McDonough’s powering up, and Rafferty’s a revelation
It’s the latest edition of the weekly tracker, where we tally up the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks’ highest-profile prospects:
BROGAN RAFFERTY
Rafferty has been a revelation in his debut season in Utica, and his strong two-way play may very well reshuffle the deck of top defensive prospects in the Canucks organization.
The NCAA-seasoned 24-yearold has been coming up aces with the Comets all season. After 28 games, he’s the AHL’s top-scoring rookie defenceman and ranks second among all D -men in points. Pair that with a plus-13 rating and Rafferty’s been among the best blue-liners in the league.
This past week, the late bloomer had his coming-out party, scoring a goal and tallying three assists in a 6-3 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Rafferty’s goal was scored on a rush, with the six-foot-two, 192-pounder using his smooth skating to get to a rebound and fire the puck into the net from a sharp angle.
The wheels kept turning in Wednesday’s 6-4 win against the Marlies, as Rafferty notched another two assists and had three shots on net. Late in the third, he went end to end with the puck, blowing through the entire Toronto team and getting a shot on net while getting tripped from behind. Had he scored, half the hockey world would know the ‘Bro.’
His passing game is also on point. Among his trio of assists against Bridgeport was a great feed at top speed from the sideboards to Lukas Jasek, who fired in a one-timer from the slot.
Rafferty still has work to do defensively, says head coach Trent Cull, but is improving as each game passes.
“He’s settling in,” Cull said after Rafferty’s first-star performance against Bridgeport. “Not only is he having offensive numbers and rewards ... he’s showing improvement (defensively). Because of those improvements in that area, it’s helping him beyond the red line. He’s a very coachable young man.”
Rafferty has three goals and 22 assists this season. The Comets are 15-10-1-2 on the season and are in fourth place in the North Division.
KOLE LIND
Lind gave Bridgeport a lump of Kole in their stockings, scoring two goals, assisting on another and firing seven shots on net.
The first goal for the Comets winger was scored on the power play. Lind took a cross-crease pass from Reid Boucher and wired a wrist shot into the net.
The 2017 second-rounder’s second goal came on a Sedin-style redirected pass off the stick of the soon-to-be-departed Sven Baertschi. Lind was named the game’s second star.
Lind, 21, also scored against the Marlies. Rafferty set up the play, penetrating the defence and finding Baertschi for the initial shot. Lind scored on the rebound. He added an assist in the win.
The Saskatchewan-born winger continues to surge in his second pro season, netting seven goals and 15 assists in 28 games. He’s also been responsible defensively, accumulating a minus-one rating overall while playing in the team’s top-six group of forwards.
CARSON FOCHT
Count Jim Benning as part of the Focht fan club. The Canucks GM went on TSN 1040 radio on Wednesday and had nothing but high praise for the Hitmen forward.
“He came into camp and really impressed our Utica staff, and (Canucks coach Travis Green) was impressed with him ... We drafted him in the later rounds and we really think he can be a good player for us, so we’ll get him signed pretty soon,” said Benning, who singled out Focht as a prospect he’s really excited about.
The six-foot, 181-pound centre was drafted in the fifth round in June for his versatile game and has not disappointed in his third WHL season.
Focht, 19, scored his 16th goal of the season on Sunday in a 5-2 win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The goal was scored from the top of the crease as the puck pinballed its way onto Focht’s stick. Focht had seven shots on net in the win and went 10-for-18 in the faceoff circle.
A late bloomer, Focht told the Calgary Journal this past week how he struggled with the Hitmen coming in as a 17-year-old and former first-round pick in the WHL bantam draft.
“I’ve always been a guy that put up points and was a big offensive threat, and I think I lost a bit of my game there. But I think just being able to overcome that and just knowing that I can deal with stuff like that is pretty big mentally for me.”
Focht has 16 goals, 10 assists and a plus-four rating in 27 games this season.
Meanwhile, teammate and fellow Canucks prospect Jett Woo had an assist in Sunday’s win, upping the defenceman’s points total to 16 (four goals, 12 assists) in 30 games. The 2018 second-rounder is a plus-six.
AIDAN MCDONOUGH
This spot is usually reserved for Tyler Madden. This week, we give it to his Huskies teammate McDonough, who had a career-best game for Northeastern in a 6-4 win on Saturday night against Dartmouth.
McDonough, a 2019 seventhround long-shot pick, scored two goals and added two assists in a monster effort for No. 12 Northeastern.
The six-foot-three, 190-pound power forward scored both on the power play. In fact, all seven goals he’s scored this season have come with the man advantage, leaving him one behind the NCAA leader in power play goals. Both goals were similar, with cross-ice passes finding McDonough for one-timers near the goal-line.
After the game, McDonough gave Madden and others props for helping him along in his rookie NCAA season.
“They do a really good job of finding me. I just try to get open and if I have a shot, I take it.”
His linemate Madden also continued his fine form, scoring once and assisting on one of the McDonough goals.
Madden, a 2018 third-round steal, is tied atop the NCAA with 13 goals, is tied for third in points with 27 and is second in shots with 79.
McDonough, 20, has 15 points in 15 games this season.
ETHAN KEPPEN
The 2019 fourth-rounder potted a couple of power play goals this past week with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds.
In Friday’s 5-4 loss against the Saginaw Spirit, the six-foot-two, 205-pound power forward found the puck at the top of the crease and deposited it into the net during a scramble.
Keppen, 18, also scored a power play goal in Flint’s 5-3 loss to the same Spirit on Saturday night.
Keppen’s stats this season are decent, with the left-winger scoring 11 goals and seven assists in 27 games. He had 59 points in 68 games last season with the Firebirds, but also went a minus-26 overall. This season, he’s a minus-eight overall.
NEWS AND NOTES
Several notable Canucks prospects did not play this past week. Jack Rathbone’s Harvard squad is on a break and don’t play again until Dec. 28. World juniors-bound forwards Vasili Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander are prepping for the tournament, while Nikita Tryamkin and the KHL are on a weeklong break.