Game Time Prospect Sunday for October 7, 2012

Peoria Training Camp Notes

Rivermen send C Brett Sonne and W Tyler Shattock to ECHL Evansville. Peoria cuts RW Tyler Shelast, D Jesse Perrin. Both to ECHL Evansville.

— Dave Eminian (@icetimecleve) October 7, 2012

LINK to story and pictures at the Peoria Journal Star website.

With the assignment of Sonne and Shattock to Evansville, along with the earlier assignments of rookies Cody Beach and Paul Karpowich, the Blues' organization has assigned four NHL-contracted prospects to their ECHL affiliate this year, the largest number of contracted prospects ever assigned to the ECHL in one season by the club.

The assignments leave 24 players in Peoria, including injured players Stefan Della Rovere (knee surgery, mid-November) and Anthony Nigro (head injury, unknown). Your GTPD's best guess at Peoria's lines and defense pairings, then, looks something like this:

Derek Nesbitt (AHL) - T.J. Hensick - Adam Cracknell

Jaden Schwartz - Philip McRae - Sebastian Wännström

Evgeny Grachev - Jay Barriball - Anthony Peluso

Sergei Andronov (AHL) - Andrew Murray - Chris Bruton (AHL)

First defense pair: Ian Cole - Cade Fairchild

Second defense pair: Taylor Chorney - Brent Regner (AHL)

Third defense pair: Brett Ponich - Scott Ford

Spare defensemen: Mark Cundari - David Shields

Goalies: Jake Allen, Mike McKenna

Schwartz and McRae led the Rivermen in pre-season scoring with two goals each, while Peluso also racked up two points on a goal and an assist. Cundari, Nesbitt and Cracknell also tallied goals for Peoria in the pre-season, while Ponich, hensick and Andronov collected a single assist each. Beach and Shattock also collected a single assist each before being sent down to Evansville.

Karpowich allowed no goals and stopped all eight shots he faced in 25 minutes of playing time, while also turning aside three of four shots faced in a shootout win over Chicago on Tuesday night. McKenna allowed just two goals on 34 shots (2.00 GAA, 94.1 save %) while playing all 60 minutes of the 4-2 win at Chicago on Friday, while Allen surrendered five goals on 41 shots in 99 minutes (40 minutes vs. Chicago on 10/2, 59 minutes vs. Rockford on 10/6) for a 3.03 GAA, an 87.8 save %, and an 0-1-0 record in preseason play.

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Three Star Selections for week ending 10-06-12

*** FIRST Star ***	** SECOND Star **	* THIRD Star *
Vladimir TARASENKO	Teemu ERONEN	Ryan TESINK
SKA St Petersburg (KHL)	Jokerit Helsinki (SML)	Saint John (QMJHL)
** 3 games played this week	** 3 games played this week	** 3 games played this week
** 4 G, 0 A, plus-2	** 2 G, 3 A, plus-5	** 1 G, 2 A, minus-1
** 2 PM, 2 PP, 0 SH, 1 GW	** 2 PM, 0 PP, 2 SH, 0 GW	** 14 PM, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW

HONORABLE MENTION:

NIKLAS LUNDSTRÖM, G, AIK Solna (SEL): 2 GP, 120 mins, 5 GA, 1-1-0, 2.50 GAA, 92.6 save %.

TY RATTIE, RW, Portland (WHL): 2 GP, 1 G, 1 A, plus-1, 0 PM, 0-0-0.

...

The very early Three Star point standings are as follows: Tesink leads with six points, Tarasenko is second with five, and Dmitrij Jaskin is third with four points. Eronen and Jordan Binnington have three points each, while Lundström and Rattie each have two. Five players have one point each. Tesink is so far the only player to have received at least one point in each of the last three weeks.

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College Prospect Notes for week ending 10-06-12

Max Gardiner, C, Penn State (Ind): The Minnesota native will wear #27 for the Nittany Lions in their inaugural season of NCAA D1 hockey competition ... Penn State opens their 2012-13 season next weekend with a pair of home games against Atlantic Hockey Conference member American International (Springfield, MA).

LINK to "Meet Max Gardiner" feature at Penn State Men's Hockey website.

Sam Kurker, RW, Boston University (Hockey East): The 6’ 2, 200-pound freshman will wear #16 for Jack Parker’s Terriers this season ... BU is ranked 13th in the nation in the US College Hockey Online pre-season poll ... BU will host the University of Toronto Blues in a pre-season game today (Oct. 7), and opens the 2012-13 HEA schedule against Providence on Oct. 13.

Colton Parayko, D, Alaska-Fairbanks (CCHA): Will wear #4 for the Nanooks this year ... Played in UAF’s exhibition game vs. the University of Regina (SK) Friday night ... No points, no PIM, plus-1, 2 shots on goal ... UAF’s 2012-13 regular season begins next weekend at the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, with games against Air Force on Oct. 12 and Canisius on Oct. 13.

Jordan Schmaltz, D, North Dakota (WCHA): The Blues’ first-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft will wear #24 for the Fighting Sioux ... Schmaltz’ father and two uncles all won football letters at North Dakota in the late 80’s and early 90’s ... Started at RD for UND in their 5-3 pre-season win over the University of Manitoba on Oct. 7; no points, no PIM, one shot on goal and a minus-1.

Max Tardy, C, Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA): Tardy enters his junior year with his hometown university wearing #19 for the Bulldogs... Minnesota-Duluth, ranked 12th in the US College Hockey Online pre-season poll, opens their 2012-13 season by hosting Ohio State in a pair of games next weekend (Oct. 12 and 13).