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.

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!

Thoughts on Kingston from February 15

This afternoon the Kingston Frontenacs visited the Gatorade Garden City Complex here in St. Catharines, to take on the Niagara Ice Dogs. Despite the shot total being 41-31 in favor of the Fronts, the game was completely one sided in favor of the Ice Dogs. Niagara completely dominated last place Kingston en route to a 4-1 victory. Niagara got goals from Andrew Agozzino, Chris DeSousa, Marco Insam, and Thomas Middup, as well as sensational goaltending from Jeremy Smith.

Here are my thoughts on a few of the Frontenacs...

Taylor Doherty - NHL Draft eligible in 2009

Doherty did not have a good game, probably the worst I've seen him play in the past two seasons. He was a complete non factor. On the first Ice Dog goal by Middup, he failed to tie up his man going to the net, and Middup was able to bang home a juicy rebound. I don't think he attempted to rush the puck up ice once this game and looked tentative and scared with it on his stick. Early in the third period, he took a lazy hooking penalty in his own zone and I don't think he saw the ice again in the game. This was also the first game I've noticed his skating being a potential issue. I've heard a lot of people say they felt it was, however I always disagreed. And I still disagree to a point, as I think his straight away speed and skating is fine and allows him to bring the puck out of his zone (should he choose to). But today, I noticed that his backward mobility could be an issue, as a few times I noticed him getting caught flat footed, as players were close to blowing by him. I hope there weren't any scouts in attendance today seeing Doherty for the first time.

Erik Gudbranson - NHL Draft eligible in 2010

This kid is going to be good. At 6'3 already, his skating is excellent, as is his defensive play. Also impressive is the fact that at just turning 17 and an OHL rookie, he's currently wearing an "A." That shows the type of character and faith the coaching staff has in his ability. He actually showed more of a physical edge than I had seen before from him and he appears to be becoming more confident in using his size to his advantage. The one thing I was disappointed about was not seeing him on the powerplay. In my previous viewings of Kingston this season, he was playing on the first powerplay unit. However, today I don't think I saw him out there once, with Zack Fenwick taking his spot with Brian Lashoff on the point of the first unit. He has great puck skills and a big shot, so it's disappointing to me that Coach Killer doesn't have him out there gaining experience on the PP.

Colt Kennedy - NHL Draft eligible in 2009

Colt had a very solid game playing on a line with Ethan Werek. He brought a lot of energy and was consistently attacking on the forecheck. He worked the corners and he was very physical and aggressive. He also showed some good speed as he entered the zone and on the aforementioned forecheck. I'm not sure how much offensive ability he really has, but he's a good energy guy. He's a former first rounder in the OHL priority draft, but he's already on his third OHL team. Read into that what you like. I've heard he is getting some minor attention for the 2009 draft though and could end up as a late pick with the hopes that he develops an offensive game (ala Washington late rounder Stefan Della Rovere).

Nathan Moon - Drafted by Pittsburgh in 2008/120th

Fresh off his mugging at the hands of James DeLory, Moon did not have a good game. Overall Moon is just one guy who consistently underwhelms me. I see the flashes of skill, but I don't see the effort level. The Fronts went down 4-0 at the beginning of the 2nd period, and he appeared to just give up. He stopped battling for loose pucks, and began to float. If I wasn't watching for number 10, I probably wouldn't have even noticed him playing. For a guy who brings little to the table except offense and perhaps a slightly pesky playing personality, the fact that his offensive numbers are down this season has to be somewhat alarming.

Brian Lashoff - Signed as a free agent by Detroit

Lashoff has gotten better everytime I've seen him this season. He played probably half the game for Kingston and is clearly their work horse on the backend. He's also their captain, which is an impressive feat for a player who joined the team mid season and I think it speaks volumes of his character. On the ice, his skating and puck rushing ability is top notch. He enters the offensive zone effortlessly, and does a good job running the point on the powerplay, although I'd like to see him move around a little more as I found him to be a little stiff at the point. He does a good job of getting his shot through though. At 6'3 and with his skating ability, it is a wonder as to how he went undrafted last season. Another good find by the Red Wings scouting staff after they invited him to training camp and immediately signed him. There are a ton of similarities between Brian and his brother Matt (former Boston Bruins first rounder), and I think Brian is only going to continue to get better.

Ethan Werek - NHL Draft eligible in 2009

The best player on the ice for Kingston, no question. Werek was just about the only player generating real offensive chances for the Fronts. He was absolutely robbed by Smith on one occasion as he brought the puck from his skate to his stick while on the rush and rifled a wrist shot top corner, only to have Smith snag it. He scored the lone Kingston goal on a similar play as he came down the wing and ripped a wrist shot, this time blocker side, to beat Smith. His skating is solid, he wins battles along the boards, and he plays both ends of the ice. I think this guy is a big NHL draft riser as he continues to get better and better.

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On another note, the highlight of the game for me was Chris DeSousa's hit on Taylor Doherty in the opening shift of the game. I think it really set the pace of the game in favor of Niagara. Just for the record, DeSousa is nearly a foot smaller than Doherty, yet he sent him flying to his rear, as he came down on the forecheck. The hit was similar to the one the equally small statured Nathan Gerbe (Buffalo Sabres) threw on Brian Lee (Ottawa Senators) last week, in case anyone saw it. DeSousa also scored a wicked goal off the face off. I just don't understand how this guy can be left off the CSB. Makes me wonder if they've even see Niagara play.

Thoughts on Kingston from November 23

This afternoon, the Kingston Frontenacs came to Niagara to take on the Ice Dogs. It was the first meeting of the season for the two clubs. It was a very exciting game that went back and forth, but ended with a 6-5 Ice Dog victory in the shootout. It was the first shootout victory of the season for the Ice Dogs, whom had lost four prior to this contest.

