Game Report: Majors & Colts from February 3

Was at the Hershey Center tonight, watching the Majors take on the Barrie Colts. A good ol' fashion Central Division battle. Problem was, the game was a bit of a snooze fest. The Colts squeaked out a 1-0 victory, but largely dominated play. The Majors were outshot 35-23, despite having 8 powerplays. Ironically enough, the only goal of the game was an ugly one by Ivan Telegin, where he banked a puck off Brandon Maxwell from behind the net. The Colts probably should have had a few more goals, had it not been for a few hit posts and a couple nice saves from Maxwell.

Some quick thoughts on a few players from each side.

Barrie

#5 - Aaron Ekblad (NHL Draft Eligible in 2014)
It's crazy to think of how young this kid is. He's an absolute behemoth. At 15 years of age, he looks like an established 4 year OHL veteran. Considering how comfortable he looks, it's absurd to think of how good he could end up being. He's already a very solid OHL defender who isn't afraid of pushing players around in front of the net or in the corners. Had a couple of nice hits tonight. He's pretty calm with the puck in his own end too and avoids the forecheck well. Offensively, he had some difficulty on the point tonight. Had a bouncing puck go by him that lead to a partial breakaway. Also couldn't really get his point shot through to the net. But considering how young he is, he's crazy good.

#14 - Tanner Pearson (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012, but third year eligible)
Maybe Barrie fans can help me out with this one, but when did the Colts start playing Pearson at center? First time I've seen it, and he actually looked good. He's such a smart player and sees the ice so well. His anticipation and reads make him a terrific playmaker. He gave his linemates (Colin Behenna and Anthony Camara) a couple of really nice feeds, but they couldn't finish. Playing center also showcased how strong of a two way player he's become too, as he was very committed on the backcheck, covering off for pinching defenseman. Had a couple of chances where he found room in the slot for a big shot, but couldn't hit the net. I think he was probably the best player on the ice.

#16 - Ivan Telegin (Drafted by Atlanta/Winnipeg)
Started off kind of slow, but got better as the game went on. He's such a big body and he's got big long strides, so once he gets going, he's really tough to stop. Had a couple of nice drives to the net. He scored the only goal of the game on a real ugly one. Got the puck behind the net and as he was cutting around, he flipped the puck up over the net on his backhand. It hit Maxwell in the back and rolled into the net. Did he mean to do it (sensing Maxwell wasn't really paying attention)? Or was he just trying to get the puck over the net back into the slot? We'll never know.

#19 - Mark Scheifele (Drafted by Winnipeg)
Scheifele was OK in the game. Mississauga's Trevor Carrick did a good job of keeping him under wraps tonight. Had a few scoring chances but nothing outrageous. Looked a little frustrated by the lack of space Mississauga was giving him. To be honest, I've been a little disappointed with his play this year, considering how impressed I was last year with him. While he's a terrific player, I'm not entirely sure he's progressed a ton this year.

#27 - Reid McNeill (Drafted by Pittsburgh)
McNeill played a really solid game. While his offensive game never really developed, I've seen good strides from his defensive game. He was quite physical tonight, laying the body any chance he could get. His above average mobility makes him a very effective defender too. Mississauga had a real tough time creating offense when he was on the ice.

Mississauga

#2 - Dylan DeMelo (Drafted by San Jose)
Definitely the best game I've seen DeMelo play this season. He was very good. He and partner Trevor Carrick were paired against the Scheifele line most of the night, and did a good job of neutralizing them. DeMelo had a couple of nice hits and did well to cover up some of Carrick's bad pinches. He was at his best at the point on the powerplay, where he was controlling the pace of play well and getting his shots through. Looked really composed back there. In the past times I've seen him this season, he's had some issue with the forecheck and turning the puck over in his own zone, but he had no turnovers tonight and was overall very solid.

#4 - Trevor Carrick (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
As I mentioned above, his offensive decision making wasn't at its best tonight. Had a couple of bad pinches that lead to odd man rushes, and was a little clumsy with the puck at the point on the powerplay. But defensively, he was very impressive. Was closely monitoring Mark Scheifele all night, and actually doing a pretty good job of pushing him around. Had one really nice hit on Scheifele as he tried to cut back to the middle of the ice on 1 on 1 rush and Carrick stepped up to take him out. The last few times I've seen him, he's definitely been impressive and there's no question that NHL Central Scouting was on to something when they rated him so highly in their preliminary rankings.

