In the wake of Alexis Lafreniere’s career-high seven-point game in a 11-2 win over Quebec on Sunday, it brought to mind some of the great single-game performances we’ve witnessed in the Canadian Hockey League this season.
Here are nine amazing feats achieved across the CHL so far in the 2019-20 season.
Samuel Poulin, Sherbrooke Phoenix
2G, 6A in 9-4 W @ Shawinigan on Oct. 20, 2019
The Pittsburgh first-rounder has lived up to his billing this season, having spent most of the year amongst the league’s top scorers. It didn’t take long to kickstart a career afternoon as Poulin drew the primary assist on Felix Robert’s opening goal, just 10 seconds into the game. Another interesting fact about this feat, is that half of Poulin’s 8 points were recorded in the third period, which started tied at 4. Only one of Poulin’s 8 points was recorded on the powerplay. Robert, a linemate, finished the afternoon with seven points of his own.
Alexis Lafreniere, Rimouski Oceanic
1G, 6A in 11-2 W vs. Quebec on Feb. 16, 2020
Although it took more than seven minutes before the game’s first shot on goal was recorded, Lafreniere used the remaining 53 minutes efficiently, setting a career best. Three first-period assists set the tone. In the second, Lafreniere notched a goal and three assists. He also hit a post, and set up Dmitry Zavgorodniy for a back-door tap-in he missed, otherwise we may have witnessed a nine-point afternoon. The Oceanic took the pedal off the gas early in the third and, with respect for the opponent, the third and fourth lines of Rimouski ate up most of the clock in the third.
Tyler Tucker, Flint Firebirds
2G, 5A in 12-7 win @ Sarnia on Feb. 17, 2020
The St. Louis prospect set a career-high with four points in a 6-3 win over Ottawa on Feb. 28, 2019 while he was a member of the Barrie Colts. He had notched at least three points in a game on six other occasions in his four-year OHL career, but experienced nothing like Monday’s dominant performance. Tucker recorded points at even strength, on the power play and short-handed. The Flint blue-liner needed just the first period to establish a new career-high. He had an assist in each of the second and third periods to cap the afternoon. Tucker also finished this game with a plus-8 rating for the red-hot Flint Firebirds.
Daniel D’Amico, Windsor Spitfires
5G in 10-4 W @ Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 3, 2020
Through his first 158 OHL games, D’Amico had scored two goals in a game just twice (Nov. 11, 2018 and Dec. 6, 2018). In fact, a three-point game was his career best. On this particular night, he completed the hat trick with just under two minutes left in the first period. D’Amico added one more in the second and with just 1:25 left in the game, he netted his fifth marker on just six total shots on goal.
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Cole Sillinger, Medicine Hat Tigers
1G, 5 A in 8-4 W @ Prince Albert on Dec. 11, 2019
The son of former NHLer Mike Sillinger, Cole has been amongst the league’s top rookie scorers all season long. In a difficult barn to play, Sillinger had three primary assists, added two others and capped his night with the game’s final goal at the 19:54 mark of the third period. The former SMHL MVP has had 10 multi-point efforts in this season.
Jet Greaves, Barrie Colts
62 saves in 4-1 L @ Owen Sound on Jan. 15, 2020
On a transitioning Barrie team, Greaves has faced more than his fair share of shots this season. The second-year netminder has faced 35 or more shots in 13 of his 25 starts. In this particular game, Greaves stopped 62 of Owen Sound’s 66 shots and earned second star honours despite losing the game 4-1.
Austen Keating, Ottawa 67’s
3G, 4A in 11-6 W @ Kingston on Nov. 27, 2019
Head coach Andre Tourigny has said repeatedly that Keating makes those around him better. There is no better evidence of that than in his career best seven-point game earlier this season. Keating scored Ottawa’s first goal of the game, and just under four minutes later tallied short-handed. He drew the lone assist on Marco Rossi’s game winner in the second period an added a goal and an assist in the third to cap a career night. The over-ager scored three goals on four shots and finished the night with a plus-6 rating, establishing an OHL season-high.
Mavrik Bourque, Shawinigan Cataractes
2G, 5A in 7-4 W @ Halifax on Feb. 1, 2020
The projected first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft was in on all seven of Shawinigan’s goals in their defeat of 2019 Memorial Cup host Halifax. Of note, the Cataractes didn’t get on the board until the 17:44 mark of the first period, while they closed out their scoring at the 12:05 mark of the third. Therefore, Bourque did all his damage in essentially 35 minutes of the 60-minute affair. All told, Bourque earned a plus-5 rating, had two goals on three shots and won 7/14 draws.
Isaiah DiLaura, Swift Current Broncos
57 saves in 5-3 L vs. Edmonton on Jan. 22, 2020
The St. Paul, Minn., native did more than his fair share, keeping the Broncos in the game until he was pulled with 58 seconds left, in order to get the extra attacker out there while down a goal. Since being traded from Portland on Jan. 8, DiLaura has faced 45 shots/60 minutes with his new club in Swift Current, and that’s not likely to let up down the stretch.
