This blog has spent a lot of time focusing on some of the players who the Bruins stand to pick up in the first-30 selections with Toronto's and their own top choices, but what about those three second-round picks?
If the season ended today, the Bruins would be choosing 33rd (Toronto), 35th (Tampa Bay) and 45th (Boston).
I thought I'd throw out some names of some intriguing possibilities (in no particular order) for the upcoming draft, keeping in mind that these players may or may not be there in the second-round when all is said and done, but are currently projected there based on where things stand today.
Tyler Toffoli, C/W Ottawa 67's (OHL): Toffoli (Tuh-FOE-lee) got off to a poor start this season, but caught fire of late and has some real upside. He's not all that big (6-0, 185), but he can really scoot; very nice edge control and is elusive and agile with a rapid change of direction. He can fire the puck as well, which when combined with his speed/quickness and offensive instincts makes him a dangerous player. In the CHL Top Prospects game, he skated on a line with Tyler Seguin and John McFarland, the three of whom have a history together in other international tourneys. I've heard that his compete level isn't where it needs to be, so his work ethic/intensity is something scouts will pay close attention to. Still, on pure talent alone, Toffoli is probably a first-round pick who will fall to the second because of the concerns about size and effort.
Max Clermont, G Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL): A prototypical Quebec butterfly goalie with good size and athleticism. His technique reminds me a little of Felix Potvin; he tends to play deeper in his net and relies on his reflexes a lot, leading to acrobatic and visually-pleasing saves that aren't necessarily a reflection of strong positional play. Even so, he's a gamer with a lot of promise who could develop into an NHL starter given a lot of time and seasoning. He and Calvin Pickard really shut the door on Team Orr the other night. Pickard will require a first-round pick, but Clermont could very well be had in the early-to-mid 2nd. Without a top-shelf goalie prospect in Boston's system (I like Mike "Hutch" Hutchinson, but I think he may project more as a lower-tier starter/solid backup at the highest level), Clermont might be a nice option depending on where he is on Boston's board. I think he's a significantly better goalie than his Central ranking (10th) indicates.
Devante Smith-Pelly, LW Mississauga St. Michael's Majors (OHL): I had heard great things about DSP as a character, gritty guy who had displayed an unanticipated scoring touch this season, and he showed that in the prospects game the other night. He's under six-feet, but weighs in at about 215, so he's a tank on skates who has some nice jump and is extremely difficult to knock off the puck when he gets going. He's a guy who I saw repeatedly go into the dangerous areas of the ice and relished making first contact with members of Team Orr. He's one of those high-motor, go-through-a-wall-for-his-teammates players, and while his offensive upside may not be as high as others projected in the second round, he's more than the sum of his parts. His 67-ranking by Central is much too low. Red Line Report has him 47th overall in their January rankings, and that makes a lot more sense to me. High character guys with decent wheels and a physical edge will always go higher than the flashy, uber-skilled ones lacking in heart.
Charlie Coyle, RW South Shore Kings (EJHL): East Weymouth native and cousin of Tony Amonte who followed the former NHL star to Thayer Academy and will also head off to Commonwealth Ave and Boston University doesn't get as much hype, but looks like a real player to me. I saw him when he was with Thayer and he was dominant at that level, and after moving over to the EJ, which plays a lot more games and is more of a pro-style acclimation given the demanding schedule and higher physical intensity, has stepped it up with superb production. He's got natural size (6-2, 207) and is a very good skater and puckhandler who plays with an edge. The puck seems to follow him around the ice. He's also a high-character kid as well. I've seen him anywhere from early 2nd-round to 55th, but even though he's a longer-term project and not as explosive as Chris Kreider, the Bruins might do well to snag him with Tampa's pick. My colleague at the New England Hockey Journal, Bill Keefe, wrote a detailed story about Coyle in our December issue. You can read it online here:http://www.hockeyjournal.com/news/2009/12/20_southshore.php
Tom Kuhnhackl, RW Landshut EV (Germany 2): The son of Erich Kuhnhackl, Germany's all-time leading scorer in its elite pro league, injuries and up-and-down play have conspired to drop Tom down the various lists. He 's an elite talent who, prior to the season, was seen in some circles as a top-10 prospect, but is slipping (ranked 10th on the European skaters list by Central). If he is there early in the 2nd, Kuhnhackl would be a steal. He's an explosive player with a very quick stick and a high-end hockey IQ. He's a beanpole (6-2, 172 pounds) who has a lot of filling out to do, but scouts love his live athletic build and know he'll pack on enough mass to handle the physical aspects. He also fits with what the Bruins are always looking for: speed, skill, character and bloodlines. There's a very good chance he'll be picked somewhere in the first-round, but if the lack of viewing this season (Germany's relegation to the Pool B at the WJC really hurt him from what I heard) as opposed to last comes into play, then the B's might benefit.
Patrik Nemeth, D AIK (Sweden- Jr.): Great size (6-3, 205) and mobility are Nemeth's best attributes. He doesn't have the kind of pure offensive potential that would see him pushed up into the NHL's first-round. He's shown a lot of promise in the various international competitions like the Ivan Hlinka/Eight Nations and Four Nations tourneys, and plays with some jam and poise. True, he doesn't project as a top-two NHL defenseman, but he does have the kind of physical attributes and presence to be a solid middle-pairing, intelligent defender to be worth an early-to-mid 2nd round pick.
Teemu Pulkkinen, RW Jokerit (Finland Jr.): Injuries have dropped the smallish, but productive Pulkkinen's stock this year, which might make it a perfect time for Boston to make a swing-for-the-fences, high-upside pick on a player with a world of offensive talent and skills, but who is risky because of his fragility (knee, ankle and wrist woes dating back to last season) and a lack of a high motor/sterling work ethic. He gained some notice at last spring's Under-18 Championship in Fargo, but never got going in his draft year before going on the shelf for an extended period with wrist surgery. Pulkkinen isn't as explosive a skater as U-18 teammate Toni Rajala (Edmonton prospect), but he's got a wicked shot and is one of those players who simply knows how to score. When you have three kicks at the can between 31-60, a player of Pulkkinen's potential might not be a bad way to go. He's back playing and doing pretty well in the Finnish jr. league- getting back into the swing of things. If he can continue to progress, you'll hear his name more as the European season closes out and we get closer to the draft.
Alex Petrovic, D Red Deer Rebels (WHL): Solid, steady, dependable. Those are three words to describe the Rebels defenseman who is a good skater, strong positionally and projects as a No. 3/4 defense-minded defender with character and some toughness. He dropped the gloves with Dylan McIlrath in the prospects game, which says a lot for him, even though he looked reluctant to dance initially. At almost 6-4, 194, he has the classic size and strength that NHL teams are looking for, and while he may not be a big points producer, he makes a good first pass and is one of those "safe" picks who will play in the NHL 10-15 years by the looks of it.
