A New Contributor and His Thoughts on Ottawa/London from February 1

First I would like to introduce you to Sean Keogh. He will be joining Ryan and I to bring you even more coverage of OHL prospects. Sean is a former writer for HockeysFuture and an avid CHL, not just OHL, follower. He currently lives in Ottawa so the game reports he will supply us with will come from watching the 67's take on opponents at the Ottawa Civic Centre.

Below is his report...

The London Knights are probably the most hyped junior team in the country yet again, and for good reason considering all the talent they have. In today’s game the 67s neutralized their skill for the most part and outworked them en route to a huge 4-3 victory. The star of the game was Logan Couture who was dominant in every aspect of the game, and the biggest disappointment was arguably John Tavares. Below are my thoughts on selected players for both teams.

John Tavares – YOB: 1990 - Draft Eligible 2009

Obviously Tavares needs no introduction or talent analysis because he’s a known commodity. In this game however, he was unimpressive, if not poor. Although he scored a goal to tie it up in the third period, he struggled the rest of the game. He tried several cutesy moves that were easily stopped, was routinely stifled one-on-one by Julien Demers and displayed a measure of frustration as the game wore on. As a result he started yapping at opponents and got involved in some skirmishes. His goal showed again that with some time and space he can and will score, but more was expected. His skating has improved but he will need to upgrade his balance and lower body strength as a professional. Although he had a goal and an assist, it was an underwhelming performance from JT.

Nazem Kadri – YOB: 1990 – Draft Eligible 2009

Was probably London’s most impressive player in the first half of the game, then got a diving call and a ten minute misconduct and was a bit off his game afterwards. His skating, particularly his acceleration, is good, and he’s fairly elusive with the puck. Although I have seen his slick stickhandling on display before, it was not too evident in this game. Also, Kadri displayed nice energy and his usual willingness to play physical hockey. The questions about his hockey sense and finishing ability again came up in my mind. Kadri is very good at breaking out and coming through the neutral zone, but little comes of it. At worst he’s a third line center though, but that’s not what you want in a top ten pick, as he is projected to be.

Phil Varone – YOB: 1990 – Draft Eligible 2009

For the second half of the game, Varone was probably London’s most impressive forward. He had several nice bursts, and is willing to drive to the net when he gets a step on a blueliner wide. It was he, not Tavares or Kadri, who was arguably the catalyst for the Knights’ third period surge. He had a goal and an assist, but also took a late hitting from behind penalty, ending London’s hopes of tying it up. I would want to see him again from a different perspective in the rink to get a grasp of just how high I would take him.

Phil McRae – YOB: 1990 – St. Louis 2^nd round pick, 2008.

It seems as though Tavares’ arrival has resulted in less ice-time and responsibility for McRae. While he was generally uninvolved and had little impact on the game, McRae still demonstrates the tools that he has. Along with good size and solid all-round skating ability, he ripped a couple of nice shots. I could see why St. Louis took him so high last year, but he did not appear to be a core player for London.

Zac Rinaldo – YOB: 1990 – Philadelphia 6^th round pick, 2008

Rinaldo’s performance was not exactly what I expected from him. He had one big hit but was not a pest or a shift disturber in the Stefan Della Rovere or Patrick Kaleta way. On the powerplay he played the front of the net and got a goal, albeit a weak one, as a result. Overall he played reasonably well as a complimentary player on a scoring line.

Daniel Erlich – YOB: 1991 – Draft Eligible 2009

It’s impossible to be invisible when you are as small as Erlich is. Even his listed 5’6” might be exaggerated. He was fairly involved in the play and showed good offensive ability. Thanks to having to survive in spite of his size, he always has his head up and sees the ice well. The decision to play him on the point of the powerplay is questionable though, as he is far too small and weak to defend at all and it almost cost the Knights a couple of goals. Unfortunately for Erlich, he is half a foot too small, and at least 40 pounds too light, to be a legitimate prospect.

Justin Taylor – YOB: 1989 – Washington 6^th round pick, 2007

Of all the notable forwards on London, Taylor was the least visible. Perhaps I was just focusing on too many other players to notice him, but he certainly did not stand out in any way.

