FIRST STARD Ian Mitchell (Denver)#4 Denver faces #1 UMass in Frozen Four tonight
Before Ian Mitchell skates in the Frozen Four tonight in Buffalo, it's worth taking a closer look at Chicago's top college prospect. After all, the 20-year-old is a big reason why the Pioneers have blanked their opponents through the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Soon after the Blackhawks took Mitchell in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft, the Alberta native arrived in Denver and established himself as a top blueliner for the powerhouse Pioneers. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Mitchell helped smother Ohio State in a 2-0 shutout win over the Buckeyes, before another clean 60 minutes in a 3-0 win over American International. Tonight, Mitchell and the Pioneers face their toughest test yet in a UMass squad ranked fourth in the country.
SECOND STARD Adam Boqvist (London)THE NUMBERS: 8 GP, 9 G, 3 A (No. 1 London leads No. 4 Guelph 3-1)
Adam Boqvist has been living rent-free in the Prospect Report for a few weeks now, and with five points through four games in the OHL conference semifinals, that doesn't seem likely to change. Boqvist and the Knights have a commanding 3-1 lead over fellow Chicago prospect MacKenzie Entwistle and the Guelph Storm, after Guelph managed to stay alive with a Game 4 win on Wednesday night. Boqvist will carry a three-game scoring streak into Game 5 after opening his semifinal account in a 7-0 demolition of the Storm in Game 2.
THIRD STARG Alexis GravelTHE NUMBERS: 11 GP, 2.54 GAA, .915 Pct.
If you come at Alexis Gravel and the Halifax Mooseheads, you better not miss. After surviving a seven-game series against Quebec in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs, the Mooseheads defeated Moncton in a four-game sweep this week. With Gravel in net, Halifax beat the Wildcats in four hard-fought games in which the margin of victory was never greater than two goals. In the Mooseheads decisive Game 4 win on Wednesday night, Gravel stopped 32 shots and backstopped Halifax into the conference finals.
ROCKFORD REPORT:
With two games left in the AHL regular season, the Rockford IceHogs are still chasing a playoff spot. Three point separate Rockford from a return trip to the postseason as the fourth place team in the AHL's Central Division. The IceHogs are here thanks to a 4-3 overtime win over Milwaukee on Tuesday and a game-winning goal from Dylan Sikura to keep the IceHogs in playoff contention. Sikura has now potted six game-winners for Rockford this season, despite spending much of the season with the Blackhawks.
