Top 5 Tuesday: AHL Rookie Playoff Performances

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For the purpose of this ranking we're looking at just the young guys in the AHL playoffs, those players still considered by the league to be rookies. As you can imagine, there are a bunch of players worth consideration for placement here but these are the five that have stood out the most to me.

The Down-Low with Bristowe--Western Conference 1st Round Playoff Preview

The Down-Low with Bristowe
Posted by Allan Bristowe

Western Conference Playoff Preview

Where will the West be won? The Western Conference playoffs appear to be a 4 horse race. You may have heard our predictions on The Pipeline Show on Monday night where I had a chance to share my opinions with Guy Flaming and Dean Millard. First and foremost I promise not to go on and on (and on) about the Cougars in their series with the Vancouver Giants.

(1) Vancouver Giants vs. (8) Prince George Cougars

I won’t go on and on….because this series won’t go on for very long. There was a 66 point difference in the standings between the teams in the regular season. The Giants feature arguably the best defence in the league and the Cats main go to player is 16 year old forward Brett Connolly. The Cougars lost the season series 8 games to none and were outscored 40-11. In their last contest over the weekend the Cougars were shut out by the Giants back-up goalie. The Giants will use the series to get their game on track after going 4 and 4 in March. The Cats will use the post season to gain some valuable playoff experience for their young team. Giants in 4.

Key Match-up in the series: Brett Connolly vs. Jonathon Blum

(2) Tri-City Americans vs. (7) Everett Silvertips

This series on paper appears to be a mis-match. The Americans claimed their second straight US division title, while the Silvertips were one of the big sellers around the WHL trade deadline making a block buster deal with Lethbridge where they unloaded Kyle Beach. Tri-City won the season series 8-1-0-1 and held the Tips leading scorer Kellan Tochkin to only 6 points in the 10 games. There is some question about Americans goalie Chet Pickard after suffering a concussion late in the season but he was the teams back-up in their final two regular season games. This is another series where the top team is going after another league title and the lower seed is looking to gain from the post season exposure. Americans in 4.

Key Match-up in the series: Kellan Tochkin vs. Mitch Fadden

(3) Kelowna Rockets vs. (6) Kamloops Blazers

The battle of the K town teams was one sided during the regular season. The Rockets blasted the Blazers this season winning all 9 meetings and had 30 more goals. Kelowna is looking to make a run this season while the Blazers were a middle of the pack team all season and had trouble finding their consistency. I do think the Blazers might give the Rockets a better run in the playoffs. Goalie Justin Leclerc might be able to pull out a game or two. Plus the Blazers do have some guys that could surprise. C.J. Stretch had 86 points while Tyler Shattock was a point a game player. Rockets in 5 or 6 at the most.

Key Match-up in the series: Justin Leclerc vs. The entire Rockets offense

(4) Spokane vs. (5) Seattle

The 4 versus 5 series is usually the closest and that should be the case here. Spokane won the season series with 5 wins in 9 games. The Seattle Thunderbirds could be the team to dethrone the defending Memorial Cup champions. With Canadian World Junior captain Thomas Hickey anchoring their blue line and forwards such as Ottawa Senators first rounder Jim O’Brien up front the T-Birds have more talent than some people might realize. The Chiefs have the experience of knowing how to win going all the way last year. Spokane has the Canadian World Junior goalie in Dustin Tokarski who some how finds a way to get the job done when the games are on the line. I think this will be a hard fought series with Spokane prevailing in either 6 or 7 games.

Key Match-up in the series: Thomas Hickey vs. Drayson Bowman

That’s the Down-Low with Bristowe for the opening round of the Western Conference Playoffs.

Bowman is CHL POW

He's had quite the year and it just keeps getting better for Spokane Chiefs forward Drayson Bowman. 9 Months ago he won the WHL title and then the Memorial Cup, he represented his country at the 2009 WJC in Ottawa and now he can add another accolade to the wall with a Player of the Week award.

Here's the release from the WHL.

Chiefs' Bowman POW

It's no coincidence that the hottest team in the WHL has the hottest player right now, as Spokane's Drayson Bowman was been named the Boston Pizza player of the week today. You can read the full release here

The defending Memorial Cup champions look poised to make another run as they've rung up 11 straight wins, but thanks to Tri-City and Vancouver also playing pretty well over that span, still sit 3rd in the Western Conference. They weren't in last week's national top ten rankings, but you have to think they'll bowl their way in on Wednesday. This past week the Littleton, Colorado product lit the lamp 5 times and helped do it 5 more while earning a plus 6 rating in 3 Spokane wins.

