I decided to watch this one on the OHL Action Pack tonight...in hopes that I'd see a terrific goaltending match up between two of the league's top draft eligible netminders (Subban vs. Altshuller). Not to mention that sole possession of 5th place in the East was on the line too. But Kevin Baille started for Oshawa, ruining my initial hopes (although the goaltending match up was still solid).
Overall, the game wasn't very good. Not really a lot of solid scoring chances, some undisciplined penalties, and a general lack of pep. But the Bulls hung on to get the win in the shootout (thanks to Subban) and have now won 4 in a row and are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the East.
Some player reports:
Belleville Bulls
#10 - Austen Brassard (Drafted by Winnipeg)
Liked what I saw from Brassard. I had heard he had become a lot more committed to his play away from the puck and had improved his consistency from shift to shift...and I saw evidence of that tonight. While he wasn't great offensively in terms of creating chances (what player was tonight?), he worked hard away from the puck and was up on the forecheck forcing a few turnovers, throwing some good hits and working well along the boards for loose pucks. He also made a couple of very nice plays on the backcheck. We know he's got offensive skill and can bury pucks around the crease, but the progression of his overall game is very encouraging for his NHL potential.
#14 - Luke Judson (Overage Free Agent)
I've always been a fan of Judson's and I'm at the point now, where I'm just not sure if he'll end up earning a professional contract (be it NHL, AHL, or what have it). But he's had a solid start to the year, in a season where he had a lot to prove as Belleville's captain...after last year's disappointment. Always a hard worker and one of the best two way wingers in the league...Judson has added an element of speed this season. This is promising for his future as a hockey player, because with the type of hard nosed game he plays, it was crucial that he improve his footspeed, which it looks like he has this offseason. He scored Belleville's lone goal (non shootout) by taking a pass from Brendan Gaunce, beating Colin Suellentrop to the outside with speed, and cutting back towards the net to tuck it under Kevin Baille's legs.
#16 - Brendan Gaunce (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
I've had some questions about Gaunce's ranking on my early season top 30. A lot of people just don't see him being as high as I have him. And that's fine. But he does so many little things well. He's not flashy, and perhaps that's the reason he doesn't get as much respect. He definitely needs to work on his ability to carry the puck at top speed and receive passes in motion. He's not going to dipsy doodle around defenders like Ryan Strome or Nail Yakupov. But he's just a very solid, power center. I think of a guy like Keith Primeau when I see Gaunce play. Just a very smart player. His passing game is very underrated. A lot of people talk about his ability to score close to the net...and his heavy shot. But he's a center for a reason...and he's very patient with the puck and he knows how to create offensive chances for his linemates. He's also a stalwart on the penalty kill and a terrific backchecker. He forechecks hard, finishes his checks and wears an A already. His skating isn't an issue like many are saying it is. Without the puck, he moves very well and is quick to close on defenders on the forecheck. With the puck, he moves a little slower because he isn't the world's most confident looking puck handler...which is perhaps where this lack of skating talk comes from (or maybe it's that his brother Cameron was never the world's most gifted skater from the blueline). I look at Gaunce and see a guy who'll probably play 1000 games in the NHL and make someone very happy.
#24 - Garrett Hooey (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
After the amazing preseason he had, I think a lot of people expected Hooey to really break out offensively. But he hasn't been terrific thus far...and was pretty unnoticeable in this game.
#26 - Stephen Silas (Drafted by Colorado)
He's having a very good season thus far and is really starting to blossom as a defensive leader. The Bulls were relying on him to be that last year, but I just don't think he was ready...and as a result...he took a lot of flak. But the Bulls are playing strong defensive hockey this year and Silas is right in the middle of it. He looked very solid tonight. Moved the puck quickly and efficiently. Covered off in his own end. He's increased his physical output this year too and seems more confident in pushing forwards around near the net (maybe as a result of improved conditioning?). He's not one of those guys you notice a lot, but on the back end that's a good thing sometimes. He needed a solid year to get signed by Colorado (in all likelihood)...and he's doing a great job of making an impression thus far.
#30 - Malcolm Subban (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
Since returning from that ankle injury that caused him to miss a month of action, Subban has been a brick wall. He's given up 5 goals in 4 games and hasn't lost. And that includes his solid performance in Oshawa tonight. He's definitely an unorthodox goaltender. One of those hybrid types of relies on his pure athleticism to stop pucks (not quite as wild as a Tim Thomas, but perhaps more like LA's Jonathan Quick). He's a fantastic skater in the crease, and that's one of the first things you always notice about him. He moves laterally, and north/south very effortlessly. And he's also very quick to get down in that butterfly...which combined with his flexibility and quickness, make him damn near impossible to beat along the ice (think former Bulls goaltender Mike Murphy). But he definitely cheats a bit at times and can go down early and leave space up high. It's obvious that this "scouting report" has gotten around the league because when teams play the Bulls with Subban in net, they spend all night trying to go high...just as the Generals did tonight. They finally beat him in the 3rd when Nicklas Jensen weighted him out at the side of the net, got him to commit to the butterfly and roofed a wrister over his shoulder. As he moves forward to the NHL level, they'll have to get him to stay up longer otherwise NHL forwards will feast on him. But the athleticism is the obvious draw. Nothing shows this off more than the shootout. Subban stopped all six shooters tonight and is now a perfect 9 for 9 this year. He moves so well in his crease that he's hard to beat one on one. With the way he's returned from his injury, it might be hard to argue against the fact that he's reclaimed his goaltending crown from Altshuller and Murray as the league's top draft eligible netminder.
Oshawa Generals
#12 - Mark Petaccio (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
I saw the Generals play a few weeks ago when Petaccio first returned from injury and he was a lot better in that game...but he still wasn't terrible tonight. He played on a pretty effective third line with Sebatian Uvira and Cole Cassels. The line did well to work the cycle along the boards and even drew a penalty or two from their consistent pressure. As a guy with size, he's intriguing. I'm just not sure how much offensive potential he has.
#15 - Andy Andreoff (Drafted by Los Angeles)
I've heard some criticism about Andreoff's play since he came back from Kings (and Monarchs) camp (although I think Oshawa fans have been pretty disappointed by the play of most of their players this year). And to be honest, I wasn't incredibly impressed with him tonight. I loved the way Andreoff played last year. Simple, hard, and straight through people. His power game and tenacity generated his offensive scoring chances. Tonight he seemed to be playing too cute with the puck at times. And while he remains a solid two way forward, I felt like he was trying to do too much.
#17 - Nicklas Jensen (Drafted by Vancouver)
Jensen had a solid game. Generated a few solid scoring chances using his solid puck carrying/protection ability. Shook off a few checks while maneuvering behind the net with the puck, and put a pass right on Andy Andreoff's stick in front of the crease, but he rifled it high. Jensen scored on the powerplay to send the game to overtime. He took a pass from Andreoff at the side of the net, took his time, baited Subban to the butterfly and rifled it top cheese over Subban's shoulder. I'd still love to see him become more involved without the puck (on a consistent basis)...and more physical. But he's a solid goal scoring prospect for the next level.
#21 - Scott Laughton (NHL Draft Eligible in 2012)
Laughton had an excellent game and was probably Oshawa's most dangerous offensive player on the night (despite being held scoreless). He had a couple of very dangerous rushes, where he used his speed to beat defenders across the blueline and to the net. One in particular in the first period gave Oshawa one of its best chances to score on the night, when he grabbed the puck, flew past Brady Austin and put a snap shot on Subban who just got a piece of it. He was physical. He played well on the penalty kill. The criticism about Laughton I was hearing at the beginning of the year was that he was focusing too much on trying to put up points and as such was not as effective as an all around player. But he seems to have gotten back to playing a more straight ahead game, while keeping that intensity level high. If he continues to play hard, the points will start to come.
#38 - Lucas Lessio (Drafted by Phoenix)
Lessio has been great so far this year, one of the few players who hasn't underachieved on Oshawa to start 2011. He appears to have figured out how to harness his speed to his advantage and is finishing off his scoring chances with more consistency. Part of that comes from an increased willingness to play that dirty role in front of the net...the prototypical crease crasher. He had a couple of nice rushes tonight, although nothing that created a serious scoring chance. Although one did draw a penalty, as he got hauled down on a partial breakaway. As long as he continues to play with high energy every shift, Lessio will continue to be an impact player.
That's it for the game. Stay tuned this week as NHL Central Scouting will release their preliminary rankings...and I'll have the first version of the Media poll rankings I always do.
Showing posts with label Stephen Silas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephen Silas. Show all posts
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thoughts on Ottawa and Belleville from December 2
Who wants to watch the Toronto Raptors get blown away by the Atlanta Hawks on a Wednesday night? Not me. Instead, I tuned into this East Division match up between the Ottawa 67's and the Belleville Bulls. Unfortunately since this game was delayed by a half hour due to a late arrival by Ottawa (their bus had some mechanical problems), I did have to sit through an opening quarter of the Raps game that saw them concede 33 points. When the game did get played, the 67's continued their red hot play by coming into the Yardmen Arena and stealing this one by a score of 4-3. The victory was Ottawa's 8th in their last 9 games. It's about time this team started climbing the standings in the Eastern Conference.
