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 Shane Prince. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shane Prince. Show all posts
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Game Report: 67's and Rangers from November 21
Nothing better to do on a Sunday? Why not take in a cross conference battle between two of the best teams in the Ontario Hockey League? That's what I did today, as I sat down in front of the boob tube to watch the Kitchener Rangers take on the Ottawa 67's. I want to get out and see the Rangers live sometime soon, but for now this will have to do.
It was a vastly entertaining game that lived up to the billing of a match up between two powerhouses. It was a back and forth battle and both teams really battled hard. The 67's got off to a quick start with a goal from Tyler Toffoli about three minutes into the game. That set the pace early and Ottawa took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. But the Rangers slowly started to take control and scored two goals in the second to tie it at 2. In the third period, Ottawa got off to a quick start again and was up 4-2 five minutes into the last frame. But this only lit a fire under the Rangers, as they completely took over the game from there on out. They scored twice to close out the period and sent the game to a shootout. The Rangers outshot the 67's 26 to 9 in the third and if it weren't for the goaltending of Petr Mrazek, Kitchener would have surely taken this one in regulation. But the game went to the shootout where Ottawa was victorious on the strength of goals from Shane Prince and Tyler Toffoli.
Neither team looked incredibly strong defensively in this one. Ottawa's defense was consistently outworked by the Rangers forwards in their own end, and had a LOT of trouble containing some of the Rangers' bigger forwards like Gabriel Landeskog and Andrew Crescenzi. While Kitchener's defense was too careless with the puck and had way too many turnovers that lead to 67 odd man rushes.
The real turning point of the game was the inability of the Kitchener powerplay to strike. Consider it the perfect storm as the league's top powerplay took on one of the league's top penalty killing units. But the Rangers powerplay looked really bad in this game. They had a particularly embarrassing 5 on 3 powerplay, where they failed to register a shot, had trouble even completing a pass, and then took a too many men on the ice penalty. Going 0 for 5 on the powerplay in a high scoring game is almost like a kiss of death and the Rangers signed their death certificate with their ineptitude with the man advantage.
Goaltending was the other thing that really separated the 67's and Rangers in the game. Petr Mrazek was largely a wall, while Mike Morrison fought the puck in the Rangers end. It's tough to lose a game when you nearly double the opposing team's shot total, and when you don't get a save in the shootout.
On to the player reports:
Ottawa 67's
#16 - Tyler Toffoli (Drafted by Los Angeles in 2010)
One word. Beast. I'm not sure there is a hotter player in the CHL right now. Toffoli now has a 7 game goal scoring streak, with 11 goals in that span. That's including the two he scored this afternoon (even though I'm pretty sure one went off Shane Prince's skate). He could have easily had the hat trick, with another shot wringing off the post. I think the biggest difference in Toffoli's game this year, and even from the start of the season (when he started kind of cold) is that his conditioning has significantly improved. He's all over the ice now, on the forecheck, leading the rush with the puck and playing defensively. He has the stamina to be considerably more active without the puck and it's leading to a significant increase in scoring chances. The first goal was off a drop pass from Ryan Martindale in between the slot and the blueline. It was a rather harmless looking play until Toffoli absolutely roofed a laser of a slapshot over the glove of Morrison. The second goal was off a similar play, but his slapshot was just off the ice and it appeared to deflect off something in front of the net (I think Shane Prince's skate). He then proceeded to score in the shootout with a well placed shot just off the ice and inside the far post. He certainly picked a good time to heat up with Canada's selection camp being named in the next few weeks.
#18 - Shane Prince (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Maybe I keep watching the wrong games, but I'm still not seeing the hype he's starting to generate. He looked to be along for the ride with Toffoli and Martindale in this one. Had a lot of trouble one on one with Ottawa's defenders and had the puck taken off him quite frequently. He has speed and he's actually pretty strong along the wall where he can use his agility to keep the play alive, but in the open ice I found he struggled to get things going. He did score a very nice goal in the shootout by using a leg fake and then going left on the forehand, out waiting Morrison and roofing it.
#33 - Dalton Smith (Drafted by Columbus in 2010)
He appears to be getting back to doing the things he does best. Saw him earlier in the season and it seemed like he was trying too hard to make things happen offensively. This afternoon he was very active on the forecheck and was creating offense from turnovers. He needs to keep the game simple and up and down. He scored a goal, finishing off a 2 on 1 with Sean Monahan by sliding the puck five hole after receiving a nice cross ice pass.
#77 - Ryan Martindale (Drafted by Edmonton in 2010)
I thought he played pretty good. He definitely looks faster this year, which is helping him create more off the rush than he has in the past. The first 67's goal was a perfect example of that, as he took the puck in his own zone, cruised into the Rangers end and left a drop pass to Tyler Toffoli for the goal. He picked up a second assist in a similar fashion on Toffoli's 2nd goal. That being said, he still seems to disappear for stretches. While Toffoli was consistently active and visible (even when the 67's were struggling in the third) by way of the forecheck, Martindale was nowhere to be found. You can't ignore the offensive production he's putting up this year though and it's obvious he's taken a step forward in the right direction. I'd just like to see him become more involved without the puck.
#83 - Cody Ceci (Draft Eligible in 2012)
Perfect example as to why plus/minus is not a good stat to determine playing ability. Ceci finished the game at -3, but I thought he played a pretty good game. His agility was something that stuck out last year as a strength and this year he's using it well at both ends. He tried to make things happen offensively by rushing the puck up ice and he was also very strong one on one defensively. Saved possibly the game winning goal by Tobias Rieder in the third, by coming back hard to the defensive zone to negate a partial break down the wing. He'll need to continue to get stronger to win battles in the corner and in front of the net, but as a 2012 eligible player, he's going to have time to do that. For now, he's gaining valuable experience as, essentially, the 67's number one defenseman.
