Game Report: Majors and Battalion from November 5

There is nothing better than taking in a GTA battle between the Mississauga Majors and Brampton Battalion, so I headed to the Hershey Centre last night to take in the action.

It was definitely an entertaining and spirited affair (as are most meetings between Missy and Brampton). Lots of hitting, lots of fighting and lots of angst filled ruffling after the whistle. There was a lot of end to end action offensively, however perhaps in a negative way. Neither team could really get their offensive game going. Pucks were getting dumped in, but the cycle and possession game wasn't really working for either team, so it was simply a game of end to end action with few definitive scoring chances.

The Majors ended up winning the game by a score of 3 to 1. They got a couple of goals off loose pucks in front of the net and in the slot (by Derek Shoenmakers and Devante Smith-Pelly), and finished off the Battalion in a third thanks to a Rob Flick shorthanded goal.

Mississauga looked really strong defensively and the newcomers to the team are really starting to up their game and become more accustomed to Dave Cameron's style. The penalty kill looked especially good and the Battalion had a hard enough time gaining possession of the puck on the powerplay, let alone scoring. However, I still can't help but wonder if the Majors have enough offensively to take home the Memorial Cup. It's obvious that Cameron isn't tremendously happy with the play of the left wing slot on his first line with Casey Cizikas and Devante Smith-Pelly. Riley Brace and Mika Partanen traded shifts there, but I'm not sure either is the long term answer. I also can't help but wonder what a quality puck rushing, offensive defenseman would do to help *cough,* Ryan Ellis, *cough.*

The biggest thing you notice about Brampton is how good their young defense is...and will be. In two years, this could be the best defense in the OHL. Wind, Auld, Abraham, McIvor, Blujus and Bell are all young and playing quite well.

Here are some individual player thoughts:

Brampton Battalion

#2 - Jordan Auld (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Auld plays in all situations for the Battalion and definitely sees a lot of ice time. He particularly looked good working the point on the PP with Spencer Abraham as he moved the puck well at the blueline. He also looked good defending off the rush and was able to neutralize the Majors attack. He did have a couple turnovers trying to do too much with the puck while trying to push the play up ice. Part of that could have been him trying to take some chances in order to get his team going offensively.

#5 - Spencer Abraham (Draft Eligible in 2011)
I continue to be really impressed with him offensively. He reminds me a lot of Geoffrey Schemitsch in Owen Sound last year. He controls the point very well especially on the powerplay. He's definitely one of the main reasons the Battalion powerplay is statistically one of the strongest in the league. His pass on the powerplay goal by Brampton was excellent, tape to tape cross ice through traffic, great find to Watters who roofed the puck. He also generally made some smart pinches to keep the puck in the zone, although did get burnt once, but came back hard to help negate the 2 on 1 the other way. He didn't see as much ice time 5 on 5, whether that suggests Butler isn't as confident in his defensive ability, I'm not sure.

#7 - Zach Bell (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Bell is very physical, however he was taking himself out of position to make a big hit, which is something that needs to be refined. However, for a big physical defender, he seems to be pretty mobile and defended off the rush well when he wasn't going for the big hit.

#10 - Philip Lane (Drafted by Carolina in 2010)
Lane has been a statistical disappointment so far this season. He was someone I was impressed with last year and thought he had the tools to really develop offensively, however there wasn't much there to speak of tonight. He wasn't really a factor.

#16 - Sam Carrick (Drafted by Toronto in 2010)
Carrick was probably Brampton's most dangerous offensive forward. He was working hard to get possession of the puck and often comes out of scrums with it on his stick. He had a great fight with Rob Flick, that lasted at least a minute and saw both players trading shots. It was a good time to fight as his team had just gone down 1-0 and had looked completely flat. However, he took a stupid penalty by shooting the puck after the whistle in the third period. Looked like he was just frustrated that none of his teammates were really up to his level last night.

#23 - Barclay Goodrow (Draft Eligible in 2011)
His skating looks better, although his explosiveness will need to continue to improve as he tries to take the puck to the net, but doesn't have the separation speed to get by defenders. However, he needs to be way more physical and lost a lot of battles for loose pucks along the boards. This is something nobody wants to see of a 6'2, 210lbs winger. He might not be playing with a ton of offensive confidence, as he had a couple opportunities to shoot the puck but elected to pass, one on an odd man rush that negated a scoring opportunity. He has a good shot (which I've seen him use previously), just needs to use it. He did drive hard to the net though, but needs to up the consistency of the rest of his physical game.

#31 - Dennis Saikkonen (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Saikkonen is a very athletic goaltender, definitely butterfly style (my first time seeing him play). He moves very well in his crease and made a few nice saves going side to side, especially on Justin Shugg off a feed from Casey Cizikas at the side of the net. Looked like a sure goal, but Saikkonen read the play very well and had the agility to get over to steal a goal. He also sees the puck really well through traffic and is aggressive in coming out to the top of his crease. The big minus appears to be rebound control, as he had a really tough time hanging on to the puck. Derek Shoenmakers goal was off a juicy rebound and he'll need to work on controlling pucks off his upper body in particular.

Mississauga Majors

#2 - Dylan DeMelo (Draft Eligible in 2011)
DeMelo really impressed with his play at both ends of the ice. He played in all situations including the top PK unit with Marc Cantin. He defended really well off the rush, and was physical when he needed to be (including putting down a Brampton player coming over the blueline). He also got into a fight (with Dom Alberga) which shows a scrapyness to his game. DeMelo was also poised in bringing the puck up ice or making a stretch pass and looks to have really refined his game from a year ago when he wasn't making a big enough impact to stick in the OHL as a 16 year old.

#4 - Justin Shugg (Drafted by Carolina in 2010)
Shugg didn't get on the board, but had a good game. He looks more confident with the puck now and is trying to make things happen with the puck on his stick (had a couple of nice end to end rushes into the offensive zone). He was robbed of a goal by Saikkonen (on the aforementioned slide cross crease). But maybe most impressive was that he did an excellent job on the PK and is rounding into a very good two way player.

#5 - Stuart Percy (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Percy played another excellent game. I've heard whispers about scouts worrying about him not having elite skating ability, but I don't see it, I think he moves well. He defends very well off the rush. He had a couple of one on one opportunities which he shrugged off, in particular one against Stephon Thorne, where he stayed with Thorne, didn't let him pass and then Thorne got a weak shot off which went behind the net, but Percy stayed in front of him and angled him off of getting his rebound too and sent the puck away up the ice the other way. He's also physical when he needs to be, not afraid to throw a good hit (a dimension added to his game this year). He did have a few turnovers in his own end when trying to force passes up ice, so he'll need to be more careful and pick his spots better.

#11 - Casey Cizikas (Drafted by NYI in 2009)
Cizikas did tremendous work on the PK, and is definitely one of the best in the OHL. One thing I've noticed this year is that he has a lot of confidence offensively right now and is starting to become more creative in the offensive end...see the dipsy doodle around a defenseman in the slot to set up Shugg. He has also upped his physical game and is throwing his body around and going hard to the net. Cizikas has transformed himself into one of the most well rounded players in the league. He picked up an assist on Smith-Pelly's goal, but didn't really have any impact on the play per say.

#23 - Devante Smith-Pelly (Drafted by Anaheim in 2010)
He did well to try and get the cycle going, but the Brampton defense did a good job of containing him. He still needs to work on his speed to become a more efficient player off the rush, as he's still largely a complimentary offensive player. He also needs to increase his physical play on every shift, instead of a couple of big hits throughout the game. It's about finding a balance between physical play and offensive creativity, something every physical, yet skilled forward goes through. He did score a nice goal by picking up a loose puck in the slot and hammering it home with a slap shot.

#26 - Rob Flick (Drafted by Chicago in 2010)
It might sound redundant, but great work on the PK. He scored a nice shorty by stealing a pass to the middle of the ice by Kyle Perreira and going in on a breakaway. He's always a physical presence, and had a great fight with Sam Carrick (as mentioned). Offensively he's making things happen through hard work and has showed this year that he has the hands to finish off chances in close to the net.

#34 - J.P. Anderson (Signed by San Jose)
Anderson wasn't really tested tonight at all. Even on the powerplay, Brampton had trouble getting things going. He faced only 19 shots, but the majority were weak and to his pads. The lone goal by Ian Watters was a shot wired top shelf off a cross ice pass. Anderson had no chance.

Sunday Top 10 - Most Improved Players

One thing we often forget about this great league is that the players who play in it are just teenagers (for the majority). They are either still in high school or recently graduated. And as a direct result of their age, they are still maturing; as both individuals and athletes.

For a whole host of different reasons, players in this league can often take gigantic leaps forward in their playing ability from one year to the next. Maybe it's more playing time and increased confidence. Maybe it's a greater focus and commitment to the OHL (e.g. diet, lifestyle, practice habits). Or maybe it's an improvement in an area previously holding them back (e.g. skating). Different strokes for different folks, and as a result every year many OHL players take that step forward from background player to star player (although in some cases, good player to superstar).

