Sunday Top 10 - Players Who Need to Step it Up!

Now that we're in November and the season is more than a quarter finished for most teams, I think it's an appropriate time to consider some players who've greatly underachieved this season. These guys aren't your typical OHL depth player. They are quality OHL players, several of them NHL draft picks, and as such more is expected of them on the ice.

Let's take a look...

10. Brett Flemming - Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
After being such an important part of the Majors blueline last season, Flemming has struggled to find a role this season. Part of that could be due to the fact he's played both forward and defense, but if his play on defense had spoke for itself, he wouldn't have been switched. He has the potential to be a quality puck rushing and offensive defenseman in this league, but he's not doing it right now. The Majors need him to step up his game to take some offensive pressure off of Cameron Gaunce. He was more of a factor offensively in his 16 year old rookie season.

9. Marco Insam - Niagara IceDogs
The Italian Stallion, Insam has failed to repeat the success he had last season for Niagara when he became one of the teams most important goal scorers. This season he's struggled to make a consistent impact and has been much less of a physical force. I thought he had the potential to score 30 this year and the IceDogs could sure use it to help take the pressure off of their three main offensive players (Friesen, Agozzino, DeSousa). He needs to be less enamored with finding room for himself to get off his big slap shot, and begin to play the game simple. Be a big man who hits the crease and creates room for his smaller (albeit tougher) linemates.

8. Mathew Sisca - Guelph Storm
Brought over by Guelph in the offseason after finishing second in scoring for Niagara last season, Sisca was expected to help provide secondary offense behind some of the Storm's bigger guns (Kennedy, Beck, Holland, Latta). Instead, Sisca has been inconsistent offensively and has continued to be a less than effective two-way player (his ticket out of Niagara). On the plus side, he has been good for Guelph in winning face offs, but they brought him in to do more than that.

7. Josh Brittain - Plymouth Whalers
Already traded once this season after falling out of favor in Barrie, Brittain will try to impress the Whalers enough to earn significant playing time. He's getting it right now, playing with Tyler Seguin. Yet, he's got only 2 goals and no assists in 5 games. Such an enigma, Brittain will not be a significant factor in this league until he learns how to play every shift hard. Cutting back on the undisciplined penalties wouldn't hurt either. With some significant injuries to top offensive wingers, the Whalers really need Brittain to step up and provide Tyler Seguin with some help.

6. Marcus Foligno - Sudbury Wolves
Getting captain John Kurtz back in the fold was big for the turnaround of this team offensively and in the standings, but secondary scoring is still a problem. Part of the problem has been the lackluster play of Marcus Foligno, who was expected to take his offensive game to the next level this season, but instead decided to become a pugilist. With his father re-taking his post behind the bench, perhaps he can get Marcus' development back on track. Sure enough he realizes how important Marcus' offensive production is to this team's success.

5. Greg McKegg - Erie Otters
After a somewhat disappointing rookie season, more was expected in 2009 of this 2008 2nd overall selection in the priority draft. The Erie Otters are currently the worst team in the Western Conference by a large margin, and part of this has been an inability to put the puck in the net on a consistent basis. While McKegg hasn't been atrocious, he needs to be more consistent. The Otters are really missing Ryan O'Reilly right now and until players like Greg McKegg step up offensively, Otters fans won't have a reason to forget that.

4. Peter Di Salvo/Jason Missiaen/Scott Stajcer - Barrie Colts/Peterborough Petes/Owen Sound Attack
You know me, I've always got to cheat to get these lists down to 10 players. However, I do see reason to include all three of these guys on this list. All three are playing for good teams, but all three need to be way more consistent in order to make their teams serious threats in the post season. Di Salvo's lucky enough that the Colts offense has been as good as it has. He's given up 4 goals or more six times so far this season, three of which he's managed to win. Missiaen has been either lights out or a sieve, which has been the mantra of his OHL career thus far. Stajcer (a pick of mine for the 2nd all star team...not looking good so far), was quite bad during the Attack's opening season struggles. He has been better lately though, especially in this most recent weekend. All three of these guys have the talent to be top goaltenders in this league, but they need to step up and be more consistent.

3. Phil Varone - London Knights
Yeah the London Knights are a top 10 team in the CHL right now, but I think most Knights fans would tell you the team is underachieving offensively thus far. The main underachiever has been Varone, one of the stars of the teams playoff run last season. Two goals thus far just isn't going to cut it because the Knights are a much better team when the offensive motor of a guy like Varone is running. Perhaps he'll always be a streaky player though as that's kind of been the knack against him in his OHL career thus far.

2. Zack Kassian - Peterborough Petes
After starting the season somewhat well, Kassian injured his shoulder thanks to a hit by Greyhounds captain Jacob Muzzin. And since his return, he's been a non factor. The Petes need a healthy, determined, beast Kassian in order to get back to the way they were playing at the start of the season (when Kassian wasn't even playing spectacular). As a high NHL first round pick, I think the expectations on Kassian have to be high. And without his positive impact on the game, the Petes are only a mediocre team.

