For the third time since being traded to the Portland Winterhawks in January, Penguins prospect Taylor Gauthier was named the WHL Goalie of the Week.
Gauthier won back-to-back starts in the last week, stopping 33 of 34 shots faced on Saturday, allowing only a penalty shot goal. He posted a 20-save shutout the following night.
Since Gauthier was traded to Portland, he's earned a record of 18-3, a 1.74 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.
In case you missed it, I spoke with Gauthier, his goaltending coach Andy Moog, and Penguins goaltending coach Andy Chiodo for this story last week.
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Here's how the Penguins' prospects in junior, college, and Europe did this week:
FORWARDS
Raivis Ansons
Position: Right wing/left wing
Size: 6-1/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Age: 20
Team: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Season totals: 38 games, 10 goals, 29 assists
Ansons added two assists in two games. He had a nice setup here:
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Age: 19
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 33 games, 5 goals, 5 assists
Minnesota lost to Michigan next in the Big Ten championship, a game in which Broz was scoreless. The game-winning goal in the 4-3 loss came while Broz was in the penalty box. The Gophers' NCAA postseason play opens against UMass on Friday.
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Age: 20
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 38 games, 11 goals, 9 assists
North Dakota was eliminated from the NCHC tournament by Western Michigan. Caulfield opened the scoring in the 4-2 loss:
North Dakota will face Notre Dame Thursday in the NCAA postseason.
Jordan Frasca
Position: Center
Size: 6-2/184
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 20
Team: Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Season totals: 53 games, 38 goals, 41 assists
Frasca scored two goals and two assists in three games this week. Both goals came in the same game:
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Age: 21
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 3 goals, 3 assists
Princeton's season ended on March 5.
I asked Gorman's former Princeton teammate Corey Andonovski about Gorman after Andonovski signed in Wilkes-Barre:
"Him and I are pretty close," Andonovski said. "He's a class below me, so I don't see him as much in classes and whatnot. But around the room, he's a super outgoing guy, super fun to be around, he works his bag off. I don't know if I can say that, actually. But he works super hard. That's something that's going to bode well for anybody trying to make it to the next level. He's got lots of potential. He's got a super high ceiling, and I'm sure he'll be up here after next season."
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Age: 20
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season totals: 50 games, 25 goals, 36 assists
Svejkovsky scored two goals in four games this week.
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 19
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 38 games, 10 goals, 11 assists (regular season), 11 games, 1 goal, 2 assist (playoffs)
Tankov added an assist in three playoff games for SKA-Neva in the second round of the playoffs. SKA-Neva won the best-of-seven series in five games to advance to the semifinals. Game 1 is on March 30.
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Age: 19
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 38 games, 5 goals, 6 assists
Providence's season ended on March 12.
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Age: 21
Team: Ilves (Liiga), KOOVEE (Mestis)
Season totals: 2 games (Mestis)
Airola missed the start of the Liiga season with a lower-body injury. His team announced on Oct. 14 that Airola underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 months.
Niclas Almari
Size: 6-1/180
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2016, fifth round
Age: 23
Team: Lukko (Liiga)
Season totals: 11 games, 1 goal, 1 assist (AHL), 6 games, 4 assists (ECHL), 15 games, 2 assist (Liiga)
Almari recorded an assist in two games.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Age: 19
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 49 games, 5 goals, 18 assists
Belliveau was scoreless in two games.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 20
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 1 goal, 2 assists
Wisconsin's season ended on March 6.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 18
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 55 games, 6 goals, 21 assists
McCleary was scoreless in two games.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Age: 22
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 32 games, 5 goals, 7 assists
Penn State's season ended on March 12. Phillips signed an AHL amateur tryout with Wilkes-Barre. More on that here.
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Age: 20
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 20 games, 1.32 GAA, .940 SV% (Liiga), 4 games, 2.26 GAA, .882 SV% (Mestis)
Blomqvist played in two games and made 19 saves on 20 shots in the first game, then 16 saves on 19 shots in the other.
I realized this week that Blomqvist's nickname is "Blomma," which is Swedish for "flower." Fitting nickname for a Penguins goalie.
Taylor Gauthier
Size: 6-2/208
Catches: Right
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 21
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 35 games, 2.12 GAA, .935 SV%
Gauthier played in two games this week. He stopped 33 of 34 shots in the first game, then posted a 20-save shutout the following night.
