Ottawa Senators Prospect Update - April 10th
A week of firsts saw Stephen Halliday record his first professional points and Kevin Mandolese secure his first AHL shutout.
Forwards
Owen Beckner
Continuing to carry the weight south of the border, Beckner had a goal and 3 assists in the 2 games he played with Tri-City this past week to bring his total to 45 points in 60 games.
Zack Ostapchuk
Upon returning from his stint in Ottawa which saw him gain considerable trust from Head Coach Jacques Martin, Zack Ostapchuk is right back at it with his impressive rookie season highlighted by a solid 200 foot game. The 2021 second round pick registered two goals and two assists in Belleville's pair of wins this week.
Stephen Halliday
It only took Stephen Halliday three games to grab his first professional point, an assist on Tyler Kleven's goal against Springfield. The Ohio State product went ahead and added another assist the very next game, bringing him to two points in four games early in his professional career. The 6'3" centre has shown why he was able to register almost a point per game through two seasons in the NCAA.
Defensemen
Lassi Thomson
The former 1st-rounder has had a rough year in the AHL, with only 20 points in 62 games, though he did produce at a point-per-game clip this week. I'd expect the Senators to move on from him in the offseason as he's been passed up for NHL games by Jacob Bernard-Docker, Maxence Guenette, and Nikolas Matinpalo.
Tyler Kleven
The towering left shot defender had a cup of coffee with the big club before being returned to Belleville to help the team in the playoff hunt. His impact was immediately felt as he scored the opening goal against the Thunderbirds, where Halliday registered his first professional point.
Goaltending:
Kevin Mandolese
Have to give him the nod for the shutout over Springfield. He's projected to be a third-string in the AHL next year if he's back with Ottawa, so it may do him well to pursue a potentially larger opportunity on a different organization. Though with the uncertainty in Ottawa's crease, I think we need to keep our options open.
Belleville Update:
Last week, we talked about how every game is a must win game if the BSens want to make a serious run at the playoffs in the incredibly tight North Division. Well, I guess the team must read this blog because they went 2-0-0 against Springfield and Syracuse this weekend, which saw them move up slightly in the standings.
While it's tough to see the team still technically outside of a playoff spot, it's important to note that the Laval Rocket have played two more games. Belleville has six games remaining to ensure those two games in hand are used wisely.
This week was highlighted by a few moments.
First, Kevin Mandolese put up his first AHL shutout against Springfield. This performance by Mando really set the tone for the rest of the weekend and ensured Belleville had every opportunity to grab four points.
Second, Stephen Halliday is on the board! After going pointless in his first two games with the club, Halliday compiled two helpers through two games this weekend. It's unsurprising to see Halliday's first professional points come in the form of assists, as this was his bread and butter at Ohio State, as well. After all, the 2022 fourth rounder amassed 77 points in 78 college games - 58 of which were assists.
Finally, there was no point this weekend where the Belleville Senators found themselves trailing. This is an obvious observation for their 3-0 shutout win - you can't trail if you don't allow a goal. But even against Syracuse, the top team in the North, Garett Pilon opened the scoring in the first, Syracuse tied it up early in the second, but Pilon got the team right back in the lead shortly after. At that point, they never looked back.
If Belleville can wrap up their final six games with close to the performance they had against Syracuse on Saturday, I'd be shocked if that didn't land them in a playoff spot.
OHL Playoff Update:
The Spirit broke out the brooms and swept the Owen Sound Attack, and their Round 2 matchup against the 3rd-seed Soo Greyhounds begins tomorrow.
Defenseman Matthew Andonovski will also take part in the second round of the OHL Playoffs, after the Kitchener Rangers took down the Erie Otters in 6 games. Their second-round series against the London Knights also begins tomorrow.
Stats:
