Ryan Yessie's Thoughts on Saginaw and Windsor

Ryan's been pretty busy lately, but he's still a good enough guy to supply us with his thoughts after seeing the Saginaw Spirit and Windsor Spitfires in Sarnia over the past couple of weeks. I for one always enjoy reading another perspective on things.

The thoughts on Saginaw come from games on the 30th of October and 5th of November. Saginaw dominated both games, winning the first game by a score of 6-1 and the second by a score of 4-1.

The thoughts on Windsor come from the Spitfires 7-1 victory over Sarnia last night (Friday, November 20).

After Sarnia started the year so strongly (much to the surprise of many), they've really cooled off lately. The Sting are only 2-8 in their last 10, winless in their last four, and now find themselves out of the playoffs in the Western Conference. Is it a slump or a return to reality for a young and rebuilding Sarnia hockey team. On a positive note, at least Ryan has a lot to tell us about the other team's top offensive players!

Here are Ryan's reports...

Sarnia vs. Saginaw - Oct/30/09 and Nov/5/09






T.J. Brodie - #79 - D - YOB: 1990 - 6’1” - 173lbs.
NHL: 4th Round - 114th Overall by Calgary in 2007
Report: Oct/30/09 & Nov/5/09: Brodie displays great speed even late in shifts and in games. On multiple occasions he displayed a very active stick applying pressure and forcing turnovers. Brodie appears to have off the charts hockey sense, and could be considered one of the best defencemen playing in the OHL this year. Brodie could work on being more physical and didn’t appear to have the hardest shot, but neither are things I’d consider to be flaws in his game.
(1G, 2A, +4, 2PIM in 2 Games)

Josh Shalla - #25 - LW - YOB: 1991 - 6’1” - 187lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/30/09 & Nov/5/09: Shalla is eligible for this year’s draft. Shalla has an absolute laser of a shot. He either seems to score, just miss by inches, or force the goaltender to make a great save every time he puts the puck towards the net. Shalla also worked hard in the defensive zone. However his transition from one to the other (offense to defence, or defence to offense) may become an issue. Shalla appears to be a bit of a weak skater. This affected his ability to win battles for the puck, especially on dump ins, and transition plays. He is good along the boards, but his skating again prevented him from being as able to engage in as many battles as he could have. On breakout plays Shalla would likely benefit from being the trailer as a screen for his great shot could be utilized, and his lack of speed could be masked by set plays such as that.
(1G, 1A, +4, 2 PIM in 2 Games)

Jordan Szwarz - #10 - RW - YOB: 1991 - 5’11” - 186lbs.
NHL: 4th Round - 97th Overall by Phoenix in 2009
Report: Oct/30/09 & Nov/5/09: After being very impressed last year I have to say I was a little disappointed with his play. Both games he was uninvolved in the plays and disappeared for long stretches. His goal he scored was not out of skill but out of being the 2nd opportunity guy who just happened to find himself with an open side. Hopefully Szwarz improves his game from here on in.
(1G, 1A, +1 IN 2 Games played)

Ivan Telegin - #24 - C - YOB: 1992 - 6’3” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/30/09 & Nov/5/09: Telegin was very impressive in both games. Great puck control, shot, decision making and is still only 17 years old. Telegin may have good speed, but is not your typical Russian. Telegin has great size and could fill out to a power forwards size. It isn’t his game but he is a decent hitter. Telegin utilizes his ability to control the puck, and his speed and shiftyness when moving up the ice to create scoring for himself. Telegin was Saginaw’s best forward in the 2 games played against Sarnia.
(2G, 2A, +5, 2 PIM in 2 games)

Cody Sol - #41 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6’5” - 214lbs.
NHL: 5th Round - 125th Overall by Atlanta in 2009
Report: Oct/30/09 & Nov/5/09: Sol has good speed and puck move movement abilities. For someone his size I’d go as far as consider it outstanding. His size after watching him the first half of last year left me wishing he’d use his size a bit more effectively, and he heard the bell on that one. He’s become a big physical presence using his size and was throwing hits all over his own zone during these two games. Also with his improve physical play he also showed he could hold his own against a Kyle Neuber who has a reputation as a good fighter (but we really haven’t seen that yet in Sarnia). Sol also showed off a decent shot from the point which he used a few times in these games. It doesn’t appear likely that Sol will become a top 4 defenceman at the NHL, but watching him develop I certainly see him making it as a very useful 3rd pairing defenceman.
(1A, +4, 9 PIM in 3 games)

Edward Pasquale - #80 - G - YOB: 1991 - 6’3” - 216lbs.
NHL: 4th Round - 117th Overall by Atlanta in 2009
Report: Oct/30/09 & Nov/5/09: Although he only let in 2 goals in 2 games, it was a tale of two goaltenders. In the first game Pasquale looked slow to react and relied heavily on size and his defense limiting scoring chances. He stayed deep in his net, but fortunately most shots went into his chest. He made a great save in the third period, but definitely did not look like a goaltender who was considered the #1 draft eligible goaltnder in North America 1 year ago at this time. The second game was much closer, and Pasquale was that much better. He came out to the top of his crease cutting down angles, responded better to shots in terms of his reflexes, and he came out of this game making several outstanding saves. This leaves me to wonder if consistency is the biggest thing for Pasquale to work on going forward.
(Stopped 63 of 65 shots in 2 games)
-----------------------------