John Carlson – YOB: 1990 – Washington 1^st round pick, 2008

I had high expectations going in, but Carlson was only mediocre. It was evident that he has all of the tools, great size, good skating ability, overall offensive tools and a willingness to play the body. However he never asserted himself or made a huge impact on the game, and he was a underwhelming when playing in his own zone. In the neutral zone he intercepted passes nicely, but was beaten to loose pucks and made some bad reads defensively, including on the winning goal. Part of that is definitely acceleration, but it displayed either or both a lack of effort and questionable in-zone awareness.

Michael Del Zotto – YOB: 1990 – New York Rangers 1^st round pick, 2008

For such a gifted offensive player, Del Zotto was fairly quiet tonight. He had an assist but did little on the goal. His break-out passing was only average and he is certainly not gifted defensively, but he was neither dynamic offensively nor adventuresome defensively in this game.

Trevor Cann – YOB: 1989 – Colorado Avalanche 2^nd round pick, 2007

Although the 67s outshot the Knights, Cann faced far fewer quality chances than his counterpart Adam Courchaine. Aside from perhaps the winning goal, none were his fault although he did not make any game saving stops from what I could see. It was an average performance.

From the 67s…

Logan Couture – YOB: 1989 – San Jose 1^st round pick, 2007

Quite simply Couture was the best player on the ice by a country mile. Moreover, it was perhaps the best game I have ever seen him play. He was in on all four goals, sniping two and directly creating and setting up the two others. Neither of his linemates, Cowick or Nigro, were as dynamic or creative as Couture. What was most impressive about his game, however, was that for a player much-maligned for his effort, he was a force in all zones. He was outstanding on the penalty kill, threw several big hits including almost destroying Tavares, and showed impressive puck control along the boards. Particularly notable is the fact that he got better as the game went along, and all three times London scored in the third period, Couture led his line out there to respond soon after. If Couture had played like this he would have made the World Junior team as well, and I can only hope for his sake that it’s the beginning of a great finish to the season for him. He was the first star of the game and for extremely good reason.

Anthony Nigro – YOB: 1990 – St. Louis 6^th round pick, 2008

Without a doubt the Michael Latta trade with Guelph has worked out very well for Ottawa. Nigro has been very good since arriving, first on the second line and now as a winger on Couture’s line. He has supplanted Cowick as the trigger man on that line, and shows good finish, hands, shot and cycling ability. I’m not sure he’s more than a good junior player at this point, because he’s not likely to have NHL scoring line upside and in Ottawa is not showing the all-round game that I expected. It was definitely a strong game from Nigro though, getting in on all three goals in the third and being named third star.

Corey Cowick – YOB: 1989 – Draft Eligible 2009.

For the game Cowick had no points, but he played very well. Although known for his goal scoring ability, Cowick’s best work this game was defensively and on the penalty kill. His defensive game has improved a lot and he has good awareness. His skating is fine for a player his size, but he lacks explosiveness. Pittsburgh considered signing him after he was invited to their camp in the fall, and Cowick could definitely be drafted this summer in the late rounds if a team sees third line potential in him.

Thomas Nesbitt – YOB: 1990 – Draft Eligible 2009

Nesbitt had a very strong game, despite not putting up any points. He played with great energy and work ethic, won a lot of races and battles, and generated a few chances as well. After being passed over last year, it is possible he gets picked up this year but I doubt it. He is not a gifted offensive winger but he’s a classic Kilrea-style player.

Julien Demers – YOB: 1990 – San Jose 5^th round pick, 2008.

Essentially Ottawa’s #1 blueliner with Tyler Cuma still out, Demers and his partner Travis Gibbons, must have played over thirty minutes in this game. Overall, Demers had an up and down game. On the plus side, he was matched-up against Tavares and was outstanding in playing him one-on-one and frustrating him at every turn. He plays the man very well and uses his size, strength and lateral mobility to his advantage very nicely. Offensively, he had a good game, notching three assists and getting some nice shots off. On the down side, he took a couple of penalties and it was his mistake that led to Tavares’ goal. He still needs work on his first-step quickness but he’s a very good defenceman at this level and has definite NHL potential in my opinion.

Adam Courchaine – YOB: 1989 - Signed by Boston

Courchaine had a strong game, particularly in the first two periods. Although he did not face a ton of shots, most of them were of the difficult variety. Courchaine has great size and moves well for a big man at 6’3”. He has a bit of trouble in close though and has certainly been inconsistent this year. I will be interested to see how he does if he plays in for the AHL’s Providence Bruins next year.

Thoughts on London from January 22 and 23

This past Thursday and Friday, the Niagara Ice Dogs had a home and home series with the London Knights. These two games would be the only time these teams would meet in the regular season. On Thursday, the Knights came to St. Catharines and were defeated 5-2 in a game largely dominated by the Dogs, who got solid goaltending from Jeremy Smith and a hat trick from import Marco Insam. On Friday, the Dogs traveled to London and again got the best of the Knights, taking the game 6-4. Friday's game was largely dominated by the Knights as they outshot the Dogs 52-21, however goaltending was the difference. The Knights got atrocious goaltending from rookie Torrin Lauziere, who was pulled to start the third period, while the Dogs got another solid performance from Jeremy Smith. John Tavares was a combined -7 in the two games and was completely shut down by Alex Pietrangelo, Drew Schiestel and the entire Niagara defense.

Since this was likely my only chance to see the Knights this season, here are my thoughts...

Michael Del Zotto - Drafted by the New York Rangers in 2008/20th

As you may have noted through my past observations, I'm not MDZ's biggest supporter. He was terrible in the first game, but fairly solid in the second game. In the first game, he made several questionable decisions with the puck, one a terrible breakout pass which was intercepted by Andrew Agozzino, and gave him a partial breakaway (although he did not score). He was terrible defenzively, leaving his partner John Carlson largely out to dry. In particular, he seemed to lose his man and was soft in board play and in play near the crease. He's not a big guy, so if he doesn't want to play physical, he's got to be more aware and use his positioning and stick to cover his zone. Yet at times, it seems like he gets overwhelmed. He even struggled with quarterbacking the powerplay and had trouble keeping the puck in the zone. In the second game, he was more composed with the puck and played a steadier defensive game. At times, engaging in the corners. In the end, I'll say the same thing I always say with MDZ. I have concerns over his longterm NHL potential. If you look at a guy like Bob Sanguinetti, he made great strides defensively over the course of his OHL career. Where as MDZ has yet to take that step forward.

John Carlson - Drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2008/27th

If I'm drafting 2008 over again, I definitely take this kid ahead of MDZ. He was outstanding in both games. He's aggressive at both ends of the ice. He's not afraid to take the puck hard to the net and join into the rush, however he picks his spots well. He shows great speed and closing ability, especially for a bigger guy. Carlson was very poised in running the point on the powerplay and showed the ability to read the defense and get shots off quickly. He's also incredibly strong on the puck and was able to win many battles along the boards. Defensively, he was great. Showed great positioning and engaged players physically, both in the corners and near the crease. This guy is the total package IMO, and for what it's worth, I think he might just be the best defenseman in the OHL.

Kevin Montgomery - Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2006/110th

Montgomery has returned for his overage season after the Avs decided he wasn't ready to play in Lake Erie (AHL) yet. He's a quiet player in that you don't really notice him, but he's smart with the puck and makes good decisions in the defensive zone. He only played in Friday's game, not sure why he was out Thursday. In the end, I'm just not sure where he fits in at the NHL level. While he's a slick skater and a capable puck mover, he doesn't have the raw offensive ability that would allow him to be a big time point producer at the next level. He's not going to be a shut down type of defenseman either. So he's a bit of tweener for me. To be honest, I don't see him being more than a 7th or depth defenseman on a good NHL team, similar to a guy like Danny Richmond (a former Knight).

John Tavares - NHL Draft Eligible in 2009

I'm not really going to go in depth about Tavares. We all know enough about him and it's clear that he did not have a very strong showing in these two games. Coming into the home and home series, he had 7 goals in 3 games with the Knights. He was mostly invisible through these two games and there appeared to be some serious gelling problems with him and his linemmates. I don't think him and Kadri fit well together on a line, because they are both guys who want the puck on their stick at all times. Two bad games don't change his draft standing.

Phil Varone - NHL Draft Eligible in 2009

Varone is an undersized, hard working forward. He's got great speed and he attacks the zone with authority. He's a solid two way player who's often the first forward back. While he didn't hit the scoresheet in either game, I thought he was impressive in generating some scoring chances by his aggressiveness in the offensive zone. At this point, because of his size and the fact that I'm not sure he's more than a 3rd liner in the NHL, I don't know where he ends up getting drafted. If I were a betting man, I'd probably put him near the back of the draft with a guy like Niagara's Andrew Agozzino, who is a pretty similar player.

Zac Rinaldo - Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2008/178th

Rinaldo, recently acquired from the Majors, was probably both London's most effective forward and their least effective forward at the same time. First the good. He was buzzing around the ice in both games, hitting everything that moved. He laid out a couple huge hits in both games and really gets under the skin of his opponents. He also has the ability to drive to the net with the puck, as he's actually not a terrible puckhandler. Because of this, he also works the cycle well. These type of things bode well for his future in the NHL as at least an energy player. On the downside, he really hurt London with some undisciplined plays. He had 5 minor penalties over the course of the two games. While Niagara failed to capitalize on any of those powerplay opportunities, they still proved to stop the momentum London was building up. And while two of those penalties were very questionable, the other three were legit. He needs to play more controlled. I'm sure that Dale Hunter won't mind the odd charging or hit to the head penalty, but it's the hooks, trips, elbows, and other penalties taken out of frustration that must really anger his new coach.

Phil McRae - Drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2008/33rd

I like Phil McRae. Was impressed in the times I saw him last season. And he was fairly good in these two games. He skates hard, and skates well for a big man. Offensively, he seems to know where to be on the ice to finish off scoring chances and is very elusive. He can also drive to the net with the puck on his stick and does a great job protecting the puck with his body. It's clear that he's gotten a lot stronger this season, and thus this serves as an explanation as to why his offensive production has exploded and taken that next step. I do have one concern though, but it is more to do with Coach Dale Hunter's use of McRae. He didn't get nearly as much ice time as I figured he would and really appears to have been hurt by the Tavares' acquisition.

Nazem Kadri - NHL Draft Eligible in 2009

I'm sorry, but I'm still not impressed by him. Wasn't last season. Not this season. I know Ryan Yessie has been telling me about how unimpressed he's been with him this season too. Sure the guy has great hands. He dekes through a couple players every shift. However, it's all flash and no dash for me. He dekes through the first two guys, but nothing comes of it as he attempts to deke through the third, fails and turns the puck over. Part of the reason the Tavares/Kadri line really couldn't get anything going was on him, IMO. I can't count how many times that line failed to gain entry into the offenzive zone because Kadri tried to bring the puck over the blueline and failed. Defensively, he was terrible too, in the Thursday game especially. Two of the goals against London were directly his fault. On one play, he lost track of his man as he cut towards the front of the net. On the other play, he was simply lazy and his man beat him to the blueline where he was able to unload a slapper to the back of the net. And while the man I'm talking about was Marco Insam, who's much bigger than Kadri, it was the lack of effort that discouraged me.

Justin Taylor - Drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2007/180th

Taylor is a fairly decent player. He shows some good offensive instincts and despite his size, is fearless in his play. You'll often find him near the front of the crease and he does a good job working the corners. He's an average skater, however is definitely a more dangerous player once the offensive attack sets up shop. I like his attitude and his effort, however I'm just not sure where he fits in at the NHL level. He's another guy I see as a bit of a tweener. He's not a good enough offensive player to play a scoring line role, and he's not big enough, fast enough or strong enough to play a checking role.

Jared Knight - NHL Draft Eligible in 2010

Knight was alright in Thursday's game, and showed some horns by checking Drew Schiestel hard into the boards, leading to a quick tussle with Andrew Agozzino. He didn't get a lot of ice time though. On Friday, he was excellent, maybe the Knights best forward. He is undersized, but he's rather fearless and drives hard to the net and is willing to throw whatever weight he has around. He's almost like a miniature power forward, who wile undersized, does seem to like to play a bit of a power game. This guy is going to be a big player for London next season when the likes of Tavares, Taylor, and others leave.

Trevor Cann - Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007/49th

Got badly outplayed by fellow 2007 2nd rounder Jeremy Smith. I know a lot of Knights fans have been rather unimpressed by Cann thus far. It's hard to imagine why his statline has gotten worse after the transfer from Peterborough to London. He really only played the Thursday game, however let 1 goal in on 2 shots on Friday after coming in to play the 3rd period. But something doesn't seem right, as he didn't look like the same goalie I saw play numerous times in Peterborough. He looks timid and isn't challenging shooters as much as he was, and he's going down to early and being beaten both low close to the post, and to the top of the net. His rebound control, which I once considered a strength, did not look very good on Thursday. Maybe it's a confidence thing or just a bad run as he has a .891 save % in January. I think he's still capable of being an NHL netminder, but he's going to take some time.