Here are my thoughts...

Ethan Werek (NHL Draft Eligible 2009)

Looking at the stat lines of the season thus far, I think it's pretty safe to say that this was Werek's best game of the season. He was the best player on the ice tonight for either team. Werek showed an ability to play a really solid all around game. He showed some great speed, especially with the puck on his stick. Both of his goals were scored off wrist shots while he was driving towards the net. The first one was a tough pass that he almost fanned on, but got enough on it to get it past an out of position John Cullen. The second one was a relatively weak goal that was scored on a floating wrist shot as he cut across the blueline towards the net. Regardless of the fact that both of his goals could have likely been stopped, he looked good doing it and showed good hands. He also forechecked hard and his line really worked the cycle well, tiring out the Ice Dog defense all day. Defensively, he backchecked, and physically he was involved, laying a couple hits. Color me very impressed in my first viewing of Werek. However, I've heard that he has been quite the enigma this season and for every game he has like this, he's invisible the next. Even if that is the truth, he showed today that he at least has the skills and is worthy of the draft hype he is receiving.

Josh Brittain (Drafted in 2008 by Anaheim/71st)

I thought Josh Brittain had a good game. He had one goal which was a garbage goal that he banged home in a goal mouth scramble. But he was physical all night and was very effective on the forecheck. I thought that his skating definitely looked improved from last season, and he's driving to the net with more conviction. For such a big guy, he actually moves pretty well now. The rest of his line had trouble getting things going today, but I was pretty happy with Brittain's level of play. I think he's a really underrated prospect who should have been drafted higher than he was last June.

Matthew Kang (Overager and NHL free agent)

Outside of Werek, Kang was definitely the Fronts best player tonight. He was buzzing all over the ice, showcasing his solid stick handling ability. He carries the puck with ease and in the offensive zone, he does a great job of keeping the puck on his stick to make things happen. His goal was an absolute beauty. He intercepted a pass, drove past an Ice Dog defender and roofed it on the goalie glove side. He's got a lot of offensive skill and I've always wondered why he has never put up better offensive stats. He's not really all that undersized, and he's actually a great skater. He's not soft either and will go into the corners to win battles. I like him as a player, always have and I hope he gets a chance to earn a contact with an NHL team this offseason at a training camp.

Nathan Moon (Drafted in 2008 by Pittsburgh/120th)

In all honesty, I'm not his biggest fan. He has offensive skills, but I question his hockey sense. I find he tends to over handle the puck, rather than making the simple play. I also think that he's soft and an incredibly one dimensional player who has a tendency to float near the redline for passes. Over the course of his OHL career, he's grown into a little bit of a pest who gets under the nerves of opposing teams defenders. Today he injured Ice Dog goaltender John Cullen after falling on him in the crease. Ice Dog forward Chris Desousa gave him a little shove for slashing Cullen after he had covered the puck, but he appeared to embellish and flopped down on Cullen as if Zdeno Chara had just hit him. Earlier in the game, he drew a penalty on a huge dive in the corner on a similar play, when an Ice Dog defender pushed him off the puck and he flopped down as if he had been shot. There has been a lot of talk that he's on the trade market in the OHL and quite frankly I don't find it surprising. But maybe he could learn a little bit of something from new coach Doug Gilmour. I just don't think he's a future NHL calibre forward.

Taylor Doherty (NHL Draft Eligible in 2009)

Doherty probably played the best game I've ever seen him play tonight. He kept things simple in the defensive zone, electing to make the safe and smart pass. He had a couple really nice stretch passes that started the rush, one in particular on the aforementioned Werek floating wrist shot. He is actually starting to look a little more comfortable rushing the puck too, going from blueline to blueline impressively late in the game. The big attraction to Doherty is that for a 6'8 monster, he's a great skater with an effortless stride. Big, lanky guys like Doherty can often be choppy and awkward looking skaters. Defensively he was good and took the body hard, as he always does. He managed to refrain from taking any stupid penalties, except for one in overtime. He tripped up Alex Pietrangelo in the defensive zone, but actually the penalty stemmed not from him getting beat per say, but from an effort to stick check, rather than taking himself out of position on a hit, like I've seen him do before. He's a project, but he's got a lot of skills that NHL scouts look for, which is obviously why someone is going to take him with a relatively high draft selection in 2009.

Erik Gudbranson (NHL Draft Eligible in 2010)

It's pretty easy to see why this kid is projected to be a very high selection in the 2010 draft. He's got a lot of skill. At 6'3, he's likely to continue growing and is already a very strong skater with great closing speed. He ran the point on nearly every Kingston powerplay and looked very comfortable using his shot to create scoring opportunites. This is exactly what happened on the aforementioned Josh Brittain goal, which was a rebound off Gudbranson's shot from the slot. Defensively, he made a couple really nice plays, and a couple bonehead rookie mistakes. I'll start with the nice play. Andrew Agozzino broke into the Kingston with speed on a one on one situation with Gudbranson. He tried to get past Gudbranson, but he stood his ground and pushed him off the puck. However, on the first dogs goal, he was completely at fault. He lost his man in the defensive zone and appeared lost and confused, but his man was infront of the net for the easy tap in. Obviously for a rookie and such a young defenseman, you are going to get these type of mistakes. The important thing is that Gudbranson's talent level is quite high. Definitely a guy to watch in the future.

Just as a side note, Ice Dogs defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has been absolutely amazing since his return from the OHL. He's playing like a man among boys. He's looking incredibly confident in rushing the puck and is making things happen offensively everytime he touches the puck. The guy has 3 goals and 6 assists in the 4 games since his return.