It was actually a very entertaining game. While Belleville never had the lead in this one, they showed a lot of heart by climbing back to tie the game twice before giving up the game winning goal with 37 seconds to go in regulation. The game saw the match up of two 2010 eligible goaltenders, both imports. Of course I'm talking about Petr Mrazek of Ottawa (and the Czech Republic), and Phil Grubauer of Belleville (and of Germany). Both goalies were excellent in the game and made a lot of quality, point blank saves. In the end, it was Belleville's inability to get the puck out of their end that cost them the game. Turnovers in their own end led to 2 of the 4 Ottawa goals, including the game winner.
Some individual player thoughts:
Ottawa 67's
Tyler Toffoli (2010)
Came into this game red hot, riding a 6 game point streak where he had put up 16 points in that span. But he was surprisingly quiet in this one. He made a couple of nice plays off the rush to generate scoring chances. Had a really good scoring chance himself by sneaking past the Belleville defense and taking a pass in the slot, but couldn't get enough on the one timed shot to beat Grubauer, shooting it right into his chest. On the negative, it seemed like he might be trying to do too much with the puck. In a way, I felt like he played a bit of a selfish game, turning the puck over a few times by trying to make one too many moves or by holding on to it too long. But then again, a player coming in as red hot as Toffoli is going to be playing with a lot of confidence and be looking to try and create. I'm just saying I think he needs to be a bit smarter in doing so. I keep trying to catch Toffoli on a good game, but I've yet to do so. It's obvious he's having them, I just need to see it for myself.
Anthony Nigro (STL)
Whenever I see Nigro with the 67's, I'm always so shocked at how different a player he's become in Ottawa. In Guelph he was a forecheck and cycle machine, a guy who generated his scoring chances by outworking the defense in the offensive zone. In Ottawa, he's become a much different offensive player; one that generates his offense primarily off the rush and on the drive to the net. Not necessarily a bad thing, but just an observation. Nigro had a very solid game tonight. Scored a beauty of a goal in the 2nd period to open the scoring. Took a pass in the slot, lost control of it momentarily on the backhand but managed to spin around and fire it home on the forehand with a top shelf wrister just under the cross bar. Earlier in the game, he created a very nice opportunity to score for Cody Lindsay but using the toe drag on the way to the net to draw the ire of the 67 defenseman, only to pass the puck to a streaking Lindsay who fanned on the shot, allowing Grubauer enough time to get over and make the save. Nigro also had the primary assist on the game winning goal by Lindsay. Thomas Nesbitt stole the puck along the boards, put it to Nigro who then slipped it to Lindsay alone in front of the net for the shot five hole. Was a tic-tac-toe play that showcased some excellent playmaking ability from Nigro. Considering all the different sides he's shown in the OHL, I do wonder which one is the Nigro we'll see at the next level.
Julien Demers (SJ)
Truthfully, I didn't really notice Demers tonight. And I think that's a good thing. A quality defensive defenseman, I think he got caught up with trying to do too much offensively at the beginning of the season and as a result he struggled (injuries played a part too). When Demers is at his best, he's playing the body, quietly effectively defensively and making quick passes in the defensive end. And he did that tonight.
Tyler Cuma (MIN)
First off, obviously the biggest news of the day is his omission from the Canadian WJC tryout camp (TSN has an excellent piece on Cuma's disappoint here). To his credit, and he admits this himself in the TSN article, I think he's been playing a lot better hockey the past month or so (obviously correlated with Ottawa's improvements in recent weeks). Defensively, he was a stud tonight. Nobody from Belleville was able to get past him tonight, and playing on the big ice, that speaks volumes to his skating ability and mobility. He took the body hard too, really rubbing out a Belleville player along the boards (I can't remember who exactly)...although he took a boarding penalty on the play. Nice to see him playing inspired physical defensive hockey though. On the downside...I think he's still struggling with his confidence offensively and with the puck. Looks hesitant to rush the puck up ice and when the puck hits his stick, he's quick to dish it off. Evidence of this was his near costly delay of game penalty in the third period that allowed Kyle DeCoste to tie the game at 3. Before his injury, Cuma was a very capable puck rushing defenseman and a guy who showed flashes of being a very capable two way defenseman. Since, his offensive production has really slipped and I think it's directly related to confidence and timing. I do think it's only a matter of time before he gets it back though. Once he becomes comfortable again defensively and things start becoming a little more automatic, I'm sure we'll see his passes become more crisp. And I'm sure we'll see him take more chances on the rush.
Ryan Martindale (2010)
I thought Martindale played an OK game, probably better than Toffoli was tonight. With Dalton Smith out of the line up (apparent upper body injury, but not serious), these two played a TON tonight; this had to be taxing on them. While he was fairly invisible offensively tonight, the one thing I do really like about Martindale is that he's able to get his shot off in traffic. He does well to use his size to give him a bit of time and space to shoot. I think this bodes really well for his production at the next level, even if his skating needs improvement (which was obvious on the big ice tonight).
Petr Mrazek (2010)
The Czech Import played a heck of a game tonight. With a shutout through the first two periods of this game, he ended up with a 7 period shutout streak. Unfortunately, this was broken in the third when he gave up 3 goals. But this is the third time this season I've been very impressed by Mrazek. He's very athletic, he challenges shooters, he takes away the bottom of the net, and he reacts well to the play. Not sure what else you could ask of a goaltender. Made several point blank saves tonight, all because he was able to cut down the angle by challenging at the top of the blue ice and then held on to the puck and didn't give up a big rebound. The goals that did beat him, he didn't have that much of a chance on, save maybe Kyle DeCoste's first goal where he bit on the pass fake and exposed his five hole on a side of the net opportunity. If anything, I think he needs to commit later to the play, as in the two previous viewings he was scored on in similar fashions by getting him down to the ice on the flop. The 2010 OHL crop of goaltenders is looking like a solid group, however it's also a group without a definitive number 1 candidate. I think Mrazek has the potential to seize that top spot, if he can continue to get playing time. He made 34 of 37 saves for the victory.
Belleville Bulls
Bjorn Krupp (MIN)
Not a good night for Bjorn Krupp. Then again, I don't think I've ever seen him have a good one. Bulls fans, help me out here? He does have good ones right? I will come out and say that Krupp has potential as a stay at home defenseman. He handles forwards on the rush quite well and is hard to get around. He made a very nice defensive play on Cody Lindsay as he tried to get by him and take the puck to the net. Krupp knocked the puck away with his stick first and then knocked Lindsay to the ice shortly after. It's his play with the puck that's just atrocious. He's a complete liability on the ice with the puck on his stick. Two turnovers led to Ottawa goals tonight. And not just that, I'm not sure he hit a single Belleville forward with a crisp pass up ice. The first turnover was on a brutal clearing attempt in the second period. It was knocked down by an Ottawa forward, only to be stolen back again by Kyle DeCoste, only to have him give it away to Joe Carnevale for the goal. But the original turnover that led to the goal was Krupp's. The game winning goal was worse. Krupp tried to carry the puck out from behind his net, lost control, panicked and fired a weak clear off the boards that was intercepted by Thomas Nesbitt, who then fed Nigro who then fed Lindsay to the back of the net. I don't want to sound harsh, but professional hockey players would eat Krupp alive on the forecheck. He makes Wade Belak look like Sidney Crosby. But there is hope, his defensive awareness and ability is solid, he just needs to drastically improve his play with the puck.
Alex Basso (2011)
With such a quality group of 1993 defenseman this year in the OHL, Basso is a guy that gets overlooked. He didn't crack the Under 17 team, but only because the 7 defenseman who did are all outstanding. But Basso is a guy that has impressed me. He can skate, especially with the puck on his stick. And he's got a lot of confidence in his ability to move the puck, he really doesn't hesitate to try and make an offensive play. Defensively, he's learning. Made an error on the first Cody Lindsay goal as he got caught standing still, and Lindsay cut back to the middle of the ice causing Basso to fall and Lindsay to roof it top shelf. But I like his willingness to take the body. In the other times I've seen him this season, he's been eager to throw that open ice hit, especially at the blueline. We'll see how his game progresses as the season goes along.
Shawn Lalonde (CHI)
Had a tremendous game tonight. Was all over the ice creating scoring chances. At the Yardmen arena, he's so effective. That extra space is like gold to him. Very aggressive in bringing the puck up the ice, had several very nice end to end rushes tonight. He made some good pinches too, although because he makes a lot of them he can be prone to getting caught. Scored his goal by joining the rush and picking up a loose puck, only to roof it top shelf as he out waited Petr Mrazek and Tyler Cuma as they went down to block the shot. Made a couple beautiful passes tonight too and creates so well in transition. Defensively, he was mistake free from what I could tell too. Had a couple bad passes in his own zone, but as I said, when you take chances you're bound to make some mistakes. I think he's the perfect defenseman for today's NHL game. We'll see how he does at the Canadian WJC camp. Finished the game with a goal and two assists.
Andy Bathgate (PIT)
I was actually quite excited to see Bathgate tonight. Last time I saw him, he was in quite the slump to the start the season, but he turned it around with an outstanding November (7 goals and 7 assists in 13 games). However, he didn't really do much tonight. Had one nice rush up ice where he made a good pass off to Luke Judson as the side of the net for the open tap in, but Judson fanned on it. Outside of that, I truthfully didn't notice him for the good or the bad.