Beau Bennett, C Penticton Vees (BCHL): One of my WHL sources turned me on to this skilled California kid who's been tearing up the BCHL this year with the Vees, scoring 29 goals and 82 points in 42 games on the top line with '89 BD Denver Manderson (contrast to Bruins prospect and teammate Ben Sexton who has 6 goals, 26 points as a third-liner in 36 games) Bennett is fast and can really wire the puck to the back of the net. He's another one of those higher-risk/even higher reward kinds of picks who doesn't have a lot of size, but is a pure scoring presence with a lot of potential at the highest level. With multiple picks in the second, Boston can afford to roll the dice a little bit with someone of Bennett's skillset and promise.
Troy Rutkowski, D Portland Winterhawks (WHL): Nino Niederreiter has grabbed most of the headlines in Portland this season, but this offensive defender has all of the makings of a two-way presence at the NHL level including very good size, four-way skating ability, a big point shot, nice vision and strong passing skills, but has not met expectations with the production this season. Because of the lack of points (7 goals, 28 points in 41 games), he's dropped in the rankings to the second round. Mike Remmerde, a Red Line Report scout based in the WHL (and who you'll see a lot more from on this blog, especially when I delve into Portland's "Fab Four" in the coming weeks) thinks that Rutkowski has been so much better defensively this year compared to last, and that his improved diligence in his own end has come at the expense of points. Rutkowski didn't do much to stand out at the prospects game this week, but I could see his decent wheels on display. He's one of these unheralded, relatively unknown quantities who, like Duncan Keith in 2002 at 54th overall after a pedestrian freshman season at Michigan State, could end up being a steal because the two-way ability is clearly there even if the production hasn't been this year.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Bruins Sweaters of the Past #10: Rejean Lemelin
REJEAN LEMELIN ("REGGIE")GOALTENDER, #1
BOSTON BRUINS 1987-88-1992-93
5'11", 170 pounds
Born: November 19, 1954 in Quebec City, Quebec
Games Played: 183 Mins: 10,308 W: 92 L: 62 T: 17 GAA: 3.09 SO: 6
Reggie! Reggie! Reggie! Was the battlecry of Boston Bruins fans during the spring of 1988 when Rejean "Reggie" Lemelin was instrumental in the momentous defeat of the Montreal Canadiens in the Adams Division final series, the first time the B's had defeated the Habs in the playoffs since 1943.
The veteran free agent signed with Boston after a long stint with the Atlanta and Calgary Flames, giving way to Mike Vernon. Lemelin's presence with another experienced backup in Doug Keans meant that Bill Ranford went down to Maine of the AHL where he could get more playing time and continue to develop, while Lemelin at age 33 played the best hockey of his NHL career as a Bruin.
Even though Boston GM Harry Sinden added some competition in net with Andy Moog just before the trade deadline in 1988, Lemelin continued to be coach Terry O'Reilly's guy down the stretch and into the playoffs. After a black-and-blue six-game series win over the feisty Buffalo Sabres in the first round, the Bruins faced Montreal, a team that had swept them in each season since 1984.
After Moog was in net for the first game, a loss, Lemelin went the distance, starting out with a rousing 4-3 win at the old Montreal Forum on April 20, 1988, a game in which the Bruins were outplayed, but got a great performance from their goalie. Lemelin then took both games on the Garden ice by 3-1 and 2-0 scores, to give his team a 3-1 series lead. On April 26, 1988 Lemelin, Cam Neely (2 goals) and Steve Kasper (2 goals) exorcised the ghosts of Bruins-Canadiens series past in a 4-1 win to close out Montreal and send Boston fans into a tizzy. (I still remember seeing local television programming being interrupted to announce that the Bruins had won the series).
Lemelin and the B's defeated the upstart Cinderella New Jersey Devils, who pushed them to seven games in the Prince of Wales Conference final series, returning to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in a decade. Although the Bruins met an untimely end at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty, Lemelin's sterling reputation as a warrior was forged, finishing the postseason that year with an 11-6 record and 2.63 GAA in 17 games.
Lemelin would continue to share the goaltending duties pretty evenly with Moog, gradually giving way to his partner who, at six years younger, finally seized the reigns as the clear starter 1990-91.
Lemelin appeared to call it quits in 1991-92 when Matt Delguidice was named Moog's backup coming out of camp, but the former St. Anselm's and University of Maine star didn't hold up, and Lemelin fought off the immortal Daniel Berthiaume to stay on as the backup that year, posting a 5-1 record in 8 games.
The following season, Lemelin was involved in a controversy when B's head coach Brian Sutter and Sinden worked together to try and get their goaltenders going, calling up both Providence goalies in John Blue and Mike Bales, scratching Moog and Lemelin for a game and giving minor league journeyman Blue the start. The controversy ensued when it became known that Lemelin's equipment bag and gear had been taken out of the dressing room and left in the hallway.
Fans were furious at the "callous" treatment of Lemelin, who at that point had played his last NHL game and quietly retired, leaving Blue to backup Moog the rest of the year and then Jon Casey in 1993-94. The reality is probably far less nefarious: the old Boston Garden dressing room was small, and there simply was no room for four goalies' worth of equipment, so Lemelin's had to go. Could the situation have been handled better? Sure. But it probably wasn't any kind of Sinden conspiracy to humiliate Lemelin on his way out. The equipment guys likely just moved the bag where members of the media saw it and reported on it. Stuff happens.
Anyway- Reggie Lemelin (along with Tiny Thompson, Frank Brimsek, Moog, Casey and Tim Thomas) did something that Boston goaltending greats like Gerry Cheevers, Ed Johnston, Gilles Gilbert, Sugar Jim Henry and Terry Sawchuk never did: he presided over a playoff series win over the Montreal Canadiens.
He will forever be a favorite of the Gallery Gods and those who remember his inspirational run to the finals in 1988.
CHL Top Prospects Game Recap and Game Notes
The 15th annual Canadian Hockey League (major junior) Top Prospects Game was held at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario last night, and Team Cherry upended Team Orr by a 4-2 score, giving the former Bruins coach and bombastic hockey analyst just his fourth win in the 11th head-to-head matchup with Bobby Orr, the Hall of Fame defenseman and greatest hockey player of all time.
There is so much to say about this game. It had a little bit of everything: speed, skill, excellent goaltending, big hits, fighting...you name it. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was even interviewed during the first intermission, and he pointed out that while you don't want to put all of your stock in a player based on this game, it does serve to provide an emphasis for reevaluation of baseline opinions to this juncture of the season.
Case in point for me was the play of Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman Mark Pysyk of Team Orr (white) who was a top WHL bantam draft pick in 2007 (the team's first-ever selection) and has the size and skills to be an outstanding NHLer. Unfortunately for him, he's struggled this season and his stock has fallen in some circles, even though his talent is undeniable. Pysyk, who was paired with top-five aspirant Brandon Gormley to form the game's best defensive duo in my humble opinion, played an excellent game. This leads me to believe that if Pysyk is playing with the right partner and in the right situation, he can be the kind of ideal No. 2/3 player that every NHL team needs on its blue line. If you're a scout who saw him in Edmonton and he didn't impress, you probably want to see him a few more times now based on his steady, heady play last night. And he's not the only one.
