Wright, James

QMJHL

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 3 @ Moncton Wildcats 6
Conference Quarterfinals, Game 1. Moncton leads Best of 7 Series 1-0
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 0-2-2, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 65 GP, 17-43-60, +39, 72 PIM

The Wildcats had to claw back from a 3-1 second period deficit to win. Barberio’s helpers were both primary assists on the power play. Last year Barberio had four assists in 10 playoff games. He has never scored a goal in his QMJHL playoff career (17 games). The teams will meet up again Saturday for Game 2.

WHL

Kamloops Blazers 3 @ Vancouver Giants 4 (OT)
Conference Quarterfinals, Game 1. Vancouver leads Best of 7 Series 1-0
C/W/D James Wright, VAN: 0-0-0, +2, 2 PIM (cross-checking)
Season Totals: 21 GP, 6-13-19, -3, 17 PIM
With Tampa Bay: 43 GP, 2-3-5, -9, 18 PIM

James Henry (undrafted) scored at the 33-second mark of overtime to give the Giants the series’ first game. Last season Wright notched three goals and 10 points in 17 playoff games as the Giants made it to the Western Conference Finals before losing to Kelowna. the teams play again Saturday.

QMJHL

St. John Sea Dogs 2 @ Moncton Wildcats 5
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 2-0-2, +2, 2 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 65 GP, 17-43-60, +39, 72 PIM

In a game broadcast on NHL Network, Barberio and Moncton defeated top-seeded St. John to end the regular season on a winning note. Barberio scored twice, the first on the power play when he pinched in from the point and buried a cross-crease pass. The second came while shorthanded into an empty net. Moncton finishes with the league’s third-best point total at 102, two points behind Drummondville and seven behind St. John. They’ll play Cape Breton in the first round. After a slow start to the season in the goal department, Barberio finished with a bang, scoring 14 times after Christmas. Barberio set career highs in goals (+1), assists (+12), points (+14), and plus/minus (+31). He finished fifth in the Q in points among defensemen, sixth in goals, fifth in assists, and seventh in plus/minus. Barberio and Moncton should have a long playoff season ahead, at least until the conference finals, which should be vs. the same Sea Dogs they defeated Sunday night.

OHL

Sudbury Wolves 2 @ Ottawa 67’s 3 (OT)
W Matias Sointu, SBY: 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 51 GP, 8-21-29, -3, 24 PIM
With Sudbury: 29 GP, 5-14-19, -8, 18 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM

With Niagara’s loss, Sudbury was a second point away from avoiding Barrie in the East’s first round, but it was not to be as Sointu’s former team scored in overtime. The Wolves, who had 59 points on the year, will indeed play Alex Hutchings and Barrie, who finished the year 57 points better than Sudbury. Sointu finished the regular season very strong, scoring nine points in his last seven games.

OHL Scoring Race

Speaking of Hutchings, he finished the year fourth in the OHL in goals (tie - 47), 14th in points (81), first in shorthanded goals (11; 7 more than anyone else), first in game winning goals (tie – 11), second in insurance goals (tie – 7), and fifth in plus/minus (+44). Overall, Plymouth’s Tyler Seguin (48-58-106) and Windsor’s Taylor Hall (40-66-106), who will battle for the No.1 draft spot this summer, finished tied for the league lead in points.

WHL

Vancouver Giants 3 @ Seattle Thunderbirds 4 (OT)
C/W/D James Wright, VAN: 0-0-0, -2, 4 PIM (boarding, roughing)
Season Totals: 21 GP, 6-13-19, -3, 17 PIM
With Tampa Bay: 43 GP, 2-3-5, -9, 18 PIM

The Giants, who have struggled the last two weeks, played ninth place Seattle for a chance to enter the playoffs on a win streak, but were foiled by T-Birds goalie Calvin Pickard (2010 eligible), who stopped 51 shots in a First Star performance. Wright, a noted two-way player who skated for Tampa Bay of the NHL for most of the season because of his two-way abilities, finished his regular season with Vancouver with a surprising minus-3 rating. Wright and Vancouver will have to regroup as they enter the playoffs against seventh-seeded Kamloops. In other WHL news, Calgary’s Brandon Kozon (Kings 6/09) won the league scoring title by one point over Regina’s Jordan Eberle (Oilers 1/08), 107-106.