Sarnia vs. Windsor Nov/20/09





Taylor Hall - #4 - LW - YOB: 1991 - 6’1” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Nov/20/09: After being amazed by Taylor Hall for 3 years I can say I wasn’t overly impressed with his efforts tonight. There’s no denying his top end skating, puck handling, and ability to rush the puck up the ice, but it never really translated into much until this game was already put away. However that one goal was one for the highlight reel, breaking out one on one short handed with a defenceman I hold pretty high in my rankings Nathan Chiarlitti, and just absolutely posterized him, then made a beautiful move on Campbell to slide the puck in. It was, to be honest coming from a Sarnia follower a Stamkos-like play that we saw for years here, there‘s no other way to compare it. However what happened after the goal was not Stamkos-like at all. Hall carried on with a huge celebration including the “Ovechkin leap“ into the glass. For a player of his caliber to do this when scoring the goal that makes the game 7-1 with less than 3 minutes left in the 3rd, especially for one that did very little for his team in this game the first 57 minutes of this game compared to the way he usually plays. It was fairly tasteless, ignorant, and to be honest I’ve been a fan of Hall since he was a 16 year old, but I lost a little respect for him, and his coach for that matter who would let one of their players carry on like that after scoring a meaningless goal. It was a highlight reel goal, but come on Taylor.
(Hall had 1G, +1 tonight)

Adam Henrique - #14 - C - YOB: 1990 - 6’1” - 196lbs.
NHL: 3rd Round - 82nd Overall by New Jersey in 2008
Report: Nov/20/09: “Most underrated player in the league” Is certainly a title worthy of describing Adam Henrique. He reminds me a lot of Matt Halischuk when he was with the OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers a few years back. He has great speed, plays hard in his own end, and just has a gift for putting the puck into the net. Henrique was key in face-offs, and just was; in my mind Windsor’s best forward all night. Not many people would know this but Henrique now has 22 goals in 25 games, an outstanding pace for someone who isn’t even recognized as one of Windsor’s top 5 players by many that are either not very in tuned with the OHL, or outside of Windsor. I would not be shocked to see Henrique in a 3rd line role in New Jersey as soon as next year.
(Henrique had 2G, 2 PIM tonight)

Kenny Ryan - #26 - RW - YOB: 1991 - 6’0” - 204lbs.
NHL: 2nd Round - 50th Overall by Toronto in 2009
Report: Nov/20/09: Kenny Ryan neither impressed or disappointed me in this game. I put in a report mainly because not that many people have seen him in person yet in the OHL. He seems to have decent but not great speed, good puck handling abilities and makes good decisions along the boards. He floated a lot in the neutral zone, looking for a pass to score and abandoned his defensive responsibilities, but overall Kenny Ryan leaves me thinking he’s one of those guys who, when Timmins and Mitchell, and likely a few of Nemisz, Henrique, and maybe Hall are gone, steps up and shows what he’s capable of.
(Ryan had 1G tonight)

Richard Panik - #28 - C/RW - YOB: 1991 - 6’2” - 197lbs.
NHL: 2nd Round - 52nd Overall by Tampa Bay in 2009
Report: Nov/20/09: Richard Panik has a lot of boom or bust perceptions around him. He would serve better as a Right Wing prospect, as supposed to the Center position he played for a few shifs this game. I have a hard time seeing him compete with Lecavilier or Stamkos in the top two in Tampa. Panik showed off some impressive speed, especially someone at his size that can fly like that. He was willing to play physical, and I know one of the knocks on him is laziness and not being good at his side of the red line, but he played hard in the defensive zone, and if he is still inconsistent, he certainly chose this to be one of the games he showed up to. He scored the first of two highlight reel goals for Windsor. He was coming out front around the back of the net, and he may have got tripped, or just dove for the puck, either way on his way down was able to slip the puck past Campbell short side. Panik would score again but would not be anything compared to his first goal. Overall I didn’t see any flaws in his game, but if his reputation is that he doesn’t show up to some games, then that may be a concern, but he certainly showed up tonight.
(Panik had 2G, +2 tonight)

Ryan Ellis - #6 - D - YOB: 1991 - 5’10” - 170lbs.
NHL: 1st Round - 11th Ovearll by Nashville in 2009
Report: Nov/20/09: Ellis did not really stand out the way he did last year in games I watched, however he wasn’t bad either. He certainly made a few Sting players wish they didn’t block his shot, but he really only got one to the net on the PP. Ellis does look a fair amount improved with his skating, but will either need to continue to improve, or add more of a physical element to his game if he ever wants to wear a Predator jersey, considering how many good defencemen they have, plus fellow prospect Jonathon Blum and Cody Franson who are both spending most of their time in Milwaukee and are ahead of Ellis in both development, and arguably overall potential if he can’t improve one of those two.
(Ellis had 2A, +1 tonight)

Cam Fowler - #6 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6’2” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Nov/20/09: Fowler was hands down Windsor’s best defenceman tonight. He was skating great, threw some solid hits, shot the puck well, moved the puck well, there really wasn’t any flaws in his game. Add in the fact that his skating was so smooth for someone who looked bigger than 6’2”, and factor in that when he is done growing could wind up as big as 6’4” 220 is just amazing to project where he’ll be. I was set on Hall/Seguin going 1-2 in this draft, but Fowler will definitely make the top 3 very interesting. Not sure how much more I can elaborate, but his puck moving and skating were just better than everyone else from the blueline in this game, and didn’t really show any weaknesses in his game tonight.
(Fowler had 3A, +1 tonight)

Thanks to Ryan again. Any thoughts for him?

