Rangers prospect report Dec. 15-21… Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, my friends!

From the NYR:

2015 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP:
Prior to the start of the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship on Dec. 26, each team in the tournament played exhibition games during the past week. Here is a look at how some of the Rangers prospects fared in those contests:
Anthony Duclair (photo above), RW, Team Canada – Duclair tallied two points (one goal, one assist), including the game-winning goal, in Team Canada’s 5-2 victory over Team Sweden on Dec. 21. Duclair has skated on Team Canada’s top line alongside Sam Reinhart and Max Domi thus far, and the trio created a significant amount of scoring chances in each of Team Canada’s two pre-tournament games.
Click here for highlights of Team Canada’s win over Team Sweden, including Duclair’s goal, which begins at the 1:02 mark: http://www.tsn.ca/video/wjhc-sweden-2-canada-5-1.165617
Brandon Halverson, G, Team USA – Halverson stopped all six shots he faced while playing in the first half of Team USA’s 5-2 victory over Boston University on Dec. 19.

THREE STARS OF THE WEEK:
Ryan Graves, D, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) – Graves tallied his first career QMJHL hat trick and tied a single-game QMJHL career-high with three points in Quebec’s 7-3 victory over Rimouski on Dec. 18. He extended his point streak to three games (four goals, two assists, plus-five rating over the span) and he has recorded a point in six of the last eight contests (six goals, five assists, plus-seven rating over the span).
The Rangers’ fourth round pick (110th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft enters the QMJHL’s holiday break tied for fourth among defensemen in the league with a career-high seven goals this season. Graves leads all QMJHL defensemen in goals per game (0.41) and ranks fourth among QMJHL defensemen in points per game (0.88) in 2014-15. Graves is also tied for first among QMJHL defensemen in goals since he made his season debut on Nov. 7.
The 6-4, 220-pounder leads Remparts defensemen in points per game, is tied for fifth on the team in plus/minus rating (plus-10), and ranks sixth on the team in goals this season.
2014-15 QMJHL TOTALS: 17 GP, 7-8-15, +10 RATING, 20 PIM

Daniel Walcott (photo right), D, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL) – Walcott recorded a power play assist in Blainville-Boisbriand’s 6-3 victory over Gatineau on Dec. 18. The Armada captain has tallied four assists/points in the last four games.
Walcott enters the QMJHL’s holiday break tied for seventh in the league – and tied for third among QMJHL defensemen – in power play assists (14) this season. Since he made his season debut on Oct. 10, Walcott is tied for fourth among QMJHL defensemen in assists (17).
The Armada captain has tallied a point in 15 of 25 games this season and he has notched an assist in 14 of those contests. He is tied for second on Blainville-Boisbriand in assists and ranks fourth on the team in points (19) and plus/minus rating (plus-12) in 2014-15. The Armada have posted a 17-4-4 record with Walcott in the lineup this season after starting the year 2-6-1 without him.
2014-15 QMJHL TOTALS: 25 GP, 2-17-19, +12 RATING, 24 PIM

Oscar Lindberg, C, Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) – Lindberg tallied the primary assist on the game-winning, overtime goal in the Wolf Pack’s 2-1 victory over Lehigh Valley on Dec. 20. He also recorded 11 shots on goal in Hartford’s two games this past week.
The 23-year-old has notched a point in three of the last four games (one goal, two assists, plus-two rating over the span), and he has registered at least five shots on goal in each of those four contests (22 shots on goal during the four games). Lindberg ranks second on the Wolf Pack in goals (nine), points (18), and shots on goal (76), and is tied for third on the team in assists (nine) this season.
2014-15 AHL TOTALS: 29 GP, 9-9-18, -1 RATING, 28 PIM

EMERGING FROM THE PACK:
Notes from the Wolf Pack’s two contests over the past week:

Mackenzie Skapski stopped 22 of 24 shots he faced on Dec. 19 vs. Syracuse. The 20-year-old has allowed two goals or fewer in seven of 12 AHL starts this season and he has posted a save percentage of .900 or better in nine of the 12 starts.
Mat Bodie recorded an assist on the game-winning, overtime goal on Dec. 20 vs. Lehigh Valley. He is tied for third among AHL rookie defensemen in assists (11) and points (13) in 2014-15.

QUICK HITS:
Troy Donnay, D, Erie Otters (OHL) – Donnay notched an assist and posted a plus-one rating in Erie’s 4-3 overtime loss against Guelph on Dec. 20. In 21 games this season, he has tallied 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) and has posted a plus-20 rating. He ranks second among Otters defensemen in points per game (0.71) this season.
Ryan Mantha, D, Niagara IceDogs (OHL) – Mantha tallied a goal in Niagara’s 8-7 victory over Owen Sound on Dec. 18. He is tied for third among IceDogs defensemen in goals (two) since returning to the lineup on Nov. 27.
Tyler Nanne, D, Madison Capitols (USHL) – Nanne tallied the first goal of the game, tied for the game-high with five shots on goal, and posted a plus-two rating in Madison’s 5-1 victory over Cedar Rapids on Dec. 19. He posted a plus-five rating in two games this past week. Nanne has tallied six points (four goals, two assists) and has posted a plus-seven rating in nine games since being acquired by the Capitols.

QUOTEBOOK:
“They have a lot of chemistry out there. At times they were very dominant.” – Team Canada Head Coach Benoit Groulx on the line of Anthony Duclair, Sam Reinhart, and Max Domi

“He has size and his skating has gotten stronger. He’s got great hockey sense and passing ability, and he possesses a strong shot.” – Rangers Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark on Adam Tambellini

Photo top (Anthony Duclair and Max Domi), by the Canadian Press.

Photo right (Daniel Wagordlcott) from the Rangers.