Thoughts on Game 4 of the ADT Challenge - OHL vs. Russian Selects in St. Catharines

Monday night, the OHL all stars and the Russian selects took to the ice in St. Catharines for game 4 of the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. It was another exciting game that was incredibly hard hitting and saw the OHL remain unbeaten against the Russian selects in the history of the ADT Challenge. Team OHL took the game by a score of 3-2, however the game remained tied for over 2 and a half periods and was an immensely close battle.

Here are my exact thoughts on the OHL players who took to the ice:

Goalies:

Mike Murphy - Belleville Bulls (Drafted in 2008 by Carolina/165th)

I think that it is safe to say that Murphy has made his name known to pretty much any fan of the OHL by now. After struggling during his original draft year in 2006-07, Murphy has emerged as arguably the best netminder in the OHL and one of the best in the CHL. He's absolutely electric on the ice and makes at least one highlight reel save every game. Tonight was no exception. After some great passing, the Russians got an open player the puck in the slot and he had all day to put it home. He tried to put it top corner, glove side, but Murphy made an unbelievable stop. He didn't catch it cleanly, knocking it up in the air and behind him. If it weren't for defenseman P.K. Subban clearing the puck out, it probably would have dribbled over the line, but the fact that Murphy was able to get glove on it at all was outstanding. The main knock I always hear about Murphy in the scouting community is that he's such an unconventional goaltender and that they fear some of his technique (or lack there of), will not carry over well to the NHL where the shooters are more accurate and quicker. But at the end of the day, I see a goalie who's probably the most athletic and agile I've ever see at the position from the OHL, and one who anticipates the play so well. So while his technique may not be by the book, and he may go down early, and he may flop, but the fact that he has these flaws and he's so good speaks volumes to his talent level. I really hope Murphy gets a crack at team Canada for the WJC's.

Trevor Cann - London Knights (Drafted in 2007 by Colorado/49th)

After a trade to London a few weeks back, Caan has been absolutely outstanding (if he wasn't before with Peterborough). In 7 games with London, Cann has yet to be beaten and has a GAA under 2. Cann is essentially the exact opposite of Mike Murphy. A relatively flawless technical, butterfly goaltender who challenges shooters, lets out few rebounds and plays the angles well. He was pretty solid tonight, just as Murphy was. I feel that because he's kind of toiled in Peterborough, his star has somewhat fallen in the NHL and common prospect community. In that sense, he's become a relatively unappreciated prospect. Cann is just a really solid overall goaltender who doesn't have a lot of flaws and IMO shouldn't have a lot of trouble transitioning to the next level.

Defense:
Michael Del Zotto - Oshawa Generals (Drafted in 2008 by New York Rangers/20th)

I find Del Zotto frustrating to watch. He's a jekyl and hide for me. At times I find him to be a difference maker on the ice, and at others I find him to be a liability. For example, tonight he laid two gigantic hits along the boards. These hits completely took the Russian player out of the play and stopped the Russian cycle before it even started. But then in other instances tonight, he was incredibly passive along the boards and let the Russians walk all over him. He would play a step away from the boards and use his stick instead of his body to attempt to dislodge the puck. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which way is more effective. The question I ask is, why doesn't Del Zotto take the body consistently? He was a lot better with the puck tonight though, making better decisions and taking a few chances in joining/leading the rush. He's obviously a lock to make the tryout camp for team Canada, but I think he needs to show the coaching staff that he can be a more consistent player before he's considered a lock. I honestly think that he could be one of those "surprise" cuts that we always see every year, where the casual fan gets up in arms because of how high profile the player is. But the WJC is such a physical tournament, we need defenseman who are going to engage everytime along the boards and not play a passive game. And if we are taking a guy to play as the 7th defenseman and see only powerplay time, quite frankly I'd probably rather take Ryan Ellis. But if he can show the coaching staff that he will take the body consistently, and quite often we do see this as non physical players suddenly become physical due to the nature of the tournament, than I'd consider him closer to a lock to break camp. It's up in the air for me.

