Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Wednesday's Wildcat Alumni Weekly

The National Hockey League.

Ty Conklin. The Detroit Red Wings' platooning, backup goaltender has played in twenty-one of the team's forty-three games and commands what seem to be ever improving stats as he leads the Motor City goaltending duo with a .919 save-percentage (12th in the NHL), a 2.32 goals-against-average (10th in the NHL) and four shutouts (4th in the NHL).

In his last outing, Conks as he is known to his teammates, set up shop opposite fellow collegiate alum, Ryan Miller (Michigan State), and his Buffalo Sabres. While Miller would see more than twice as many shots and turn aside all but three, Ty squelched all but one of the twenty-two shots he faced for the win.

And, after yesterday's feature on Trevor Smith with updates on Daniel Winnik (who was held scoreless in his Phoenix Coyotes 6-3 loss last night) and Kevin Regan, this concludes the recap of Wildcat Alums in the NHL this Wednesday.

The American Hockey League.

Jason Krog continues to climb the scoring ladder, adding an assist last night though his Manitoba Moose were defeated 2-1. He now ranks fourteenth in AHL scoring with ten goals and twenty-nine assists.

Trevor Smith returned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and in his first game back netted a powerplay goal and the first star in a 2-1 victory on Saturday night.

On Sunday, Jacob Micflikier posted a two-assist effort as his Rochester Americans fended off a surging Hamilton Bulldogs for a 6-5 win.

Garrett Stafford, the clockwork AHL defenseman who has potted eleven goals and thirty assists, plus or minus three (28, 30, 33), in each of his last three seasons, with three different teams (and when you take into account his rookie season where he scored twelve and assisted on thirty-four it starts to get truly ridiculous!), is returning to form netting a goal and two assists in his last three contests for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Did I mention that he is on perfect pace to achieve those numbers again this year with five goals and fifteen assists through thirty-two games?

Griffins Captain and fellow Wildcat Alum, Darren Haydar, has strung together a five point, four game scoring streak with an assist in each of his last four and an additional goal in the first game of the streak - his second such streak in the last ten games. Not really a big surprise from the AHL's all-time scoring streak record holder, which stands at thirty-nine games and an even more impressive, twenty-four goals and fifty-five assists from October 7th, 2006 to January 6th, 2007. Haydar's stick from that feat now rests in the Hockey Hall of Fame. If you're interested in a full rundown of Darren's accomplishments be sure to read this fantastic article. Somebody give this guy a real shot at the NHL already! How is eight points in sixteen games and a +4 rating from a fourth line slot on last season's Atlanta Thrashers not worthy of an NHL job? Hey, Brian Burke! Milton kid + Toronto = storybook ending to a fantastic hockey career!

I'm out of time for this week's Wildcat Alumni Weekly. Up tomorrow, A Look Into the Future, as we peak into the back of the den at the Future 'Cats with three who are currently under surveillance by the Central Scouting Service. Until then...

Go 'Cats!

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