By Brian Weidler, "Game Time" Prospect Department
THE REGULARS:
Thanks to Blues' beat writer Jeremy Rutherford, and to our own averagejoe, for solving the Case Of The Missing Finn earlier today. Prospect Jori Lehtera has been missing in action for the last three weeks, and Rutherford reported at the "Post-Dispatch" website earlier today that Lehtera has had a minor knee injury for that time.
Lehter'a teammate Vladimir Tarasenko has cooled off somewhat, managing just an assist in two games for Sibir this week, but the Blues' second first-round selection in 2010 is still in the Top Ten of KHL scorers. Tarasenko has 11 goals and 23 points in 23 games for Sibir, good for the team lead and eighth overall in the KHL, while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time each game.
Meanwhile, the Blues' other first-round pick in 2010, Colorado College sophomore Jaden Schwartz, continues to score at an accelerated rate. Through nine games played for CC tghis year, Schwartz has five goals and 12 points.
Jori LEHTERA | Jaden SCHWARTZ | Vladimir TARASENKO |
Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL) | Colorado College (WCHA) | Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL) |
** 0 games played this week | ** 2 games played this week | ** 2 games played this week |
** 0 G, 0 A | ** 1 G, 2 A, minus-2 | ** 0 G, 1 A, minus-3 |
** 0 PM, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW | ** 2 PM, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW | ** 2 PM, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW |
AFTER THE JUMP:
Almost all of the players in the "Fab Five" this week have earned their spots here because of defensive play. Rookie d-man Cade Fairchild leads all AHL players in plus-minus at a solid plus-13 through 16 games played, and goaltenders Ben Bishop and Paul Karpowich continue to perform near the very top of their respective levels (the AHL and Division I, respectively).
After the jump, your weekly look at the players in the Blues' organization who are "Trending Up." Stay tuned...
Cody BEACH | Ben BISHOP | Cade FAIRCHILD | Jani HAKANPÄÄ | Paul KARPOWICH |
Moose Jaw (WHL) | Peoria (AHL) | Peoria (AHL) | Blues Espoo (SM-Liiga) | Clarkson (ECAC) |
** 2 games played this week | ** 3 games played this week | ** 3 games played this week | ** 3 games played this week | ** 2 games played this week |
** 0 G, 2 A, even | ** 188 mins, 8 GA, 2-1-0 | ** 0 G, 1 A, plus-1 | ** 1 G, 0 A, even | ** 120 mins, 3 GA, 1-1-0, SO |
** 7 PM, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW | ** 2.55 GAA, 91.5% sv pct | ** 2 PM, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW | ** 2 PM, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW | ** 1.50 GAA, 95.3% sv pct |