Prospects Report | McCarthy, Richard meet in Hockey East Tournament

Plus updates on Maxim Strabk, Scott Ratzlaff, and more Sabres prospects.

prospects 2
By Noah Monroe
@BuffaloSabres Sabres.com

Buffalo Sabres prospects Gavin McCarthy (Boston University) and Jake Richard (UConn) will be battling each other for a spot in the Hockey East Conference Tournament Finals on Thursday when Boston University and UConn face off at 4 p.m. at TD Garden in Boston.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as NESN+.

McCarthy and the No. 8 Terriers got to the semifinals after finishing third in the Hockey East with a 20-12-2 season, earning a bye to the quarterfinals, where they beat UMass 3-2 in overtime with McCarthy having a season-high 28:30 time on ice.

The Sabres' 2023 third-round pick posted 15 points (3+12) through 34 games in his sophomore season, earning a plus-6 rating.

Meanwhile, Richard, a Sabres sixth-round pick in 2022, was a key contributor for the No. 7 Huskies, helping them to their best season since joining the Hockey East in the 2014-15 season. UConn finished the regular season with a 20-10-4 record, finishing fourth in the Hockey East as the Huskies will likely make their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Richard finished with 38 points (15+23) in 30 games, finishing third on the team in goals, second in assists and third in points, as well as posting the second-best plus-minus on the team (+23).

UConn also earned a bye to the quarterfinals, where they beat Providence 3-1, including Richard assisting on all three UConn goals.

The winner of the matchup between the two prospects’ teams will go on to face the winner of Northeastern and Maine on Friday at 7:30 on NESN+.

Prospects Spotlights

Scott Ratzlaff, G (Seattle, WHL)

Since Feb. 8, Ratzlaff (Round 5, 2023) has posted 13 games with at least a .910 save percentage, including 11 games of allowing two goals or less. He's gone 9-4-2 record in that time, helping the Thunderbirds to clinch a playoff spot in the WHL.

Ratzlaff has posted a 22-19-4 record this season with a 3.14 goals-against average and .910 save percentage, the sixth-best percentage in the league.

Maxim Strbak and Patrick Geary, D (Michigan State, Big Ten)

Strbak (Round 2, 2023) and Geary (Round 6, 2024) have helped head the defense of the No. 1 team in college hockey as well as helping lead them to the Big Ten conference tournament finals.

The Spartans finished the season with a 24-6-4 record, finishing first in the Big Ten and earning a bye to the semifinals where they beat Notre Dame 1-0. They have a date with Ohio State in the finals at 7:30 on the Big Ten Network on Saturday.

Strbak has 18 points (3+15) this season with a plus-6 rating, doubling his point total from last season in 31 games and finishing tied for fourth in assists on the team. Geary - a Buffalo, NY, native - has seven points (1+6) in 35 games, posting a plus-4 rating.

Matteo Constantini, C (Western Michigan, NCHC)

Constantini (Round 5, 2020) has 22 points (8+14) this season for No. 3 Western Michigan in a 27-7-1 season for the Broncos. Since February 8, he’s notched 10 points (4+6) in 11 games, including a stretch where he had four straight games with a point.

He helped them finish the season strong to get the top seed in the NCHC conference tournament, sweeping St. Cloud State in a best-of-three first round while scoring two goals in the first game and finishing the sweep with a primary assist in the second game.

In the semifinals, Constantini and Western Michigan will play North Dakota on Friday at 8:30 p.m. in Saint Paul, Minnesota on CBS Sports Network.

Season Statistics - Skaters

 

Games Played

Goals

Assists

Points

+/-

Rochester (AHL)

 
 
 
 
 

Konsta Helenius, C

52

9

18

27

0

Aleksandr Kisakov, LW

7

3

1

4

+4

Vsevolod Komarov, D

55

2

11

13

+4

Viktor Neuchev, RW

39

7

15

22

-3

Nikita Novikov, D

54

5

13

18

+24

Noah Ostlund, C

37

11

13

24

+14

Anton Wahlberg, C

49

9

14

23

-2

Olivier Nadeau, C

4

0

2

2

0

 Canadian Hockey League (CHL)

 
 
 
 
 

Ethan Miedema, LW (Kingston, OHL)

63

22

34

56

+15

Simon Pier-Brunet, D (Drummondville, QMJHL)

58

8

24

32

+12

Europe

 
 
 
 
 

Gustav Karlsson, C (Falu IF, HockeyEttan)

32

7

7

14

-11

Viljami Marjala, C (TPS, Liiga)

54

8

44

52

-6

Prokhor Poltapov, LW (CSKA Moscow, KHL)

66

16

23

39

+15

Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson, LW (Tingsryds AIF, HockeyAllsvenskan)

9

0

1

1

-7

Linus Sjodin, C (Rogle BK, SHL)

51

1

4

5

-6

William von Barnekow, C (Malmo, SHL)

Norwin Panocha, D (Eisbaren Berlin, DEL) 16 GP, 0G, 2A, +2

52

5

5

10

-4

 NCAA

 
 
 
 
 

Matteo Costantini, C (Western Michigan, NCHC)

34

8

14

22

+9

Patrick Geary, D (Michigan State, Big 10)

35

1

6

7

+4

Aaron Huglen, RW (Minnesota, Big 10)

38

5

14

19

+4

Sean Keohane, D (Harvard, ECAC)

11

0

2

2

-3

Adam Kleber, D (Minnesota Duluth, NCHC)

33

2

3

5

-9

Gavin McCarthy, D (Boston University, Hockey East)

34

3

12

15

+6

Jake Richard, RW (Connecticut, Hockey East)

30

15

23

38

+23

Stiven Sardarian, RW (Michigan Tech, CCHA)

35

11

24

35

+3

Maxim Strbak, D (Michigan State, Big 10)

31

3

15

18

+6

Brodie Ziemer, RW (Minnesota, Big 10)

37

12

11

23

+7

 USHL

 
 
 
 
 

Luke Osburn, D (Youngstown)

46

7

24

31

+1

Vasily Zelenov, RW (Green Bay)

45

14

14

28

-3

Season Statistics - Goaltenders

 

Games Played

Record

SV%

GAA

Devon Levi (Rochester, AHL)

32

20-9-5

.915

2.29

Ryerson Leenders (Brantford, OHL)

47

30-14-3

.908

3.20

Topias Leinonen (Mora IK, Allsvenskan)

25

13-10-0

.910

2.31

Scott Ratzlaff (Seattle, WHL)

48

22-19-4

.910

3.14

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