Teams Shorthanded for the Holidays

Be sure to check out my latest article for School Your Pool.

It outlines all OHL players participating in international tournaments this holiday season, and as such tells which teams are going to be missing which players.

Check it out!

OHL TEAMS SHORTHANDED FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Sunday Top 10 - Christmas Presents

In today's Top 10, I will be playing the role of Santa Claus. Inspired by great Niagara IceDogs radio personality Chuck Lafleur and his blog (here), I've decided to come up with ten Christmas presents which I think would be well deserved by the recipients. Some presents go out to entire teams, some to individual players. All in all, a fun list meant to invoke the holiday spirit (as the OHL takes it's week long break from action).

As no gift is more important than the other, this list is not in any particular order.

To: Cody Hodgson
From: The Brampton Battalion
Dear Cody, please get healthy again. We need you. While our defense and goaltending has been excellent without you, we currently are last in the league in goals scored and desperately need an offensive catalyst to put the team on his back (no pun intended). Plus, there's always the chance we could trade you for a huge return that could help us speed up our rebuilding phase. As a result please enjoy our two gifts.
Present: Sleepmatic Adjustable Bed & A voucher for a free massage.






To: London Knights
From: Michael Del Zotto & John Tavares
Hey guys, we can see how much you're missing us this year. The powerplay has gone from the best in the league to just average (or even below average). Obviously, this powerplay decline can be directly correlated with the team's inability to push past Kitchener for the Division lead thus far. To help you out, we decided to go through an experimental cloning procedure that will produce two clones from a test tube. The bad news...the clones won't be ready for another year. Maybe you can trade their rights for someone who can help you now!
Present: Future Michael Del Zotto and John Tavares clones











To: Guelph Storm
From: Thomas McCollum
In following my former team this season, it appears you guys are still having trouble getting good goaltending since you traded me last season to Brampton. Sucks that Brandon Foote (the guy you got back for me) has been injured all year, but it sucks even more that the two other guys you've brought in haven't been getting the job done. I think it's safe to say that as a team, you've been seriously underachieving this season. I saw quite a few season predictions that had you winning the division. Now...you're nearly last in the Conference. Obviously health and injuries have played a big part in that, but as a goaltender I've got to be bias and believe you're longing for the days when I manned the pipes for you. As a result, I've sent along a little something that could help.
Present: "Road Warrior" street hockey shooter tutor.








To: Team Canada and Team Ontario
From: Myself
While I'd like to extend the best of luck to all Ontario Hockey League players participating in the upcoming international tournaments, the Canadian in me would like to give only gold medals to the home team. That means best of luck to all OHL members of Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, and to all members of Team Ontario at the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge. Team Canada is, of course, going for its record sixth straight gold, while Team Ontario is going for its third straight gold.
Present: Gold Medals








To: Erik Gudbranson
From: An unidentified NHL team picking inside the draft lottery
Dear Erik, we just wanted to tell you that no matter how much bad luck you receive this year, we'll still be drafting you. You can have a minor knee injury and miss a month. You can have mononucleosis and miss the current month. But remember, you are a tremendous defenseman who has taken great steps forward this season and you will still be a selection in the top 14 of the NHL draft. Rest up and come back stronger than ever.
Present: Montreal Canadiens - 100th Anniversary Collector's DVD set (for the huge Habs fan to watch as he recuperates from mono)








To: Eugene Melnyk and the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
From: The Town of Oakville
Eugene, we think we know why your 2nd place Majors continue to draw very disappointing attendance figures. You need to expand your marketing venture to include us neighbors in Oakville. You're looking at a city of 200,000 crazed hockey fans who've been producing some of the best OHL talent over the past few years (John Tavares, Steve Mason, Sam Gagner), yet few people in the city know about OHL hockey and the 20 minute car ride away Hershey Centre. We fully believe that if you were to start broadcasting the games locally here (like the Niagara IceDogs have done in Hamilton), and if you were to start advertising tickets in the local papers, you'd be able to increase your attendance and the general interest in your club.
Present: A Cogeco cable provider telephone number so that you can set up a t.v. distribution deal, and be the first OHL team to have two rival companies providing simultaneous broadcasts (Rogers and Cogeco).









To: Jacob Muzzin
From: The Pittsburgh Penguins
Jacob, we're very sorry we didn't offer you an NHL contract last year. In hindsight, I guess it was a pretty stupid move. Maybe we just didn't think you had it in you to become such an elite level OHL defender. We also read Bob Mackenzie's latest column on you (here) and it made us feel like major idiots. Bob's right, some players do just take longer to develop. We've been watching you in the Soo this year and how you've become one of the best defenseman in the entire league. And we'd like to make it up to you.
Present: An NHL Entry Level Contract









To: Joey Hishon
From: Owen Sound Attack Fans
Joey, we're glad you've returned from your broken foot just in time to help the Attack improve in the second half of the season. While we've been inconsistent this season, we do currently sit in the playoffs and we do have the potential to play a lot better. However, we need you to return to the way you played last year, when you became one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league...and not the way you played to start the regular season. We know you're capable of way more than you showed in September and October, and we trust that your poor play was just a reflection of frustration based on the entire team's poor play. We hope that you can return to previous form and get yourself back on the scouting map for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Present: A DVD collection of last year's Attack games and a place inside the top 100 of NHL Central Scouting's January Midterm rankings.









