It is playoff weekend in the prospect world as eight New York Rangers prospects were looking to advance or improve their team’s playoff hopes as eight prospects dressed to play and eight prospects won.
For the first time all season every prospect who played had his team win and at this time of the season, every single win matters whether it is for an invite to the NCAA Tournament or a shot at their league tittle and their chance at the Memorial Cup.
The best news of Friday night was seeing 2023 first round pick Gabe Perreault back into the Boston College lineup after missing five games with what Boston College called a “upper-body injury” and we will call a hand injury. His timing to return was perfect as Perreault returned just in time for the Hockey East Semifinals against 12th-ranked UMass.
It took all of 24:41 for the first-year forward to let the world know he was back as Perreault would score his 16th goal of the season to give his Boston College Eagles their first lead and game-winning goal of the night. Perreault starts the play from down near the slot, he passes the puck to the point where a shot is fired and Perreault is right there for the rebound as he tucks it in right past the goalie’s left skate.
🔙 like he never left 🫡
📺 @NESN-Plus
💻 https://t.co/5s2DsDrbpC pic.twitter.com/Ph6asWHajL— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) March 22, 2024
It was Perreault’s 16th goal of the season and 51st point as he also extends his scoring streak to 17 games (13-18-31) and he was just getting started. This goal came at 4:41 of the second period and Boston College was just getting started. 2:01 later Boston College would score to make it 3-1 then 9:20 after that, Perreault would earn a secondary assist on Boston College’s fourth goal making it a 4-1 game.
The Eagles would add a fifth goal before the second period was over but Perreault was far from finished. In the third period Boston College would make it 6-1 with a goal at 3:00.
Two minutes later it would be Perreault again with a goal as he went “five-hole” that looked so easy.
Gabe goes five-hole for his second on the day 😮💨
📺 @NESN-Plus
💻 https://t.co/5s2DsDrbpC pic.twitter.com/C41IPRkxZR— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) March 22, 2024
It was goal number 17, point number three and he was now up to 17-36-53 for the season. The Gabe Perreault show would end with a second secondary assist on Boston College’s eighth and final goal of the night.
Perreault was 2-2-4, a season’s best performance on two shots with a + 3 as Perreault is now 17-37-54 in 31 games this season. Perreault has averaged an impressive 1.74 points per game.
The Rangers other prospect playing in this game is defenseman Drew Fortescue was was scoreless and did not record a single stat. Not a big thing as Fortescue’s number one job is to play defender and he is very good at it.
It must be what the fates demanded as the Hockey East Final on Saturday is going to come down to top-ranked Boston College vs number two Boston University. Catch it on ESPN+ starting at 7:30 ET.
In a nationally televised matchup, Victor Mancini and his 11th-ranked Omaha Mavericks handed fourth-ranked North Dakota a 6-3 loss in the NCHC semifinals. Mancini was scoreless on four shots and a -1.
It was the fourth straight time that the Mavericks defeated North Dakota this season and this one had to be the best win of them all. In addition to advancing to face Denver in the NCHC finals, Omaha pushed themselves into a lock of a position for an at-large invite to the NCAA tournament.
Saturday’s game will be on CBS Sports Network tomorrow.
Hank Kempf was scoreless as his 14th-ranked Cornell Big Red rallied with five third period goals to defeat Dartmouth 6-3 and earn a spot of the ECAC finals. Kempf was credited with two shots and a +1 as Cornell faces St. Lawrence in the ECAC finals with a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Dylan Roobroeck saw his nine-game scoring streak come to an end as his Oshawa Generals needed overtime to earn their 10th straight win 2-1 over the Kitchener Rangers in OHL play. During the streak Roobroeck who went 8-11-19 during his streak improved to 24-45-69 has pretty much played his way into consideration for an entry-level contract .
Roobroeck saw his scoring increase as his coach has moved him off the center spot and boy has it worked.
Maxim Barbashev played his final home game of the QMJHL regular season for the Rimouski Oceanic as they edged the Quebec Remparts 4-3 in overtime. Barbashev was scoreless on one shot and was credited with three hits.
Rasmus Larsson returned to the Green Bay Gamblers lineup after missing two games as his Gamblers enjoyed a 7-2 win over the USA Hockey NTDP team, Larsson was credited with one shot and a +2 for the game.
Ty Henricks was credited with three shots as his Muskegon Lumberjacks edged the Sioux City Musketeers 3-2 in USHL action. Henricks is 16-10-26 in 53 games this season.
Where Everyone Stands Playoffs or NCAA Tournament
NCAA Tournament
Locks to earn invites:
Boston College (Perreault/Fortescue)- currently number one in current Pairwise but face number two Boston University tomorrow for Hockey East championship. A win will guarantee that Boston College will be the number one overall seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, lost will drop them to second.
Minnesota (Lamb)- currently # 7in the pairwise and the teams behind them are not going to pass them. Most likely a # 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Omaha (Mancini) – Big win on Friday raised Omaha to 11th with a shot to move even higher if they defeat the winner of St. Cloud St./Denver in the finals of the NCHC tournament. They are a lock to earn an invite as a three seed somewhere. Nobody is going to want to face this team in the NCAA tournament.
Cornell (Kempf) sitting dangerously in the 13th spot, they are sitting on the edge but they play for ECAC tournament final against a St. Lawrence team that has upset every one they faced. St. Lawrence is sitting at 40th in the Pairwise and with win knock either Cornell or Colorado College out with a win.
Colorado College (Laba) is sitting in a very bad 14th with already two major upsets which have stolen two automatic invites already. Colorado needs help to get into the NCAA tournament. It needs Cornell to defeat St. Lawrence in order to get in. If St. Lawrence wins they get the automatic invite which knocks out Colorado College.
CHL
Oshawa (Roobroeck) clinched playoff spot now trying to win OHL’s Eastern Conference title which gives them home ice advantage all the way to the OHL Finals. Win the East and they face the eighth seed the Barrie Colts in the first round, Oshawa has 2 games left to play and just a one point lead as they could still fall as low as the fourth seed if they lose both games.
Soo (McConnell-Barker) clinched third seed in the OHL’s Western Conference playoffs and will face either the Erie Otters or the Guelph Storm in the first round.
Rimouski (Barbashev) clinched playoff spot and will be the fifth seed in the QJMHL’s Eastern Conference. They will face the Cape Breton Eagles in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.
Did Not Play
Bryce McConnell-Barker did not play in his Soo Greyhound’s game against the Flint Firebirds. It appears that it was a coaches decision to rest him in a meaningless game for the Greyhounds. Greyhounds will finish third in the OHL’s Western Conference and will face either the Erie Otters or the Guelph in the first round of the OHL playoffs/
