Young Wild Tracker: Sam Anas shows off speed, hockey smarts
With signees and draft picks spread out across two continents and more than a dozen junior leagues, keeping up with the Minnesota Wild's various prospects can be a daunting task.
From managing streaming plans and tracking down cable channels, to learning a few new languages (Puhutko suomea?), keeping tabs on the next generation can be a full-time job.
FOX Sports North has you covered.
From Finland to Fargo, we're breaking down the stats and bringing you a comprehensive look at the Wild's prospect pipeline each and every week.
So, let's take a look at the week that was in the latest edition of the Young Wild Tracker.
Sam Anas, RW, Iowa (AHL)
It's been slow going for Anas in his first pro season, but the Quinnipiac product flashed his intriguing skillset last week. He scored a pair of power play goals in the Iowa Wild's 5-1 win over the Texas Stars for the first multi-goal game of his pro career. Anas scored on a breakaway in the first period, before moving up top on another power play chance in the third. Anas drifted in from the right point, beating a Texas defender with a nifty little toe drag, then scoring on a blistering wrist shot. A coveted undrafted free agent last summer, Anas was a point-per-game player in college thanks to the same combination of slick hands and a wicked shot that he showed off on that second goal.
Alex Tuch, C, Iowa (AHL)
Teemu Pulkkinen still leads Iowa in scoring after being traded to Arizona a month ago, but Tuch should change that fairly soon. He snapped a five-game scoring drought last week, scoring three goals in Iowa's two-game set against the Texas Stars. His first goal was a nice, long wrist shot from the top of the left circle. He stuffed in another goal in the first game, then made a nice move below the goal line in Iowa's second game against Texas, drifting away from the front of the net as Pat Cannone created some space in the left circle, before darting back out in front to stuff home his third in just two games.
Jordan Greenway, LW, Boston University (Hockey East)
The fiercest rivalry on the East Coast returns this weekend, as the Terriers take on Boston College in the Hockey East semifinals at TD Gahhhden. The Terriers battled back from a pair of two-goal deficits to sweep Boston-area rivals Northeastern in the semifinals, and Greenway came through to complete the comeback. Greenway trailed Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson into the zone after a turnover at center ice, drifting into the low slot with a Huskies forward a few steps behind and burying the game-winner on a wrist shot in overtime. The play starts at the 2:05 mark of the video. Watch and scratch your head as junior Nolan Stevens (No. 21 in black) realizes a bit too late that he's allowed a second-round draft pick to glide uncovered into prime scoring position.
https://youtu.be/bd359yPt_zg?t=2m5s
