Swift Current on rapid rise: CHL Hot & Cold

Last March's Glovegate game, in which an uncalled glove pass led to an unreviewable overtime winning goal, is no longer fresh with the Swift Current Broncos.

The small-market darling has already had one rematch this season with the Calgary Hitmen, who used that il-gotten goal to go on to five-game first-round win last spring. Nevertheless, it works for narrative purposes. Led by Calgary Flames pick Coda Gordon and the Dillon Heatherington/Julius Honka first defence pairing, Swift Current has a Western League-best eight-game win streak ahead of week where it will visit the Stampede City on Friday night.

Here's a look at who is hot and cold heading into the week.

OHL

Hot: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Pittsburgh Penguins-drafted goalie Matt Murray comes into this week on a high after stopping 124-of-132 shots (.939 save percentage) during the Soo's current four-game win streak. It's all roses in the Northern Ontario city. Coach Sheldon Keefe's 'Hounds aren't a perimeter team per se, yet they have been short-handed the fewest times in the league (4.2 per game) and have the second-most efficient penalty kill after the Erie Otters. Throw in overage Tyler Gaudet, who was a 19-year-old in Junior A 12 months ago, signing with the Phoenix Coyotes and it's all on the up-and-up.

Like last week's hot team, the Oshawa Generals, the 'Hounds also face a weekend game at Erie. Oshawa showed well in the contest, getting shaded 3-2.

Not: Ottawa 67's

Fittingly, since owner Jeff Hunt is a little focused on the Ottawa Redblacks' kickoff season next summer, the 67's had two results on home ice that resembled bad CFL halftime scores: 7-1 loss to Oshawa, 7-3 setback vs. Sarnia. Those were followed by a home-ice shootout loss to the 20th-place Kitchener Rangers where it took 48 saves from overage goalie Philippe Trudeau just to earn the charity point. That was probably a game Ottawa had circled for a sure two, in light of the fact coach-GM Chris Byrne pitched his starter instead of trusting understudy Jacob Blair.

Ottawa, ideally, should be committed a to rebuild until it moves back into the cozy Civic Centre in 2014-15. There is no knowing whether a shake-up would light a metaphorical fire or simply be a shuffle of deck chairs, although people are starting to wonder in the national capital region. Significant injuries to defencemen Michael Vlajkov (done for the season after having shoulder surgery), Taylor Davis (brain injury) and Adrian Sloboda (ankle) have hurt the cause for Ottawa, whose only two wins in their past nine games have come over the Peterborough Petes.

Canadian NHL team prospects

Bo Horvat, London (No. 9 by Vancouver in '13) — The Knights have taken nine-of-10 possible points and Horvat has 10 points in five games during 'Bovember.' (Thanks, try the veal.) The 18-year-old is earning acclaim as the OHL's best faceoff taker — shame the league doesn't disclose stats on that all-important area of the game — and should be in the Team Canada discussion.

Scott Kosmachuk, Guelph (No. 70 by Winnipeg Jets in '12) — Kosmachuk has been prone to the odd dry spell; he went goal-less for five games before potting one vs. Plymouth on Sunday. Guelph is going to face some challenges as teams sell out to put bodies into passing lanes and in front of shots. It's all about adjustments.

Connor Crisp, Sudbury (No. 71 by Montreal Canadiens in '13) — The Wolves are on a respectable 5-3-0-2 spurt over their last 10 games, but Crisp has now gone nine games without a point.

Connor Brown, Erie (No. 156 by Toronto Maple Leafs in '12) — No. 28 on the Otters' roster has pretty much built a house in this space. The 19-year-old has been an effective finisher for Erie, scoring two more goals during a Veterans Day win to up his OHL-best point total to 42 in 20 games.

QMJHL

Hot: Halifax Mooseheads

Whatever injury MacKenzie Weegar suffered during a fight two weeks in Gatineau made the Mooseheads mad enough to take it out on the league; they have won four in a row and 12-of-16 to climb up into third overall. Holding up on the back end minus Weegar is no mean feat for a replenished D corps now helmed by heretofore overshadowed overage Brendan Duke, 19-year-old Austyn Hardie and 18-year-old Matt Murphy, who are each pulling down a lot more shifts than they were last season. Jesse Lussier, a 19-year-old signed out of the same Central Canada Hockey League circuit as Weegar, has also been a find, offering size at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds. Lussier's plus-12 on the year.

(Am I the only person who has trouble keeping the Mooseheads' Jacob Jacques and the Mississauga Steelheads' Jacob Jammes straight?)

