Hutchings, Alex

QMJHL

Victoriaville Tigres 1 @ Moncton Wildcats 2
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 1-1-2, +1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG, *Second Star*
Season Totals: 46 GP, 11-31-42, +29, 48 PIM

Barberio has 17 points in his last 13 games. He scored the game winner on a third period power play. Moncton (34-11-1-3) has won 11 straight and 20 of their last 22, but just now snuck into the CHL Top-10 at No.9. They’ve taken two in the last week from Victoriaville, who’s ranked No.8 in all of Canada.

OHL

Belleville Bulls 3 @ Peterborough Petes 1
C Richard Panik, BEL: 1-2-3, +2, 0 PIM, *First Star*
Season Totals: 42 GP, 12-12-24, +8, 29 PIM
With Bulls: 9 GP, 3-3-6, -7, 10 PIM
With Windsor: 33 GP, 9-9-18, +15, 19 PIM
RW Kyle DeCoste, BEL: 1-0-1, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 44 GP, 15-8-23, -11, 41 PIM
With Bulls: 31 GP, 13-7-20, -9, 23 PIM
With SSM: 13 GP, 2-1-3, -2, 20 PIM

Panik broke out of a five-game scoreless streak with a First Star effort on the road. He set up DeCoste with five seconds left in the second period to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead. Panik scored the insurance goal with just over five minutes left in the game.

Sudbury Wolves 1 @ Barrie Colts 4
W Matias Sointu, SBY: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 32 GP, 5-9-14, E, 12 PIM
With Sudbury: 11 GP, 2-2-4, -5, 6 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM
LW/C Alex Hutchings, BAR: 2-0-2, E, 0 PIM, *Second Star*
Season Totals: 47 GP, 32-23-55, +30, 38 PIM

Hutchings has 22 goals in his last 24 games, a time span which includes a four-game pointless streak. Sointu was making his first appearance since the World Juniors. He reportedly returned to Finland for surgery after taking a puck to the face in the tournament. Barrie is ranked second in the latest CHL Top-10.

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 1 @ Oshawa Generals 2 (SO)
G Michael Zador, OSH: Win, 28 saves on 29 shots
Season Totals: 33 GP, 13-15-2-1, 3.38 GAA, .899 sv%, 2 SO

Zador (pictured) won his second in a row and had his shutout streak at over 100 minutes before the Soo scored early in the third period. He stopped one of two shooters in the shootout, which was won by the Generals when they went three for three.

QMJHL

Moncton Wildcats 6 @ Drummondville Voltigeurs 3
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 0-3-3, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 44 GP, 10-29-39, +29, 46 PIM

Barberio (pictured) has points in 10 of his last 11 games. This was unofficially his second First Star of the season. All three of his assists came on first period power plays, helping Moncton to a 4-1 lead entering the second period.

OHL

Saginaw Spirit 3 @ Belleville Bulls 5
C Richard Panik, BEL: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 40 GP, 11-10-21, +8, 29 PIM
With Bulls: 7 GP, 2-1-3, -7, 10 PIM
With Windsor: 33 GP, 9-9-18, +15, 19 PIM
RW Kyle DeCoste, BEL: 1-0-1, E, 2 PIM (unsportsmanlike conduct)
Season Totals: 42 GP, 14-8-22, -9, 41 PIM
With Bulls: 29 GP, 12-7-19, -7, 23 PIM
With SSM: 13 GP, 2-1-3, -2, 20 PIM

DeCoste broke a six game pointless streak with his 14th goal of the season.

Barrie Colts 3 @ Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 6
LW/C Alex Hutchings, BAR: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 46 GP, 30-23-53, +30, 38 PIM

This was just the seventh loss of the season for Barrie, who has a 10 point lead on Mississauga for both the division and conference top seed. Hutchings hasn’t registered a point in eight of his last 13 games, but when he scores, he scores in bunches. He has nine goals over that span (one assist).

Brampton Battalion 2 @ Sudbury Wolves 3
W Matias Sointu, SBY: Did not play (injured).
Season Totals: 31 GP, 5-9-14, E, 12 PIM
With Sudbury: 10 GP, 2-2-4, -5, 6 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM

WHL

Regina Pats 5 @ Swift Current Broncos 2
RW Carter Ashton, REG: 0-2-2, +2, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 44 GP, 18-20-38, -8, 77 PIM
With Regina: 16 GP, 5-7-12, E, 25 PIM
With Lethbridge: 28 GP, 13-13-26, -8, 52 PIM

Regina completed a three game sweep of the Broncos and has earned at least a point in their sixth game in a row. The Pats gained again on the ninth-place Broncos in the race for the eight-spot, but Red Deer, currently holding that position, also won. Regina remains six points back. Ashton broke a three-game pointless streak.

QMJHL

Moncton Wildcats 6 @ Victoriaville Tigres 2
D Mark Barberio, MCT: 1-0-1, +2, 2 PIM, 5 SOG
Season Totals: 43 GP, 10-26-36, +29, 46 PIM

Barberio has points in nine of his last 10 games. After a slow start, he’s been very consistent this season and could be heading toward an NHL contract. He’s within 10 points of his career high, set two seasons ago in 70 games. Moncton has won eight in a row and 17 of their past 19. This was an impressive, dominant road win over a team ranked No.6 in the entire CHL.