1. Tyler Cuma - Ottawa 67's
While I wasn't as high on the 67's this season as some other people and analysts were, I have to admit...If you would have told me that the 67's would have the least amount of wins in the league at the 1/4 mark, I would have thought you were crazy. One of the biggest reasons for the struggles of the 67's has definitely been injuries and illness upfront, but also the inability of the defense to keep pucks out of the net. One of the biggest suspects on this end has been Tyler Cuma. Whether it be rust from his knee injury of last season, or pressure from expectations of being an NHL first round pick, Cuma has not played well this season. In the times I've seen him play, he's been trying to do too much on the ice, rather than playing the smart two-way game he was drafted for. If the 67's are going to turn things around, they are going to need the old Tyler Cuma back (well and better goaltending).

Anybody on your team who needs to step it up? Do you disagree with any of these guys being on this list?

Thoughts on Brampton and Plymouth from November 1

Welcome to the month of November folks. Hope you remembered to set your clocks back an hour! Otherwise you could have missed part of a close game between the Brampton Battalion and Plymouth Whalers. The Battalion came into the game on a four game losing streak and are fighting to stay out of the Eastern Conference cellar. Meanwhile, the Whalers are one of the better teams in the Western Conference. One might have pegged this one to get ugly, but the Battalion played very solid. Their top defensive pairing of Matt Clark and Ken Peroff did an extraordinary job against Tyler Seguin and the Whalers top line today, holding Seguin pointless.

Brampton definitely is not the most skilled team in the league, look no further than their second worst goal per game rate in the league. But they work hard and they are incredibly disciplined (least penalized team in the league). Just because they don't take penalties, doesn't mean they aren't physical and in your face either. They hit you hard, they forecheck you hard and they do an excellent job of taking away space from offensive players in the defensive end. Brampton was also without defenseman Cameron Wind (flu), which really hurt their transition game and their powerplay, but they persevered through it and came out with a 3-2 victory over Plymouth. This was in thanks to two third period goals from Sam Carrick and Barclay Goodrow.

Plymouth just couldn't get anything going today. The Battalion defense smothered them. Getting talented overager Ryan Hayes back recently is a huge boost to this club offensively, as is the addition of Josh Brittain. But the Whalers are still missing R.J. Mahalak (shoulder injury) and can now A.J. Jenks to the injury list as he broke his hand in a fight last week. Once the Whalers get both of these guys back (probably by December), they should become a really tough team to beat because they'll be able to ice multiple, veteran scoring lines. Right now, their offense really seems to rely on Tyler Seguin and whatever line he ends up playing with. If he gets shutdown, they seem to really struggle. When Seguin is held to one point or less, they are 2-6 this year. The rest of the offense needs to step up if the opposing defensive unit smothers the Seguin line like it did today in Brampton. Part of the loss can be attributed to goaltending for the Whalers today too, as back up Scott Wedgewood was shaky. Gave up a weak goal, and a ton of bad rebounds. The Whalers defense actually did a good job of bailing Wedgewood out on many occasions by preventing rebounds from being scooped up by Battalion forwards.

Enough rambling, on to some individual performance thoughts...

Plymouth Whalers






Colin MacDonald (2010)
Never really noticed him in my previous viewing of the Whalers this season, but tonight he stood out. Big defender, good reach and seems to play a really smart defensive game. He did a good job of getting the puck out of the corners and up ice and he seems to have fairly good mobility for a big defender. Wasn't really a factor offensively, but did a good job with the puck in his own zone and made smart passes. I also liked his willingness to clear the front of the net, although he wasn't as physical in the open ice or in the corners as I like to see from my 6'3 defenseman. Austin Levi may be getting all the attention right now, but perhaps MacDonald is the guy we should be paying attention to. Finished the night +2 (only Plymouth defender to finish with a plus rating).

Austin Levi (2010)
When I saw him earlier this season, I came away very impressed. But today he was not good. Got caught standing around watching the play too many times and was not able to win the puck battles in the corner. He was also really soft on the puck in his own zone and became a victim of the Brampton forecheck a few times. While his mobility is fairly good for a guy his size, he needs to keep his feet moving. Got blown by at the blueline by Stephon Thorne, leading to a 2 on 1 chance for Brampton. He did see some time quarterbacking the powerplay though and looked OK doing it, although his passes need to be crisper. A lot of times I saw him trying to pass the puck with one hand firmly on his stick. Those soft push passes won't cut it in the OHL, let alone the NHL. He finished a team worst -3, however I will say that he wasn't really at fault on any of the goals. Is Levi an NHL prospect, or just your average OHL defender? I'm not going to base my judgment on two viewings this season, but I'd be curious on your opinion.

Tyler Seguin (2010)
Didn't have all that great of a game. He was trying, but he just couldn't get things to click, partly because of the great job Clark and Peroff did on him. He tried to get by Clark a few times, but each time Clark did a great job to stay with him and keep him to the perimeter. On the first Brampton goal by Thomas Stajan, Seguin was to blame. Turnover in the offensive end thanks to a bad pass by Seguin to the middle of the ice, then a breakout the other way finished by Stajan after Seguin failed to get back in time to check him. This lapse is a rarity for Seguin and is the type of play that happens to the best of offensive players as they try to make something happen in the offensive zone. On a few occasions when the Clark duo didn't get out against him, he actually made some things happen and had a few nice rushes towards the net. But he didn't get a lot of help from his linemates, Josh Brittain and Garrett Meurs. Didn't appear to be a lot of chemistry between the trio. All in all, nothing to get worked up about. Tyler Seguin is a great player, although I'm not ready to name him the top draft player yet (over Hall) like some scouting agencies appear to be doing.

Beau Schmitz (2010, but 1991 born)
Was Plymouth's most effective defender today IMO. Played a tremendous defensive game. Brampton forwards continuously tried to get by him on the rush, failing every time. He's not afraid to get physical either, rubbing out a few of those aforementioned rushers, or pushing them hard into the end boards. Even though he's not the biggest defender, his positioning helps him win battles against bigger players. I'd really like to see him take more chances offensively though, as he's a capable puck rusher, but seems to rarely do it. I was really surprised he went undrafted last year, and I'll be equally surprised if someone doesn't take him this year, or at least sign him to a contract at training camp.

Jamie Devane (TOR)
I don't want to say he was completely useless today, because he did some good work on the penalty kill. But he certainly wasn't much of a factor otherwise. For a big guy, he seems really weak on the puck. Whenever the puck hit his stick, he seemed hesitant to carry it. Made a couple bad dumps where he tried to deflect the puck to a teammate and ended up icing it. Also had a delay of game penalty for chipping it over the glass. Really seems to struggle with receiving the puck at his top speed. When he did have the puck in the offensive zone, he was very soft on it and he didn't use his size to protect it. Even some of the better enforcer/pest prospects like Zac Rinaldo have the ability to take the puck to the net at this level. He did make one nice finesse play, where he eluded a stick check of a defender at the side of the net and ended up with a scoring chance, but he couldn't get much on the shot. Also on the downside, he wasn't physical at all really. If you're not going to be a factor offensively, I'd like to see him aggressive on the forecheck and in the corners. But he wasn't. I didn't see what Brian Burke and the Leafs were seeing last year when they drafted him high, and I still don't. But then again, he is a "project" pick. Maybe he just needs more time.

Michal Jordan (CAR)
Was not strong in this game at all. His terrible give away to Sam Carrick leading to the third period tying goal was a huge mistake. He cut out from behind the net and skated right into Carrick. Clearly didn't have his head up looking for the forecheck. Carrick stole the puck and roofed it on Wedgewood. This was one of several turnovers with the puck for Jordan today. It's almost as if he doesn't look ahead to where he's putting the puck or carrying it. Defensively, he's way too soft too. While he can be an effective positional defender at this level, his inability to win battles in the corners or tie up bigger forwards in front of the net spells trouble for the next level. I'm just not sure what his role would be at the NHL/professional level. Is he good enough offensively (in terms of instinct) to be an offensive puck rusher? Is he good enough defensively to be a capable two way blueliner? I just don't know.

Josh Brittain (ANA)
Different team, same Josh Brittain. A handful of great shifts where he uses his size, takes the puck hard to the net, creates scoring chances and is a huge factor. And then the rest of his shifts he's invisible. Good to see that the change of scenery hasn't helped him be more disciplined either. I'd say he's pretty close to being nicknamed "The King of the Offensive Zone Penalty." Not exactly something you want to be known for, as nothing kills momentum for your team more. Today's was a retaliation cross check in front of the net. If someone could ever harness his ability and get him to play with more consistency and desire, he'd be a heck of a player. Otherwise, he's destined to play out his ELC (if he's lucky enough to get one) and fade off into minor league obscurity.

Brampton Battalion







Matt Clark (ANA)
As I stated, Clark was simply outstanding today. Completely shut down Tyler Seguin. Showed great mobility in staying with him and keeping him to the outside on his rushes. He has the ability and size to play the man hard and he does a good job of pushing around opposing forwards in the crease. And although he didn't today, he's always a candidate to lay a big open ice hit. He's very underrated offensively too. He'll never be a big time point producer, but he's smart with the puck and has the ability to run the powerplay effectively because of this. I think with time and confidence, he could actually become an effective puck carrier too, even though I think he's pretty OK with being more of a stay at home defender. He did have a tough time getting his shot on net from the point though...missing three times in a row wide on one powerplay. I'm hoping he gets an invite to the Team Canada WJC camp. His mobility and defensive ability would be a huge asset to the team in a third pairing role.

Philip Lane (2010)
Had a really tough game offensively. The puck would not settle down on his stick. Had a number of good opportunities, but just couldn't hold on to the puck. BUT, the promising thing for me was that as frustrating as his offensive inabilities had to be for him, he didn't let it affect his game. He continued to put pressure on the puck carrier as a forechecker; he continued to try and take the puck hard to the net (drew two penalties); and he continued to battle hard in the corners. I think that really shows a high level of maturity on his part. I continue to believe that once he adds more strength, he's going to be an absolute beast at this level.

Sam Carrick (2010)
I think Carrick has a lot of skill, more so than he's getting credit for. Originally I saw him as another Jay McClement/Ryan Oulahen Battalion two way center, but I think there is a lot more natural offensive talent there than perhaps we're seeing. If he had some other naturally talented offensive players (instead of the hard working, persevering types he's surrounded be) to work with, I think we'd be seeing a lot more from him. He seems to have a real nose for the puck and I really like his solid two way game. His strip of Michal Jordan and subsequent roof job on Wedgewood showed great offensive talent. Quickly becoming somewhat a favourite of mine for 2010.

Patrick Killeen (PIT)
Killeen has kind of changed his goaltending style a bit this season. He's playing less of the traditional butterfly and more of a stand up style in order to use his size more. But he's still vulnerable to the top half of the net because his reaction time and aggressiveness in challenging shooters is still a work in progress. First Plymouth goal was a bang-bang play, as Stefan Noesen stole the puck from behind the net and passed it to Joe Gaynor who roofed it on Killeen. The second goal was off a broken play that found Myles McCauley who put it past Killeen as he tried to react and get over to the other side of the net. He does have good mobility for a big goaltender and his rebound control is improving (even if it's a bit of a weakness in itself). I still wonder if he gets a contract from Pittsburgh though, although the Pens lack of depth in the professional pipeline could work in his favor. He made 18 of 20 saves and picked up the victory.

That's it for tonight, anyone else with thoughts or question?

Ryan Yessie's Thoughts on Barrie and Sarnia from October 15

Sarnia had trouble containing Barrie's offensive push but great goaltending from Courchaine combined with a solid team effort helped Sarnia to their second consecutive win vs. a Top 10 team in Canada with a 3-2 victory over the Barrie Colts.


Alexander Burmistrov - #8 - C - YOB: 1992 - 6‘0” - 170lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/15/09: After seeing Burmistrov with all this hype around his game, there was the good and the bad but overall I was disappointed. In terms of skill Burmistrov is a very fast skater, he moves his legs quickly and is very shifty and can change directions on a dime. He handles the puck very well and has very gifted hands, mixed with speed and shiftiness he made a few Sting players look like house league players when chasing after him. He protects the puck well for someone at only 170. Burmistrov is a guy who could be a high percentage player for the shootouts, and could be a shootout specialist if he makes the NHL. He looked fairly reliable in the defensive zone. Generally when you have a player as flashy as Burmistrov they tend to float, but not Alex. He engaged very actively defensively and caused a few turnovers. The negative side is Burmistrov for one tries to do everything himself, and outright does not utilize his linemates whatsoever. Even during the power play he’d stickhandle his way into a situation that saw two of the four Sting players chasing him. Meanwhile, his defenceman with a wide open shot he refused to pass to him and eventually the puck was off Burmistrov’s stick and down the ice, this happened a few times, twice during the critical part of the game. Secondly Burmistrov whenever physical contact is engaged, if it becomes too much, he’ll fold like an accordion and act like he got shot. During the 2nd period he absolutely embarrassed himself. Preisinger’s stick came up near the face, but went wide over Burmistrov’s shoulder.. After the stick had alredy made it’s way up and down, Burmistrov randomly dropped to the ice flopping around and started crawling on his hands and knees probably about 8 to 10 feet trying to sell the high stick and acted like a player would if they were seriously injured and bleeding profusely. It was an absolutely pathetic display and the referee either wasn’t looking and thought he missed an obvious call, or is just plain incompetent because Preisinger received a high sticking call, there was not a trace of blood, and Burmistrov was back on the ice within 20-30 seconds. The raw skill is there for Burmistrov, he is an excellent skater and puck control expert and could be a game breaker in the offensive zone. But overall as a Canadian hockey fan Burmistrov is not someone I’d ever want to draft to my team just based on his ignorance for the integrity of the game, and his inability to handle anything more than the minimum physical contact without trying to act like he’s hurt.

Michael Sgarbossa - #11 - C - YOB: 1992 - 5‘11” - 165lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/15/09: Sgarbossa is a name I had circled going into this game, I’ve heard good about him, but he hasn’t done enough to really stand out in terms of a prospect for the 2010 draft. Sgarbossa looked pretty good out there at times, but really never created any scoring chances, also I believe he didn’t even have a shot on net. Barrie kept putting him out there in critical moments, and things such as his skating and puck moving seemed to help his team, but didn’t really stand out in any way.
(Sgarbossa was a +1)

Kyle Clifford - #13 - LW - YOB: 1991 - 6‘1” - 200lbs.
NHL: 2nd Round - 35th Overall by LA in 2009
Report: Oct/15/09: Clifford was the best player for Barrie in this game. He’s a very quick skater for someone his size, and he absolutely punished a few players with some massive hits. He mixes things up and makes things difficult for the opposing team in the offensive zone. Clifford had the first goal of the game, in which he created the play almost entirely on his own, as it looked like Sarnia was going to transition the puck out of the zone, Clifford delivered a massive hit behind the net, knocking the puck loose then got open for Della Rovere to pass it to him, and he buried it in an impressive 10 second or so set by Clifford. Later on he set up the tying goal in the 3rd period protecting the puck and making the right pass out to the point. Overall Clifford didn’t look like he had a weakness in his game. He skated better than someone his size, but hit harder than someone bigger as well. Impressed with Clifford overall.
(Clifford had 1G, 1A, +2)

Ryan Strome - #16 - C - YOB: 1993 - 5‘11” - 160lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2012
Report: Oct/15/09: Strome received limited ice time, but looked very impressive despite not making any eventual contributions towards the game. He did well in the face-off circle. He has a very quick release with a laser shot, unfortunately all 3 times that impressive shot when right into the logo of Adam Courchaine. Strome also showed off some good speed down the wing and carried the puck well. Definitely a positive first impression from this 16 year old.

Stefan Della Rovere - #19 - LW - YOB: 1993 - 5‘11” - 200lbs.
NHL: 7th Round - 204th Overall by Washington in 2008
Report: Oct/15/09: After Della Rovere was the talk of the rink for the following couple weeks after Barrie left last year, He was very surprisingly quiet during the game. He started out well making an excellent pass to Clifford to complete the play Clifford created. He did make a good hit or two, but was very undisciplined as well and is very lucky to come away with only two penalties. There are good penalties and bad penalties and Della Rovere could have had 4 or 5 really bad penalties called on him this game. Defensively he was alright but not as good as we’re accustom to seeing and hearing from Stefan. Overall an off game for SDR.
(Della Rovere had 1A, +2, 4PIM)

Ryan O’Connor - #21 - D - YOB: 1992 - 5‘8” - 175lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/15/09: If Clifford didn’t steal the show it would have been Ryan O’Connor that stood out for Barrie. I had O’Connor ranked #13 on my preliminary list, and Burmistrov #9. I think these two should at the very least be switching spots on that list, as O’Connor really played like a Ryan Ellis kind of defenceman. I know that comparison is getting beat to death but both have good offensive instincts, where as Ellis’ are better, O’Connor is better at carrying the puck up the ice, and his top speed is better, the first few steps for O’Connor could use work, but when he gets going he can fly. Unlike Ellis who is used mainly at his actual position; O’Connor moved up to forward several times on the special teams, and was many times the 4th forward on the ice while Barrie was down (which doesn’t seem to happen a lot this season) where they are similar and maybe where O’Connor is better is the physical department, however he got a little too rough and let Zach MacQueen get under his skin a little, and took an undisciplined penalty, but this guy is a hitting machine. He threw a couple hits that could be considered some of the biggest in this game, even with players twice his size throwing them, he really layed into a few guys at his size it was something else to see. Where Ellis has O’Connor beat is the natural anticipation for the play.. While O’Connor is not bad at this, it’s what sets Ellis apart from other smaller sized defencemen. Also judging by O’Connor’s shot it’s not where Ellis’ is. Overall I find myself comparing the two throughout this scouting report, but to best break it down the two are similar, and where Ellis may be more known for his anticipation and devastating point shot, O’Connor may be more established as a puck carrier who makes smart plays, and throws massive hits for his size.
(O’Connor was -1, 2PIM)

Josh Brittain - #22 - LW - YOB: 1993 - 6‘4” - 217lbs.
NHL: 3rd Round - 71st Overall by Anaheim in 2008
Report: Oct/15/09: Overall Brittain wasn’t a game breaker but he did help the Colts out tonight. Brittain unleashed a pretty solid shot, and went to the net hard every time he didn’t have the puck. He made power plays miserable for Courchaine and created a screen that made it very possible for Barrie to score if their power play was connecting better. Brittain really looks like a power forward, and could wind up in that role one day. He needs to get faster and be more willing to just throw his weight around at times.