Thoughts on Saginaw and Owen Sound from November 18

Really exciting and fast paced Wednesday night game between the Saginaw Spirit and Owen Sound Attack. A lot of back and forth action, plenty of scoring opportunities, some good hits, a couple of fights; really not much else you can ask for in a hockey game. Oh sorry, you wanted defense? Not here. Both teams struggled with defensive zone turnovers and man coverage, which lead to a total of 12 goals scored in the game. Thanks to a late third period fluke goal by the recently acquired Ryan O'Connor, the Spirit came out on top of this wild west shootout by a score of 7-5.

The Attack came out firing on all cylinders and took control of the game in the opening ten minutes, scoring three unanswered goals. They looked a lot like the team I expected them to be this season. But then the wheels fell off and Saginaw scored five straight goals during the second half of the first and first half of the second. Turnovers, soft man defense and a real lack of backchecking from the forwards really cost the Attack. I would attribute at least three of those five goals to the fault of the forwards who did not hustle back to the other end or tie up their man. Now I will give Owen Sound credit, they battled back and tied the game at 5, only to lose on a terribly fluke goal by O'Connor. The Spirit defenseman one timed the puck from the point, it went WELL wide, so wide in fact that the angle it took off the boards brought it right back behind Stajcer, going off his skate and into the net. Someone who didn't see the game might see the score and assume that Stajcer was weak for the Attack, especially considering he only faced 34 shots (an average night by OHL standards). But he was really solid. I would say at least half of those shots by Saginaw were outstanding scoring chances. Stajcer stopped at least five Saginaw players point blank in the slot. Two of the goals were complete flukes too; the aforementioned O'Connor game winner and Vincent Trocheck's first period goal where the puck went off an Owen Sound defenseman and bounced to a wide open Trocheck for the tap in. I think it's also important to note that Owen Sound played this game with only 5 defenseman, as they were without the services of Milan Doczy and Keevin Cutting. Tough to play one of the league's best offensive teams a man down on the blueline. Definitely a tough loss for Attack fans to swallow.

Saginaw, well what can you say, they're good offensively. One of the hottest lines in the OHL performed up to expectations as Josh Shalla, Ivan Telegin, and Jordan Skellet combined for 3 goals and 8 assists in the game. These guys have a ton of chemistry and are playing with a lot of confidence right now. However, as much as this win must feel good, I think it also has to raise some alarms to Saginaw's management and fans. Since the Brodie/Crawford trade, this team has given up 19 goals in 4 games and they were not sharp tonight. They had trouble containing Owen Sound off the rush and did not put enough pressure on opposing forwards in the offensive end. These are two things that T.J. Brodie and Nick Crawford do very well, and in their absence, the rest of the Saginaw defense needs to find a way to get it done or improve. While their offense might take them places in the regular season, you know the saying, "defense wins championships."

Thoughts on individual players...

Saginaw Spirit





Garret Ross (2010)
Second time I've been impressed with Ross this season. While he didn't pick up any points, he was right in the middle of several solid scoring chances on the rush. He seems to have very good straight ahead speed and it gives the opposing defense a hard time. Came flying down the wing, beating his man to the net twice, but couldn't finish on the cross ice feeds. His forechecking forced a few turnovers in the offensive end and I'd say he has a very good chance of developing into a quality energy player. If he could finish off more of those offensive opportunities, he might get serious consideration in June. Types of players like Ross who've got speed, and a willingness to do everything on the ice do have a tendency to get drafted.

Jordan Szwarz (PHX)
I thought Szwarz had a pretty quiet game. He's usually one of those players who's all over the ice, but he didn't seem to have his usual energy in this one. Took two undisciplined penalties to start the game, maybe that took him out of it a bit. He did score a very nice goal in the second period. Defenseman Brad Walch made a nice slap pass to Szwarz in front of the net for the redirect over Stajcer's pad. It was Szwarz's only point of the game.

Ryan O'Connor (2010)
He's got to be disappointed that Central Scouting didn't include him in their Preliminary rankings, considering his skill level and track record in the league thus far. He had a good game tonight I thought. Wasn't on the ice for a goal against, and did a very good job of moving the puck up ice. Had a few very nice rushes and I think he picks his spots to pinch and rush very well. In the first period he took possession of the puck behind the net on powerplay rotation and made a beautiful pass to Ivan Telegin in front of the net for the goal. His goal was obviously a fluke that I've already mentioned above, but credit to him for getting himself in position for the shot. Defensively I felt he was solid too. Made a real nice hit on Daniel Zweep and was one of the few Saginaw defenseman who showed they could handle defending off the rush. O'Connor finished with a goal and an assist and was +3.

Ivan Telegin (2010)
I have a feeling that this guy's stock for 2010 is only going to go up and up. He's got 7 goals in the 7 November games thus far. It's getting to the point where I'm not sure who I like better among the Russians, Telegin or Barrie's Alex Burmistrov. Telegin was fantastic tonight. He's listed at 6'3, 185lbs, but he looks thicker than that. I've watched him against Owen Sound and against Peterborough and both teams had incredible difficulty controlling him in front of the net. Simply put, he's a beast near the crease. His goal was scored just that way, the defense couldn't handle him near the net and he put home a pass from Ryan O'Connor. But I like his vision and playmaking ability too. While O'Connor's goal may have been a fluke, the cross ice feed by Telegin over two Owen Sound sticks to O'Connor for the one timer was not. He's also quite the complete player who does make an effort to backcheck, does a great job on the penalty kill and works the boards. Lastly, for a big man, he moves quite well and he's not afraid to take the puck right to the net. The complete package. Finished the game with a goal and two assists.

