Oilers Explode in Game Four to Stay Alive

Dylan Holloway (Wisconsin) and the Edmonton Oilers refused to go away Saturday night.

Down three games to none to the visiting Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Oilers scored three times in each of the first and second periods, and twice more in the third stanza, en route an 8-1 victory in Game Four to stave off elimination. 

Holloway led all players with two goals, and also assisted on the Oilers' final goal of the night before 18,347 on-lookers at Rogers Arena. Zach Hyman (Michigan) assisted on two Edmonton goals for his first points of the series, while Warren Foegele (New Hampshire) also recorded an assist for the Oilers. Florida netminder Anthony Stolarz (Nebraska-Omaha) made 16 saves on 19 shots in relief for the Panthers.

Game Five of this year's NHL championship series will be Tuesday night in Sunrise, Fla.

NCAA Skaters Dot 2024 Stanley Cup Rosters

More than a dozen former NCAA players in all are listed on the rosters of the two competing teams in this year's Stanley Cup Final. Per hockeydb.com:

Edmonton Oilers

• Vincent Desharnais (Providence)
• Warren Foegele (New Hampshire)
• Dylan Holloway (Wisconsin)
• Zach Hyman (Michigan)
• Philip Kemp (Yale)
• Troy Stecher (North Dakota)

Florida Panthers

• William Lockwood (Michigan)
• Ryan Lomberg (Maine)
• Brandon Montour (Massachusetts)
• Kyle Okposo (Minnesota)
• Mike Reilly (Minnesota)
• Evan Rodrigues (Boston University)
• Mackie Samoskevich (Michigan)
• Anthony Stolarz (Nebraska-Omaha) 

Game One of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final is on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, CBC). Florida returns to the final for the second year in a row, and the third time ever, but is still seeking its first-ever NHL playoff championship. Five-time Cup champion Edmonton is back in the final for the first time since 2006 and is after its first NHL title since 1990, along with Canada's first Stanley Cup crown since 1993.

2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Bracket Revealed

The 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship field is set. 

Per collegehockeynews.com, here's the bracket:

Fargo, ND (Friday-Saturday - Host: North Dakota)

1. North Dakota (1) * vs. 4. American International *

2. Michigan vs. 3. Minnesota-Duluth

Albany, NY (Saturday-Sunday - Host: ECAC Hockey)

1. Boston College (2)  vs. 4. Notre Dame

2. St. Cloud State vs. 3. Boston University

Bridgeport, CT (Friday-Saturday - Host: Sacred Heart)

1. Wisconsin (4) vs. 4. Bemidji State

2. Massachusetts * vs. 3. Lake Superior State *

Loveland, CO (Saturday-Sunday - Host: Denver)

1. Minnesota (3) * vs. 4. Nebraska-Omaha

2. Minnesota State vs. 3. Quinnipiac 

* Automatic qualifier as conference tournament champion

The top four overall seeds are listed in parentheses. The four regional winners will advance to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh on April 8, with the national championship game to be played two days later.

Minnesota-Duluth won the NCAA title in both 2018 and 2019, while last year's tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.

Former NCAA Netminders Traded in NHL

Two former NCAA netminders were traded for each other on Friday, with Cam Talbot (Alabama-Huntsville) going to the Philadelphia Flyers and Anthony Stolarz (Nebraska-Omaha) heading to the 
Edmonton Oilers in turn.

Talbot, 31, has posted a record of 137-110-24 and a 2.59 goals-against average in 284 career NHL regular-season appearances with the New York Rangers and the Oilers, from 2013 to the present. A native of Caledonia, Ont., he turned pro in 2009-10 as a free agent with Hartford (AHL), where he played for most of the next three seasons. He played three years at UAH (2007-2010), where he went 15-44-6 in 70 games with a 3.03 GAA and helped the Chargers to the 2010 NCAA Tournament his final collegiate campaign.