Here are some of the players who really stood out last night for me and who I think bolstered the Class of 2010's projection as a deep draft:
Nino Niederreiter, RW Team Orr: Like a Swiss Army Knife, Niederreiter is a quality product who is versatile, adaptive and something to possess. If you weren't impressed with him after his performance in the WJC, and given his excellence with Portland of the WHL this season, there's no way you left last night's game not buzzing about how good this kid is. He got things started on Tuesday night at the skills competition, when he roofed a puck during the breakaway competition...with just one hand on his stick! The smile on his face after the play told you how much he loves this game. He followed that up with the game's first goal- positioned in front of the net for Jeff Skinner's pass and just squeaking it through Calvin Pickard's five-hole. Niederreiter plays in all areas of the ice, and while he may not be an explosive skater, he seems to get to wherever he needs to go. He's can play a finesse or gritty game, and I think some of Portland linemate Brad Ross's abrasive style is rubbing off on him. He's well spoken and has the kind of exuberance for hockey that will have NHL teams drooling because his on-ice acumen is not in doubt. Write this down: Niederreiter is going to be selected inside the top-10 in L.A.
Tyler Seguin, C Team Orr: I think that Seguin got the edge on Taylor Hall in this one, to be honest. He was a going concern all night: an excellent skater with slippery elusiveness who plays like his head is on a swivel. The straw stirring the drink on a line with John McFarland and Tyler Toffoli, they generated some quality scoring chances and gave Team Cherry's defenders fits all night. People held their breath when Seguin collided with Ross in the first period and left the ice favoring his knee, but he returned and played well. If not for goaltending heroics by Pickard and Maxime Clermont, this line could have lit up the scoreboard last night, and throughout it all, Seguin was the driving force behind their play. Seguin is going to make some NHL team very happy.
Jeff Skinner, LW Team Orr: Skinner debunked the idea that he's the 47th-ranked North American skater last night. Nuff ced! Riddle me this, Batman: How does a player, who is leading the OHL in goals with 35, fall that low? Answer: He doesn't. Even with the concern about size (5-10, 190) and top-end speed, Skinner is one of those players who has the natural gift for putting the puck in the net. He's done it at every level. He was the top goal-getter at the Ivan Hlinka tourney in August. Oh, and he was a figure skater as a youngster, meaning that while he may not be a blazer speed-wise, he's very agile and balanced with a very low center of gravity. On Niederreiter's goal, Skinner outworked two Cherry opponents in the corner, digging the puck out and finding the open man in front. He then tipped Gormley's point shot for the only other goal his team scored. No way does Skinner fall past 30, let alone to 60-something, which is where he'd be projected when you factor in the goalies and Europeans if he stays at 47. Central needs to move him up on their final rankings, and I think you'll see them do just that.
Brandon Gormley, D Team Orr: If the Bruins miss out on Cam Fowler, but land Gormley, there won't be too many sad faces in Beantown. The top midget pick of the QMJHL draft two years ago looks every bit the two-way defenseman he's been described as. He's smooth, pivots well and plays the point the way you want: with steady hands, fluid lateral movement and hard point shot. His blast got tipped by Skinner because it was low and accurate. Quick release- not a lot of wasted movement or windup. I thought Gormley was a terrific matchup with Pysyk- the two played extremely well together all night. The Moncton Wildcat is a stud, and even though I was disappointed not to see Eric Gudbranson on the ice last night (though he was behind the bench with Don Cherry helping out and said that he's back skating with Kingston and should return to action soon), Gormley only solidified what I have heard about him from NHL and independent scouts.
Dylan McIlrath, D Team Orr: Big, nasty meat-and-potatoes blue liner justified some of the early buzz that has seen him dubbed the 'Monster from Winnipeg' by the good folks in Moose Jaw. He's a solid skater who pivots and turns his hips well. He's not a very good puck mover, but seems comfortable in the role of a tough, physical shutdown D who likes to fight. He dropped the gloves with WHL rival Alex Petrovic, and although his Red Deer opponent deserves credit for coming on at the end, McIlrath handled him pretty easily. He also stood up to Galiev on one play, who came at McIrath with speed and then pirhouetted in a 360-degree move that did not fool the defender one iota. McIlrath then simply checked Galiev to the ice and retrieved the puck. I think that given McIlrath's sheer toughness and ability to play a little hockey, he'll go somewhere between 20-30. People hoping he drops into the 2nd can do just that, but hope is not a method, and I have two words for you about that: Mark Fistric (look him up). Based on what I saw last night and have been hearing all season, McIlrath looks like twice the player Fistric was at the same age.
Emerson Etem, C Team Cherry: The skilled L.A. native helped his cause last night with a beautiful short-handed goal that saw his speed, vision and NHL-caliber release on full display as he rocketed through Team Orr in the neutral zone and let loose with a heavy wrister from the left circle that beat Louis Domingue high to the glove side. The Medicine Hat Tiger already has 31 goals in the WHL and although he's not the biggest player and could stand to work on his intensity and work ethic, he's still going to go high in this draft as well...book it.
Stanislav Galiev, LW Team Cherry: The skilled Russian who plays for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL was pure eye candy last night, but he lacked finish. He has speed to burn and like many undersized Russians, is able to stickhandle inside a phone booth, leaving defenders often flat-footed with a dazzling array of moves at speed. His best chance to score came in the first period when Orr goalie Mark Visentin got caught turning to his left when the puck hopped out to Galiev alone with nothing but net. He was unable to bury it, but he was buzzing the Team Orr net all night. He showed scouts his high-end skill level last night, but the question remains: can he capitalize on his chances or is he going to be one of those players who always looks great, but at the end of the night, doesn't make much of an impact on the scoresheet?
Taylor Hall, LW, Team Cherry: This wasn't Hall's greatest performance, but he was no slouch, either. Like many top players with his kind of ability, you knew it was only a matter of time before he broke through, and that occurred on Team Cherry's winning goal, when he zoomed up the ice and fed Ryan Spooner for a beautiful short-handed marker on the backhand. Hall had also made the play on what looked like an Austin Watson goal in the second, breaking in on goalie Domingue after gaining body position on the Orr defender. Domingue made the save and Watson put the puck, sitting there tantalyzingly in the crease facing the open net, off the post and wide. The ref called it a goal, but it was overturned upon review. But, that aside, Hall was held in check for much of the night, as he wasn't able to beat the second and often third man on him to gain open ice and separation. Still, with the game on the line, Hall chose that moment to make it happen and he did. That's what clutch players do, and while Seguin may have gained a slight edge in overall play, Hall showed why most feel he is the prize of the draft.
