The Charlotte Checkers came up short in their bid to sweep the weekend, falling 5-2 to the AHL-leading Grand Rapids Griffins at Bojangles Coliseum. It was a tough one for Charlotte, who couldn’t quite keep pace with a Griffins squad that’s been setting the standard in the league this season.
Robert Mastrosimone got the Checkers on the board, finishing off a play set up by Wilmer Skoog and veteran blueliner Trevor Carrick. Later, Riese Gaber added another tally, but it wasn’t enough to spark a full comeback. Between the pipes, Kirill Greasimyuk faced 19 shots and turned away 16, taking the loss in net.
Over in Sweden, prospect Linus Eriksson made his presence felt in a big way. The forward buried the game-winner in Timrå IK’s 4-1 win over Leksands IF in SHL action.
Eriksson was active all night, logging 18:39 of ice time, firing off two shots, finishing with a plus-one rating, and winning five of his 11 faceoffs. It’s been a bit of a quiet season offensively for Eriksson - he’s now up to two goals and four assists through 34 games - but this performance showed flashes of the two-way upside scouts have been watching closely.
Meanwhile, Albert Wikman and Färjestad BK had a rough outing, getting shut out 5-0 by Brynäs IF. Wikman saw just over eight minutes of ice time and was credited with one hit in the loss. The defenseman has chipped in one goal and three assists over 38 SHL games so far this year, continuing to build experience in one of Europe’s top leagues.
In Russia’s VHL, Stepan Gorbunov continues to produce at an impressive clip. The forward picked up two assists in Chelmet Chelyabinsk’s 3-2 win over SKA-VMF St.
Petersburg, pushing his season totals to eight goals and 19 points in just 19 games. Gorbunov’s playmaking touch was on full display, as he helped drive the offense in a tightly contested matchup.
Back in North America, Shamar Moses made an impact in all situations for the North Bay Battalion in their 3-2 shootout loss to the Barrie Colts. Moses scored a shorthanded goal - always a momentum-shifter - and added four shots on goal while winning his only faceoff of the night. With eight goals and 17 points through 45 games this season, Moses is showing he can contribute in multiple areas of the game, especially on special teams.
From the AHL to the SHL to the VHL and OHL, it was a weekend full of key performances from prospects and young players looking to take that next step. Whether it was Eriksson’s clutch goal in Sweden or Gorbunov’s steady production in Russia, the pipeline is buzzing with talent - and these names are worth keeping an eye on as the season rolls on.