#13 - Sergey Kuptsov (NHL Draft Eligible in 2013)
Wasn't very good tonight. But then again, he wasn't really being put in a great spot to succeed, by bouncing around a bevy of different lines with different linemates. He also didn't see a ton of powerplay time (which continues to confuse me every time I see the Majors). I still think he has a lot of potential and hopefully he's given more of a chance next year in Mississauga.

#16 - Kristoff Kontos (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
Lots of speed, lots of hustle, but not a lot else. He's playing center now with Riley Brace and Jamie Wise, but I don't really think he's suited there. He just isn't a good enough playmaker and is better off using his speed to drive wide to the net, looking for loose pucks while playing the wing.

Game Report: Sarnia & London from September 25

The OHL is back folks. While I haven't yet had a chance to get to a game live, I did catch the Sting versus the Knights on the OHL Action Pack.

It was a pretty exciting game, with a pace that increased as the game went along. Things started rather slowly with a somewhat timid first period, but the second period saw 6 goals scored. In the second half of the period especially, the action was fast and furious. The game ended up going to overtime where Seth Griffith capitalized on a Brett Ritchie turnover to head up ice on a two on one with Jared Knight, who finished off a beautiful cross ice feed for the game winner. If you count the shootout winner last night, it's Knight's second game winner in a row.

The Knights as a whole looked pretty good. Some sloppy defensive play at times, but the team has a nice mixture of speed and tenacity. One thing that struck me as somewhat odd was Dale Hunter's consistent use of five forwards on the powerplay (with Colin Martin, Michael MacDonald, and Jared Knight seeing time on the point). As the game went along, Scott Harrington began to see more and more time, but the five forward unit was used a fair amount. Even after Jarred Tinordi comes, you have to wonder if Dale Hunter has little faith in his defense's ability to move the puck and quarterback the powerplay.

The Sting are going to be an exciting team this season. Think of them like the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL right now. A ton of exhilarating young talent up front and a high tempo offense, but perhaps a team too green to be a consistent standings threat. Sarnia did look real good against a tough London team (a day after shutting out Windsor), but defensively they struggled tonight. A lot of turnovers and lazy penalties that led to strong scoring chances for London. On the plus side, John Cullen looked great in net and if he can continue to be a rock back there, the Sting might win more games than they lose.

Player Reports:

Sarnia Sting







#9 - Brandon Francisco (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
Playing on Sarnia's top line with Brett Ritchie and Alex Galchenyuk (Brandon Alderson also shuffled in at times), Francisco was the least visible of the three IMO. Showed flashes of being able to dart in and out of traffic, but wasn't able to find a lot of room. However, he did score a goal, capitalizing on a mistake by Scott Harrington at the blueline.

#10 - Nail Yakupov (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
Everything Yakupov does is done at high speed. I can't wait to see this guy live at some point this year to better appreciate how fast he plays the game. At this point, he could stand to use his teammates a little better as he seems to get tunnel vision in the center of the ice, but his puckhandling skills are fantastic. He turns and pivots on a dime and takes the puck with him. He seems to make it look really effortless. He scored a really nice goal in the second period, as he beat Michael D'Orazio and Jared Knight to the net on the rush and finished off a one timer from Kale Kerbashian. Funniest moment of the night happened in the third period when Yakupov tried to step up and engage Colin Martin as he carried the puck up ice. Brave, but the much bigger Martin ended up completely running over Yakupov. At least it shows he's got guts.

#20 - Brett Ritchie (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
Ritchie had an OK game. First some positives. In the first period he showed a great burst of speed as he blew past Michael D'Orazio one on one for a shot on net that forced Michael Houser to make a big save. And all night he was working hard to get open near the net. It's clear he's put on a lot of strength this offseason and he's become quite the difficult player to contain. Negatively, while he was getting himself in good position to score, he was snake bitten on the night. Twice he whiffed on cross crease passes that likely would have resulted on goals. Both were tough to handle due to the velocity of the pass, but as a scoring power forward, he's going to have show that he can finish at least some of those off. Also, it was Ritchie's turnover along the boards that led to the eventual game winner by Knight (although if Joe Rogalski isn't pinching, it's a 2 on 2 and likely a dead play).

