Toronto Maple Leafs prospect report: Nikita Korostelev injured, NCAA Playoffs begin

Bad news for the Petes heading into the final stretch of the OHL season. Last Thursday Nikita Korostelev was injured in practice, and sat out the weekends games. Initial diagnoses put him on the shelf up 2 weeks, but the team will work with trainers and hopefully he doesn’t miss an extended period of time in the chase to win the OHL Eastern Conference.

The Victoria Royals are heating up at the right time. They were out of the playoffs last week, but now with three straight wins over Vancouver, they’re within reach of a division playoff spot. Five point week for Jack Walker, and a six from Vladimir Bobylyov certainly helps matters.

Jeremy Bracco stays cold as the Memorial Cup hosts look to finish without home ice in the first round of the OHL playoffs. Warren Rychel should have spent more to bolster the Spitfires.

It’s most likely Keaton Middleton is the only Leafs prospect to not play a playoff game this year, unless he signs an ATO with the Marlies to finish off their season, as the Saginaw Spirit are far back of the final Western Conference playoff spot in the OHL.

The NCAA playoffs kick off next weekend with Hockey East starting it’s tournament. The other conferences follow suit next week and the week after, leading up to the Frozen Four tournament in Chicago at the end of March.

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Ontario Hockey League

JJ Piccinich (F) / Nicolas Mattinen (D)
1G, 3A, +2 / No Points
x - London Knights - 40-12-3-4
3rd in West, 5 points back of 1st

February 24th: vs Windsor Spitfires
W 4-1 - 1G, 0A, +2 / 0G, 0A, -1
February 25th: @ Owen Sound Attack
L 7-3 - 0G, 0A, -3 / No Points
February 26th: @ Guelph Storm
W 8-1 - 0G, 3A, +3 / 0G, 0A, +1

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Stephen Desrocher (D) - 0G, 1A, +1
Kingston Frontenacs - 28-22-5-4
4th in East, 12 points back of 1st

February 23rd: @ Peterborough Petes
L 3-1 - Did Not Play
February 24th: vs Niagara IceDogs
W 3-2 - 0G, 1A
February 26th: vs Hamilton Bulldogs
W 3-1 - 0G, 0A, +1

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Jeremy Bracco (F) - 0G, 1A, -3
x - Windsor Spitfires - 36-15-5-3
5th in West, 5 points back of 4th

February 23rd: vs Saginaw Spirit
W 4-1 - 0G, 0A, +1
February 24th: @ London Knights
L 4-1 - 0G, 0A, -2
February 26th: vs Sarnia Sting
L 4-2 - 0G, 1A, -2

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Nikita Korostelev (F) - Did Not Play
x - Peterborough Petes - 36-18-2-3
1st in East, 4 points ahead of 2nd

February 23rd: vs Kingston Frontenacs
W 3-1 - Did Not Play
February 24th: @ Mississauga Steelheads
L 10-1 - Did Not Play
February 26th: @ Oshawa Generals
W 7-1 - Did Not Play

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Keaton Middleton (D) - 1G, 0A, +1
Saginaw Spirit - 22-29-7-2
9th in West, 9 points out of playoffs.

February 23rd: @ Windsor Spitfires
L 4-1 - 1G, 0A, +1
February 25th: vs North Bay Battalion
L 3-2- 0G, 0A, +1
February 26th: vs Flint Firebirds
L 4-1 - 0G, 0A, -1

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Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Martins Dzierkals (F) - 0G, 1A
x - Rouyn-Noranda Huskies - 37-15-2-5
3rd overall, 6 points back of 1st

February 23rd: @ Quebec Remparts
W 4-1 - No Points
February 24th: @ Drummondville Voltigeurs
W 5-2 - 0G, 0A, -1
February 26th: vs Baie-Comeau Drakkar
W 3-1 - 0G, 1A, +1

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Western Hockey League

Adam Brooks (F) - 1G, 5A, -1
x - Regina Pats - 44-9-7-1
1st in East Division, 12 points ahead of 2nd

February 22nd: @ Saskatoon Blades
W 4-1 - 1G, 1A
February 24th: vs Swift Current Broncos
W 7-0 - 0G, 2A
February 26th: vs Swift Current Broncos
L 5-4 OT - 0G, 2A, -1

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Jack Walker (F) / Vladimir Bobylyov (F)
2G, 3A, -1 / 3G, 3A, +3
Victoria Royals - 35-23-4-1
1st West wild card, 5 points from BC Division spot.

February 24th: @ Vancouver Giants
W 6-4 - 2G, 1A, -1 / 1G, 2A, +1
February 25th: vs Vancouver Giants
W 3-1 - No Points / 1G, 0A, +2
February 26th: vs Vancouver Giants
W 3-2 - 0G, 2A, / 1G, 1A

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NCAA

Joseph Woll (G) - 31sv, 38sh, 0.816sv%
Boston College Eagles
Overall: 18-14-4 / Conference: 13-6-3

The BC Eagles finished the Hockey East season tied for first place with U-Mass Lowell and Boston University. This means that, along with Notre Dame, those teams will get a bye to the second round of the Hockey East tournament.

Boston College will host the winner of one of the following matchups over the weekend of March 10th in a best of three playoff:

#5 Providence vs #12 Massachusetts
#6 Vermont vs #11 Maine
#7 Merrimack vs #10 New Hampshire
#8 Northeastern vs #9 Connecticut

February 24th: vs U-Mass Lowell
L 4-1 - 16sv, 20sh, 0.800sv%
February 25th: @ U-Mass Lowell
L 3-1 - 15sv, 18sh, 0.833sv%

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JD Greenway (D) - 0G, 0A, +1
Wisconsin Badgers - 18-11-1

The Big10 Conference plays until March 10th, with the championship tournament being held the following weekend.

February 24th: @ Minnesota
W 3-1 - 0G, 0A, +1
February 25th: @ Minnesota
L 3-2 - No Points

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Dominic Toninato (F) - 2G, 1A
U-Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
Overall: 20-5-7 / Conference: 14-4-4

NCHC Conference playoffs begin the weekend of March 10th.

February 24th: vs Miami (Ohio)
W 4-3 - 1G, 0A, -1
February 25th: vs Miami (Ohio)
T 3-3 - 1G, 1A, +1

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Dakota Joshua (F) - 0G, 3A, +2
Ohio State Buckeyes
Overall: / Conference:

The Big10 Conference plays until March 10th, with the championship tournament being held the following weekend.

February 24th: vs Michigan
W 4-2 - 0G, 3A, +2
February 25th: vs Michigan
L 1-0 - No Points

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Nolan Vesey (F) - 4G, 0A, +2
Maine Black Bears
Overall: 11-19-4 / Conference: 5-15-2

The Black Bears finished in 11th place in Hockey East. They will play Vermont next weekend in a best of three series.

February 24th: vs Northeastern
L 5-4 OT - 1G, 0A, +1
February 25th: vs Northeastern
W 5-4 - 3G, 0A, +1

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