Taylor Carnevale - #27 - LW - YOB: 1991 - 5‘11” - 184lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/15/09: Carnevale was passed over in last year’s draft, and was honestly not someone I heard a lot about until this season. He’s off to a great start this season which may once again make it possible for him to get drafted. Carnevale did very well in the face-off circle, and displayed good speed while carrying the puck up ice. Had a few chances to get some assists, as he appeared more willing to set up the goal than to score it.
(Carnevale was a +1)

Peter DiSalvo - #35 - G - YOB: 1990 - 6‘0” - 180lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/15/09: Honestly any chance of me considering DiSalvo a prospect anytime in the near future is gone. Last year I figured maybe it was just nerves coming back to Sarnia, but he played horrible tonight again, fortunately his team in front of him kept him in the game. DiSalvo looked fearful of playing the puck even in situations where Sarnia wasn’t pressuring he would give them an offensive zone face-off instead of passing the puck back behind the net for his defenceman. DiSalvo had decent reflexes, but oddly enough they were hit and miss as at times he looked like he had trouble reading shots. He gave up several rebounds. DiSalvo looks like an average OHL starter at best.
(DiSalvo stopped 20 of 23 shots)

Ben O’Quinn - #22 - C - YOB: 1991 - 6‘1” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/15/09: I can’t seem to help but always find myself impressed with Ben O’Quinn most games, especially where he came from being a 4th line/pk guy with 5 mins per game last year at this time. Jordan Hill may have scored the winning goal, but this play was created off the stick of Ben O’Quinn. He passed it through the sticks and skates of 4 players and threaded the needle right onto the stick of Hill to tap it into an open net. Earlier O’Quinn set up what was at the time the go ahead goal with a perfect pass to Hill, the point shot was going in however Kerbashian helped that out. O’Quinn was out there several times in critical defensive moments including the final 1:10 of the 3rd period with a one goal lead. I have a hard time not seeing O’Quinn getting drafted, based on the way he’s been playing game to game for Sarnia. Great hands, will never be a big time scorer, but they are good enough to make him a contributor on the 3rd line of some NHL team one day.
(O’Quinn had 2A)

Miroslav Preisinger - #28 - C - YOB: 1991 - 6‘0” - 175lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/15/09: So much for Preisinger being labeled a playmaker only. About half a period before Preisinger’s phantom high stick that sent Burmistrov into a seizure on tlhe ice, Preisinger collected up a drop pass and absolutely sniped a laser to the top shelf over DiSalvo’s glove hand, very few goaltenders would have been able to catch up to that. Opinions on Preisinger are hit or miss, but the fact remains he does own a good shot, can threat perfect passes through traffic, and is one of the most devastating import players physically in the OHL. How this season goes for him should be very interesting, but he does have a very real chance of getting picked up this year by an NHL team.
(1G, 2PIM)

Adam Courchaine - #1 - C - YOB: 1991 - 6‘3” - 185lbs.
NHL: Signed by Boston as a free agent in 2007
Report: Oct/15/09: This was Sarnia’s first look at Courchaine in a home game after his fight last week in Saginaw. Courchaine looked shaky at first giving up an early goal and almost giving up a few more in the 1st, but once he settled in he looked excellent. He had perfect positioning, and the quickness to cover up just in time, at times it almost looked like he wanted to make the second save dramatic. Rebounds were really the only issue in his game. Also has an awkward glove hand where he keeps it close to his waist almost like there’s one of those stretch ropes attached to it, it usually doesn’t leave his side, and when it does it’s nothing dramatic, but he made several good saves with it, so I guess whatever works. Overall Courchaine was great under pressure, as I mentioned rebounds were an issue but he did an outstanding job on the 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th chances that would develop from them. He could be a huge trade asset for the Sting, maybe even to a team like Barrie who seems to be having issues with DiSalvo. If the goaltenders were on different sides, this would have likely been a 6-1 win for Barrie. I have to say I’m very impressed with Sarnia’s new goaltender, and although his style is a little unnerving at times, and does worry me despite the performance, he should be able to keep Sarnia in every game.
(Courchaine stopped 33 of 35 shots)

RY

Thoughts on Barrie from September 19

Fresh off a 9-1 spanking of the Owen Sound Attack, the Barrie Colts took their offensive juggernaut to the Garden City Saturday night. The Colts ended up defeating the Niagara IceDogs in overtime by a score of 5-4. It was a hard fought game that saw momentum swing back and forth, and it was a tough one for the Dogs who played their second straight game against a much improved Eastern Conference opponent. The Colts got their offense from Luke Pither and Alex Burmistrov. Pither had a hat trick for the second straight game (now with 7 in his 2 game total), including the game winner in overtime. Burmistrov had 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists). The Dogs got the majority of their offense from Alex Friesen, who had 2 goals and an assist.

The Colts are a high octane team and definitely one that is going to be fun to watch this year. Here are my thoughts on some of the Colts last night...

Alexander Burmistrov (2010)
He was outstanding tonight. A stand out in the first two games of the season, this Russian import has been everything as advertised. It's not often that an import makes such an immediate impact in the CHL. There is usually an adjustment period, even for the most talented ones. Evgeni Grachev didn't score a goal until his 7th game in the league last year. Burmistrov seems like the total package. Solid skater who looks to have an extra gear. He's very elusive on the ice and seems to find the scoring lanes with ease. On one of his goals, he snuck in quickly to the slot and buried a quick pass from Alex Hutchings (who was behind the net). The puck was on his stick for less than a second. Nearly the entire game, he used his strong puck handling ability to cut through the Niagara defense with ease and created numerous scoring chances for himself and his teammates. I say he appears to be the complete package because he also took shifts on the penalty kill and helped to hold Niagara to 0 for 5 on the powerplay. He also appears to have a bit of feistyness to his game, not afraid to give a shove here and there. Colour me very impressed. By the way, on his blog, Alessandro Seren Rosso conducted an interview with Burmistrov and there are some interesting tidbits in it. You can find it here. Burmistrov had 2 goals and 3 assists.