P.K. Subban - Belleville Bulls (Drafted in 2007 by Montreal/43rd)

Subban is of course a returning player from last years gold medal winning WJC team. I thought he played a great game tonight. He's really learned to use his strong skating ability to improve his defensive game. He closes off lanes and he's winning more battles in the corners due to increased strength. I find that he's taking better care of the puck and making less mistakes and careless passes. He's still prone to the odd bonehead blunder with the puck, but for the most part is starting to make the safe play and picking his spots better to pinch. He scored a nice goal on the powerplay with a great low one timer that found the back of the net. For my money, he was the best defenseman for the OHL tonight.

Ryan Ellis - Windsor Spitfires (NHL Draft eligible in 2009)

Maybe it was just me, but I found that Ellis didn't play a whole lot at even strength tonight, and if he did, I didn't really notice him. He did play a ton on the powerplay though, so perhaps team Canada brass is trying guage how he reacts to being that powerplay specialist. He still looks great running the powerplay and is definitely most comfortable then. He did see one shift of penalty killing time in the second, but it just so happened to be when the Russians scored a powerplay goal on Mike Murphy. And Ellis was partially to blame, as he looked kind of lost in defensive zone coverage and a man ended up wide open in the slot. He's got loads of offensive talent, and I wouldn't hesitate to draft him, even with his size concerns, but there is no denying that he needs to improve his defensive play off the puck and in coverage.

Shawn Lalonde - Belleville Bulls (Drafted in 2008 by Chicago/68th)

I thought Lalonde was just ok tonight. He's not in any way a flashy player and is the type of guy you don't really notice much on the ice. In a sense that is a compliment because it means he's not making any mistakes and is playing a safe game. On the powerplay, he made a great pass to Bulls teammate Subban for that aforementioned one time goal. He's very smart with the puck in general and has a good knack for finding his open teammates. Defensively, he was just ok tonight, looking a bit overwhelmed at times, especially in battles along the corners. In times I've seen him though, he's shown to be a much more capable defensive player who again makes the smart players and is great in using an active stick to get forwards off the puck.

Alex Pietrangelo - Niagara Ice Dogs (Drafted in 2008 by St. Louis/4th)

To be honest, I was a little bit unwhelmed by Petro tonight. It's not that he was bad, but maybe my expectations were a little bit too high. These high expectations were warranted because since his return from the NHL, Pietrangelo has been a man among boys with the Ice Dogs. He's got 3 goals and 6 assists in only 4 games and has been rushing the puck up the ice with ease. He pretty much does anything he wants on the ice because no one is able to stop him. And while he was effective in rushing the puck up the ice, I found that at times he tried to do too much with it and ended up turning it over once he breached the offensive zone. In OHL games he can get away with having the puck on his stick until someone gets open, but against higher competition, that won't work everytime. He did make a great play offensively on the Agozzino goal. He made a great pinch to force a turnover and immediately found Aggy in the slot for a slot that went just under the blocker of Gayduchenko. Defensively, he was solid, although you always want to see Alex take the body and using his size more. Like I said, Pietrangelo was good, but I expected him to be great. Perhaps just too high of expectations because of what I've been seing in his first four games back with the Ice Dogs.

Cameron Gaunce - Mississauga Majors (Drafted in 2008 by Colorado/50th)

Gaunce didn't see nearly the same amount of ice time that he did in the Guelph game. He didn't really do anything to stand out tonight, in a good or bad way. He was on the ice when Russia scored their first goal, and could be blamed along with Ellis for missing coverage. I said it previously, that I've found Gaunce can fall asleep at times in the defensive zone. But he's very smart with the puck and doesn't make mistakes with his passes. Just that defensively he needs to focus a little more.

Mark Katic - Sarnia Sting (Drafted in 2007 by the New York Islanders/62nd)

Katic has really grown on me as a prospect. I think the problem is that I always expected or wanted him to do more offensively than he did. But I'm not entirely sure that's his game. He doesn't take nearly as many chances as some of the other offensive blueliners in the OHL do, instead electing to be precise with the puck. The thing you notice right away about Katic is his skating ability, which is definitely at or near the top of the OHL among defenseman (along with the likes of Subban, Pietrangelo and the absent Drew Schiestel). He's much improved defensively and anticipates the play really well. He's disciplined because he doesn't put himself in position to get beat, and is instead able to use an active stick to break up the play. For such a great skater, I almost wish he would take more chances offensively on the rush, but to each is own. Even though he's put up some good offensive stats in the OHL, I'm not sure I expect him to become a big time scorer in the NHL. I see him taking on more of a role like Bret Hedican. Someone who can move the puck and who uses his skating to play solid at both ends, but is not someone who's going to put up a ton of points. For what it's worth, I thought he was the second best defenseman on the ice for the OHL behind Subban.