The 2007 3rd round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes didn't get off to as good of start as he did last year, despite the massive amount of praise he was getting at the World Junior Championship from a certain broadcaster. Bowman played only 66 games last year and recorded 82 points. Up until he left for the WJC he was on pace for just 79 points and that was over a full season. If you pro rated it over the 66 games he suited up for last year it worked out to just 72 points.

Whether it was motivation from the U.S. having a disappointing showing, or that he only notched 4 points in 6 games while playing on the all WHL line with fellow Chief Mitch Wahl and Seattle's Jim O'Brien, Bowman has been lights out since returning to Spokane. He has a 10 game scoring streak going right now racking up 10 goals and 9 assists over the span. He's also been plus 13 with 26 penalty minutes, including a fight with Tri Cities Tyler Schmidt a week ago Saturday. Bowman scorched the Chilliwack Bruins this past Saturday with 3 goals and 2 helpers.


Bowman's sizzling play has his pro rated point totals higher than before the WJC, if he plays in all of the Chiefs remaining 22 games he could top out at 81 points. Just for fun though I pro rated his numbers as if he could keep up his current pace and it would give him 61 second half points ad 94 overall. Regardless if he keeps up his 1.9 point per game pace or not, Bowman should head into the WHL's playoff race red hot, which is where he was deadly for Spokane last year, putting up 20 points in 21 games, then adding 6 goals for 8 points in 4 games as the Chiefs won the 2nd Memorial Cup in team history.

Notes: Drayson Bowman might not be the only Chief getting some hardware this week. Goaltender Dustin Tokarski went 3-0 with 2 shuts outs and 81 saves on 82 shots. The World Junior gold medalist is the WHL's nomination for CHL goaltender of the week, but he'll be in tough to beat out Scott Stajcer of Owen Sound who made 130 saves in 3victories for the Attack.

The OHL's players of the week is Cody Hodgson of the Brampton Battalion. The full release is here. Hodgson beats out his World Junior teammate and current London Knight John Tavares, despite a 6 point outing from the projected #1 pick this June.

Finally in the Q, Chicoutimi Saguenéens forward Jacob Lagacé and Val-d’Or Foreurs goaltender Raffaele D’Orso were named the offensive and defensive players of the week. That release can be found here.

Top 5 Tuesday

Today we take a look at 5 players to watch for on Team USA at the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship.

5. Jonathan Blum-Defence

The United States Captain has been lights out with Vancouver the past 2 years in the WHL. He notched 18 goals last year and already has 14 this season. A stand up guy off the ice, Blum was a great choice as captain but a surprising one seeing as he plays in the CHL. However counting Blum there are 8 kids who play north of the border. Blum is the only non NCAA blueliner for the stars and stripes but the highest scoring CHL player on the roster with 44 points in 28 games in Vancouver.

4. Danny Kristo-Forward

The only USHL player selected, it's not known how much ice time Kristo will get, but was great at the World Junior A Challenge this past November in Camrose. The Omaha Lancer notched 3 goals and 4 assists for team USA, with 2 of his goals coming on the power play. The Montreal Canadiens 2nd round draft pick from 2008 is a point per game player in the USHL where he's more of a passer with 16 of his 23 points coming from helpers.

3. Jordan Schroeder-Forward

The only 2009 draft eligible player for team USA, Schroeder is no bit player. He was a member of last year's team, and will skate on the club's top line with Colin Wilson and James Van Riemsdyk. Last year he notched 8 points in 6 games, 7 of them assists. So far this season the 5'9" 175 pound Minnesota Golden Gopher has 21 points n 16 games as a freshman. Schroeder wants to up his stock for the 2009 draft and will use the WJC as a springboard.

2. Drayson Bowman-Forward

Bowman who plays for Spokane, didn't make last year's team despite a season where he went on to snipe 42 goals and end up with 82 points in just 66 games. This year he's actually on pace to put up less points, but being an older player got the nod from his home country. He could end up on an all WHL line with Spokane teammate Mitch Wahl and Seattle Thunderbird forward Jim O'Brien, who will be playing on the ice he hopes to skate on in a few years, as Ottawa drafted him 29th overall in 2007.

1. James Van Riemsdyk-Forward

This will be the 3rd, and likely last WJC tournament for the 2nd overall pick of Philadelphia in 2007. It should also be his most dominant. Van Riemsdyk has great size and soft hands, and has pretty good stats in his one and a half years with New Hampshire (60 points in 48 games so far) As mentioned above he'll skate with Colin Wilson and Jordan Schroeder. Wilson will clear out bodies and drive to the net, while Schroeder will play set up man and for the Americans sake, hopefully Van Riemsdyk will fill the net.