To: Niagara IceDogs
From: Alex Pietrangelo
Even from St. Louis, I can see how tough a year this has been for you. It's been just as tough for me as I sit in the press box in St. Louis and hope for playing time. Obviously, as former captain, I still feel close to you guys and wish I could do something to help. Perhaps my situation gets cleared up once the World Juniors are over and I'll return to the OHL. If I do, you could possibly use me to get a huge return in trade that could help the rebuilding process of this team. Also, I'm hoping you can find a suitor for Chris DeSousa too, as he's a great hockey player and should be able to fetch you a good return himself. I know you guys are a better team than you're currently showing, so hopefully things start looking up.
Present: One Alex Pietrangelo after the World Junior Championships









To: Tyler Cuma
From: The Minnesota Wild
Tyler, we realize it's been a tough year for you so far. The 67's have underachieved (to a degree) and you've come under heavy scrutiny for your play. But we continue to have faith in your development and in our selection of you as a first rounder. In watching you in recent weeks, we know that your defensive game has begun to come around and that you're nearly back to your old self as a shutdown defender. We know the healing process can take a long time and we'll be patient with you. While your offensive game is still struggling, we do faith that it will come back around and that you'll regain your confidence in moving the puck.
Present: A video of the 2008 Under 18's to help provide confidence, in seeing what a capable two way defender you used to be.








That's it folks. Santa has finished dolling out his presents. Anyone else out there have anything they'd like to give (OHL related)?

Thoughts on Brampton and Sarnia from December 19

I caught this one on t.v. tonight, hoping that perhaps a battle between two of the worst teams in the league would be fierce, competitive and entertaining. Unfortunately, I was wrong. It was a pretty sloppy and choppy game that saw little in the way of serious scoring chances, perhaps what you'd expect from two teams who look like contenders for a top 5 pick in the 2010 OHL Priority Draft. Brampton squeaked by by a score of 2-1, despite being largely outplayed in the third period by the Sting. Perhaps more entertaining than the game was the pre-game ceremony where the Sarnia maintenance staff almost killed Santa Claus by not putting the carpet down well enough on the ice, causing poor Santa to slip and nearly break his hip.

Another reason I caught this one is because Ryan Yessie was at the game live tonight and will be providing us with a game report of his own in the coming week. I figured it'd be interesting to not only compare opinion between action seen on t.v. and action seen live, but also compare Ryan and I's thoughts on individual performances.

Here are my thoughts on players from both sides.

Brampton Battalion







Matt Clark (ANA)
I thought Clark had a very solid game. Made one bad play defensively where he got beaten to the outside as he was caught standing still, but generally speaking played a solid defensive game. He was typical Matt Clark in his own zone from what I've seen of him over the past two seasons. Offensively, I thought he had an excellent game too. While Brampton's powerplay is the worst in the league (although they did score twice tonight on the PP), I thought Clark did a good job of running play from the point. Scored a goal from the point on a slap shot that beat Shayne Campbell over the shoulder. Clark did a great job to get the shot through to the net (which may or may not have changed directions on the way). I think he's a solid professional prospect, and there's a reason he went as high as he did in last year's draft despite being primarily a defensive first defenseman.

Cameron Wind (2010)
I think a lot of people were surprised by his inclusion on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary list for the OHL. Truthfully, I was surprised too. But more because I didn't expect him to be on it, not because I believed he had no business being on it. I've tended to come away impressed by Wind every time I've seen him. He's not a flashy player by any means, but he's effective. I'm disappointed by his offensive production thus far, considering he seems to have good offensive instincts. This game was no different. Made a couple of nice pinches to keep the puck in the offensive zone, and did a good job of keeping the puck in at the blueline. He could stand to work on his breakout pass, but he's learning. Defensively, he's solid. Plays a good positional game, although I think he could stand to use his size a little more to add a larger physical element to his game. One play in particular stood out, as Kyle Neuber used his size to get by him in pursuit of the puck, gaining possession for Sarnia in the offensive end. While Neuber is a big boy, Wind is no dwarf himself and he needs to demonstrate a greater ability to use that size to prevent big forwards like Neuber from gaining possession of the puck.

Philip Lane (2010)
Lane has been on fire offensively of late (goals in 4 straight games coming into this one), but struggled in this game. I do really like him as a player and prospect for the 2010 NHL draft, but the more I watch him the more I wonder about his offensive potential, more specifically his ability to convert offensive opportunities. Call it lack of hand eye coordination, lack of hands, bad luck, whatever it be, but Lane does seem to have problems with keeping the puck on his stick at top speed, and with receiving passes while moving. The puck just always seems to be bouncing on him. He's still an aggressive forechecker and a budding physical player, but I'm starting to wonder whether he will develop into a premier offensive power forward or a hard working checker with some offensive ability.

Sam Carrick (2010)
Carrick really struggled to find the score sheet towards the end of October and through November, but it appears he's getting himself back on track this month. From talking to Brampton fans, they say he was struggling because he was spending too much time focusing on trying to be a pugilist instead of the team's offensive catalyst. Tonight he was quite solid though. Generated off the rush (one of the few Brampton forwards doing so), and seems to really keep his feet moving in the offensive zone, which makes him a strong player on the cycle. Scored the eventual game winning goal in the second period by beating defender Nathan Chiarlitti to the net for the tap in off Thomas Stajan's pass. He was named the game's first star.

Domenic Alberga (2010)
I thought Alberga was the best Brampton forward on the ice tonight. Was just a monster on the forecheck. He had at least 5 takeaways himself, and forced even more by putting constant pressure on the Sting puck carriers. He hit a post too, coming with a nice shot off the rush. While the stats haven't necessarily been there this year, he shows promise. If he can start showing greater offensive potential to go with the work ethic he brings to the ice, he could find himself as an NHL draft pick in June. And if not, he should still develop into a very important player for Brampton. Finished with an assist on Matt Clark's goal.

Patrick Killeen (PIT)
While Brampton's defense has been outstanding this year (in keeping shot totals down), I don't think Killeen has gotten enough credit for the way he's played this year. With no more Thomas McCollum, Killeen knew that he was going to have to step up big this year and play a large number of games. At this point, he's definitely playing for a contract from Pittsburgh. In the third period he was especially huge, making some big saves to keep Brampton ahead despite Sarnia's dominance. On one occasion, Killeen made 3 saves in succession in a mad flurry of goal mouth action, finally knocking away the puck to the corner with his blocker on the third. It'll be interesting to see what Brampton does with Killeen, considering they don't really need his services as a rebuilding team. He could be an attractive option to a team like Windsor or Guelph.
Killeen made 21 of 22 saves and got the win.

Sarnia Sting






Nathan Chiarlitti (2010)
Chiarlitti did not have his best game tonight. He had a couple of very poor defensive plays. In the first period, he got blown by, by a Brampton forward on the rush, creating a scoring chance in on Shayne Campbell. Later in the 2nd period, he was soft on Sam Carrick and got beaten to the front of the net as Carrick deposited the eventual game winner. Offensively, he didn't do a whole heck of a lot either and (like the entire Sarnia defense) had trouble moving the puck out of the defensive zone tonight. At this point, he seems to be one of those guys right on the cusp of being worthy of attention for the 2010 draft.

J.C. Campagna (2011)
I didn't really notice Campagna much. In a game I saw earlier this year I came away impressed by him, but tonight he was pretty invisible. At this point, I think we're looking at a player with a lot of skill, but who's lacking the strength to be able to contribute as a 16 year old in the OHL.

Brandon Francisco (2011)
Same thing applies to Francisco that I said about Campagna. I did notice Francisco for the bad though on a few occasions, where he handled the puck too long and ended up turning it over. I've heard other people say that they think he needs to use his teammates better and that appears to be a fair assessment. Like Campagna, he just needs to get bigger and stronger in order to be able to produce offensively.

Brandon Alderson (2010)
I thought Alderson was an interesting player tonight. Funny enough, during the intermission there was a segment asking all the players what they were asking for, for Christmas. Alderson claimed he was asking for the ability to raise the puck up off the ice. For a guy who has doubts about his finishing ability, he seems to be doing OK. With a goal tonight, he has 10 on the year which is good for 2nd on the team. On his goal, he beat his defender to the net, kept his stick on the ice and converted a cross ice feed from Kale Kerbashian (ironically the puck never left the ice). But he did fail to capitalize on a few other opportunities in close. An intriguing player though who has very good size, decent skating ability for that size, and a willingness to go hard to the net for goals. He finds himself in a group with guys like Phil Lane, and Kingston's Corey Durocher who should generate NHL draft interest due to their size and potential goal scoring ability.

Kyle Neuber (CBJ)
To his credit, Neuber played a good game tonight. He saw some powerplay time where he was used as the tree blocking the goaltender in the crease. He did a good job in the corners and along the boards. His line had one very good shift where they kept possession for a good minute and ended up with a really good scoring chance. He also had a fight tonight, completely beating up Brampton forward Alex O'Neil. I still don't see the reason to spend an NHL draft pick on him, but I give credit where credit is due and he played well tonight in a losing cause.

Joe Rogalski (2010)
Rogalski played an excellent game defensively tonight. I was very impressed by his positioning at the defensive end. No Brampton player was able to get by him, and he kept the Battalion forwards to the perimeter when he was on the ice. If he can continue to use his size defensively, he'll have an NHL future. However, I continue to be unimpressed by his ability to move the puck out of his own zone. Clean passes and smart reads tend to be few and far between. Near the end of the third period, he gave the puck up in his own zone, which lead to him taking a penalty that could have really cost the Sting a chance to get back into the game. When he carries the puck up ice and joins in on the rush, he's effective as an offensive player, but he definitely needs to work on his first pass out of the zone and his ability to work through the forecheck.

I'll be curious to hear what Ryan has to say about this one! Anyone else have thoughts?

Sunday Top 10 - Biggest Stories at the Halfway Point

With the majority of OHL teams at or very close to reaching the half way point of the 2009-10 season (34 games), I figured this would be the perfect time to review the biggest stories of the season thus far.

10. Not a Very Strong Storm in Guelph
Picked by many prognosticators (including myself) to finish near the top of the Western Conference, the Storm have done the exact opposite, currently finding themselves tied for dead last in the West. Now granted, the Storm have had their share of injuries, the biggest being the long term injury of their captain Matt Kennedy. But for the most part, others have rotated in and out of the line up. The biggest problem has been team defense and goaltending, with the Storm having the second worst goals against average in the league at 4.1 goals given up per game. The team brought in two netminders this season to try and rectify a situation that looked like it could have been ugly, NCAA defector Matt Hoyle, and OHL veteran Cody St. Jacques. Neither has been the answer. First step to rehabilitation is getting healthy. Hopefully in the second half of the season, the team can get their offensive stars healthy and on the ice at the same time. Second step will be an improvement in net. The question then remains, rather than going out and trying to improve, do the Storm instead become sellers and move attractive pieces like Adam Comrie, Matt Kennedy, and Matt Sisca in order to pick up pieces that could help the team more next season?

9. Disaster in Niagara
It has not been a good year in St. Catharines for the Niagara IceDogs. Let's recap the year so far. Coach Mario Chicillo gets fired just before the start of training camp, an odd time to make a coaching and philosophy change. Top 10 pick Lucas Lessio fails to report, deciding to make a verbal commitment to Michigan instead. The team fails to get defenseman and captain Alex Pietrangelo back from the St. Louis Blues. And lastly, one of the teams best and longest serving players, Chris DeSousa walks out on the team demanding a trade. Add that all up and you get an IceDogs team who currently holds down last place in the OHL. Jeez, remember when I had the Dogs finishing 7th in the conference in my season preview and some of their fans called me a fool for having them too low? Not looking so good now. But let's be honest, there is talent in Niagara and they are definitely underachieving. However, a change needs to occur. The team needs to get this DeSousa situation sorted out soon and get a half decent warm body back in return. An overall roster shake up, or another coaching change probably wouldn't hurt either. There's a reason we play 68 games in a season and not 34. The Dogs have time (and the talent) to turn things around and try to put a bright spot on an otherwise dim season.

