Canadiens Prospect Playoff Updates – Fowler, Beck, Hutson

The only reason Owen Sound did not establish a dominant lead was due to Beck’s impressive results in the first period.

We tend to put too much emphasis on the importance of faceoffs. During most nights, only a handful of faceoff results have a direct impact on the game.

That was certainly the case on Thursday, as Beck’s affinity for winning the vast majority of the faceoffs came to the forefront and allowed Saginaw to score the opening goal of the game.

Beck would go on to set up two more goals, a dream start for the cerebral Montreal Canadiens prospect. Consequently, he was given the second star of the game due to his three-point effort.

NCAA Frozen Four Tournament

The opening day of the NCAA’s Frozen Four tournament went perfectly for all four of the Habs prospects that were in action.

The match-ups were single-elimination games, which means Luke Mittelstadt (Minnesota) and Sam Harris (Denver) will remain in the tournament thanks to their teams’ respective wins.

But the story of the night was the excellent play from top prospect Lane Hutson.

Not only did he earn two points to match his career high (in three fewer games), but he also scored the crucial opening goal for the Boston University Terriers with a very nice play in the offensive zone.

The 6-3 win over RIT was to be expected, as Boston University is the second-ranked team in the country. It also means fans will have to wait a little longer before Hutson and Luke Tuch sign their entry-level deals.

As for Jacob Fowler and Boston College, the No.1 ranked team in the NCAA, Friday’s game was probably a little too close for comfort.

The Eagles eventually beat Michigan Tech 6-1, but things did not go as planned in the first period, as Boston College rested on its laurels after Cutter Gauthier opened the scoring less than a minute into the game.

Michigan Tech took over from that point, generating several high-danger scoring chances. They played well enough to head to the first intermission with a lead, but Fowler made a series of clutch saves to keep the game tied.

Fowler held the fort long enough, allowing Boston College’s impressive group of forwards a chance to find their rhythm.

He saved 22 of the 23 shots he faced, but more importantly, he was there when his team needed him most, as was the case last year when he secured the USHL championship for the Youngstown Phantoms.

Fowler is quickly establishing his presence as a big-game player.

Montreal Canadiens Prospects On The Docket – Friday Night Games

The series between the Rimouski Oceanic and the Cape Breton Eagles gets underway on Friday night. Prospect Quentin Miller is expected to play a big part in the games, as he’ll be looked upon to provide consistent goaltending for the Oceanic. Miller’s numbers surged dramatically after the trade that saw him join Rimouski from the Quebec Remparts, finishing the season with a solid .917 save percentage for his new team.

Both Filip Mesar and Florian Xhekaj will be in action in Ontario. The players have enjoyed opposite seasons, with Mesar starting strong and fading slightly down the stretch, and Xhekaj surpassing all expectations by a very wide margin. Xhekaj and the Brantford Bulldogs will open their series against the Ottawa 67’s, whereas Mesar and the Kitchener Rangers will face the Erie Ottawas.

Saturday And Sunday Games

With all five Canadiens prospects advancing in the NCAA playoffs, we’re entering the most entertaining phase of the tournament. Boston University (Hutson, Tuch) will face Minnesota (Mittelstadt) on Saturday evening, whereas Denver (Harris) will face Cornell.

Fowler will be back in action on Sunday, as the Eagles will take on the winner of the Quinnipiac and Wisconsin match-up.

You can click here to keep a close eye on all the NCAA results involving Montreal Canadiens prospects.