#1 - Petr Mrazek (Drafted by Detroit in 2010)
Mrazek was absolutely fantastic this afternoon. The fact that the 67's escaped with 2 points is a credit to his hard work. He was really into the game too, gave Jason Akeson a butt end in front of the net (and didn't get caught). He also tried to fight Andrew Crescenzi after he ran him over in front of the net. That feistyness comes across in his goaltending too, as he fights to make every save. For those that have never seen him play, he's definitely a hybrid style goaltender, but as I mentioned previously this season, he's really refined his approach and isn't flopping on the ground as much. He's staying up and it's allowing him to play larger in the net, especially when he plays deep in his crease (kind of the way the Canucks are trying to get Roberto Luongo to play this year). But he reads the play well and seems to know when to go down and use his athleticism. There were a couple of flurries inside the last 5 minutes where he made consecutive saves in front of the net by stretching out his pads. The other thing you notice about Mrazek is how good he is in playing the puck. He's a very confident passer and loves to stretch out defenses with the long pass. In the shootout, he wasn't tested (one lost the puck, the other shot right into his pads) and made 43 of 47 saves for the win.
Kitchener Rangers
#7 - Julian Melchiori (Drafted by Atlanta in 2010)
Another guy who was -3 on the day, but that I was actually impressed with. He's definitely big and he knows how to use his size. He did a good job trying up Ottawa's forwards and was physical along the boards. He had a very nice hipcheck on a 67's player as he tried to gain entry into the offensive zone. Offensively, he saw some limited time on the Rangers second powerplay unit, but was pretty quiet on the whole with the puck. But I thought he looked good defensively.
#9 - Tobias Rieder (Draft Eligible in 2011)
I guess it's time to move him up my draft board. He was fantastic today. He's not that big (listed at 5'10), but he plays a lot bigger than he is. I was actually surprised at how active he was on the forecheck, along the boards and in the crease. He actually had a couple of nice hits in puck pursuit. Offensively, he really stood out. He was very active in bringing the puck over the blueline and always looked to take it right to the net. He scored an absolutely beautiful goal in the third to bring the Rangers to within one (at the time). He got the puck and started on a 3 on 2, hit the trailer Jonathan Jasper with a pass in the slot and he ripped a shot on net. Rieder went straight to the net after giving up the puck and was rewarded with the rebound off Jasper's shot. However, it was more difficult than it sounds. Rieder had actually partially skated over the rebound, so he kicked the puck up to his stick and put it in at a near impossible angle (as he was off balance on his way behind the net). He almost scored again about two minutes later by slicing through the 67's defense and pouncing on a loose puck in the slot, but Mrazek got the pads on it. Colour me very impressed!
#15 - Ben Thomson (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Thomson appears to be at the same stage of development Crescenzi was at last year. He's big and strong and he uses that to his advantage along the boards where he works the cycle really well. But in the open ice, he's just not a strong enough skater yet to make a considerable offensive impact.
#20 - Andrew Crescenzi (Signed by Toronto as an FA)
Crescenzi had an excellent game and his increase in offensive production points to great improvement this year. He's still doing the things he did well last year, like controlling the puck in the offensive zone, but he's improved his skating which makes him a more dangerous player on the rush and in open ice. It also makes him more of a factor on the forecheck, where he can greater utilize those strong board skills by getting to loose pucks faster.
#24 - Ryan Murphy (Draft Eligible in 2011)
You either love him or you hate him, Murphy is what he is. He was kept off the scoresheet today, but he was a factor offensively all game. Once he gets across his own blueline, he's off and there's no stopping him. In the offensive zone, he takes a lot of chances and he loves to hang on to the puck to try and make things happen. His endurance must be tremendous because the guy skates circles around the defense for a whole minute, then skates back to play defense. A couple of times, he just circled around the offensive zone, looking for a teammate to get open, leaving 67's players helpless as they watched. Some people see that as hogging the puck, but he's quite patient and isn't afraid to just dump the puck into the corner if he doesn't see anything materialize. And for someone who takes as many chances offensively, he doesn't get burned very often. Only once did he get caught up ice in the game today, but it was when he tried to take the puck hard to the net. Luckily Gabriel Landeskog was there on the backcheck and the play never developed the other way. One thing he's going to have to watch out for though, is the two man forecheck. Teams are starting to send two forwards on the forecheck, trying to trap him behind the net. He almost got caught twice with that tonight. One time he got lucky, as the 67's player got the stick under his feet (after he had turned over the puck). The other time he got the pass off just before he got caught. As he moves up the levels, he'll have to start picking the spots better of when to rush and when to just pass the puck out of the zone.
#41 - Cody Sol (Drafted by Atlanta in 2009)
One of the best pickups of the OHL offseason, Sol has been a rock defensively for the Rangers this season. He hasn't quite taken his offensive game to the next level (as I thought he might), but he's been physical and dependable. He was just that today, as he used his size to protect the front of the net defensively. He also uses his long reach in the corners well, as he engages and then often is able to get the puck out. But he is definitely underrated offensively and has the puck skills to put up more points (if he were getting more powerplay time). He's actually very adept at keeping the puck in the offensive zone, as he did a couple of times today. He's got a big cannon of a shot too...although didn't get any chances to unleash it. If he can continue to improve his mobility, he could make a solid defenseman at the next level.