8. What? There is an Overage Player Limit? Crap! - "The Windsor Spitfires"
Obviously Warren Rychel and Bob Boughner did realize that there is an overage player limit in this league, but what they could not have predicted was the number of overage players returned to them. When the season started, it was a pretty common assumption that defenseman and captain Harry Young would be returned for another year. However, pretty much every fan of the Spitfires had written off the returns of Scott Timmins and Dale Mitchell. But here we are, middle of the December and both are back and playing for the Spits. Windsor started the year with four overagers (Young, Unice, O'Donnell, Baldwin). Now they've got three, only one of which was on the roster to start the season. Obviously this is great news for Windsor as both Timmins and Mitchell return to provide veteran leadership and scoring and make the team that much stronger. It also serves an important purpose in that the team now has more depth at forward and could possibly afford to trade some of that depth in return for a starting goaltender.

7. Not to Toot My Own Horn or Anything (Cough, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Cough)
Nearly every OHL prognosticator had the Soo Greyhounds near the very bottom of the league in their preseason predictions...save one. ME! I said that solid team defense and excellent goaltending would make that Hounds team a surprise of the Western Conference (here). Sure enough, here we are at the half way point and the Hounds currently sit...5th in the Western Conference. They started the year red hot and had everyone jumping on their bandwagon. Then they went ice cold and people shot them down as a pretender and a team now showing their true colours. However, I never lost faith. As a young team, they will go through their ups and downs, but they have the talent to finish right near the middle of the West when all is said and done. I'm curious to see if they make a move for another quality forward to help them in the playoffs.

6. Saginaw's Loss is Barrie's Gain
At the beginning of November, a huge trade sent shock waves through the entire OHL. The second place Saginaw Spirit had traded their two best defenseman, T.J. Brodie and Nick Crawford to the Barrie Colts in exchange for sophomores Ryan O'Connor and Michael Sgarbossa. While the trade made sense (and still makes sense to me considering how much it will help the team next year and the year after), it had to be tough for Spirit fans and players to swallow the move. Admittedly...I didn't think the trade would effect Saginaw as negatively as it has. Just look at the records of before and after the trade. Before the trade Saginaw Spirit: 13-6. After the trade Saginaw Spirit: 3-10. The team has not adjusted well to the change at all. Meanwhile, the trade has paid HUGE dividends for the Barrie Colts who've won 19 games in a row with Brodie and Crawford in their line up and look poised to be Memorial Cup contenders.

5. The Cody Hodgson Saga
Rewind to the beginning of August. Cody Hodgson is not only expected to make the Vancouver Canucks, but he's being penciled in as the favourite for the rookie of the year over first overall pick John Tavares. That's when things started to go bad. Hodgson struggled terribly at Canucks camp, citing a bad back as the reason. The Canucks cut him, something that seemed impossible to start the season, and news broke that Hodgson's back was worse than previously thought. Fast forward to the present, and Hodgson still hasn't played a game with the Brampton Battalion this season, and has dropped out of the Canadian World Junior camp because his back is still not at 100%. He's been practicing with Brampton for a while now, but has still yet to play. Which makes you wonder, will he ever play this season?

4. Will the Real Leader of the East Division Please Stand Up?
The Eastern Conference's East Division has been the black mark in the OHL so far this season. Four teams going back and forth from below .500 to above it, with no team looking head and shoulders above the other. The Peterborough Petes have had the division lead for the majority of the season, but each of Kingston, Oshawa and Ottawa have had their hot streaks. Heck, at this point even the Belleville Bulls aren't out of the running, should they get hot in the second half. The division as a whole is just not very strong, with every team having holes in their line up. The question then remains, will someone step up in the second half and claim themselves the true cream of the crop in the division?

3. The Hall, Seguin, Fowler Debate
Once considered the hands on favourite to be drafted first overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Taylor Hall now finds himself with competition. It's not as though Hall's played poorly, it's that two other players have stepped up to compete. Cam Fowler came into the league with a ton of hype this offseason and hasn't lived down the expectations, leading OHL defenseman in scoring. Tyler Seguin is the one who's really exploded and entered the discussion with a tremendous first half to the season. In fact, NHL's Central Scouting currently has Seguin rated first overall. The debate between these three will go the rest of the season and right up until the entry draft in June. For my money though, I still take Taylor Hall.

2. The Dominance of the Barrie Colts
While many expected the Colts to finish first in the Eastern Conference (myself included), I did not expect them to be THIS dominant. Winners of 19 in a row and counting, the Colts went a huge stretch without even losing a period to another team. They've just flat out been running over the competition. They ice three scoring lines that can out skate you, out score you, check you, and beat you up. The balance is just incredible. The addition of Brodie and Crawford to the blueline has really made this team more complete. If their goaltending can hold up, they could really give Windsor a run for their money. I don't know about you, but I've got January 14th marked down in my calendar (the first meeting of the season between Barrie and Windsor).

1. The Michael Liambas Hit on Ben Fanelli
It's been debated to death, was it clean, was it legal, was the suspension merited? Truthfully, I didn't want to put this at number one considering the black mark it left on the league in the National media. However, you can't argue that it wasn't the league's top story of the first half. Everybody and anybody was talking about it. That being said, let's look at the positives now that we're a month and a half separated from the incident. Rangers defenseman Ban Fanelli is alright and recovering from the skull fracture and concussion he suffered. The early consensus is that there will be no lasting effects on his playing ability and that he should be able to continue his OHL career in due time. Meanwhile, Liambas has moved on as well, signing a professional contract with the IHL's Bloomington Prairie Thunder. The only negative thing left over from this incident appears to be the president it set for league suspensions. From now on, any hit deserving a suspension in this league will be compared to this incident (as it has already this season). And unfortunately, the league's consistency will be called into question time and time again.