Kyle DeCoste (TBL)
Averaging a point a game since the trade from Sault Ste. Marie, he trade to Belleville has re-invigorated DeCoste's offensive game. He definitely had an interesting one tonight. It was kind of split into two parts. The first part, which happened in the first two periods. And the second part, which happened in the third period. The first part was ugly...real ugly. Turnover in the defensive zone that led to Joe Carnevale's goal in the second period. Wasn't looking, tried to make a pass across ice and Carnevale picked it off and took it in alone on Grubauer. This turnover happened about 2 minutes before he took a terrible, lazy defensive zone penalty for a hook on Ryan Martindale. Nothing was going his way. In the third period, things changed. He started to become more active on the forecheck and thus was able to make a contribution on the scoresheet by scoring two goals. First one, took a pass from Shawn Lalonde, took it right to the net, faked the pass (getting Mrazek down in the butterfly), and then jammed it under his pads. Second goal was a one time shot off a feed from Adam Payerl to the slot. The thing is, DeCoste needs to remember that at the next level, he's going to have to play that energy, physical, pesky forward role at all times because his offensive skills aren't going to be winning him a job at the NHL level.
Stephen Silas (2010)
I continue to be impressed by Silas. I just think he's a very cool, calm, and collected two way defenseman. The thing I like most is his anticipation of the play and his smarts with and without the puck. Made a couple very nice plays defensively tonight, by simply using his stick. One was off a dump in by Joe Carnevale. Carnevale clearly had Silas beat to the puck, so Silas let him get it first but then chipped it right off his stick and to his defensive partner Alex Basso. While I've seen him play physical in the past, he wasn't tonight. I'm wondering if this could develop into a consistent portion of his game in the future. Offensively, he makes smart, quick passes in transition and he has the ability to rush the puck up ice. Had a nice play to join into the rush as the trailer and put a good shot on net that was stopped by Mrazek. However the shot generated a juicy rebound that sent the 67's back the other way on an odd man rush. However Silas got back to the defensive zone quickly and defused the situation. Quite often with young defenseman, you'll see them get caught up ice in instances like that, but not Silas. I think there is a lot of potential with him.
Alex Aleardi (2010)
Perfect situation for him. Speedy forward meets the big ice. Like the perfect marriage of player to environment. He seems to be getting a lot of playing time in Belleville too. I thought he was excellent tonight. All over the ice on the forecheck and was causing a lot of problems for Ottawa's defense both on the rush and in the zone. While nothing came of his chances, the writing seems to be on the wall for increased offensive production (even if he hasn't shown it yet). I'm not sure he's an NHL draft prospect quite yet, but in the future if his hands can catch up to his skating ability (similar to the way Alex Friesen's have this season in Niagara), he'll be on someone's radar.
Phil Grubauer (2010)
Despite taking the loss, I thought Grubauer played a good game tonight. Got hung out to dry by his defense a few times and ended up giving up goals on the play. Two other shots beat him just below the crossbar, perfectly placed. He made some big saves tonight to keep his team in the game. Like Mrazek, he made some big saves off point blank opportunities in the slot. He challenged the shooter, made the save and managed to give up few rebounds. Like Mrazek, he's also an athletic goaltender who has the ability to make the acrobatic save. Despite the fact that two shots beat him upstairs tonight, I think he's actually got an excellent glove hand which was on display in the game with two very good glove saves off slap shots in close. Grubauer is right in there with the likes of Mrazek, Anderson, Visentin and O'Hagan for that top OHL goaltender for 2010. He made 29 of 33 saves and took the loss.
Thoughts?
It was actually a very entertaining game. While Belleville never had the lead in this one, they showed a lot of heart by climbing back to tie the game twice before giving up the game winning goal with 37 seconds to go in regulation. The game saw the match up of two 2010 eligible goaltenders, both imports. Of course I'm talking about Petr Mrazek of Ottawa (and the Czech Republic), and Phil Grubauer of Belleville (and of Germany). Both goalies were excellent in the game and made a lot of quality, point blank saves. In the end, it was Belleville's inability to get the puck out of their end that cost them the game. Turnovers in their own end led to 2 of the 4 Ottawa goals, including the game winner.
Some individual player thoughts:
Ottawa 67's
Tyler Toffoli (2010)
Came into this game red hot, riding a 6 game point streak where he had put up 16 points in that span. But he was surprisingly quiet in this one. He made a couple of nice plays off the rush to generate scoring chances. Had a really good scoring chance himself by sneaking past the Belleville defense and taking a pass in the slot, but couldn't get enough on the one timed shot to beat Grubauer, shooting it right into his chest. On the negative, it seemed like he might be trying to do too much with the puck. In a way, I felt like he played a bit of a selfish game, turning the puck over a few times by trying to make one too many moves or by holding on to it too long. But then again, a player coming in as red hot as Toffoli is going to be playing with a lot of confidence and be looking to try and create. I'm just saying I think he needs to be a bit smarter in doing so. I keep trying to catch Toffoli on a good game, but I've yet to do so. It's obvious he's having them, I just need to see it for myself.
Anthony Nigro (STL)
Whenever I see Nigro with the 67's, I'm always so shocked at how different a player he's become in Ottawa. In Guelph he was a forecheck and cycle machine, a guy who generated his scoring chances by outworking the defense in the offensive zone. In Ottawa, he's become a much different offensive player; one that generates his offense primarily off the rush and on the drive to the net. Not necessarily a bad thing, but just an observation. Nigro had a very solid game tonight. Scored a beauty of a goal in the 2nd period to open the scoring. Took a pass in the slot, lost control of it momentarily on the backhand but managed to spin around and fire it home on the forehand with a top shelf wrister just under the cross bar. Earlier in the game, he created a very nice opportunity to score for Cody Lindsay but using the toe drag on the way to the net to draw the ire of the 67 defenseman, only to pass the puck to a streaking Lindsay who fanned on the shot, allowing Grubauer enough time to get over and make the save. Nigro also had the primary assist on the game winning goal by Lindsay. Thomas Nesbitt stole the puck along the boards, put it to Nigro who then slipped it to Lindsay alone in front of the net for the shot five hole. Was a tic-tac-toe play that showcased some excellent playmaking ability from Nigro. Considering all the different sides he's shown in the OHL, I do wonder which one is the Nigro we'll see at the next level.
Julien Demers (SJ)
Truthfully, I didn't really notice Demers tonight. And I think that's a good thing. A quality defensive defenseman, I think he got caught up with trying to do too much offensively at the beginning of the season and as a result he struggled (injuries played a part too). When Demers is at his best, he's playing the body, quietly effectively defensively and making quick passes in the defensive end. And he did that tonight.
Tyler Cuma (MIN)
First off, obviously the biggest news of the day is his omission from the Canadian WJC tryout camp (TSN has an excellent piece on Cuma's disappoint here). To his credit, and he admits this himself in the TSN article, I think he's been playing a lot better hockey the past month or so (obviously correlated with Ottawa's improvements in recent weeks). Defensively, he was a stud tonight. Nobody from Belleville was able to get past him tonight, and playing on the big ice, that speaks volumes to his skating ability and mobility. He took the body hard too, really rubbing out a Belleville player along the boards (I can't remember who exactly)...although he took a boarding penalty on the play. Nice to see him playing inspired physical defensive hockey though. On the downside...I think he's still struggling with his confidence offensively and with the puck. Looks hesitant to rush the puck up ice and when the puck hits his stick, he's quick to dish it off. Evidence of this was his near costly delay of game penalty in the third period that allowed Kyle DeCoste to tie the game at 3. Before his injury, Cuma was a very capable puck rushing defenseman and a guy who showed flashes of being a very capable two way defenseman. Since, his offensive production has really slipped and I think it's directly related to confidence and timing. I do think it's only a matter of time before he gets it back though. Once he becomes comfortable again defensively and things start becoming a little more automatic, I'm sure we'll see his passes become more crisp. And I'm sure we'll see him take more chances on the rush.
Ryan Martindale (2010)
I thought Martindale played an OK game, probably better than Toffoli was tonight. With Dalton Smith out of the line up (apparent upper body injury, but not serious), these two played a TON tonight; this had to be taxing on them. While he was fairly invisible offensively tonight, the one thing I do really like about Martindale is that he's able to get his shot off in traffic. He does well to use his size to give him a bit of time and space to shoot. I think this bodes really well for his production at the next level, even if his skating needs improvement (which was obvious on the big ice tonight).
Petr Mrazek (2010)
The Czech Import played a heck of a game tonight. With a shutout through the first two periods of this game, he ended up with a 7 period shutout streak. Unfortunately, this was broken in the third when he gave up 3 goals. But this is the third time this season I've been very impressed by Mrazek. He's very athletic, he challenges shooters, he takes away the bottom of the net, and he reacts well to the play. Not sure what else you could ask of a goaltender. Made several point blank saves tonight, all because he was able to cut down the angle by challenging at the top of the blue ice and then held on to the puck and didn't give up a big rebound. The goals that did beat him, he didn't have that much of a chance on, save maybe Kyle DeCoste's first goal where he bit on the pass fake and exposed his five hole on a side of the net opportunity. If anything, I think he needs to commit later to the play, as in the two previous viewings he was scored on in similar fashions by getting him down to the ice on the flop. The 2010 OHL crop of goaltenders is looking like a solid group, however it's also a group without a definitive number 1 candidate. I think Mrazek has the potential to seize that top spot, if he can continue to get playing time. He made 34 of 37 saves for the victory.
Belleville Bulls
Bjorn Krupp (MIN)
Not a good night for Bjorn Krupp. Then again, I don't think I've ever seen him have a good one. Bulls fans, help me out here? He does have good ones right? I will come out and say that Krupp has potential as a stay at home defenseman. He handles forwards on the rush quite well and is hard to get around. He made a very nice defensive play on Cody Lindsay as he tried to get by him and take the puck to the net. Krupp knocked the puck away with his stick first and then knocked Lindsay to the ice shortly after. It's his play with the puck that's just atrocious. He's a complete liability on the ice with the puck on his stick. Two turnovers led to Ottawa goals tonight. And not just that, I'm not sure he hit a single Belleville forward with a crisp pass up ice. The first turnover was on a brutal clearing attempt in the second period. It was knocked down by an Ottawa forward, only to be stolen back again by Kyle DeCoste, only to have him give it away to Joe Carnevale for the goal. But the original turnover that led to the goal was Krupp's. The game winning goal was worse. Krupp tried to carry the puck out from behind his net, lost control, panicked and fired a weak clear off the boards that was intercepted by Thomas Nesbitt, who then fed Nigro who then fed Lindsay to the back of the net. I don't want to sound harsh, but professional hockey players would eat Krupp alive on the forecheck. He makes Wade Belak look like Sidney Crosby. But there is hope, his defensive awareness and ability is solid, he just needs to drastically improve his play with the puck.
Alex Basso (2011)
With such a quality group of 1993 defenseman this year in the OHL, Basso is a guy that gets overlooked. He didn't crack the Under 17 team, but only because the 7 defenseman who did are all outstanding. But Basso is a guy that has impressed me. He can skate, especially with the puck on his stick. And he's got a lot of confidence in his ability to move the puck, he really doesn't hesitate to try and make an offensive play. Defensively, he's learning. Made an error on the first Cody Lindsay goal as he got caught standing still, and Lindsay cut back to the middle of the ice causing Basso to fall and Lindsay to roof it top shelf. But I like his willingness to take the body. In the other times I've seen him this season, he's been eager to throw that open ice hit, especially at the blueline. We'll see how his game progresses as the season goes along.
Shawn Lalonde (CHI)
Had a tremendous game tonight. Was all over the ice creating scoring chances. At the Yardmen arena, he's so effective. That extra space is like gold to him. Very aggressive in bringing the puck up the ice, had several very nice end to end rushes tonight. He made some good pinches too, although because he makes a lot of them he can be prone to getting caught. Scored his goal by joining the rush and picking up a loose puck, only to roof it top shelf as he out waited Petr Mrazek and Tyler Cuma as they went down to block the shot. Made a couple beautiful passes tonight too and creates so well in transition. Defensively, he was mistake free from what I could tell too. Had a couple bad passes in his own zone, but as I said, when you take chances you're bound to make some mistakes. I think he's the perfect defenseman for today's NHL game. We'll see how he does at the Canadian WJC camp. Finished the game with a goal and two assists.
Andy Bathgate (PIT)
I was actually quite excited to see Bathgate tonight. Last time I saw him, he was in quite the slump to the start the season, but he turned it around with an outstanding November (7 goals and 7 assists in 13 games). However, he didn't really do much tonight. Had one nice rush up ice where he made a good pass off to Luke Judson as the side of the net for the open tap in, but Judson fanned on it. Outside of that, I truthfully didn't notice him for the good or the bad.
Kyle DeCoste (TBL)
Averaging a point a game since the trade from Sault Ste. Marie, he trade to Belleville has re-invigorated DeCoste's offensive game. He definitely had an interesting one tonight. It was kind of split into two parts. The first part, which happened in the first two periods. And the second part, which happened in the third period. The first part was ugly...real ugly. Turnover in the defensive zone that led to Joe Carnevale's goal in the second period. Wasn't looking, tried to make a pass across ice and Carnevale picked it off and took it in alone on Grubauer. This turnover happened about 2 minutes before he took a terrible, lazy defensive zone penalty for a hook on Ryan Martindale. Nothing was going his way. In the third period, things changed. He started to become more active on the forecheck and thus was able to make a contribution on the scoresheet by scoring two goals. First one, took a pass from Shawn Lalonde, took it right to the net, faked the pass (getting Mrazek down in the butterfly), and then jammed it under his pads. Second goal was a one time shot off a feed from Adam Payerl to the slot. The thing is, DeCoste needs to remember that at the next level, he's going to have to play that energy, physical, pesky forward role at all times because his offensive skills aren't going to be winning him a job at the NHL level.
Stephen Silas (2010)
I continue to be impressed by Silas. I just think he's a very cool, calm, and collected two way defenseman. The thing I like most is his anticipation of the play and his smarts with and without the puck. Made a couple very nice plays defensively tonight, by simply using his stick. One was off a dump in by Joe Carnevale. Carnevale clearly had Silas beat to the puck, so Silas let him get it first but then chipped it right off his stick and to his defensive partner Alex Basso. While I've seen him play physical in the past, he wasn't tonight. I'm wondering if this could develop into a consistent portion of his game in the future. Offensively, he makes smart, quick passes in transition and he has the ability to rush the puck up ice. Had a nice play to join into the rush as the trailer and put a good shot on net that was stopped by Mrazek. However the shot generated a juicy rebound that sent the 67's back the other way on an odd man rush. However Silas got back to the defensive zone quickly and defused the situation. Quite often with young defenseman, you'll see them get caught up ice in instances like that, but not Silas. I think there is a lot of potential with him.
Alex Aleardi (2010)
Perfect situation for him. Speedy forward meets the big ice. Like the perfect marriage of player to environment. He seems to be getting a lot of playing time in Belleville too. I thought he was excellent tonight. All over the ice on the forecheck and was causing a lot of problems for Ottawa's defense both on the rush and in the zone. While nothing came of his chances, the writing seems to be on the wall for increased offensive production (even if he hasn't shown it yet). I'm not sure he's an NHL draft prospect quite yet, but in the future if his hands can catch up to his skating ability (similar to the way Alex Friesen's have this season in Niagara), he'll be on someone's radar.
Phil Grubauer (2010)
Despite taking the loss, I thought Grubauer played a good game tonight. Got hung out to dry by his defense a few times and ended up giving up goals on the play. Two other shots beat him just below the crossbar, perfectly placed. He made some big saves tonight to keep his team in the game. Like Mrazek, he made some big saves off point blank opportunities in the slot. He challenged the shooter, made the save and managed to give up few rebounds. Like Mrazek, he's also an athletic goaltender who has the ability to make the acrobatic save. Despite the fact that two shots beat him upstairs tonight, I think he's actually got an excellent glove hand which was on display in the game with two very good glove saves off slap shots in close. Grubauer is right in there with the likes of Mrazek, Anderson, Visentin and O'Hagan for that top OHL goaltender for 2010. He made 29 of 33 saves and took the loss.
Thoughts?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Ryan Yessie's Thoughts on Belleville and Sarnia from October 9
Sarnia's rookies put on an outstanding performance as they score five 2nd period goals to dismantle the Belleville Bulls 9-4.
Bjorn Krupp - #4 - D - YOB: 1991 - 6’3” - 195lbs.
NHL: Signed by Minnesota as a Free Agent in 2009
Report: Oct/9/09: Krupp looks A LOT bigger than last year, however he is the same old player. Really disappears during the game, plays decently in his own zone, still does not hit nearly as much as someone his size should. Personally I’m a little surprised Minnesota used an entry level free agent contract on Krupp. He has the intangibles to be a potential NHL stay at home defenceman but there’s other 1991’s out there with far more upside.
(Krupp was a -2)
Stephen Johnston - #10 - C - YOB: 1990 - 6’1” - 190lbs.
NHL: 6th Round - 181st Overall by Detroit in 2008
Report: Oct/9/09: Johnston once again was not an impact player in the Belleville/Sarnia game, however he was as usual steady. He’s a great skating forward, who does a good job in his own zone, and is willing to initiate as well as take contact to make the play. He will have a tough time in Detroit with players like Abdelkader and Helm playing a more prominent role with fairly similar games, but Johnston could find himself a spot in the NHL on someone’s 3rd line, but it’s becoming more and more apparent if Johnston makes it, it’ll be as an energy/PK specialist type role.
(Johnston was a +1 w/ 2PIM)
Shawn Lalonde - #9 - D - YOB: 1990 - 6‘1” - 195lbs.
NHL: 3rd Round - 68th Overall by Chicago in 2008
Report: Oct/9/09: Lalonde played outstanding tonight offensively. He is a very smooth slick skater out there, and looks a lot bigger than 6’1” - 195 out there. He looked a lot like John Carlson from London last year the way he carried the puck up the ice at times, and would pinch in from the point at the right time. He has a blast from the point, and a very quick and accurate wrist shot, which is how he scored his goal tonight. Offensively Lalonde has everything you’d look for an in offensive defenceman, with above average size than most of your speedy puck moving defencemen. Defensively he looked like he was willing to hit when the situation called for it, defensively he didn’t look like anything special but wasn’t a burden to his team either. I’ve been really impressed with how much Lalonde has developed over the last 2 years.