#74 - Joe Rogalski (2010 NHL Draft - Pittsburgh Penguins)
This is Rogalski's 4th OHL season and the Sting are going to rely heavily on him this season. But he did not have a strong game tonight. He was kind of all over the ice and had a lot of trouble with London's forecheck tonight. In the third period especially, he had a hard time and it seemed like every time he touched the puck in his own end, a Knight forward had already collapsed on him and created a tie up or turnover. He's got to make quicker decisions with the puck against a team with speed like London. And in overtime, it was probably his costly pinch that resulted in the game winning goal. As Brett Ritchie was pinned along the boards in London's zone, Rogalski pinched to try and help out Ritchie, but instead a turnover was created and Rogalski got trapped up ice as Griffith and Knight flew up ice to end the game. On a positive note, he picked up a secondary assist on Brandon Francisco's goal as it was his dump in that gave Harrington trouble at the blueline.

#94 - Alex Galchenyuk (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
Is it a little early to say Yakupov/Galchenyuk 1 and 2 in 2012? You never know what the future holds, but Galchenyuk was the most impressive player on the ice for me tonight. The first overall pick completely lived up to the hype. He's got speed to burn, but he's very smart in using it. Seems to be very patient with the puck and doesn't force the play, but when he sees an opportunity he goes for it. Like his second period goal, where he took a pass from Brandon Alderson, cut to the middle of the ice and let a wrist shot go to the top corner. His cut to the middle left Reid McNeill in awe (and on the ground as Joe Rogalski promptly ran him over). I must say, I was hearing a lot of talk about his one dimensional play, but I saw none of that tonight either. He saved a goal early in the game as he hustled back to tie up Stephen Sanza at the side of the net on an odd man rush, and was aggressive in attacking the net (with and without the puck) all night long. Colour me impressed!

#33 - John Cullen (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011, Born in 1991)
When Cullen first came to the Niagara IceDogs two years ago, I thought he was going to develop into a premier backstop in this league. But inconsistency ultimately led to his trade from the organization and he's yet to get another shot as a starter until now. He was excellent in this game (a day after shutting out the Spitfires). He's a very athletic goaltender and he made some big saves for his team tonight. Unfortunately he got left hung out to dry by his defense a few times and that was the difference. But he did get his team a point by stopping 42 of 46.

London Knights








#3 - Reid McNeill (2010 NHL Draft - Pittsburgh Penguins)
McNeill looks like he has a lot more confidence this year. I thought he had an excellent game. Was active in moving the puck up ice, but most of all was intelligent about it and picked his spots well. He was also solid offensively. In the first period he saved a goal by tying up Kale Kerbashian in front of the net and then sending the free puck out of the slot and to the boards. This was generally the theme of the night as he (along with partner Michael Moffat) neutralized the Sting attack. I would have really liked to see what he could do on the powerplay, but was never given the opportunity.

#4 - Michael Moffat (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
Who? I didn't even go into this game looking for him, but he made himself pretty noticeable. He was an absolute rock defensively tonight. The rookie defenseman from Waterloo looked like an OHL veteran out there. As the game went along he began receiving more and more ice time and was even out there in the final minute of regulation. He didn't give any of Sarnia's forwards an inch tonight. He negated players on the rush (off memory Brett Ritchie, Kale Kerbashian, and Alex Galchenyuk) and used his size to prevent them from generating a scoring chance. He also did a great job in the corners as I don't ever remember him losing a battle along the boards. With great size (6'1, 200lbs) and a strong defensive game, he could be a guy to watch this year.

#6 - Scott Harrington (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
If it weren't for that costly error at the blueline, Harrington would have played a pretty damn near perfect game. Even with the error, he was excellent. The error I speak of happened in the second period as Harrington tried to glove down a high dump in at the blueline, missed and then fell down, leading to an odd man rush and a goal by Brandon Francisco. It was a tough play, but Harrington needs to have confidence in his ability to win loose puck battles and let that one go, rather than jump to glove it down. But otherwise, Harrington looked fantastic. He was used on the powerplay where it appears he's ready to step up his offensive production. He also looked good in rushing the puck up ice and was very aggressive in bringing it into the offensive zone. He made a tremendous play in the first period to negate a breakaway (by I believe Jesse Staughton). He caught up to the Sting player, used his stick to redirect the puck and then gained face to face body position and put the player down to the ice. Absolutely textbook. I also liked his increasingly physical demeanor. This is going to be key for him going forward. He doesn't have ideal size for a shutdown defenseman in the NHL, so he's going to have to show he can be a physical force to really attract attention for the first round (IMO).

#10 - Danny Elser (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
Not a ton to say about Elser, the former Shattuck St. Mary's forward. He's got some speed and he looks to have some offensive potential. Showed glimpses of ability but may need more time before things start coming together.

#17 - Seth Griffith (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
I thought Griffith was excellent tonight. He's definitely a good offensive player and a guy who's going to put up points in this league. He looked quite quick and was always pushing the pace of play. His pass to Jared Knight for the game winner in OT was a thing of beauty. The Sting defenseman played it really well, but Griffith showed patience on the two on one and put the puck right on Knight's stick.

#18 - Vladislav Namestnikov (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
I was expecting a little bit more from Namestnikov to be honest. There is definitely a lot of potential there. He definitely has good hands and when he had time and space (particularly on the powerplay), he made some Sting players look foolish as they tried to get the puck off him. But through stretches of the game he was largely invisible. Maybe my expectations were too large as I compared him to the way Yakupov and Galchenyuk looked out there. He did pick up a secondary assist on the powerplay as he moved the puck very effectively with the unit.

#70 - Chris Tierney (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
Was hearing from a lot of London fans that they didn't think he was ready, but after tonight's viewing I'd have to disagree. I thought he was the best London forward on the ice tonight. He looks like the total package offensively. Patient with the puck, worked the cycle well, was creative in making plays out of nothing. He also took the puck hard to the front of the net. While he didn't come away with any points, I thought he looked great.

#71 - Phil Varone (2009 NHL Draft - San Jose Sharks)
Varone is probably a good bet to be the Knights captain this season and he had a good game tonight. He looks a lot faster this year and seems to be ready to finally take his offensive game to the next level (in his last year in the league). He consistently went to the net looking for scoring chances and worked hard on the forecheck and the cycle. He scored a nice goal in the second period that put the Knights up 2-0. Hopefully he can keep it up (and stay healthy).

#97 - Jared Knight (2010 NHL Draft - Boston Bruins)
Probably still trying to get back into the gears of the OHL, Knight looked pretty tired at the start of the game. But as the game went on, he got stronger and stronger. Had a couple of great scoring chances in the third period as he took the puck hard to the net, but was stymied by Cullen. He was finally rewarded in OT as he finished off the Griffith pass for the game winner. The one thing I did notice tonight though was that Knight doesn't seem to have any chemistry with his linemates. A lot of his offensive chances were created by himself. It'd be such a waste of Knight's terrific release if London can't find a playmaker to pair with him.

#29 - Michael Houser (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011, Born in 1992)
I was a little bit surprised when Houser went undrafted this year. And things will be interesting for him once Igor Bobkov shows up from Anaheim. But for now he's the starter and he looked good tonight. Was aggressive in challenging the shooters and wasn't giving Sarnia's shooters much to aim at. He gave up a few rebounds, but his defense was there to clear them. Wasn't at fault on any of the Sarnia goals. If the Knights can get a solid platoon going this year, that'd be fantastic. He stopped 35 of 38 for the win.

That's it for the first game report of the 2010-2011 season! Thoughts, comments?

Thoughts on London from February 4

Had some time on my hands tonight so I figured I'd tune in to the OHL Action Pack. Some really interesting games being played tonight. Cody Hodgson's return to the Battalion line up against Erie. The titans of the East clashing (Barrie and Missy). But I ended up watching the IceDogs and Knights for two reasons. The first being curiosity over what would happen with the return of lifelong IceDog Chris DeSousa after his trade demand. The second being that I'm heading to the Garden City this weekend to check out the Dogs and Spits at the Gatorade Garden City Complex on Saturday night. The game tonight against the Knights and the one on Saturday against the Spits should make for a good write up on the Dogs weekend action. Enough rambling.

This game was quite intense, as I expected it would be. For whatever reason, the Dogs seem to give the Knights fits. London did not look sharp tonight though. To their credit, Niagara played a very solid defensive game, but London just couldn't crack the offensive zone and continued to turn the puck over in the neutral zone. They also played very undisciplined. Obviously, a lot of this was from frustration over how they were getting bottled up around center ice, but you've got to keep your cool. To many stupid penalties taken by them giving Niagara the powerplay, or negating their own powerplays. Nothing against the Knights, but I think Kitchener is the better team in that division. The Rangers have had a bit of a rough patch in the recent month and a half, but I think they've got more talent and a deeper unit than the Knights do currently, which ultimately makes them a more dangerous playoff opponent. Obviously, this is all my opinion, but I still think Kitchener takes that division when all is said and done.