What are your thoughts on the first half of the 2009-10 OHL season?

OHL Hopefuls for Team Canada at the WJC's

In my latest article for School Your Pool, I've decided to profile the OHL players currently at camp in Regina trying to make the 2010 Canadian WJC team.

See who I think are the locks and the longshots!

OHL Hopefuls for Team Canada.

Thoughts on Erie and Windsor from December 10

I've been pretty busy lately, but I managed to catch this one on t.v. tonight. I hadn't seen the Otters much at all this year and I never run from a chance to catch Windsor, which made this game ideal for me to watch. It was kind of disappointing though. Not the most exciting OHL game you'll see, at least in my opinion. Windsor came out on top by a score of 3-1, a minimal spread considering their dominance of the game's pace.

Erie was largely kept in the game by the play of their star netminder, Jaroslav Janus. Since his return from the AHL, the team has been playing better hockey (above .500), and with good reason. I'm not sure there's much doubt in the minds of OHL followers about whether Janus is a top 3 netminder in this league. Erie's defense had a lot of trouble containing the speed and physicality of Windsor's forwards, especially down low in the offensive zone, and Janus bailed out his team on numerous occasions. Even with Janus in net, I'm still not sure this team is anything but a bottom seed in the Western Conference playoffs. That is...if they keep Janus. Although trading him could be quite the conundrum because of his unique status in the league (an import and overager).

The Spitfires again showed why they're such a dangerous team. While I felt like a large portion of their forwards tonight did not have their best games (Nemisz, Ryan, Timmins, to name a few), the depth, and quality of depth on this team ensures that they will always be dangerous. If a couple key players aren't performing, need not to worry since there will be about 5-6 others to pick up the slack. I'm really curious to see if this team makes a move before the deadline, especially to shore up their short term goaltending situation.

Some thoughts on individual performances. As always with Windsor, I'm not commenting on everyone because that task would be pretty tedious.

Erie Otters






Mitch Gaulton (NYR)
Outside of a bad penalty in the first period, I thought Gaulton played a very solid defensive game tonight. In the first he got beat by Taylor Hall to the outside and was forced to trip him up. But he tightened things up the rest of the game. Had a couple nice plays on forwards as they tried to break in towards the net with the puck, playing the man and not the puck itself. Because of that, Windsor had a hard time creating off the rush when he and partner Tyler Hostetter were on the ice (but not when David Shields was...poor guy). Offensively though, he was absent. The only time I noticed him in the offensive zone was when he made a bad pinch and got caught up ice, leading to an odd man rush by Windsor. I'm wondering where the confident offensive defenseman I saw last year is, the one who looked poised bringing the puck up ice and who was dangerous with his shot from the point. Have injuries derailed his offensive development?

David Shields (STL)
Not to pick on Mr. Shields, but he did not have a good game at all. Windsor forwards ate him up and spit him out all night. In the first, he got beat by Eric Wellwood at the blueline, allowing Wellwood in on a breakaway (which was foiled by Janus). Later in the first, he failed to keep pace with Dale Mitchell as he took him wide and to the side of the net, leading to Eric Wellwood's goal to tie the game at 1. Mitchell picked the puck up near the boards and exploded past Shields as he failed to keep up laterally. This caused Shields to be removed from the play, leaving his partner Paul Cianfrini to cover two Spitfires in front of the net. A tough task and it led to Eric Wellwood's goal in the slot. Later in the game, he tried to keep the puck in at the blueline of the offensive zone, but fumbled it and gave it away to Taylor Hall, leading to another breakaway (again stymied by Janus). Not a bright spot for Shields who finished the game -2.

Tyler Hostetter (PHI)
Was happy to see him sign a contract with Philly after the entry draft, as I was surprised he went unselected. I thought he played a solid game at both ends of the ice and has rounded himself into a very capable two-way defender. Did make a mistake in defensive coverage in the second period though, getting caught in no mans land and leaving Richard Panik wide open for the one timer to the back of the net. Outside of that, he played a quietly effective game and is appeared to be Erie's premier puck rushing defenseman.

Andrew Yogan (2010)
I thought Yogan was OK in the game. While he didn't generate a whole lot offensively (save a nice pass on a 2 on 1 to Jordan Coccimiglio, who was stoned by Passingham), I was impressed by his ability to control the puck along the boards. He's big, he's strong and he's obviously got offensive talent, even if it didn't shine through tonight. I've seen him play better. That being said, I'm still not sure I see him as a top 60 talent for this year's draft.

Greg McKegg (2010)
McKegg was OK too. I thought he was good in the first period, but invisible in the second and third. In the first he was creating off the rush and was one of the few Erie forwards applying pressure to Windsor's defense. He opened the game's scoring with a nice shot from the slot, beating Passingham (who had been taken out of position). McKegg started the play off by getting a good low shot on Passingham through traffic, generating a rebound which Zack Torquato picked up, and then fed back to McKegg for the tap in. I'm still not quite sure where to place him among 2010 eligible players though. With so many talented options available, does he get lost in the shuffle?

Jaroslav Janus (TBL)
Janus, as expected, was outstanding. He kept his team in this game despite numerous defensive gaffs. Stopped two breakaways (one by Wellwood, one by Taylor Hall), showing good flexibility and mobility on both. Stopped a two on one attempt finished off by Scott Timmins by sliding across and getting his body in front of a one timer. Was solid the entire game, challenging the shooter and going down in his butterfly to take away a good portion of the net. Rebound control was solid. Really nothing bad to say. He stopped 46 of 49, but took the loss.