With nearly three quarters of the OHL regular season finished, I think it's safe to say who the most improved players are this year. With the exception of some 16 year old rookies, not many guys take that next step forward in the last six weeks of the regular season and playoffs. The following top 10 is dedicated to those who've really taken a step forward in the right direction this year and man was it a tough list to make. So many players have greatly improved this year for the reasons listed above. As a result, I've included several guys in an honorable mention list which I don't always include.

Here's the Top 10 Most Improved Players of the 2009-10 OHL Season...

10. Mike Cazzola - Erie Otters
A tiny center (generously listed at about 5'7), Cazzola didn't really hit his stride until about a month into the season. This corresponds with the formation of one of the hottest and best lines in the OHL (that no one talks about) which is made up of Cazzola, Greg McKegg, and Zack Torquato. Since the beginning of November, Cazzola has 50 points in 34 games which is nearly double the amount he had last season as an energy player for the Otters. While his production increase is no doubt correlated to the chemistry he and his linemates have developed, Cazzola has an equal part in the success. While small, he is fearless in traffic, is a tireless worker, and has the hockey sense that allows him to succeed against larger defenders. As a 1991, he looks to have carved out a very nice OHL career for himself.

9. Vern Cooper - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
When the Hounds acquired the undersized forward from Plymouth at the import draft, I don't think they expected to be getting their top scoring forward for the 2009-10 season. Traded as part of a deal that saw Plymouth move up to 3rd in the Import Draft and the Soo down to 6th, Cooper was essentially a throw in. A strong energy, two way forward for Plymouth since he entered the league in 2006-07, Cooper was a tremendous acquisition for the Hounds. He's been the team's best forward all season long and has transferred his energy into offensive production, on pace to nearly double his best season to date. Best of all, he has been a large reason the Hounds sit 5th in the Western Conference (surprising to some but not to me if you see my preseason predictions). An overager next season, Cooper will no doubt be back in the Soo where he'll likely lead an even stronger and more improved Hounds squad.

8. Mavric Parks - Barrie Colts
Acquired this offseason by Kitchener in exchange for a mid round draft pick, Parks was seen as a veteran back up to the incoming Brandon Maxwell. Little did the Rangers know that they'd be getting one heck of a goaltender, who was stuck in the place good goaltenders go to die (Kingston). Parks immediately showed what he was capable of and has been one of the best goaltenders in the league this season. Not the biggest goaltender, Parks manages to play the angles so well that he gives shooters so little to shoot at. Parks is as technically sound as you can get. As a testament to his improvement, Parks was acquired from Kingston for a 5th rounder, but then traded at the deadline by Kitchener to Barrie for a 5th and a 3rd. The Rangers got 14 wins and a 3rd rounder for free basically. For the rest of the season Parks will play the platoon role with Barrie's Peter Di Salvo and then likely play next season as an overager with another OHL team looking for a hired gun to secure their goaltending position.

7. Casey Cizikas - Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Cizikas had a pretty tough season last year. A former 3rd overall priority draft selection, Cizikas battled through inconsistency and off ice issues. With all of those behind him and a surprising selection inside of the Top 100 of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Cizikas has really blossomed into the player many expected he would this season. He's centering the first line of one of the top teams in the Canadian Hockey League, he's an OHL All Star, and he's developed into one of the best two way players in the Ontario Hockey League. Essentially, any criticisms that scouts had towards him last season have been erased this season. He's playing with passion and it shows. He's on a near point per game pace, and his +30 is 4th among forwards in the OHL, to Taylor Hall, Alex Hutchings, and Eric Wellwood. Pretty good company.

6. Steven Tarasuk - London Knights
No John Carlson, Michael Del Zotto, Kevin Montgomery or Matt Clarke in London this season. Pretty rare for a team to lose it's entire Top 4 on defense. Even rarer for that team to expect themselves to still be contenders in their Conference and Division. Enter overager Steven Tarasuk. A very capable defenseman throughout his OHL career, but not someone thought to be a game changer. All that has changed this season with Tarasuk leading an inexperienced London defense to first in their division and intermittent inclusions in the CHL Top 10. Tarasuk is averaging nearly a point per game, leads the OHL in +/-, and his 14 goals are second by defenseman to fellow overager Reggie Traccitto of Niagara. Tarasuk has previously shown glimpses of this ability in 2007-08 when he split the year between Kitchener and London, but last season he really got buried by London's depth of offensively gifted defenseman.

5. Eric Wellwood - Windsor Spitfires
Perhaps last year's playoffs and Memorial Cup were Wellwood's coming out party, and this year he's only continued with the success. But if you go back to over one year ago and the beginning of the 2008-09 OHL season, not many players have improved as much as Eric Wellwood. One of the fastest skaters in the OHL, Wellwood has developed from a speedy energy player/penalty killer into one of the most dynamic two way forwards in the league. He's developed confidence in his ability to take the puck to the net, utilizing his speed and he's finding scoring areas playing a high tempo game in Windsor. It's clear the Philadelphia Flyers saw this ability in him when they drafted him last year as a re-entry. Pretty smart decision as Wellwood looks to have developed into at worst a solid 3rd-4th liner at the next level and could absolutely develop into a better NHL player than his brother Kyle.

4. Jacob Muzzin - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Some guys just develop later than others. Last year the Pittsburgh Penguins opted to not sign Muzzin, their 5th round pick in the 2007 Entry Draft. Muzzin then went undrafted and returned to the Soo for his overage season. Muzzin was actually an OHL all star last season, playing for an atrocious Greyhounds team that finished last in the league. Despite being a larger physical defenseman with some offensive upside, no one seemed to want Muzzin, perhaps due to his poor mobility and questionable puck decisions. This season, Muzzin has become a new player. Whether not getting signed was a wake up call to improve his commitment to improvement remains to be seen. One thing is for certain, Muzzin has developed into one of the best defenseman in the OHL. On top of retaining his physical defensive style, Muzzin leads the league in defenseman scoring with 54 points and has improved his mobility considerably. So much so that according to TSN's Bob Mackenzie, there was quite the frenzy by NHL teams to try and sign him to an entry level contract. The Los Angeles Kings ended up winning his services and it'll be interesting to see how his game progresses at the next level.

3. Mark Visentin - Niagara IceDogs
It's often tough for 16 year old goalies in the OHL. Going from midget to the OHL is about the same as going from the OHL straight to the NHL for goaltenders. Players make quicker decisions, can shoot harder and more accurate, and the pressure to perform is that much greater. Visentin did not have a good rookie season and quite often looked overmatched in the league. But to his credit, this season has been a complete 180 degrees. I say to his credit because I've heard some people around the league say that this guy's work ethic is among the best in the league. The combination of a great attitude with great goaltending is a big reason why he's currently the top rated goalie from the OHL for the 2010 Entry Draft and earned himself a performance (and a great one at that) in the Top Prospects Game. While Niagara has struggled at times this season, Visentin has held his ground and it's only a matter of time before he can call himself the best goaltender in this league. The icing on the cake would be a selection inside the first three rounds of the draft in June.

2. Taylor Beck - Guelph Storm
Last year a lot of people were split on Beck for the NHL Entry Draft. Either it was his skating not being good enough, his offensive ceiling being too low, or his intensity level lacking for his game style. A lot of knocks against a player who ended up going 70th overall. But it's pretty clear he's erasing a lot of those doubts this season. The least likely candidate of the Guelph big three (Holland and Latta) to break out, Beck has exploded. He's currently third in OHL scoring, is playing with intensity every night and is showing people that he's got the offensive upside of a top 6 winger in the NHL. While Beck did have a solid year last season, he's on pace for over 100 points this season and his progression as an OHL player, and even more as an NHL prospect earns him second place on this list.

1. Tyler Seguin - Plymouth Whalers
Perhaps a lot of people could be surprised about Seguin appearing on this list. After all, he shined as an OHL rookie last season (had the best year of any 1992) and was tremendous for Plymouth down the stretch. The natural progression would have had him take that next step this season. However I don't think people could have expected what he's done this season. He's leading the OHL in scoring (and his team by 35 points) and has moved into consideration for first overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, which was once considered to be locked up by Windsor's Taylor Hall. Seguin has the confidence, skill, and speed of few forwards in this league and could still continue to improve, especially as a dominant two way center. He's on pace to double his goal totals from last season and is completely erasing the memories of those who claimed he was leaching off of Chris Terry and Matt Caria last season. Taking that next step from budding superstar to superstar is definitely good enough to earn him the top spot on this list.

Honorable Mention:
Kyle Clifford & Taylor Carnevale - Barrie Colts
The progression of these two has been a large reason for Barrie's emergence as (possibly) the team to beat in the OHL. Clifford has become a strong offensive power forward while Carnevale has developed into a solid two way center who might just be one of the better penalty killers in the league.

