC: 1-0-1, +1, 2 PIM (unsportsmanlike conduct)
With Tri-City: 4 GP, 3-5-8, +4, 6 PIM
With Regina: 29 GP, 16-11-27, -12, 44 PIM
Season Totals: 33 GP, 19-16-35, -8, 50 PIM

Ashton scored his 19th of the year and third in three games with TC in the second period to give the Americans a 2-0 lead. The team would never look back, beating the Blazers 5-0. TC is third in the strong U.S. Division at 28-12-2-1, two points behind both Spokane and Portland for first. TC has three games in hand on Portland and one on Spokane.

WHL

Tri-City Americans 4 @ Portland Winterhawks 5 (OT)
RW Carter Ashton, TC: 1-1-2, E, 2 PIM (roughing)
With Tri-City: 3 GP, 2-5-7, +3, 4 PIM
With Regina: 29 GP, 16-11-27, -12, 44 PIM
Season Totals: 32 GP, 18-16-34, -9, 48 PIM

This would have been a great game to attend as Portland boasts arguably the WHL’s best roster and TC has been absolutely on fire lately, averaging seven goals per game over their last four contests. Tuesday night Portland’s Ryan Johansen, a high first round pick of Columbus last summer, scored with five minutes left in the third to tie the game, then Islanders’ high first rounder Nino Niederreiter scored his 18th in overtime to win it. Carter Ashton now has seven points in three games surrounded by the Americans' talent and is over a point-per-game pace for the season. His 18th goal of the season, scored on the power play, gave TC a brief 3-2 lead in the second period.

USHL

Sioux Falls Stampede 3 @ Fargo Force 1
C Jimmy Mullin, FGO: 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season totals: 28 GP, 14-20-34, +18, 18 PIM

Mullin earned the primary assist on a late goal to help Fargo avoid the shutout. The Force missed a chance to tie Dubuque for first in the conference. With his plus-1 rating Monday, Mullin now sits alone in third in the league at plus-18. He's fifth in the league in points.

QMJHL

Shawinigan Cataractes 4 @ Gatineau Olympiques 3 (SO)
D Adam Janosik, GAT: 0-2-2, E, 2 PIM (freezing puck), 0 SOG, 1 Hits
Season Totals: 38 GP, 6-17-23, +10, 22 PIM

Janosik continues to put up points after his strong showing at the World Juniors tournament.

Halifax Mooseheads 2 @ Montreal Juniors 5
D Charles Landry, MTL: 1-1-2, +2, 0 PIM, 1 SOG, 3 Hits
Season Totals: 35 GP, 8-23-31, +17, 20 PIM

Landry set a new career high for points in a season with two points Sunday. His previous career high of 30 points was set last year in 68 games with Drummondville.

OHL

Kitchener Rangers 6 @ Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 2
D Brock Beukeboom, SSM: 0-0-0, -2, 2 PIM (boarding)
Season Totals: 36 GP, 0-5-5, -10, 52 PIM

Sault Ste. Marie has lost five in a row and are seven points behind Sarnia for second-last place in the West Division. They are 0-2 since Denny Lambert was fired as coach.

Owen Sound Attack 4 @ Belleville Bulls 1
D Geoffrey Schemitsch, OS: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season totals: 35 GP, 1-14-15, +12, 10 PIM
G Michael Zador, OS: Win, 26 saves on 27 shots
With Attack: 5 GP, 2-1-0-0, 3.35 GAA, .888 sv%, 0 SO
With Oshawa: 18 GP, 10-3-1-1, 3.36 GAA, .879 sv%, 1 SO
Season Totals: 23 GP, 12-4-1-1, 3.35 GAA, .881 sv%, 1 SO

Zador (pictured) made a rare start and was solid against the lowly Bulls, stopping all but one shot. Schemitsch has one point in his last eight games.

BCHL

Penticton Vees 6 @ Langley Chiefs 5 (OT)
C Brendan O’Donnell, PEN: 2-2-4, 0 PIM, *First Star*
Season totals: 43 GP, 19-40-59, 20 PIM

O’Donnell (pictured) remains on fire since his time with Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge, this time accumulating four points in a come-from-behind overtime win for the Vees.

QMJHL

Halifax Mooseheads 2 @ Gatineau Olympiques 5
D Adam Janosik, GAT: 0-0-0, +3, 0 PIM, 1 SOG, 3 Hits
Season Totals: 37 GP, 6-15-21, +10, 20 PIM

Janosik didn’t hit the scoresheet but registered a strong plus-3 rating for the Olympiques. Tye McGill (Flyers 4th, 2010) had a hat trick and was plus-5 for Gatineau.

OHL

Guelph Storm 1 @ Owen Sound Attack 3
C/W Richard Panik, GUE: 0-0-0, E, 2 PIM (high sticking)
With Guelph: 11 GP, 7-5-12, -5, 14 PIM
With Belleville: 27 GP, 14-17-31, E, 31 PIM
Season totals: 38 GP, 21-22-43, -5, 45 PIM
D Geoffrey Schemitsch, OS: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
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

Panik’s goal scoring streak was stopped at six games as Owen Sound won the second game of a home-and-home series with Guelph. The Storm won Friday night. Panik has at least one point in nine of 11 games with Guelph. Michael Zador served as backup for both games of the series.

WHL

Vancouver Giants 2 @ Tri-City Americans 5
RW Carter Ashton, TC: 0-2-2, E, 2 PIM (roughing)
With Tri-City: 2 GP, 1-3-4, E, 2 PIM
With Regina: 29 GP, 16-11-27, -11, 44 PIM
Season Totals: 31 GP, 17-14-31, -11, 46 PIM

TC scored the game’s first five goals en route to a 5-2 win over the Giants. Ashton has four points in his first two games with the Americans.

Chilliwack Bruins 3 @ Prince George Cougars 1
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 January 12.

Swift Current Broncos 3 @ Saskatoon Blades 2
D Teigan Zahn, SAS: 0-1-1, +1, 9 PIM (roughing, fighting vs. Jordan Peddle, tripping)
Season totals: 44 GP, 2-10-12, +8, 75 PIM

It turns out the reason Zahn was listed as No.55 last game was his No.4 jersey was so torn after a fight he had to switch. He was back in his familiar No.4 Saturday – and fought again. The jersey apparently survived this one. Saskatoon and Swift Current traded road wins in their home-and-home series this weekend.

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.”

USHL

Fargo Force 3 @ Omaha Lancers 2 (SO)
C Jimmy Mullin, FGO: 0-1-1, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season totals: 26 GP, 14-18-32, +16, 18 PIM

Mullin broke a mini two-game scoreless streak when he set up Dan Weissenhofer for the game tying goal in the third period. Mullin was the only Force player of five to not convert their shootout chance in the tiebreaker. Fargo pulled within two points of conference leading Dubuque, though the Fighting Saints have four games in hand.

QMJHL

Montreal Juniors 5 @ Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 1
D Charles Landry, MTL: 1-0-1, +1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG, 0 Hits
Season Totals: 33 GP, 7-22-29, +15, 18 PIM

Landry’s seventh goal of the year was an unassisted marker. With the goal Landry, who already has an NHL contract from the Lightning, set a career high for goals in a season. He had six last year for Drummondville. He’s within one point of his career high for points in a year, also set last year in 68 games.

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.