Devante Smith-Pelly, LW Team Cherry: I didn't know much about the Missisauga St. Mikes' forward prior to last night, but I do now! What an inspired, workmanlike performance from a player who was there because of injuries to others, but did not look out of place at all. Although not big by hockey standards, he initiated contact all night and came out on the winning end because of his fire-hydrant like build and ability to use leverage against bigger opponents. He was involved offensively and looks like he's going to be a solid NHL role player in time. I'd spend a second-round pick on this guy if I were calling the shots.
Cam Fowler, D Team Cherry: Like the WJC, Fowler wasn't dominant by any stretch, but displayed his plus-skating ability all night and made the right plays/decisions throughout. Fowler's performance was the anti-Galiev in that few will remember any plays that stand out from Fowler (other than that quick pivot, turn and blast around the back of his own net that the Sportsnet broadcasters were raving about), but at the end of the night, he was on the winning side.
Calvin Pickard, Maxime Clermont and Mark Visentin: Team Cherry definitely had the edge in goaltending on paper and the final score bore that out. But, all three of these goalies (with Visentin playing for Orr) were outstanding. Pickard, who will battle USA hero Jack Campbell for top billing among netminders in the draft's 1st round, was under siege early, making tough saves against John McFarland, Niederreiter, Seguin and Toffoli look easy, which is the mark of any good goaltender. Like his older brother, Chet (Nashville's second pick in '08- 1st round), he's a technician who uses a compact stance and demonstrates smooth economy of motion. He surrendered only the Niederreiter goal, one he just missed getting his pads togther to maintain what was a near-perfect performance.
Visentin was the lowest-ranked of the four in net, but along with Pickard, played the best, stopping all 19 shots he faced. He got lucky on the Galiev chance, but took up a lot of net and had very good pad control, calmly turning aside everything he faced down low with ease. He was poised and rock solid in the net, looking like a first-round pick (though he almost certainly won't be). The Niagara Ice Dogs netminder definitely helped his stock in what is shaping up to be a very good goalie crop.
Clermont, who was expected to be a 1st-round pick before the season, showed off his atleticism and raw ability, giving up only the Skinner tip that he had no chance on. He showed off an acrobatic style with very fast reflexes, as evidenced by the save he made on Owen Sound forward Joey Hishon, who can score some goals (even though he's been injured with a broken foot most of the year).
All in all, this goalie class looks good, and this trio underscored that by keeping the score low in what is many times more of an offensive spectacle than what we saw last night. For anyone who watched the game, it is obvious that the score could have been much higher if not for the play of the guys between the nets. These guys are good.
Well, that's a wrap on the 2010 Top Prospects Game. There are other guys I could talk about, but this post is long, and most people probably stopped reading five minutes ago. But, I was glad for the chance to see these guys, and I saw flashes from a lot of other players. It's just one game, but the baseline has now been established. How it all plays out between now and June 25 is why we all follow the amateur game.
Thanks for reading!
I'm going to do a feature on Portland's "Fab Four" of Niederreiter, Ross, Ryan Johansen and Troy Rutkowski soon. They are a compelling story in themselves and have all combined to make the Winterhawks a critical destination for all NHL scouts working the Dub.
There is so much to say about this game. It had a little bit of everything: speed, skill, excellent goaltending, big hits, fighting...you name it. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was even interviewed during the first intermission, and he pointed out that while you don't want to put all of your stock in a player based on this game, it does serve to provide an emphasis for reevaluation of baseline opinions to this juncture of the season.
Case in point for me was the play of Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman Mark Pysyk of Team Orr (white) who was a top WHL bantam draft pick in 2007 (the team's first-ever selection) and has the size and skills to be an outstanding NHLer. Unfortunately for him, he's struggled this season and his stock has fallen in some circles, even though his talent is undeniable. Pysyk, who was paired with top-five aspirant Brandon Gormley to form the game's best defensive duo in my humble opinion, played an excellent game. This leads me to believe that if Pysyk is playing with the right partner and in the right situation, he can be the kind of ideal No. 2/3 player that every NHL team needs on its blue line. If you're a scout who saw him in Edmonton and he didn't impress, you probably want to see him a few more times now based on his steady, heady play last night. And he's not the only one.
Here are some of the players who really stood out last night for me and who I think bolstered the Class of 2010's projection as a deep draft:
Nino Niederreiter, RW Team Orr: Like a Swiss Army Knife, Niederreiter is a quality product who is versatile, adaptive and something to possess. If you weren't impressed with him after his performance in the WJC, and given his excellence with Portland of the WHL this season, there's no way you left last night's game not buzzing about how good this kid is. He got things started on Tuesday night at the skills competition, when he roofed a puck during the breakaway competition...with just one hand on his stick! The smile on his face after the play told you how much he loves this game. He followed that up with the game's first goal- positioned in front of the net for Jeff Skinner's pass and just squeaking it through Calvin Pickard's five-hole. Niederreiter plays in all areas of the ice, and while he may not be an explosive skater, he seems to get to wherever he needs to go. He's can play a finesse or gritty game, and I think some of Portland linemate Brad Ross's abrasive style is rubbing off on him. He's well spoken and has the kind of exuberance for hockey that will have NHL teams drooling because his on-ice acumen is not in doubt. Write this down: Niederreiter is going to be selected inside the top-10 in L.A.
Tyler Seguin, C Team Orr: I think that Seguin got the edge on Taylor Hall in this one, to be honest. He was a going concern all night: an excellent skater with slippery elusiveness who plays like his head is on a swivel. The straw stirring the drink on a line with John McFarland and Tyler Toffoli, they generated some quality scoring chances and gave Team Cherry's defenders fits all night. People held their breath when Seguin collided with Ross in the first period and left the ice favoring his knee, but he returned and played well. If not for goaltending heroics by Pickard and Maxime Clermont, this line could have lit up the scoreboard last night, and throughout it all, Seguin was the driving force behind their play. Seguin is going to make some NHL team very happy.
Jeff Skinner, LW Team Orr: Skinner debunked the idea that he's the 47th-ranked North American skater last night. Nuff ced! Riddle me this, Batman: How does a player, who is leading the OHL in goals with 35, fall that low? Answer: He doesn't. Even with the concern about size (5-10, 190) and top-end speed, Skinner is one of those players who has the natural gift for putting the puck in the net. He's done it at every level. He was the top goal-getter at the Ivan Hlinka tourney in August. Oh, and he was a figure skater as a youngster, meaning that while he may not be a blazer speed-wise, he's very agile and balanced with a very low center of gravity. On Niederreiter's goal, Skinner outworked two Cherry opponents in the corner, digging the puck out and finding the open man in front. He then tipped Gormley's point shot for the only other goal his team scored. No way does Skinner fall past 30, let alone to 60-something, which is where he'd be projected when you factor in the goalies and Europeans if he stays at 47. Central needs to move him up on their final rankings, and I think you'll see them do just that.
Brandon Gormley, D Team Orr: If the Bruins miss out on Cam Fowler, but land Gormley, there won't be too many sad faces in Beantown. The top midget pick of the QMJHL draft two years ago looks every bit the two-way defenseman he's been described as. He's smooth, pivots well and plays the point the way you want: with steady hands, fluid lateral movement and hard point shot. His blast got tipped by Skinner because it was low and accurate. Quick release- not a lot of wasted movement or windup. I thought Gormley was a terrific matchup with Pysyk- the two played extremely well together all night. The Moncton Wildcat is a stud, and even though I was disappointed not to see Eric Gudbranson on the ice last night (though he was behind the bench with Don Cherry helping out and said that he's back skating with Kingston and should return to action soon), Gormley only solidified what I have heard about him from NHL and independent scouts.
Dylan McIlrath, D Team Orr: Big, nasty meat-and-potatoes blue liner justified some of the early buzz that has seen him dubbed the 'Monster from Winnipeg' by the good folks in Moose Jaw. He's a solid skater who pivots and turns his hips well. He's not a very good puck mover, but seems comfortable in the role of a tough, physical shutdown D who likes to fight. He dropped the gloves with WHL rival Alex Petrovic, and although his Red Deer opponent deserves credit for coming on at the end, McIlrath handled him pretty easily. He also stood up to Galiev on one play, who came at McIrath with speed and then pirhouetted in a 360-degree move that did not fool the defender one iota. McIlrath then simply checked Galiev to the ice and retrieved the puck. I think that given McIlrath's sheer toughness and ability to play a little hockey, he'll go somewhere between 20-30. People hoping he drops into the 2nd can do just that, but hope is not a method, and I have two words for you about that: Mark Fistric (look him up). Based on what I saw last night and have been hearing all season, McIlrath looks like twice the player Fistric was at the same age.
Emerson Etem, C Team Cherry: The skilled L.A. native helped his cause last night with a beautiful short-handed goal that saw his speed, vision and NHL-caliber release on full display as he rocketed through Team Orr in the neutral zone and let loose with a heavy wrister from the left circle that beat Louis Domingue high to the glove side. The Medicine Hat Tiger already has 31 goals in the WHL and although he's not the biggest player and could stand to work on his intensity and work ethic, he's still going to go high in this draft as well...book it.
Stanislav Galiev, LW Team Cherry: The skilled Russian who plays for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL was pure eye candy last night, but he lacked finish. He has speed to burn and like many undersized Russians, is able to stickhandle inside a phone booth, leaving defenders often flat-footed with a dazzling array of moves at speed. His best chance to score came in the first period when Orr goalie Mark Visentin got caught turning to his left when the puck hopped out to Galiev alone with nothing but net. He was unable to bury it, but he was buzzing the Team Orr net all night. He showed scouts his high-end skill level last night, but the question remains: can he capitalize on his chances or is he going to be one of those players who always looks great, but at the end of the night, doesn't make much of an impact on the scoresheet?
Taylor Hall, LW, Team Cherry: This wasn't Hall's greatest performance, but he was no slouch, either. Like many top players with his kind of ability, you knew it was only a matter of time before he broke through, and that occurred on Team Cherry's winning goal, when he zoomed up the ice and fed Ryan Spooner for a beautiful short-handed marker on the backhand. Hall had also made the play on what looked like an Austin Watson goal in the second, breaking in on goalie Domingue after gaining body position on the Orr defender. Domingue made the save and Watson put the puck, sitting there tantalyzingly in the crease facing the open net, off the post and wide. The ref called it a goal, but it was overturned upon review. But, that aside, Hall was held in check for much of the night, as he wasn't able to beat the second and often third man on him to gain open ice and separation. Still, with the game on the line, Hall chose that moment to make it happen and he did. That's what clutch players do, and while Seguin may have gained a slight edge in overall play, Hall showed why most feel he is the prize of the draft.
Devante Smith-Pelly, LW Team Cherry: I didn't know much about the Missisauga St. Mikes' forward prior to last night, but I do now! What an inspired, workmanlike performance from a player who was there because of injuries to others, but did not look out of place at all. Although not big by hockey standards, he initiated contact all night and came out on the winning end because of his fire-hydrant like build and ability to use leverage against bigger opponents. He was involved offensively and looks like he's going to be a solid NHL role player in time. I'd spend a second-round pick on this guy if I were calling the shots.
Cam Fowler, D Team Cherry: Like the WJC, Fowler wasn't dominant by any stretch, but displayed his plus-skating ability all night and made the right plays/decisions throughout. Fowler's performance was the anti-Galiev in that few will remember any plays that stand out from Fowler (other than that quick pivot, turn and blast around the back of his own net that the Sportsnet broadcasters were raving about), but at the end of the night, he was on the winning side.
Calvin Pickard, Maxime Clermont and Mark Visentin: Team Cherry definitely had the edge in goaltending on paper and the final score bore that out. But, all three of these goalies (with Visentin playing for Orr) were outstanding. Pickard, who will battle USA hero Jack Campbell for top billing among netminders in the draft's 1st round, was under siege early, making tough saves against John McFarland, Niederreiter, Seguin and Toffoli look easy, which is the mark of any good goaltender. Like his older brother, Chet (Nashville's second pick in '08- 1st round), he's a technician who uses a compact stance and demonstrates smooth economy of motion. He surrendered only the Niederreiter goal, one he just missed getting his pads togther to maintain what was a near-perfect performance.
Visentin was the lowest-ranked of the four in net, but along with Pickard, played the best, stopping all 19 shots he faced. He got lucky on the Galiev chance, but took up a lot of net and had very good pad control, calmly turning aside everything he faced down low with ease. He was poised and rock solid in the net, looking like a first-round pick (though he almost certainly won't be). The Niagara Ice Dogs netminder definitely helped his stock in what is shaping up to be a very good goalie crop.
Clermont, who was expected to be a 1st-round pick before the season, showed off his atleticism and raw ability, giving up only the Skinner tip that he had no chance on. He showed off an acrobatic style with very fast reflexes, as evidenced by the save he made on Owen Sound forward Joey Hishon, who can score some goals (even though he's been injured with a broken foot most of the year).
All in all, this goalie class looks good, and this trio underscored that by keeping the score low in what is many times more of an offensive spectacle than what we saw last night. For anyone who watched the game, it is obvious that the score could have been much higher if not for the play of the guys between the nets. These guys are good.
Well, that's a wrap on the 2010 Top Prospects Game. There are other guys I could talk about, but this post is long, and most people probably stopped reading five minutes ago. But, I was glad for the chance to see these guys, and I saw flashes from a lot of other players. It's just one game, but the baseline has now been established. How it all plays out between now and June 25 is why we all follow the amateur game.
Thanks for reading!
