With just seven New York Rangers prospects in action on Friday night, it looked for the most part to be a quiet night. But we got two Rangers prospects with game-winning goals as we move closer to the annual holiday break.
Noah Laba and his Colorado College Tigers were in Grand Forks North Dakota for a weekend series against top-ranked North Dakota in NCHC action. It has been a bit of a strange second season for the sophomore center as he leads Colorado College in both goals scored and overall points, but he has scored all his goals in just four games this season (two goals in each game).
Laba had his fourth two-goal game of the season as Colorado College rallied from down 2-0 to earn a 3-2 overtime win against North Dakota. The sophomore center had gone four games without a point before ending his goalless drought with two more on Friday night.
With his team down 2-0 in the second period, it was Laba who started the comeback for his Tigers with his seventh goal of the season after he deflected teammate Jack Millar point shot into the net get his team on the scoreboard.
Noah Laba with the deflection!!#CCTigers pic.twitter.com/81kWje05Gl
— CC Hockey (@CCTigerHKY) December 9, 2023
Then in the overtime session Laba went coast to coast taking the puck from behind his own goal and carrying the puck all the way directly to the North Dakota goal where he beat the goalie for the game-winner just 35 seconds into the overtime session. It was the third time this season that Laba had scored the game-winner for his Tigers.
NO WAY, NOAH!!
Laba wins it in OT against No. 1 North Dakota!!#CCTigers pic.twitter.com/fv5XDaa9ne
— CC Hockey (@CCTigerHKY) December 9, 2023
Laba was 2-0-2 on two shots with a +2 as he was 6-8 on his faceoffs. The two goals improved his season totals to 8-5-13 which is tops on the Tigers.
Brody Lamb’s power play goal at 7:28 of the third period stood up as the game-winning goal as his ninth-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers held off the Ohio State Buckeyes 5-4 in Big Ten action. Lamb also set up Minnesota’s fourth goal of the game in the second period when he recorded the primary assist on linemate Connor Kurth’s goal which broke a 3-3 tie and gave Minnesota the lead for good in this game.
Lamb’s goal was the result of Lamb cashing in a rebound for what turned out to be the game winner.
Let’s go Lamber! pic.twitter.com/0qsfWh05b2
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) December 9, 2023
Lamb had gone six games without a goal but broke the goalless streak with his third game-winner of the season. Lamb improves to a career-best 7-6-13 which is fourth in goals and fifth for overall points for the sophomore right wing.
Bryce McConnell-Barker had two third period assists as his Soo Greyhounds rallied from down 4-2 to earn a 7-5 win over the Kingston Frontenacs in OHL action. Both of McConnell-Barker’s assists were secondary as he continued his hot scoring to improve to 11-17-28 in 29 games this season.
Against Kingston, McConnell-Barker was 0-2-2 on one shot with a -1 and was 14-9 on his faceoffs. The Greyhounds have won three straight games to lead the OHL’s West Division with a 19-8-2 record.
Ty Henricks had an assist but it was not enough as his Muskegon Lumberjacks lost to the Sioux Falls Stampede 5-3 in USHL action. Henricks was 0-1-1 on two shots with a +1 and a tripping minor.
Henricks is 4-4-8 in 21 games this season.
Hugo Ollas continues to struggle as he surrendered four goals while facing 29 shots as his Merrimack Warriors lost to Yale in non-conference play. Ollas dropped his second straight start to fall to 3-5 with a 2.91 goals against and a 0.904 save percentage.
Victor Mancini was scoreless with no shots recorded as his Omaha Mavericks lost to 15th-ranked St. Cloud State in NCHC play. He was a -1 for the game.
Rasmus Lawsson was stat less as his Green Bay Gamblers fell in the shootout 6-5 to the Chicago Steel in USHL play. Lawsson is 1-6-7 in 23 games for the Gamblers who fell out of first place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference with the loss.