Stolarz, 25, has played a career-high 12 NHL contests so far this season, going 4-3-3 with one shutout for Philadelphia. In 19 career NHL contests, all with the Flyers, he has gone 6-4-4 with a 2.86 GAA. A native of Edison, N.J., and a second-round draft choice of Philadelphia in 2012, he played eight NCAA games with UNO in 2012-13, winning twice with the Mavericks, before joining London (OHL), where he won 38 games over two major junior seasons before turning pro with Lehigh Valley (AHL) in 2014-15.

Devils, Flyers Eliminated From 2018 NHL Postseason

The New Jersey Devils’ 2017-18 NHL campaign came to a close on Saturday in Tampa, Florida. The Devils dropped a 3-1 decision to the host Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, four games to one. It was New Jersey’s first playoff series appearance since 2012.

Kyle Palmieri (Notre Dame) assisted on the Devils’ only goal of the afternoon, while Cory Schneider (Boston College) stopped 35 of 37 shots in the loss. Tampa Bay advances to the Eastern Conference semifinals against either the Boston Bruins or Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston currently leads that series, three games to two.

The Philadelphia Flyers’ 2017-18 season ended Sunday as the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins scored five unanswered goals en route to an 8-5 victory. Pittsburgh, which won its ninth consecutive NHL playoff series dating back to 2016, closed out the Flyers in six games.

Jake Guentzel (Nebraska-Omaha) paced the Penguins with four goals and also added an assist, while Phil Kessel (Minnesota) set up two goals. Pittsburgh will next face the winner of the series between the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets, which Washington currently leads by a three-to-two count.

Guentzel, Penguins Go Up Two Games to None

Jake Guentzel (Nebraska-Omaha) scored his second and third goals of the series, and Chris Kunitz (Ferris State) again had two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins routed the Nashville Predators, 4-1, on Wednesday night in Game Two of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.

Guentzel's goal off a long rebound came 10 seconds into the third period, and also broke a 1-1 tie while keying a three-goal third period for the host Penguins. Guentzel, who now has a record 12 goals in the playoffs by an NHL rookie from the United States, also notched the game-winner Monday in Pittsburgh's 5-3 triumph.

Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) and Ron Hainsey (UMass Lowell) assisted on Guentzel's game-winner Wednesday, before Scott Wilson (UMass Lowell) scored to put Pittsburgh up, 3-1. A fifth Penguins goal was called back on an offside infraction. Conor Sheary (Massachusetts) and Phil Kessel (Minnesota) also had third-period assists as the Penguins took a 2-0 series lead despite being outshot, 38-27, for the second straight contest.

Game Three is set for Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Cornell's Ryan Profiled at NYHJ

My latest feature story on Cornell University junior defenseman, New Jersey native and San Jose Sharks draft choice Joakim Ryan is up at New York Hockey Journal's web site.

No. 19 Cornell defeated York, 7-2, in an exhibition game on Oct. 19 in Ithaca, although Ryan did not play. The ECAC's Big Red open the 2013-14 NCAA regular season this weekend with a pair of games at Nebraska-Omaha.

Quinn Named New BU Men's Coach

David Quinn was announced today as the new men's hockey head coach at Boston University.

Quinn (BU '88), who is currently serving as an assistant coach with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, will take over from his former head coach, Jack Parker, who retired following 40 years, 897 wins, three NCAA championships, and a score-plus of Beanpot trophies from 1973 to 2013. Parker coached his last game on Saturday in a 1-0 loss to UMass Lowell in the Hockey East championship game, one night after beating Boston College, 6-3.

A former Terrier defenseman and first-round NHL draft choice (Minnesota/1984) whose college career was cut short by a blood disorder called Christmas Disease, Quinn, 46, still went on to play professionally in the American and International Hockey Leagues thanks to medication, and also spent five years as an assistant to Parker at BU, where he was part of its 2009 national title team.

A native of Cranston, R.I., Quinn went on to coach professionally, first as head coach with Lake Erie (AHL), and then with the parent Avalanche. He has also been an assistant coach with Northeastern University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Stolarz Leaving Nebraska-Omaha for OHL

Nebraska-Omaha freshman goaltender Anthony Stolarz is leaving school to join the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, according to sources.