I'm going to do a feature on Portland's "Fab Four" of Niederreiter, Ross, Ryan Johansen and Troy Rutkowski soon. They are a compelling story in themselves and have all combined to make the Winterhawks a critical destination for all NHL scouts working the Dub.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
CHL Top Prospects Game On Tonight
If you're a hard core draft junkie and have access to the NHL Network in the U.S. (Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, but you probably knew that!) then be sure to watch (or set your DVR) tonight at 7 p.m. ET for the CHL Top Prospects Game, the annual showcase of Canadian Major Junior's most accomplished draft eligibles for the upcoming lottery.
The teams are coached by two famous people in Boston Bruins lore: Bobby Orr and Don Cherry, and is essentially a "who's who" for the Class of 2010.
Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, Cam Fowler, Brandon Gormley, Nino Niederreiter, Alex Burmistrov, Jeff Skinner John McFarland...all will be in action, not to mention some of the other draft names playing in the QMJHL, OHL or WHL that you may not be familiar with: Tyler Toffoli, Brad Ross, Mark Pysyk, Calvin Pickard, Max Clermont, Stanislav Galiev, Quinton Howden and others.
Big names who won't play because of injury: Russian scoring winger Kirill Kabanov (Moncton), big skilled blueliner Eric Gudbranson (Kingston) and high-upside forward Brett Connolly (Prince George)- all three will be missed, as they have all been projected at various times inside the the top-10 for the draft class.
These games are always fun, and aside from living in the CHL region where these major junior teams are close enough to visit to see live and in person, this is about as good as it gets in terms of a viewing opportunity to see the best 2010 draft prospects on the ice together in a single venue.
The teams are coached by two famous people in Boston Bruins lore: Bobby Orr and Don Cherry, and is essentially a "who's who" for the Class of 2010.
Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, Cam Fowler, Brandon Gormley, Nino Niederreiter, Alex Burmistrov, Jeff Skinner John McFarland...all will be in action, not to mention some of the other draft names playing in the QMJHL, OHL or WHL that you may not be familiar with: Tyler Toffoli, Brad Ross, Mark Pysyk, Calvin Pickard, Max Clermont, Stanislav Galiev, Quinton Howden and others.
Big names who won't play because of injury: Russian scoring winger Kirill Kabanov (Moncton), big skilled blueliner Eric Gudbranson (Kingston) and high-upside forward Brett Connolly (Prince George)- all three will be missed, as they have all been projected at various times inside the the top-10 for the draft class.
These games are always fun, and aside from living in the CHL region where these major junior teams are close enough to visit to see live and in person, this is about as good as it gets in terms of a viewing opportunity to see the best 2010 draft prospects on the ice together in a single venue.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Boston Bruins 2010 Draft Pick Position Updated 19 Jan
I'm here a day late to update the Bruins draft picks for 2010.
Yesterday wasn't so hot for the tank nation. The B's got manhandled at home by the surging Ottawa Senators who got a natural hat trick from captain Daniel Alfredsson, who's scored 4 goals in 2 games since returning from injury.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won on the road against Nashville after blowing a three-goal lead. Phil Kessel was the hero, scoring the game-winner with a little over five minutes remaining to take a 4-3 win. Carolina lost to Tampa Bay, which hurt Boston's second-round pick status, Edmonton got blown out by Colorado in a 6-0 loss. Minnesota also lost.
Here are the picks for 2010 if the season ended today (not taking the April 13 lottery into effect):
1st Round
3rd overall- Toronto (43 points; 17-24-9)
17th overall- Boston (54 points; 23-17-8)
2nd Round
33rd overall- Toronto
35th overall- Tampa Bay (48 points; 19-19-10)
47th overall- Boston
3rd Round
None- Boston pick traded to Buffalo for Daniel Paille
4th Round
91st overall- Carolina (35 points; 14-27-7)
*107th overall- Boston
*(Conditional pick for Paille; terms to be confirmed, but 16 goals by Paille gives Buffalo Boston's 4th-round pick in addition to the 3rd)
5th Round
137th overall
6th Round
167th overall
7th Round
197th overall
Yesterday wasn't so hot for the tank nation. The B's got manhandled at home by the surging Ottawa Senators who got a natural hat trick from captain Daniel Alfredsson, who's scored 4 goals in 2 games since returning from injury.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won on the road against Nashville after blowing a three-goal lead. Phil Kessel was the hero, scoring the game-winner with a little over five minutes remaining to take a 4-3 win. Carolina lost to Tampa Bay, which hurt Boston's second-round pick status, Edmonton got blown out by Colorado in a 6-0 loss. Minnesota also lost.
Here are the picks for 2010 if the season ended today (not taking the April 13 lottery into effect):
1st Round
3rd overall- Toronto (43 points; 17-24-9)
17th overall- Boston (54 points; 23-17-8)
2nd Round
33rd overall- Toronto
35th overall- Tampa Bay (48 points; 19-19-10)
47th overall- Boston
3rd Round
None- Boston pick traded to Buffalo for Daniel Paille
4th Round
91st overall- Carolina (35 points; 14-27-7)
*107th overall- Boston
*(Conditional pick for Paille; terms to be confirmed, but 16 goals by Paille gives Buffalo Boston's 4th-round pick in addition to the 3rd)
5th Round
137th overall
6th Round
167th overall
7th Round
197th overall
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Red Line Report's January 2010 Rankings Are Out
Aside from Red Line's annual draft guide published in June (for my money- there is no better product out there detailing the draft class for the general public), their January issue is the one I look forward to the most.
Why?
Because obvious World Junior Championship (Under-20) coverage aside, we're at the halfway point of the season, and the January rankings give you a pretty solid glimpse at where the players are going to fall come June. You'll see another rankings tweak in May after the April World Under-18 Championship tourney (USA won it in Fargo, N.D. last year), but January is the month where Red Line's scouts ramp it up and bring their 'A' game.
So, with that in mind- some thoughts on the rankings themselves.
The top-three is unchanged from December: Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin and Cam Fowler lead the 2010 pack.
However, injuries to and an uninspiring WJC performance from Mikael Granlund dropped the Finnish forward down from No. 4 last month to No. 8. He swapped places with Russian forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who had a nice individual performance in the same tourney even though his team crashed and burned. Moncton defenseman Brandon Gormley who has the makings of a stud on defense who may not be as far away from Fowler as many think rounds out the top-five.
The sixth spot on the rankings is held by Minnesota native Derek Forbort, who is another impressive physical specimen, left the high school ranks in the land of 10,000 lakes for Ann Arbor and the U.S. Under-18 Team and by all accounts is playing very well for them. He doesn't get the attention that Fowler and Gormley do because they're in major junior, and because he's more of a project who's going to do some NCAA time, but who wouldn't want a 6-foot-4 defender who can really skate, bang and play a strong two-way game in their system?
Some other key risers this month are Nino Niederreiter, who has gotten a lot of attention on this space. He's up three spots from 12 to 9. Another B2010DW fave is Kitchener scoring ace Jeff Skinner, who is up to 14 from 19 and for my money- the most ridiculous of Central Scouting's rankings. No way he's the 47th-ranked North American, regardless of whether you think he can play defense or not. Jack Campbell made a sizeable jump to 15 from 27 after his WJC performance, coming off the bench to key the Americans to only their second gold medal in the 30-odd years the Under-20 tourney has been in existence.
