Thursday, September 29, 2016

Last Night's Preseason Performers (Sep 29)

I don't think we should be expecting this kind of output from the bottom six of the Detroit Red Wings all the time, but Steve Ott, Luke Glendening and Drew Miller all had quite the night against the Bruins in Boston, combining for 8 points in a 5-1 win on Wednesday night.  Ott and Glendening each finished with a goal and a pair of assists in the victory, while Miller went one and one.  Prospect goalie Jared Coreau got the full game, making 35 saves for the win.

Coreau is expected to be the number one in Grand Rapids this season, with Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard still combining to be the top duo.

Another prospect goaltender made his mark in this preseason, as Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry made 30 saves against the Blackhawks in Chicago for a 2-0 shutout win.  Jarry could find himself as the favourite for the back-up job, while the Penguins wait for Matt Murray to come back from his broken hand.

On the scoring side, Chris Kunitz found his way to the sheet twice, scoring both goals in the win.

Defenseman Trevor Daley got his first action in during this preseason as well, he is coming back from a broken ankle and appears to be good to go for the start of the season.

The Colorado Avalanche entertained the Dallas Stars in a preseason game and it was the home side that came out on top in this one, 5-2.  Avs defender Francois Beauchemin was the only notable for the home team, picking up a goal and an assist in the win, as his game is still a big positive for the team heading into the new year.

Dallas' Radek Faksa got his first preseason action in, returning from a mild concussion that he suffered with the Czech Republic at the World Cup and he scored both goals for the Stars in the loss.  Faksa could be finding his stride this season and could be a decent pick-up in a bargain spot.

It was a bit of a shootout at Rogers Arena, as the Oilers and Canucks debuted a whole load of talent in the preseason on Wednesday night. When it was all said and done, the Canucks came out on top at home, beating their visitors from Edmonton, 5-3.  Defensemen Troy Stetcher and Alex Edler each came away with 3 points each, making their marks on the preseason, while Anton Rodin chipped in with a goal and an assist as well.

On the visiting side, college free agent forward Drake Caggiula chipped in with a pair of goals, as he tries to force his way onto this deep Oilers forward group.  It's a tough group to crack, but it certainly isn't impossible.

In another Pacific Division match-up, the Los Angeles Kings put six goals past the Anaheim Ducks in a 6-1 win on Wednesday night.  Devin Setoguchi, Dustin Brown, Nic Dowd, Justin Auger and Tom Gilbert were all 2-point players on the night, as they peppered the Ducks goaltending tandem of Dustin Tokarski and Yann Danis on the night.

This is Gilbert's second appearance on the performers post, as he is making a statement on the scoresheet, while Setoguchi made an impact last night, as he is a PTO in Kings camp, trying to find his way back to the NHL this season.

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