#92 - Gabriel Landeskog (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Don't count out the OHL from having the first overall NHL pick just quite yet. I read Bob Mackenzie say the other day that he was hearing some scouts had Landeskog in the same sentence with potential #1's RNH, Larsson and Couturier. Today was the perfect example of that. Quite frankly, he was a man amongst boys out there. I honestly can't think of a draft prospect that the OHL has had that has been more ready to play in the NHL RIGHT NOW, than Landeskog. He's such a complete player and he already has the strength and stamina to play in the NHL...and excel. While many said the likes of John Tavares, Taylor Hall, Steve Stamkos Patrick Kane, Rick Nash, etc were capable of playing offensively in the NHL in their draft years, none of them were as complete a player as Landeskog is now. He could not only be putting up numbers offensively in the NHL right now, but he'd be an asset to his team defensively and physically (something none of the others were right out of the gate, not even Nash). OK, enough ranting, about the game today. Landeskog finished with two goals and an assist, but like Toffoli, could have had the hat trick (and the game winner) if it weren't for the cross bar. First goal, he finished off a pass on a 2 on 1, but going top shelf on a sliding Petr Mrazek. It was a laser. Second goal would have had any NHL scouts in the building drooling onto the floor. He dumped the puck into the offensive zone, ran over one 67 on his way to the puck, and ran through a second. He gained possession along the wall, got it to Mike Catenacci behind the net, and then went straight to the net. From there, he finished off a pass to the front of the net, top shelf, with two 67's hanging off him (one being the 6'0, 200lbs Marc Zanetti). Let the Landeskog for number one chant begin!
#33 - Mike Morrison (Draft Eligible in 2011)
This was the first time I'd seen Morrison play (from memory) and he didn't have a good showing. He was fighting the puck and failed to make the saves needed to give his team the victory. His five hole got exposed as a big weakness in the game. First goal was a 2 on 1 that was completely stoppable. Dalton Smith got a cross ice pass and Morrison slid over to stop it, but he left way too large of a gap on the slide over and had his paddle way off the ground. Smith didn't get a hard shot off, but it got through Morrison's five hole. The 4th Ottawa goal by Cody Lindsay was five hole too, off a shot from the slot. He was giving up a lot of rebounds too, but the Rangers defense did a good job of clearing those out. In the shootout, he was made to look pretty bad by Shane Prince and Tyler Toffoli. One on a deke, the other on a shot far side. Niagara's John Chartrand and Saginaw's Tadeas Galansky are really the only draft eligible goaltenders that have impressed me this year.
It was a vastly entertaining game that lived up to the billing of a match up between two powerhouses. It was a back and forth battle and both teams really battled hard. The 67's got off to a quick start with a goal from Tyler Toffoli about three minutes into the game. That set the pace early and Ottawa took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. But the Rangers slowly started to take control and scored two goals in the second to tie it at 2. In the third period, Ottawa got off to a quick start again and was up 4-2 five minutes into the last frame. But this only lit a fire under the Rangers, as they completely took over the game from there on out. They scored twice to close out the period and sent the game to a shootout. The Rangers outshot the 67's 26 to 9 in the third and if it weren't for the goaltending of Petr Mrazek, Kitchener would have surely taken this one in regulation. But the game went to the shootout where Ottawa was victorious on the strength of goals from Shane Prince and Tyler Toffoli.
Neither team looked incredibly strong defensively in this one. Ottawa's defense was consistently outworked by the Rangers forwards in their own end, and had a LOT of trouble containing some of the Rangers' bigger forwards like Gabriel Landeskog and Andrew Crescenzi. While Kitchener's defense was too careless with the puck and had way too many turnovers that lead to 67 odd man rushes.
The real turning point of the game was the inability of the Kitchener powerplay to strike. Consider it the perfect storm as the league's top powerplay took on one of the league's top penalty killing units. But the Rangers powerplay looked really bad in this game. They had a particularly embarrassing 5 on 3 powerplay, where they failed to register a shot, had trouble even completing a pass, and then took a too many men on the ice penalty. Going 0 for 5 on the powerplay in a high scoring game is almost like a kiss of death and the Rangers signed their death certificate with their ineptitude with the man advantage.
Goaltending was the other thing that really separated the 67's and Rangers in the game. Petr Mrazek was largely a wall, while Mike Morrison fought the puck in the Rangers end. It's tough to lose a game when you nearly double the opposing team's shot total, and when you don't get a save in the shootout.
On to the player reports:
Ottawa 67's
#16 - Tyler Toffoli (Drafted by Los Angeles in 2010)
One word. Beast. I'm not sure there is a hotter player in the CHL right now. Toffoli now has a 7 game goal scoring streak, with 11 goals in that span. That's including the two he scored this afternoon (even though I'm pretty sure one went off Shane Prince's skate). He could have easily had the hat trick, with another shot wringing off the post. I think the biggest difference in Toffoli's game this year, and even from the start of the season (when he started kind of cold) is that his conditioning has significantly improved. He's all over the ice now, on the forecheck, leading the rush with the puck and playing defensively. He has the stamina to be considerably more active without the puck and it's leading to a significant increase in scoring chances. The first goal was off a drop pass from Ryan Martindale in between the slot and the blueline. It was a rather harmless looking play until Toffoli absolutely roofed a laser of a slapshot over the glove of Morrison. The second goal was off a similar play, but his slapshot was just off the ice and it appeared to deflect off something in front of the net (I think Shane Prince's skate). He then proceeded to score in the shootout with a well placed shot just off the ice and inside the far post. He certainly picked a good time to heat up with Canada's selection camp being named in the next few weeks.
#18 - Shane Prince (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Maybe I keep watching the wrong games, but I'm still not seeing the hype he's starting to generate. He looked to be along for the ride with Toffoli and Martindale in this one. Had a lot of trouble one on one with Ottawa's defenders and had the puck taken off him quite frequently. He has speed and he's actually pretty strong along the wall where he can use his agility to keep the play alive, but in the open ice I found he struggled to get things going. He did score a very nice goal in the shootout by using a leg fake and then going left on the forehand, out waiting Morrison and roofing it.
#33 - Dalton Smith (Drafted by Columbus in 2010)
He appears to be getting back to doing the things he does best. Saw him earlier in the season and it seemed like he was trying too hard to make things happen offensively. This afternoon he was very active on the forecheck and was creating offense from turnovers. He needs to keep the game simple and up and down. He scored a goal, finishing off a 2 on 1 with Sean Monahan by sliding the puck five hole after receiving a nice cross ice pass.