I don't want to talk too much about the IceDogs since I'll likely be writing something about them on Sunday. However, goaltender Mark Visentin deserves a mention for his strong play tonight. There's a reason scouts have him as the top goaltender available for the draft from the OHL. I know I had him as the third best goalie available on my mid term ranking, but if Visentin can continue to put up performances like this and get the Dogs into the playoffs, he'll be number one on my list too. Incredibly positionally sound and continues to improve.

Let's get to some thoughts on the Knights (even if it's mostly negative on a night where most of London's players did not look good).

Reid McNeill (2010)
Really interesting story. Played high school hockey in London last year and walked on to the Knights this offseason. Was surprisingly ranked by Central Scouting on their midterm rankings for North America. Tried to focus on him during this one since I'd never noticed him in previous viewings. McNeill is a really raw player. Great size, seems to have solid mobility. Saw a lot of ice time actually, paired with Steve Tarasuk, Michael D'Orazio and Tommy Hughes at different times, and saw time on the penalty kill. I liked his composure defensively and his ability to stay with players on the way to the net. Offensively...he's raw. Needs work on the breakout pass from what I saw, as he often elected to chip the puck out of play or just blindly get it out from the zone rather than carry it up or hit a streaking forward. Oddly enough, he did have a couple of nice rushes with the puck into Niagara's zone while play was at 4 on 4. Maybe the small ice surface and the Niagara forecheck had him slightly nervous. You can see why scouts might be interested though. Reminds me a lot of Plymouth's Austin Levi.

Scott Harrington (2011)
Harrington is a really solid player and has a bright future ahead of him. The Knight first rounder (and should have been top 5 selection), has been a revelation for London this year when they've needed defenseman to step up so badly. He played a quietly effective game. Good mobility, not afraid to carry the puck up ice. Runs the point on the powerplay pretty effectively for his age, although needs to work on getting his shot through to the net. Defensively, he's not afraid to throw a hit or use his body to separate a player from the puck. Got hung out to dry a few times by defense partner Michael D'Orazio, one of which was the 2 on 1 that Freddie Hamilton scored the game winner on. He looked very indecisive on the 2 on 1, and didn't take away the pass or the shot from Hamilton or Petgrave. If you ask any goaltender, all they ask you to do is to give them a chance by taking away one of the options, in turn giving them a better chance to make the save. These are things Harrington will learn in this league. It'll be interesting to see how all of these strong OHL '93 born defenseman separate themselves next year in their draft season.

Steven Tarasuk (Overage Free Agent)
If Rob Kwiet can earn a professional contract (AHL deal), then Tarasuk can too as IMO he's the better defenseman. He's not the biggest guy, nor is he the world's best skater, but he's smart and he's a workhorse and there's no reason to think his breakout OHL season is a result of some fluke. Some guys just blossom later with increased responsibility. Tarasuk played like 60% of the game, or so it seemed anyway. On the ice in all situations and in some occasions, the entire powerplay. He moves the puck up ice very well, especially with the breakout pass. Defensively he made a couple of very nice plays to break up opportunities in the crease area, including saving a goal by batting the puck out of the air before it could drop behind Michael Hutchinson. He'll have to work hard to get a sniff from the NHL (probably after several seasons in the minors), but there is hope if he's persistent. Scored the Knights only goal on a 5 on 3 powerplay with a wicked slap shot that beat a screened Mark Visention short side.

Tommy Hughes (2010)
Not really sure where London finds these guys (perhaps it's the larger amount of money to spend on scouting than other teams), but I was impressed with the new London defenseman. I was however disappointed in the amount of ice time he received. He actually showed me more than Reid McNeill did. He's just as big, seems to be equally mobile, but also seems more willing to be physical and did a better job of making a quick pass out of the defensive zone. One play that really impressed me occurred in the second period when Andrew Shaw came buzzing down on Hughes behind the net, but Hughes put Shaw on his back, shielded the puck from him, maintained composure and hit a Knights forward with a breakout pass just past the blueline. Shaw (one of the league's better forecheckers) can eat even the most experienced OHL defenseman up, let alone a guy playing in his 5th game. Here's hoping he gets more ice time.