Josh Shalla (2010)
Whenever I've seen him play, I've always come away underwhelmed. Tonight Shalla had 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists), but it might have been the quietest five point night I've ever seen. It's pretty obvious that Shalla is one of those guys who's not flashy, and who you don't really notice much until you look at the score sheet and he's had a multi point game. Not the quickest player on the ice, nor the biggest, but he's definitely got good hockey sense and offensive instincts. Made a nice pass to Michael Sgarbossa off the rush for a goal in the second, and scored a goal of his own after wiring home a slapper past Scott Stajcer. He sealed the deal with an empty netter with 12 seconds to go. I'm still not sure what to make of him and what type of role he'd have at the next level.

Cody Sol (ATL)
Sol is one of those guys who has to step it up in the absence of Brodie and Crawford. While I thought he showed some things offensively, that's not entirely what he's there for (or was drafted for). He was on the ice for 4 of Owen Sound's five goals. For a guy with his size, he has to do a better job of tying up his man in front of the net, and punishing those in the crease. He was caught skating around on two of those goals, failing to pick up a man. Offensively I thought he was pretty good though, and as much as I said this isn't what he's there for, it is something he'll have to contribute with now that Saginaw has lost their two best offensive defenseman (Brodie/Crawford). He's got a huge shot and he picks his spots in putting it on net, and he made a couple nice plays to keep the puck in at the line. But he's got to step it up defensively.

Michael Sgarbossa (2010)
I felt like I didn't notice Sgarbossa that much tonight. Scored a goal off a nice feed from Josh Shalla in the second and added an assist on the Vincent Trocheck fluke goal. Sgarbossa was the one who shot the puck that went off the Attack player's back and right to Trocheck. He saw some time with Shalla and Skellet, as well as on the third line with Garret Ross and Vincent Trocheck. Likely still needs to adapt to a new team. Still, a goal and an assist isn't a bad nights work.

Edward Pasquale (ATL)
Despite getting the victory in this one, I thought Pasquale was out played by Scott Stajcer. While he's got a good win total, I think it's safe to say he hasn't had an amazing season thus far. It's been plagued by inconsistency. He's given up 15 goals in his last 4 appearances. The Attack were definitely trying to go high on Pasquale tonight, exposing his tendency to 1) go down early on shots 2) stay back too far in his net and not challenge shooters. Four of the five goals given up by Pasquale were high on him. It'll be interesting to see what Atlanta does with Pasquale next year, because I don't think he's ready for pro hockey. I'm willing to bet he returns for an overage season, be it with Saginaw or with another OHL team. Made 31 of 36 saves for the win.

Owen Sound Attack






Curtis Crombeen (2011)
I haven't seen Owen Sound play since earlier in the season, but it certainly seems to me that Crombeen has come a long way. Playing with a lot more confidence at both ends of the ice and I actually think he was Owen Sound's best defenseman tonight. Had a couple very nice rushes where he took the puck from one end of the ice to the other, and quickly. Making better passes out of his zone too. Before he was trying to force passes, but now he seems to be keeping things simple. I also liked what I saw defensively. Actually made a couple nice physical plays to separate his man from the puck along the boards, and shows good mobility in transition defense. Maybe it was just a good game from him, but he certainly seems to have progressed already.

Roman Berdnikov (2010)
Not that much to talk about really. I thought he played a good first period, but disappeared after that. More than likely he's still working on his conditioning after missing such a large part of the season thus far. In the first he forechecked hard and had a large part in the third Owen Sound goal by Myles Doan. His the Saginaw player along the boards, and forced the turnover that would eventually lead to Doan's goal on a goal mouth scramble. He also attempted to throw a few open ice hits, so he's obviously got a little sand paper to his game. We'll see how he looks a month from now when he gets his legs back.

Jesse Blacker (TOR)
First chance to see Blacker with Owen Sound and I felt like he had a pretty poor game. While he is a very good puck rushing defenseman and has very good straight ahead speed, he seems to have tunnel vision with the puck. He gets the puck behind the net and makes his mind up that he's going to rush it. This "forcing" of the play lead to several turnovers and odd man rushes for Saginaw. He got beat quite badly off the rush on one play by Jordan Skellet too, as he got caught going for the hit, rather than skating with Skellet. He did get a little bit better as the game went along though. On the powerplay in the second period, he made a very nice pass to Bobby Mignardi at the side of the net, who then went to Garrett Wilson for the goal in the slot. He did a pretty good job of running the powerplay on the whole. But if he wants the big minutes (exactly what he's getting in Owen Sound), he's got to play smarter and better defensively. Finished the game with 3 assists, but a -1.

Garrett Wilson (FLA)
Was an absolute beast tonight for Owen Sound. Finished with a hat trick and a nice assist. He's taken quite a few steps forward this season. He's playing with more confidence with the puck, he's gotten stronger, and he's gotten quicker. His first goal was scored as he batted the puck out of mid air at the side of the net, off a rebound generated off a Steven Shipley rush to the net. His second goal was scored as he beat his man to the net, took a feed from Shipley in full stride and wired home a wrister past Pasquale. The hat trick goal was off a nice tick-tack-toe goal from Mignardi and Blacker (which I already mentioned), where Wilson finished off the play in the slot. His assist came off a nice find and pass to Bobby Mignardi for the one timer just inside the blueline. He had a couple other nice chances to score tonight too. Quickly becoming one of the better power forwards in the OHL.

