Belleville Bull-ing their way to victory

Belleville Bulls' forward Shawn Matthias was a top 5 OHL scorer when he temporarilly left the team to compete in the 2008 World Juniors.

With a 3-1 defeat of the Kingston Frontenacs on Sunday, the Bulls have run their season-high winning streak to 11 games, dating back to Dec. 28, when they dropped a 4-3 decision at the hands of the Ottawa 67’s. Belleville has won all 10 of its games in 2008.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Belleville has managed to win nine of those 11 games without arguably its top player, Shawn Matthias. Matthias, a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2006, was sent to Florida in last season’s deadline deal that saw Todd Bertuzzi join the Red Wings. Since that trade, things have changed dramatically for Matthias, as he likely is enjoying the finest season of hockey in his career.

Matthias began 2007-08 on a torrid pace, leading the OHL in scoring for the first few weeks of the season. He didn’t fall below fifth on the scoring chart until mid-December, when he left his team for the World Junior Selection Camp in Calgary.

At the camp, which was his first invitation to compete for a spot on the WJC team, Matthias was selected to represent team Canada at the 2008 WJC in Pardubice, Czech Republic. He went on to win gold with his teammates, and after the tournament, he was chosen by coach Craig Hartsburg as one of Team Canada’s top three skaters at the tournament. That alone may have been enough to etch this season forever in Matthias’ memory, but he’s not finished just yet.

This past week, Matthias earned two historic firsts in the life of any young hockey player. He competed in his first NHL game, Friday night in New Jersey, and scored his first – and second – career NHL goals the next night, in Washington, against the Capitals.

In his short stint with the Panthers, his play even drew some praise from the Panthers’ captain, leading scorer and fellow gold medal-winning WJC alum, Olli Jokinen.

"He's a good young player. I think he's ready to play in this League," Jokinen told the Associated Press. "We need our best players to play every night, and he's one of them right now."

For his part, Matthias was humble and put the Panthers’ success ahead of his own.

"It's nice to get that out of the way, the first one, and it's nice to get two," Matthias said. "I wish the team won. It would have made it even sweeter."

Matthias scored his first career NHL goals – each on tip-ins from in front of the Capitals’ net – while his Belleville teammates continued their winning ways. With a 5-4 defeat of the much-improved Sarnia Sting on Saturday night, the Bulls’ streak reached 10 consecutive games. During that win, it was announced that Matthias had scored twice, and he received a loud ovation from his home crowd.

The fact that the Bulls, without Matthias, could defeat the Sting, who had won three straight and six of seven coming into Saturday night’s game, is indicative of the confidence the Bulls have been playing with of late, as well as the depth they boast throughout the roster.

Prior to the CHL transfer deadline of Jan.10, the Bulls were among the biggest gainers as far as talent and depth were considered. They acquired two top-six forwards leading up to the deadline, each of whom has been an important part of their winning ways.

Jan Mursak (Detroit) was acquired from the Saginaw Spirit just in time for that defeat at the hands of the 67’s, but his arrival still may have had just a little something to do with the Bulls’ impressive streak. He did not record a point in his first game in a Bulls uniform, playing to a minus-1 rating, and had recorded only two assists in his first three games. From there, he caught fire, rattling off an eight-game points streak to the tune of four goals and 14 points. His streak ended only this past Sunday, in a 3-1 victory against the Kingston Frontenacs.

In addition to Mursak, the Bulls acquired veteran skater Adam Perry from the London Knights just in time for a 5-1 defeat of the Barrie Colts on Jan. 10. Perry had one assist in his first three games as a Bull before exploding offensively during the past week, putting up three goals and six points in three Belleville wins. In addition, he has played to a plus-1 rating or better in all of his six games with his new team.

But the newcomers aren’t the only reason for the running of the Belleville Bulls.

Belleville Bulls' goaltender Mike Murphy has an eight-game winning streak, with a 1.50 GAA in those games.

Goaltender Mike Murphy, for example, is riding his own eight-game winning streak, and has played to a 1.50 goals-against average during the course of those eight games, highlighted by a 40-save, 3-1 defeat of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors on Jan. 12. Murphy leads the league in GAA (2.18) and save percentage (.934), and sits third in wins, with 24, in his 33 starts.

No Belleville skater, however, may have been more integral to the streak than forward Bryan Cameron (Los Angeles). After getting shut out in the 67’s defeat of the Bulls on Dec. 28, Cameron has recorded at least one point in each of the Bulls’ 11-game stretch, with 10 goals, 20 points and a plus-9 rating along the way. He now sits 21st in league scoring, with 27 goals 57 points in 45 games this season.