Not: Moncton Wildcats

A Wednesday visit from a strong Rimouski Océanic side should be a good test of Moncton's belly fire, which could be presumed to be wanting after its 0-2 weekend. The 'Cats were held in check during a shutout loss to aforementioned Halifax, then failed to hold a lead two days hence against the Gatineau Olympiques. Gatineau was on the home leg of a 3-in-3 roadie to Atlantic Canada, yet had more in the tank than Moncton.

Canadian NHL team prospects

Frédérik Gauthier, Rimouski (No. 21 by Calgary Flames in '13) — The wow factor is not always easily discernible with a two-way centre. Gauthier had three apples in two games after being banged-up and missing a couple games. The Océanic wheeling in 18-year-old Patrik Zdrahal could really benefit Gauthier, who set up both of the Czech's goals in a win on Sunday.

Émile Poirier, Gatineau (No. 22 by Calgary Flames in '13) — Poirier, who's fourth in Q scoring, had a nice weekend with five points in three games whilst helping the 'Piques go 2-1. The 19-year-old has enjoyed a great synergy with Montreal Canadiens fourth-rounder Martin Reway. All of his scoring came after the pair had a game to adjust after losing another Canadian NHL team pick, Ottawa Senators fourth-rounder Vincent Dunn, to a broken ankle.

Zachary Fucale, Halifax (No. 36 by Montreal Canadiens in '13) — Selective memory means focusing more on Fucale's good game, a 25-save shutout vs. Moncton, then on the hit his stats took during a 7-5 game vs. struggling Saint John. That boxscore screams sloppy game.

WHL

Hot: Swift Current Broncos

Led by their 1-2 combo of Gordon (30 points, ninth in the Dub) and Graham Black (28, good for 13th), Swift Current is riding an eight-game win streak into a Kootenay-Calgary-Edmonton gantlet this week. (The first of those games is at home.)

The Broncos, who boast the league's best power play at 28.1 per cent, have been spreading around the scoring, with youngsters such as rookie left wing Jake DeBrusk (four points last Friday vs. Brandon) chipping in on nearly any random night.

Rob Pettapiece's ranking posits that Swift Current has had the 12th-toughest schedule, which suggests the Broncos' recent run isn't build on the backs of weaker teams. Is it fair to presume Connor Sanvido has been everything coach-GM Mark Lamb could have asked for in an overage right wing? Sanvido is a top-niner rather than a top-sixer, but has 25 points and is a team-best plus-16 across 23 games.

Not: Seattle Thunderbirds

Seattle has spun out, losing four in a row an aggregate 20-8 and ... whoa, they have a roadie at Portland later Tuesday. It seems like a Murphy's Law deal — have zero to show for a game effort one night, come out sleepwalking the next. The Thunderbirds' upcoming schedule might be conducive to needing to brush up on the basics; they play back-to-back each of the next three weekends, but are mostly unencumbered throughout the weeks. Steve Konowalchuk will have a lot of time to find something that works.

Canadian NHL team prospects

Josh Morrissey, Prince Albert (No. 13 by Winnipeg in '13) — The Raiders' current 0-2-1-0 slide has bumped them down to sixth in the Eastern Conference. Morrissey, though, scored two goals in three games last week and wasn't on for any of the goals against when Medicine Hat made a rally to beat P.A.. The swift-skating Raiders captain is sixth in defenceman scoring.

Morrissey, incidentally, has a tough lot as a football fan. He hails from Calgary, whose Stampeders are hosting the CFL Western Division final on Sunday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, representing the province where he is based. Plus he is property of the Winnipeg Jets, whose fans are likely to resent the 'Riders.

Timothé Bozon, Kootenay (No. 64 by Montreal in '12) — Perhaps reverting to his full name will have Bozon discover that European flair. He showed a flash of it on Monday with a two-point effort that helped the Ice clip the Calgary Hitmen.

Keegan Kanzig, Victoria (No. 67 by Calgary in '13) — Kanzig is listed as day-to-day after sustaining a head injury during a fight with the Edmonton Oil Kings

Brett Kulak, Vancouver (No. 105 by Calgary in '12) — The 19-year-old Stony Plain, Alta., native has come along the way he was projected two seasons ago, when he represented the Giants in the CHL Top Prospects Game. A smart, two-way defenceman, Kulak's 23 points in 22 games are fourth in the defenceman scoring race.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet. Please address any questions, comments or concerns to btnblog@yahoo.ca.