Steven Shipley (2010)
Shipley was quite good tonight too. Used his size and speed to his advantage and did a good job to draw defensive attention to him. On Wilson's first goal, he won a puck battle off Josh Shalla in the corner and immediately took the puck right to the front of the net, generating a rebound that Wilson put home. Earned another assist off a nice pass to Wilson for his second goal. I like how he's becoming more confident in carrying the puck to the net. I still get bothered a bit by his lack of physical play though. There was one opportunity tonight that really caught my eye. The Saginaw defenseman had some trouble with the puck at his feet just to the side of the net. Shipley came in with speed, but instead of taking the body (the defenseman was straight on so it would not have been a dangerous engage), or engaging him physically to force a turnover, Shipley slowed up and tried to stick check him, allowing the Saginaw defenseman to compose himself and get the puck out of danger. I'm not asking him to be a power forward or a physical player, but I do expect 6'2, 200lbs forwards to use their size to force turnovers. He finished with 3 assists.

Geoffrey Schemitsch (2010)
Fresh off his interview with me (here), I thought Schemitsch had a pretty decent game. Some very good, some bad. The good first. I thought he did an excellent job on the penalty kill. He showed a little gusto in his game that I hadn't seen yet by being physical along the boards to retrieve the puck and stop offensive progress. He also made a couple really nice defensive plays off the rush, keeping the forward in front of him and using solid mobility and positioning to remove him from the puck. Had some big blocked shots too and gets himself in passing lanes, anticipating the play defensively. Offensively, he works the powerplay very well and does a great job of anticipating (again that word) the play and keeping the puck in the zone. He also had two very nice stretch passes that nearly resulted in breakaways. That shows vision. On the negative, the Jordan Szwarz goal was directly his fault as he failed to tie up his man in front of the net. This is something he needs to work on. Also, he had two terrible giveaways in his own zone, although neither resulted in a Saginaw goal. Had one bad pinch that resulted in a two on one too. But, he's a talented kid playing in his first OHL season from Midget. He's going to go through some adjustments. Considering all he's done thus far for Owen Sound, I'd say he's a pretty impressive prospect.

Scott Stajcer (NYR)
As I mentioned, he didn't play as poorly as his stat line might indicate. His defense did not help him out all that much tonight. Stopped quite a few point blank opportunities, being aggressive in challenging the shooter and decreasing their target. He controlled his rebounds well and did admirably in keeping Owen Sound in a game they didn't have as much business being in as they were. The two fluke goals I already mentioned didn't help his stat line either. Nor did that last one by O'Connor help his confidence or focus either. It was clear he was distracted at the end of the game as Mark Reeds tried to signal him to the bench for the extra attacker, but he wasn't paying attention. That really flustered the Attack's momentum with the extra forward and they weren't able to get anything going. I also worry about his read of the play at times. The second period Sgarbossa goal was not a strong one, as he reacted about 5 seconds too late to a cross ice pass to Sgarbossa for the one timer to the top of the net. While he wasn't likely to stop it, I'm curious as to why he was so slow to react to the play. Perhaps the Owen Sound defense screened his view of the pass? Either way, Stajcer deserved a better fate tonight. He made 28 of 34 saves and took the loss.

Anyone else out there with thoughts?

Thoughts on Saginaw and Peterborough from October 22

First time watching both of these teams this season, and since there were quite a few guys I wanted to catch a glimpse of on both sides, it was almost overwhelming to keep up. It was actually a very entertaining game that saw a lot of good scoring chances at both ends of the ice. The Petes looked good as they managed to snap a four game losing streak (in which they'd given up 23 goals in those four games). Jason Missiaen had a really solid game as he looks to get back on track after a string of really poor starts. The Spirit got a lot of opportunities but just couldn't bury them, while some sloppy defense cost them the game despite outshooting the Petes 42-11 in periods 2 and 3.

Some thoughts on some of the players on both sides...

Saginaw Spirit





Nick Crawford (BUF)
I thought he played a really strong defensive game. He's only moderately sized (6'1), and he's not a physical defender, but he does a very strong job as a positional defender. The Petes forwards had a tough time getting by him on the way to the net and did a good job in picking up his man in coverage, tying him up and not allowing a scoring opportunity. I was also impressed by the way he won battles in the corners, just by out maneuvering Pete players and using his stick to get the puck out. Offensively, I thought he struggled a bit though. Made a few questionable decisions with the puck early on and had a few giveaways. Settled down as the game went on and made a couple nice plays later in the game to keep the puck in the offensive zone. But overall I was somewhat underwhelmed by his offensive abilities. As a quietly effective defender, perhaps I was looking for more flash and dash to his game than I should have been. He finished with an assist.

Garret Ross (2010)
I actually really liked what I saw from Ross, as he played on the Spirits' top line with Jordan Skellett and Josh Shalla. Not a big winger, but he brings a lot of energy to the ice. I thought he looked more impressive than his two linemates. He took the puck to the net hard on a couple occasions and created scoring chances off rebounds. Looked like a really solid skater because of these rushes and his work on the forecheck. Had a couple good offensive opportunities in the slot too, but couldn't beat Missiaen. Not sure how long he stays on that first line, but if he does, his energy will no doubt lead to some offensive production and he could be a guy to watch for June's draft.

Jordan Szwarz (PHX)
Has been underwhelming on the stat sheet so far this season (as it was expected he'd be an offensive leader for the Spirit this season). But I thought he played a really good game and was probably Saginaw's best forward with Ivan Telegin. I was a big fan of his for the draft last year and admit he's a bit of an enigma. When he's on...like he was tonight...his speed and energy in the offensive zone leads to offensive opportunities. Not a big guy, but he's elusive on the ice and seems to find the scoring areas really well. As an example, scored a side of the net goal on a beautiful slap pass from T.J. Brodie. He got himself in good position and was wide open for the redirect/tap in. Like any developing energy player, he needs to remember that in order for him produce offensively, he's got to play his game every shift. He finished with a goal and an assist.