Alex Friesen & Reggie Traccitto - Niagara IceDogs
Considering how many players have taken steps forward this season, it's amazing that the Dogs haven't been better than they currently are. Friesen has emerged as one of the teams most dangerous offensive players after looking like purely an energy forward last season. While overager Traccitto has taken over the role of number one defenseman from Alex Pietrangelo and leads the league in goals scored by a defenseman.

Tony DeHart & Christian Thomas - Oshawa Generals
While the Generals have had an up and down season, they do currently sit 7th in the East, which is better than most people expected. DeHart has emerged as a 1st pairing OHL defenseman and with Calvin de Haan out for the remainder of the season, he's going to have to continue to lead this team from the back end. Thomas is another guy who was expected to improve this season, but has exceeded expectations as the teams leading scorer and the type of dynamite offensive firecracker his father was.

Luke Judson - Belleville Bulls
It's hard to get noticed when your team sucks. The Bulls sit last in the Eastern Conference and seemed destined for a top 3 pick at Priority Draft. Yet one player's improvement is going completely unnoticed. Buried on a solid team last year, Judson managed to shine at times as one of the teams checking players. It wasn't enough to get him drafted (despite many teams being interested). This year, he leads the team in goals with 19 and has been named the team captain at the age of 18, all the while still playing the truculent style that made him noticeable last season. Don't be surprised if he gets noticed at this years NHL Entry Draft.

Taylor Doherty - Kingston Frontenacs
One player who does have more to gain by making this list at the end of the season. With Erik Gudbranson out with mono, Doherty has finally taken steps forward and has 11 goals and 6 assists in his last 18 games over a two month span. Finally using his big shot and playing better defensively, Doherty looks to be on the right track developmentally.

Devante Smith-Pelly - Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Smith-Pelly was one of the more impressive 1992's last season, when he played a checking line role for the Majors. This year he's become the team's top scorer and has emerged as a future star in this league as a hard working offensive power winger. The chemistry he has developed with Casey Cizikas should make them both even more dangerous next season.

Garrett Wilson - Owen Sound Attack
Improved skating goes a long way to improve the offensive production of a power forward. Able to take the puck to the net with confidence, Wilson is having a career year in Owen Sound and is making the Florida Panthers very happy for rolling the dice on him.

Jared Knight - London Knights
If the award was for most improved from the start of the 2009-10 to the end of the 2009-10 season, Knight would probably take the cake. Struggling through a diabetes diagnosis, Knight has finally producing for London and currently sits second in team scoring behind Nazem Kadri.

Thoughts on Kitchener and Mississauga from November 11

Happy Remembrance Day everyone. Was great to see a solid tribute put on by the Majors staff and the Hershey Centre before the game. An 11 a.m. start for this match between two of the best clubs in the Ontario Hockey League. The early start was part of the "School Day" promotion that most OHL teams are now using once or twice a year in order to attract youth to the OHL.

This game had two faces. The first face occurred in the first 10 minutes of the hockey game when the Kitchener Rangers dominated play and looked poised to run away with this one. The second face occurred throughout the rest of the game where the Majors completely dominated play and held the Rangers to under 20 shots in the game.

This was a great victory for Mississauga, as their defense was tested against one of the premier offenses in the OHL. They were up to the challenge as they kept the Rangers largely to the perimeter and prevented them from gaining any energy in the offensive zone. The Majors forward unit played a great game too, as they did their job in keeping play in the Kitchener zone, winning puck battles and keeping possession. I'm not sure about time of possession numbers, but this one was largely dominated by the Missy.

Kitchener really fell flat. Not sure if it was the early start time that through them off, but they didn't have much energy in this one. Their defense had trouble starting the attack, and really fell victim to the forecheck of the Majors. This prevented anything resembling a quick transition game, which in my experience watching this Rangers squad, is something they need to do to be successful.

Thoughts on individual players...

Kitchener Rangers





John Moore (CBJ)
Second time I've seen Moore this season, and second time I've come away less than inspired. He hasn't scored a goal since his first game in the league. The skating and mobility is definitely his biggest asset. Majors forwards had a hard time getting around him on the attack, and he always appeared to be a step ahead (or a step closer to the net) than the rushing forward. But his coverage in the zone seems to need work. On a few occasions he seemed lost in his own zone, failing to pick up his man or communicate with his defensive partner (mostly Jonathan Jasper). In the second period, his pairing gave up a breakaway to Majors forward Riley Brace as he got behind them. Offensively, to be bluntly honest, he was a non factor. The Majors forecheck was all over him and really prevented him from skating with the puck up ice. I can't remember him making any rushes that resulted in access to the Majors zone. For a player billed as an elite rushing defenseman, this area of his game has less than dazzled me in two viewings. On the powerplay, he failed to get his point shot through to the net either, and even had trouble 5 on 4 with bringing the puck up ice and eluding the forecheck. I'm not saying he's a terrible player, but if anything I expected to see a guy (as a first round pick and someone who nearly made an NHL roster) to be head and shoulders above the competition...which he hasn't been.

Tyler Randell (BOS)
He had a pretty solid game overall. His line with Alex Aleardi and Ben Thomson was one of the few actually working hard in the offensive zone. However, there does appear to be some consistency issues at work here. For every shift he was a factor, there were two where he was completely invisible. For a player of his ilk, that's unacceptable. He needs to find a way to get involved on every shift, whether it be making a big hit, or doing a good job on the cycle. When he did have a good shift, he was very noticeable as a tough object to move in front of the net and in the corners. He scored a nice goal off a beautiful feed from Alex Aleardi. Aleardi had the puck behind the net, fed it to Randell in front of the net for the one timer over Anderson's shoulder. He clearly has good hands in close, he just needs to put himself in more situations to capitalize from them.

Ryan Murphy (2011)
Continue to be impressed by this young defenseman. His skating ability and eagerness to bring the puck up ice is refreshing. He too was affected by the forecheck of the Majors, but he did manage to get away on a few occasions and bring the puck up ice to advancing forwards. Defensively, he needs to get stronger in order to handle forwards in front of the net, but the intelligence is there. This guy could be one of the best offensive defenseman in the league by next season.

Alex Aleardi (2010)
Aleardi reminds me a lot of Niagara's Alex Friesen last season. Tons of speed to burn, great on the forecheck and the cycle, but ultimately missing something that's preventing him from capitalizing more often from hard work. He seems to have a really hard time keeping the puck on his stick at full speed, and as such very little came from his attacks deep into Mississauga territory. He did do well in the cycle and managed to make a very nice pass to Tyler Randell for his goal. At this point I'm not sure he's an NHL draft selection, but if you look at the progression of Friesen this season, with added strength and confidence, perhaps Aleardi can still become a top quality player in this league.

Jeff Skinner (2010)
Thought he was Kitchener's best forward today, although I'm not sure that's saying much. Seemed to be one of the few Kitchener players still moving their feet and giving it all in the second and third periods. Had two nice rushes where he managed to breakthrough the Majors defensive pairing for a chance in close on J.P. Anderson...although both times he was turned away by the goaltender. He showed some chippyness in the game too and was in a few little after the whistle skirmishes. While his motor is running at full speed in the offensive end, I do wish he was able to translate that at the other end of the ice consistently. It would definitely make him a more valuable prospect to NHL scouts.

Jeremy Morin (ATL)
Morin was invisible in this one. Completely blanketed by the Majors defense. He threw a couple nice hits though, one in particular near the Rangers bench. Haven't seen that side of his game yet. But not much else to say here.

Gabriel Landeskog (2011)
Had some good shifts in the first period where he used his speed to disrupt the Majors transition game. In particular, took the puck off Cameron Gaunce on one occasion and was able to create a scoring chance off of it. I like his drive to the net too, and his fearlessness. But he was invisible in the second and third periods much like the rest of his teammates.

Mississauga St. Michael's Majors




Stuart Percy (2011)
Really starting to like the way he plays the game more and more. Seems like he's getting better (and gaining more confidence) every time I see him play. Defensively he was excellent today. He shows great anticipation of the play and is aware of how to cut off scoring lanes to forwards. On one occasion he saved a breakaway by being aware of the Majors player stepping out of the box, and instead of pinching to keep the puck in, he peeled off the blueline and positioned himself between the passing lane and the player, intercepting the pass and putting it back into the zone. It was a little thing, but something that shouldn't go unnoticed. Offensively, he's bringing the puck up ice more, playing well on the powerplay, and doing a very good job of keeping the puck in the offensive zone. Made a really nice slap pass to Jordan Mayer in the slot on the powerplay, forcing Mavric Parks to make a big save. Percy is getting better and better and seems to be one of the best 1993 defenseman in the league this season.

Tim Billingsley (PHX)
Had a rough first period, but settled down in the second and third. In the first he made a couple really sloppy passes that resulted in scoring chances for the Rangers. But he got better and was unnoticeable the rest of the game, which means Billingsley did his job defensively. But this isn't the first game I've seen where he started off poorly, before settling in. I'm starting to wonder if this is a habit...

