It's that time of year again.
We're still a few weeks away from playoff hockey in the junior and pro ranks, but the postseason is in full swing in the college game.
A handful of the Penguins' college prospects' teams have already been eliminated from the playoffs: Forwards Liam Gorman (Princeton) and Chase Yoder (Providence), and defensemen Daniel Laatsch (Wisconsin) and Clayton Phillips (Penn State).
Among the Penguins' college prospects, only Phillips was in his final year of college eligibility. I wouldn't expect him to be signed by the Penguins, at least to an NHL contract.
The seasons for Gorman (junior), Yoder (sophomore) and Laatsch (freshman) ended early, but they'll be going back to school next year.
Two of the Penguins' college prospects are still playing. Here's what's up next for them:
Tristan Broz, freshman, Minnesota: After eliminating Penn State in the semifinal round, Minnesota will host Michigan in the Big Ten Championship on Saturday.
Judd Caulfield, junior North Dakota: After sweeping Colorado College 2-0 in the semifinal round, North Dakota will play Western Michigan on Friday in the NCHC semifinal round.
In case you missed it, Broz and Caulfield were among the prospects I asked director of player development Scott Young about last week. He had some encouraging things to say about both.
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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
Age: 20
Team: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Season totals: 36 games, 10 goals, 27 assists
Ansons added three assists in three games. One of the assists came off of this nice chance Ansons had in front of the net that was stopped, with a teammate picking up the rebound:
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Age: 19
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 32 games, 5 goals, 5 assists
Broz was scoreless and recorded one shot and one roughing minor in the win to eliminate Penn State. Minnesota will face Michigan next in the Big Ten championship round.
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Age: 20
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 37 games, 10 goals, 9 assists
Caulfield recorded two assists in two games this week as North Dakota advancing to the NCHC semifinal round with a 2-0 sweep of Colorado College. North Dakota will face Western Michigan next.
Jordan Frasca
Position: Center
Size: 6-2/184
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 20
Team: Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Season totals: 50 games, 36 goals, 39 assists
Frasca scored two goals and three assists in three games this week.
This goal rang off the far post and in:
This one came off of a tip on the power play:
He had a great individual effort on this assist:
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Age: 21
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 3 goals, 3 assists
Princeton's season ended in the first round of the ECAC playoffs with a loss to Union.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Age: 20
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season totals: 46 games, 23 goals, 36 assists
Svejkovsky recorded three assists in two games.
This one was a pretty nice feed:
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 19
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 38 games, 10 goals, 11 assists (regular season), 8 games, 1 goal, 1 assist (playoffs)
Tankov was scoreless in two playoff games as SKA-Neva began the second round of the playoffs. That series is currently tied 1-1.
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Age: 19
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 38 games, 5 goals, 6 assists
Yoder was scoreless as Providence was eliminated from the Hockey East playoffs by UMass.
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Age: 21
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
Age: 23
Team: Lukko (Liiga)
Season totals: 11 games, 1 goal, 1 assist (AHL), 6 games, 4 assists (ECHL), 10 games, 1 assist (Liiga)
Almari was scoreless in three games and recorded his first assist with Lukko since the loan.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Age: 19
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 47 games, 5 goals, 18 assists
Belliveau recorded one goal and one assist in three games.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 20
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 1 goal, 2 assists
Wisconsin was eliminated by Notre Dame in the Big Ten playoffs.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 18
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 53 games, 6 goals, 21 assists
McCleary recorded one assist in four games.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Age: 22
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 32 games, 5 goals, 7 assists
Penn State was eliminated by Minnesota in the Big Ten semifinal round, ending Phillips' college career. Phillips was scoreless and a plus-1 in the final game, having missed the three previous games with an injury.
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Age: 20
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 18 games, 1.23 GAA, .946 SV% (Liiga), 4 games, 2.26 GAA, .882 SV% (Mestis)
Blomqvist played in one game and recorded yet another shutout, stopping all 18 shots faced. It was his fifth shutout of the season.
Calle Clang
Size: 6-2/176
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, third round
Age: 19
Team: Rogle (SHL)
Season totals: 15 games, 2.53 GAA, .901 SV%
Clang played in two games this week. He stopped 28 of 32 shots on Tuesday. His other game came on Saturday, when he played 1:46 to open the second period before Rogle's starter came back in. He stopped all two shots in that span.
Taylor Gauthier
Size: 6-2/208
Catches: Right
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 21
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 33 games, 2.23 GAA, .932 SV%
Gauthier played in four games this week, two sets of back-to-backs. He stopped 27 of 31 shots in a loss on Tuesday, then 26 of 28 in a win the following night. He made a season-high 51 saves on 53 shots as well as all seven shootout attempts in a win on Friday, then stopped 18 of 20 in a relief appearance on Saturday.