Speaking of Campbell, here is what his USA teammate and current Washington Capital John Carlson had to say about him last night in DC: "He's a great goalie and he's a young goalie, too. He's going to be a star one day. He stood on his head- I thought he played a great tournament. We were there because of him."
According to Red Line, Campbell may be the only 17-year-old goalie in the history of the tournament to be in net for a gold medal victory. We won't mention that he was only three days away from turning 18 when he put the medal around his neck, but it bears mentioning again that he was the winning goalie in last spring's under-18 tourney and has forged a reputation for winning the big games. Some NHL team is going to grab him earlier than people think.
Moose Jaw forward Quinton Howden, a nice blend of size and skills appears to be turning it on and is up to 22 from 27.
Falling this month were Granlund as already mentioned. Minnetonka H.S. forward Max Gardiner (brother of Anaheim '08 first-rounder and U.S. WJC team member Jake Gardiner) suffered an injury and is out for much of the high school season. He dropped from 15 to 24 as a result.
Speaking of injuries to key players, Kirill Kabanov, who recently got the cast off his wrist and hopes to get back into action by February. It's been a tough draft year for the uber-skilled Russian: he missed the first month in Moncton waiting for the IIHF to rule in his favor to allow him to play in the QMJHL, and then got 11 games in (14 points) before hurting the wrist. Who knows how effective he'll be when he gets back, but any NHL team looking to spend a high pick on him will be leery of the injury and the fact that his Russian status makes him more of a risk than most.
In a shameless pat on the back, it was also nice to see that Red Line's scouting reports on the key WJC 2010 draft eligibles resembled mine. It just means that we saw a lot of the same things, but for a rank amateur like me- it also represents continued growth and understanding of the game. I give them the definitive nod because they were there in person and I was not, to say nothing of their professionalism and established credentials as scouts. But, my scouting reports are a nice place to start if you're looking for information on some of the key 2010 prospects, but didn't get a chance to see any of the games.
As always if you have an interest in finding out more about Red Line Report and their pay service, you can go to http://www.redlinereport.com/
Kyle Woodlief will publish his monthly USA Today column in the next 1-2 weeks, but for now, this will give you a nice head start on where he and his publication stands on the draft.
Why?
Because obvious World Junior Championship (Under-20) coverage aside, we're at the halfway point of the season, and the January rankings give you a pretty solid glimpse at where the players are going to fall come June. You'll see another rankings tweak in May after the April World Under-18 Championship tourney (USA won it in Fargo, N.D. last year), but January is the month where Red Line's scouts ramp it up and bring their 'A' game.
So, with that in mind- some thoughts on the rankings themselves.
The top-three is unchanged from December: Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin and Cam Fowler lead the 2010 pack.
However, injuries to and an uninspiring WJC performance from Mikael Granlund dropped the Finnish forward down from No. 4 last month to No. 8. He swapped places with Russian forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who had a nice individual performance in the same tourney even though his team crashed and burned. Moncton defenseman Brandon Gormley who has the makings of a stud on defense who may not be as far away from Fowler as many think rounds out the top-five.
The sixth spot on the rankings is held by Minnesota native Derek Forbort, who is another impressive physical specimen, left the high school ranks in the land of 10,000 lakes for Ann Arbor and the U.S. Under-18 Team and by all accounts is playing very well for them. He doesn't get the attention that Fowler and Gormley do because they're in major junior, and because he's more of a project who's going to do some NCAA time, but who wouldn't want a 6-foot-4 defender who can really skate, bang and play a strong two-way game in their system?
Some other key risers this month are Nino Niederreiter, who has gotten a lot of attention on this space. He's up three spots from 12 to 9. Another B2010DW fave is Kitchener scoring ace Jeff Skinner, who is up to 14 from 19 and for my money- the most ridiculous of Central Scouting's rankings. No way he's the 47th-ranked North American, regardless of whether you think he can play defense or not. Jack Campbell made a sizeable jump to 15 from 27 after his WJC performance, coming off the bench to key the Americans to only their second gold medal in the 30-odd years the Under-20 tourney has been in existence.
Speaking of Campbell, here is what his USA teammate and current Washington Capital John Carlson had to say about him last night in DC: "He's a great goalie and he's a young goalie, too. He's going to be a star one day. He stood on his head- I thought he played a great tournament. We were there because of him."
According to Red Line, Campbell may be the only 17-year-old goalie in the history of the tournament to be in net for a gold medal victory. We won't mention that he was only three days away from turning 18 when he put the medal around his neck, but it bears mentioning again that he was the winning goalie in last spring's under-18 tourney and has forged a reputation for winning the big games. Some NHL team is going to grab him earlier than people think.
Moose Jaw forward Quinton Howden, a nice blend of size and skills appears to be turning it on and is up to 22 from 27.
Falling this month were Granlund as already mentioned. Minnetonka H.S. forward Max Gardiner (brother of Anaheim '08 first-rounder and U.S. WJC team member Jake Gardiner) suffered an injury and is out for much of the high school season. He dropped from 15 to 24 as a result.
Speaking of injuries to key players, Kirill Kabanov, who recently got the cast off his wrist and hopes to get back into action by February. It's been a tough draft year for the uber-skilled Russian: he missed the first month in Moncton waiting for the IIHF to rule in his favor to allow him to play in the QMJHL, and then got 11 games in (14 points) before hurting the wrist. Who knows how effective he'll be when he gets back, but any NHL team looking to spend a high pick on him will be leery of the injury and the fact that his Russian status makes him more of a risk than most.
In a shameless pat on the back, it was also nice to see that Red Line's scouting reports on the key WJC 2010 draft eligibles resembled mine. It just means that we saw a lot of the same things, but for a rank amateur like me- it also represents continued growth and understanding of the game. I give them the definitive nod because they were there in person and I was not, to say nothing of their professionalism and established credentials as scouts. But, my scouting reports are a nice place to start if you're looking for information on some of the key 2010 prospects, but didn't get a chance to see any of the games.
As always if you have an interest in finding out more about Red Line Report and their pay service, you can go to http://www.redlinereport.com/
Kyle Woodlief will publish his monthly USA Today column in the next 1-2 weeks, but for now, this will give you a nice head start on where he and his publication stands on the draft.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Capitals- Maple Leafs Live Blog on B2010DW
Well, folks- settling in here at the Verizon Center and the players are taking the ice.
Starting lineups:
Washington:
G- Jose Theodore
D- John Carlson
D- Shaone Morrisonn
LW- Jason Chimera
C- Brendan Morrison
RW- Eric Fehr
Toronto
G- Vesa Toskala
D- Carl Gunnarsson
D- Francois Beauchemin
RW- Alexei Ponikarovsky
C- Matt Stajan
LW- Nklas Hagman
And away we go!