Brett Flemming (WSH)
After starting the season off pretty cold, Flemming really seems to be settling in this month, with 6 points in 5 games thus far. He's back to playing in all situations for the Majors and seems to be playing with a lot more confidence than when I last saw him. He's rushing the puck up ice, he's playing solid defense, and he's doing a very good job on the powerplay. One thing I'd like to see him do is shoot the puck more. He gets opportunities from the point, but continues to elect to pass. Sometimes if you're open, you gotta get the puck to the net from the blueline.

Casey Cizikas (NYI)
Cizikas is transforming himself into one of the better two way players in the league. He's got 9 points in 5 November games thus far and is really starting to gain confidence offensively. He was all over the ice today. Caused a lot of trouble for the opposing defense on the forecheck and forced quite a few turnovers. He seems to anticipate the play very well. He's taking the puck to the net with authority and made a very nice pass to Devante Smith-Pelly for a one time shot in the slot. He was hitting players too and doing a good job of trying to get under the skin of the Rangers. On the penalty kill, he's one of the best in the business. Disrupts play so well and forces bad passes with his anticipation. He did take a very undisciplined penalty towards the end of the game though, giving the Rangers a 6 on 4 with the net empty.

Devante Smith-Pelly (2010)
The best player for the Majors today, IMO. He may not have the height of your prototypical power forward, but he plays like one. He finishes his checks, he takes the puck hard to the net, he's defensively responsible, he skates well, he's strong in the corners. Not much he can't do right now. His speed and acceleration is quite good. He blew by a Ranger defenseman (I believe Dodero) and managed to get a shot on goal from a bad angle coming down the wing. He had that aforementioned chance in the slot set up by Cizikas, but was turned away by Parks again. Defensively, he was outstanding. First forward back in his zone, winning the battles in the corners, and really pushing people around. On the forecheck, he was very active. Caused one turnover with a big hit along the boards that got the puck free for a scoring chance to Casey Cizikas. This guy is a HUGE riser on the draft board if he continues to play this way.

Gregg Sutch (2010)
Recently returned from an ankle injury and still seems to be going through he feeling out process. Playing on a line with Jordan Mayer and William Wallen, so he is getting an opportunity. Had a few nice hits and appears eager to throw his body around and go hard to the front of the net. Unfortunately he wasn't able to finish off any plays in front of the net, with his best opportunity coming on a rebound, but his stick broke. We'll see if he can start finishing off some of those chances a month from now when he should be fully rehabilitated.

Cameron Gaunce (COL)
Did not have a good first period at all. Was sloppy with the puck, failed to tie up his man in front of the net on the Tyler Randell goal, and became a victim of the Rangers forecheck. He really does seem to have a hard time with teams who have forwards with speed on the forecheck. Simply needs to get that puck out of his zone quicker. But it's as if a light went on in the second period and he began playing much better. Had a few nice rushes with the puck (something I haven't seen with much consistency from Gaunce this year). Made a beautiful pass to spring Riley Brace on a breakaway in the second. Spun away from the forecheck, waited patiently and hit Brace right down the middle of the ice; a beautiful pass. Defensively, he became much better, was taking the body and taking no prisoners. Finished with an assist on Dustin Ekelman's goal, after he put a weak shot on net that generated a big rebound. I am starting to slowly wonder about his ability to transfer him game to the NHL level though.

J.P. Anderson (2010)
Anderson got the start in this game and wasn't tested all that much. Did a very nice job in the first period, keeping his team in the game, but wasn't tested at all really in the second and third (save the last 2 minutes of the 3rd). He reacts very well to the play and takes away the bottom of the net very well. His rebounds were either collected or kicked out to the corners, so he did a great job in that area. The shot that beat him was high, and for an undersized butterfly goalie, this will be a concern for him going forward (just the way it was for Mike Murphy). It'll be interesting to see how things play out for him this season. He made 16 of 17 saves for the win.

Thoughts? Comments?

Thoughts on Kingston and Mississauga from October 21

Originally I was only going to check out the beginning of this game just to see the "Don Cherry jerseys" the Frontenacs would be sporting, but it ended up being a good game and as such I watched the entire thing.

In case you didn't know, tonight the Kingston Frontenacs wore jerseys specialized designed by Don Cherry. They were quite interesting (one of Don's famous red plaid suits camouflaged as a hockey jersey). The jerseys are part of a promotion for the Canadian Armed Forces (more information), and more specifically the "Soldier On" program. Here's some information about the program...

Soldier On fund works to optimize the functional independence of ill or injured Canadian Forces personnel or former personnel by delivering programs and services and facilitating and integrating opportunities that support their full and active participation in physical fitness, heath promotion and sport. The Canadian Forces is committed to ill and injured personal and their loved ones, through programs ranging from excellent medical care, to vocational assistance to social support and counseling

The game worn jerseys will be signed by Cherry himself and then auctioned off on Ebay, with all the proceeds going to "Soldier On." Check the Frontenacs website for more information and as soon as I see the auctions go up, I'll be sure to include a link here too (after all it's a great cause). The auctions will run until the end of the month. EDIT - Here is the link for the bidding.

As for the game itself, it had a great pace. The Majors, coming in on a 3 game winning streak, largely dominated play for the first two periods and got themselves out to a 4-1 lead. The Frontenacs, losers of 3 of their last 4 coming in, managed to get a late second period goal and carried that energy over to the third period. It was in the final frame where the Fronts increased their energy level and really took it to the Majors, coming oh so close to sending this one to overtime. Ethan Werek appeared to score a goal with about two minutes left on a nice one timer in the slot, but it was waived off. Admittedly, Cogeco never showed a great replay of it, but it did appear to cross the line. Would have loved to see an overhead shot, or perhaps the whistle was blown too early as the puck squeezed under Carrozzi. Anyway you slice it, the Fronts did come up short at the end of the night and lost 4-3.

The Majors are playing really good hockey right now and are now on a 4 game winning streak. Best goals against average in the league right now, and it's easy to see why (well considering I've seen them play a lot lately). The whole team plays solid defense and rarely misses an assignment. All the forwards come back to help tie up their man and Cameron has really installed a great defensive concept on the ice. As good as they are defensively, they are so dangerous on the forecheck and do such a good job of controlling play in the offensive zone, which limits the time they actually have to play defense in the first place. I think they'll continue to get better and better and while the Colts are a great team, the Majors are the cream of the Eastern Conference crop for me.

The Frontenacs, like any team hovering around the .500 mark, are struggling to be consistent. It showed tonight too, as they're level of effort in the first period did not equal their effort in the third. If they can play teams as hard as they did in tonight's third period, they'll be fine. After a bit of a tough stretch recently, maybe some Fronts fans are panicking and worrying that the team is going to revert back to it's miserable place at the bottom of the East. Don't worry that won't happen. This is a good hockey team, and one that's suffering some injury problems right now (Gudbranson gone for 4 weeks, Werek missed two games this weekend with a charlie horse). It's early in the season and inconsistencies can often be attributed to the search for a team identity. One thing I did notice tonight though, and perhaps it serves as an explanation to why this team has struggled of late, is there appears to be a disconnect between the forwards and defense on the breakout. The Fronts had a really tough time getting the puck out of their own zone and a lot of that was to do with the lack of puck support from their forwards for their defenseman. Fronts defenseman also had a tough time connecting with Frontenacs forwards with the breakout pass, which lead to turnovers, icings, and offsides more than it lead to a break into the offensive zone. When the Fronts defenseman did rush the puck up ice (Lashoff and Doherty mostly), nothing came of it because it seemed the forwards were lagging behind the play, and again did nothing to help them create off their rushes. On one occasion, Brian Lashoff made a nice rush up the ice, but Ethan Werek and Michael Farrell were well ahead of the play offside, negating the rush. Obviously a lack of communication and read of the play, and Werek was obviously frustrated as he threw his hands up in the air after the whistle as if to say "what the heck is going on?" Being able to break out of your offensive zone is obviously a critical component to winning a hockey game and it separated the winning team from the losing one tonight. Frontenacs fans, is this something that has been occurring all season long?

Some individual player reports, mostly on the Fronts as I've beaten the Majors to death lately!

Kingston Frontenacs






Taylor Doherty (SJ)
I can see where Fronts fans frustrations are coming from. Doherty is still an enigma on the ice. When I saw him earlier in the season, he was one of the best players on the ice. Tonight, well there were some cases of frustration. The reason you can get frustrated watching him is that he obviously is incredibly talented and capable of so much more. He has these flashes of brilliance. For instance tonight he had a couple really nice rushes where he used his size (and relatively strong straight ahead speed) to go end to end and drive to the net. I also think he does a good job of getting his shot through to the net and had a view flashes of defensive solidity. On loose puck battles, I like his ability to use his size to get players out of position in order to come away with the puck. But with those flashes of a player who could be a dominant defender in the league, you get plays that make you scratch your head. Like when he took the puck from behind the net and tried to rush it up the ice by cutting out directly in front of his net (obviously a big no no). Two forecheckers were right on him and he's fortunate he managed to get out of the situation alive. Later, he got exposed defensively on a Casey Cizikas rush that generated William Wallen's 3rd goal (and the game winner). Cizikas took the puck wide on him and beat him to the net. It makes you question his hockey sense to an extent, because you see a player with a lot of innate qualities, but you wonder if he's got the head to use them.

Alan Quine (2011)
Second time I've seen Quine this year and both times he's been relatively noticeable (although more so tonight than before). He seems to be getting better and better from what I'm hearing and is easily one of the most noticeable 1993 born players in the league. He seems to have a real nose for the net and was buzzing around it all night. I also like his fearlessness, as he goes into the corners, forces turnovers and goes to the net. I think he's got a real strong goal scoring potential in the league and he seems like one of those players who can make things happen in close. He finished with an assist.

Nathan Moon (PIT)
I understand he had a really great weekend of games recently, which is great to hear after he struggled to start the season. He didn't have a good game tonight though, at least in my opinion. As much as Doherty's frustrating to watch, Moon is more so. I'm glad I'm not the only one noticing this either, as the Fronts announcers mentioned their frustration with his "selfish" on ice play. He really needs to start following the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. It's like he always has to make that extra move with the puck that gets him into trouble. On one occasion, he had the puck behind the net on a bit of a scramble. The Majors defense was scattered and disoriented. He brings the puck on a wrap around, has a teammate wide open in the slot for a pace, but was so focused on trying to score, he continued the wraparound and put it right into Carrozzi's pads. End of the offensive opportunity. In the third period he got absolutely LEVELED by David Corrente. He tried to bring the puck into the offensive zone all by himself, failed to get around Corrente and then got drilled hard into the boards as the Majors defenseman pushed him off the puck. Admittedly, this seemed to completely fire him up and not long after he managed to score the goal (by showing nice hands in close on a juicy rebound) that brought it to within one. But he shouldn't need to be motivated in that way, but hasn't that been the Nathan Moon story his entire junior career? He finished with a goal.

Brian Lashoff (DET)
I've read and heard that Fronts fans have been disappointed with his play this season too. Admittedly, I've been underwhelmed by his offensive production this season. With the way he played in the AHL to finish last season, I think a lot of people had really high expectations for him. Perhaps that has gotten to his head too, as he looked like a guy trying to do too much with the puck tonight. Lashoff is a great defenseman when he plays a solid two way game with a bit of an edge, but he appears much more offensively focused this season (which is odd considering the stats don't back it up). His rushes became predictable and he feel victim to the Majors forecheck at times. Defensively, he did play pretty solid, but took two bad undisciplined penalties, one because he was out of position in defensive zone coverage. Like Moon, he needs to keep things simple and play within his game. He did have an assist on Derek Froats goal by getting a nice low wrist shot through a crowd (which Froats redirected).

Derek Froats (2010)
Really impressed by what I saw from Froats and Corey Durocher tonight. Froats was all over the ice. Not the biggest guy, but he's one of those prototypical energy guys. Motor always running, everywhere on the ice. On one specific occasion, he won a battle along the boards off a good forecheck, got the puck to a teammate, teammate turnover it over to which he managed to skate over, lift the stick and steal the puck back and put the puck on net. Showed soft hands on the Brian Lashoff redirection. These types of guys always generate NHL draft attention and Froats could be no exception.

Corey Durocher (2010)
As mentioned, Durocher was excellent as well on a line with Froats. Seems like a similar player, but has the size Froats doesn't a 6'3. Was winning battles in the corners, threw a couple nice hits and did a very good job disrupting puck distribution on the forecheck. He has four points in his last seven games, including an assist tonight and like Froats, could generate NHL draft attention.

Ethan Werek (NYR)
I thought he was the best player for the Fronts tonight. Just returning from a deep bruise injury on his leg, Werek did look a little sluggish at times and I think it's obvious he's still in some pain. The good news was that it didn't really effect his play. He created a lot of scoring chances tonight, especially in close. Thought he tied it up late in the 3rd after one timing a nice shot five hole in the slot, but the goal was disallowed (either because the puck never crossed the line or because the whistle was blown before it did). A few shifts earlier, his missed an easy goal on a 2 on 1 chance, but he was on his off wing and couldn't handle the one time pass that kind of hopped over his stick. I still think this guy should have been a first rounder in 2009. He earned an assist on Moon's third period goal.

Tyler Beskorowany (DAL)
Beskorowany played a solid game. He faced a ton of shots tonight and made some really good saves to keep his team in it. On the first goal, he can't be faulted as Devante Smith Pelly used Taylor Doherty's skate to bank the puck in. The first Wallen goal was a bit weak though, as he cut across the middle of the ice and caught Beskorowany cheating on the pass a bit, putting one over his shoulder blocker side. The second and third Wallen goals were scored off tough rebounds that his defenders failed to clear. While his stats this year haven't been tremendous, I don't think it's a reflection on how he's been playing. He definitely still needs to work on his rebound control, as he tends to make the first save but needs to do a better job of freezing the puck or doing his best to direct the puck away from the slot. He made 44 of 48 saves and took the loss.

Mississauga St. Michael's Majors





Casey Cizikas (NYI)
Probably the best game I've seen Cizikas play this season. He was really solid tonight and is developing into one of the better two way players in the league. Had some really good chances in the slot after managing to get himself open, but failed to hit the net. Late in the second period, he took the puck hard into the offensive zone, protected the puck with his body, beat the Kingston defender and managed to get a shot on net that generated a rebound for William Wallen to scoop up. He's such a tremendous penalty killer too and his anticipation working the top of the box is excellent, always finding a way to get his stick on the puck. He finished with 2 assists on the night.

Devante Smith Pelly (2010)
He's getting better and better, and the line of Cizikas, Wallen and Smith-Pelly is really clicking well for the Majors right now. While I've always liked him as a player and prospect, I have at times questioned his offensive potential. I was wrong to do so and I was wrong to leave him out of my early top 30 for the NHL entry draft. As I conversed with a commenter in my last Majors game report, Smith Pelly has a lot of potential as an offensive possession kind of player at the next level due to his strength down low and general agility. He finished with a goal and an assist. The goal, as mentioned, went off Taylor Doherty's skate, which Smith-Pelly definitely did intentionally.

William Wallen (2010, but 1991 born)
The Majors leading scorer finished the game with a hat trick as a member of that aforementioned Majors first line. I like him as a player and I think he has very strong offensive instincts. He is really smart with the puck and as such has been seeing some time quarterbacking the powerplay. But as an undersized water bug kind of player, and a guy who isn't the world's greatest skater (although he's not a poor skater by any means), where does he fit in the grand scheme of things at the NHL level. I'll be really interested to see how he performs at the World Juniors this year, where he'll likely be a top 6 forward.

Chris Carrozzi (ATL)
The OHL's hottest goaltender outside of Troy Passingham, Carrozzi has forced the Majors hand and actually appears to be the "starter toujour" over J.P. Anderson. He takes away the bottom of the net really well, although in unconventional means at times (aka flopping or stacking the pads on his side), but he gets the job done. Like Beskorowany, he needs to work on his rebound control, as the last two Fronts goals were scored off juicy rebounds. He made 31 of 34 saves for the win.

Anyone care to chime in? Here are some highlights of the game, in case anyone wants to see some of the plays in question.

Thoughts on Niagara and Mississauga from October 16

Went down to the Hershey Centre last night to check out the Dogs and Majors. Once bitter rivals, the bite between these two Central Division teams has left the building. When the Majors first moved to the Hershey Centre and the Dogs left for Niagara, you'd be hard pressed to find a more intense match up. But as one reader pointed out in comments not long ago, the bitterness among these two teams has long since dissipated. With only a handful of players still around from before the switch, the rivalry seems long forgotten.

This game was a real testament to that, for the majority. Definitely not the prettiest game to watch. Lacked any real energy for the first half of the game, especially from the IceDogs. There were some fisticuffs at the end of the game, but that was more to do with a cheap shot by Johnson Andrews than anything else. Possibly a little frustration from what appeared to be a lifeless IceDog team.

Perhaps the Dogs were tired after their longwinded shootout victory over Owen Sound the night before, because only a handful of their players showed any giddy-up at all. The lack of energy from their end really allowed the Majors to dictate the pace of play for the majority of the game. Of note, the IceDogs powerplay is particularly atrocious and almost frustrating to watch. They really miss Alex Pietrangelo and Drew Schiestel on the back end. Not one of the many different powerplay combinations could generate much of anything for the Dogs, including the ol' fashioned five forward powerplay unit (which I'm completely against using). This team is sitting at under 6 percent right now for their powerplay unit, that's by far the lowest in the league. With only 3 powerplay goals all year, the Dogs are close to giving up as many shorthanded markers (2) as they've scored powerplay goals. That right there is the definition of a struggling unit. It's almost as if the Dogs would prefer other teams didn't take penalties against them so that play could remain five on five. The other thing I've noticed as far as the Dogs go is the breaking up of the DeSousa/Friesen/Agozzino line in order to try and spread the wealth offensively. That line was performing so well and really dictating the pace of play. While spreading the wealth and getting production from your other lines is important, so is scoring goals. I'd much prefer the Dogs keeping that line together and pressure the secondary units to step up their game. One line working well together is better than 4 lines working averagely. Plus that aforementioned "mini" forward line really set the pace of games. They tired out opposing defenses and really brought energy to the ice and this is something the Dogs lacked tonight. It'll be interesting to see how the Dogs handle the struggling Sudbury Wolves (losers of 6 in a row) today at home.

