Pekarcik returns from injury; Mrsic breaks out after rare dry spell; Stancl gets back to producing

It was quite the week for St. Louis Blues prospect Dalibor Dvorsky.

After making headlines as the lone teenager at the AHL All-Star weekend in Coachella Valley last weekend, the No. 10 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft returned to Springfield of the American Hockey League and picked up where he left off.

In two games against Providence on Friday and Saturday, Dvorsky recorded four points (one goal, three assists), including an empty-net goal and two assists when the Thunderbirds scored four times in the third period of a 5-2 win on Saturday.

Dvorsky, who has 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 40 games, now has a four-game point and assist streak (two goals, five assists).

Dvorsky set up two goals scored in the game by Nikita Alexandrov (2019, second round), who had two goals and an assist on Saturday:

* Pekarcik returns, missed three games with injury -- Forward Juraj Pekarcik (2023, third round) was back in action this past week when he returned on Thursday after missing three games with an undisclosed injury to play in back to back to back games.

Pekarcik had a goal on Friday and two assists on Saturday for Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

He scored Friday in a 6-0 win against Saint John:

And then there was a two-assist night for Pekarcik, who is up to 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 40 games, on Saturday in a 5-3 loss against Charlottetown:

* Stancl producing after dry spell -- Jakub Stancl (2023, fourth round) was back on the scoresheet again after a rare three-game dry spell.

Stancl, who went through his first stretch of no points in three consecutive games (Jan. 29-Feb. 1), was back producing again with four points (two goals, two assists) in four games for Kelowna of the Western Hockey League.

He scored a shorthanded goal to open the scoring on Tuesday, then added an assist in a 7-3 loss against Victoria:

Stancl also ripped this one-timer Wednesday to cut a deficit to 3-2 in a 5-2 loss against Victoria:

Stancl is now up to 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 41 games this season.

* Mrsic produces in big way Saturday -- It's rare that Tomas Mrsic is left off the scoresheet.

But that's just what the 2024 fourth-round pick was left with when for the second time this season, the forward went two games with no points.

But on Saturday, Mrsic got back to his scoring ways with a goal and three assists for Prince Albert of the WHL, including setting up Lukas Dragicevic with the game-winner in overtime of a 5-4 win against Medicine Hat:

There was this breakaway goal to open the scoring against the team Mrsic played for the previous three seasons, which was his 30th of the season, the first time Mrsic has hit that mark:

Mrsic leads the Raiders in points (72) and goals (30) and is third in assists (42) in just 46 games and is on pace for 101 points (42 goals, 59 assists). 

* Jecho's big game -- Until Saturday, the previous five games for forward Adam Jecho (2024, third round) had produced only one goal.

Jecho scored twice as part of a four-goal third period for Edmonton in its 6-3 win against Moose Jaw in WHL action to give Jecho 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 39 games for the Oil Kings.

* Stenberg scores -- Otto Stenberg (2023, No. 25 overall) is now up to six points (two goals, four assists) in 10 games since joining Springfield.

The forward scored this goal off the rush Saturday against Providence that proved to be the game-winner: