As some of you may recall, Sean Keogh used to contribute to this blog and still occasionally does from time to time. I met Sean while working for HockeysFuture several years ago, and he's a stand up dude. He's always been a huge OHL fan and continues to follow the league, however unfortunately he's stuck in Graduate School in Europe (perhaps I'm exaggerating about the "stuck" part). This leaves him on the outside looking in. But when he returns for the Holiday break, it's always great of him to contribute. It serves as an interesting read because of nature behind the report. Obviously Sean follows the league closely, but for the last few years, he only gets to see games live around Christmas. That means, his reports can serve as a very good account of how far players have progressed in that one year. Essentially, changes may be more obvious to him because he's not seeing them play throughout several points of the season.
Anyway, without further ado, here's his report.
This was my first time being in the stands for an OHL game this year, and for better or worse it was not a particularly competitive match-up. On paper and on the ice it was a mismatch, as the division-leading offensive juggernaut from Ottawa was up against a last placed Peterborough who has struggled all year, although less so of late. On the other hand, the two clubs met up Thursday in Peterborough for the first half of a home and home, and the game was surprisingly tight.
In the end the game was not particularly close, as the 67s took it 6-0 in what easily could have been a far worse result for the Petes. Although the play was incredibly one-sided, the 67s just could not cash in the first period. The final shots were 43-23 and if there was a scoring change counter, it would have been far more lopsided. It is always hard to watch the players on the losing team in these games, particularly unfortunate considering Peterborough might have the better 2011 NHL Draft prospects.
As long as the 67s play as they did tonight, they are an extremely dangerous team. When the first line of Prince, Toffoli and Martindale was on the ice, the puck rarely left the Peterborough zone. With the blueline back to full health, and Mrazek more than capable of bailing his team out as well, the 67s are a fairly complete team behind their dominant top line. Peterborough on the other hand looked overwhelmed and out of sync, and really nobody on their club stood out positively in this game.
Ottawa 67's
Tyler Toffoli – Drafted by Los Angeles
The triggerman on the top line, Toffoli was constantly dangerous all night, scoring one goal and assisting on another. He easily could have had a couple more goals too, hitting at least one post and constantly buzzing around the net. His goal was a classic goal scorer’s play, digging a puck out of a scramble in front, dragging it to safety and ripping it high. He also had a couple of nice breaks on the penalty kill, drawing a penalty on one. There is a lot to like in his game, and he is a well-rounded and competitive junior player, but as an NHL prospect it is really all about his goal scoring ability, particularly thanks to his shot. Many times tonight he got himself open off the cycle work of his linemates and wound up for a shot. Other times he was more involved in creating the play, and I think it is important for him to stay aggressive.
Ryan Martindale – Drafted by Edmonton
The pivot on the top line, Martindale was like his linemates constantly dangerous, picking up the sixth goal for the 67s late in the game. Of all the chances he created for or received from his linemates, the goal was actually one of the less impressive, a weak backhander in front of the net off a slick pass from Prince. He looks a step quicker and more assertive than last year. Had a number of nice plays making quick cuts into the middle, but seemed to rip the shot high or wide every time. Cycled well with his linemates, uses his reach better now, and finds guys effectively, but there is always something just a tad missing. It will be interesting to see if Edmonton signs him this year or if he gets another year in the OHL in 2011-12.
Shane Prince – 2011 Draft Eligible
The draft eligible member of the 67s top line, Prince had an excellent game, picking up three assists, creating a ton of chances and being named first star. He set up Nesbitt beautifully for the first goal, was involved in Toffoli’s snipe, and made a slick pass to Martindale for his. The top line was running through him tonight most of all, and the puck was on his stick a ton. Quick dish passes, give and gos, it was a fairly impressive display. I saw Prince a handful of times live last year and was not overly impressed. His skating has clearly improved significantly. But even in this game he was not really burning people with speed but rather quick darting moves and agile cuts. His physical tools are not exceptional in general, not an amazing shot or great size or superb hands, but his anticipation is off the charts. One of the reasons the line was so effective is because Prince in particular, but Toffoli and Martindale as well, simply won so many races and cut off so many passes from the Petes that they regained control all game. Prince is clearly an intense player who demands a lot of himself. The line was a bit snakebitten in the first, and a couple of times he banged his stick against the boards out of frustration. There has been a lot of debate about Prince’s NHL potential, and I will reserve judgment on that until I get a few more live views this month.
Dalton Smith – Drafted by Columbus
Smith had a solid game, chipping in a short-handed goal and skating on the second line with overagers Thomas Nesbitt and Cody Lindsay. The goal was a nice drive to the net, although Smith only had to overpower Lino Martschini, a 5’5”, 126lbs import from Switzerland, to pick up a rebound on a shot from Marc Zanetti. He had a handful of other scoring chances down low. The hands and skating did not look any better than last year, but he played a solid game overall. Sometimes Smith seems to get lost looking for hits, and finding the right balance between offence, defence and physical play remains elusive, though he can contribute an all-round game when he is on, and for the most part he was in this game.
Cody Ceci – 2012 Draft Eligible
A late 1993 birthday, Ceci looks ready to be drafted. He was skating on the second pairing with Marc Zanetti all game, playing in all situations and performing confidently and competently. I like Ceci as a prospect because he is so well-rounded, and already has a pretty solid build. His skating has improved and it will be interesting to see how much further his game can improve before the draft next year.
Sean Monahan – 2013 Draft Eligible
This was my first proper look at Monahan, who is having a solid rookie season playing on the third line for the 67s. He was quite good in this game, setting up two goals, one for Ben Dubois, and another for Tyler Graovac. The latter in particular was the result of a nice play along the boards, give and go at the point, and dish to Groavac down low. Another young player with a solid build, he is a remarkably well-rounded prospect for somebody who only turned 16 a few months ago.
Petr Mrazek – Drafted by Detroit
It was not a busy night for Mrazek. He made a handful of nice saves, bailing out the 67s on one or two occasions for the shutout, but in general having a relatively easy night stopping all 23 shots he faced. Maybe his most memorable moment was when he took a hack from a Petes player and reacted by going after him, an interesting move for a goalie with two career penalty minutes.
Peterborough Petes
Austin Watson – Drafted by Nashville
Although nobody on Peterborough had a particularly good game, Watson was probably the best. He had a few good chances, a couple as a result of turnovers by the 67s, and a couple others he created himself, but could not break the shutout. As always Watson was solid in all three zones, demonstrating good defensive track and solid penalty killing work. I have seen him have better games in the past.
Matt Puempel – 2011 Draft Eligible
Not a great game for Puempel. He was relatively noticeable, but was fairly ineffective overall. When he was controlling the puck, he was knocked off the puck frequently, and lacked the skating ability to really create space for himself. I know he is a player who thrives on finding space and being in the right place, but tonight he was not particularly dangerous and had few such opportunities. He has been scoring at a great clip lately though, so it was possibly just an off night for him, like the rest of the team.
Alan Quine – 2011 Draft Eligible
I was really looking forward to seeing Quine and was disappointed I barely saw him. He was quite invisible all night. Playing on the first powerplay unit he was noticeable only because the puck was then on his stick, but at even strength he created little offence other than one impressive rush late in the game. Like with Watson and Puempel, it was not a great game to evaluate him.
Clark Seymour – 2011 Draft Eligible
Other than engaging in some rough stuff at different moments in time, Seymour was more or less invisible. The size is there, but the Petes blueline as a whole seemed to struggle with the skill and speed of the 67s, and Seymour was neither better or worse than the other defencemen in that regard.
Slater Koekkoek – 2012 Draft Eligible
A promising prospect who had a couple of nice offensive plays from the blueline. Showed off some nice vision and mobility moving in off the point showing confidence with the puck. Like with Seymour, it was a hard game to really evaluate his defensive play.
Thanks a lot to Sean for this report. Hopefully he can give us another one before he heads back to school.