As for the Majors, they played a really strong game. Defensively, the effort was tremendous. Chris Carrozzi didn't have to do a whole heck of a lot tonight, as the Dogs were kept to the outside for the majority of the game. I really think this team is one really solid offensive forward away from being a serious OHL contender. Getting Gregg Sutch back in a week or two shoudln't hurt.

Here are some thoughts on individual players...

Mississauga St. Michael's Majors




Tim Billingsley (PHX)
I think Billingsley is really starting to come around again. This is the third time I've seen him this season and he's gotten better each time. I think the background of my disappointment with Billingsley is that I remember how promising he looked in his first two years in the league, as a somewhat hard-nosed two way rearguard. Last year was a huge step backward for him, but he seems to be slowly putting it back together. I think the key for him is keeping things simple with the puck, like he did tonight. He's not a blessed puck mover so as long as he can make smart decisions with the puck and not rush movement up ice, he can limit his turnovers. Last night he actually laid a few nice hits too, which is an element that has been absent in Billingsley's game of recent times. He needs to play that way in order to be successful defensively. I think Dave Cameron has to be happy with Billingsley's progression this year too since he actually received some powerplay time tonight and didn't look out of place either.

Brett Flemming (WSH)
Good to see Brett back on defense after he was up at forward the last time I saw him play. Glad to see that experiment over. He's back paired with Cameron Gaunce on the Majors top defensive unit and I continue to be impressed with his play. His best asset is his mobility which he uses to play both ends of the ice. Made several nice rushes up ice tonight. He also used his speed to make a solid play at the defensive end. Turnover at the blueline led to a breakaway by Andrew Shaw, but Flemming caught up to him and forced him to a somewhat weak backhand attempt. It was good on him to not take a penalty on the play, but to play Shaw clean (although how much damage would an IceDog powerplay do anyway?) Was somewhat disappointed by the fact that he saw little powerplay time though. He finished the game a solid +2.

Casey Cizikas (NYI)
Thought he played a pretty solid game. As always, he was active on the penalty kill and I like the fact that he's starting to show a bit of grit to his game (saw his fight against Matt Clark recently). He's been more consistent this year in playing active and going to the net with and without the puck. He scored on a very nice tip in of William Wallen's point shot. Cizikas finished with a goal and an assist.

Jordan Mayer (2010, but 1991 born)
I'm always impressed by Jordan Mayer. He's definitely one of the elite skating forwards in the OHL. He can turn on the jets and really blow by an opposing defense. I like his fearless attitude too. Not the biggest, but he works hard in the corners and is active near the crease. Corey Bureau's third period goal was all Mayer. He drove hard into the offensive zone, came up with the puck, kept possession and found Bureau at the side of the net for the nice finish. His speed and work ethic really do wonders to confuse opposing teams defenses. As one of the youngest players eligible for the draft last year, here's hoping NHL teams have taken note of his progression this season.

Devante Smith-Pelly (2010)
Even though he was held off the scoresheet, I thought Smith-Pelly was the most impressive Majors forward on the night. Not always a consistent point producer, I don't think it's long before he starts hitting the stat line consistently. I really liked the newly formed Smith-Pelly/Cizikas/Wallen line. The thing I like about Smith-Pelly is that he plays bigger than he actually is. Only average sized, he generates a lot of power in his skating stride and it makes him very hard to contain on the rush. At times I've questioned his offensive ceiling and overall skill set, but I'm starting to believe it's more a matter of confidence with the puck on his stick. He showed a couple highlight reel moves tonight, one as he got past the Dogs defenseman with some nifty puckhandling, but couldn't get a serious scoring chance out of it. I think we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg with Smith-Pelly.

Cameron Gaunce (COL)
Cameron Gaunce was typical Cameron Gaunce tonight. Steady as he goes. Gaunce is almost always a solid two way defender who makes smart decisions with the puck. Sometimes he gets himself in trouble when he tries to do too much, like one turnover he had at the blueline that nearly led to an odd man rush. Not the most blessed stick handler you'll see, he's better when he relies on his on ice vision to make quick plays, rather than trying to play the puck possession game (part of the reason why the Gaunce/Flemming pairing works so well IMO). Gaunce can absolutely wire it from the back end too, scoring on a nice hard point shot in the first period. I also like the added physicality to his game this year. Always a criticism against Gaunce, it appears hes working on becoming more of a physical threat.

Chris Carrozzi (ATL)
Carrozzi was solid when he had to be tonight. Wasn't really tested a whole lot, but when he was he was up to the occasion. Made a nice save by sliding over to hug the post on the Andrew Shaw breakaway attempt. Made a couple second chance saves on goal mouth scrambles by standing his ground. One such occurrence happened because of Carrozzi's poor clear of the puck which led directly to a turnover and a couple scoring chances, but none of Niagara's forwards were able to get the puck over his pads. Carrozzi has always been a really steady goalie who doesn't necessarily wow you, but who won't lose the game for you either. It'll be interesting to see what happens as the season goes on. Whether the Majors keep Carrozzi to continue to split time with J.P. Anderson, or whether they trade him to one of the teams looking for a starting goaltender (ala Windsor). He made 22 saves for the shutout victory.

Niagara IceDogs





Alex Friesen (2010 but 1991 born)
Friesen has really taken steps forward this year. He's learned to use his speed to generate offensive opportunities and has a lot more confidence in carrying the puck into the zone. In a way, he's a very similar player to Mississauga's Jordan Mayer. Friesen was one of the few IceDogs who looked like they were actually tying tonight, but he often got swallowed by the Majors defense as he entered the zone. It'll be interesting to see if his steps forward this season earn him NHL draft attention.

Chris DeSousa (2010, but 1990 born)
This year is DeSousa's last chance at being drafted and he's playing like he wants it. I thought he was Niagara's best forward tonight. Not the greatest skater in the world (which can spell trouble for smaller players at the next level), DeSousa uses solid strength and positioning to get by defenders. It almost felt like he was all by himself out there, as he'd do well to get puck possession in the offensive zone, but receive no support from it. I think he's got a real nose for the puck too and has a pretty high level of hockey sense. Once the Alex Pietrangelo situation is cleared up, I'd be surprised if DeSousa wasn't the next IceDog captain (should Petro not return).

Matt Petgrave (2010)
I continue to see a lot of potential in this kid. He's not really putting up points right now, but I think it'll be really interesting to see what he does at the end of the year. An OHL rookie who played AAA last year, Petgrave is still going through some growing pains. He still turns the puck over in the offensive zone by making poor decisions. He still takes himself out of position going for the big hit. But, you can see the potential in him. The way he skates the puck up ice. The way he reads plays offensively. I'd love to see him get more playing time on the powerplay. It's pretty obvious that the PP isn't working as it is, so why not give Petgrave a chance on the first unit, so that he can develop his skills and get some experience.

Petteri Simila (MTL)
I thought Simila was outstanding tonight. The Dogs have been really blessed to get the quality of goaltending they have been getting so far this season. If not for Simila, this game could have been 6 or 7 nothing. You'd be blind to not notice his size on the ice, at 6'6 he's a behemoth goaltender. But I like the way he challenges shooters and makes himself even bigger. Often times you'll see big goaltenders stay deep in their net, but I like to see them stay aggressive and come right out to the top of the blue ice. He takes away the bottom of the net really well and controls the rebounds from his pads, directing them to the corner. Like some big goaltenders, I do think he needs to work on his lateral mobility. On two of the goals tonight he got beat going side to side (the Lopes SH goal, and the Corey Bureau goal). A skating and strength coach should help him improve his overall agility. He made 38 of 42 saves and took the loss.

Anyone else see the game?

Thoughts on Mississauga and Brampton from September 18

I TiVo'd this one on the weekend and was recently able to watch it. Nothing like a good ol' fashioned battle of Peel (the district that both teams lie in). It was a chippy game that saw a lot of back and forth action. There weren't an abundance of scoring chances for either side, but it was still an exiting game due to the high tempo of play. The Majors ended up taking it by a score of 3-2. Brampton looked a lot better than I figured they would against the Majors. As the season goes on and their young players get better and more comfortable, they could end up making more of a playoff push than people imagine.

Thoughts on both sides...