Windsor Spitfires





Taylor Hall (2010)
Hall had a good game tonight. His speed and skill in transition was just too much to handle for Erie's defense. Even though he didn't make a large contribution on the scoresheet (a secondary assist), I felt like he was one of the most dangerous players on the ice. On the downside though, he showcased sloppy puck/pass decisions that we were seeing from him last season, and less of this season. I felt like he had really improved his decision making with the puck so far this year, but tonight he looked like Taylor of last year. Dangerous, but also at times a liability as he tried to carry the puck into traffic and as he threw wild blind passes to the center of the ice. Those are the types of plays that turn into turnovers and goals at the NHL level, and it would appear he still needs to work on eliminating those from his game.

Kenny Ryan (TOR)
Still not impressed by Ryan at all. I thought he was completely invisible. If I hadn't have been looking for number 26, I might have forgotten him all together. I still don't think there is any reason to worry yet though. Quite often, in the history of players who've made the mid season leap from NCAA to the CHL, these guys struggle to start as they slowly become adjusted. I think the real test for Ryan will come with so many players away at the World Juniors for Windsor. He'll see a much larger portion of offensive responsibility and I'll be curious to see how he deals with it.

Richard Panik (TBL)
I thought he was excellent tonight. I've heard a lot of Windsor fans talk about their disappointment with him this season but every time I've seen him play, he's been tremendous. Maybe I just keep catching him on good nights. He scored a goal off a nice one timed shot from a bad angle (that he roofed on Janus). He threw a couple really big hits and was a physical force in the corners. I even saw him make a very nice defensive play, as he filled in for a Windsor defenseman who got caught up ice on a bad pinch. Like most Euro players in this league, I think we'll see him get better and more consistent as the season goes along. By the end of the season, I somehow don't think many Windsor fans will be complaining about him anymore.

Mark Cundari (STL)
Another solid game from Cundari. Truthfully, I'm not sure there is a better defensive player in the OHL. If you manage to catch a game where a forward beats him off the rush or out positions him for a puck, write the date down to remember it. Tonight was no different. On the downside tonight, I felt like he was a bit careless in his decisions to rush the puck or contribute offensively. He turned it over twice in his own zone as he tried to carry it up ice, but then got stripped. He had several other good rushes, but he needs to be careful about picking his spots and becoming a bit overconfident in his puck rushing ability. Still finished the game +3 and is still the far and away +/- leader of the OHL. Have I mentioned he's underrated?

Eric Wellwood (PHI)
While I don't think there's a top 6 forward role waiting for him in the NHL, I do think the Flyers were very wise to use a draft selection last year on him. Tremendous speed, and tremendous awareness on the ice. I think he'll end up developing into an excellent third line/penalty killing forward. He's having quite a good season and picked up two points tonight. An assist on Richard Panik's goal, feeding him with a nice pass for the one timer. And a goal off Dale Mitchell's nice feed in the first period, burying one from the slot. Wellwood was named the game's first star.

Dale Mitchell (TOR)
The best player on the ice for me tonight. I thought Mitchell was all over the place. Created off the rush, dominated in the corners, and was pesky in front of the net. It wasn't just David Shields who had trouble with him tonight, it was the entire Otters team. I still don't agree with the decision to send him back to the OHL (because I think he's proved and improved all he can at this level), there is no denying that the Spitfires have to be happy to have him back in the line up. Just another cog in the machine.

Anyone else have thoughts on the game, or questions on players not mentioned (Cam Fowler by the way sat this one out with an undisclosed minor injury).

Thoughts on Ottawa and Belleville from December 2

Who wants to watch the Toronto Raptors get blown away by the Atlanta Hawks on a Wednesday night? Not me. Instead, I tuned into this East Division match up between the Ottawa 67's and the Belleville Bulls. Unfortunately since this game was delayed by a half hour due to a late arrival by Ottawa (their bus had some mechanical problems), I did have to sit through an opening quarter of the Raps game that saw them concede 33 points. When the game did get played, the 67's continued their red hot play by coming into the Yardmen Arena and stealing this one by a score of 4-3. The victory was Ottawa's 8th in their last 9 games. It's about time this team started climbing the standings in the Eastern Conference.

It was actually a very entertaining game. While Belleville never had the lead in this one, they showed a lot of heart by climbing back to tie the game twice before giving up the game winning goal with 37 seconds to go in regulation. The game saw the match up of two 2010 eligible goaltenders, both imports. Of course I'm talking about Petr Mrazek of Ottawa (and the Czech Republic), and Phil Grubauer of Belleville (and of Germany). Both goalies were excellent in the game and made a lot of quality, point blank saves. In the end, it was Belleville's inability to get the puck out of their end that cost them the game. Turnovers in their own end led to 2 of the 4 Ottawa goals, including the game winner.

Some individual player thoughts:

Ottawa 67's






Tyler Toffoli (2010)
Came into this game red hot, riding a 6 game point streak where he had put up 16 points in that span. But he was surprisingly quiet in this one. He made a couple of nice plays off the rush to generate scoring chances. Had a really good scoring chance himself by sneaking past the Belleville defense and taking a pass in the slot, but couldn't get enough on the one timed shot to beat Grubauer, shooting it right into his chest. On the negative, it seemed like he might be trying to do too much with the puck. In a way, I felt like he played a bit of a selfish game, turning the puck over a few times by trying to make one too many moves or by holding on to it too long. But then again, a player coming in as red hot as Toffoli is going to be playing with a lot of confidence and be looking to try and create. I'm just saying I think he needs to be a bit smarter in doing so. I keep trying to catch Toffoli on a good game, but I've yet to do so. It's obvious he's having them, I just need to see it for myself.