#77 - Ryan Martindale (Drafted by Edmonton in 2010)
I thought he played pretty good. He definitely looks faster this year, which is helping him create more off the rush than he has in the past. The first 67's goal was a perfect example of that, as he took the puck in his own zone, cruised into the Rangers end and left a drop pass to Tyler Toffoli for the goal. He picked up a second assist in a similar fashion on Toffoli's 2nd goal. That being said, he still seems to disappear for stretches. While Toffoli was consistently active and visible (even when the 67's were struggling in the third) by way of the forecheck, Martindale was nowhere to be found. You can't ignore the offensive production he's putting up this year though and it's obvious he's taken a step forward in the right direction. I'd just like to see him become more involved without the puck.
#83 - Cody Ceci (Draft Eligible in 2012)
Perfect example as to why plus/minus is not a good stat to determine playing ability. Ceci finished the game at -3, but I thought he played a pretty good game. His agility was something that stuck out last year as a strength and this year he's using it well at both ends. He tried to make things happen offensively by rushing the puck up ice and he was also very strong one on one defensively. Saved possibly the game winning goal by Tobias Rieder in the third, by coming back hard to the defensive zone to negate a partial break down the wing. He'll need to continue to get stronger to win battles in the corner and in front of the net, but as a 2012 eligible player, he's going to have time to do that. For now, he's gaining valuable experience as, essentially, the 67's number one defenseman.
#1 - Petr Mrazek (Drafted by Detroit in 2010)
Mrazek was absolutely fantastic this afternoon. The fact that the 67's escaped with 2 points is a credit to his hard work. He was really into the game too, gave Jason Akeson a butt end in front of the net (and didn't get caught). He also tried to fight Andrew Crescenzi after he ran him over in front of the net. That feistyness comes across in his goaltending too, as he fights to make every save. For those that have never seen him play, he's definitely a hybrid style goaltender, but as I mentioned previously this season, he's really refined his approach and isn't flopping on the ground as much. He's staying up and it's allowing him to play larger in the net, especially when he plays deep in his crease (kind of the way the Canucks are trying to get Roberto Luongo to play this year). But he reads the play well and seems to know when to go down and use his athleticism. There were a couple of flurries inside the last 5 minutes where he made consecutive saves in front of the net by stretching out his pads. The other thing you notice about Mrazek is how good he is in playing the puck. He's a very confident passer and loves to stretch out defenses with the long pass. In the shootout, he wasn't tested (one lost the puck, the other shot right into his pads) and made 43 of 47 saves for the win.
Kitchener Rangers
#7 - Julian Melchiori (Drafted by Atlanta in 2010)
Another guy who was -3 on the day, but that I was actually impressed with. He's definitely big and he knows how to use his size. He did a good job trying up Ottawa's forwards and was physical along the boards. He had a very nice hipcheck on a 67's player as he tried to gain entry into the offensive zone. Offensively, he saw some limited time on the Rangers second powerplay unit, but was pretty quiet on the whole with the puck. But I thought he looked good defensively.
#9 - Tobias Rieder (Draft Eligible in 2011)
I guess it's time to move him up my draft board. He was fantastic today. He's not that big (listed at 5'10), but he plays a lot bigger than he is. I was actually surprised at how active he was on the forecheck, along the boards and in the crease. He actually had a couple of nice hits in puck pursuit. Offensively, he really stood out. He was very active in bringing the puck over the blueline and always looked to take it right to the net. He scored an absolutely beautiful goal in the third to bring the Rangers to within one (at the time). He got the puck and started on a 3 on 2, hit the trailer Jonathan Jasper with a pass in the slot and he ripped a shot on net. Rieder went straight to the net after giving up the puck and was rewarded with the rebound off Jasper's shot. However, it was more difficult than it sounds. Rieder had actually partially skated over the rebound, so he kicked the puck up to his stick and put it in at a near impossible angle (as he was off balance on his way behind the net). He almost scored again about two minutes later by slicing through the 67's defense and pouncing on a loose puck in the slot, but Mrazek got the pads on it. Colour me very impressed!
#15 - Ben Thomson (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Thomson appears to be at the same stage of development Crescenzi was at last year. He's big and strong and he uses that to his advantage along the boards where he works the cycle really well. But in the open ice, he's just not a strong enough skater yet to make a considerable offensive impact.
#20 - Andrew Crescenzi (Signed by Toronto as an FA)
Crescenzi had an excellent game and his increase in offensive production points to great improvement this year. He's still doing the things he did well last year, like controlling the puck in the offensive zone, but he's improved his skating which makes him a more dangerous player on the rush and in open ice. It also makes him more of a factor on the forecheck, where he can greater utilize those strong board skills by getting to loose pucks faster.
#24 - Ryan Murphy (Draft Eligible in 2011)
You either love him or you hate him, Murphy is what he is. He was kept off the scoresheet today, but he was a factor offensively all game. Once he gets across his own blueline, he's off and there's no stopping him. In the offensive zone, he takes a lot of chances and he loves to hang on to the puck to try and make things happen. His endurance must be tremendous because the guy skates circles around the defense for a whole minute, then skates back to play defense. A couple of times, he just circled around the offensive zone, looking for a teammate to get open, leaving 67's players helpless as they watched. Some people see that as hogging the puck, but he's quite patient and isn't afraid to just dump the puck into the corner if he doesn't see anything materialize. And for someone who takes as many chances offensively, he doesn't get burned very often. Only once did he get caught up ice in the game today, but it was when he tried to take the puck hard to the net. Luckily Gabriel Landeskog was there on the backcheck and the play never developed the other way. One thing he's going to have to watch out for though, is the two man forecheck. Teams are starting to send two forwards on the forecheck, trying to trap him behind the net. He almost got caught twice with that tonight. One time he got lucky, as the 67's player got the stick under his feet (after he had turned over the puck). The other time he got the pass off just before he got caught. As he moves up the levels, he'll have to start picking the spots better of when to rush and when to just pass the puck out of the zone.