Mississauga St. Michael's Majors






Tim Billingsley (PHX)
He's going to have to play a lot better than that if he wants to earn a contract from Phoenix. All last year, Billingsley struggled, failing to show the level of potential he did in his first two seasons. I'm sure the Majors expected him to right his ship, but if this game is any indication, he's going to have another long year. Not the biggest defender, Billingsley was once a physical defender. Now, he seems passive and unwilling to engage physically. I saw him win maybe one or two battles along the boards the entire night. He's also careless with the puck, giving it away on several occasions due to poor reads. He's a good skater and he shows glimpses of a greater capability, but he really needs to get his act together. The pairing of he and David Corrente (who was even worse than Billingsley) was a disaster for the Majors tonight. Me thinks that Dave Cameron won't be keeping that one together much longer.

Brett Flemming (WSH)
Flemming was probably the Majors best defenseman tonight. He's an elite skater who uses that ability to play a solid two way game. He can rush the puck up ice and does a good job of establishing his teams offensive tempo. He also uses his closing speed to break up plays defensively, and does a good job on man to man coverage. On the downside tonight, he did have a couple of bad turnovers due to poor decisions on when to rush the puck. If he's able to pick his spots better, he'll obviously limit those mistakes. The first pairing of he and Cameron Gaunce are going to see a lot of ice time for the Majors this year.

Casey Cizikas (NYI)
Cizikas is looking to turn over a new leaf this year after a forgetful 2008-09 season. He and Jordan Mayer were the two best Majors forwards tonight. Cizikas is especially effective on the penalty kill where he uses his great speed to forecheck the opposition. Kept the puck in the Battalion end for around 20 seconds on one PK occasion. He also forced a turnover that lead to a 2 on 1 (and a poor finish by Dustin Ekelman on a great pass from Cizikas). Five on five he was a factor as well. His 2nd period goal ended up being the game winner, after he took a pass from Blake Parlett in the slot, made a defender miss and roofed it top shelf on Patrick Killeen. His ability to make plays at top speed is definitely impressive. I think he really establishes himself as solid OHL player and NHL prospect this season. Cizikas finished the game with a goal.

Jordan Mayer (2010, 1991 born)
Jordan Mayer would have definitely been the most impressive player on the ice, had he not faded a bit into the third period. But he brought a ton of energy tonight through the first two periods, crashing, banging, dangling, and scoring. He's an excellent skater with explosive acceleration and flew by Brampton defenders on a few occasions. He was active on the forecheck, won battles in the corners and laid a few really nice hits. On top of this, he created several solid scoring chances off his speed and ability to stickhandle through the defense, finishing one of these off by going five hole on Patrick Killeen for the Majors second goal of the game. While undersized, if Mayer can develop into a sandpaper type offensive spark plug, he could eventually get NHL consideration down the line. Mayer finished with a goal.

William Wallen (2010, 1991 born)
Wallen didn't have a very good game. The only times he was really visible was when he coughed the puck up in the offensive zone. He tried to do too much with it himself on a few occasions and this led to odd man rushes for the Battalion. The Majors are going to need him to step up offensively this year, especially if they continue to play him on the top line with Casey Cizikas.

Devante Smith-Pelly (2010)
Smith-Pelly is a solid crash and bang forward. He was very active on the forecheck and is exceptional along the boards. While he's not overly big, he is strong and rarely fails to win a loose puck battle in the corner. Because of this, he's a very valuable player on the cycle. He's also a fairly good skater who seems to like creating offensive off the rush, putting the puck on net with a hard slapper down the wing on several occasions. I think it's a bit up in the air as to how high his offensive ceiling is, but he's a player who should get drafted come June.

Cameron Gaunce (COL)
Gaunce did not have his best game tonight. He seemed to have a lot of trouble out there, especially with the puck, which is highly uncommon for him. The puck was bouncing on him a lot and he gave it a way on a couple of occasions. Just not sure his head was in this one. On the positive, he does appear to be playing more physical, which is a plus. However, some of that could have been frustration due to his lackluster play tonight. Take this performance as worth a grain of salt.

J.P. Anderson (2010)
He was solid between the pipes for the Majors tonight. Big things are expected of Anderson this year after his incredible playoff performance last year. He's an undersized goaltender, but he plays a lot bigger than he is. He always get square to the shooter and he's aggressive on challenging and cutting down the angles. He controls his rebounds well too. One thing I really like about Anderson is the somewhat hybrid style that he plays. As a small goaltender, going fully towards the butterfly can be dangerous as you expose the top half of the net and make it harder for you to control the rebounds off high shots. Anderson will sometimes stand up for high shots, rather than drop to the butterfly, making it easier for him to trap the rebound, and to take away more of the net. He's got a real handle on his position, and lack of size be darned, I'd say he deserves first round consideration in June. Anderson stopped 27 of 29 for the win, and he had little chance on either of the two goals against.

Brampton Battalion







Cameron Wind (2010)
Really liked what I saw of Wind tonight. He saw little ice and game time as a rookie last season, but he's got a much larger role this season. He has good size at 6'1, 200lbs, but he moves well for a big defenseman. He seemed calm and composed with the puck, usually opting to make the safe play. I say usually because he turned the puck over twice when he tried to force plays up ice. When he made the simple play, or when he carried it up himself, he was a lot more effective. He was also impressive in getting his hard, low point show through to the net. Looks like Stan Butler has some confidence in him too, as with the Battalion trailing in the last minute, Wind was on the point following a time out. Defensively he was solid too. Hard to get around one on one, won the battles in the corners, was physical. Seems to be a player who could have NHL draft potential. Wind finished the night +2.

Philip Lane (2010)
Held off the scoresheet, but not because of poor play. Lane was a factor all night. He seems like a really complete offensive player. Solid skater (although not tremendous), who was active on the forecheck and forced several turnovers (one off Brett Flemming). He was physical and laid a huge hit on Majors rookie Joseph Cramarossa. He drives hard to the net with the puck on his stick. Lane just couldn't finish off any of his offensive opportunities. If he keeps playing like this, the offense will come for the somewhat under the radar Rochester native.

Sam Carrick (2010)
Carrick had a solid game. He's not a flashy player but he's a hard working centerman who contributes at both ends of the ice. Offensively, Carrick was excellent on the cycle and the forecheck and showed some good bursts of speed as he closed in on the puck carrier. Defensively he was solid and was often the first forward back for Brampton. He played very well on the penalty kill and also had a good game in the face off circle. Seems like a really solid two-way center, who despite not having great size, could be an effective NHL'er down the line. Carrick finished with an assist.

Dominic Alberga (2010)
Another of the Battalion rookies, Alberga played a solid game. He was aggressive and showed a desire to drive to the net. He was physical and active in the corners for loose pucks. He also showed some solid glimpses of offensive ability, especially while on a line with Philip Lane. We'll see how he progresses as the season goes along.

Barclay Goodrow (2011)
The Battalion 2009 first rounder and there preseason leading scorer, Goodrow was impressive. He's a really big kid who's stronger than your average 16 year old rookie. He was constantly in the crease trying to disrupt J.P. Anderson and he showed some grit in getting into a few after the whistle altercations. His skating looks like it could use some work, in particular his acceleration. But it's always tough to determine skating ability on t.v. He looks like he'll be a factor for the Battalion this year offensively and could end up having a really solid rookie campaign.

Patrick Killeen (PIT)
Much like Tim Billingsley, Killeen needs to have a good year in order to earn a contract from the Penguins. With Thomas McCollum gone, the starting position is Killeen's to lose. He played a really solid game against the Majors. Already a big goalie, Killeen makes himself even bigger by challenging shooters and cutting off angles. He has pretty good mobility for a goaltender of his size too. He did a great job of keeping the Battalion in the game in the third period by closing the door. He still needs to work on his rebound control though as he can tend to give up some juicy ones, in particular on low shots. He made 25 of 28 shots and took the loss.

That's it for that game and wraps up my thoughts on the first weekend of the season. Comments? Questions?

Sunday Top 10 - 2009 NHL Draft Surprises

With the 2009 NHL Entry Draft behind us, it is time to take a look at the draft a little more closely. All in all, it was an incredibly successful one for the OHL with 45 players selected in the weekend's 7 rounds. For those number crunchers out there, that's just over 20%. One fifth of the players selected were from the Ontario Hockey League.

For me, it was a bit of a strange draft. A lot of interesting things happened, and there were a lot of surprises and disappointments. Thus, today's Top 10 will take a look at those interesting things, surprises, and disappointments. Obviously, since this is an OHL blog, the list will focus on the surprises for the Ontario Hockey League as it relates to the draft. However, the list can also serve as my commentary on the draft as a whole.

So here we go, the top 10 2009 NHL Draft surprises...