Nazem Kadri (TOR)
Nazem did not have a strong game. He seems to have a lot of trouble playing in Niagara as I remember last year when the Knights came to town, he played one of the worst games I've ever seen him play. I think a lot of it has to do with the small ice in Niagara limiting him from playing the speed and puck possession game that he excels it. Less room to move with the puck, and less room for defensive players to move in order to trap Kadri. He had a visibly frustrating night as time and time again he tried to carry the puck into the offensive zone only to lose it at center ice or the opposing blueline. Once in the zone, he had a lot of trouble getting open too. On top of this, he took a couple of really undisciplined penalties, one a slewfoot on Matt Petgrave, another as the second man into the scrum negating a London powerplay. If the game isn't going well for him, he's got to control his emotions better on the ice. I think one of the other problems he can face is that he becomes predictable. When the Knights are struggling offensively, he tends to do too much which only compounds his problems. Teams trap him into carrying the puck into a turnover, as they know he's going to be looking to take it to the net. I know that's where a lot of people get concerns over his hockey sense. He's had a very good last month though, so it's hard to argue with the results besides tonight's game. Just that I can't help but be left underwhelmed when I see him on most nights.

Jared Knight (2010)
Fresh off his Q & A with me, Knight had an OK game. Thought he was one of the better London forwards on the night, which isn't really saying much. Was actually disappointed with the ice time he got in certain situations. Quite often he failed to start a powerplay, and wasn't on the ice in the minute to help his team attempt to tie the game. Seems odd to keep your leading goal scorer out of those situations. Not to mention his lack of penalty kill time, and considering Jared considers himself a speedy two way forward, you'd think he'd get more time on the PK than he did tonight. But he brought speed and was one of the only London forwards able to crack Niagara's defense on a few rushes to the net. His combination of speed and tenacity could make him a dangerous player in the future when he adds more strength to his frame.

Michael Hutchinson (BOS)
Hutchinson had a very strong game. Niagara really outplayed London for the majority of the game and he kept his team in it. Like Mark Visentin at the other end, Hutchinson is very technically sound. Challenges the shooter, follows the play well, generally does a good job swallowing up rebounds. He's already a big goalie (at 6'3), so when he comes out to the top of that blue ice, he really doesn't give you much to shoot at. The two goals weren't really his fault. The 2 on 1 shot by Hamilton went top shelf and the lack of commitment by Harrington on the play left Hutchinson in a tough position and didn't really allow him to square himself to the shooter. On the other goal (by Hamilton as well), he gave up a juicy rebound from a point shot, and none of his defenseman were there to clear the side of the net where a wide open Hamilton had a gimme goal. He made 36 of 38 saves and took the loss.

Thoughts on the game, if you managed to see it?

Sean Keogh's Thoughts on London and Ottawa from January 17

For those that follow the blog, or have followed it over the course of the last year, Sean Keogh was once a frequent contributor. A former writer at HockeysFuture (like myself), Keogh has a tremendous eye for the game and is someone I really trust for an opinion on a certain player. To make a long story short, Sean has moved to Switzerland for school purposes (Masters) and thus hasn't been able to watch the OHL. But now that he's on his January hiatus/holiday back home in Ottawa, he's been able to catch up on a few games. I welcome anything he can provide! Here's his report from last weekend's game between the Knights and 67's.

London Knights vs. Ottawa 67s – January 17^th, 2010

Unfortunately I have not been able to contribute to the blog this year because I am now living in Switzerland, however I have been home for the month of January. On Sunday I was able to catch the 67s hosting the London Knights, in what was an exciting, competitive match between two division-leading clubs. The final score was 3-2 for the 67s, with the tie being broken in a shootout.

From a prospect-viewing standpoint, it was an unusually uninteresting London team that played on Sunday, at least compared to most years. With Phil Varone injured, and Phil McRae and Zac Rinaldo dealt at the deadline, the 67s were probably the more intriguing team from a viewing perspective.