Luke Pither (Overager)
Fresh off an apparently impressive showing at Rangers camp (although he hasn't earned a contract as of yet), Pither looks poised to make a run at the scoring title. Every time he was on the ice, he made something happen. He's an elite level skater and he's so deadly from in close. Definitely one of the better shots in the league, his wrister especially, which is both accurate and hard. Like Burmistrov, his puckhandling ability left Niagara's defense in the dust all night. He's obviously still not much of a complete player, but you can't deny his offensive abilities. If he doesn't a get a contract from someone this season (someone being an NHL team), I'll eat my hat. Pither had 3 goals.

Alex Hutchings (TBL)
After falling to the 4th round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Hutchings has to have a bit of a fire lit under his belly this season. He was apparently incredibly impressive at Tampa's camp and I think a lot of teams will be kicking themselves for passing on him. While he hasn't scored a goal yet this year, there's no cause for alarm. He played a good game, constantly involved offensively with Burmistrov and Michael Sgarbossa (his linemmates). He produces offensively in any situation, whether it be using his speed off the rush, or controlling the puck in the offensive zone. He's undersized, but he's also strong on the puck and a strong two way player who backs down from no one. Hutchings finished the game with 2 assists.

Michael Sgarbossa (2010)
Sgarbossa has had a very impressive start to the 2009-10 season. He was one of Barrie's offensive leaders in the preseason and he's carried it over to the regular season thus far, with 2 goals and 2 assists in the first two games. Sgarbossa had a very underrated rookie season in Barrie and I think that as the season goes on, he'll start to make a name for himself. He seems to make things simple offensively and is really meshing well with Alex Burmistrov thus far. Like Burmistrov, he's an elusive player who reads and reacts to offensive situations well in order to put himself into scoring positions. He's also a really solid playmaker. Sgarbossa isn't as good of a skater as his linemmates, but I wouldn't say he's terrible either. It'll be interesting to see the type of season he has. Sgarbossa finished with 2 assists.

Ryan O'Connor (2010)
O'Connor didn't have a great game last night. The undersized puck moving defenseman is definitely a solid offensive player, but is he good enough to overcome his size disadvantage. I've heard a lot of people compare O'Connor to Ryan Ellis, a natural comparison on paper. But Ellis was a first rounder for a reason, despite his size. His offensive instincts are out of this world. He thinks the game at another level and anticipates the next move. O'Connor, while a skilled puck carrier, does not seem to possess that elite level vision or creativity that Ellis does. He's also not as fearless and willing to throw his body around and in that sense he can play small at the defensive end. Like he did last night, when Niagara's forwards did a good job in winning one on one battles against him. I was impressed with him last season, but this year he really needs to step up defensively. O'Connor had an assist and was -2.

Mitch Bennett (2010)
Tall and lanky rookie defenseman, Bennett was fairly impressive tonight. He's got great size and he moves fairly well. He's also not afraid to use his size and was a physical aggressor all night. He had a really strong preseason offensively, however I didn't really see any significant offensive skills tonight. Perhaps as he becomes more comfortable, we'll see them. Would love to see him play again.

Josh Brittain (ANA)
Brittain did not look good. Just returned from NHL camp, Brittain looked completely uninspired during the game. Perhaps he was just tired, but he never appeared to be skating at full speed. Even defensively he was poor and a non factor and allowed Niagara players to beat him for pucks and get around him for scoring chances. Another factor that maybe lead to a lackluster performance, are the trade rumours surrounding him. Barrie is apparently shopping him for an elite level stay at home defenseman (likely to pair with O'Connor). He needs to step up.

Bryan Cameron (Overager)
I think it's safe to assume that Cameron has to be disappointed that he didn't receive an NHL contract offer this summer, after he failed to come to terms with LA (the team that drafted him in 2007). He attended Phoenix's training camp, but failed to make a significant impression. Cameron is the type of forward who can do a little bit of everything and it'll be interesting to see how he fits in in Barrie this year. With the depth that they have, he may have to take a bit of a smaller role than he's used to offensively. But he did see some powerplay time with the big guns and was his normal self, winning battles for the puck and playing a solid puck possession game. I'm pulling for him to have a big year and to earn a contract. He finished the game with 1 assist.

That's it folks, anyone else have any comments about the game last night?