(Lalonde had 1G, -1)
Stephen Silas - #26 - D - YOB: 1992 - 6‘0” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/9/09: Silas is a defenceman I’m pretty high on going into this draft. You look at his points and how he looks on the ice and you’d think offensive defenceman, and you’d be right, but I think a lot like former Sting defenceman Mark Katic; Silas gets unfairly labeled and judged based on his offensive contributions. Silas made multiple solid defensive plays, and only gave up defensive positioning at opportune times, he didn’t cause any mistakes that lead to a breakaway or any goals. Silas is a smooth skater, and willing to carry the puck, but passes it off at intelligent times. He looks mature beyond his years and plays every shift to the end. Silas took on Miro Preisinger in a fight, Preisinger who is built pretty solidly, and has already shown well in another fight did seem to do more damage, but Silas who is not really regarded as much of a fighter at all hung in and held his own against a very tough opponent.
(Silas had 1A, -2, 7PIM)
Matthew Tipoff - #27 - LW - YOB: 1990 - 6‘0” - 190lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/9/09: Tipoff could arguably be the best player on the Belleville Bulls based on his performance tonight, and his track record based on this season so far. Tipoff plays with a very high energy hitting anything that moved, and skating very well. Tipoff carried the puck, but instead of a lot of players that carry it across the blueline he would go after advantageous positioning in order to set up a scoring chance rather than throwing it at the net. His puck protection is great for someone who isn’t particularly big. Tipoff did release a few shots and he did appear to have a quick release. I could really see this guy ending up like an Alex Burrows type player with a little less physicality, and without the fighting, I could really see him playing an energy line type role but still producing points. Tipoff was critical on the PK despite Sarnia scoring twice with him on the ice. He never seems to leave during PK time, and really prevented a few goals from going in. I was huge on him after seeing him play last year, and my opinions only get better on him after his performance at the RBC Center this season.
(Tipoff had 2A, +0)
Philipp Grubauer - #33 - G - YOB: 1990 - 6‘0” - 180lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/9/09: Grubauer was pulled after giving up 4 goals on 24 shots, but honestly Grubauer couldn’t have been held responsible for any of those goals. All of Sarnia’s goals on him were passing plays where any goaltender would have been scored on, and one was a rebound. Grubauer showed great positioning, and was always in an ideal spot to make the save. Rebounds were few and far between despite getting burned on one of them. This game easily could have been 6 or 7-0 after the first if it wasn’t for Grubauer, and after 20 minutes it looked like Grubauer was going to steal this game. That wasn’t the case after the explosion of offense in the second period. Grubauer really didn’t look like he let the goals phase him even with a 2-1 or 3-1 score he came out and made a big save right after the goals. Very quick glove hand and kicked the pads out quickly as well. Like I said the stats can’t really explain his performance and he may be one of those goaltenders who doesn’t have great statistics that gets picked higher than those that do, based on scouts seeing things like what I saw today. Very impressed with Grubauer.
(Grubauer stopped 20 of 24 shots)
Nathan Chiarlitti - #5 - D - YOB: 1992 - 6‘0” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/9/09: This was quite possibly the best game of Chiarlitti’s career. He was his usual poised self defensively doing a great job stopping the offense, especially getting involved in the corners battling for loose pucks. Chiarlitti is very good defensively, but he’s not one for a lot of action in front of the net, his best area’s are either in the corners, behind the net or taking on the winger coming off the boards. Offensively Chiarlitti has shown a very solid and accurate wrist shot from the point, in which he used to score his second goal of the season tonight. He moved the puck well up the ice in transition which lead to him helping break out Ben O’Quinn and Jesse Stoughton for a shorthanded goal. Chiarlitti is not a guy who stands out on a game to game basis, but is always solid, reliable and is starting to show off his offensive assets. Chiarlitti is an average skater, but if he can either become more physical or quicker on his feet he should establish himself as a sure fire prospect in the 2010 draft.
(Chiarlitti had 1G, 1A, +3, 4PIM, named 1st Star of the game)
Brandon Alderson - #18 - RW - YOB: 1992 - 6‘4” - 195lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Report: Oct/9/09: This may have been Alderson’s best game of the year that I’ve seen. There’s the good and the bad, however as a rookie the bad is more along the lines of something he just needs to improve on. Alderson apparently doesn’t fight as he’s had several opportunities to, but outside the rough stuff he reminds me a lot of what a young Brandon Mashinter brought to the team. Alderson goes right to the net and establishes himself there, that is how he scored one of this two goals tonight. He is very difficult to move and if he can add 15-20 lbs to his frame he'd be a force. He was good along the boards and threw a few good hits, but overall he’s still being considered a little soft, and if he developed a mean streak he could become a lot more valuable as a hockey player. Alderson’s skating desperately needs to be improved, especially someone at his size it’ll be essential for him to become a better skater and get bigger. Alderson has shown he has good hands and has used them in tight areas, as well as unleashing a solid wrist shot to score a second goal on the night. Alderson could be labeled a project in terms of being an NHL prospect. He has a lot to work on, but has the hands and the size to be a player to watch over the next few years. If he develops his skating to an acceptable level for a prospect by the time he’s an overager he could become somewhat of a less physical/fighter but more offensive upside version of Brandon Mashinter.
(Alderson had 2G, +2, 2PIM)
RY
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thoughts on Oshawa and Belleville from October 14
Nothing like some good ol' Wednesday night OHL action and tonight I was able to catch the Oshawa Generals take on the Belleville Bulls on the Olympic ice surface at the Yardmen Arena.
First time I've seen Belleville this year and the second time I've seen Oshawa. It was a pretty entertaining game, albeit a bit of a sloppy one. The Generals went on to win the game by a score of 5-3 and have now entered into a tie with Kingston and Peterborough for first in the East Division. This was a huge win for Oshawa as they were without their best player, Calvin de Haan, as he was at home due to the death in the family. Oshawa has a really interesting team this year. They've got a lot of heart and spunk. They play the game very hard and they really attack the puck in your end. With no real true offensive stars, they are getting scoring from a collection of players (9 already with 3 or more goals). More interestingly, the Gens have been finding success without good goaltending. With Michael Zador posting back to back good games, perhaps they've found the answer and can really start to go on a bit of a run.
As for Belleville, as expected by many, I think it's going to be a really long year for them. I've read that George Burnett wanted to give it to around the quarter mark of the season before he started to make moves regarding the teams direction this season (for example the trading of players like Shawn Lalonde). Were getting close to around that area and I think Burnett has to be getting a sense that this year might be a bit of a write off. Nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. The high and low runs in the standings from year to year is a natural occurrence in the OHL. The biggest problem for Belleville has been the lack of progress from their younger players. With the exception of a few (Silar, Grubauer, Tipoff), the younger players (1991 and 1992 players) who needed to play larger roles this season have failed in doing so. Stephen Johnston, Luke Judson, Andy Bathgate, Brett Mackie, Cody Alcock, and Scott Howe have combined for a total of 7 goals this year. This has been the biggest reason for the Bulls anemic offense this year (second last in goals per game at 2.8). In a sense, this has to be concerning for Bulls fans because these will be the same players expected to lead the team back to prominence next year. If they fail to show progression this year, who's to say next year will be any different? Maybe these guys just aren't very good. Perhaps early to be making an assumption like that, but Bulls fans, would you be lying if you said that hadn't crossed your mind?
Alright on to the player reports...
Oshawa Generals
Scott Valentine (ANA)
I like what I see from Valentine again. I like his fearless and aggressive play in the defensive end. He needs to be careful with taking himself out of position going for the hit, but he has the skating ability to generally recover. He did a phenomenal job on defense on two occasions. One where the speedy Brett Mackie tried to fly by him down the wing. Valentine stayed with him all the way, guided him to the boards and absolutely obliterated him to the ground, forcing a turnover. On the second play, he recovered from a mistake on the powerplay where he overhandled the puck and turned it over at the line. But he hurried back, caught up to the puck carrier just passed the redline and eliminated him from the puck turning play back up ice for the Generals. This saved a breakaway and showed great determination and skating ability. I also like the way he plays offensively. Quietly but effectively. He's capable of moving the puck up ice, although I'm not sure he's comfortable rushing it up. I like his potential as a quality rugged NHL defenseman. He finished with 2 assists tonight.
Tony DeHart (2010, but 1990 born)
DeHart's point streak to start the season was broken, but he didn't play poorly. Without his DE-fensive partner (see what I did there) Calvin de Haan, he still logged a ton of ice time. He's not really a noticeable guy on the ice and I mean that as a compliment. He doesn't really make mistakes defensively, he's smart with the puck and he does a really good job of quarterbacking the powerplay. He's not going to wow you with an end to end rush, and he's not going to level a guy with a bone crushing hit. He seems to just play a very quiet, but effective game from the back end. With good size, perhaps his level headed game earns him some NHL glares.
Daniel Pachis (2010, but 1991 born)
Once a first round OHL selection in 2007 (by Saginaw), Pachis was considered to have a lot of promise in this league. But then he injured his knee in the 2008 playoffs and missed the majority of last season. Now he's playing for Oshawa and is getting a lot of playing time. As his confidence slowly returns, I think he's going to develop into a dangerous player in this league. Pachis was very strong tonight. Set up 2 goals beautifully tonight and nearly a third. On the first one, he split the Bulls line of defense (skating by Shawn Lalonde, no easy task), and got a shot on net that generated a juicy rebound for Alain Berger, who put it home. On the second goal, he received a pass from Scott Valentine as he skated in full stride, got knocked off the puck but managed to make a beautiful one hand pass to Nick Esposto for the one time goal. On the play that didn't create a goal, he turned Bjorn Krupp inside out on his way to the net and created a scoring chance in close that couldn't be buried. He really seems to have a knack for creativity and playmaking. I'm interested to see how he develops this year after missing so much time in crucial development periods. He finished with 2 assists.
Christian Thomas (2010)
The last time I saw him play I stated that I didn't think he had the goal scoring touch that his father did. I lied. His first goal tonight was a pure goal scorer's goal. Flying down the wing, using the defender as a screen and absolutely roofed a laser of a wrist shot just under the bar. A great shot. Thomas was very solid all night. He's little, but he's got a great center of balance and is really hard to push off the puck. He's always got that motor running too. More and more, he's starting to become a dangerous player every time he's on the ice. Thomas finished with that goal.
Michael Zador (TBL)
After a real tough start to the season, Zador has been lights out lately. In his last three games, he's got a 3-0 record with a .948 SV% and a 1.67 GAA. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a great stretch for Zador, and a great season. He has been inconsistent in the past though. Outside of a really terrible goal by Michael Curtis (on a dump shot from the blueline that went up his stick and into the net), Zador was quite solid tonight. He's a very athletic goaltender who moves very well laterally and is able to make the acrobatic save. He's definitely a pure butterfly goaltender who likes to make the save from his knees. He has some things he needs to work on though at the technical level, and perhaps they help to explain his consistency problems. He gives out a lot of juicy rebounds, of which the Gens defense did a great job of clearing. He needs to do a better job of controlling the puck with his pads and taking it into his body. He also tends to flop a little bit. On the Matt Tipoff goal, Zador was baited to go down with a shot hesitation and Tipoff put it over top of him while he was laying on the ice. There is definitely potential there with Zador though. He made 34 of 37 saves for the victory.
Belleville Bulls
Bjorn Krupp (MIN)
I wasn't surprised to see Krupp fail to get drafted in 2009. I was surprised when he received a contract from the Minnesota Wild at their training camp. I'm sorry, but if this guy's last name wasn't Krupp, he'd be getting no attention (and this coming from a guy who was a huge fan of Uwe growing up). There are three dozen available defenseman in the OHL who are better than Krupp, yet do not have the opportunity he's been presented with. In the first period he coughed the puck up twice in his own zone trying to make a pass over the blueline, and he also got turned inside out by Daniel Pachis on a rush as he got caught playing the puck and not the man. Now granted he settled down in the second and third periods, but he's playing on the third defensive pairing of a rebuilding team and he's got a team low -11 rating. If he's going to continue to struggle with the puck, he's going to have to do a better job of playing defense and taking the man. I just don't see it, but to each their own (or Wild's own since it's obvious 29 other teams didn't see it either).
Shawn Lalonde (CHI)
Do you want the positive or the negative first? How about I combine them? On the positive, few defenders in the OHL can rush the puck up ice like Lalonde. His skating ability and confidence with the puck is tremendous. The thing I've always really liked about Lalonde's game is that he actually makes something of his rushes. It always bugs me when defenders (with Lalonde's skill set) bring the puck effortlessly up ice, but then just dump it in rather than continue over the blueline and help set up shop in the offensive zone. Lalonde has the confidence to continue his rushes. On the negative side, he needs to do it less. It feels like every time he carries the puck up ice, it's like he has to make something of it even if he has to force it. And when he does gain access to the offensive zone, he doesn't return fast enough to the defensive end. He needs to be a lot smarter in making these decisions and realize he's a defender first and foremost. On the positive, his shot from the back end is lethal and creates many scoring chances. On the powerplay especially, he does a tremendous job of getting open to unleash it. Two of Belleville's goals were scored off of Lalonde's point shots tonight. On the negative, he needs to make better decisions with the puck, especially on the powerplay. Because of poor passes or forced attempts, Lalonde's sloppiness led to 3 shorthanded odd man rushes during the game. Luckily enough, none led to goals, however one did lead to a forced penalty by Lalonde in order to prevent a goal and this negated a Bulls powerplay. On the positive, he can be an very effective one on one defender, especially using his speed to stay with forwards. On the negative, he rarely puts himself in position to play defense. On Daniel Pachis' first rush where he broke through the Bulls defensive line, Lalonde was caught standing there watching. Then he failed to hurry back to the zone to pick up the trailer and Alain Berger put in a rebound. Now don't get me wrong, I like Lalonde as a player and a prospect. I think he's just trying to do too much right now with so much talent leaving Belleville this year.
Andy Bathgate (PIT)
Completely invisible in a bad way. Had a hard time handling passes, was failing to win battles in the corners, seemed tentative to enter danger areas. On one occasion he failed to take a pass out of the defensive end, almost because it looked like he was afraid of getting hit (since it was a bit of a suicide pass). But it led to a turnover and a scoring chance for Oshawa. After having trouble with injuries, is it possible he's playing tentative in fear of getting injured again? I generally liked what I saw from him last year, but in tonight's game (and from what I've heard all year) he was quite brutal.
Steven Strong (2011)
A 4th round pick of Belleville in 2009, I liked Strong's game tonight. An averaged sized defenseman, he showed no fear on the ice. He threw a couple nice hits and played a generally very strong defensive game. He looks like he can move the puck up ice too and made smart decisions with the puck. Wasn't really a guy I went into the game looking for, but came out noticing. The only player to finish with a plus rating for Belleville.
Stephen Silas (2010)
If I hadn't made it clear by listing him in my early top 10 for 2010 (as part of my top 30), I'm a big fan of this kid's game. I almost felt bad for him tonight as Lalonde's carelessness with the puck led to several odd man rushes against him, including a 2 on 0 that he had to break up. I think he's the complete package. Defensively, he's very sound positionally. He's not the biggest, but he manages to win all his battles in the corner by gaining position on forwards and getting the puck out. I also like that he's willing to use his body from time to time. He'll catch you with your head down every once in a while, which tells me has a bit of a mean streak. Once he gets stronger, I could see him developing that more at the defensive end. Offensively, he makes the smart play, whether it be a pass or a pinch. I think his pairing with Lalonde has somewhat limited his offensive capabilities in that he's not getting to rush the puck as much as he's capable of. This kid is a star.
Matthew Tipoff (2010, but 1990 born)
About the only Bulls forward creating offense tonight (and pretty much all season it seems). And as he should be, as a late 1990 born playing in his fourth season. If only all of Belleville's forwards had taken the step forward that Tipoff has. He buzzes around the ice, uses speed down the wing to take the puck to the net. He's willing to go to the net for a loose puck and he shows patience and skill with the puck on his stick. Scored a nice goal by out waiting Michael Zador to the ice and putting the puck over top of him. I wonder if he becomes a trade piece for the Bulls, should they decide to fully rebuild. He finished with a goal and an assist.
Philipp Grubauer (2010)
Was impressed by Grubauer tonight. I think he's made some great strides this year and does seem to be playing well. His defense left him hung out to try a lot tonight and he did a good job to keep them in the game. First goal he didn't have a chance on (Thomas'); perfect shot. Second goal was a redirect off his defenseman's back; no chance. Third goal was a juicy rebound off a two on one, but it was an awkward save and his defenseman (Lalonde) didn't pick up the trailer on the play; again no chance really. Fourth goal, a one timer off that beautiful pass by Pachis. That's four goals which he had little chance to stop. He did a good job of controlling his rebounds. He attacks the shooter and challenges them at the top of the blue ice. He's athletic and can go post to post with the splits. I like him and hope that playing on a poor team doesn't hurt his draft standing too much. He stopped 34 of 38 shots and took the loss.
Anyone have any thoughts on the game?
First time I've seen Belleville this year and the second time I've seen Oshawa. It was a pretty entertaining game, albeit a bit of a sloppy one. The Generals went on to win the game by a score of 5-3 and have now entered into a tie with Kingston and Peterborough for first in the East Division. This was a huge win for Oshawa as they were without their best player, Calvin de Haan, as he was at home due to the death in the family. Oshawa has a really interesting team this year. They've got a lot of heart and spunk. They play the game very hard and they really attack the puck in your end. With no real true offensive stars, they are getting scoring from a collection of players (9 already with 3 or more goals). More interestingly, the Gens have been finding success without good goaltending. With Michael Zador posting back to back good games, perhaps they've found the answer and can really start to go on a bit of a run.
As for Belleville, as expected by many, I think it's going to be a really long year for them. I've read that George Burnett wanted to give it to around the quarter mark of the season before he started to make moves regarding the teams direction this season (for example the trading of players like Shawn Lalonde). Were getting close to around that area and I think Burnett has to be getting a sense that this year might be a bit of a write off. Nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. The high and low runs in the standings from year to year is a natural occurrence in the OHL. The biggest problem for Belleville has been the lack of progress from their younger players. With the exception of a few (Silar, Grubauer, Tipoff), the younger players (1991 and 1992 players) who needed to play larger roles this season have failed in doing so. Stephen Johnston, Luke Judson, Andy Bathgate, Brett Mackie, Cody Alcock, and Scott Howe have combined for a total of 7 goals this year. This has been the biggest reason for the Bulls anemic offense this year (second last in goals per game at 2.8). In a sense, this has to be concerning for Bulls fans because these will be the same players expected to lead the team back to prominence next year. If they fail to show progression this year, who's to say next year will be any different? Maybe these guys just aren't very good. Perhaps early to be making an assumption like that, but Bulls fans, would you be lying if you said that hadn't crossed your mind?
Alright on to the player reports...