Forwards:

James Livingston - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Drafted in 2008 by St. Louis/70th)

Livingston was a super late addition to this game after Matt Duchene hurt his shoulder during weekend action. But I bet the OHL coaching staff is happy that he was there. Livingston was all over the ice tonight, playing great offensively on a line with John Tavares, and being incredibly physical and doing the dirty work in the corners. On the Tavares goal, he did a great job to come up with the puck, skate down the wing and get a great pass to Taylor Hall, who subsequently tapped it off to Tavares for the goal. For a big guy he makes good plays at full speed and has great hands. Livingston reminds me exactly of James Neal, who's found great success at the next level thus far. A great selection by the Blues who is only going to get better as he's able to find some consistency offensively.

Jamie Arniel - Sarnia Sting (Drafted in 2008 by Boston/97th)

Arniel is still working hard to improve his image after that rough fallout with Guelph. This no doubt played into him falling on draft day last year, all the way to the 4th round after being considered for the first round to start the season. But I think his hard work is starting to pay off. He's quietly having a strong season for Sarnia and is starting to put in a more consistent effort. He had a solid game tonight, playing in all situations for team OHL and showing some good speed in carrying the puck into the offensive zone, and on the penalty kill. He also worked the cycle well and looks to have improved his strength and conditioning from last season. Hopefully he continues to put everything back on track.

Zack Kassian - Peterborough Petes (NHL Draft eligible in 2009)

Kassian was also pretty good tonight for me. Big guy, physical, good puck skills, good speed. A real solid throwback to the power forward prospect of yesterday. He had a couple shots on net tonight and was great infront of the net trying to cause a distraction for Gayduchenko. I don't think he's at the level to make team Canada as of now, but he's the type of player who will be making that team in the future and playing a big role as he matures and learns to dominate using his size.

Andrew Agozzino - Niagara Ice Dogs (NHL Draft eligible in 2009)

I think Agozzino felt like he had a lot to prove tonight, after being left of the CSB's preliminary OHL draft list for the 2009 entry draft. He's undersized, but he's very quick and very elusive. He finds his way into scoring areas and loves to get dirty. He'll sacrifice himself to make a play, which is something I need to see if I'm drafting an undersized player. On top of all that, he's got an excellent wrister, that he needs very little room to get off. And on top of that, he's a quality two way player who makes an effort to back check, and who uses his speed to forecheck hard on the penalty kill. I really felt he should have been ranked by the CSB on their list, and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get ranked ahead of some of those guys on their end of the year list when he can make more of a lasting impression on them.

Cody Hodgson - Brampton Battalion (Drafted in 2008 by Vancouver/10th)

Hodgson wasn't as effective as he was in the first OHL/Russia game in Guelph, but he still played a relatively strong game. He was kind of invisible offensively in stretches, but he was always noticeable defensively as the first forward back and playing hard on the penalty kill. Even if he wasn't great offensively tonight, I'm pretty sure Hodgson impressed the team Canada brass enough at the Guelph game for him to be considered a virtual lock for a position on the WJC team.

Bryan Cameron - Belleville Bulls (Drafted in 2007 by Los Angeles/82nd)

For my money, Cameron is the most underrated player in the OHL. He's by no means flashy, but he manages to put up points. The main reason for this is that he's an incredibly smart hockey player who finds his way into open areas, anticipates the play and has great hands in close to the net. Just knows where to be to score goals. He finished in the top 10 last year in goals and currently leads the OHL in goals this season. Just one of the quiestest, yet most effective players. I think he's going to be a solid professional player to because of his strong all around game and his hockey IQ. I really hope he gets an invite to the training camp for team Canada because he deserves it, especially off his play in this game where he was all over the ice creating scoring chances and putting himself in position to get a shot on net.

