Thoughts on Windsor and London from October 8

Tonight saw match up number 2 from my 10 Match-up's you've got to see this year, as the London Knights traveled to Windsor to take on the Spitfires. Two teams with a lot of fire power, I expected a bit of a "shoot-out." What I got was a hard fought, back and forth game that ended in a 2-0 victory for the Spitfires. The goaltending at both ends of the ice was tremendous, especially Michael Hutchinson who really kept London in the game.

London was largely snake bitten on the night. They created a lot of scoring chances, but failed to finish any of them off. Part of it was solid goaltending from Troy Passingham and part of it was just a failure of the Knights main offensive weapons to put the puck in the net. London had 33 shots on net, but they could have easily had 10 more. So many good scoring opportunities were wasted by players who couldn't get the puck off their stick, or corral a rolling puck.

The biggest surprise of the night was the fact that these two teams combined to go 0 for 14 on the powerplay. Some really good penalty killing by both sides and, as mentioned, solid goaltending.

With so many guys to write about, I'm going to keep some of the reports brief. This will be especially true for those players who really didn't do a whole heck of a lot. My thoughts on both sides...

London Knights






Phil Varone (SJ)
I really expected Varone to come roaring out of the gates this year offensively. It's his third full year in the league as a veteran 1990 born player, and he's coming off an excellent 2009 playoff performance. But thus far, it just hasn't happened and at this point, you might have to consider the fact that it might never happen. It's not a direct criticism of him, but maybe he's just not as offensively talented as we once thought. He's still a dynamite penalty killer, and he skates hard on the forecheck. He had a breakaway with less than 2 minutes left, but couldn't beat Passingham. That would have been a huge goal for London. He looks like he could be a potential 4th line energy player and penalty killer at the NHL level, but I'm really not sure he's got the offensive potential to be more than that.

Zac Rinaldo (PHI)
Dare I say Rinaldo was London's best forward tonight? I remember having a debate with someone last season about Rinaldo's offensive potential in this league. I really didn't think he had the skill to develop into a scoring option the way other "scrappers" have in their veteran seasons. I must admit, I was wrong. He was dynamite tonight. On the penalty kill, he was a force. His forechecking really disrupted the ability of Windsor's defenseman to move the puck up ice. Offensively, he looked like a man possessed, taking the puck to the net and showing some really good puck control. On one occasion he got Ryan Ellis to bite on the fake and walked right around him to the net. Only an Ellis hook prevented Rinaldo from putting a good shot on net. Most importantly, he was disciplined and didn't take any bad penalties, while still playing his in your face style. He's really developing into a quality professional hockey league prospect.

Phil McRae (STL)
Still goalless on the season, it's easy to see why after this game. He's really pressing out there. Was not sharp tonight. Had two glorious opportunities at the side of the net after good cross ice passes, and both times he failed to even get a shot off, as he fanned on them. Outside of that, he just wasn't creating much offensively on his own accord either. The Knights really need him to step up his game.

Nazem Kadri (TOR)
Kadri didn't really have a good game. He was largely neutralized by Mark Cundari, who did a great job of getting in his face. Through the first half of the game, even though he was invisible, he did a good job of keeping his composure and sticking to the game plan. But, in the second half, it was obvious he was getting frustrated. Turned the puck over in the second period along the wall, as he tried to carry it out himself. This indirectly led to the Justin Shugg goal. In the third period, he really started to force things and turned the puck over terribly twice in a matter of minutes. As much as he's capable of doing great things, he needs to be less predictable with the puck. Windsor's forecheck and defenders really started pressuring him and he did not respond well. In a big game like this one, London needs Kadri to play better.

Jared Knight (2010)
At this point, I'd say the only thing preventing Jared Knight from making a bigger impact in the league is consistency from shift to shift. He needs to figure out a way to bring energy to the ice every time he steps on it, rather than just on a few shifts. On the couple shifts he was visible, he was hitting hard, causing turnovers and creating offensive chances from the cycle. But on his other shifts, he was invisible.