#41 - Cody Sol (Drafted by Atlanta in 2009)
One of the best pickups of the OHL offseason, Sol has been a rock defensively for the Rangers this season. He hasn't quite taken his offensive game to the next level (as I thought he might), but he's been physical and dependable. He was just that today, as he used his size to protect the front of the net defensively. He also uses his long reach in the corners well, as he engages and then often is able to get the puck out. But he is definitely underrated offensively and has the puck skills to put up more points (if he were getting more powerplay time). He's actually very adept at keeping the puck in the offensive zone, as he did a couple of times today. He's got a big cannon of a shot too...although didn't get any chances to unleash it. If he can continue to improve his mobility, he could make a solid defenseman at the next level.
#92 - Gabriel Landeskog (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Don't count out the OHL from having the first overall NHL pick just quite yet. I read Bob Mackenzie say the other day that he was hearing some scouts had Landeskog in the same sentence with potential #1's RNH, Larsson and Couturier. Today was the perfect example of that. Quite frankly, he was a man amongst boys out there. I honestly can't think of a draft prospect that the OHL has had that has been more ready to play in the NHL RIGHT NOW, than Landeskog. He's such a complete player and he already has the strength and stamina to play in the NHL...and excel. While many said the likes of John Tavares, Taylor Hall, Steve Stamkos Patrick Kane, Rick Nash, etc were capable of playing offensively in the NHL in their draft years, none of them were as complete a player as Landeskog is now. He could not only be putting up numbers offensively in the NHL right now, but he'd be an asset to his team defensively and physically (something none of the others were right out of the gate, not even Nash). OK, enough ranting, about the game today. Landeskog finished with two goals and an assist, but like Toffoli, could have had the hat trick (and the game winner) if it weren't for the cross bar. First goal, he finished off a pass on a 2 on 1, but going top shelf on a sliding Petr Mrazek. It was a laser. Second goal would have had any NHL scouts in the building drooling onto the floor. He dumped the puck into the offensive zone, ran over one 67 on his way to the puck, and ran through a second. He gained possession along the wall, got it to Mike Catenacci behind the net, and then went straight to the net. From there, he finished off a pass to the front of the net, top shelf, with two 67's hanging off him (one being the 6'0, 200lbs Marc Zanetti). Let the Landeskog for number one chant begin!
#33 - Mike Morrison (Draft Eligible in 2011)
This was the first time I'd seen Morrison play (from memory) and he didn't have a good showing. He was fighting the puck and failed to make the saves needed to give his team the victory. His five hole got exposed as a big weakness in the game. First goal was a 2 on 1 that was completely stoppable. Dalton Smith got a cross ice pass and Morrison slid over to stop it, but he left way too large of a gap on the slide over and had his paddle way off the ground. Smith didn't get a hard shot off, but it got through Morrison's five hole. The 4th Ottawa goal by Cody Lindsay was five hole too, off a shot from the slot. He was giving up a lot of rebounds too, but the Rangers defense did a good job of clearing those out. In the shootout, he was made to look pretty bad by Shane Prince and Tyler Toffoli. One on a deke, the other on a shot far side. Niagara's John Chartrand and Saginaw's Tadeas Galansky are really the only draft eligible goaltenders that have impressed me this year.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Game Report: 67's and Generals from October 24
The NFL is on all day & Monday night, so why not watch a matinee OHL game instead? That was my thinking process today in deciding to catch Ottawa and Oshawa on the OHL Action Pack. I had yet to see Ottawa play this year and what a better game to watch than a divisional match up against the Gennies?
The Generals completely dominated play in this game, yet came out on the losing end. Oshawa did manage to salvage a point by getting the game to overtime (after scoring three straight goals in the third period), but Petr Mrazek backstopped the 67's to a shootout victory.
Ottawa had a lot of difficulty with the size and speed of Oshawa's forwards. While the 67's defense did do well to contain the initial rushes of Oshawa's forwards, it was the second effort and the constant motor of the Generals that gave them trouble. Every shift was worked almost like clockwork. Drive to the net, stymied, but then regain possession of the puck and set up in the Ottawa end. Ottawa had only 6 shots in the second and third period combined. It was definitely thanks to Petr Mrazek that they came out on top.
And for the Generals, it was some sloppy defensive and neutral zone play that cost them. Some bad turnovers by the defense really ruined the strong game by Oshawa's forwards. I think they really need to acquire a big, tough, physical stay at home guy (say is Dalton Prout available?). But their forwards are among the best in the entire league.
Here are the player reports:
Oshawa Generals
#4 - Scott Valentine (Drafted by Anaheim in 2009)
He had a pretty tough game I thought. He's really stepped it up offensively this year, but part of that could be because he's taking more chances. Looked to take the puck into the offensive zone a lot and was constantly pinching to try and keep the puck in...occasionally getting caught. The first 67's goal was a direct result of a Valentine turnover in his own zone. He tried to skate the puck out from behind the net, tried and failed to elude the forechecking Tyler Toffoli. Toffoli picked his pocket and put it past Zador. Also still tries to look for the big hit in the defensive zone. Ryan Hanes came down the wing one on one with Valentine. Valentine went for the big hit but Hanes stepped around him (and went through him) and went in alone. But Zador made the save. Big hits are a big part of Valentine's game, but he needs to be more patient. He'll get killed at the next level defensively, if he doesn't let the play come to him first. But I love the fact that he's becoming more involved offensively, as I've always felt he had the talent. He just needs to pick his spots better.
#7 - Tony DeHart (Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2010)
DeHart wasn't incredibly noticeable to be honest. Not really a bad thing. He was active offensively and did a good job of bringing the puck up ice. Defensively, he was solid.
