In the System: Caulfield heating up in junior season

Penguins forward prospect Judd Caulfield is heating up at the right time of the year in his junior season at North Dakota.

Caulfield, the Penguins' fifth-round pick, has three goals in his last three games. After scoring four goals in both his freshman in sophomore seasons, he's up to seven goals on the year and 12 points, a mark that ties his previous career-high.

Caulfield's first goal last week was this one-timer on a power play:

Caulfield's been mostly playing down low on North Dakota's top power play unit this season, a role he said he feels "pretty comfortable" in 

"That’s a spot I played in a little bit last year," Caulfield told the Grand Forks Herald last month. "I like being down low. It works to my strengths. I’m a bigger body, so I can get in front of the goalie’s eyes. (Riese) Gaber always finds his spots when he shoots, so it’s kind of nice getting to be out there on the power play."

Caulfield's other goal last week came on a redirect:

Caulfield's goal this week was an impressive one. He went coast-to-coast shorthanded, powering his way past a Colorado College defenseman then popping the puck over the shoulder of the goaltender:

Caulfield, listed at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, has played both wings this season for North Dakota. When he was drafted, he described himself as "a big guy."

"I like to use my body to my advantage," he said of his game. "I like working pucks down low. I can play in the D zone well, and PK, too."

It seems likely that Caulfield would return to North Dakota for his senior season, in which case it'd be another year before he turns pro. He's an intriguing big-bodied, power forward-type prospect to keep an eye on in the meantime.

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Here's how the Penguins' prospects in junior, college, and Europe did this week:

FORWARDS

Raivis Ansons
Position: Right wing/left wing
Size: 6-1/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Season totals: 24 games, 7 goals, 20 assists

Ansons recorded one assist in his three games this week. His first of the three games was as a first-line left wing, followed by third-line left wing in the second game, and second-line right wing in the third game.

Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 27 games, 4 goal, 2 assists

Broz played in two games this week and scored his fourth goal of the season.

After a slow start to his college career, Broz now has 3 goals in his last 5 games. After spending much of the season on the second and third lines, he was bumped up to first-line left wing for both games this week.

Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 29 games, 7 goal, 5 assists

Caulfield scored one goal in two games this week on the left wing of North Dakota's second line.

Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 21 games, 2 goal, 2 assist

Gorman was scoreless in his only game this week. He's played third-line center most of the season, but was second-line left wing this week.

Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season totals: 34 games, 19 goals, 28 assists

Svejkovsky scored three goals and two assists in two games this week.

He had two goals in the first game of the week, this was the first:

His second goal that night was this redirect:

He had one goal in the Thunderbirds' second game of the week:

Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 36 games, 9 goals, 10 assists

Tankov recorded an assist in two games this week, centering SKA-Neva's third line.

Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 32 games, 4 goal, 5 assists

Yoder was scoreless in his only game this week, centering Providence's third line.

DEFENSEMEN

Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Team: Ilves (Liiga), KOOVEE (Mestis)
Season totals: 2 games (Mestis)

Airola missed the start of the Liiga season with a lower-body injury. His team announced on Oct. 14 that Airola underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 months.

Niclas Almari
Size: 6-1/180
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2016, fifth round
Team: Lukko (Liiga)
Season totals: 11 games, 1 goal, 1 assist (AHL), 6 games, 4 assists (ECHL), 0 games (Liiga)

I'm adding Almari to this feature after the Penguins assigned Almari to the Finnish club Lukko this week. He hasn't played a game yet for his Finnish club, he just arrived there on Monday:

Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 33 games, 2 goal, 12 assists

Belliveau played in two games this week and scored a goal and two assists.

Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 25 games, 2 assists

Laatsch was injured two weeks ago and remained sidelined this week. 

Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 41 games, 6 goals, 14 assists

McCleary scored two goals and an assist in three games this week. Both goals came in the same game, a game in which he was bumped up to the Winterhawks' top defense pairing:

Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 5 goal, 7 assists

Penn State didn't play this week.

Phillips is one of three Penn State players nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, awarded annually to the top player in college hockey. Voting is here and runs through March 6.

GOALTENDERS

Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 12 games, 1.28 GAA, .941 SV% (Liiga), 4 games, 2.26 GAA, .882 SV% (Mestis)

Blomqvist played in one game and allowed three goals on 20 shots in a loss to Lukko.

Calle Clang
Size: 6-2/176
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, third round
Team: Rogle (SHL)
Season totals: 10 games, 2.46 GAA, .905 SV%

Clang dressed as backup this week.