OHL

Belleville Bulls 0 @ Ottawa 67’s 3
C Richard Panik, BEL: 0-0-0, -2, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 39 GP, 11-10-21, +8, 29 PIM
With Bulls: 6 GP, 2-1-3, -7, 10 PIM
With Windsor: 33 GP, 9-9-18, +15, 19 PIM
RW Kyle DeCoste, BEL: 0-0-0, -1, 2 PIM (tripping)
Season Totals: 41 GP, 13-8-21, -9, 39 PIM
With Bulls: 28 GP, 11-7-18, -7, 21 PIM
With SSM: 13 GP, 2-1-3, -2, 20 PIM

DeCoste was at or a near a point-per-game pace well after the trade from the Soo to Belleville, but he’s since fallen well off that pace. He hasn’t had a point in six games. Panik, meanwhile, hasn’t scored in three. Ottawa outshot Belleville 34-18.

Barrie Colts 6 @ Sudbury Wolves 4
LW/C Alex Hutchings, BAR: 2-0-2, +1, 0 PIM, *First Star*
Season Totals: 45 GP, 30-23-53, +30, 38 PIM
W Matias Sointu, SBY: Did not play (injured).
Season Totals: 31 GP, 5-9-14, E, 12 PIM
With Sudbury: 10 GP, 2-2-4, -5, 6 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM

Hutchings (pictured) was back on the scoresheet with another multi-goal game – his seventh of the season. He hit 30 goals for the second time in his career. He’s four off his career high for goals (34), set last season in 63 games. As for Sointu, it was reported this week the injury he sustained at the WJCs was the result of a puck to the face. Ouch.

Oshawa Generals 3 @ Kingston Frontenacs 6
G Michael Zador, OSH: 14 saves on 15 shots
Season Totals: 31 GP, 11-15-2-1, 3.59 GAA, .894 sv%, 1 SO

Zador didn’t start the game, but was admirable in relief of starter Kevin Bailie, who allowed four goals on 11 shots. Kingston added an empty netter late.

WHL

Swift Current Broncos 5 @ Regina Pats 6 (SO)
RW Carter Ashton, REG: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 43 GP, 18-18-36, -10, 77 PIM
With Regina: 15 GP, 5-5-10, -2, 25 PIM
With Lethbridge: 28 GP, 13-13-26, -8, 52 PIM

Regina got at least a point in their fifth game in a row, a streak which has included two shootout wins over the Broncos. Swift Current (51 points) is ninth in the Eastern Conference and Regina (46 points) 10th. They’re both chasing eighth-place Red Deer (52 points).

Vancouver Giants 2 @ Tri-City Americans 4
C James Wright, VAN: Did not play.
08-09 Season: 71 GP, 21-26-47, +26, 54 PIM
With Tampa Bay: 43 GP, 2-3-5, -9, 18 PIM

Wright is expected to (re-)join the Giants next week after being assigned to Vancouver by Tampa Bay. The Giants (29-18-1-2) are currently leading the B.C. Division and as a result are the second seed in the Western Conference behind the Americans.

Kingston Frontenacs 2 @ Barrie Colts 5
LW/C Alex Hutchings, BAR: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Season Totals: 44 GP, 28-23-51, +29, 38 PIM

Barrie has won five in a row and eight of their past 10. This game featured a rare goalie fight at the end of the second period. The Barrie Examiner has the story: "The bizarre brouhahas started when Kingston's Ethan Werek scored to cut Barrie's lead to 2-1 with a few seconds to go in the second period.

"Werek apparently got a little too close to [Barrie goaltender Mavric] Parks – named after the Top Gun character played by Tom Cruise – which only fuelled an already frustrated Parks, who went after his former teammate and landed a quick jab on the Kingston forward.

"A scramble ensued after the Parks-Werek dust-up, and that's when goalie Tyler Beskorowany -- and his six-foot-five, 204-pound frame -- saw an opportunity.

"'I had to,' said Beskorowany, who skated 185 feet down ice to find a willing six-foot, 183-pound dance partner. "Stuff happens. It's too bad the refs got in the way. I was having fun.'"

This is why we love junior hockey. And there is no truth to the rumor that Mavric closed his eyes, clenched his necklace, and said “Talk to me Goose” before the fight.

OHL

Barrie Colts 3 @ Saginaw Spirit 2
LW/C Alex Hutchings, BAR: 2-0-2, +2, 0 PIM, *First Star*
Season Totals: 43 GP, 28-23-51, +29, 36 PIM

Hutchings broke out of his longest scoreless drought since his rookie year with two goals and a First Star award - unofficially his seventh First Star of the season. He scored both of his goals in the first period to start the game’s scoring.

Sudbury Wolves 3 @ Guelph Storm 8
W Matias Sointu, SBY: Did not play (injured).
Season Totals: 31 GP, 5-9-14, E, 12 PIM
With Sudbury: 10 GP, 2-2-4, -5, 6 PIM
With Ottawa: 21 GP, 3-7-10, +5, 6 PIM

Kingston Frontenacs 5 @ Oshawa Generals 6 (SO)
G Michael Zador, OSH: Did not play.
Season Totals: 30 GP, 11-15-2-1, 3.61 GAA, .893 sv%, 1 SO

Zador was back on the bench for the Gens, who didn’t get an extremely strong performance from Kevin Balie, but found a way to win.