QMJHL

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 4 @ Moncton Wildcats 0
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 64 GP, 15-43-58, +37, 70 PIM

This was a preview of a QMJHL first round playoff series that Moncton hopes has a different result. That series begins Friday. Moncton will close out their season Sunday against the top-seeded St. John Sea Dogs on NHL Network.

OHL

Belleville Bulls 4 @ Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors 2
C Richard Panik, BEL: 1-2-3, E, 2 PIM (roughing), *Second Star*
Season Totals: 59 GP, 20-20-40, +4, 51 PIM
With Bulls: 26 GP, 11-11-22, -11, 32 PIM
With Windsor: 33 GP, 9-9-18, +15, 19 PIM
RW Kyle DeCoste, BEL: Did not play.
Season Totals: 57 GP, 19-14-33, -19, 51 PIM
With Bulls: 44 GP, 17-13-30, -17, 31 PIM
With SSM: 13 GP, 2-1-3, -2, 20 PIM

Panik (pictured) may not be headed to the OHL playoffs, but he’s certainly performing at a high level to finish the year and giving Tampa Bay something to think about. He hit 20 goals and 40 points on the season thanks to a three-point game Friday. Panik now has nine points in his last six games and five in his last two. DeCoste missed his fourth game due to a concussion.

Barrie Colts 4 @ Brampton Battalion 2
LW/C Alex Hutchings, BAR: 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 67 GP, 46-34-80, +43, 56 PIM

Hutchings tied his previous career high for assists in a season, set last year in 63 games. Barrie has one game remaining and the league's top seed sewn up.

Sudbury Wolves 5 @ Kingston Frontenacs 3
W Matias Sointu, SBY: 1-0-1, +1, 2 PIM (tripping)
Season Totals: 50 GP, 8-20-28, -4, 22 PIM
With Sudbury: 28 GP, 5-13-18, -9, 16 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM

Sointu’s empty net goal provided the final piece to a playoff spot clinching win for the Wolves. Sudbury is tied with Niagara for seventh in the East, but Niagara has a game in hand.

Oshawa Generals 3 @ Ottawa 67’s 4
G Michael Zador, OSH: Loss, 42 saves on 46 shots
Season Totals: 48 GP, 14-27-2-1, 4.06 GAA, .886 sv%, 2 SO

The Gens needed a miracle to happen to get into the playoffs, starting with a win over Ottawa, but they blew a 3-1 lead entering the third period and will stay home during the playoff season. They were outshot 46-29 in the game, including 22-6 in the final period.

WHL

Brandon Wheat Kings 9 @ Regina Pats 3
RW Carter Ashton, REG: 0-1-1, -5, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 63 GP, 24-27-51, -11, 102 PIM
With Regina: 35 GP, 11-14-25, -3, 50 PIM
With Lethbridge: 28 GP, 13-13-26, -8, 52 PIM

This was the Pats’ final home game of the season, which meant it was the last time the Regina faithful could see Jordan Eberle up close. Eberle was awarded the game’s First Star despite the blowout loss to the Memorial Cup hosts. Eberle did have a goal in the game and remains two points up on Brandon Kozon for the league scoring title. He’s rumored to possibly be joining the Oilers before the end of the NHL season. Ashton, meanwhile, had a horrific night in the plus/minus department and will play his final junior game Saturday in Brandon. He has an NHL contract in hand and will likely join the AHL Norfolk Admirals next week.

Kelowna Rockets 4 @ Vancouver Giants 3
C/W/D James Wright, VAN: 0-1-1, -2, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 19 GP, 5-11-16, -3, 13 PIM
With Tampa Bay: 43 GP, 2-3-5, -9, 18 PIM

The Giants finally returned home after a 10-game Olympic road trip, but fell to the Rockets 4-3. They had battled back from a 3-0 first period deficit only to see the game winner scored late in the third. Wright has been playing a little defense lately at the request of his coach, Don Hay. Vancouver is locked into the West’s No.2 seed despite having the conference’s fifth best point total. Winning the B.C. Division will do that. They will play Chilliwack or Kamloops in the first round.

