Clayton Kellerscored a goal and assisted on another as Team USA edged Russia in a preliminary round game at the 2017 World Junior Championships. The win sets up a New Year’s Eve duel with Canada with first place in Division B on the line. Puck drop is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.
The Terrier freshman put the U.S. on the board four minutes into the game taking a pass below the left circle, deking a defender and sliding home a backhand shot. With the score tied in the second period, BC’s Colin White scored on the rebound of a Charlie McAvoy blast from center point, with Keller notching the second assist. Denver’s Troy Terry would provide the eventual game-winner later in the period.
Keller is Team USA’s top scorer with five points (3G,2A). He’s tied for eighth overall in the tournament.
● College Hockey News recap
Team Canada kept pace with the U.S., thrashing Latvia 10-2 with Dante Fabbro picking up his first point of the tournament. Fabbro is +3 with six shots on goal and no penalty minutes in three games.
►► BU Head Coach David Quinn confirmed that goalie Max Prawdzik will spend second semester playing junior hockey in the NAHL and announced that newly enrolled freshman Nico Lynch will assume his spot as third netminder. Lynch played three seasons of Tier 1 Elite hockey for Boston Advantage and, as a senior at Barnstable HS, earned team MVP honors with a 1.80 GAA and was named to the Boston Globe All Scholastics Old Colony Conference All-Star Team.
Prawdzik is expected to return to BU next fall with sophomore eligibility.
● GoTerriers.com report
● Boston Hockey Blog report
Looking ahead
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier spoke with 2017 recruit Shane Bowers about the Halifax, Nova Scotia native’s decision to pursue college hockey rather than play in the QMJHL. The 6-1 center currently has nine goals and 10 assists in his second season with the Waterloo Black Hawks.
2019 recruit Case McCarthy is ranked #4 for the upcoming OHL draft by Hockey Prospect.com . The 6-1, right-shot defenseman has a 3-17-20 scoring line in 23 games for the Buffalo Junior Sabres 16Us.
A pair of 2020 recruits–both sophomores in their first year of New England prep hockey– are off to strong starts. Braden Doyle has eight assists in seven games for Lawrence Academy. The left-shot defenseman from Lynnfield, Massachusetts had 46 points last season for the Shattuck St. Mary’s Bantams.
Center Trevor Zegras has a 5-7-12 scoring line in nine games for Avon Old Farms.
NeutralZone.net, analyzing the top performers at the Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic, gave Zegras an “A” grade for his efforts.
Trevor Zegras #11 (So. F, 5’11”, 160lbs, Avon Old Farms)-Trevor only added a couple of points here but his ability was obvious. The 2001 was the best prospect in the tournament. His skating is as elite as it gets at any level and for any age. He is very fast and seemed to jump on pucks or to space twice as fast as others. His edges and balance are superb and his skating style allows him to see the ice at an elite level. He can access all his stick skills at full speed. The BU commit worked hard, stuck his nose in on the wall and in front of the net. He created and facilitated. Trevor was excellent and his effort was superb. College: Boston University. Grade: A
Looking back
Eric Gryba’s first goal of the season was the also the first game-winner of his NHL career. The defenseman from Saskatoon batted a puck out of the air in the Oilers’ 3-1 win against Los Angeles.
Wade Megan recorded his first hat trick as a pro in the Chicago Wolves’ 6-2 win against Rockford. The former BU captain, who scored a goal on his first NHL shot during a recent call-up to St. Louis, leads the Wolves with 17 goals and is also tied for the AHL lead.
Danny O’Regan scored his eighth goal for the San Jose Barracudas in their 4-1 win against Bakersfield. He leads the Barracudas in scoring with 28 points and made his NHL debut earlier this month.
David Warsofsky has been recalled to the Penguins from AHL Wilkes Barre/Scranton. He leads the Baby Pens defensemen in scoring with 21 points in 20 games.
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