Showing posts with label Matt Puempel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Puempel. Show all posts
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Thoughts on Ottawa and Peterborough from March 4
Just how much do the Peterborough Petes miss Ryan Spooner? Since suffering a broken clavicle at the end of January, the Petes are 2-15 without him. Prior to the injury, the Petes were still in the hunt for the coveted East Division title. Now they are clinging to their playoff lives as their losing streak was stretched to 10 games tonight against Ottawa in a 6-4 loss. The Petes had ample opportunity to pull ahead in this game, with several 5 on 3 powerplays, but they just couldn't score with the man advantage and finished the night 1 for 7. With only 4 games left for the Petes, they are only 5 points ahead of Oshawa (who sit 9th), and the Generals have two games in hand. Peterborough really has to pull up their socks.
Now in fairness, when the Petes lost Spooner, they also lost Austin Watson for several weeks to a broken ankle. Watson has since returned, but the Petes continue their losing ways. Having watched tonight's game, it's obvious as to how much the Petes miss Spooner. Not only is he the team's most dynamic offensive player, but he's also very good on the powerplay and five on five he helps to spread out the offensive production; giving Peterborough better depth. With Spooner not expected to return this season, it's completely likely that Peterborough could miss the playoffs all together. However, with Oshawa struggling just as much, I don't see them making up the 5 points at this point. That being said, the likelihood that the Petes finish 8th and earn a date with Barrie in the first round appears very high. And we can assume that would mean a real quick exit and a disappointing finish to what appeared to be a promising season.
As for Ottawa, I'm still not convinced they're going to do much damage in the playoffs. I worry about their goaltending a lot. I worry about their team speed. And I worry about their special teams play (even if it was good tonight). The defense just hasn't been as strong as many had thought it would be and neither Chris Perugini or Petr Mrazek are currently capable of carrying a team in a playoff series...at least in my opinion. Team speed was something that was abused last year against Niagara as the Dogs outskated and outworked the 67's in a first round upset. And everybody knows Scotty Bowman's theory on special teams play and its correlation with a strong playoff performance. A date with Niagara again this year could mean a repeat of last year. And even if the 67's do get out of the first round, I don't see them getting past the second round against (likely) Mississauga, Kingston, or Brampton.
Here are some individual thoughts...
Ottawa 67's
Tyler Toffoli (2010)
This was the best game I've ever seen Toffoli play. I still have some question marks about his game and its transition to the next level, but you can't deny his goal scoring instincts. The puck was magnetically drawn to him tonight. He scored a third period hat trick and added a first period assist too. First goal was off a board ricochet to the front of the net that he buried top shelf over Jason Missiaen. Second goal was generated by a great forecheck from Dalton Smith as he stole the puck, fed it to Cody Lindsay who then threw it over to Toffoli in the slot for the one timer to the back of the net. Hat trick goal was a softie, but the eventual game winner. Toffoli took a puck to the net, threw down a weak backhand that squeaked through Missiaen's five hole. Even in the first two periods when he wasn't scoring, Toffoli was making things happen was constantly dangerous. On the negative side, I still think there has to be some concern over his skating, but being such a smart player certainly helps alleviate those concerns. I'd also like to see him build on his aggressive play. Occasionally he'll throw a big check and look like a pest, but it's not a consistent effort to play in such a manner. I'm starting to see a lot of similarities between Toffoli's and Corey Perry's game at the same age. Both had similar concerns about skating and the transition of their offensive skills to the NHL level. Perry certainly developed well and if Toffoli could harness that aggressive nature in a more consistent way, he'd be just as an effective junior player too.
Anthony Nigro (STL)
Nigro had a quiet game. Wasn't really noticeable save a nice pass to a streaking Ryan Martindale for the first Ottawa goal. The Martindale, Nigro, Cowick line was pretty quiet all night.
Julien Demers (SJ)
Demers was Demers. Not really the type of defenseman you notice unless you're strictly watching for his number. He makes generally smart decisions with the puck and is pretty solid defensively (although I still wonder what happened to the hard hitting Demers we once knew). My concern is that he hasn't really progressed over his OHL career. His mobility is still a concern defensively as faster players can get around him one on one. At the next level, I'm just not sure what role he plays either. Is he good enough offensively to carry production over to the next level? Is his defensive game good enough should the offensive production not carry over? Questions, and I'm sure the same ones San Jose are asking themselves as they decide whether or not to sign Julien.
Corey Cowick (OTT)
Cowick was probably the least visible of his line (Martindale, Nigro) and really didn't have a stand out game.
Dalton Smith (2010)
Smith is just a really solid hockey player. He's the type of player NHL scouts love and I'm sure he'll have a very strong playoffs for Ottawa. He had an excellent game tonight. Smith finished with a goal and an assist, but was all over the ice all night; forechecking and playing at both ends of the ice. His goal gave Ottawa a 2-1 lead in the first period, as he took a long rebound off a Tyler Cuma shot and buried it past Jason Missiaen on a bad angle. His assist was more impressive as he beat Jeff Braithwaite to a loose puck dump in, used one hand to keep Braithwaite from the puck, and the other hand to make a pass to Cody Lindsay who in turn gave it Toffoli for the goal in the slot. The skating, I think, has improved over the course of the season and will only continue to get better. Smith is a player and deserves to be receiving more attention than he is for the 2010 Draft.
Tyler Cuma (MIN)
Cuma didn't play a bad game. He was relatively solid defensively, save a couple dumb penalties. He looks improved offensively since the beginning of the season, making a few nice rushes into the offensive zone and doing a good job of running the point in the zone, getting pucks on net. But I still can't help but feel underwhelmed. As a first rounder, the expectation needs to be higher. I also just can't help but remember the Cuma previous to his knee injury, the one who was developing into a dynamic player at both ends of the ice. Maybe that comes back, maybe it doesn't. Either way, I think he's further away from NHL duty than Minnesota might like to admit.
Ryan Martindale (2010)
Had the strongest game of his line (Nigro, Cowick), as he looked poised to take the puck to the net and does a good job of using his size to his advantage offensively. Scored a nice goal by accepting a pass full stride from Anthony Nigro, cutting toward the middle of the ice and throwing it over Jason Missiaen's shoulder, not on the first try, but on the second as he whacked the puck out of the air as he skated by his own slight rebound. Like Toffoli and Smith, skating is a concern, in particular his ability to accelerate and play in transition, but I too think it can be improved to the point where it will no longer be a flaw.
Peterborough Petes
Jeff Braithwaite (2010)
He kind of had a difficult game, but I see aspects of his game that make me think he's capable of more than he's giving this season. He made two bad plays on back to back shifts that just killed Peterborough. First was miscommunication with his goaltender as he got the puck caught under his skates as the two met behind the net to determine who would play it. Instead a turnover occurred that ended with a Tyler Toffoli goal. Seconds later, Braithwaite was beaten to a dump in by Dalton Smith and muscled off the puck as Smith partially set up Toffoli's second goal. Even though Braithwaite ended up finishing -4, I felt like he didn't play THAT poorly (save those two boneheaded moves). There is a lot to like. He's got decent size. He can skate quite well and has generally good mobility. He ran the point pretty well on the second powerplay unit and was doing a good job of getting his shot through to the net. He made a nice defensive play on Toffoli's 3rd goal, but a bit of bad luck cost his team the victory. He used his stick to deflect a cross ice pass that would have resulted in the game winning goal anyway, but instead tapped the puck to a wide open Toffoli who beat Jason Missiaen on the backhand. I think Braithwaite is capable of more.
Austin Watson (2010)
I think Watson played a pretty good game. As the game went along, he got better and better. It'll be interesting to see where he goes in this year's draft. He's already a tremendous player without the puck. He is very good defensively, in the corners and on the forecheck. He blocks shots and does all those little things that are so important. Just back from a broken ankle (due to blocking a shot at the Prospects Game), Watson had a couple big shot blocks in the third period to keep his team in the game. Offensively, he's inconsistent. One shift, he looks confident with the puck and in finding offensive space. The next he looks almost lost. Scored his goal by going hard to the net and finishing off a pass from Pat Daley from behind the net. Watson added an assist on Daley's powerplay goal earlier in the game too. As a good skater and an offensive project, is Watson the OHL's version of Colton Gillies, the former Wild first rounder?
Matt Puempel (2011)
The first thing I need to learn how to do is spell his last name correctly every time I write about him (which is only going to be increasingly more often). Puempel was Peterborough's best forward tonight and is a tremendous contributor for a 1993. He's producing offensively, despite clearly lacking the strength to as dominating as he could be. He wants to take the puck hard to the net and win battles in the corners, but he's just not strong enough to do that at a consistent rate. Instead, he utilizes open space and capitalizes quickly before the defense can react. Scored a nice goal after taking a drop pass from Jamie Doornbosch, waiting out Chris Perugini and then going high over his right shoulder with a powerful wrist shot. Puempel is not only going to be the only 1993 to score 30 goals (one off the mark), but he could very well be the only 16 year old to score 20 (with Boone Jenner and Michael Curtis at 18). No offense to Jenner, but the Rookie of the Year is going to come down to Puempel or Kitchener's Ryan Murphy.
David Quesnele (2010)
Not sure what happened to the guy I was so impressed with earlier in the year, but Quesnele hasn't even registered a point in like 25 games. Bad luck or just poor play? He looked half decent tonight and generated a few scoring chances by bringing speed into the offensive zone, but NHL scouts look at production too.
Adam Sedlak (2010)
Such an inconsistent and frustrating player. Sedlak clearly has talent. He can skate the puck out of the zone, he can make a good play defensively and he's got a big shot from the point. But something is missing; something preventing him from putting it all together as a late birthday 1991. He had a terrible turnover that lead to Ottawa's first goal by Ryan Martindale, as he skated the puck right into coverage with his head down and got stripped by Anthony Nigro. But he also made a strong defensive play by breaking up a 2 on 1 by sliding to prevent a pass for the open net goal. On the downside, he seems to get outworked in the corners and had trouble in defensive zone coverage. For a more offensive defenseman, he also struggles with the outlet pass. He seems much more comfortable skating the puck out of the zone and is prone to turnovers when attempting to pass out. Depending on whether he can find an NHL team who believes in his tools, he may or may not get drafted.
Jason Missiaen (MTL)
To sign Jason Missiaen or not to sign him, that is the question the Montreal Canadiens are asking themselves. On one hand, Missiaen can take away the bottom of the net quite well because he's so large and has shown an ability to steal games in the past. But on the other hand, he continues to struggle with his positioning in the net and is prone to over committing or reading the angle poorly. Two of tonight's goals against fall into those categories; the Dalton Smith 2-1 goal, and the Tyler Toffoli game winner. However, even though his numbers haven't been sparkling, he's been one of the busiest goalies in the league. If they have the room under the 50 contract limit, I think they'd be smart to sign him still. He's still a project, but if they can get a goaltender coach to work on some of the more technical aspects of the game, they could have a solid goalie on their hands...which I think was the plan all along for Missiaen. He made 32 of 37 saves and took the loss.
Thoughts on tonight's East Division rivalry game?
Now in fairness, when the Petes lost Spooner, they also lost Austin Watson for several weeks to a broken ankle. Watson has since returned, but the Petes continue their losing ways. Having watched tonight's game, it's obvious as to how much the Petes miss Spooner. Not only is he the team's most dynamic offensive player, but he's also very good on the powerplay and five on five he helps to spread out the offensive production; giving Peterborough better depth. With Spooner not expected to return this season, it's completely likely that Peterborough could miss the playoffs all together. However, with Oshawa struggling just as much, I don't see them making up the 5 points at this point. That being said, the likelihood that the Petes finish 8th and earn a date with Barrie in the first round appears very high. And we can assume that would mean a real quick exit and a disappointing finish to what appeared to be a promising season.
As for Ottawa, I'm still not convinced they're going to do much damage in the playoffs. I worry about their goaltending a lot. I worry about their team speed. And I worry about their special teams play (even if it was good tonight). The defense just hasn't been as strong as many had thought it would be and neither Chris Perugini or Petr Mrazek are currently capable of carrying a team in a playoff series...at least in my opinion. Team speed was something that was abused last year against Niagara as the Dogs outskated and outworked the 67's in a first round upset. And everybody knows Scotty Bowman's theory on special teams play and its correlation with a strong playoff performance. A date with Niagara again this year could mean a repeat of last year. And even if the 67's do get out of the first round, I don't see them getting past the second round against (likely) Mississauga, Kingston, or Brampton.
Here are some individual thoughts...
Ottawa 67's
Tyler Toffoli (2010)
This was the best game I've ever seen Toffoli play. I still have some question marks about his game and its transition to the next level, but you can't deny his goal scoring instincts. The puck was magnetically drawn to him tonight. He scored a third period hat trick and added a first period assist too. First goal was off a board ricochet to the front of the net that he buried top shelf over Jason Missiaen. Second goal was generated by a great forecheck from Dalton Smith as he stole the puck, fed it to Cody Lindsay who then threw it over to Toffoli in the slot for the one timer to the back of the net. Hat trick goal was a softie, but the eventual game winner. Toffoli took a puck to the net, threw down a weak backhand that squeaked through Missiaen's five hole. Even in the first two periods when he wasn't scoring, Toffoli was making things happen was constantly dangerous. On the negative side, I still think there has to be some concern over his skating, but being such a smart player certainly helps alleviate those concerns. I'd also like to see him build on his aggressive play. Occasionally he'll throw a big check and look like a pest, but it's not a consistent effort to play in such a manner. I'm starting to see a lot of similarities between Toffoli's and Corey Perry's game at the same age. Both had similar concerns about skating and the transition of their offensive skills to the NHL level. Perry certainly developed well and if Toffoli could harness that aggressive nature in a more consistent way, he'd be just as an effective junior player too.
Anthony Nigro (STL)
Nigro had a quiet game. Wasn't really noticeable save a nice pass to a streaking Ryan Martindale for the first Ottawa goal. The Martindale, Nigro, Cowick line was pretty quiet all night.
Julien Demers (SJ)
Demers was Demers. Not really the type of defenseman you notice unless you're strictly watching for his number. He makes generally smart decisions with the puck and is pretty solid defensively (although I still wonder what happened to the hard hitting Demers we once knew). My concern is that he hasn't really progressed over his OHL career. His mobility is still a concern defensively as faster players can get around him one on one. At the next level, I'm just not sure what role he plays either. Is he good enough offensively to carry production over to the next level? Is his defensive game good enough should the offensive production not carry over? Questions, and I'm sure the same ones San Jose are asking themselves as they decide whether or not to sign Julien.
Corey Cowick (OTT)
Cowick was probably the least visible of his line (Martindale, Nigro) and really didn't have a stand out game.
Dalton Smith (2010)
Smith is just a really solid hockey player. He's the type of player NHL scouts love and I'm sure he'll have a very strong playoffs for Ottawa. He had an excellent game tonight. Smith finished with a goal and an assist, but was all over the ice all night; forechecking and playing at both ends of the ice. His goal gave Ottawa a 2-1 lead in the first period, as he took a long rebound off a Tyler Cuma shot and buried it past Jason Missiaen on a bad angle. His assist was more impressive as he beat Jeff Braithwaite to a loose puck dump in, used one hand to keep Braithwaite from the puck, and the other hand to make a pass to Cody Lindsay who in turn gave it Toffoli for the goal in the slot. The skating, I think, has improved over the course of the season and will only continue to get better. Smith is a player and deserves to be receiving more attention than he is for the 2010 Draft.
Tyler Cuma (MIN)
Cuma didn't play a bad game. He was relatively solid defensively, save a couple dumb penalties. He looks improved offensively since the beginning of the season, making a few nice rushes into the offensive zone and doing a good job of running the point in the zone, getting pucks on net. But I still can't help but feel underwhelmed. As a first rounder, the expectation needs to be higher. I also just can't help but remember the Cuma previous to his knee injury, the one who was developing into a dynamic player at both ends of the ice. Maybe that comes back, maybe it doesn't. Either way, I think he's further away from NHL duty than Minnesota might like to admit.
Ryan Martindale (2010)
Had the strongest game of his line (Nigro, Cowick), as he looked poised to take the puck to the net and does a good job of using his size to his advantage offensively. Scored a nice goal by accepting a pass full stride from Anthony Nigro, cutting toward the middle of the ice and throwing it over Jason Missiaen's shoulder, not on the first try, but on the second as he whacked the puck out of the air as he skated by his own slight rebound. Like Toffoli and Smith, skating is a concern, in particular his ability to accelerate and play in transition, but I too think it can be improved to the point where it will no longer be a flaw.
Peterborough Petes
Jeff Braithwaite (2010)
He kind of had a difficult game, but I see aspects of his game that make me think he's capable of more than he's giving this season. He made two bad plays on back to back shifts that just killed Peterborough. First was miscommunication with his goaltender as he got the puck caught under his skates as the two met behind the net to determine who would play it. Instead a turnover occurred that ended with a Tyler Toffoli goal. Seconds later, Braithwaite was beaten to a dump in by Dalton Smith and muscled off the puck as Smith partially set up Toffoli's second goal. Even though Braithwaite ended up finishing -4, I felt like he didn't play THAT poorly (save those two boneheaded moves). There is a lot to like. He's got decent size. He can skate quite well and has generally good mobility. He ran the point pretty well on the second powerplay unit and was doing a good job of getting his shot through to the net. He made a nice defensive play on Toffoli's 3rd goal, but a bit of bad luck cost his team the victory. He used his stick to deflect a cross ice pass that would have resulted in the game winning goal anyway, but instead tapped the puck to a wide open Toffoli who beat Jason Missiaen on the backhand. I think Braithwaite is capable of more.
Austin Watson (2010)
I think Watson played a pretty good game. As the game went along, he got better and better. It'll be interesting to see where he goes in this year's draft. He's already a tremendous player without the puck. He is very good defensively, in the corners and on the forecheck. He blocks shots and does all those little things that are so important. Just back from a broken ankle (due to blocking a shot at the Prospects Game), Watson had a couple big shot blocks in the third period to keep his team in the game. Offensively, he's inconsistent. One shift, he looks confident with the puck and in finding offensive space. The next he looks almost lost. Scored his goal by going hard to the net and finishing off a pass from Pat Daley from behind the net. Watson added an assist on Daley's powerplay goal earlier in the game too. As a good skater and an offensive project, is Watson the OHL's version of Colton Gillies, the former Wild first rounder?
Matt Puempel (2011)
The first thing I need to learn how to do is spell his last name correctly every time I write about him (which is only going to be increasingly more often). Puempel was Peterborough's best forward tonight and is a tremendous contributor for a 1993. He's producing offensively, despite clearly lacking the strength to as dominating as he could be. He wants to take the puck hard to the net and win battles in the corners, but he's just not strong enough to do that at a consistent rate. Instead, he utilizes open space and capitalizes quickly before the defense can react. Scored a nice goal after taking a drop pass from Jamie Doornbosch, waiting out Chris Perugini and then going high over his right shoulder with a powerful wrist shot. Puempel is not only going to be the only 1993 to score 30 goals (one off the mark), but he could very well be the only 16 year old to score 20 (with Boone Jenner and Michael Curtis at 18). No offense to Jenner, but the Rookie of the Year is going to come down to Puempel or Kitchener's Ryan Murphy.
David Quesnele (2010)
Not sure what happened to the guy I was so impressed with earlier in the year, but Quesnele hasn't even registered a point in like 25 games. Bad luck or just poor play? He looked half decent tonight and generated a few scoring chances by bringing speed into the offensive zone, but NHL scouts look at production too.
Adam Sedlak (2010)
Such an inconsistent and frustrating player. Sedlak clearly has talent. He can skate the puck out of the zone, he can make a good play defensively and he's got a big shot from the point. But something is missing; something preventing him from putting it all together as a late birthday 1991. He had a terrible turnover that lead to Ottawa's first goal by Ryan Martindale, as he skated the puck right into coverage with his head down and got stripped by Anthony Nigro. But he also made a strong defensive play by breaking up a 2 on 1 by sliding to prevent a pass for the open net goal. On the downside, he seems to get outworked in the corners and had trouble in defensive zone coverage. For a more offensive defenseman, he also struggles with the outlet pass. He seems much more comfortable skating the puck out of the zone and is prone to turnovers when attempting to pass out. Depending on whether he can find an NHL team who believes in his tools, he may or may not get drafted.
Jason Missiaen (MTL)
To sign Jason Missiaen or not to sign him, that is the question the Montreal Canadiens are asking themselves. On one hand, Missiaen can take away the bottom of the net quite well because he's so large and has shown an ability to steal games in the past. But on the other hand, he continues to struggle with his positioning in the net and is prone to over committing or reading the angle poorly. Two of tonight's goals against fall into those categories; the Dalton Smith 2-1 goal, and the Tyler Toffoli game winner. However, even though his numbers haven't been sparkling, he's been one of the busiest goalies in the league. If they have the room under the 50 contract limit, I think they'd be smart to sign him still. He's still a project, but if they can get a goaltender coach to work on some of the more technical aspects of the game, they could have a solid goalie on their hands...which I think was the plan all along for Missiaen. He made 32 of 37 saves and took the loss.
Thoughts on tonight's East Division rivalry game?
Friday, November 27, 2009
Ryan Yessie's Thoughts on Peterborough from November 26
Ryan was able to catch the Peterborough Petes in action against the Sting last night and files his report on some of the Petes higher profile players. The game was a lopsided 6-3 victory for Peterborough as they handed Sarnia their 6th straight loss (London handed them their 7th straight tonight).
Ryan Spooner - #23 - C - YOB: 1992 - 5‘10” - 175lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Nov/26/09: Spooner displays great speed, good agility and is very shifty and hard to stop once he gets going. His size my become the biggest obstacle he has but I believe I saw the two sides of Ryan Spooner. With the puck he is arguably in the same league as Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin skill wise. By this I’m referring to his puck possession and movement. With the puck he could make defencemen miss, can draw opponents in, and unlike most players with this ability it seems like he looks to find the open pass before anything else, and is very accurate in doing so. I didn’t get much of a judgement on his shot due to this, but it did look pretty solid for an NHL prospect. His play without the puck however was less than encouraging. He would coast along whenever he didn’t have the puck. He wasn’t cherry picking, and would work for the puck when it came near him, and when he did get the puck that switch would turn on where he became that prospect everyone has been talking about, but he doesn‘t show hustle when getting back on the play, and really appears to have no urgency on his side of the red line, or even in the offensive zone to get open at times. He has elite skating and playmaking abilities but his size combined with his relaxed play without the puck will push Spooner into the second half of the 1st round, and may push me to say he may wind up being a boom or bust prospcet. Wherever he goes he will put up big points, but he needs to work on his play without the puck so that he can be putting up those big points in the NHL, not the AHL/Europe.
(Spooner had 4A, +1 tonight)
Adam Sedlak - #24 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6‘2” - 210lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Nov/26/09: I trashed him last year for his lack of ability to move the puck. This year he’s improved greatly. He moved the puck well and was a very decent skater. His defensive zone coverage was alright but could be improved upon. There’s some serious range in where people project Sedlak. (I’ve heard between late 1st and 5th round) but between him and Rogalski personally it would be tough to separate the two skill wise and could be a coin flip in terms of which the better prospect is. Both have very similar size and skill sets. But simply Sedlak‘s production needs to improve this year.
(Sedlak had 1A, +1, 2 PIM tonight)
Matt Puempel - #17 - LW - YOB: 1993 - 6‘0” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Report: Nov/26/09: Puempel was pretty impressive out there tonight for Peterborough. He scored a nice goal in this game, and he threw his body around well. He’s a solid skater and someone to watch closely for next year.
(Puempel had 1G, +1, 2 PIM tonight)
Zack Kassian - #9 - LW - YOB: 1993 - 6‘3” - 215lbs.
NHL: 1st Round - 13th Overall by Buffalo in 2009
Report: Nov/26/09: I was pretty impressed with him last year, not so much this year. He was a little inconsistent in whether or not he worked at different points of the game. His skating is good for someone his size, and he threw some good hits as expected. He took a 10min misconduct for not wearing his mouth guard, and then attempted to knee Kyle Neuber, which incidentally lead to Neuber getting 2 for kneeing, even though it appeared Kassian was the one to stick his leg out last second after Neuber attempted to fight Kassian on multiple occasions. This seemed to play a part in Kassian being off his game. Kassian has a lot of skill but apparently has a long way to go before he’s NHL ready.
(Kassian had 2A, -1, 12 PIM tonight)
Barron Smith - #55 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6‘5” - 210lbs.
NHL: 7th Round - 188th Overall by Toronto in 2009
Report: Nov/26/09: It’s a good thing Smith is as physically imposing as he is, because he had 3 clear shots from the point and missed the net in comical fashion as 2 of the 3 were atleast 10ft. Off the net. However on his side of the red line he was unrelenting physically and made life difficult for Sarnia forwards most of the game, but he began to fade out as the game progressed and stamina became a factor. Smith has got a lot to work on, but has the attitude that matches his skill set, and has NHL ready size to impose his will on the opposition.
(Smith had -2 and 2 PIM)
Jason Missiaen - #1 - G - YOB: 1991 - 6‘8” - 220lbs.
NHL: 4th Round - 116th Overall by Montreal in 2008
Report: Nov/26/09: He did a good job staying square to the shooter. He did a good job consuming most rebounds and not giving too many second chances. However when the pressure was on he looked like he was prepared to fold a few times. Picking the corners seems to be the most effective way to score on Missiaen, his lateral movement was almost non existent. Overall he’s a good goaltender at the junior level but I honestly question his effectiveness at the pro level.
(Missiaen stopped 33 of 36 shots tonight)
Some interesting stuff from Ryan there. In particular his comments about Ryan Spooner struck a chord with me. In the limited viewings I've had of him, I've been impressed with his play without the puck in the offensive zone and his ability to generate offense from energy on the forecheck. This was something Ryan brings up as being absent from his game last night. Perhaps it was proof that his consistency without the puck is something that's held him back from being more of an impact player. Either way, 4 point night ain't half bad!
Comments for Mr. Yessie?
Ryan Spooner - #23 - C - YOB: 1992 - 5‘10” - 175lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Nov/26/09: Spooner displays great speed, good agility and is very shifty and hard to stop once he gets going. His size my become the biggest obstacle he has but I believe I saw the two sides of Ryan Spooner. With the puck he is arguably in the same league as Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin skill wise. By this I’m referring to his puck possession and movement. With the puck he could make defencemen miss, can draw opponents in, and unlike most players with this ability it seems like he looks to find the open pass before anything else, and is very accurate in doing so. I didn’t get much of a judgement on his shot due to this, but it did look pretty solid for an NHL prospect. His play without the puck however was less than encouraging. He would coast along whenever he didn’t have the puck. He wasn’t cherry picking, and would work for the puck when it came near him, and when he did get the puck that switch would turn on where he became that prospect everyone has been talking about, but he doesn‘t show hustle when getting back on the play, and really appears to have no urgency on his side of the red line, or even in the offensive zone to get open at times. He has elite skating and playmaking abilities but his size combined with his relaxed play without the puck will push Spooner into the second half of the 1st round, and may push me to say he may wind up being a boom or bust prospcet. Wherever he goes he will put up big points, but he needs to work on his play without the puck so that he can be putting up those big points in the NHL, not the AHL/Europe.
(Spooner had 4A, +1 tonight)
Adam Sedlak - #24 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6‘2” - 210lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Nov/26/09: I trashed him last year for his lack of ability to move the puck. This year he’s improved greatly. He moved the puck well and was a very decent skater. His defensive zone coverage was alright but could be improved upon. There’s some serious range in where people project Sedlak. (I’ve heard between late 1st and 5th round) but between him and Rogalski personally it would be tough to separate the two skill wise and could be a coin flip in terms of which the better prospect is. Both have very similar size and skill sets. But simply Sedlak‘s production needs to improve this year.
(Sedlak had 1A, +1, 2 PIM tonight)
Matt Puempel - #17 - LW - YOB: 1993 - 6‘0” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Report: Nov/26/09: Puempel was pretty impressive out there tonight for Peterborough. He scored a nice goal in this game, and he threw his body around well. He’s a solid skater and someone to watch closely for next year.
(Puempel had 1G, +1, 2 PIM tonight)
Zack Kassian - #9 - LW - YOB: 1993 - 6‘3” - 215lbs.
NHL: 1st Round - 13th Overall by Buffalo in 2009
Report: Nov/26/09: I was pretty impressed with him last year, not so much this year. He was a little inconsistent in whether or not he worked at different points of the game. His skating is good for someone his size, and he threw some good hits as expected. He took a 10min misconduct for not wearing his mouth guard, and then attempted to knee Kyle Neuber, which incidentally lead to Neuber getting 2 for kneeing, even though it appeared Kassian was the one to stick his leg out last second after Neuber attempted to fight Kassian on multiple occasions. This seemed to play a part in Kassian being off his game. Kassian has a lot of skill but apparently has a long way to go before he’s NHL ready.
(Kassian had 2A, -1, 12 PIM tonight)
Barron Smith - #55 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6‘5” - 210lbs.
NHL: 7th Round - 188th Overall by Toronto in 2009
Report: Nov/26/09: It’s a good thing Smith is as physically imposing as he is, because he had 3 clear shots from the point and missed the net in comical fashion as 2 of the 3 were atleast 10ft. Off the net. However on his side of the red line he was unrelenting physically and made life difficult for Sarnia forwards most of the game, but he began to fade out as the game progressed and stamina became a factor. Smith has got a lot to work on, but has the attitude that matches his skill set, and has NHL ready size to impose his will on the opposition.
(Smith had -2 and 2 PIM)
Jason Missiaen - #1 - G - YOB: 1991 - 6‘8” - 220lbs.
NHL: 4th Round - 116th Overall by Montreal in 2008
Report: Nov/26/09: He did a good job staying square to the shooter. He did a good job consuming most rebounds and not giving too many second chances. However when the pressure was on he looked like he was prepared to fold a few times. Picking the corners seems to be the most effective way to score on Missiaen, his lateral movement was almost non existent. Overall he’s a good goaltender at the junior level but I honestly question his effectiveness at the pro level.
(Missiaen stopped 33 of 36 shots tonight)
Some interesting stuff from Ryan there. In particular his comments about Ryan Spooner struck a chord with me. In the limited viewings I've had of him, I've been impressed with his play without the puck in the offensive zone and his ability to generate offense from energy on the forecheck. This was something Ryan brings up as being absent from his game last night. Perhaps it was proof that his consistency without the puck is something that's held him back from being more of an impact player. Either way, 4 point night ain't half bad!
Comments for Mr. Yessie?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thoughts on Saginaw and Peterborough from October 22
First time watching both of these teams this season, and since there were quite a few guys I wanted to catch a glimpse of on both sides, it was almost overwhelming to keep up. It was actually a very entertaining game that saw a lot of good scoring chances at both ends of the ice. The Petes looked good as they managed to snap a four game losing streak (in which they'd given up 23 goals in those four games). Jason Missiaen had a really solid game as he looks to get back on track after a string of really poor starts. The Spirit got a lot of opportunities but just couldn't bury them, while some sloppy defense cost them the game despite outshooting the Petes 42-11 in periods 2 and 3.
Some thoughts on some of the players on both sides...
Saginaw Spirit
Nick Crawford (BUF)
I thought he played a really strong defensive game. He's only moderately sized (6'1), and he's not a physical defender, but he does a very strong job as a positional defender. The Petes forwards had a tough time getting by him on the way to the net and did a good job in picking up his man in coverage, tying him up and not allowing a scoring opportunity. I was also impressed by the way he won battles in the corners, just by out maneuvering Pete players and using his stick to get the puck out. Offensively, I thought he struggled a bit though. Made a few questionable decisions with the puck early on and had a few giveaways. Settled down as the game went on and made a couple nice plays later in the game to keep the puck in the offensive zone. But overall I was somewhat underwhelmed by his offensive abilities. As a quietly effective defender, perhaps I was looking for more flash and dash to his game than I should have been. He finished with an assist.
Garret Ross (2010)
I actually really liked what I saw from Ross, as he played on the Spirits' top line with Jordan Skellett and Josh Shalla. Not a big winger, but he brings a lot of energy to the ice. I thought he looked more impressive than his two linemates. He took the puck to the net hard on a couple occasions and created scoring chances off rebounds. Looked like a really solid skater because of these rushes and his work on the forecheck. Had a couple good offensive opportunities in the slot too, but couldn't beat Missiaen. Not sure how long he stays on that first line, but if he does, his energy will no doubt lead to some offensive production and he could be a guy to watch for June's draft.
Jordan Szwarz (PHX)
Has been underwhelming on the stat sheet so far this season (as it was expected he'd be an offensive leader for the Spirit this season). But I thought he played a really good game and was probably Saginaw's best forward with Ivan Telegin. I was a big fan of his for the draft last year and admit he's a bit of an enigma. When he's on...like he was tonight...his speed and energy in the offensive zone leads to offensive opportunities. Not a big guy, but he's elusive on the ice and seems to find the scoring areas really well. As an example, scored a side of the net goal on a beautiful slap pass from T.J. Brodie. He got himself in good position and was wide open for the redirect/tap in. Like any developing energy player, he needs to remember that in order for him produce offensively, he's got to play his game every shift. He finished with a goal and an assist.
Tyler Murovich (Overage Free Agent)
I really like Murovich and I'm pulling for him to earn a professional contract this year. From what I've been told, he was close in Columbus/Syracuse this offseason. Just to give you an idea of the type of player Murovich is, on one shift, he blocked a hard point shot from the point with his shin, dropped to the ground in pain. He proceeded to get up, re-enter play and no more than 10 seconds later he forced a turnover by the Saginaw bench by throwing a big hit on a Petes player trying to get the puck back into the offensive zone. All heart. He's one of the better two way forwards in the league and I think he has an underrated offensive game. His goal was a weak one five hold that Missiaen would like to have back, but he had a few other offensive opportunities tonight that just missed. He'll never be a scoring line player in the NHL, but many teams need the type of heart and character he brings to the ice.
Jordan Skellett (Overage Free Agent)
Finally exploding offensively in the league this season, I thought Skellett was disappointing. He had a couple nice shifts, and showed some good things with the puck, but overall his performance was underwhelming. He is definitely an excellent playmaker and that's his bread and butter. Made a very nice pass to a streaking Ivan Telegin for the Spirit's opening goal. Made a couple other nice passes too, especially from behind the net where he tries to control play. On the downside, I felt like he overhandled the puck on several occasions that led to turnovers and just looked like he was trying to force the play. I think he's a good junior hockey player, but I can't see him having an extended professional hockey career.
Ivan Telegin (2010)
Our friend Alessandro Seren Rosso will be happy to hear that Telegin looked very strong in tonight's game. Been looking forward to seeing him play. Scored a beautiful goal on a pass from Jordan Skellet, as he was hit streaking towards the net. He took the puck on his stick, kept skating, made a nice deke around Missiaen and slid it home on his forehand. Later in the game he had a breakaway opportunity but was obviously hooked by Jamie Doornbosch and couldn't get a shot off (of which no penalty was called and it sent Spirit coach Todd Watson into an extreme fit of rage). On a few other players he showed good speed, especially acceleration for a big man. He shifted back and forth between center and wing and saw a good amount of time on special teams. On the powerplay he was being used as a screen in front of the net and did a good job to hold his place. Seems to be the model of consistency so far this season, being held pointless in only 2 games.
Josh Shalla (2010)
Truthfully, he was invisible for most of the game. Towards the end, he had a couple nice passes and showed a willingness to go to the net for a rebound. But I don't have much to offer on him. After the first period, I actually had to check to see if he was playing because I noticed him that little. He finished a team low -3. I'll need to see him again.
Cody Sol (ATL)
I thought Sol was pretty brutal tonight. Definitely didn't look like an NHL draft pick. On the positive, he was physical and threw a couple really good hits, unfortunately a few of those took him out of defensive position. With the puck in his own zone, he was terrible. Gave it away several times as he tried to throw the puck up the middle of the ice. However he did look somewhat comfortable playing the point in the offensive zone and he really has a hard shot (which you'd have to expect considering his size) that he actually gets through to the net well. But for a guy who's bread and butter is supposed to be as a strong physical stay at home defenseman, he needs to tighten some things up.
T.J. Brodie (CGY)
Brodie was absolutely electric offensively tonight. He got better and better as the game went on too. His skating ability is so good from the back end, just an explosive player. On one occasion he picked the puck up at the blueline and went by three Petes players to the net in what seemed like a split second. It was a loose puck that he picked up near the boards and then accelerated to the front of the net, but only got a weak shot off. Had a few other nice rushes tonight too. His assist to Jordan Szwarz was a thing of beauty; a slap pass right to Jordan Szwarz at the side of the net for the easy tap in. Completely fooled the Petes defense and Jason Missiaen. On the downside, he was careless with the puck on a few occasions. Made poor reads in trying to rush up ice and skated into traffic giving the puck up. He definitely needs to pick his spots better. He also looked lazy at times in the defensive zone. While he can be a solid positional defender, he looked really lazy on Adrian Robertson's second period goal. He failed to tie up Robertson as he went hard to the net, leaving him with a redirect on a cross ice pass. If he fails to tie up forwards like that in the NHL, he'll be eaten alive. A ton of talent here though and I think a serious candidate for the Canadian WJC team.
Edward Pasquale (ATL)
Not sure if Pasquale's poor start statistically has been as a result of poor play in front of him, or poor play by him. But he wasn't incredibly sharp tonight. He looked really slow in his net, especially in terms of reacting to offensive plays. On David Quesnele's goal to open the game, he got himself so far out of position on the flop that he had no chance to stop Quesnele's shot. He had trouble with another shot late in the game as Matt Puempel tried to bank it off him and into the net. He was still on his knees after an original shot and failed to get back up to cover the post. Luckily enough the puck hit the post. The other four goals were tricky ones for Pasquale to stop, but good goalies put themselves in position to at least make a few big saves and Pasquale made none of those tonight. Perhaps all the trade rumours surrounding him have effected his play. He made 24 of 29 saves and took the loss.
Peterborough Petes
Matt Puempel (2011)
The Petes recent first rounder looked very good tonight. Was all over the ice and did a good job of working puck possession with Ryan Spooner and Pat Daley. Was effective off the rush and scored a really nice goal off a feed from Pat Daley from behind the net. Daley hit Puempel with a pass after he beat his defender to the net and put it home high blocker side. His other goal was a beautiful tip in off a Chris Buonomo point shot. Showed great hands and coordination on both goals. Recently returning from a concussion, it doesn't look like he's missed a step. Finished with 2 goals.
Chris Buonomo (2010)
I liked Buonomo's game tonight. He seems to be one of those under heralded draft eligible defenseman the OHL has to offer this season (Petgrave, Levi, Chiarlitti, etc), and one has to wonder if he can separate himself from the pack. He's not that big, but he plays with an edge and appears to have a lot of mobility from the back end. Defensively he was solid too, and I didn't notice any real mistakes. Showed an ability to get his point shot to the net on the powerplay, like he did on Matt Puempel's redirect. He did have some turnovers with the puck in his own zone as he tried to force passes up ice. In this case, he needs to either get confidence in bringing the puck up himself, or make smarter, less rushed passes.
David Quesnele (2010)
Had an absolutely fantastic game. I really liked the way he was around the puck all night. Was good in the corners, showed no fear in going hard to the net, was active on the forecheck. Just all over the ice. On his first goal he did a good job of finding the puck in a crowd and putting it to the back of the net. On his second goal, he went hard to the net and took a pass from Joey West from behind the net; one timing it past Pasquale. Made a tremendous pass to Adrian Robertson for his late second period goal, going cross ice to hit the streaking defenseman through T.J. Brodie. I thought he was the best Petes player on the ice tonight, finishing with 2 goals and an assist.
Ryan Spooner (2010)
Throughout the first two periods, Spooner was the best player on the ice. His speed and tenacity without the puck is refreshing to see. On one occasion he took the puck hard to the net, got a shot away, kept skating behind the net, came out and stole the rebound away from T.J. Brodie by lifting his stick and then got another shot away, drawing a penalty from Edward Pasquale after on a frustrated slash. Drew two secondary assists thanks to hard work along the boards in keeping the puck moving to his teammates. He did disappear in the third period though, but did enough in the first two to make a serious impression.
Adam Sedlak (2010)
I thought Sedlak played a very strong defensive game. Nothing flashy, but just a solid defensive presence. Stays with his man well and shows good mobility. Also showed a willingness to play a quiet physical game, tying up his man and clearing the front of the net. Didn't really see a lot offensively, but with solid size, mobility and defense, he's likely to attract NHL draft attention.
Jamie Doornbosch (2010, 1990 born)
Not the best game I've seen Doornbosch play. Looked a little lethargic defensively tonight. Got caught standing still a few times, in particular against Ivan Telegin on his goal and his breakaway attempt. But he moves the puck up ice well and has good offensive instincts. I wonder if he'll get NHL attention at the draft this year if his strong offensive season continues.
Barron Smith (TOR)
I thought he played a pretty good defensive game tonight. Like the Spirit's Cody Sol, he can take himself out of the play going for the big hit, as he did a few times, but he also clears the front of the net well and seems to excel in the defensive zone. His partner Chad Lowry really struggled tonight and got exposed a few times off the rush, to which Smith had to bail him out. He's definitely never going to put up the offensive stats his father did in the NHL, but he could have a future as a 5-7 guy at the next level.
Jason Missiaen (MTL)
Still a hot and cold goaltender, Missiaen needs to find a way to perform consistently. He's either a sieve or a wall and nothing in between. Tonight he was a wall, after struggling in his past few games. Obviously his size is his biggest strength, but he actually moves well in his net for a big man (at least in my opinion). Takes away the bottom of the net really well with his pads, which seemingly can stretch from post to post. If only he could strengthen his five hole, which he gave up a weak goal to Tyler Murovich on, then he'd be unbeatable down low. I like how he still challenges the shooter too, which really takes away the top of the net too. Sometimes with bigger goalies, they're content to stay back in their crease. On the downside, Missiaen definitely needs to work on controlling his rebounds. I think close to half the shots he faced tonight were off rebounds he gave up. Your classic 2nd and 3rd chance opportunities. Luckily enough he was up to the task in stopping them, but the Spirit were also unable to get those chances up over his pads. I really think there is potential there if a team is willing to be patient with him. Made 45 of 48 saves tonight and got the win.
As always I welcome your comments and questions and would love to hear from those who've seen the Spirit or Petes more than I have.
Some thoughts on some of the players on both sides...
Saginaw Spirit
Nick Crawford (BUF)
I thought he played a really strong defensive game. He's only moderately sized (6'1), and he's not a physical defender, but he does a very strong job as a positional defender. The Petes forwards had a tough time getting by him on the way to the net and did a good job in picking up his man in coverage, tying him up and not allowing a scoring opportunity. I was also impressed by the way he won battles in the corners, just by out maneuvering Pete players and using his stick to get the puck out. Offensively, I thought he struggled a bit though. Made a few questionable decisions with the puck early on and had a few giveaways. Settled down as the game went on and made a couple nice plays later in the game to keep the puck in the offensive zone. But overall I was somewhat underwhelmed by his offensive abilities. As a quietly effective defender, perhaps I was looking for more flash and dash to his game than I should have been. He finished with an assist.
Garret Ross (2010)
I actually really liked what I saw from Ross, as he played on the Spirits' top line with Jordan Skellett and Josh Shalla. Not a big winger, but he brings a lot of energy to the ice. I thought he looked more impressive than his two linemates. He took the puck to the net hard on a couple occasions and created scoring chances off rebounds. Looked like a really solid skater because of these rushes and his work on the forecheck. Had a couple good offensive opportunities in the slot too, but couldn't beat Missiaen. Not sure how long he stays on that first line, but if he does, his energy will no doubt lead to some offensive production and he could be a guy to watch for June's draft.
Jordan Szwarz (PHX)
Has been underwhelming on the stat sheet so far this season (as it was expected he'd be an offensive leader for the Spirit this season). But I thought he played a really good game and was probably Saginaw's best forward with Ivan Telegin. I was a big fan of his for the draft last year and admit he's a bit of an enigma. When he's on...like he was tonight...his speed and energy in the offensive zone leads to offensive opportunities. Not a big guy, but he's elusive on the ice and seems to find the scoring areas really well. As an example, scored a side of the net goal on a beautiful slap pass from T.J. Brodie. He got himself in good position and was wide open for the redirect/tap in. Like any developing energy player, he needs to remember that in order for him produce offensively, he's got to play his game every shift. He finished with a goal and an assist.
Tyler Murovich (Overage Free Agent)
I really like Murovich and I'm pulling for him to earn a professional contract this year. From what I've been told, he was close in Columbus/Syracuse this offseason. Just to give you an idea of the type of player Murovich is, on one shift, he blocked a hard point shot from the point with his shin, dropped to the ground in pain. He proceeded to get up, re-enter play and no more than 10 seconds later he forced a turnover by the Saginaw bench by throwing a big hit on a Petes player trying to get the puck back into the offensive zone. All heart. He's one of the better two way forwards in the league and I think he has an underrated offensive game. His goal was a weak one five hold that Missiaen would like to have back, but he had a few other offensive opportunities tonight that just missed. He'll never be a scoring line player in the NHL, but many teams need the type of heart and character he brings to the ice.
Jordan Skellett (Overage Free Agent)
Finally exploding offensively in the league this season, I thought Skellett was disappointing. He had a couple nice shifts, and showed some good things with the puck, but overall his performance was underwhelming. He is definitely an excellent playmaker and that's his bread and butter. Made a very nice pass to a streaking Ivan Telegin for the Spirit's opening goal. Made a couple other nice passes too, especially from behind the net where he tries to control play. On the downside, I felt like he overhandled the puck on several occasions that led to turnovers and just looked like he was trying to force the play. I think he's a good junior hockey player, but I can't see him having an extended professional hockey career.