OHL

Barrie Colts 4 @ Bellville Bulls 2
LW/C Alex Hutchings, BAR: 0-1-1, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 65 GP, 45-30-75, +38, 54 PIM
C Richard Panik, BEL: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 57 GP, 19-16-35, +3, 47 PIM
With Bulls: 24 GP, 10-7-17, -12, 28 PIM
With Windsor: 33 GP, 9-9-18, +15, 19 PIM
RW Kyle DeCoste, BEL: Did not play.
Season Totals: 57 GP, 19-14-33, -19, 51 PIM
With Bulls: 44 GP, 17-13-30, -17, 31 PIM
With SSM: 13 GP, 2-1-3, -2, 20 PIM

Barrie beat the Bulls for the second time in a week, and unlike last game, Panik couldn’t find the back of the net for Bellville. He had two in their previous meeting. Hutchings hit 75 points for the first time in his OHL career. Barrie clinched the overall top seed in the OHL with the win. The Bulls have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. According to the Belleville Intelligencer, DeCoste missed the game with a concussion sustained in Bellville’s last match-up with Barrie.

Sudbury Wolves 2 @ Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors 1
W Matias Sointu, SBY: 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 48 GP, 7-20-27, -4, 18 PIM
With Sudbury: 26 GP, 4-13-17, -9, 12 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM

This was a huge win for the Wolves on the road against a team above them in the standings. With Niagara also winning and Oshawa losing, Sudbury is three points up on Oshawa for the last playoff spot in the East with three games remaining. They are one point behind No.7 Niagara and two behind No.6 Peterborough. While getting the eighth seed means you’re in, you’re also going to face Barrie – the CHL’s top ranked team who has just nine losses.

Peterborough Petes 6 @ Oshawa Generals 2
G Michael Zador, OSH: Did not play.
Season Totals: 45 GP, 14-24-2-1, 4.07 GAA, .886 sv%, 2 SO

The Gens are just now three points behind Sudbury for the final playoff spot with three games remaining. Zador hasn’t played in Oshawa’s last three games (2-1-0).

WHL

Vancouver Giants 6 @ Chilliwack Bruins 0
C/W James Wright, VAN: 1-0-1, +1, 7 PIM (roughing, fighting vs. Shayne Neigum)
Season Totals: 18 GP, 5-10-15, -1, 13 PIM
With Tampa Bay: 43 GP, 2-3-5, -9, 18 PIM

The Giants broke their four-game losing streak in a big way. Wright scored for the first time since February 15. This was Wright's first fighting major since he took on Atlanta's 6'7" Boris Valabik the day after Christmas. The Giants have basically clinched the B.C. Division title so they’re in line for the West’s No.2 seed, though they are tied for the fourth best point total in the conference with Portland behind Everett, Tri-City, and Spokane. They have three games remaining.

QMJHL

Moncton Wildcats 3 @ Acadie-Bathurst Titan 4 (OT)
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM, 3 SOG, *Third Star*
Season Totals: 60 GP, 14-42-56, +38, 64 PIM

Barberio had a rare minus game and saw his three-game point streak come to an end, but still got a Third Star on the road for his good play.

OHL

Sudbury Wolves 2 @ Niagara IceDogs 4
W Matias Sointu, SBY: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 47 GP, 7-19-26, -5, 18 PIM
With Sudbury: 25 GP, 4-12-16, -10, 12 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM

A big win for Niagara, who jumped Sudbury into seventh in the East, leaving the Wolves just one point ahead of Oshawa for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Kingston Frontenacs 2 @ Oshawa Generals 3 (OT)
G Michael Zador, OSH: Did not play.
Season Totals: 45 GP, 14-24-2-1, 4.07 GAA, .886 sv%, 2 SO

The Gens are just one point behind Sudbury for the final playoff spot having swept their weekend home-and-home series with the Frontenacs. Zador did not play in either game.

WHL

Prince Albert Raiders 3 @ Regina Pats 6
RW Carter Ashton, REG: 0-0-0, -1, 2 PIM (elbowing)
Season Totals: 62 GP, 24-26-50, -6, 102 PIM
With Regina: 34 GP, 11-13-24, +2, 50 PIM
With Lethbridge: 28 GP, 13-13-26, -8, 52 PIM

The Pats have won two in a row since being eliminated from playoff contention.

Vancouver Giants 0 @ Kelowna Rockets 3
C/W James Wright, VAN: 0-0-0, -1, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 17 GP, 4-10-14, -2, 6 PIM
With Tampa Bay: 43 GP, 2-3-5, -9, 18 PIM

The Giants have now lost four in a row. Wright hasn’t registered a point in his last five games and is minus-seven during that time.