Oshawa Generals
Scott Valentine (ANA)
I like what I see from Valentine again. I like his fearless and aggressive play in the defensive end. He needs to be careful with taking himself out of position going for the hit, but he has the skating ability to generally recover. He did a phenomenal job on defense on two occasions. One where the speedy Brett Mackie tried to fly by him down the wing. Valentine stayed with him all the way, guided him to the boards and absolutely obliterated him to the ground, forcing a turnover. On the second play, he recovered from a mistake on the powerplay where he overhandled the puck and turned it over at the line. But he hurried back, caught up to the puck carrier just passed the redline and eliminated him from the puck turning play back up ice for the Generals. This saved a breakaway and showed great determination and skating ability. I also like the way he plays offensively. Quietly but effectively. He's capable of moving the puck up ice, although I'm not sure he's comfortable rushing it up. I like his potential as a quality rugged NHL defenseman. He finished with 2 assists tonight.
Tony DeHart (2010, but 1990 born)
DeHart's point streak to start the season was broken, but he didn't play poorly. Without his DE-fensive partner (see what I did there) Calvin de Haan, he still logged a ton of ice time. He's not really a noticeable guy on the ice and I mean that as a compliment. He doesn't really make mistakes defensively, he's smart with the puck and he does a really good job of quarterbacking the powerplay. He's not going to wow you with an end to end rush, and he's not going to level a guy with a bone crushing hit. He seems to just play a very quiet, but effective game from the back end. With good size, perhaps his level headed game earns him some NHL glares.
Daniel Pachis (2010, but 1991 born)
Once a first round OHL selection in 2007 (by Saginaw), Pachis was considered to have a lot of promise in this league. But then he injured his knee in the 2008 playoffs and missed the majority of last season. Now he's playing for Oshawa and is getting a lot of playing time. As his confidence slowly returns, I think he's going to develop into a dangerous player in this league. Pachis was very strong tonight. Set up 2 goals beautifully tonight and nearly a third. On the first one, he split the Bulls line of defense (skating by Shawn Lalonde, no easy task), and got a shot on net that generated a juicy rebound for Alain Berger, who put it home. On the second goal, he received a pass from Scott Valentine as he skated in full stride, got knocked off the puck but managed to make a beautiful one hand pass to Nick Esposto for the one time goal. On the play that didn't create a goal, he turned Bjorn Krupp inside out on his way to the net and created a scoring chance in close that couldn't be buried. He really seems to have a knack for creativity and playmaking. I'm interested to see how he develops this year after missing so much time in crucial development periods. He finished with 2 assists.
Christian Thomas (2010)
The last time I saw him play I stated that I didn't think he had the goal scoring touch that his father did. I lied. His first goal tonight was a pure goal scorer's goal. Flying down the wing, using the defender as a screen and absolutely roofed a laser of a wrist shot just under the bar. A great shot. Thomas was very solid all night. He's little, but he's got a great center of balance and is really hard to push off the puck. He's always got that motor running too. More and more, he's starting to become a dangerous player every time he's on the ice. Thomas finished with that goal.
Michael Zador (TBL)
After a real tough start to the season, Zador has been lights out lately. In his last three games, he's got a 3-0 record with a .948 SV% and a 1.67 GAA. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a great stretch for Zador, and a great season. He has been inconsistent in the past though. Outside of a really terrible goal by Michael Curtis (on a dump shot from the blueline that went up his stick and into the net), Zador was quite solid tonight. He's a very athletic goaltender who moves very well laterally and is able to make the acrobatic save. He's definitely a pure butterfly goaltender who likes to make the save from his knees. He has some things he needs to work on though at the technical level, and perhaps they help to explain his consistency problems. He gives out a lot of juicy rebounds, of which the Gens defense did a great job of clearing. He needs to do a better job of controlling the puck with his pads and taking it into his body. He also tends to flop a little bit. On the Matt Tipoff goal, Zador was baited to go down with a shot hesitation and Tipoff put it over top of him while he was laying on the ice. There is definitely potential there with Zador though. He made 34 of 37 saves for the victory.
Belleville Bulls
Bjorn Krupp (MIN)
I wasn't surprised to see Krupp fail to get drafted in 2009. I was surprised when he received a contract from the Minnesota Wild at their training camp. I'm sorry, but if this guy's last name wasn't Krupp, he'd be getting no attention (and this coming from a guy who was a huge fan of Uwe growing up). There are three dozen available defenseman in the OHL who are better than Krupp, yet do not have the opportunity he's been presented with. In the first period he coughed the puck up twice in his own zone trying to make a pass over the blueline, and he also got turned inside out by Daniel Pachis on a rush as he got caught playing the puck and not the man. Now granted he settled down in the second and third periods, but he's playing on the third defensive pairing of a rebuilding team and he's got a team low -11 rating. If he's going to continue to struggle with the puck, he's going to have to do a better job of playing defense and taking the man. I just don't see it, but to each their own (or Wild's own since it's obvious 29 other teams didn't see it either).
Shawn Lalonde (CHI)
Do you want the positive or the negative first? How about I combine them? On the positive, few defenders in the OHL can rush the puck up ice like Lalonde. His skating ability and confidence with the puck is tremendous. The thing I've always really liked about Lalonde's game is that he actually makes something of his rushes. It always bugs me when defenders (with Lalonde's skill set) bring the puck effortlessly up ice, but then just dump it in rather than continue over the blueline and help set up shop in the offensive zone. Lalonde has the confidence to continue his rushes. On the negative side, he needs to do it less. It feels like every time he carries the puck up ice, it's like he has to make something of it even if he has to force it. And when he does gain access to the offensive zone, he doesn't return fast enough to the defensive end. He needs to be a lot smarter in making these decisions and realize he's a defender first and foremost. On the positive, his shot from the back end is lethal and creates many scoring chances. On the powerplay especially, he does a tremendous job of getting open to unleash it. Two of Belleville's goals were scored off of Lalonde's point shots tonight. On the negative, he needs to make better decisions with the puck, especially on the powerplay. Because of poor passes or forced attempts, Lalonde's sloppiness led to 3 shorthanded odd man rushes during the game. Luckily enough, none led to goals, however one did lead to a forced penalty by Lalonde in order to prevent a goal and this negated a Bulls powerplay. On the positive, he can be an very effective one on one defender, especially using his speed to stay with forwards. On the negative, he rarely puts himself in position to play defense. On Daniel Pachis' first rush where he broke through the Bulls defensive line, Lalonde was caught standing there watching. Then he failed to hurry back to the zone to pick up the trailer and Alain Berger put in a rebound. Now don't get me wrong, I like Lalonde as a player and a prospect. I think he's just trying to do too much right now with so much talent leaving Belleville this year.
Andy Bathgate (PIT)
Completely invisible in a bad way. Had a hard time handling passes, was failing to win battles in the corners, seemed tentative to enter danger areas. On one occasion he failed to take a pass out of the defensive end, almost because it looked like he was afraid of getting hit (since it was a bit of a suicide pass). But it led to a turnover and a scoring chance for Oshawa. After having trouble with injuries, is it possible he's playing tentative in fear of getting injured again? I generally liked what I saw from him last year, but in tonight's game (and from what I've heard all year) he was quite brutal.
Steven Strong (2011)
A 4th round pick of Belleville in 2009, I liked Strong's game tonight. An averaged sized defenseman, he showed no fear on the ice. He threw a couple nice hits and played a generally very strong defensive game. He looks like he can move the puck up ice too and made smart decisions with the puck. Wasn't really a guy I went into the game looking for, but came out noticing. The only player to finish with a plus rating for Belleville.
Stephen Silas (2010)
If I hadn't made it clear by listing him in my early top 10 for 2010 (as part of my top 30), I'm a big fan of this kid's game. I almost felt bad for him tonight as Lalonde's carelessness with the puck led to several odd man rushes against him, including a 2 on 0 that he had to break up. I think he's the complete package. Defensively, he's very sound positionally. He's not the biggest, but he manages to win all his battles in the corner by gaining position on forwards and getting the puck out. I also like that he's willing to use his body from time to time. He'll catch you with your head down every once in a while, which tells me has a bit of a mean streak. Once he gets stronger, I could see him developing that more at the defensive end. Offensively, he makes the smart play, whether it be a pass or a pinch. I think his pairing with Lalonde has somewhat limited his offensive capabilities in that he's not getting to rush the puck as much as he's capable of. This kid is a star.
Matthew Tipoff (2010, but 1990 born)
About the only Bulls forward creating offense tonight (and pretty much all season it seems). And as he should be, as a late 1990 born playing in his fourth season. If only all of Belleville's forwards had taken the step forward that Tipoff has. He buzzes around the ice, uses speed down the wing to take the puck to the net. He's willing to go to the net for a loose puck and he shows patience and skill with the puck on his stick. Scored a nice goal by out waiting Michael Zador to the ice and putting the puck over top of him. I wonder if he becomes a trade piece for the Bulls, should they decide to fully rebuild. He finished with a goal and an assist.