Ivan Telegin (2010)
Our friend Alessandro Seren Rosso will be happy to hear that Telegin looked very strong in tonight's game. Been looking forward to seeing him play. Scored a beautiful goal on a pass from Jordan Skellet, as he was hit streaking towards the net. He took the puck on his stick, kept skating, made a nice deke around Missiaen and slid it home on his forehand. Later in the game he had a breakaway opportunity but was obviously hooked by Jamie Doornbosch and couldn't get a shot off (of which no penalty was called and it sent Spirit coach Todd Watson into an extreme fit of rage). On a few other players he showed good speed, especially acceleration for a big man. He shifted back and forth between center and wing and saw a good amount of time on special teams. On the powerplay he was being used as a screen in front of the net and did a good job to hold his place. Seems to be the model of consistency so far this season, being held pointless in only 2 games.
Josh Shalla (2010)
Truthfully, he was invisible for most of the game. Towards the end, he had a couple nice passes and showed a willingness to go to the net for a rebound. But I don't have much to offer on him. After the first period, I actually had to check to see if he was playing because I noticed him that little. He finished a team low -3. I'll need to see him again.
Cody Sol (ATL)
I thought Sol was pretty brutal tonight. Definitely didn't look like an NHL draft pick. On the positive, he was physical and threw a couple really good hits, unfortunately a few of those took him out of defensive position. With the puck in his own zone, he was terrible. Gave it away several times as he tried to throw the puck up the middle of the ice. However he did look somewhat comfortable playing the point in the offensive zone and he really has a hard shot (which you'd have to expect considering his size) that he actually gets through to the net well. But for a guy who's bread and butter is supposed to be as a strong physical stay at home defenseman, he needs to tighten some things up.
T.J. Brodie (CGY)
Brodie was absolutely electric offensively tonight. He got better and better as the game went on too. His skating ability is so good from the back end, just an explosive player. On one occasion he picked the puck up at the blueline and went by three Petes players to the net in what seemed like a split second. It was a loose puck that he picked up near the boards and then accelerated to the front of the net, but only got a weak shot off. Had a few other nice rushes tonight too. His assist to Jordan Szwarz was a thing of beauty; a slap pass right to Jordan Szwarz at the side of the net for the easy tap in. Completely fooled the Petes defense and Jason Missiaen. On the downside, he was careless with the puck on a few occasions. Made poor reads in trying to rush up ice and skated into traffic giving the puck up. He definitely needs to pick his spots better. He also looked lazy at times in the defensive zone. While he can be a solid positional defender, he looked really lazy on Adrian Robertson's second period goal. He failed to tie up Robertson as he went hard to the net, leaving him with a redirect on a cross ice pass. If he fails to tie up forwards like that in the NHL, he'll be eaten alive. A ton of talent here though and I think a serious candidate for the Canadian WJC team.
Edward Pasquale (ATL)
Not sure if Pasquale's poor start statistically has been as a result of poor play in front of him, or poor play by him. But he wasn't incredibly sharp tonight. He looked really slow in his net, especially in terms of reacting to offensive plays. On David Quesnele's goal to open the game, he got himself so far out of position on the flop that he had no chance to stop Quesnele's shot. He had trouble with another shot late in the game as Matt Puempel tried to bank it off him and into the net. He was still on his knees after an original shot and failed to get back up to cover the post. Luckily enough the puck hit the post. The other four goals were tricky ones for Pasquale to stop, but good goalies put themselves in position to at least make a few big saves and Pasquale made none of those tonight. Perhaps all the trade rumours surrounding him have effected his play. He made 24 of 29 saves and took the loss.
Peterborough Petes
Matt Puempel (2011)
The Petes recent first rounder looked very good tonight. Was all over the ice and did a good job of working puck possession with Ryan Spooner and Pat Daley. Was effective off the rush and scored a really nice goal off a feed from Pat Daley from behind the net. Daley hit Puempel with a pass after he beat his defender to the net and put it home high blocker side. His other goal was a beautiful tip in off a Chris Buonomo point shot. Showed great hands and coordination on both goals. Recently returning from a concussion, it doesn't look like he's missed a step. Finished with 2 goals.
Chris Buonomo (2010)
I liked Buonomo's game tonight. He seems to be one of those under heralded draft eligible defenseman the OHL has to offer this season (Petgrave, Levi, Chiarlitti, etc), and one has to wonder if he can separate himself from the pack. He's not that big, but he plays with an edge and appears to have a lot of mobility from the back end. Defensively he was solid too, and I didn't notice any real mistakes. Showed an ability to get his point shot to the net on the powerplay, like he did on Matt Puempel's redirect. He did have some turnovers with the puck in his own zone as he tried to force passes up ice. In this case, he needs to either get confidence in bringing the puck up himself, or make smarter, less rushed passes.
David Quesnele (2010)
Had an absolutely fantastic game. I really liked the way he was around the puck all night. Was good in the corners, showed no fear in going hard to the net, was active on the forecheck. Just all over the ice. On his first goal he did a good job of finding the puck in a crowd and putting it to the back of the net. On his second goal, he went hard to the net and took a pass from Joey West from behind the net; one timing it past Pasquale. Made a tremendous pass to Adrian Robertson for his late second period goal, going cross ice to hit the streaking defenseman through T.J. Brodie. I thought he was the best Petes player on the ice tonight, finishing with 2 goals and an assist.
Ryan Spooner (2010)
Throughout the first two periods, Spooner was the best player on the ice. His speed and tenacity without the puck is refreshing to see. On one occasion he took the puck hard to the net, got a shot away, kept skating behind the net, came out and stole the rebound away from T.J. Brodie by lifting his stick and then got another shot away, drawing a penalty from Edward Pasquale after on a frustrated slash. Drew two secondary assists thanks to hard work along the boards in keeping the puck moving to his teammates. He did disappear in the third period though, but did enough in the first two to make a serious impression.
Adam Sedlak (2010)
I thought Sedlak played a very strong defensive game. Nothing flashy, but just a solid defensive presence. Stays with his man well and shows good mobility. Also showed a willingness to play a quiet physical game, tying up his man and clearing the front of the net. Didn't really see a lot offensively, but with solid size, mobility and defense, he's likely to attract NHL draft attention.
Jamie Doornbosch (2010, 1990 born)
Not the best game I've seen Doornbosch play. Looked a little lethargic defensively tonight. Got caught standing still a few times, in particular against Ivan Telegin on his goal and his breakaway attempt. But he moves the puck up ice well and has good offensive instincts. I wonder if he'll get NHL attention at the draft this year if his strong offensive season continues.
Barron Smith (TOR)
I thought he played a pretty good defensive game tonight. Like the Spirit's Cody Sol, he can take himself out of the play going for the big hit, as he did a few times, but he also clears the front of the net well and seems to excel in the defensive zone. His partner Chad Lowry really struggled tonight and got exposed a few times off the rush, to which Smith had to bail him out. He's definitely never going to put up the offensive stats his father did in the NHL, but he could have a future as a 5-7 guy at the next level.
Jason Missiaen (MTL)
Still a hot and cold goaltender, Missiaen needs to find a way to perform consistently. He's either a sieve or a wall and nothing in between. Tonight he was a wall, after struggling in his past few games. Obviously his size is his biggest strength, but he actually moves well in his net for a big man (at least in my opinion). Takes away the bottom of the net really well with his pads, which seemingly can stretch from post to post. If only he could strengthen his five hole, which he gave up a weak goal to Tyler Murovich on, then he'd be unbeatable down low. I like how he still challenges the shooter too, which really takes away the top of the net too. Sometimes with bigger goalies, they're content to stay back in their crease. On the downside, Missiaen definitely needs to work on controlling his rebounds. I think close to half the shots he faced tonight were off rebounds he gave up. Your classic 2nd and 3rd chance opportunities. Luckily enough he was up to the task in stopping them, but the Spirit were also unable to get those chances up over his pads. I really think there is potential there if a team is willing to be patient with him. Made 45 of 48 saves tonight and got the win.
As always I welcome your comments and questions and would love to hear from those who've seen the Spirit or Petes more than I have.
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