Games Below From 2/24/2020 – 3/1/2020

NOTE:  For recaps below, we are highlighting any prospects who contributed on the score sheet over the past week or did anything notable.  For an overall view of Sabres Prospects and their stats, be sure to check The Charging Buffalo’s Prospect Stat Tracker which is updated daily here or clicking the image below.

Prospect of the Week:  C – Casey Mittelstadt

Rochester (AHL) – 3 GP – 2 G – 2 A – 4 PTS 

The development of Mittelstadt the past few months has been a pleasant surprise for me as I have historically been down on him and more pessimistic about his future ceiling than most.  While the skill set was always there, his speed and ability to process/make quick decisions with the puck was something that was a concern of mine but traits that he has notably improved.  The assist on the Asplund goal is a great example of good hockey IQ and quick decision making as the time he has to make the pass across is split seconds.  Not only does he enter the zone on this play with great speed, he has the awareness to know where Asplund is going and also that he needs to get a quick accurate pass across as soon as he gets the puck back.  Mittelstadt also showed off his quick release on one of the goals while finding open space and being patient for a rebound on his other goal for an easy tap in.

Weekly Prospect Updates:

• The lone downside to Cozens dominating the WHL right now is the fact that he is carrying Lethbridge on a likely deep playoff run which will likely prevent him from suiting up in any games for Buffalo and Rochester.  Tallying another hat trick, Cozens now leads the entire WHL in points per game, primary points per game, and is 3rd in even strength primary points per game.  His speed creates a lot of scoring chances for both himself and his teammates and he is constantly moving his feet with the puck as highlighted by one goal where he carries it into the zone and drives around a defender towards the net.  While he may not reach the 100 point mark this year due to missing some games for the WJC, his 1.69 points per game is quite a feat for a D+1 season in a down scoring year for the WHL relative to the other CHL leagues.
• I highlighted the one assist from Pekar where he shows off great edge work and agility behind the net.  The assist was a direct result of his work down low and ability to maintain possession of the puck while keeping his feet moving.  The shot he took was from a high danger area and while it was a bit of blind attempt on net, the important thing to take from this was how he saw an opportunity to keep control and get out front for the shot which the goaltender allowed a big rebound which resulted in a goal.  
• Lukas Rousek had a nice assist and for some reason the link is not showing up in this article but can be found on Kris Baker’s twitter feed.  Known more for scoring goals for the majority of the season, Rousek has been a solid playmaker with good vision down the stretch and has grown his game enough to possibly earn himself an ELC in the next year or two.  
• Luukkonen lost his only start for Rochester who seem to be playing a more shutdown game style when he is in between the pipes as he’s faced less than 20 shots in 4 of the last 5 games he’s started.  While the idea behind playing a more conservative defensive game with UPL in goal may seem like a good idea, I am of the opinion that he should be facing as many shots as he can and challenged as much as possible.  With how mentally tough a goaltender must be to be successful, it is important to see how easily he can forget the past and refocus after a goal given up and I am also a believer that a goalie can get into a better rhythm with more shots faced consistently throughout a game as opposed to intermittently.  
• Erik Portillo did not play in any games, nor did he suit up as a backup this past week as he reportedly has been sidelined by an undisclosed injury presumably sustained in the week prior.

WHL

C Dylan Cozens – Lethbridge
3 GP – 4 G – 1 A – 5 PTS

OHL

C Matej Pekar – Sudbury
3 GP – 0 G – 2 A – 2 PTS

AHL – Rochester Americans

C Rasmus Asplund
3 GP – 1 G – 1 A – 2 PTS

LW Brett Murray
3 GP – 0 G – 1 A – 1 PTS

C Casey Mittelstadt
3 GP – 2 G – 2 A – 4 PTS

C Andrew Oglevie
3 GP – 1 G – 1 A – 2 PTS

RD Will Borgen
3 GP – 0 G – 1 A – 1 PTS

Liiga

C Arttu Ruotsalainen – Ilves
2 GP – 1 G – 0 A – 1 PTS

Czech

LW Lukas Rousek – Sparta Praha
2 GP – 0 G – 1 A – 1 PTS

Allsvenskan

LW Filip Cederqvist – Karlskoga
2 GP – 0 G – 1 A – 1 PTS

Goaltenders

USHL

G Erik Portillo – Dubuque
DNP – Injured

AHL

G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – Rochester
1 GP – 1 L –  3.02 GAA – .842 SV% (16/19)

NHL

G Jonas Johansson – Buffalo
1 GP – 1 L – 4.00 GAA – .867 SV% (26/30)

Not Active – Injured

• Aaron Huglen – Fargo (USHL) – TBD
• Tage Thompson – Rochester (AHL) – Out for Season
• Marcus Davidsson – Vaxjo (SHL) – Week to Week (Concussion)
• Miska Kukkonen – Lukko (Liiga and Jr. A) – Out for Season
• Erik Portillo – Dubuque (USHL) – Undisclosed

Continue to check in every Monday for a weekly prospect update from The Charging Buffalo Crew.

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Week Ahead Schedule