2014 All-American Prospects Game – Thu Sep 25 – 7:00PM ET – FNC – TV: NHLN

[Paxon]

Hope Woodhouse gifs that Hanifin backhand board pass to himself behind the net and rush up ice

 

[Paxon]

Fire Nolan, Hire Grier

6 - 2

 

[VaporTrail]

Goal by Axel Foley

 

[ZZamboni]

Fire Nolan, Hire Grier

6 - 2

I know SBA and a couple others would be happy

 

[Woodhouse]

Hope Woodhouse gifs that Hanifin backhand board pass to himself behind the net and rush up ice

That would've been handy for the Hanifin thread, but I didn't capture that. However, here is Eichel's third period goal... skates to stick to back of the net:

 

[stokes84]

Eichel, that kid has it all. Even smart enough to play it up to the city.

 

[Woodhouse]

Watch the highlights from the 2014 AAPG in Buffalo:

[nhl]633311[/nhl]

 

[joshjull]

Eichel, Hanifin and the organist playing 'sweet child of mine' were the highlights for me

 

[Moskau]

Eichel's stick looks like it would be too long for Chara to use. It's amazing he can handle the puck as well as he does with it 14' away from him.

 

[DazedandConfused]

Eichel or Modano, who that was on the first period rush.

 

[LaxSabre]

@BuffaloSabres - Final - #TeamGrier 6 #TeamOlczyk 3. Thanks to all who attended & watched tonight! #AAPG -
https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/515311550710943746/photo/1

@BuffaloSabres - Player of the Game is Jack Eichel with a goal and an assist. Drew Stafford presents the award. #AAPG

@BuffaloSabres - @duffersabres chats with @Jack_Eichel11 - Tonight's Player of the Game. #AAPG -
https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/515313635380699137/photo/1

@usahockey - Team Grier's Jack Eichel named Player of the Game at the CCM/USAH All-American Prospects Game #AAPG -
https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/515317273595498497/photo/1

@BuffaloSabres - Eichel and Stafford after the game. #AAPG (@BWipp) - https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/515329327584804866/photo/1

@BuffaloSabres - Eichel - Buffalo's been great this week. Good fans, and it was a fun atmosphere to play in. #AAPG

@BuffaloSabres - Grier - Really impressed by the skill level out there tonight. That was a lot of fun. #AAPG -
https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/515322861817704448/photo/1

 

[LaxSabre]

Tweets - Kris Baker @SabresProspects - All-American Prospects Game.

Vancouver Giants C Alec Baer with a nice redirect to get Team Grier the 1-0 lead. #AAPG
Brendan Warren corrals a loose puck in front and evens the score 1-1. Nice save by Opilka on 2x1 prior to the goal. Colin White the helper.
Jeremy Bracco buries one from the tough angle to give Team Grier the 2-1 lead. Eichel with good eyes to find him wide open down low.
Karch Bachman takes one off the end boards and tucks it home. 3-1 Team Grier. Bachman having a good game. Competed well in first period.
Tom Novak cashes a feed in front for Team Olczyk, cuts Grier lead to 3-2. Novak lit it up for USA at the Hlinka.
Jack Eichel all alone in front for the clean finish. Nice work by Greenway in the corner to find him. Team Grier takes the 4-2 lead.
Slick hands from Jeremy Bracco for the five-hole finish. Bracco's second of the game gives Team Grier the 5-2 lead.
Team Grier continues to pile on with a Connor Moynihan goal from the doorstep. Now 6-2. Final minutes.
Team Olczyk gets a Tanner Laczynski tally late but Team Grier takes the #AAPG by a 6-3 score.
#AAPG Player of the Game Award goes to Jack Eichel of Team Grier.

 

[LaxSabre]

Team Grier Tops Team Olczyk - 6-3 - Third CCM/USAH All-American Prospects Game -
First Niagara Center - Buffalo, NY - USAHockey.com - Thursday, September 25.

Buffalo, NY - Team Grier topped Team Olczyk, 6-3 at the third annual CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game.
After a scoreless first period, Team Grier’s Alec Baer (St. Louis Park, Minnesota) opened the scoring in the second.
The teams combined for five goals in the second period, and Team Grier went into the third, leading 3-2.
Team Grier scored three straight goals in the third, and then Team Olczyk capped the game scoring, making the final score 6-3.
Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Boston University) was named Player of the Game.
Was presented the award by 2004 World Junior Gold Medalist and current Buffalo Sabre Drew Stafford (Milwaukee, Wisconsin/North Dakota).
Check back soon for a complete recap.

http://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/423438?referrer_id=752796
LaxSabre - Click on the link above for video highlights.

