Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Notebook: The Greg Carey Show
St. Lawrence is rolling, plus North Dakota’s senior stars, Merrimack’s overachiever and more.
By Nate Ewell
Note of the Week
The Greg Carey Show – The end of Quinnipiac’s 21-game unbeaten streak Friday overshadowed another great story, as Greg Carey scored both St. Lawrence goals in the overtime win. Another goal on Saturday gave Carey a nine-game goal-scoring streak, during which time the Saints are 6-1-2. Riding the efforts of Carey and senior linemate Kyle Flanagan, first-year head coach Greg Carvel has St. Lawrence in the mix for a first-round ECAC Hockey playoff bye. The Saints have turned things around after a 2-8-2 stretch that ran from November into January.
Must Read/See/Hear Material
Leitner continues to light it up – Mankato Free Press
Quinnipiac Hits No. 1 with Lots of Whiskers and Up-Tempo Game – N.Y. Times
Colonials’ goalie heads in different direction – Pitt. Post-Gazette
College hockey at Soldier Field – ESPN.com
Greg Carey Interview – SiriusXM College Sports Nation
Corban Knight Interview (.mp3) – Pipeline Show
Five More Notes No One Should Be Without
Special K seniors at UND – Seniors are the cornerstones for any college team’s success, and North Dakota may have the most talented pair of seniors nationwide in Corban Knight (FLA pick) and Danny Kristo (MTL pick). It’s not easy to keep players of that caliber on campus for four years – in fact, both Kristo and Knight have more than 60% more points than any other drafted senior this season. The duo has led No. 6 UND to a 3-0-2 run headed into this weekend’s trip to No. 10 Denver.
Friday’s game is on NBC Sports Network; Saturday’s game is on ROOT Sports
Collins, Merrimack rise to the occasion – Picked eighth in Hockey East in the preseason, Merrimack holds down first place with six games to go thanks in large part to the efforts of junior forward Mike Collins. Collins paces all of Hockey East with 30 points in conference games; he has more than twice as many points and nearly three times as many goals as any teammate. This from a Boston native who was cut from a USHL team prior to college. Instead, he headed to the BCHL, where he won two championships with the Vernon Vipers.
Sunday’s game vs. Boston College is on CBS Sports Network
Big shot at WMU – Western Michigan has the nation’s third best goals against per game (1.94), but freshman defenseman Kenney Morrison has earned notice at the other end of the ice. The 6-foot-2 Albertan with a booming shot trails only Nolan Zajac (Denver) and Jacob Trouba (Michigan, WPG pick) among freshmen defensemen in scoring this season. Morrison has also rounded out the defensive side of his game to fit in with the stingy Bronco blueline, with a +2 rating in the New Year to improve to Even on the season.
Friday’s game vs. Notre Dame is on CBS Sports Network; note WMU’s “Ice Duchenne” weekend highlighted in the right-hand column.
SHU breaks through – After an interminable winless streak made longer by weather-related postponements, Sacred Heart broke through with its first victory of the season Tuesday night, a convincing 7-3 decision against Holy Cross. The Pioneers have some talent up front, as that score and the season totals of Eric Delong (10-16—26) and Brian Sheehan (11-13—24) demonstrate. Five regular-season games remain before they will face the fifth-seeded team in the Atlantic Hockey tournament. “The playoffs are a second chance, a second season,” head coach C.J. Marottolo told USCHO.com prior to the win. “Down the stretch we’re looking to gain some momentum and upset someone in the playoffs.”
In the Show – Recent hirings of Clarkson alum Jarmo Kekalainen (Columbus GM) and Michigan Tech alum Ron Rolston (Buffalo head coach) have continued a trend of former college hockey players assuming positions of power in the NHL. Well over 200 alums are in NHL front offices; 12 are general managers and 10 are head coaches. Those numbers are only slightly ahead of the player pool, as nearly one in three NHL players played college hockey.