Barberio, Mark

Lightning prospect Mark Barberio, a 2008 sixth round pick of the Bolts, has been named by the QMJHL as a finalist for the Emile "Butch" Bouchard Trophy, awarded to the league's top defenseman.

Joining Barberio as finalists are his Moncton teammate David Savard, a 2009 fourth round pick of the Blue Jackets, and Joël Chouinard of Drummondville, a sixth round pick of Colorado in 2008.

Barberio set career highs in goals, assists, points, and plus/minus this season, finishing with 17 goals, 43 assists, 60 points, and a plus-39 rating. He finished fifth in the league in points among defensemen, sixth in goals, fifth in assists, and seventh in plus/minus.

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.

QMJHL

PEI Rocket 1 @ Moncton Wildcats 3
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 1-0-1, E, 4 PIM, 1 SOG
Season Totals: 63 GP, 15-43-58, +38, 70 PIM

Barberio has six points in his last six games after opening the game’s scoring with an unassisted goal. His goal tied his career high for goals in a season at 15, set last year in 66 games. His point total is 12 more than his previous career high, set two seasons ago in 70 games. Moncton, who is tied with Drummondville for the league’s second-best overall record behind St. John, will play Cape Breton in the first round of the playoffs.

OHL

Brampton Battalion 3 @ Barrie Colts 7
LW/C Alex Hutchings, BAR: 1-3-4, +4, 2 PIM (tripping), *First Star*
Season Totals: 66 GP, 46-33-79, +42, 56 PIM

This was Hutchings’ (pictured) seventh game this season in which he’s scored at least three points. He has five three-point games, one four-point game (last night), and a five-pointer. He moved into fourth in the league in plus/minus with the plus-4 night. Hutchings is within one assist of his previous career high in that category, set last season in 63 games. His goal total this year is 12 better than his previous best. Unofficially, this was his ninth First Star award of the season. Barrie has clinched the league’s best record and will play Niagara, Sudbury, or Oshawa in the first round.

Sudbury Wolves 1 @ Peterborough Petes 4
W Matias Sointu, SBY: 0-0-0, -1, 2 PIM (hooking), *Third Star*
Season Totals: 49 GP, 7-20-27, -5, 20 PIM
With Sudbury: 27 GP, 4-13-17, -10, 14 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM

Sointu earning the Wolves’ lone game star on the road is impressive, even if the result for Sudbury was not. The Wolves’ loss, combined with a Niagara shootout loss, means Niagara clinches a playoff spot and Sudbury and Oshawa are the lone teams in the league who haven’t clinched yet still with a chance at going to the postseason. Sudbury is in eighth, three points up on the Gens, with each team having two games remaining.

QMJHL

Montreal Junior 1 @ Moncton Wildcats 4
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 0-1-1, E, 2 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 61 GP, 14-43-57, +38, 66 PIM

Barberio has five points in his last five games.