A second-round choice of the Philadelphia Flyers (45th overall) last summer, he was 2-5-0 with a 2.56 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage with one shutout in eight appearances. He follows Denver freshman defenseman Dakota Mermis, who left the Pioneers last week to join London.

A 6'5" native of Jackson, N.J., Stolarz, 18, spent last season with the NAHL's Corpus Christi IceRays, where he went 23-22-4 (2.84, .920) and posted four assists in 50 appearances.

UNO, which is 13-8-1 overall and ranked 13th in NCAA Division I, is in first place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with a 9-4-1 mark in WCHA play. The Mavericks have been led in goal so far by senior John Faulkner (11-3-1, 2.63, .900), who is 49-37-9 in 102 career games dating back to the 2009-10 campaign. He also backstopped UNO to the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Team USA Off to Solid Start at World Juniors

Former Boston University forward Charlie Coyle scored three goals as the U.S. National Junior Team blistered Denmark, 11-3, on Monday evening to open the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton.

Coyle, who left BU earlier this month to sign with Saint John (QMJHL), scored the Americans' first goal of the tournament. He was also a member of last year's squad that earned a bronze medal at the WJC in Buffalo.

Coyle's former BU teammate Adam Clendening posted two assists against Denmark, while USA team captain Jason Zucker of Denver University added a goal and two assists in Monday night's win. University of Minnesota forward Nick Bjugstad also scored a goal for the U.S., as did Gophers teammate Kyle Rau and Boston College's Bill Arnold. Stephen Johns of Notre Dame tallied the final goal for the U.S.

Former Michigan recruit Jack Campbell, who is now with Windsor (OHL), made 21 saves in net for the Americans, who are headed by Dean Blais, head coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Blais guided the U.S. to a gold medal at the 2010 WJC in Saskatchewan, the last time the tournament was held in Canada.

The Canadians, who earned a silver medal at the WJC last year, opened this year's tournament with an 8-1 pasting of Finland, which will face the U.S. on Wednesday. Colorado College forward Jaden Schwartz had two assists for Canada in Monday's win in Edmonton.

And Another One Gone ...

Less than a week after senior forward Corey Trivino was dismissed from the Boston University hockey team following his arrest on multiple charges, another senior forward elsewhere has been let go by an NCAA Division I school for again not complying with team rules.

Alex Hudson is no longer with Nebraska-Omaha, according to a report at uscho.com. Hudson, a six-foot, 209-pound California native who was suspended earlier this season for violating team rules, supposedly did so again and has been dismissed altogether by UNO head coach Dean Blais.

"Obviously a guy who was a senior captain at the start of the year … a leader, is now not on the team," said Blais at Omaha.com. "We’ll move forward."

Hudson, who was not drafted by an NHL club, played junior hockey with Tri-City (USHL) before joining the Mavericks in 2008. He leaves with 32 goals and 87 points in three-plus seasons, including four goals and ten points this fall.

UNO is currently 9-8-3 overall (7-4-3 WCHA) and in third place in its conference. The Mavericks will host Quinnipiac on Dec. 30-31 in their next action.

Former NCAA Goalies Who Could Succeed Martin Brodeur

Just did a story/slideshow for BleacherReport.com on 15 free-agent NHL goalies for next year who could potentially replace Martin Brodeur with the New Jersey Devils. Former NCAA goaltenders who made my cut included Al Montoya (Michigan), Scott Clemmensen (Boston College), Dan Ellis (Nebraska-Omaha), Ty Conklin (New Hampshire), Brian Elliott (Wisconsin), and Cory Schneider (BC).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/927058-15-free-agent-goalies-who-could-succeed-martin-brodeur-in-nj-devils-net-in-2012

We'll see what happens - assuming Brodeur retires, goes to another team, or there's another NHL work stoppage in 2012, all of which would leave the New Jersey net vacant.