Michael Hutchinson (BOS)
The best goaltending performance I've seen so far this season. I'd be surprised if one of his two brilliant saves didn't make next week's Top 5 plays of the week. In the first period, the left handed goalie slid across the crease robbing Adam Henrique point blank with his blocker after a juicy rebound (Clip, 20 second mark). In the third, he threw on his glove going the opposite direction, taking an easy goal away from a Spitfire player. All night, he fought through screens and did a great job of making the save and controlling the rebounds. His composure was tremendous. He's also tremendously athletic and reads the play very well. Unfortunately for him, the black mark on his performance was Richard Panik's game winning goal. On the wrap around, he failed to get his paddle down and Panik slid it under him. Definitely one he'd love to have back, but it doesn't take away from his brilliance tonight. He made 41 of 43 saves, taking the loss.

Windsor Spitfires





Taylor Hall (2010)
Truthfully, he had a bit of a quiet game. His line with Richard Panik and Adam Henrique was not as dangerous as the Greg Nemisz, Scott Timmins, and Justin Shugg line. While he didn't really stand out offensively, on the plus side he did do a solid job on the penalty kill and I'd say his two-way game is starting to greatly improve. Just an interesting observation, but Taylor Hall has 17 points in 9 games. All of those points have come in 5 games, with him being held pointless in the other four. Windsor fans who've seen him more often this season, would it be correct to say he needs to find a way to make an impact offensive every game?

Ryan Ellis (NSH)
I thought Ryan Ellis played a very solid game tonight. I think he's really starting to prove those doubters wrong about his ability to play five on five at the next level. He is still learning though, but in a positive way. As an example. Tonight he bit on a fake by Zac Rinaldo, went for the puck and Rinaldo went right around him to the net. He was forced to take a penalty to prevent the goal. Not a good play and a situation where he's got to play the man regardless of whether Rinaldo has the size advantage on him. Fast forward to the third period, Rinaldo goes in on a drive towards the net, tries to use his size to go right around Ellis. Ellis has absolutely none of it, stays with him, pushes him off the puck and puts him to the ice. It's impressive for him to show, "Hey I messed up the first time, that won't happen again." Of course, offensively he was Ellis. Controls play and makes decisions with the puck that few do.

Adam Henrique (NJD)
Didn't really do much tonight. Simply a quiet game from him. But I do like him as a player.

Cam Fowler (2010)
I couldn't wait to get a peak at Fowler. First time I've seen him play in the OHL (although had seen him play in international tournaments). I thought he played O.K. Some really positive things, and some negative things. First the positive. I thought he did a very good job defensively tonight. He stays with his man and does a good job with coverage. He's also obviously an elite puck mover and seems to have very good offensive instincts. When to join the rush or make a pinch. He actually had a breakaway after pinching and stealing the puck from Steve Tarasuk, but fanned on the attempt on net, failing to get a shot off. On the negative side, for an offensive defenseman, he needs to do a way better job of getting the puck on net from the point. If you look at a guy like Ryan Ellis, he seems to find a way to get his shot on net every time. However, I'm not sure Fowler got his on net once. They were either blocked (for the majority) or shot way wide. He doesn't have to wind up for that big slapper every time. Also on the negative, he needs to take care of the puck better in his own end. I'd read that Windsor fans we're seeing this too. He had two bad giveaways in his own end that resulted in scoring chances for London. The potential is obviously there though, especially in terms of developing into an elite two-way defender.

Saverio Posa (2010)
I've had a fair amount of people ask me about him, and now I can at least tell them I've seen him once. I liked what I saw. He seems very composed on the back end. Did a good job of keeping the puck in the offensive end. Got an assist on the Richard Panik goal by doing just that. Didn't make any glaring defensive mistakes. For the amount of ice time he got, I thought he made a good impression.

Richard Panik (TBL)
Seems to be a bit of an enigma. He had two very good shifts, but outside of that he was relatively invisible. On one of those shifts, he managed to score the game winning goal on a wrap around. He fought off the London defenseman and took it right to the net. On another shift, he showcased some elite puck skills, getting around a couple London defenders before being stopped and stripped of the puck. On those same shifts, he was all over the ice too. He made a nice play on the backcheck to break up a London rush, before going in on the aforementioned rush of his own (where he went around two London defenders). At this point, it seems all about being able to put it together for the full 60 minutes.