London Knights

Nazem Kadri (TOR)

On Sunday, Kadri was if nothing else very involved in the play. He notched London’s first goal and was their most noticeable player. Perhaps the most notable play was when Kadri crashed into 67s goalie Petr Mrazek and fought Tyler Cuma as a result. Depending on how you saw it, Kadri either had no chance to get out of the way or gave Mrazek an extra shot for good measure. Overall Kadri handled the puck a lot, saw lots of ice-time and was probably the most dangerous player as well. Whether you call it feisty or chippy, Kadri also went for a couple of big hits and tried to stir things up a few other times. With all that being said, there was a downside to Kadri’s play on Sunday. First of all, he throws the puck away far too often and did not use his teammates very well when in the zone. While he is a gifted skater and confident puck-carrier, he is really not a natural puck-distributing center at all. Also, while his feistiness is encouraging, at times it also came off as immaturity, as Kadri whined and complained to referees much of the night. Brock and others have expressed concerns over Kadri’s offensive awareness and hockey sense on this blog in the past, and this game did little to change my mind on that issue. That being said, I think questions about immaturity and offensive upside will really be put to the test next year when Kadri plays professional hockey.

Michael Hutchinson (BOS)

The Knights were outshot and to a fair extent outplayed on Sunday, which meant Hutchinson was fairly busy. He stopped 40 of 42 shots, and both goals he let in were on the powerplay, so it was hard to fault him for either of them. Hutchinson takes up a lot of the net and seemed positionally sound, but did have a couple of lapses where he misjudged the puck and didn’t freeze it. In all honesty, it was hard to get a good read on Hutchinson from where I was seated, but he certainly looked like a solid goalie prospect on Sunday.

Jared Knight (2010)

I came in hoping to see a good outing from Jared Knight, but I think overall he had a quiet night. He showed some jump in the first period, and in particular had one nice burst of speed where he burnt 67s blueliner Marc Zanetti with speed wide. Zanetti was forced to take a holding penalty but Knight also got called for a dive and then a ten-minute misconduct for complaining. I thought I would see more of Knight after that, but he’s been getting better as the season goes along and already had three goals on the weekend, so he can be excused for having an off-game.

Reid McNeill (2010)

This is a player who was not on my radar until after consulting the Central Scouting List to be honest, and truthfully I cannot remember noticing McNeill during the game on Sunday. A stay-at-home guy, obviously McNeill was not likely to make an impact offensively, but his defensive play did not stand out either, which is obviously not necessarily a bad thing.

Justin Taylor (Free Agent)

After Washington opted not to sign him last spring, and Taylor re-entered the draft only to go unclaimed, he came back to London to play as an overager. I have always respected Taylor but have never been convinced of his professional potential. Once again Taylor played a solid respectable game, and at this level he is useful offensively, but if he wants to get back into the plans of an NHL franchise, he will have to overachieve unless he gets a surprise entry-level contract offer.

Steven Tarasuk (Free Agent)

An overager who is playing for a contract essentially, Tarasuk was easily the most noticeable and dangerous Knights blueliner. In fact only Kadri was better offensively for London. He was a +2 on the night and picked up 4 PIMs, including getting into a wrestling match with a much bigger Julien Demers at the end of regulation. Tarasuk has some nice offensive skills and has developed in to a very good defenceman at this level, but is probably not good enough or big enough to get an entry-level deal at this point.

Ottawa 67s

Tyler Cuma (MIN)

It has been well documented how Cuma has struggled to regain his game after knee injuries last year. Although this was not my first game watching Cuma and 67s this

month, it was my best live look of the year. Cuma had a fairly good game, and is certainly a valuable and positive contributor to the 67s blueline. His most notable moment was the fight he had with Nazem Kadri. Admirable as it was for Cuma to stand up for his goaltender, the two-five-and-ten that he got as a result meant he was in the penalty box for most of the third period and overtime. It was evident how important Cuma was to stabilizing the second pairing when he was unavailable. With that being said, I am still not sure Cuma is even as good as he was in his draft year. Although he is solid defensively and is playing with even more of a physical edge than I remembered, gone is the silky smooth offensive confidence. Although Cuma had several nice breakout passes and is still capable of contributing offensively at the OHL level, I am nowhere near as optimistic about his NHL potential in that regard as I was in Cuma’s draft year. He should still be an NHL defenceman, but his ceiling may simply be lower than expected in his draft year.

Julien Demers (SJ)

The game’s third star, Demers was his usual steady self. He scored the first 67s goal on the powerplay, as he wristed a point shot past Hutchinson. With Cuma’s penalty and an extra five minutes of overtime, Demers must have played 35 minutes in the game, and as he did all of last year, was the key guy for the 67s in all situations. In short, Demers looked exactly as he did all of last year, which is both a good and bad thing. The good is that Demers is a very good junior defenceman and a rock in his own zone. The bad is that I am starting to wonder how much more Demers can improve, and whether or not his development has plateaued. Being an overager, perhaps he simply needs to be challenged at the next level, but I think it comes down to carving out a niche. I do not see the offence translating to the next level in any big way, and wonder if Demers is big enough or fast enough to be a stay-at-home guy in the NHL. That being said, San Jose should sign him to a contract because Demers is a better prospect than Derek Joslin was at the same point, so perhaps all Demers needs is some AHL development time.