#17 - Nicklas Jensen (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
One of the most impressive performances I've seen of a draft eligible prospect so far this season. Funny thing is that he didn't register a point, but sure as hell deserved one. He was absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough good things about his play. First thing you'll notice is how strong he is on his skates. His first step isn't amazing (but not poor either), but once he gets going he's very hard to stop. He protects the puck with his body very well and had a couple really nice rushes where he put the 67's defenders on his back on the way to the net but just couldn't finish. On another play, he outhustled the 67 defenders to a loose puck along the wall, cut hard to the middle, got knocked hard, but maintained possession of the puck while skating on one leg. Just a bull on skates. Very agile for a big man too. Made a really nice play behind the net, changing direction very quickly to generate a wrap around chance, but was stoned by Mrazek going post to post. He hustled defensively too and had a couple of good plays in his own zone to break up scoring chances. Put me on the Jensen bandwagon.
#21 - Scott Laughton (Draft Eligible in 2012)
Was quite impressed by the Generals first rounder. You can see why he's currently 2nd in goals scored by players from the 2010 Priority draft (behind only first overall pick Galchenyuk). Fills the open space on the ice well and skates well too. Scored a goal off a nice feed from Christian Thomas, where Laughton fired a wrist shot past Mrazek, catching him going cross crease. He's going to be an excellent player in this league.
#22 - Boone Jenner (Draft Eligible in 2011)
One of the few Generals forwards I was disappointed with. He's such a big guy, I wish he'd use his size more. I'm not asking him to be Cam Neely, but I felt like I rarely noticed him because he wasn't very active off or on the puck. I don't think the skating is as much of an issue as some other people have said...as he kept up well with the pace. He just didn't do a whole heck of a lot.
#24 - Calvin de Haan (Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2009)
de Haan is too good for this league. At this point, a lack of size and strength was probably the only thing that kept him out of the NHL this year. In the first period, I was a little disappointed with his play as I felt he was being a bit too conservative. But he really picked it up in the second and third period, rushing the puck up ice with ease. He's just such a smart player. It's little things that make you appreciate the high level at which he thinks the game. For example, on the powerplay he was forced to receive a choppy pass at the blueline, bobbled it a bit, and gained control with two Ottawa 67's PK'ers directly to his left and right. A lot of defenseman force a pass and panic, but de Haan gained control and out waited his opponents, keeping possession instead of passing. Then he got to his teammate on the wing. The game tying goal was a thing of beauty too. Took a pass, went to the middle of the ice, was going to shoot and decided against it, partially losing the puck behind him. But he kicked the puck up from skate to stick, kept on going and wired it far side past Mrazek with about a minute left. Defensively, he was flawless too.
#27 - Christian Thomas (Drafted by the New York Rangers in 2010)
Had a very solid game and is really firing on all cylinders right now. He is not afraid to shoot from anywhere on the ice, but at the same time he's smart about it. Gets himself into position to shoot really quickly and was constantly trying to use opposing defenders as a screen. But it was his passing game that really stood out today. It's his playmaking ability that has taken the step forward this year. He's much more patient with the puck and is letting the play develop around him. His assist on Scott Laughton's goal was especially nice, as he rushed down the ice, was cut off, spun out and waited just long enough to draw the defenders in to him. Then he fired a pass to Laughton in the slot for the goal. He's always got the motor running too and is constantly lifting sticks and winning battles in the corners. He has to be a shoe in for an invite to Team Canada's Under 20 camp at this point.
#38 - Lucas Lessio (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Jensen definitely stole the spotlight today, but Lessio was pretty good too. Right now, his speed is his best weapon. In particular, his first step/acceleration is fantastic. He's at full speed in only a couple of strides and it really makes him an impact player. Not only off the rush, but he closes in on defenders very quickly in the offensive zone as their trying to get the puck out. But don't confuse that as forechecking, which is something I'd love to see him use his speed for more. He had a couple of really nice rushes to the net, but couldn't finish on any of them. He was OK along the boards, but he needs to engage physically more.
#33 - Michael Zador (Drafted by Tampa Bay in 2009)
A big year for Zador in a lot of ways. He's being expected to be the starter for a team with aspirations in winning the Eastern Conference. And he's trying to earn a contract from Tampa Bay. While he hasn't been terrible this year, he hasn't been fantastic either. He did come up with a few big stops for the Generals, but at the same time he probably should have had the Cody Ceci goal. He still gives up way too many juicy rebounds into the slot area, of which Ottawa was never in position to capitalize on. On the plus side, he kept his team in the shootout, making four quality saves before giving up the game winner to Thomas Nesbitt. It'll be interesting to see what the Generals do this year. My hunch would guess that they try and get another quality goaltender to push Zador.
Ottawa 67's
#16 - Tyler Toffoli (Drafted by Los Angeles in 2010)
Toffoli had a good game. He was one of the few 67 forwards who was doing a whole heck of a lot. Was forcing a lot of turnovers in the offensive and neutral zones, and it was good to see him hustling. The skating looks a bit better, but he'll still need to work on becoming more explosive towards the net. Scored a nice goal by catching Scott Valentine coming out from behind the net, stripping him and firing a wrist shot past Michael Zador. On the downside, he did take a stupid penalty with about two minutes left, that lead to the eventual game tying goal. He was forechecking hard, forced the Generals defender out, but then used his stick to try and hold him up. He had no chance of getting the puck as the defender was past him, so it was just a sloppy play on his part.
#17 - Steven Janes (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Janes is a big guy and he skates well. That's really about all I can tell about him at this time. He worked the cycle well and is definitely tough to separate from the puck, but I'm not sure about the level of offensive skill he has. Definitely a lunch pail type guy, but with his size and speed, he could generate interest from NHL teams.
#18 - Shane Prince (Draft Eligible in 2011)
I was really disappointed in Prince's play. There is definitely some speed to his game, but it seemed like every time he had the puck, he had it stripped or he was muscled off it. As such, he wasn't really able to create anything offensively, save a nice saucer pass off the rush to Cody Lindsay...who would have been in all alone had he been able to coral the puck. I'm definitely going to need to see him play again (live this time) to make a fair judgment on his draft status.