Justin Shugg (2010)
Quite possibly the best Windsor forward tonight. Really liked what I saw, and I think it's great seeing him take that step forward this year after coming into the league with a fair amount of hype. He was very dangerous on the forecheck and was forcing turnovers. The turnovers came as a result of winning battles in the corner and showed a bit of a grit side to his game. He also showed a lot of skill. Made an outstanding pass to Taylor Hall on the powerplay in the first period; tape to tape cross ice. But Hall was robbed by Hutchinson as he slid from post to post. On his goal, he made a very nice deke on Hutchinson and slid it by him on the forehand. I hope he keeps up the solid play.

Mark Cundari (STL)
Honestly, one of the most underrated players in the league. If this guy were on any other team, he'd be on their top defensive unit. He did an outstanding job shutting down Nazem Kadri all night, getting in his face and taking away his space. He was throwing hits all night. Offensively, his pass to Justin Shugg for the second Windsor goal was excellent. He recognized the wide open Shugg in front of the net and hit him perfectly with the puck between the London defense. He earned another assist on the Panik goal. I obviously really like him as a player. On the slightly negative side, he does have to watch the undisciplined penalties though.

Harry Young (NJ)
Truthfully, if he hadn't of mixed things up with Zac Rinaldo at the end of the second period, I'm not sure I would have noticed him on the ice at all. Perhaps that's a good thing for Young though. Playing that quietly solid defensive game.

Austin Watson (2010)
Offensively, he didn't do a lot for me. In all other areas, he was an absolute stand out. Was absolutely tremendous on the penalty kill. He anticipates the play really well and did a great job of disrupting the London rush into the zone. He was also very physical, eager to throw his weight around. I love to see that in players his size. Had a few nice attempts to take the puck hard to the net and made a really nice play to keep the puck in the zone on the Panik goal (earning a secondary assist). But I like the intangibles.

Greg Nemisz (CGY)
I like Nemisz as a player. He was good tonight. Controls play in the offensive zone by using the cycle, obviously has soft hands (especially for a big man). He's not afraid to take the puck to the net, often using his size to shield the puck. Just a solid all around offensive game. I also liked what I saw in terms of using his size more. I've never really seen him be a physical presence before, but he laid a few nice hits tonight. Perhaps it's the start of a good new habit. My only concern is to what role he plays at the NHL level, since I don't see him taking the physicality to the next level. Could he be the next Eric Daze, and will Calgary fans forgive him for having size, but being more of a finesse player?

Eric Wellwood (PHI)
Liked what I saw from Wellwood tonight. He really is the opposite of his brother Kyle. He skates well, he's an excellent two way player and he has a level of grit to his game. Seems to be one of those guys who's always got his motor running and who skates hard. This allows him to excel on the forecheck and on the penalty kill. I'm not sure he has a whole lot of offensive potential at the NHL level, but he could definitely develop into a quality role player.

Jesse Blacker (TOR)
Outside of a few nice rushes with the puck, he wasn't noticeable tonight. He's gotten off to a bit of a slow start offensively this year. I definitely expected him to explode a little bit, since I really liked what I saw last year. Perhaps he's still feeling a little trapped by the fact he's surrounded by so many talented offensive defenseman. The fact that he was quiet though, tells you he didn't make any glaring mistakes defensively.

Scott Timmins (FLA)
Timmins plays a quietly effective game. Smart with the puck, solid at both ends of the ice, wins battles in the corners. He's definitely not flashy, but he has a certain calmness to his game. I'm still not sure what the future holds for him at the next level though.

Troy Passingham (2010, but 1990 born)
Boy, if this kid keeps playing like this, Windsor won't need to go out and get another goalie. He was outstanding tonight. It's funny, but because of his size, he looks kind of unorthodox in his movements. His saves weren't necessarily pretty, but he got the job done. His breakaway save on Phil Varone with 2 minutes left in the game was huge. Stuck the pad out after flashing the low corner to him. He did a very good job of controlling his rebounds too. Colour me impressed! Passingham made 33 saves for the shutout victory.

Well that's it. Some of the reports were a little short winded, so if you have any other questions, feel free to post them. And as always, if you've got any additional comments, I welcome them.

