The Buffalo draft pick looks to make the Team Canada World Jr. roster.
By Kris Baker / SabresProspects.com
Participating countries are expected to name their selection camp rosters this week for the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, and one Sabres prospect has stepped his play up of late in hopes of catching the attention of the decision-makers.
London Knights forward Cliff Pu (2016, third round) had another big week, beginning with a rebound put-back for a power-play tally in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss at Sarnia.
Pu stayed productive Friday, netting an empty-net goal and an assist as the Knights knocked off Owen Sound 5-3.
On Sunday, Pu launched a shot bar-down to give him goals in six consecutive games, and added a pair of helpers to help power a 5-1 win over Guelph.
With Hockey Canada watching closely, Pu now has points in all 10 November games, including goals in eight of them.
In total this season, the speedster has produced 12 goals and 33 points in 24 Ontario Hockey League contests.
NCAA
Sophomore defenseman Philip Nyberg (2016, fifth round) scored a wrist-shot goal in back-to-back games last week as Connecticut earned a pair of victories, 4-1 over Vermont and 2-1 over RIT.
After his season was derailed by a six-game absence due to lower-body injury sustained on opening night, Nyberg is finding his game of late to boost his production to three points (2+1) and a plus-4 rating in eight appearances.
Casey Mittelstadt (2017, first round) posted a combined one assist and six shots on goal over the weekend as Minnesota was swept on the road at Notre Dame with 1-0 and 5-2 losses.
In 15 games of his freshman season, Mittelstadt has connected for four goals, 13 points and 41 shots on goal.
Boston College defenseman Casey Fitzgerald (2016, third round) and forward Christopher Brown (2014, sixth round) were each held without a point Friday as the Eagles and Harvard finished in a 4-4 tie.
Fitzgerald has nine points (3+6) and a team-high 47 shots on goal in 14 games. Brown has appeared in 15 contests, securing four goals, eight points, and 35 shots on goal.
Maxwell Willman (2014, fifth round) picked up one assist and a game-high seven shots on goal Tuesday as Brown doubled Holy Cross 4-2.
Through eight games, Willman has one goal and four points while leading the Bears with 24 shots on goal.
Jacob Bryson (2017, fourth round) produced his team-leading ninth assist Friday as Providence rolled to a 3-0 win over Maine at the Friendship Four tournament in Belfast, Ireland. Bryson finished with a minus-3 rating in Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Clarkson, returns home with 10 points (1+9) in 14 games.
Linus Weissbach (2017, seventh round) notched one assist Saturday as Wisconsin lost to Mercyhurst 3-2, and extended his point to four games Sunday with another helper as the Badgers earned a series split with a 4-2 doubling of the Lakers.
At the 15-game mark, Weissbach has amassed five goals, including two of the power play and one game-winner, and a total of 12 points.
After punching one shot on goal in Friday’s 2-1 win over Quinnipiac, Ivan Chukarov (2015, seventh round) produced an assist Saturday for his first point of the year as Massachusetts completed the home-and-home sweep with a 6-3 triumph over the Bobcats.
Chukarov has appeared in five games since missing the first nine due to injury, compiling six shots on goal and a plus-1 rating in addition to the point earned in the Saturday win.
Third-year defenseman William Borgen (2015, fourth round) and senior forward Judd Peterson (2012, seventh round) had the weekend off as St. Cloud State prepares for next weekend’s conference series at Omaha.
Borgen has one goal and eight points in 11 games, while Peterson has a short-handed marker and eight assists over the same span.
Brett Murray (2016, fourth round) recorded one assist over the weekend as Penn State throttled Michigan State 7-2 on Friday before playing to a 2-2 with the Spartans the next day.
Through 14 games, Murray has collected five points (1+4) and 33 shots on goal.