Taylor Hall - Windsor Spitfires (NHL Draft eligible in 2010)

Now hear me out. Hall is a great player, and I've talked in length about this before. But right now, I'm just not sure if he's ready to play in the WJC's. Offensive skill by leaps and bounds, speed to burn and the knack to create offense off the rush. But against good competition tonight, he again had a lot of turnovers in the neutral zone as he tried to do to much in terms of carrying the puck. We've seen year after year, that 17 year olds do not generally fair well at this tournament. It's usually an 18 and 19 year old tournament. While Hall has the skill, I'm not sure he has the maturity in his game to be able to handle the tough rigors of that competition. Not to mention, he has a lot of work to do on his defensive game. I'm sure he'll get the invite, but I wouldn't be surprised if team Canada tells him to wait till next year.

Greg Nemisz - Windsor Spitfires (Drafted in 2008 by Calgary/25th)

I thought Nemisz was pretty invisible tonight. He wasn't nearly as effective in generating scoring opportunities off the forecheck, nor was he as physical. As I mentioned previously, I'd really like to see Nemisz taking the body more and being more aggressive considering his size. His skating deficiences were a little over blown last year before the draft, as I think he's a slightly awkward skater, but not necessarily an ineffective one. Was much better in the Guelph game for me.

Logan Couture - Ottawa 67's (Drafted in 2007 by San Jose/9th)

Couture was also pretty invisible for me tonight. I don't think he got a whole lot of ice time either. While he shows good speed and he's by no means a one dimensional player, I think at some point you have to figure out why he's not putting up more points on the board. I find myself repeating what I said last time. I'm just not sure his hockey sense is as high as it needs to be for someone who's going to be expected to score a lot of points. Logan is really starting to remind me of when Boyd Devereaux used to play for the Kitchener Rangers. Lots of speed, an ability to play both ways, but something was missing preventing him from really hitting the scoresheet on a consistent basis.

John Tavares - Oshawa Generals (NHL Draft Eligible in 2009)

I mean, what else can be said about Tavares that hasn't already been said. Guys a great talent, he's worked hard to become a more complete player, yet he finds himself falling in the rankings. The bottom line is he knows how to find the back of the net and he knows how to make his teammates better. I want to bring up two points, rather than ranting about his skill set. For one, a very encouraging sight to see was Tavares out at the end of the game protecting that 3-2 lead. It tells you that the coaching staff has confidence in Tavares' defensive ability, which is not something you could have said two years ago. And secondly, did anyone see Tavares' rush in the first period. Blueline to blueline, through two Russian players. Tell me this guys skating is a problem. He's got the skating ability, I think it's more that people confuse his will to slow the game down, with an inability to skate fast. He's not generally flashy and he's not generally the type of player who tries to generate offense off the rush. He likes to slow things down and set up in the offensive zone. Because people don't generally see him skating and carrying the puck at full speed, I think this misconception that he can't skate arose.

Eric O'Dell - Sudbury Wolves (Drafted in 2008 by Anaheim/38th)

I thought O'Dell played a very solid game. Offensively, he was a little snake bitten and missed out on a few chances as he had the puck roll off or bounce over his stick. But he has good hands, I think that maybe he was pressing to impress a little too much. Defensively, I thought he was great, especially on the penalty kill. He's got a really active stick and puts a lot of pressure on the puck carrier, especially as the lead forechecker into the offensive zone. I'm really pulling for this guy to make Team Canada in one of those slots generally reserved for the "shut down 3rd liners."

Stefan Della Rovere - Barrie Colts (Drafted in 2008 by Washington/204th)

And the player of the game for me goes to....Stefan Della Rovere. He didn't hit the scoresheet, but this guy was a force everytime he hit the ice. He worked down the opposing defenses all night because of his work on the cycle. He also put a lot of fear in the Russians because of the way he was throwing around his body. He had every Russian player playing with their head up and rushing plays to avoid the hit, everytime he was on the ice. He was a big difference maker. He's another guy I'm really pulling to make team Canada and I hope he opened some eyes tonight as he was another injury replacement, filling in for Nazem Kadri.

The official game report can be found here.

In the end, it was a great couple of games to watch between the OHL all stars and the Russian Selects. I'm incredibly happy that the Russians are starting to take this series a little more seriously and are sending better teams.

Stay tuned for a small right up on some of the Russian players I thought stood out in the series.