#33 - Dalton Smith (Drafted by Columbus in 2010)
Offensively he was completely invisible. But he was very physical and had a couple of thunderous hits. But I'd definitely like to see him become more involved with the puck on his stick.
#77 - Ryan Martindale (Drafted by Edmonton in 2010)
If I hadn't have been looking for #77, I don't think I would have noticed he was playing. Martindale was completely invisible and it shows he's still battling the consistency issues he has since he came into the OHL. As a 1991, he needs to be better.
#83 - Cody Ceci (Draft Eligible in 2012)
Ceci looks good...and improved. He definitely looks a little bigger and a little stronger. He did a nice job of containing Oshawa's forwards off the rush and did an even better job of winning battles against them in the corner. He also looks more involved offensively and had a couple of nice rushes with the puck. He scored his goal from the point, releasing a wrister goal through a crowd and into the back of the net.
#1 - Petr Mrazek (Drafted by Detroit in 2010)
Mrazek was absolutely fantastic. He got beat on a couple of well placed shots that caught him going the wrong way in his crease, taking away his angle. He might want the Alain Berger goal back at the side of the net, but his defense was more to blame for leaving two players wide open at the side of the net on the powerplay. He didn't really know how to play it and was caught in the middle of his net...probably anticipating a pass in hopes that one of his defenders would pressure Berger. But he really kept Ottawa in a game they didn't deserve being in. He comes out to challenge shooters and did a VERY good job of controlling his rebounds. He managed to hang on to pretty much everything. He showcased a good glove today too, with a couple of highlight worthy glove saves. I definitely noticed that he isn't flopping around nearly as much as he was last year either, and seems to have reformed his style a bit so that he can take away the upper half. He made 35 saves...and stopped all five shooters in the shootout for the win.
The Generals completely dominated play in this game, yet came out on the losing end. Oshawa did manage to salvage a point by getting the game to overtime (after scoring three straight goals in the third period), but Petr Mrazek backstopped the 67's to a shootout victory.
Ottawa had a lot of difficulty with the size and speed of Oshawa's forwards. While the 67's defense did do well to contain the initial rushes of Oshawa's forwards, it was the second effort and the constant motor of the Generals that gave them trouble. Every shift was worked almost like clockwork. Drive to the net, stymied, but then regain possession of the puck and set up in the Ottawa end. Ottawa had only 6 shots in the second and third period combined. It was definitely thanks to Petr Mrazek that they came out on top.
And for the Generals, it was some sloppy defensive and neutral zone play that cost them. Some bad turnovers by the defense really ruined the strong game by Oshawa's forwards. I think they really need to acquire a big, tough, physical stay at home guy (say is Dalton Prout available?). But their forwards are among the best in the entire league.
Here are the player reports:
Oshawa Generals
#4 - Scott Valentine (Drafted by Anaheim in 2009)
He had a pretty tough game I thought. He's really stepped it up offensively this year, but part of that could be because he's taking more chances. Looked to take the puck into the offensive zone a lot and was constantly pinching to try and keep the puck in...occasionally getting caught. The first 67's goal was a direct result of a Valentine turnover in his own zone. He tried to skate the puck out from behind the net, tried and failed to elude the forechecking Tyler Toffoli. Toffoli picked his pocket and put it past Zador. Also still tries to look for the big hit in the defensive zone. Ryan Hanes came down the wing one on one with Valentine. Valentine went for the big hit but Hanes stepped around him (and went through him) and went in alone. But Zador made the save. Big hits are a big part of Valentine's game, but he needs to be more patient. He'll get killed at the next level defensively, if he doesn't let the play come to him first. But I love the fact that he's becoming more involved offensively, as I've always felt he had the talent. He just needs to pick his spots better.
#7 - Tony DeHart (Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2010)
DeHart wasn't incredibly noticeable to be honest. Not really a bad thing. He was active offensively and did a good job of bringing the puck up ice. Defensively, he was solid.
#17 - Nicklas Jensen (NHL Draft Eligible in 2011)
One of the most impressive performances I've seen of a draft eligible prospect so far this season. Funny thing is that he didn't register a point, but sure as hell deserved one. He was absolutely fantastic. I can't say enough good things about his play. First thing you'll notice is how strong he is on his skates. His first step isn't amazing (but not poor either), but once he gets going he's very hard to stop. He protects the puck with his body very well and had a couple really nice rushes where he put the 67's defenders on his back on the way to the net but just couldn't finish. On another play, he outhustled the 67 defenders to a loose puck along the wall, cut hard to the middle, got knocked hard, but maintained possession of the puck while skating on one leg. Just a bull on skates. Very agile for a big man too. Made a really nice play behind the net, changing direction very quickly to generate a wrap around chance, but was stoned by Mrazek going post to post. He hustled defensively too and had a couple of good plays in his own zone to break up scoring chances. Put me on the Jensen bandwagon.
#21 - Scott Laughton (Draft Eligible in 2012)
Was quite impressed by the Generals first rounder. You can see why he's currently 2nd in goals scored by players from the 2010 Priority draft (behind only first overall pick Galchenyuk). Fills the open space on the ice well and skates well too. Scored a goal off a nice feed from Christian Thomas, where Laughton fired a wrist shot past Mrazek, catching him going cross crease. He's going to be an excellent player in this league.
#22 - Boone Jenner (Draft Eligible in 2011)
One of the few Generals forwards I was disappointed with. He's such a big guy, I wish he'd use his size more. I'm not asking him to be Cam Neely, but I felt like I rarely noticed him because he wasn't very active off or on the puck. I don't think the skating is as much of an issue as some other people have said...as he kept up well with the pace. He just didn't do a whole heck of a lot.
