Eight New York Rangers prospects saw action on Friday evening. Only one scored. Raoul Boilard enjoyed a three-point night (2g, 1a). Meanwhile, he helped his Shawinigan Cataractes earn a 7-3 win over the Gatineau Olympiques in QMJHL action.
Boilard who was the Rangers fourth round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, had gone scoreless in his first five games this season. The Cataractes were using him at right wing which was a shift in position for Boilard who was used mainly as a center during his first two seasons in the QMJHL.
First-Star Honors
The switch back to center paid off with a solid performance as Boilard earned the game’s first star. He got his night going by scoring his first goal of the season, a power play goal just 1:52 into the first period as Boilard fired a shot over the Olympiques right shoulder to give his team a 1-0 lead.
The goal jump started his team as they scored six unanswered goals before the Olympiques broke the shutout. Boilard would score his second goal at 6:33 of the second period, this one was an even-strength goal as Boilard’s linemate Jordan Tourigny would steal the puck and break in on the Olympiques goalie.
Boilard was on his left side all along and Tourigny hit him with a pass that Boilard just redirected into the goal for the Cataractes fourth goal of the game.
This one would prove to be the game winning goal, but Boilard was not done as he would set up Noah McKinnon for his first goal in over a year. Boilard finishes the game with a great stat line of 2-1-3 on two shots with a +2, a minor for hooking, credited with one hit and was 14-4 on his faceoffs.
Rangers Roundup: Other Prospects
Ty Henricks was scoreless on five shots as his top-ranked Western Michigan Broncos earned their first win of the season over Ferris State in non-conference play. Just as Ferris State ruined WMU’s home opener, the Broncos returned the favor ruining theirs.
Sean Barnhill was scoreless on three shots as his second-ranked Michigan State Spartans earned a split of their series with the New Hampshire Wildcats shutting them out 2-0 in non-conference play. The Spartans just dominated the play holding the Wildcats to 13 total shots for the entire game.
Malcom Spence was scoreless on one shot as his seventh-ranked Michigan Wolverines ruined sixth-ranked Providence’s home opener beating them 5-1 in non-conference play. Michigan improves to 3-0 on the season as they will make a strong case to jump to the top of next week’s poll.
Drew Fortescue and 10th-ranked Boston College skated to a 2-2 overtime tie with Brody Lamb’s 12th-ranked Minnesota in non-conference play. Neither prospect registered anything on the scoresheet for the first time this season.
Artem Gonchar was held scoreless and earned his first OHL misconduct as his Sudbury Wolves remained winless after being shut out 6-0 by the Branford Bulldogs in OHL action. Gonchar has struggled in his first six games as has his team which is making matters harder for the young Russian defenseman. He is still looking for his first OHL point but has gone -12 in his first six games. Now would be an exceptionally good time for the Rangers to dispatch former Sudbury Wolve Marc Staal up there to work with him and help him adapt to this new brand of hockey for him.
Did Not Play
E.J. Emery remains out for his North Dakota Fighting Hawks with a lower-body injury. He is listed as “day-to-day”