Ryan Yessie's Thoughts on London and Sarnia from October 1

London jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, but bad penalties set the Knights back and the Sting made it close (4-3). If not for a goal post in the final minute, this game would have needed overtime. London showed how dominant they can be, and Sarnia showed their rookies have heart.

London Knights






Nazem Kadri - #91 - LC - YOB: 1991 - 6’0” - 177lbs.
NHL: 1st Round - 7th Overall pick by Toronto in 2009
Kadri showed two things tonight in his return to the OHL. How much he’s improved over the summer and training camp. But also he showed why he was returned to the OHL for another season. The things he’s been known for before; skating, speed, puck skills and agility all look better than ever. He showed his end to end rush ability shaking off 3 sting players in his first shift of the night before being absolutely drilled by Joe Rogalski. However Kadri ended up scoring with a wrist shot off the wing, which was more of a soft goal than a tribute to Kadri’s great shot. There were many positives about Kadri tonight, but there are still some old habits he needs to break. He needs to utilize his linemates better, as he carried and had a few plays blown where tried to do everything himself. This was despite having some open linemates that would have likely created a scoring chance, instead the puck went the other way. He got hammered a few times with some big hits, especially in the first period and he eventually let Neuber get under his skin and took an undisciplined roughing penalty. If Kadri can become more of a team player than an individual over the course of this season, I don’t see anything keeping him out of the NHL next season.
(Kadri had 1G, 2PIM, +1)

Leigh Salters - #55 - LW - YOB: 1989 - 6’4” - 225lbs.
NHL: Free Agent
You heard it here first. This is the year Leigh Salters establishes himself as potential NHL prospect in the role of an agitator, energy line, fighter type player. Salters got full-time duty on a line with Kadri, and seems to be developing his skills very well. He seems to be taking on the kind of role that rejuvenated Anthony Peluso as a NHL prospect last year when he played on the top line with Cody Hodgson in Brampton. Salters threw some good hits including an absolutely massive open ice hit that resulted in a penalty. But make no mistake this was a clean, textbook hit that you love to see out of your big physical players.
(Salters had 1G, 2PIM)

Zac Rinaldo - #77 - LW - YOB: 1990 - 5’11” - 180lbs.
NHL: 6th Round - 178th Overall by Philadelphia in 2008
Rinaldo with Varone were very important on numerous short handed situations tonight. At one point he read the Sting defence well, and got behind both of them for a breakaway short handed goal. Rinaldo continued to make an impact throwing a very late hit knocking 15 year old rookie Brandon Fransisco unconscious. In person I didn’t see much of it, but watching the replay afterwards a few times, he did come in late, and his skates did come off the ice before contact. I would say eye for an eye because Salters hit was clean and he received a penalty, but it’s unfortunate to see a rookie get hurt this early.
(Rinaldo had 1G, 1A, +1)

Phil Varone - #71 - LC - YOB: 1991 - 5’10” - 187lbs.
NHL: 5th Round - 147th Overall by San Jose in 2009
Varone contributed big with Zac Rinaldo on the penalty kill. Varone played every shift with energy, and looks like a smaller version of Justin Abdelkader out there a lot of the time. I can see this guy already making some NHL team’s 3rd line 4 or 5 years from now. Good natural ability, and has a motor that never seems to quit. A little undersized for the role he’d take as a pro player, but is one of those guys who I doubt would be affected by it.

Michael Houser - #29 - G - YOB: 1992 - 6’2” - 180lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Houser Utilizes his great size, positioning, and awareness to stock pucks. His reflexes are not that great, neither is his reaction time. Houser seems to know where he needs to be and covers angles very intelligently. Overall he does have an awkward/sloppy presentation when the shot comes in. Rebound control is hit or miss, at times he was great, others he could have probably covered up. Is no Steve Mason when it comes to handling the puck.
(Houser stopped 28 of 31 shots)

Sarnia Sting





Jesse Raymond - #35 - G - YOB: 1991 - 6’1” - 170lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Campbell and Raymond may be very similar in size, but are completely opposite in terms of skill set. Raymond has a smooth lateral movement, and has a great rebound control. However seems to struggle in terms of quick reflexes, and reading plays. Raymond tends to play his best only after giving up 3-4 goals in a game so far.
(Raymond stopped 25 of 29 shots)