Boxscore - All-American Prospects Game - Team Grier 6 Team Olczyk 3 - http://www.allamericanprospectsgame.com/game/show/8260501?subseason=175825

 

[LaxSabre]

Team Grier Tops Team Olczyk - 6-3 - Third CCM/USAH All-American Prospects Game -
First Niagara Center - Buffalo, NY - USAHockey.com - Thursday, September 25.

Buffalo, NY - Team Grier topped Team Olczyk, 6-3, thanks to a third period outburst at the third annual CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Massachusetts/Boston University) received Player of the Game honors with the game-winning goal plus an assist, while his linemate, Jeremy Bracco (Freeport, New York/United States. National Under-18 Team), tallied twice.

Stellar goaltending prevailed in the scoreless first period. Team Olczyk’s Mike Lackey (Washington, DC/United States National Under-18 Team) stopped 10 of 10 shots, while Team Grier’s Luke Opilka (Effingham, Illinois/United States National Under-18 Team) turned aside 16 shots. Both goaltenders had highlight-reel saves, including Lackey shutting the door on a Team Grier two-on-none rush.

Alec Baer (St. Louis Park, Minnesota) opened the scoring at 5:35 of the second period on a redirection at the side of the net from Ryan Smith (Atlanta, Georgia/Green Bay Gamblers) at the blue line. Just over a minute later, Brendan Warren (Carleton, Michigan/United States National Under-18 Team) grabbed the puck out of a scramble in front of Team Grier’s net and it slid past Opilka to even the game at one.

Team Grier grabbed a 3-1 lead with goals at 13:10 and 14:27. Eichel held the puck in at the blue line and passed it to Bracco camped out at the side of the net for a quick one-timer into a nearly empty net. Next, after a missed odd-man rush, Karch Bachman (Wolcottville, Indiana/Culver Military Academy), stayed at the side of the net, gathered the loose puck and rolled it in on his backhand.

At 9:48 of the second period, Opilka and Lackey swapped goaltending duties with Ryan Bednard (Macomb, Michigan/Johnstown Tomahawks) and Ryan Larkin (Clarkston, Michigan/Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), respectively.

Team Olczyk capitalized on the power play when Tom Novak (River Falls, Wisconsin/Waterloo Black Hawks) finished a cross-crease pass from Brock Boeser (Burnsville, Minnesota/Waterloo Black Hawks), making it 3-2 at 16:44 of the second.

 

[LaxSabre]

Team Grier secured the win in the latter half of the third period with three straight goals. At 11:13, Greenway dug the puck of the corner and passed it to a wide-open Eichel in front of the net, who easily roofed the puck over Larkin’s shoulder for the 4-2 lead. Almost four and half minutes later, Greenway flipped the puck out of the defensive end, springing Bracco for a breakaway that he converted.

With less than four minutes left to play in the game, Kyle Connor (Shelby Township, Michigan/Youngstown Phantoms) carried the puck around the net and passed to Connor Moynihan (Windham, New Hampshire) in front, who tapped it home for the 6-2 lead. In the final minute of the game, Team Olczyk’s Tanner Laczynski (Shorewood, Illinois/Chicago Steel) poked in a loose puck for the 6-3 final score.

Drew Stafford (Milwaukee, Wisconsin/North Dakota), who won a Gold Medal with the 2004 United States National Junior Team and is a current member of the Buffalo Sabres, presented the Player of the Game trophy to Jack Eichel.

Five players had multi-point games - Jeremy Bracco (2G), Alec Baer (1G-1A), Jack Eichel (1G-2A), Brandon Carlo (2A) and Jordan Greenway (2A). Shots were 45-44 in Team Grier’s favor.

Team Olczyk’s Ryan Larkin set a CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game record for most saves by a goaltender - stopping 24 of 29 shots.

http://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/423438?referrer_id=752796

Boxscore - All-American Prospects Game - Team Grier 6 Team Olczyk 3 - http://www.allamericanprospectsgame.com/game/show/8260501?subseason=175825

 

[LaxSabre]

Eichel Stars - All-American Prospects Game - Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer - NHL.com - Thursday, September 25.

Buffalo - Boston University freshman Jack Eichel certainly left quite an impression on the 7,310 fans who witnessed his performance at the third annual CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game on Thursday at First Niagara Center.

Jack Eichel, a likely top-two pick at the 2015 NHL Draft, was named player of the game after scoring a goal, getting an assist, and generating four shots with a plus-3 rating. He dazzled with a few highlight-reel moves, defended his teammates early in the game, and had some picturesque passes in the offensive zone to help Team Mike Grier to a 6-3 victory against Team Ed Olczyk.