10. Calvin de Haan Goes 12th to the New York Islanders
For any other follower of the NHL draft, this occurrence would probably be up near the top 3 of draft surprises. But for me, it's only a mild surprise. Obviously, I've been a big supporter of Calvin this entire season. I had him ranked 4th ahead of the likes of Kadri, Kassian, and Holland (2 of which he went before). His intelligent play with and without the puck obviously caught the eye of the Islanders too, since they traded up to make sure they got him. Calvin was ranked in the 20's by pretty much every scouting agency, so I'm sure this comes as more of a shock to them. But it's why it made this list, even though it failed to shock me. Congrats to Calvin in finally getting the attention he deserves.

9. Jamie Devane Who?
At the beginning of the third round, the Toronto Maple Leafs took Jamie Devane with the 68th overall pick. This had a lot of people scratching their head, me included. It also had a lot of people, in particular Leafs fans, asking the question, "who exactly is this guy?" Devane is a big OHL rookie winger from Plymouth who failed to crack my top 50 OHL players eligible (and quite frankly didn't even get consideration). One thing is clear about Devane, he loves to fight. He had 19 fights this season and is definitely one of the tougher customers in the OHL (here is a fight against Brian Shaw of Erie). That being said, I'm not sure I see the offensive upside, at least to warrant a top three round selection. I generally have a problem when NHL teams take heavyweights with high selections, because every year good prospects cut from the same cloth can be found as free agents. Just look at the Sharks signing of Brandon Mashinter as proof. But we all know that Brian Burke likes size and physical tools, and it's obvious his scouting staff sees more in Devane than just another George Parros for Burke.

8. Casey Cizikas Goes in the Top 100
Consider this a good surprise. You've got to be happy for Casey to be the first pick of the 4th round at 92, again to the New York Islanders. You have to wonder if Garth Snow and his scouting staff have been reading my blog! Cizikas has been heavily scrutinized after originally being touted as a potential high selection at the beginning of the season. Most scouts had a lot of problems with his consistency and effort level. However, I've been a big supporter, probably one of the few. He's always impressed me when I've seen him play and I think he has a lot to offer to an NHL team. That being said, this is a surprise because for all intents and purposes, I expected him to fall at the NHL draft, regardless of how high I personally was on him. There has to be a huge weight lifted off Casey's shoulders now that he's gotten drafted, and drafted fairly high.

7. Darren Archibald Goes Undrafted
Come on Garth Snow, you grab the other two guys I've been high on, but not Mr. Archibald? Surely Darren would have been a better 5th round pick than Anton Klementyev! All kidding aside, it surprised me greatly that Darren went undrafted. I had him as the 2nd best draft re-entry from the OHL heading into the draft. Then 11 OHL draft re-entries went instead of him! To me, Darren has all the qualities NHL teams usually look for. He's a big guy who moves well, has good hands, and is developing a sense of using his size. I thought he looked very good for an OHL rookie playing his first season from Tier 2. Had an excellent playoff series. I see a lot of potential in him and I'm not the only one. Redline had him in the mid 100's if I'm not mistaken. ISS was high on him, as I heard an interview with Mike Oke where he stated Archibald was his late round sleeper. With Barrie apparently loading up for a run next year, Archibald could have a really good season in 2009-10. He can only hope then that he can be among those drafted. Fortunately there are many routes to the NHL.

6. The Fall of Ethan Werek
I know I was higher on Werek than most, (having him ranked 5th for OHL eligibles), but I still expected him to be a late first or early second round pick. However he ended up lasting till mid way through the 2nd, where the Rangers finally took him off the board. Sure the skating could use a bit of improvement, but it's not terrible. If you read his blog over at Coming Down the Pipe (here), you'll notice how well spoken he is. A smart and goal oriented kid, it's pretty clear that Werek will continueto devote himself to improvement. I see a kid who scored the third most goals among draft eligible players (behind John Tavares and the undrafted Chris DeSousa), and I wonder how some fail to see his potential as a top 6 forward. I think it's pretty obvious to say that I think the Rangers got one heck of a steal in round 2 with this talented young man.

5. Bryan Cameron = No Such Luck
I was incredibly surprised when the Los Angeles Kings didn't sign him to a contract before the June 1st deadline. I was even more surprised when no one took him on Saturday, as he re-entered the draft (along with 6 others from the OHL failing to a receive a contract from the OHL). Look, I know he's undersized at 5'10. And I realize that the type of game he plays will be hard to translate to the NHL due to his size. But how many players have scored three straight 30 goal seasons, and have been to two straight OHL all star games? He brings a lot of things to the table. I'm sure he gets an invite to an NHL training camp and he needs to show that team he's worth a contract. If not he'll be back in the OHL as an overager, however not likely in Belleville as they go full blown into a rebuild. I think it'd be a real shame for him to fall through the cracks after being such a high NHL pick originally, considering the OHL career he's had thus far. The four guys he's posing with in the picture, all got NHL contracts, which has to make him feel left out.

4. Kyle Neuber Gets Drafted
I mean no offense to Kyle Neuber when I mention him in this article. But for him to get drafted, it surprises me greatly. This goes back to my rant before about teams spending picks on heavyweight prospects, when so many are available as free agents. Kyle is an excellent fighter, one of the top heavyweights in the OHL (here's a clip to show you why). But how much of an NHL future does he have? His offensive skills aren't good enough to make him a regular contributor at the OHL level, let alone the NHL level. His skating isn't great. Basically, he brings little to the table save being an enforcer. And I thought the NHL was getting away from putting "true" enforcers on their 4th line. Yet, this NHL draft we saw a large number of enforcer type prospects being drafted, including Neuber to Columbus in the 7th round. It all seems odd to me.

3. No Love for Undersized Forwards
Somewhat related to the rant on heavyweight prospects, comes the surprise that so few skilled, undersized forwards were drafted. And those that were, were drafted late. Undersized defenseman seemed to be at a premium, Ryan Ellis, de Haan, Tyson Barrie, Sami Vatanen all went well. But the talented undersized forwards? Alex Hutchings, whom many had pegged as an NHL second rounder, falls to the 4th round. Phil Varone, one of the best players in the OHL playoffs, to the 5th round. Chris DeSousa, who scored the 2nd most goals behind John Tavares among OHL draft eligibles, undrafted. Brett Parnham, the OHL's goal leader and draft re-entry, not drafted. Andrew Agozzino, William Wallen, Jordan Mayer, Daniel Erlich, all undrafted. OHL players weren't the only ones effected. Kellan Tochkin, the WHL's rookie scoring leader for Everett, also fell victim to the undrafted list. So in an era when undersized forwards are excelling like never before in the NHL, why are so few being drafted?

2. OHL Goaltenders Get Knocked Down
While the goaltending crop for this years NHL draft didn't have a great reputation for being excellent, there were several OHL goaltenders slated to be high picks. OHL netminders occupied 3 of the top 5 spots on the Central Scouting's top NA goalies ranking. However, Plymouth Whalers goaltender Matt Hackett ended up being the 5th netminder taken in the draft (77th to Minnesota), despite being touted as possibly the top goalie available. The fall was more dramatic for the others. Edward Pasquale, who was so good for Saginaw this year, fell to the end of the 4th round, while Scott Stajcer and Michael Zador fell to the end of the 5th round. Barrie's Peter Di Salvo, Ottawa's Chris Perugini and Guelph's Brandon Foote all went undrafted. On the positive side, Erie netminder Jaroslav Janus finally heard his name called in the 6th, after being passed over in previous NHL drafts. For whatever reason, NHL scouts must have been down on North American goaltenders, as despite going 77th, Hackett was actually the first North American goalie taken. Four European netminders went before him, as early as the first pick of the 2nd round (the gigantic Mikko Koskinen to Long Island).

1. The Number of 1989 Born Players Drafted
While I'm not going to do the math, all it takes is one glance at the full NHL draft list to see the sheer volume of players drafted with a 1989 birth date. These players had been passed over in two previous NHL drafts, yet there progression caught the eye of NHL scouts enough to warrant a draft pick. To me, it seems like more 1989 born players went in the last 100 picks, than first year eligible 1991's. This is truly bizarre, as most years no more than a dozen of these types go. Just to give you an idea. Last year for the OHL, 3 1988's went (Andrew Campbell, Justin Azevedo, and Justin DiBenedetto). This year, 9 1989 players went (Janus, Kolomatis, Kennedy, Macdermaid, Neuber, Timmins, Cowick, Nolan and Pelech). That's quite the large jump. Perhaps we're seeing a shift in NHL draft philosophy. With the three year window to draft players, perhaps teams are going to start looking more at those late bloomers as draft options. Or maybe this year is an outlier.

Just like to say, Congrats to those 45 OHL players drafted. And to the many more who didn't hear your named called, take a good look at those nine 1989 born players drafted. They are the reason to not give up. They are the reason to push harder and improve, because NHL scouts are always watching.

Big day on Tuesday as the CHL Import Draft goes, where teams will look for the next Evgeni Grachev and Andrei Loktionov. I'll have coverage of that. Also stay tuned for next Sunday's Top 10, where I'll be profiling my early look at the top 10 for 2010!