Ben O’Quinn - #22 - RC - YOB: 1991 - 6’1” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
O’Quinn continues to be a critical part of the Sting offense. Has good positioning in all 3 zones, great speed, and has the ability to finish and set up his linemates. Seems to be improving every game.
(O’Quinn had 1G, 2PIM)

Joe Rogalski - #74 - RD - YOB: 1991 - 6’2” - 185lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2010
Rogalski continues to struggle. He threw a few good hits tonight, and made some good plays, but also made several costly mental errors. Rogalski is one of those guys, you know has more in him, but just can’t seem to put it all together.
(Rogalski had 2A, -1)

J.C. Campagna - #8 - LW - YOB: 1993 - 6’1” - 170lbs.
NHL: Eligible in 2011
Very impressed with his play so far. He has good size and is willing to engage physically. He has good speed, and seems to know when to pass the puck and when to carry it. Already has the agility and puck skills to shake a defender or two. Someone to keep a close eye on the rest of the year, as he is getting top 6 minutes already.

Kyle Neuber - #24 - RW - YOB: 1989 - 6’2” - 215lbs.
NHL: 7th Round - 197th Overall by Columbus in 2009
Neuber needs to realize his role within the team. Threw some good hits and got Kadri more focused on him than the game for most of the first half in this one. However tried to carry the puck way too much despite more talented linemates looking for a pass. Skating is currently unbecoming of an OHLer and took a very bad unsportsmanlike penalty from taunting/mouthing off to the London bench with 5 minutes left in a 1 goal game. Also refused to fight or stand up for his team when the Knights appeared to be targeting Sting players for big hits. Reminds me of the situation in Toronto with Belak where he could fight but would only do so if it was convenient for him, and not whether the team needed it or not. Neuber does appear that he’d do well if he plays his part and focuses on agitating the opposing team, fighting, not taking bad penalties like tonight and making the smart plays with the puck. If he can do these things he should be able to succeed this year.

RY

The Sunday Top 10 - Top Complete Fighters

In today's Top 10, we look at the OHL's best and most useful fighters. In that I mean, players who fight, and fight often (in most cases), but are also skilled, important members of their team. So, apologies to guys like Peter Stevens and Mike Yovanic, but this is a list of the top complete fighters, not just the best fighters. The criteria I used to measure whether they were fighters or not, was whether they had ever been in more than 10 fights before in a season. Of course there is also some subjectivity in my selections, because I took into account whether these guys were winning some of these fights. Confused? I hope not. I've embedded a clip of each guy at his best with the gloves off, for entertainment purposes of course.

Here is the top 10...

10. Luke Gazdic - Erie Otters
Gazdic will never be mistaken for a superb offensive player, but he's worked hard to improve his puck skills and it showed where he set a career high with 20 goals this season. He is an effective energy player who seems to do anything to help his team win. He hits anything that moves and is one of the most feared body checkers in the OHL. And of course, he fights and fights well. Gazdic fought 12 times this year, inlcuding fights against heavyweights Mike Yovanic, Kyle Neuber, and Brandon Mashinter.
Here is a clip of Gazdic TKO'ing Mike Yovanic from earlier this season.


9. Andrew Shaw - Niagara IceDogs
This kid is nuts. In a good way. At just under six feet and max 160lbs, Shaw came into the league this year willing to fight anyone, even if it was a guy 5 inches and 75lbs bigger than him. And he holds his own and never gives up. His offensive game improved greatly over the course of the season and I think eventually you'll see him being a very solid offensive contributor in this league, when he's given more ice time. Being the youngest player on this list is an impressive feat.
Here is Shaw fighting Jack Walchessen this season.


8. Zac Rinaldo - London Knights
Rinaldo is a human wrecking ball on the ice. He's absolutely one of the best body checkers and most aggressive players in the OHL. While he's developed the reputation for playing a bit dirty, he's often able to back things up with his fists. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Rinaldo put up nearly a point per game in his time with London this year. Again, while he'll never be a big time offensive contributor at the next level, he's starting to realize that he can create offense with the energy he brings to the ice. He's also developed into a real quality piece in the puck possession game, in particular during the cycle.
Here is Rinaldo tossing around behemoth Taylor Doherty from this season.