Eddie Olczyk, asked for his evaluation of Eichel after seeing him at ice level for the first time, offered a review for the ages. "I haven't seen a player at that level with a reach and a stick like that since Mario [Lemieux]," Olczyk said. "When he skates up into the play and into the zone, with one hand on his stick, spreading his arms, showing that arm length with the stick flailing, it's like a 747 going up ice, and I'm not kidding. "Mario is as great as there's ever been, and I was lucky to play with him, against him and, well, I tried to coach him, and Jack's reach, to me, was what I took out of his play. It was incredible."

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-shot center will have to listen to comparisons all season between him and Erie Otters center Connor McDavid, who might be the favorite as the No. 1 pick as this stage. With reviews like Olczyk's, however, Eichel could supplant McDavid sooner rather than later.

Mike Grier was undoubtedly grateful to have Eichel as part of his team. "He has confidence, which is great," Grier said. "That comes with being a skill guy. When you see the elite skill players around the NHL, like [Patrick] Kane and [Jaromir] Jagr, and Lemieux, there's never ever concern or pause when they have the puck. You always think they're going to make the play, beat the guy and find the open man, and they never panic. Jack has that trait." Grier added, "In a scrum early in the game when [Jordan Greenway] got hit from behind and kind of got roughed, Jack went in for his teammate, and that was good to see."

Rest Of The Article - http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=731875&navid=nhl:topheads

 

[Wisent42]

After watching part of the game, and the highlights, I think I'd be ok with picking only second overall. I mean, I'd still want first overall, but I can live with Eichel. He's playing with authority, if you know what I mean. And that skillset. I remember a tennis reporter saying about Pete Sampras that his racket appeared to be an extension of his arm, like it was a part of him. That came to mind watching Eichel and his stick. It just looks so natural.

 

[Paxon]

After watching part of the game, and the highlights, I think I'd be ok with picking only second overall. I mean, I'd still want first overall, but I can live with Eichel. He's playing with authority, if you know what I mean. And that skillset. I remember a tennis reporter saying about Pete Sampras that his racket appeared to be an extension of his arm, like it was a part of him. That came to mind watching Eichel and his stick. It just looks so natural.

We should be so lucky as to draft Eichel. He'd be our best prospect since Mogilny.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

‏@THNRyanKennedy

Jack Eichel dominates, plus five other standouts from the All-American Prospects Game in Buffalo: http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/jack-eichel-dominates-the-all-american-prospects-game/

Here are five other players who impressed in Buffalo:

Jeremy Bracco – Though he comes in at just 5-foot-9, the Boston College commit has dynamite vision as a playmaker and skates effortlessly. He has an accurate shot and potted two goals on the night.

Noah Hanifin – The incoming Boston College freshman looked unflappable out there. Despite being a focal point for the opposition, the big defenseman made quick, sharp plays with the puck.

Alec Baer – The Vancouver Giants pivot isn’t huge, but he creates a lot of chances offensively and cashed in early with a deft deflection at the side of the net. He added an assist after that.

Brandon Carlo – At 6-foot-5, the Tri-City Americans defenseman takes up a lot of space on the blueline with his long reach, which he uses very well. Carlo also moves pretty quickly and had two helpers.

Michael Lackey – The Harvard-committed goaltender from Washington, D.C., made some very tough saves against Eichel’s crew early on. The NTDP netminder has a great 6-foot-3, 214-pound frame.

 

[Jim Bob]

‏@THNRyanKennedy

Jack Eichel dominates, plus five other standouts from the All-American Prospects Game in Buffalo: http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/jack-eichel-dominates-the-all-american-prospects-game/

Scouts should be all over the Beanpot this year.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

AAPG NOTEBOOK: HANIFIN CAN'T STAY IN THE SHADOWS

The Boston College freshman plays with poise and maturity

Following Thursday’s morning skate, Noah Hanifin spoke of his preference in remaining amongst the “shadows†of the media’s draft hype and speculation. However, with more games similar to his performance in the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, it won’t be long before Hanifin becomes a household name for hockey fans across the country.

The 17-year-old defenseman, who will be playing for Boston College this season, finished the game with a stat line that would leave many suggesting that the Massachusetts-native struggled. However, despite being held off the scoresheet and finishing minus-three, Hanifin stood out amongst his peers in a losing effort.

 

[Moskau]

For all of the comparisons he gets Eichel just kind of reminds me of MacKinnon when he gets the puck.

 

[RecycledEichel]

I'm surprised not to hear people talk about Kyle Connor.. I thought he played great and made an insane pass in the crease for a goal.. Would love it if we got him with the islanders pick

 

[Paxon]

I'm surprised not to hear people talk about Kyle Connor.. I thought he played great and made an insane pass in the crease for a goal.. Would love it if we got him with the islanders pick

He'd be a great add with that pick, legit scoring potential that we need.