The fact that you could take an NHL-ready skater out of an OHL lineup and still have it continue to thrive shows the amount of talent still in the Bulls’ lineup. With some big-time additions prior to the close of the CHL transfer window, veterans who consistently step up and a number of timely performances out of some surprising sources, Belleville will be a favorite to do some damage come the OHL playoffs this spring.

And the question may not be whether or not the Bulls are playing their best hockey of the season, but just what it will take to stop their charge.

Around the OHL -- In a head-to-head matchup of perhaps the two top 1990-born skaters on the planet, 2008-eligible prospect Steven Stamkos won the battle, but 2009-eligible prospect John Tavares and his Oshawa Generals won the war. Stamkos had three assists – on three Sting goals – while Tavares had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 defeat of Stamkos and the Sting on Sunday evening. It was the second meeting of the year between the two teams, as Stamkos’ Sting defeated the Generals 6-2 on Oct. 5, 2007. … Despite boasting the best record in the CHL and looking like a team that could challenge for the 2008 Memorial Cup, the Kitchener Rangers found themselves on the wrong end of a 9-2 loss to the London Knights on Sunday. Rangers goaltender Steve Mason, acquired from the Knights in early January for prospects and picks, was in net for all nine goals, making it both his and his team’s worst loss of the season. It also was the Knights’ third win of the week, during which they outscored their opponents by a 19-7 margin. … Tavares picked up five points (two goals) this week, as the Generals won two of three games. Tavares has put together a 17-game points streak, during which he has scored 10 goals and added 26 assists for 36 points. The last goaltender to hold Tavares off of the score sheet was Peterborough Petes goaltender Trevor Cann (Colorado), on Nov. 10, 2007. … The Petes’ Zach Bogosian, a highly-touted defenseman available in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, saw his consecutive streak of multi-point games end at four after getting shut out in the Petes’ 3-2 defeat of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors on Thursday night. Bogosian had put up one goal and eight points in the previous four games, and the Petes had gone 3-1 during that stretch. For the season, Bogosian is tied for fourth in scoring among the OHL’s defensemen, with 44 points in 40 games this season. … Cody Hodgson, another prospect for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, scored four goals this week as the Brampton Battalion won two of three games. Brampton also has been bolstered recently by the return of Cory Emmerton (Detroit) from the injured reserve list. He’s played in the team’s last six games after sitting out just more than a month with mononucleosis. The team is 4-2 in those six games. … Goaltender Thomas McCollum, one of Central Scouting’s top goaltending prospects for 2008, earned three wins during the week and played to a 2.33 goals-against average and .922 save percentage in defeating Windsor, Plymouth and Erie.

United States Hockey League

The Lincoln Stars, under .500 only a short while ago, have won nine straight games and have pushed themselves to third overall in the West Division, on the back of an over-age goaltender who might just be proving his best hockey is ahead of him.

Goaltender David Reekie joined the team in December, and he has played shut-down netminding since Day 1. He has taken home the USHL Goaltender of the Week honors in three of the six weeks he has been a member of the Stars, and during the Stars’ nine-game run, during which Reekie has started and won all nine games, he has posted three shutouts, a 0.88 goals-against average and a .972 save percentage.

Reekie continued that strong play this week with a 3-0-0 record, two shutouts and 87 saves on 89 opposing shots faced.

Reekie, a four-year veteran of the Western Hockey League, skated for the Everett Silvertips and Regina of the WHL last season, posting a 1.97 GAA and a .917 save percentage overall, and a 1.77 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 27 games with Everett. However, he was a victim of numbers in the WHL, as the fourth over-ager in a league with a three over-age player limit. He cleared waivers and was free to join any other league.

This he did, joining the Stars for their game against the Omaha Lancers on Dec. 1, 2007. Reekie started and won that game by a score of 3-2.

The Stars have benefited from the WHL’s loss. They couldn’t be happier to have Reekie’s 12-2 record, four shutouts, 1.10 GAA and .966 save percentage. With the single addition of Reekie, they have been transformed from falling to shooting stars in only six short weeks.

Around the USHL -- Chicago Steel alum Andy Miele, who joined the NCAA’s University of Miami RedHawks for the second semester this season, immediately made his presence felt in his first college game, scoring a goal in the first period that eventually turned into the game-winner. Miele and the RedHawks swept the weekend with two wins, outscoring Lake Superior State by a combined total of 11-1. … Things aren’t getting any easier for the Green Bay Gamblers, who have scored the second-fewest goals in the USHL this season. They were defeated three times this week, twice by shutout, as the Lincoln Stars and the Sioux Falls Stampede whitewashed the Gamblers. … The Omaha Lancers and the Indiana Ice, who occupy the top slot in each of their respective divisions, played two games in a weekend series this week in Omaha, and each team came away with three of a possible four points. In the first game of the matchup of the league’s best, it was Omaha prevailing in a shootout, while in the second, Indiana Ice forward Greg Squires scored capped a three-point night with an overtime game-winning goal. The Lancers, tops in the West Division with 49 points in 35 games, trail only the Ice, tops in the East Division with 50 points in 33 games. … Jason Gregoire (N.Y. Islanders) has at least one point in each game of Lincoln’s nine-game winning streak, with eight goals and 15 points in the nine games.