7. Kyle Clifford - Barrie Colts
The draft eligible Clifford got better and better as the season went along, thus explaining his rise through the draft rankings from season start to season finish, culminating with a spot on the Canadian Under 18 team. He forechecks hard and appears to know where to go on the ice offensively. Clifford also developed quite the penchant for fighting this season, dropping the gloves 14 times. While his offensive abilities may be hitting the tip of the iceberg, his physical abilities are clearly a strength of his.
Here is Clifford fighting Matt Clark of Brampton, a fellow draft eligible player.


6. Anthony Peluso - Brampton Battalion
Peluso made great improvements this year, in my opinion. After the trade from the Soo to Brampton, he looked to be playing inspired hockey. With Brampton his offensive game began to come out, as he was turning his hard work on the forecheck into scoring opportunities. When you go hard to the net, good things often happen, and Peluso has started to become a solid opportunistic scorer, even netting 8 in the playoffs. I think his play in Brampton really helped to earn him that contract from St. Louis recently. While Peluso didn't fight quite as much this year (with 8), he did have 14 last season.
Here is Peluso TKO'ing former Knights defenseman Todd Perry from a few years ago.


5. Harry Young - Windsor Spitfires
Young is the only defenseman I put on this list, but he deserves it. Not only did the towering defenseman fight 20 times this season, but he's developing into a strong shutdown defender who is using his size to gain position on opposing forwards. He also serves as the captain of Windsor where he's clearly demonstrated his leadership capabilities in leading that team this season. While this New Jersey Devil draft pick could still stand to improve his mobility, the Devils have to be happy with the progression of the rest of his game.
Here is Young in a fight with the Knights Jason Wilson.


4. Brandon Mashinter - Belleville Bulls
Ok, I cheated a bit. Mashinter has never fought more than ten times in his OHL career. While he may not fight a lot, when he does, he can throw them with the best in the OHL. His reputation as one of the best fighters in the OHL, earns him the right to this list, despite not meeting the fight criteria I set. I'm not sure there was a more improved player in the OHL this season, than Mashinter. Formerly a purely physical grinder who was relied on for his fists, Mashinter turned into a goal scorer this season, scoring 34 goals and earning a contract from the NHL's San Jose Sharks. Nearly every aspect of his game improved this season, including his skating which went from terrible to acceptable.
Here is Mashinter really tossing around IceDog and fellow listee Andrew Shaw during this season's playoffs.


3. Matt Martin - Sarnia Sting
Martin turned a 25 goal season into a selection at the 2008 NHL entry draft, after failing to be drafted in 2007. This season, Martin continued to improve, scoring 35 goals and performing at over a point per game pace. Martin is an incredible physical presence on the ice, throwing body checks left and right, driving hard to the net, and winning battles in the corners. On top of that, Martin can really throw them and should make a solid professional hockey player.
Here is Martin taking on fellow power forward James Livingston of Sault Ste. Marie.


2. Stefan Della Rovere - Barrie Colts
Many hockey fans became familiar with Della Rovere during this years World Junior's, where his undisciplined play hurt Canada in some instances. When he's playing within the limits, Della Rovere is quite the effective pest. He skates hard and he plays hard. Rovere is one of the best body checkers in the OHL, but is also a beast on the cycle, where his strong lower body help to protect the puck in the corners. Rovere is also a solid offensive player who has the ability to make his linemmates better. As much as Rovere likes to stir things up, he can also back it up with his fists, with a total of 24 fights over the last 2 seasons.
Here is Della Rovere scuffling with number 3 on this list, Matt Martin.


1. Zack Kassian - Peterborough Petes
This potential top 15 draft pick for the 2009 NHL draft, is a throwback to the power forwards of yester years. Kassian uses his size to his advantage, being physically aggressive, as well as driving to the net with the puck on his stick. As a potential first round pick, Kassian obviously has a ton of offensive talent, but the kid loves to fight with 14 scraps this season, holding his own in the vast majority of them.
Here is Kassian fighting IceDog forward Chris DeSousa from late last season.


For next week's Sunday Top 10, I'm going to ask you, the readers, for a top 10 idea you want to see. Simply post your idea as a comment and I'll see what I can do about getting it done.

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.