Anthony Nigro (STL)

The other goal scorer on the game for the 67s, Nigro had a solid game. He is not as dangerous a player as he was last year while on Couture’s wing though, because neither Ryan Martindale nor Cody Lindsay have anywhere near the natural playmaking ability that Couture had. But he worked hard down low all night and went to the net creating several chances. Nigro is without a contract and I think in many ways is a comparable player to Justin Taylor. In Ottawa, Nigro has played a more offensive role, but while his shot is fairly good, he is not really an offensive prospect at the next level. While his all-round play is always solid, I wonder if the Blues see enough there to give him a contract.

Corey Cowick (OTT)

Playing only his fifth game back after a major shoulder injury, Cowick did not register a point and may have had his quietest game since returning from injury. He has five goals in five games this season, but it is his physical play that has stood out. In this game he absolutely destroyed the pint-sized Daniel Erlich on a clean open-ice hit, and was a consistent physical presence all night. Cowick got away from his physical play last year, playing more of a finesse offensive game as the season wore on, and I wonder if the reason was the shoulder, as it was a nagging issue that kept him out of the AHL on a pro tryout when the season ended. His skating also seemed slightly improved, and while last year I wondered what he offered to an NHL club like Ottawa that drafted him, I am somewhat changing my mind after seeing him throw his weight around.

Tyler Toffoli (2010)

Although he did not end up on the scoresheet, I thought Toffoli might have been the most dangerous 67s forward on the afternoon. He is a potential late first round pick this spring and in this game he showed why. Toffoli had a couple of nice rushes, found a couple of nice seams while already controlling the zone, and created offence on a good number of his shifts. As an offensive prospect, Toffoli is a classic jack-of-all-trades, master of none. His only standout quality is great hockey sense, although his shot does look even more dangerous than last year. He ripped a couple of shots from the half-boards, and if he is developing in to more of a shooter, that could help his draft stock. What I think holds Toffoli back at times is his skating. He had several nice rushes, and can beat players with speed once he gets going, but he lacks the acceleration to do that often or easily.

Ryan Martindale (2010)

I thought Toffoli had a better game on Sunday, but I actually believe Martindale is the better prospect. He picked up an assist on the Demers goal, but did not have any real standout plays otherwise. There are many things to like about Martindale, he has good size, soft hands, all-round offensive skills and very good intelligence. I actually think his hockey sense has been underrated, both offensively and defensively. On Sunday he once again showed that coming back on the backcheck, he is very adept at picking up the third man on the rush. The two knocks on Martindale were evident in this game though, skating and intensity. Although he is actually very good at handling the puck and making plays on the move, he lacks the skating to pull away from people and as a result he is not that effective on the rush. Martindale also has a tendency to look like he is floating. It is a kind of casual, almost lackadaisical style that has been associated with guys like Logan Couture and more recently Peter Holland, although Martindale is not quite as gifted as either of them.

Dalton Smith (2010)

I think Cowick’s return has been a bad thing for Dalton Smith. He is back on the third line and with two very good scoring lines, the 67s are not really asking the third line to do much more than provide some energy and play even hockey. As a result, there was not a lot to report on from Sunday when it comes to Smith. He works hard, bangs and crashes and is an effective third liner for the 67s, but his goal production this year and his draft stock suggest that in a different role, maybe with better linemates, he is capable of more.

Petr Mrazek (2010)

Although Hutchinson faced more shots and was generally busier than Mrazek, I thought Mrazek made as many big saves and was as impressive overall despite being younger and much less experienced. Stopping 32 of 34 shots, Mrazek made all the routine saves and a couple unexpected ones, and was lights out in the shootout, stopping all three London shooters. Although only average in size, Mrazek is quick, athletic and positionally sound. He also showed a pretty effective pokecheck a few times, a sign of confidence I think. Personally I find it hard to evaluate a goalie based on only one game, but Mrazek definitely looks like a better prospect for the draft than Chris Perugini was last year.

Thanks to Sean for the great report, hoping it's not his last while he's home! He welcomes any questions or comments!