Tyler Murovich (Overage Free Agent)
I really like Murovich and I'm pulling for him to earn a professional contract this year. From what I've been told, he was close in Columbus/Syracuse this offseason. Just to give you an idea of the type of player Murovich is, on one shift, he blocked a hard point shot from the point with his shin, dropped to the ground in pain. He proceeded to get up, re-enter play and no more than 10 seconds later he forced a turnover by the Saginaw bench by throwing a big hit on a Petes player trying to get the puck back into the offensive zone. All heart. He's one of the better two way forwards in the league and I think he has an underrated offensive game. His goal was a weak one five hold that Missiaen would like to have back, but he had a few other offensive opportunities tonight that just missed. He'll never be a scoring line player in the NHL, but many teams need the type of heart and character he brings to the ice.

Jordan Skellett (Overage Free Agent)
Finally exploding offensively in the league this season, I thought Skellett was disappointing. He had a couple nice shifts, and showed some good things with the puck, but overall his performance was underwhelming. He is definitely an excellent playmaker and that's his bread and butter. Made a very nice pass to a streaking Ivan Telegin for the Spirit's opening goal. Made a couple other nice passes too, especially from behind the net where he tries to control play. On the downside, I felt like he overhandled the puck on several occasions that led to turnovers and just looked like he was trying to force the play. I think he's a good junior hockey player, but I can't see him having an extended professional hockey career.

Ivan Telegin (2010)
Our friend Alessandro Seren Rosso will be happy to hear that Telegin looked very strong in tonight's game. Been looking forward to seeing him play. Scored a beautiful goal on a pass from Jordan Skellet, as he was hit streaking towards the net. He took the puck on his stick, kept skating, made a nice deke around Missiaen and slid it home on his forehand. Later in the game he had a breakaway opportunity but was obviously hooked by Jamie Doornbosch and couldn't get a shot off (of which no penalty was called and it sent Spirit coach Todd Watson into an extreme fit of rage). On a few other players he showed good speed, especially acceleration for a big man. He shifted back and forth between center and wing and saw a good amount of time on special teams. On the powerplay he was being used as a screen in front of the net and did a good job to hold his place. Seems to be the model of consistency so far this season, being held pointless in only 2 games.

Josh Shalla (2010)
Truthfully, he was invisible for most of the game. Towards the end, he had a couple nice passes and showed a willingness to go to the net for a rebound. But I don't have much to offer on him. After the first period, I actually had to check to see if he was playing because I noticed him that little. He finished a team low -3. I'll need to see him again.

Cody Sol (ATL)
I thought Sol was pretty brutal tonight. Definitely didn't look like an NHL draft pick. On the positive, he was physical and threw a couple really good hits, unfortunately a few of those took him out of defensive position. With the puck in his own zone, he was terrible. Gave it away several times as he tried to throw the puck up the middle of the ice. However he did look somewhat comfortable playing the point in the offensive zone and he really has a hard shot (which you'd have to expect considering his size) that he actually gets through to the net well. But for a guy who's bread and butter is supposed to be as a strong physical stay at home defenseman, he needs to tighten some things up.

T.J. Brodie (CGY)
Brodie was absolutely electric offensively tonight. He got better and better as the game went on too. His skating ability is so good from the back end, just an explosive player. On one occasion he picked the puck up at the blueline and went by three Petes players to the net in what seemed like a split second. It was a loose puck that he picked up near the boards and then accelerated to the front of the net, but only got a weak shot off. Had a few other nice rushes tonight too. His assist to Jordan Szwarz was a thing of beauty; a slap pass right to Jordan Szwarz at the side of the net for the easy tap in. Completely fooled the Petes defense and Jason Missiaen. On the downside, he was careless with the puck on a few occasions. Made poor reads in trying to rush up ice and skated into traffic giving the puck up. He definitely needs to pick his spots better. He also looked lazy at times in the defensive zone. While he can be a solid positional defender, he looked really lazy on Adrian Robertson's second period goal. He failed to tie up Robertson as he went hard to the net, leaving him with a redirect on a cross ice pass. If he fails to tie up forwards like that in the NHL, he'll be eaten alive. A ton of talent here though and I think a serious candidate for the Canadian WJC team.

Edward Pasquale (ATL)
Not sure if Pasquale's poor start statistically has been as a result of poor play in front of him, or poor play by him. But he wasn't incredibly sharp tonight. He looked really slow in his net, especially in terms of reacting to offensive plays. On David Quesnele's goal to open the game, he got himself so far out of position on the flop that he had no chance to stop Quesnele's shot. He had trouble with another shot late in the game as Matt Puempel tried to bank it off him and into the net. He was still on his knees after an original shot and failed to get back up to cover the post. Luckily enough the puck hit the post. The other four goals were tricky ones for Pasquale to stop, but good goalies put themselves in position to at least make a few big saves and Pasquale made none of those tonight. Perhaps all the trade rumours surrounding him have effected his play. He made 24 of 29 saves and took the loss.

Peterborough Petes





Matt Puempel (2011)
The Petes recent first rounder looked very good tonight. Was all over the ice and did a good job of working puck possession with Ryan Spooner and Pat Daley. Was effective off the rush and scored a really nice goal off a feed from Pat Daley from behind the net. Daley hit Puempel with a pass after he beat his defender to the net and put it home high blocker side. His other goal was a beautiful tip in off a Chris Buonomo point shot. Showed great hands and coordination on both goals. Recently returning from a concussion, it doesn't look like he's missed a step. Finished with 2 goals.