Thoughts on Barrie from January 8

Happy New Year everyone. I'm back with my first game report of 2009 and was able to take in a very hard fought game between the Ice Dogs and Barrie Colts. It wasn't really a great game to evaluate offensive talent, since a lot of the game was played in the neutral zone and it was quite the back and forth defensive affair. The Dogs came out on top 1-0, thanks to a late third period goal by Chris DeSousa. Newly acquired netminder Jeremy Smith was solid in his first game, earning the shutout.

Here are my thoughts on some Barrie players...

Alex Hutchings - NHL Draft Eligible 2009

Hutchings was the best forward for Barrie tonight. He uses good speed to drive the puck to the net, and despite being undersized is often able to circle the offensive zone with the puck on his stick. He's just a really smart player too, who makes an effort to backcheck and who will go into the corners to win puck battles. As a late 1990, I've heard some criticisms or concerns over the fact that as an undersized offensive pivot, he's not putting up incredibly dominating offensive numbers. But he's a smart player, who has seen his production increase, and his overall game take that next step. He's a good bet to be a top 100 NHL draft pick.

Stefan Della Rovere - Drafted in 2008 by Washington/204th

Della Rovere was pretty quiet tonight. Definitely understandable as the guy must be exhausted after the show that is the WJC's. He did start to turn it on in the 3rd period and was beginning to take the body and drive to the net. In one instance he drove to the net, taking out goaltender Jeremy Smith and causing a minor circus. I'm not sure a lot more needs to be said about Della Rovere, who has obviously taken great steps forward this season in becoming a potential NHL player.

Josh Brittain - Drafted in 2008 by Anaheim/71st

Brittain has been somewhat underwhelming offensively since coming over from Kingston. He's got only 3 goals in 12 games, none in his last 8. At 6'4 and over 200lbs, he's a very good skater who loves to have the puck on his stick, and he drives hard to the net. He also works well in the corners, especially in the cycle. However, I'd like to see him improve upon a few things. For one, for such a big guy, he doesn't throw his weight around nearly as much as he should. Nor does he use his body to protect the puck. Also, he needs to stop being so cute with the puck. Just get the thing on net and go hard to the crease looking for some garbage. With his speed and the skill he does have, if he could develop more of a mean streak, and more of a desire, he could be a top end power forward. Apparently, this is what got him out of favor in Kingston with Coach Killer, the fact that offensively he was being to much of a finesse player and not enough of a 6'4 power forward.

Darren Archibald - 2009 NHL Draft Eligible (1990 born)

Rookie OHL winger who played last season in Stouffville with Ethan Werek and Corey Trivino, on a very solid team. He's been getting better and better as the season has gone along. At 6'3, 200lbs, he skates fairly well and is aggressive on the forecheck and along the boards. He uses his size well and goes hard to the net, looking for rebounds. He didn't show a lot of offensive ability tonight, but he did show a good effort level. As a 1990 born, playing in his first OHL season, I'd say he has a chance to get drafted as an entry overager this season, if he's caught a few scouts eyes.

Taylor Carnevale - 2009 NHL Draft Eligible

Since a trade from Oshawa, Carnevale has been great for Barrie with 13 points in 15 games. He's supplied the Colts with some secondary offensive production that they lacked. He's somewhat undersized, but he looks to skate well and he isn't afraid to get his nose dirty. He went to the net and he played in the corners. He also showed some good playmaking ability, with a couple nifty passes, although none ended up creating serious scoring chances. He played hard, and he looks to be fairly skilled. Could definitely be an NHL draft pick if he continues to put points up in Barrie.

Michael Hutchinson - Drafted in 2008 by Boston/77th

Hutchinson was very good tonight. He does a great job of challenging shooters when he needs to, and at 6'3 he can still make himself look big while staying back in his net. He moves well and has good overall mobility, and he also anticipates the play very well. His rebound control was excellent tonight, as many of the Dogs 42 shots came from the perimeter. He did a good job to make sure none of these softer shots ended up as rebounds in the scoring area. Going back to his size, Hutchinson is one of those goalies who seems to get a piece of absolutely everything. Because he's so big, when he does come out to challenge, especially on point shots, it's hard to find space. The only goal that beat him was an outstanding shot by Chris DeSousa, top shelf, blocker side, on a 3 on 1. No goalie would have saved that one. He's had a bit of tough luck recently, as despite a SV% over .940, and a GAA right around 2, he's only 4-4 in his last 8 games.

And a quick thought on an Ice Dog player...

Jeremy Smith - Drafted in 2007 by Nashville/54th

Smith has had a terrible season, and no doubt relishes the opportunity to start over in Niagara. He was outstanding in his first game with the Dogs, stopping all 33 shots for the shutout victory. And while none of his saves were incredible, he was a solid and calming presence in net, who gave up very few rebounds, and directed pucks away from high traffic areas. He was once considered an elite goaltender in this league, but hasn't been the same since a disastrous WJC tournament with team USA last year. There has to be some mental/confidence issue which is causing his poor play this season, as he has the skill and technical ability to be a good goaltender. Here's hoping he can continue to play well in Niagara and show Nashville that he's still got more left in the tank.

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.