Wild prospect Dewar has 4-goal game in WHL
Rather than focus exclusively on the Minnesota Wild’s top prospects, we’re taking a look at the best players from across the State of Hockey every week.
From college to the pros, check out our recap of all the week’s events in Minnesota hockey, as we check in with college players, Wild prospects and State of Hockey alums.
Let’s take a look at our three stars of the week in the latest edition of the State of Hockey Tracker.
FIRST STAR
Connor Dewar, F, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
A third-round pick of the Wild in 2018, Dewar had a huge weekend in the WHL. The Silvertips' captain had four goals and six points (both season highs) on Saturday in a 7-2 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds. Dewar did it all, showing off his hands as well as a slick shot, while also scoring on a rebound. He chipped in Friday as well, picking up two assists during a 5-2 win over Seattle. Dewar is now up to fourth in the WHL with 35 goals in 47 games, and leads all of the Wild's prospects in scoring by a wide margin. The 19-year-old is in his fourth WHL season, and already has a career-high 70 points.
SECOND STAR(S)
Ryan Poehling/Blake Lizotte, F, St. Cloud State (NCHC)
While Bob Motzko's Gophers are treading water, his former team is running away with the NCHC. The Huskies were the only team in the conference to sweep over the weekend, downing Miami 5-1, 5-1 to open up an eight-point lead on second-place Minnesota Duluth. Poehling led the way Friday, racking up two goals and two assists for a season-high four points, finishing with five on the weekend. Lizotte did the same Saturday, registering two goals and an assist for a season-high three points and his own five-point weekend.
THIRD STAR
Rem Pitlick, F, Minnesota (Big Ten)
The Gophers are well outside the NCAA tournament field down at No. 25 in the Pairwise, and running out of time to right the ship. Pitlick led the way over the weekend, registering two points Friday in a 4-2 loss to Michigan, then chipping in on three of Minnesota's four goals in a 4-3 win Saturday. Pitlick assisted on Tyler Nanne's goal to open the game, then scored on the power play late in the first period to make it 2-0. He was back at it just 41 seconds into the second period, setting up Tyler Sheehy's goal to push the lead to 3-0. The Gophers would need every one of them after Michigan rallied later in the second. It took another power-play goal, this time from Tommy Novak, to put Minnesota back in front early in the third period.
AROUND THE RINK
-- Normally, a defenseman scoring one goal in a 6-1 win over six-win Alabama Huntsville wouldn't be particularly notable. It is when he scores one like this. Junior Ian Scheid decided to take matters into his own hands with MSU changing during a 4-on-4, snaking his way past two defenders and the Chargers goaltender to make it 4-0, Mavericks. Minnesota State now has a commanding 11-point lead in the conference with six games to go.
-- St. Cloud State remained atop the USCHO.com poll for the third straight week with 46 first-place votes. Minnesota Duluth fell to No. 5, Minnesota State stayed at No. 6 and Bemidji State received one vote.
-- Sheehy had another big weekend as well, finishing with one goal and four assists while pushing his point streak to seven games.
-- Freshman goaltender Dryden McKay was sharp in goal for Minnesota State, allowing just one goal on 26 shots in their two-game series with Alabama Huntsville.
-- Freshman forward Julian Napravnik led the Mavericks with four points (two goals and two assists) in that series.
-- Minnesota Duluth stumbled a bit over the weekend, splitting with Colorado College, but junior goalie Hunter Shepard bounced back nicely with a 23-save shutout. He's now tied for second nationally with five on the season.