#24 - Calvin de Haan (Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2009)
de Haan is too good for this league. At this point, a lack of size and strength was probably the only thing that kept him out of the NHL this year. In the first period, I was a little disappointed with his play as I felt he was being a bit too conservative. But he really picked it up in the second and third period, rushing the puck up ice with ease. He's just such a smart player. It's little things that make you appreciate the high level at which he thinks the game. For example, on the powerplay he was forced to receive a choppy pass at the blueline, bobbled it a bit, and gained control with two Ottawa 67's PK'ers directly to his left and right. A lot of defenseman force a pass and panic, but de Haan gained control and out waited his opponents, keeping possession instead of passing. Then he got to his teammate on the wing. The game tying goal was a thing of beauty too. Took a pass, went to the middle of the ice, was going to shoot and decided against it, partially losing the puck behind him. But he kicked the puck up from skate to stick, kept on going and wired it far side past Mrazek with about a minute left. Defensively, he was flawless too.
#27 - Christian Thomas (Drafted by the New York Rangers in 2010)
Had a very solid game and is really firing on all cylinders right now. He is not afraid to shoot from anywhere on the ice, but at the same time he's smart about it. Gets himself into position to shoot really quickly and was constantly trying to use opposing defenders as a screen. But it was his passing game that really stood out today. It's his playmaking ability that has taken the step forward this year. He's much more patient with the puck and is letting the play develop around him. His assist on Scott Laughton's goal was especially nice, as he rushed down the ice, was cut off, spun out and waited just long enough to draw the defenders in to him. Then he fired a pass to Laughton in the slot for the goal. He's always got the motor running too and is constantly lifting sticks and winning battles in the corners. He has to be a shoe in for an invite to Team Canada's Under 20 camp at this point.
#38 - Lucas Lessio (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Jensen definitely stole the spotlight today, but Lessio was pretty good too. Right now, his speed is his best weapon. In particular, his first step/acceleration is fantastic. He's at full speed in only a couple of strides and it really makes him an impact player. Not only off the rush, but he closes in on defenders very quickly in the offensive zone as their trying to get the puck out. But don't confuse that as forechecking, which is something I'd love to see him use his speed for more. He had a couple of really nice rushes to the net, but couldn't finish on any of them. He was OK along the boards, but he needs to engage physically more.
#33 - Michael Zador (Drafted by Tampa Bay in 2009)
A big year for Zador in a lot of ways. He's being expected to be the starter for a team with aspirations in winning the Eastern Conference. And he's trying to earn a contract from Tampa Bay. While he hasn't been terrible this year, he hasn't been fantastic either. He did come up with a few big stops for the Generals, but at the same time he probably should have had the Cody Ceci goal. He still gives up way too many juicy rebounds into the slot area, of which Ottawa was never in position to capitalize on. On the plus side, he kept his team in the shootout, making four quality saves before giving up the game winner to Thomas Nesbitt. It'll be interesting to see what the Generals do this year. My hunch would guess that they try and get another quality goaltender to push Zador.
Ottawa 67's
#16 - Tyler Toffoli (Drafted by Los Angeles in 2010)
Toffoli had a good game. He was one of the few 67 forwards who was doing a whole heck of a lot. Was forcing a lot of turnovers in the offensive and neutral zones, and it was good to see him hustling. The skating looks a bit better, but he'll still need to work on becoming more explosive towards the net. Scored a nice goal by catching Scott Valentine coming out from behind the net, stripping him and firing a wrist shot past Michael Zador. On the downside, he did take a stupid penalty with about two minutes left, that lead to the eventual game tying goal. He was forechecking hard, forced the Generals defender out, but then used his stick to try and hold him up. He had no chance of getting the puck as the defender was past him, so it was just a sloppy play on his part.
#17 - Steven Janes (Draft Eligible in 2011)
Janes is a big guy and he skates well. That's really about all I can tell about him at this time. He worked the cycle well and is definitely tough to separate from the puck, but I'm not sure about the level of offensive skill he has. Definitely a lunch pail type guy, but with his size and speed, he could generate interest from NHL teams.
#18 - Shane Prince (Draft Eligible in 2011)
I was really disappointed in Prince's play. There is definitely some speed to his game, but it seemed like every time he had the puck, he had it stripped or he was muscled off it. As such, he wasn't really able to create anything offensively, save a nice saucer pass off the rush to Cody Lindsay...who would have been in all alone had he been able to coral the puck. I'm definitely going to need to see him play again (live this time) to make a fair judgment on his draft status.
#33 - Dalton Smith (Drafted by Columbus in 2010)
Offensively he was completely invisible. But he was very physical and had a couple of thunderous hits. But I'd definitely like to see him become more involved with the puck on his stick.
#77 - Ryan Martindale (Drafted by Edmonton in 2010)
If I hadn't have been looking for #77, I don't think I would have noticed he was playing. Martindale was completely invisible and it shows he's still battling the consistency issues he has since he came into the OHL. As a 1991, he needs to be better.
#83 - Cody Ceci (Draft Eligible in 2012)
Ceci looks good...and improved. He definitely looks a little bigger and a little stronger. He did a nice job of containing Oshawa's forwards off the rush and did an even better job of winning battles against them in the corner. He also looks more involved offensively and had a couple of nice rushes with the puck. He scored his goal from the point, releasing a wrister goal through a crowd and into the back of the net.
#1 - Petr Mrazek (Drafted by Detroit in 2010)
Mrazek was absolutely fantastic. He got beat on a couple of well placed shots that caught him going the wrong way in his crease, taking away his angle. He might want the Alain Berger goal back at the side of the net, but his defense was more to blame for leaving two players wide open at the side of the net on the powerplay. He didn't really know how to play it and was caught in the middle of his net...probably anticipating a pass in hopes that one of his defenders would pressure Berger. But he really kept Ottawa in a game they didn't deserve being in. He comes out to challenge shooters and did a VERY good job of controlling his rebounds. He managed to hang on to pretty much everything. He showcased a good glove today too, with a couple of highlight worthy glove saves. I definitely noticed that he isn't flopping around nearly as much as he was last year either, and seems to have reformed his style a bit so that he can take away the upper half. He made 35 saves...and stopped all five shooters in the shootout for the win.
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