Chris Buonomo (2010)
I liked Buonomo's game tonight. He seems to be one of those under heralded draft eligible defenseman the OHL has to offer this season (Petgrave, Levi, Chiarlitti, etc), and one has to wonder if he can separate himself from the pack. He's not that big, but he plays with an edge and appears to have a lot of mobility from the back end. Defensively he was solid too, and I didn't notice any real mistakes. Showed an ability to get his point shot to the net on the powerplay, like he did on Matt Puempel's redirect. He did have some turnovers with the puck in his own zone as he tried to force passes up ice. In this case, he needs to either get confidence in bringing the puck up himself, or make smarter, less rushed passes.

David Quesnele (2010)
Had an absolutely fantastic game. I really liked the way he was around the puck all night. Was good in the corners, showed no fear in going hard to the net, was active on the forecheck. Just all over the ice. On his first goal he did a good job of finding the puck in a crowd and putting it to the back of the net. On his second goal, he went hard to the net and took a pass from Joey West from behind the net; one timing it past Pasquale. Made a tremendous pass to Adrian Robertson for his late second period goal, going cross ice to hit the streaking defenseman through T.J. Brodie. I thought he was the best Petes player on the ice tonight, finishing with 2 goals and an assist.

Ryan Spooner (2010)
Throughout the first two periods, Spooner was the best player on the ice. His speed and tenacity without the puck is refreshing to see. On one occasion he took the puck hard to the net, got a shot away, kept skating behind the net, came out and stole the rebound away from T.J. Brodie by lifting his stick and then got another shot away, drawing a penalty from Edward Pasquale after on a frustrated slash. Drew two secondary assists thanks to hard work along the boards in keeping the puck moving to his teammates. He did disappear in the third period though, but did enough in the first two to make a serious impression.

Adam Sedlak (2010)
I thought Sedlak played a very strong defensive game. Nothing flashy, but just a solid defensive presence. Stays with his man well and shows good mobility. Also showed a willingness to play a quiet physical game, tying up his man and clearing the front of the net. Didn't really see a lot offensively, but with solid size, mobility and defense, he's likely to attract NHL draft attention.

Jamie Doornbosch (2010, 1990 born)
Not the best game I've seen Doornbosch play. Looked a little lethargic defensively tonight. Got caught standing still a few times, in particular against Ivan Telegin on his goal and his breakaway attempt. But he moves the puck up ice well and has good offensive instincts. I wonder if he'll get NHL attention at the draft this year if his strong offensive season continues.

Barron Smith (TOR)
I thought he played a pretty good defensive game tonight. Like the Spirit's Cody Sol, he can take himself out of the play going for the big hit, as he did a few times, but he also clears the front of the net well and seems to excel in the defensive zone. His partner Chad Lowry really struggled tonight and got exposed a few times off the rush, to which Smith had to bail him out. He's definitely never going to put up the offensive stats his father did in the NHL, but he could have a future as a 5-7 guy at the next level.

Jason Missiaen (MTL)
Still a hot and cold goaltender, Missiaen needs to find a way to perform consistently. He's either a sieve or a wall and nothing in between. Tonight he was a wall, after struggling in his past few games. Obviously his size is his biggest strength, but he actually moves well in his net for a big man (at least in my opinion). Takes away the bottom of the net really well with his pads, which seemingly can stretch from post to post. If only he could strengthen his five hole, which he gave up a weak goal to Tyler Murovich on, then he'd be unbeatable down low. I like how he still challenges the shooter too, which really takes away the top of the net too. Sometimes with bigger goalies, they're content to stay back in their crease. On the downside, Missiaen definitely needs to work on controlling his rebounds. I think close to half the shots he faced tonight were off rebounds he gave up. Your classic 2nd and 3rd chance opportunities. Luckily enough he was up to the task in stopping them, but the Spirit were also unable to get those chances up over his pads. I really think there is potential there if a team is willing to be patient with him. Made 45 of 48 saves tonight and got the win.

As always I welcome your comments and questions and would love to hear from those who've seen the Spirit or Petes more than I have.

Thoughts on October action by a new contributor

Alright folks, in an effort to make this blog the most comprehensive it can be, I've brought in another person to provide his thoughts on OHL action. His name is Ryan Yessie and he's a Sarnia Sting fan. He's also an avid OHL follower and he's someone who's opinion on OHL prospects I greatly trust. I hope you enjoy reading his posts!

Here are some thoughts from Ryan on a few October games he was able to catch.

October 10. - Sarnia vs. Windsor



Miroslav Preisinger (NHL: 2009 Eligible)
Report: Oct/10/08: Preisinger has really brought his game to another level since having a very slow start this year. At first it looked like he didn’t have the skill to keep up, after being a player considered to be picked in the first round of this years draft, his play was alittle disappointing. He was easy to knock off the puck, and seemed afraid of physical contact, as well he wouldn’t shoot the puck. Tonight Preisinger played at high speeds most of the night and made a picture perfect pass to set up a goal in the 3rd period. For what it’s worth E.J. Maguire was at the game and about 5 ft. away from myself when the goal went in.. it looked like he couldn’t take his notebook out fast enough and began to write something down seconds after the goal. (Preisinger had 1A)

Ryan Ellis (NHL: 2009 Eligible)
Report: Oct/10/08: Ellis looks like the real deal, skates quickly and accelerates in his first few strides effortlessly. Great positioning defensively. He isn’t going to wow anyone with his defensive ability, but they are much better than the average offensive defenceman. Ellis showed great puck moving skills, could work on his shot power, but that will develop as he gets stronger. (Ellis had 1A, 2PIM)

Taylor Hall (NHL: 2009 Eligible)
Report: Oct/10/08: It’s amazing that Hall is still going to be in the OHL one more year, he along with Katic were easily the fastest skaters on the ice tonight. Hall plays a lot like Stamkos, just does everything at such a high speed, he doesn’t look quite up to par with what Stamkos was in his two years in the OHL overall, but Hall without question belongs in the same class. (Hall had 1G, 1A)

October 11. - Sarnia vs. Saginaw

Cody Sol (NHL: 2009 Eligible)
Report: Oct/11/08: Sol looked pretty good out there overall, big defenceman, doesn’t use his size physically that well, but uses it well positionally. Very smooth skater, very impressive for someone his age. Unfortunately he left near the end of the 1st period and didn’t return. Don’t expect much offensive output from him. But he could be a good reliable defenceman as time goes on.

