We're now seeing what goaltender Alex D'Orio can do when he receives support from the players in front of him.
When the Saint John Sea Dogs, one of the teams struggling the most in the QMJHL this season, traded D'Orio at the beginning of the month, he carried a record of 5-20, with a goals-against average of 4.48 and save percentage of .883. He was facing an average of 38.3 shots per game, and leading the league in not just shots faced, but high-danger shots faced.
While facing that many pucks may have been good for his development at times, he was not in a position where he was capable of being successful.
Since being traded to Baie-Comeau, D'Orio has appeared in seven games and won all seven, allowing only 13 combined goals. He's posted a goals against average of just 1.86, and a save percentage of .917 while facing an average of just 22.4 shots per game.
That's quite the turnaround.
Saint John had traded 19-year-old D'Orio because he's in his final year of junior hockey, and they wanted to give him a chance to win before he makes the jump to pro hockey. So far, D'Orio and Baie-Comeau are in a good position to make a run. They've already clinched a spot in the QMJHL playoffs, and rank second in the league with a 36-9-2-1 record. They're currently riding a 10-game win streak, a streak that D'Orio has played a large role in.
"Alex (D'Orio) is our No. 1," Baie-Comeau coach Martin Bernard said. "He's got the workload for the rest of the season ... Obviously Alex has made the difference since he arrived with us. He's played well, and that's what we need. We need a goalie who can make the difference game in and game out."
D'Orio started in two games this week, including his first return to Saint John since the trade. He took part in the ceremonial first puck drop, and his former team honored him with a tribute video:
Beau video des @SJSeaDogs pour honorer @goalie_dor99 @DrakkardeBaieCo #LHJMQ50 pic.twitter.com/k6q0ZLcC2Z
— Franco D'Orio (@fdorio) January 26, 2019
Saint John managed to put up a good fight in the game, but D'Orio led his new team to a 5-3 victory.
"You don't want to have to play him too many times," Saint John coach Josh Dixon said. "He was a pleasure to coach."
D'Orio's current head coach has lauded his goaltender's composure since joining Baie-Comeau.
"He's calm," said Bernard. "He's bringing a lot of confidence. All the broken plays that we make, he's there to just protect that kind of broken play. He's calm and I like the way he manages the game."
It's encouraging to see D'Orio be praised for his mental game, as it shows that his mindset wasn't damaged by two years of constantly digging pucks out of his net in Saint John.
It'll be exciting to see how D'Orio adjusts to the professional game with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton next season.
____________________
FORWARDS
Justin Almeida
Position: Center/Wing
Size: 5-11/160
Drafted: 2018, fifth round
Team: Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Season totals: 42 games, 18 goals, 48 assists
Almeida scored three goals and two assists in just two games this week.
Justin Almeida (@justinalmeida27) ends it 30 seconds into OT to pick up the 3-2 win over Prince George. pic.twitter.com/EF2uhFMRol
— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) January 23, 2019
Justin Almeida (@justinalmeida27) with the shorthanded goal to give the Warriors a 2-1 lead! pic.twitter.com/ZaiQURWHTV
— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) January 26, 2019
Almeida was named the OHL Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.
Jordy Bellerive
Position: Center
Size: 5-10/195
Drafted: Undrafted
Team: Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
Season totals: 48 games, 23 goals, 34 assists
Bellerive recorded two assists in three games this week.
Kasper Bjorkqvist
Position: Wing
Size: 6-1/198
Drafted: 2016, second round
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 26 games, 11 goals, 11 assists
Bjorkqvist scored one goal in two games this week.
11th strike of the season for Kasper as his shorthanded shot handcuffs Primeau to put the Friars up 2-1. Assists to O'Neill and Young.#GoFriars pic.twitter.com/W927j2PYSh
— PC Men's Hockey (@FriarsHockey) January 26, 2019
He's now one point away from tying his career high of 23 points, in 14 fewer games.
Jan Drozg
Position: Wing
Size: 6-0/174
Drafted: 2017, fifth round
Team: Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
Season totals: 38 games, 12 goals, 24 assists
Drozg scored one goal and assisted on another in two games this week. He did not play in Tuesday's game.
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-2/188
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Team: St. Sebastian’s School (USHS-Prep)
Season totals: ?
Gorman’s high school team does not post boxscores or stats.
Filip Hallander
Position: Center/Wing
Size: 6-1/190
Drafted: 2018, second round
Team: Timrå IK (SHL)
Season totals: 29 games, 7 goals, 8 assists
Hallander played in three games this week and recorded one goal.
Nikita Pavlychev
Position: Center
Size: 6-8/225
Drafted: 2015, seventh round
Team: Penn State (NCAA)
Season totals: 26 games, 11 goals, 11 assists
Pavlychev recorded one assist in two games.
DEFENSEMEN
Calen Addison
Size: 5-10/180
Drafted: 2018, second round
Team: Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
Season totals: 47 games, 7 goals, 38 assists
Addison appeared in three games this week and registered one assist.
Niclas Almari
Size: 6-1/167
Drafted: 2016, fifth round
Team: HPK (Liiga), HPK U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)
Season totals: 30 games, 1 goal, 4 assists with HPK; 2 games, 1 assist with HPK U20
Almari appeared in three games this week and recorded one assist.
Ryan Jones
Size: 6-2/186
Drafted: 2016, fourth round
Team: Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA)
Season totals: 24 games, 7 assists
Jones played in two games this week and registered two assists.
Zachary Lauzon
Size: 6-1/187
Drafted: 2017, second round
Team: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
Season totals: None
Lauzon, who has been rehabbing from the neck injury he sustained last season, will not play this season. He was not able to resume skating with the team. The Huskies announced that Lauzon will remain around the team for the remainder of the season and will travel with his teammates.
If the Penguins wish to retain Lauzon’s rights, they would have to sign him this summer. That won’t happen. Lauzon’s time as a Penguins prospect is most likely over, if not his entire career.
Antti Palojarvi
Size: 6-1/176
Drafted: 2017, sixth round
Team: Lukko (Liiga), Lukko U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)
Season totals: 16 games, 2 assists with Lukko; 29 games, 4 goals, 9 assists with Lukko U20
Palojarvi did not play this week. He was assigned to SaPKo of the Mestis league, the second-highest level of men's hockey in Finland.
Lukko announced that the plan is for Palojarvi to remain with SaPKo for the remainder of the season, but they still have the opportunity to recall him if he is needed.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 5-11/182
Drafted: 2017, third round
Team: Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 24 games, 1 goal, 7 assists
Phillips was scoreless in two games.
William Reilly
Size: 6-2/197
Drafted: 2017, seventh round
Team: Rensselaer Polytech (NCAA)
Season totals: 21 games, 4 goal, 9 assists
Reilly was scoreless in two games this week.
GOALTENDERS
Alex D’Orio
Size: 6-2/209
Drafted: Undrafted
Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
Season totals: 33 games (12-20), 3.92 goals against average, .888 save percentage
D'Orio played in two wins this week, including his first game in Saint John since being traded to Baie-Comeau.