Anthony Nigro (STL)
Whenever I see Nigro with the 67's, I'm always so shocked at how different a player he's become in Ottawa. In Guelph he was a forecheck and cycle machine, a guy who generated his scoring chances by outworking the defense in the offensive zone. In Ottawa, he's become a much different offensive player; one that generates his offense primarily off the rush and on the drive to the net. Not necessarily a bad thing, but just an observation. Nigro had a very solid game tonight. Scored a beauty of a goal in the 2nd period to open the scoring. Took a pass in the slot, lost control of it momentarily on the backhand but managed to spin around and fire it home on the forehand with a top shelf wrister just under the cross bar. Earlier in the game, he created a very nice opportunity to score for Cody Lindsay but using the toe drag on the way to the net to draw the ire of the 67 defenseman, only to pass the puck to a streaking Lindsay who fanned on the shot, allowing Grubauer enough time to get over and make the save. Nigro also had the primary assist on the game winning goal by Lindsay. Thomas Nesbitt stole the puck along the boards, put it to Nigro who then slipped it to Lindsay alone in front of the net for the shot five hole. Was a tic-tac-toe play that showcased some excellent playmaking ability from Nigro. Considering all the different sides he's shown in the OHL, I do wonder which one is the Nigro we'll see at the next level.

Julien Demers (SJ)
Truthfully, I didn't really notice Demers tonight. And I think that's a good thing. A quality defensive defenseman, I think he got caught up with trying to do too much offensively at the beginning of the season and as a result he struggled (injuries played a part too). When Demers is at his best, he's playing the body, quietly effectively defensively and making quick passes in the defensive end. And he did that tonight.

Tyler Cuma (MIN)
First off, obviously the biggest news of the day is his omission from the Canadian WJC tryout camp (TSN has an excellent piece on Cuma's disappoint here). To his credit, and he admits this himself in the TSN article, I think he's been playing a lot better hockey the past month or so (obviously correlated with Ottawa's improvements in recent weeks). Defensively, he was a stud tonight. Nobody from Belleville was able to get past him tonight, and playing on the big ice, that speaks volumes to his skating ability and mobility. He took the body hard too, really rubbing out a Belleville player along the boards (I can't remember who exactly)...although he took a boarding penalty on the play. Nice to see him playing inspired physical defensive hockey though. On the downside...I think he's still struggling with his confidence offensively and with the puck. Looks hesitant to rush the puck up ice and when the puck hits his stick, he's quick to dish it off. Evidence of this was his near costly delay of game penalty in the third period that allowed Kyle DeCoste to tie the game at 3. Before his injury, Cuma was a very capable puck rushing defenseman and a guy who showed flashes of being a very capable two way defenseman. Since, his offensive production has really slipped and I think it's directly related to confidence and timing. I do think it's only a matter of time before he gets it back though. Once he becomes comfortable again defensively and things start becoming a little more automatic, I'm sure we'll see his passes become more crisp. And I'm sure we'll see him take more chances on the rush.

Ryan Martindale (2010)
I thought Martindale played an OK game, probably better than Toffoli was tonight. With Dalton Smith out of the line up (apparent upper body injury, but not serious), these two played a TON tonight; this had to be taxing on them. While he was fairly invisible offensively tonight, the one thing I do really like about Martindale is that he's able to get his shot off in traffic. He does well to use his size to give him a bit of time and space to shoot. I think this bodes really well for his production at the next level, even if his skating needs improvement (which was obvious on the big ice tonight).

Petr Mrazek (2010)
The Czech Import played a heck of a game tonight. With a shutout through the first two periods of this game, he ended up with a 7 period shutout streak. Unfortunately, this was broken in the third when he gave up 3 goals. But this is the third time this season I've been very impressed by Mrazek. He's very athletic, he challenges shooters, he takes away the bottom of the net, and he reacts well to the play. Not sure what else you could ask of a goaltender. Made several point blank saves tonight, all because he was able to cut down the angle by challenging at the top of the blue ice and then held on to the puck and didn't give up a big rebound. The goals that did beat him, he didn't have that much of a chance on, save maybe Kyle DeCoste's first goal where he bit on the pass fake and exposed his five hole on a side of the net opportunity. If anything, I think he needs to commit later to the play, as in the two previous viewings he was scored on in similar fashions by getting him down to the ice on the flop. The 2010 OHL crop of goaltenders is looking like a solid group, however it's also a group without a definitive number 1 candidate. I think Mrazek has the potential to seize that top spot, if he can continue to get playing time. He made 34 of 37 saves for the victory.

Belleville Bulls






Bjorn Krupp (MIN)
Not a good night for Bjorn Krupp. Then again, I don't think I've ever seen him have a good one. Bulls fans, help me out here? He does have good ones right? I will come out and say that Krupp has potential as a stay at home defenseman. He handles forwards on the rush quite well and is hard to get around. He made a very nice defensive play on Cody Lindsay as he tried to get by him and take the puck to the net. Krupp knocked the puck away with his stick first and then knocked Lindsay to the ice shortly after. It's his play with the puck that's just atrocious. He's a complete liability on the ice with the puck on his stick. Two turnovers led to Ottawa goals tonight. And not just that, I'm not sure he hit a single Belleville forward with a crisp pass up ice. The first turnover was on a brutal clearing attempt in the second period. It was knocked down by an Ottawa forward, only to be stolen back again by Kyle DeCoste, only to have him give it away to Joe Carnevale for the goal. But the original turnover that led to the goal was Krupp's. The game winning goal was worse. Krupp tried to carry the puck out from behind his net, lost control, panicked and fired a weak clear off the boards that was intercepted by Thomas Nesbitt, who then fed Nigro who then fed Lindsay to the back of the net. I don't want to sound harsh, but professional hockey players would eat Krupp alive on the forecheck. He makes Wade Belak look like Sidney Crosby. But there is hope, his defensive awareness and ability is solid, he just needs to drastically improve his play with the puck.