Jordan Szwarz (NHL: 2009 Eligible)
Report: Oct/11/08: Szwarz looked very impressive. Great puck skills, and decent speed, moved the puck well and has a good accurate shot. Playing on the top line with Combs. He looked like the best forward on the team tonight. Not sure where he projects but he’s the kinda player you could steal in the 4th or 5th round. (Szwarz had 1G,1A)

T.J. Brodie (NHL: Calgary 4th rd/114th overall)
Report: Oct/11/08: Brodie looked like he really improved from training camp. Plays with an extra jump in his game than he had last year. Doesn’t shy away from initiating physical contact, great puck movement and played well in both ends of the ice. Most improved player on Saginaw from last year hands down. (Brodie had 1G,1A)

Shayne Campbell (NHL: Eligible in 2011)
Report: Oct/11/08: 15 year old goaltender that made the team for the Sting. Looked very impressive in two games against Windsor, and one against Saginaw. However after sitting out 3 games in a row and not being given much time ahead of the overagers Hache seems to have lost some of his confidence. Made a few impressive saves, but also let in some goals that he would have had in his first 3 games. Campbell still has plenty of time, but as it stands Sarnia is not handling his development properly. (Stopped 26 of 31 shots)

October 17. - Sarnia vs. Oshawa



John Tavares (NHL: Eligible in 2009)
Report: Oct/17/08: Tavares looks like a top pick in the draft, he has impressive lateral movement, he seems to always make the right decisions with the puck, and is almost impossible to move from the front of the net, when he is moved he always seems to find the right spot. He isn’t going to dominate with speed and skill like Hall or Stamkos, instead he has remarkable positioning, great puck movement, and a hard accurace shot with a quick release. However if Taylor Hall was in the draft this year, I believe he would go ahead of Tavares. (Tavares had 1G, 1A)

Brett Parnham (NHL: Eligible in 2009, but 1989 born)
Report: Oct/17/08: Parnham scored a highlight reel goal in this game, great stick handling ability made this goal happen. He has a good shot and nice offensive instincts. However Parnham is likely to be a long shot to be an NHL prospect because he lacks size, abandons his defensive responsibilities too much, as well he has a bad shot selection sometimes trying to get a near impossible goal rather than passing it up to create a scoring opportunity for his team. (Parnham had 2G)

Joe Rogalski (NHL: Eligible in 2010)
Report: Oct/17/08: Rogalski is a late birthday so he won’t go till next year, but does have an outside shot at being a 1st round pick. His defensive positioning is very impressive and he does seem to have some good offensive skills as well, he moved the puck very well tonight and is very composed and doesn’t appear to make many mistakes. (Rogalski had 1A)

October 18. - Sarnia vs. Barrie



Stefan Della Rovere (NHL: Washington 7th rd/204th overall)
Report: Oct/18/08: Della Rovere has great quickness on the ice, he is very hard to knock off the puck as well. Got in a fight with Daniel Lombardi and it wasn’t even a contest, Della Rovere won the fight easily, however it should be noted that Lombardi separated his shoulder at one point of this fight. He was called on by Matt Martin to fight in the second but refused, so Martin clocked one of his teammates with a cross-check which lured Stefan into a second fight, he didn’t fair as well, if a win would be given it would have got to Martin but it would have been a very narrow one at that. Della Rovere did a good job of staying out of the box after this, and scored a very nice goal to keep his team in it for the time being. Sting players did attempt to lure Della Rovere into the 3rd fight which would have accompanied a game misconduct but used good judgement to stay in the game. Della Rovere scored a Gordie Howe hat-trick in the losing cause. (Della Rovere had 1G, 1A, 10 PIM)

Peter DiSalvo (NHL: Eligible in 2009)
Report: Oct/18/08: DiSalvo played decent early but it appeared the nerves of playing against his old team in his former home arena caught up to him, as he let in a few bad goals, uncharacteristic of the year he’s had so far. DiSalvo showed good positioning at times. DiSalvo was pulled halfway through the game. (DiSalvo stopped 19 of 23 shots)

Michael Hutchinson (NHL: Boston 3rd rd/77th overall)
Report: Oct/18/08: Hutchinson came in for DiSalvo and played very solid, had several highlight reel saves. Great positioning, uses the butterfly appropriately knowing when to go down and when to stay up. Quick glove hand and was good on the breakaway. (Hutchinson stopped 10 of 11 shots)

October 24. - Sarnia vs. Ottawa



Thomas Nesbitt (NHL: Eligible in 2009, 1990 born)
Report: Oct/24/08: Nesbitt played very impressively he had great speed, and seemed to affect the game every time he was on the ice, he made two very nice passes to set up two goals in tonights game. Was passed over last year, but could be a good sleeper pick in the late rounds this year as his game seems to have improved from last year. Very quick skater. (Nesbitt had 1G, 2A, 2PIM)

RYAN YESSIE