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Two skaters for QMJHL teams were added to the 2008 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game set for Jan. 22 in Edmonton, Alberta, replacing two injured members of the teams.

Nicolas Deschamps of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens will replace the injured Kyle Beach of the Everett Silvertips, while Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Robert Mayer will play in place of Kevin Poulin of the Victoriaville Tigres.

The 2008 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is an annual showcase of the top draft-eligible players skating in the Canadian Hockey League. With such players as Sam Gagner, Dion Phaneuf, Patrick Kane, Joe Thornton and Marc-Andre Fleury having competed in the game, the game is looked upon as a preview of the next crop of CHL skaters who will play in the NHL.

This season, most of the projected first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft will be represented in the game, headlined by top-ranked domestic forward Steven Stamkos of the Sarnia Sting.

Full rosters can be seen here.

Around the QMJHL --Baie-Comeau Drakkar forward Matt Marquardt was awarded the Telus Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 20. Marquardt totaled four goals and eight points, extending his points streak to seven games along the way. … Telus Defensive Player of the Week honors went to Val-d’Or goaltender Raffaele D’Orso, who played to a 2.28 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage in the three games. … Gatineau Olympiques forward Claude Giroux scored three times and put up six points in only two games this week, and the Olympiques won both of their games. … Rouyn-Noranda had its six-game win streak halted Friday night with a 5-3 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads. The Mooseheads top scorers were the ones doing the damage, as Jakub Voracek (Columbus), the seventh overall choice in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, had two goals and an assist and Brad Marchand (Boston) had two assists.

Western Hockey League

It was a clash between the best of the Western Conference, two teams each on eight-game unbeaten streaks, and a game between two teams which both know the path to the WHL championship might just run through the other’s city.

Such was the scene Saturday night in a playoff-like atmosphere in Calgary in front of 8,640 fans, as the Western Division-leading Calgary Hitmen hosted the team closest to them in the standings, the Regina Pats.

The Pats, currently second in the East, went through a major overhaul during the CHL’s transfer deadline last week, and look to have made all the right moves. They currently sit on a nine-game unbeaten streak, 7-0-2-0, and sit only two points behind the Hitmen, though the Hitmen do have one game in hand.

The game was an indication of just how close these teams are, as Regina scored twice in the second period and held the fort in the third to take a 2-1 victory in the battle of the WHL powers.

To further complicate matters, the Hitmen dropped the follow-up game to the Tri-City Americans, 3-2 in a shootout, Sunday evening, while the Pats defeated the Lethbridge Hurricanes by a score of 3-2.

A potential Western Conference final matchup in this spring’s WHL playoffs, the Hitmen (8-1-0-1) and the Pats (7-1-0-2) have played some of the WHL’s best hockey in the past 10 games. The teams look to be putting some distance between themselves and the rest of the West, as the Pats have stretched their lead over the third-place Lethbridge Hurricanes to seven points.

Around the WHL – It was the night of the hat trick on Saturday night in the Western Hockey League, as three players scored three goals and one of those – the Kelowna Rockets’ Brady Leavold – scored four. The Everett Silvertips’ Clayton Bauer and the Moose Jaw Warriors’ Dustin Cameron also posted three-goal games Saturday night. … Kootenay Ice forward Michael Stickland scored four times in three games during the past week, as the Ice earned five of a possible six points with a 2-1 win against Edmonton, a shootout loss to the Pats, and a 3-2 defeat of the Medicine Hat Tigers. … Kelowna Rocket forward Jamie Benn (Dallas) ran his season-high points streak to nine games this weekend, with a two-goal, six-point night against the Prince George Cougars on Saturday night. The 6-foot-2 native of Victoria, B.C., has scored eight goals and 21 points during his streak, vaulting the 18-year-old rookie to a tie for 10th in league scoring. He has not been kept off of the score sheet in 2008. … Leland Irving won both of his starts during the past week, running his personal winning streak to three starts, and the Everett Silvertips have won four consecutive games. Irving has a shutout, a 1.00 goals-against average and a .977 save percentage in his past three games. … Nick Ross, who was sent from the Regina Pats to the Kamloops Blazers at the trading deadline, has found some instant karma with his new teammates. The former NHL first-round pick has put up eight points in eight games with the Blazers, and he and his teammates have played to a 4-4 record in that time, holding down the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference and keeping pace with the teams ahead of them, the Chilliwack Bruins (ahead of the Blazers by one point), and the Seattle Thunderbirds (ahead by two).