Alex Basso (2011)
With such a quality group of 1993 defenseman this year in the OHL, Basso is a guy that gets overlooked. He didn't crack the Under 17 team, but only because the 7 defenseman who did are all outstanding. But Basso is a guy that has impressed me. He can skate, especially with the puck on his stick. And he's got a lot of confidence in his ability to move the puck, he really doesn't hesitate to try and make an offensive play. Defensively, he's learning. Made an error on the first Cody Lindsay goal as he got caught standing still, and Lindsay cut back to the middle of the ice causing Basso to fall and Lindsay to roof it top shelf. But I like his willingness to take the body. In the other times I've seen him this season, he's been eager to throw that open ice hit, especially at the blueline. We'll see how his game progresses as the season goes along.

Shawn Lalonde (CHI)
Had a tremendous game tonight. Was all over the ice creating scoring chances. At the Yardmen arena, he's so effective. That extra space is like gold to him. Very aggressive in bringing the puck up the ice, had several very nice end to end rushes tonight. He made some good pinches too, although because he makes a lot of them he can be prone to getting caught. Scored his goal by joining the rush and picking up a loose puck, only to roof it top shelf as he out waited Petr Mrazek and Tyler Cuma as they went down to block the shot. Made a couple beautiful passes tonight too and creates so well in transition. Defensively, he was mistake free from what I could tell too. Had a couple bad passes in his own zone, but as I said, when you take chances you're bound to make some mistakes. I think he's the perfect defenseman for today's NHL game. We'll see how he does at the Canadian WJC camp. Finished the game with a goal and two assists.

Andy Bathgate (PIT)
I was actually quite excited to see Bathgate tonight. Last time I saw him, he was in quite the slump to the start the season, but he turned it around with an outstanding November (7 goals and 7 assists in 13 games). However, he didn't really do much tonight. Had one nice rush up ice where he made a good pass off to Luke Judson as the side of the net for the open tap in, but Judson fanned on it. Outside of that, I truthfully didn't notice him for the good or the bad.

Kyle DeCoste (TBL)
Averaging a point a game since the trade from Sault Ste. Marie, he trade to Belleville has re-invigorated DeCoste's offensive game. He definitely had an interesting one tonight. It was kind of split into two parts. The first part, which happened in the first two periods. And the second part, which happened in the third period. The first part was ugly...real ugly. Turnover in the defensive zone that led to Joe Carnevale's goal in the second period. Wasn't looking, tried to make a pass across ice and Carnevale picked it off and took it in alone on Grubauer. This turnover happened about 2 minutes before he took a terrible, lazy defensive zone penalty for a hook on Ryan Martindale. Nothing was going his way. In the third period, things changed. He started to become more active on the forecheck and thus was able to make a contribution on the scoresheet by scoring two goals. First one, took a pass from Shawn Lalonde, took it right to the net, faked the pass (getting Mrazek down in the butterfly), and then jammed it under his pads. Second goal was a one time shot off a feed from Adam Payerl to the slot. The thing is, DeCoste needs to remember that at the next level, he's going to have to play that energy, physical, pesky forward role at all times because his offensive skills aren't going to be winning him a job at the NHL level.

Stephen Silas (2010)
I continue to be impressed by Silas. I just think he's a very cool, calm, and collected two way defenseman. The thing I like most is his anticipation of the play and his smarts with and without the puck. Made a couple very nice plays defensively tonight, by simply using his stick. One was off a dump in by Joe Carnevale. Carnevale clearly had Silas beat to the puck, so Silas let him get it first but then chipped it right off his stick and to his defensive partner Alex Basso. While I've seen him play physical in the past, he wasn't tonight. I'm wondering if this could develop into a consistent portion of his game in the future. Offensively, he makes smart, quick passes in transition and he has the ability to rush the puck up ice. Had a nice play to join into the rush as the trailer and put a good shot on net that was stopped by Mrazek. However the shot generated a juicy rebound that sent the 67's back the other way on an odd man rush. However Silas got back to the defensive zone quickly and defused the situation. Quite often with young defenseman, you'll see them get caught up ice in instances like that, but not Silas. I think there is a lot of potential with him.

Alex Aleardi (2010)
Perfect situation for him. Speedy forward meets the big ice. Like the perfect marriage of player to environment. He seems to be getting a lot of playing time in Belleville too. I thought he was excellent tonight. All over the ice on the forecheck and was causing a lot of problems for Ottawa's defense both on the rush and in the zone. While nothing came of his chances, the writing seems to be on the wall for increased offensive production (even if he hasn't shown it yet). I'm not sure he's an NHL draft prospect quite yet, but in the future if his hands can catch up to his skating ability (similar to the way Alex Friesen's have this season in Niagara), he'll be on someone's radar.

Phil Grubauer (2010)
Despite taking the loss, I thought Grubauer played a good game tonight. Got hung out to dry by his defense a few times and ended up giving up goals on the play. Two other shots beat him just below the crossbar, perfectly placed. He made some big saves tonight to keep his team in the game. Like Mrazek, he made some big saves off point blank opportunities in the slot. He challenged the shooter, made the save and managed to give up few rebounds. Like Mrazek, he's also an athletic goaltender who has the ability to make the acrobatic save. Despite the fact that two shots beat him upstairs tonight, I think he's actually got an excellent glove hand which was on display in the game with two very good glove saves off slap shots in close. Grubauer is right in there with the likes of Mrazek, Anderson, Visentin and O'Hagan for that top OHL goaltender for 2010. He made 29 of 33 saves and took the loss.

Thoughts?