Ryan Yessie's Thoughts on Kitchener from February 25

Ryan's been a busy Sarnia Sting season ticket holder in recent weeks. Here's his report from Kitchener's visit to Sarnia last week.

"Sarnia kept it close, but Kitchener runs away with it in the 3rd period for a 7 to 3 victory.






Charlie Dodero - #2 - D - YOB: 1992 - 6‘1” - 195lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Report: Feb/25/10: Dodero was a bit noticeable this game. He played a physical game, which he is just a couple inches and a few pounds off of being a force with that style of game. He has displayed decent positioning, and decent puck movement. Neither of which seem to be a strength but both were good for a rookie. However when this game was already put away by Kitchener, either being too aggressive or a bad read of the play resulted in Dodero laying out Brandon Fransisco without possession of the puck, which was succeeded by a period of Sarnia’s enforcers running around on the Rangers players, so that extra hit was ultimately not a good choice by Dodero. Dodero is a late 1992 so we will have one more year to take a look at him before he is up for the draft.
(Dodero was +2)

John Moore - #7 - D - YOB: 1990 - 6‘2” - 195lbs.
NHL: 1^st Round - 21^st Overall by Columbus in 2009
Report: Feb/25/10: I finally got a good look at John Moore. His skating is not quite as advertised, but still among the best in the league. Personally my perception was like a 6’2” Mark Katic but regardless Moore has great speed with an almost effortless stride and is one of the best in the OHL this year. Moore’s puck movement as well as first pass is as you’ll find in the OHL. What I noticed however is that Moore doesn’t usually force a play and get caught because of it. When the play was done he was willing and able to get back and play in his own zone. Moore faced a lot of comparisons to Carlson who played for London last year. The two big differences, is that Moore doesn’t pinch at the frequency that Carlson does, and Moore appears to be a lot more reliable in his own zone. Moore will likely be playing pro next year, and may need an extra year of seasoning before he makes the jump to the NHL full time.
(Moore had 1A, 2 PIM)

Ryan Murphy - #24 - D - YOB: 1993 - 5‘11” - 160lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Feb/25/10: Murphy wasn’t as dynamic as he was last time, but did display good speed, and was alright in his own zone. As a 16 year old Murphy has plenty of time to improve his defensive coverage, positioning is not bad, but he just needs to get stronger, as well as better overall in his side of the red line. Offensively there is little negative to say about Murphy, he moves the puck well, he has a smart shot that he can put on net and get deflected. His size is an issue right now, but being 16 there’s definitely a chance he could grow into a decent size, he just may need some extra development time, but there’s no doubting his top end offensive potential going forward.
(Murphy had 2A, +4)

Jeff Skinner - #53 - C - YOB: 1992 - 5‘10” - 197lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Feb/25/10: Skinner played solid again as he has every other time this year. He displayed a lot more offensive drive than last time, where he was back on defence on first turnover. Skinner looked willing to play in the corners, and Skinner just had an endless effort the whole game. Skinner continues to look solid in all 3 zones, although he’s not the biggest, or the quickest he’s always playing with an endless amount of effort, and never quits on the play no matter what zone it’s in. Combine that with an excellent pro shot, and no real weaknesses Skinner is a very good prospect for this years draft.
(Skinner had 1G, 1A, +1)

Jeremy Morin - #61 - LW - YOB: 1991 - 6‘1” - 196lbs.
NHL: 2^nd Round - 45^th Overall by Atlanta in 2009
Report: Feb/25/10: This was also the first time I got a good look at Jeremy Morin. He looked very good out there, he has a lot of size, I believe he’s bigger than his actual 6’1” - 196lb. Listing. He showed a willingness to hit, although he didn’t spend much time going into the corners, he has some decent puck control, and as advertised his shot has got to be one of the best in the league, he can really let it fly. Morin’s skating must have improved, because I’ve heard some bad things, but it didn’t really seem to impede him at all in terms of getting involved in the play. He’s not as assertive defensively than offensively, but that is another part of his game that could be improved gradually. Overall I’m impressed with Morin’s play tonight.
(Morin had 1A, +2)

Gabriel Landeskog - #92 - RW - YOB: 1992 - 6‘0” - 201lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Feb/25/10: Landeskog played with a lot of intensity during this game. He was hitting plenty, and he drove the puck to the net. When the net option wasn’t available he would practically plow through the defensive coverage and work his way to the corner or behind the net, either way puck protection is a big part of Landeskog’s game. Landeskog displays a solid shot and really seems to have embraced the North American style of hockey, and could be one of the few European power forwards available, but due to his late birth date Landeskog will have to wait until 2011.
(Landeskog had 1G, +2)

Brandon Maxwell - #30 - G - YOB: 1991 - 6‘1” - 193lbs.
NHL: 6^th Round - 154^th Overall by Colorado in 2009
Report: Feb/25/10: Maxwell was having trouble handling the puck and it was more of Sarnia’s miscues on scoring chances rather than Maxwell’s strong goaltending that kept the Sting down to only 2 goals. Maxwell appeared to be fighting the puck most of the game. His positioning was spot on, but even the easy shots a lot of the time came out as rebounds. His ability to recover on second and third chances seems questionable as he can save the angles, but he really looks down and out for the most part when these come up. After the hype that preceded Maxwell’s OHL career expectations may be a little unfair, because he is not performing at the top level that was expected from him.
(Maxwell stopped 32 of 35 shots)