Philipp Grubauer (2010)
Was impressed by Grubauer tonight. I think he's made some great strides this year and does seem to be playing well. His defense left him hung out to try a lot tonight and he did a good job to keep them in the game. First goal he didn't have a chance on (Thomas'); perfect shot. Second goal was a redirect off his defenseman's back; no chance. Third goal was a juicy rebound off a two on one, but it was an awkward save and his defenseman (Lalonde) didn't pick up the trailer on the play; again no chance really. Fourth goal, a one timer off that beautiful pass by Pachis. That's four goals which he had little chance to stop. He did a good job of controlling his rebounds. He attacks the shooter and challenges them at the top of the blue ice. He's athletic and can go post to post with the splits. I like him and hope that playing on a poor team doesn't hurt his draft standing too much. He stopped 34 of 38 shots and took the loss.
Anyone have any thoughts on the game?
Thursday, December 18, 2008
My Thoughts on Belleville from December 18
Last night, the Belleville Bulls defeated the Niagara Ice Dogs 3-2 at home in Belleville. It was a high paced game that saw many scoring chances for each team. The Bulls managed to cling to a third period lead thanks to the remarkable goaltending of Mike Murphy, who made several highlight reel saves en route to preserving the lead and the win.
Again, oddly enough, Ryan was recently able to see Belleville, so one can make comparisons between what we saw.
Bjorn Krupp - NHL Draft Eligible in 2009
I've yet to be impressed with Krupp this season. He was probably at the worst I've seen him tonight. At least in the other times that I had seen him this season, he wasn't impressive because he was invisible. He was unimpressive tonight because he stuck out for the wrong reasons. Had two absolutely terrible giveaways infront of the Belleville net. One where he tried to make a pass from behind the net, but the pass was intercepted. The other where he tried to skate the puck out from behind his net and was driven off the puck by a forechecker. Luckily for him, neither time could Niagara capitalize. A lot of his trouble seems to be stemming from this inability to handle the puck. It's almost as if his confidence in doing so is low and he's making things too difficult for himself. On the plus side, he did make one nice defensive play on a one on one rush where a Niagara forward tried to drive around him, but was rubbed off the puck. In a sense, Krupp showed there why he is at least getting attention from NHL scouts (other than his last name). But in the end, his overall lack of many redeeming playing qualities should severely hold back his draft position. At least if I were drafting, and from the sounds of things Ryan as well, I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole.
Cory Tanaka - Overager and NHL free agent
I think Cory Tanaka is going to get an NHL contract and I'm going to tell you why. He's a tireless forechecker, he's a great skater, he's strong on and off the puck despite his size disadvantage, and he's one of the best penalty killing forwards in the OHL, if not the best. His offensive skills aren't incredible, which is why he doesn't hit the scoresheet that often. But the other intangibles he brings, screams capable 4th liner/depth player. Every NHL team needs guys like Tanaka just as much as they need players who can score. He was all over the ice tonight, scored a goal, and was wearing the C in Eric Tangradi's absence.
Shawn Lalonde - Drafted by Chicago in 2008/68th
Lalonde was great tonight. He generally plays a more reserved game when paired with partner P.K. Subban, so it was great to see him taking more responsibility on offense. He scored on a beautiful end to end rush where he went through the entire Ice Dogs team and roofed it top corner on goaltender Mark Visentin. On this rush, he showed that extra gear and skating ability that he possesses. Defensively, he was rock solid too. He made a couple really nice plays to break up scoring chances, in particular using an active stick to break up a partial 2 on 1. Just a really smart player who I have no doubts will be an NHL'er in some capacity.
Stephen Johnston - Drafted by Detroit in 2008/181st
Despite the fact that he was a team leading -2 on the night and did not hit the scoresheet, he actually played a pretty solid game. Definitely one of the best skaters on the ice, and looks great on the big ice in Belleville. Attempted to drive to the net a few times using his speed on the outside, but ended up getting pushed off the puck. I think his strength is currently holding him back from being more involved on a consistent basis. I think he's still a really raw player who's only using his speed to try and generate offense as of now. But as he gets stronger and plays a larger role on the team, I think we'll see those offensive numbers climb because he has skill and he's not afraid to get his nose dirty.
Luke Judson - NHL Draft Eligible in 2009
I had never really noticed this guy before when seeing Belleville, but I thought he looked great on a line with Stephen Johnston. He matched Johnston's speed step for step, but was more successful in using his body to prevent defenders from getting to the puck. He was also aggressive on the forecheck and took the body a few times. Considering he's not getting a lot of playing time right now on a deep Belleville team, is he another diamond in the rough for Belleville? He certainly looked like a legit NHL draft prospect tonight.
Nick Palmieri - Drafted by New Jersey in 2007/79th
Is really excelling since the trade from Erie and is averaging a point per game for the first time in his OHL career. He was outstanding tonight, the best player on the ice for either team. Strength wise, and in the corners, he was a man among boys. I can't remember one time where he didn't come out from a battle in the corner with the puck on his stick. The most impressive thing about his game is how good a skater he is for a big man. When he gets going, there is almost no stopping him from getting to the net, at least at this level. In Erie, I never saw him use his size to his advantage as much as he did tonight, which has to be very promising to the Devils. His great play ended up paying off as he scored the eventual game winner on the powerplay off a nice one timer set up by Stephen Silas.
Andy Bathgate - NHL Draft Eligible in 2009
Bathgate was pretty good tonight. Showed a lot of hustle and was skating hard. He forechecked well and even forced a turnover on one occasion that lead to a scoring chance. He did a good job centering a line with Mashinter for most of the night and was able to play the cycling game that he likes to play. I'm not sure that I'd be using an NHL draft pick on him just yet, but I think he's a guy to pay attention to while Tangradi is away at the WJC's to see if he can step up his offensive production.
Bryan Cameron - Drafted by Los Angeles in 2007/82nd
I'm a big fan of Cameron's. And while he didn't have the greatest of games, he was still a factor. I think the thing that sticks out most for Cameron is his intelligence on the ice. He's a very slippery player who seems to always find himself in a position for a scoring chance in front of the net. It's almost like the puck and his stick are magnetically attracted to each other within 5 feet of the crease. He does a little bit of everything too, really solid all around player. He cycles well, he'll go to the net hard, and he's also pretty good defensively, as evidence by the fact that he was on the ice with 30 seconds left to help preserve the lead. I don't think he's ever going to be an NHL star, but I think he's going to find himself as a very useful secondary player who can be a consistent 20 goal scorer. Kind of reminds me a little bit of Andrew Brunette.
Stephen Silas - NHL Draft Eligible in 2010
Silas looked great tonight for a 2010 eligible defenseman. There is no wonder why he was named to the Ontario Under 17 team. He looked great at rushing the puck up the ice showcasing good skating ability. He also played the first powerplay unit with Shawn Lalonde and help set up the winning goal by Palmieri with a beauty pass right on the tape. Defensively, he didn't look out of place at all. He made smart decisions with the puck and wasn't getting outmuscled in the corners. He even made a great play on a rushing Chris DeSousa, using his stick and then his body to separate DeSousa from the puck, which is no easy feat. I think this guy is legit first round talent for 2010. For my money, he looked more comfortable than Erik Gudbranson in Kingston, although I'm not sure he's as good of an NHL prospect.
Matthew Tipoff - NHL Draft Eligible in 2009
A late 1989 birthday, Tipoff has benefited greatly from this because he's been able to breakout offensively in his draft year. He looked very solid tonight. Was all over the ice, buzzing around and waiting for something to happen. He worked the cycle effectively and continuously found the front of the net waiting for a scoring chance. Even though he didn't hit the scoresheet, I've seen him do that earlier this season, so I know he can score. It's hard to gauge where he falls come draft day because of the fact that he's a late 89, but I'd harbor a guess and say he's at least an NHL mid rounder.
Brandon Mashinter - Overager and NHL free agent
Mashinter played in his first game after coming over in a trade from Kitchener that saw Tyler Randell leave the Bulls for the Rangers. Mashinter is a really big body who's been able to produce offensively this season. He drives hard to the net and is nearly impossible to separate from the puck in the corners. Thus he is an extremely effective player in the cycle and is ultimately a great addition by Bulls management. His skating is mediocore, but for the type of game he plays, I'm not sure it needs to be any better. As far as earning an NHL contract, I've seen less players get one, so I wouldn't be surprised if he did too.
Mike Murphy - Drafted in 2008 by Carolina/165th
What else can you say about Mike Murphy. It's funny because for the first two periods, he definitely wasn't having his best game. He was really fighting the puck and giving up some bad rebounds and looking awkward on a few other saves. But just when you think he's having an off game, he steals the show in the third period. To me, this is the mark that makes Murphy the best goaltender in the OHL. Belleville was badly outplayed in the last 10 minute of the game, but Murphy shut the door, including an absolute highlight reel save on Chris DeSousa with 7 seconds left. DeSousa was left all alone infront of the net, but couldn't beat Murphy who sprawled to make the save. I hear a lot of people criticize Murphy for his uncharacteristic style. Or should I say, his lack of conventional goaltending mechanics. But the bottom line is this, the guy can stop the puck. I also hear a lot of people say that he's lucky because he finds himself out of position a lot. But, someone can only be lucky so long before you have to start thinking they are good. The fact that Murphy makes so many of these highlight reel saves is a testament to his athleticism and his ability to read plays. Yes, before he gets to the next level, he's going to have to work on some things. He's going to have to not go down so early, and he's got to do a better job of controlling his rebounds. But I ask you this, what junior aged goaltender doesn't have something they need to work on? I then follow it up with the following question, how many of those goalies have the natural athletic ability of Murphy? If anything, I think this guy is only going to get better when a goaltending coach can really get him to fine tune some things. But what do I know?
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