Period 1
That didn't take long...Alex Ovechkin took a pass from Nicklas Backstrom on the right circle, snapped a wrister over Vesa Tosakala's glove, 1-0 Caps. Just the way the first game here at Verizon began back in October. Less than a minute in- 49 seconds to be exact- No. 29 on the year for AO.
U.S. WJC hero John Carlson was recalled from Hershey this afternoon and is out there now wearing No. 74 in red.
Nice flurry of saves there by Theodore to keep it 1-0 at the four minute mark. Wait...puck's in the net but it came off its moorings. Play is under review. Lee Stempniak shot it in, but no goal.
Worcester's own Tom Poti in the box here for delay of game at 4:29. Leafs on the PP. Nice puck movement from the Leafs with the man advantage, but no quality shots in the early going. Tweet! Nice positional save by Theodore on a hard snapshot from Ian White.
Caps killed it, but they're right back in the box- 2 min. to Backstrom for boarding. Caps keeping this PK opportunity to the perimeter: a few outside shots from Niklas Hagman, but nothing Jose Theodore couldn't handle. Killed it off.
Leafs are outshooting the home team by an 8-2 margin right now- that reflects the two PPs they've had to none for Washington, but Theodore looks on his game right now.
Not a lot of Capitals shots are getting through so far...nice hit along the boards by Boyd Gordon on Garnet Exelby.
Tomas Fleischmann denied by Toskala on a nice give-and-go from Alexander Semin. That was close...nice save by Toskala.
Not much action going on in last few minutes...both teams having trouble getting any sustained offensive pressure going.
Fehr had the open net with Toskala down and out, but shot it high.
Bang! 2-0, Caps just like that. Jason Chimera moved it to the point where Ovechkin blasted from the point. Fehr in front redirected it past Toskala for the 2-0 lead. 12th goal on the year by Fehr who is one of my favorite guys to cover on the Caps going back to the '03 draft when I got to hang out with him a bit. He's starting to come into his own offensively this season after being a big-time goalscorer with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
First 20 minutes are in the books- Theodore had to make a late save on Hagman as he broke in off the left wing and took the puck to the net. No rebound. Caps being outshot 14-8, but they're up by two.
Scoring for the period:
1-0 Ovechkin 29 (Backstrom- 34) 0:49
2-0 Fehr 12 (Ovechkin- 30, Chimera- 13) 17:51
Saw Leafs GM Brian Burke upstairs before the game started and he looked his usual intense self...this can't make him happy the night after his Leafs played so well at home against Philly in a 4-0 win.
OK- going to take a break. Be back for the 2nd.
Second Period
The second period is going on.
Doink! Toronto rings iron at one end, and Ovechkin breaks to the other. Puts the puck on net and Mike Knuble sweeps it into the open net. 3-0, Caps with a little under 16 minutes left in the 2nd. It is old friend Knuble's 11th. Ovechkin has a 3-point night. Backstrom with the other assist.
Caps on the PP thanks to Jay Rosehill's hooking penalty.
That's Knuble with another one...great tic-tac-toe passing with Ovechkin (his 4th point) and being Johnny on the spot in the goal mouth allowed him to sweep it into the cage after Ovechkin's shot rolled to him. Semin drew the secondary helper.
Toronto looks, well...tanked. Not much hustle behind the plays, and they're down 4-0 while outshooting the Caps 15-13. I watched their body language and they just seemed to sag when Ovechkin scored 49 seconds in. They got it together a little, but this is a team with a fragile psyche from the looks of it. When Fehr scored, they just seemed to go in a shell.
Phil Kessel...MIA. Haven't noticed him much out there, to be honest. Sure looks to me like he's a man in need of a legitimate NHL center. I don't see much creating on his own from him tonight.
Washington just blitzed out of their own end and down the ice with speed...Toronto barely contained it. And then I realized...that was the Caps' 4th line. This team has a lot of firepower and balance...when they get the goaltending, they're unbeatable.
Caps on the penalty when Toskala's cleared skied over the glass. Scratch that...Mike Green called for hooking. 4-on-4...where the Caps are most dangerous.
Referee Chris Rooney hearing it from the Caps fans for a cross-checking call on Fehr. Sounded like Boston fans for a second there...
Wow...nice standing 'O' the U.S. military seated in the "Tickets For Troops" section by EADS just got from Caps fans when announced on the Jumbotron. I love stuff like that.
Tomas Kaberle breaks the gooseegg with what looked like a weak snapshot from the point that had eyes and beat Theodore through a screen. It is a power play goal. Kessel with one assist, Stempniak with the other.
Caps up 4-1 after 2 periods, Maple Leafs still outshooting the Caps 21-17, but the home team up by three.
I'll be back for the third.
Second period scoring:
3-0 Mike Knuble 11 (Ovechkin- 31, Backstrom- 34) 4:03
4-0 Mike Knuble 12 (Ovechkin- 32, Semin- 40) 6:48 PPG
4-1 Tomas Kaberle 5 (Phil Kessel-13 Lee Stempniak- 4 ) 18:37 PPG
3rd Period
Is underway...not much happening.
Hagman with 10 of Toronto's 22 shots so far.
Caps go to the PP with Stempniak off for tripping. Pace has slowed considerably in this game, btw.
Ovechkin again...just 28 seconds into the man advantage. Took the puck near the left point, skated in and wired a shot that Fleischmann deflected, beating the hapless Toskala. That's 5 points for AO for those scoring at home, 5-1 Caps at 6:47.
Green off for slashing at 8:52...Toronto on the PP.
We're under 10 minutes in the game. A clearly dominant performance by Washington so far, as Toronto has looked pretty poor for the most part. A lot of their shots are from the perimeter, and aside from Rosehill pushing Green in the second trying to goad him into some kind of foolish fighting attempt, haven't seen much emotion.
Whoa...Poti just looked like Bobby Orr there. Swooping in the zone and bursting up the middle, taking a Semin pass and firing it high into the net for a 6-1 lead. That's Poti's 2nd of the season with the second assist to Green. This one's a laugher, folks. And Toskala's save percentage is taking a beating...again.
Stempniak just hit the goal post...puck stays out. It's been that kind of night for the Leafs.
Well, folks- not much else to do here but wait for the final seconds to tick down. I'm going to go ahead and close up shop so I can go interview the players and whatnot. I'll be back later with final observations, some relevant quotes and so on.
Oh, look- a donnybrook. Looks like Shaone Morrisonn just got hammered there. Who was he fighting? I didn't catch it. Rosehill? No- Colton Orr. Mike Green, too it looks like. Uhhhh, Toronto- too little, too late, guys. Actually- on replay, Big Mo handled himself OK against Orr.
But, on this night- if Leafs Nation was feeling pretty good about their team after the win over Philly, they've certainly come back down to Earth after this one. Just not impressed with the Leafs for the second time I've seen them live here in Washington this season. Both games, they fell behind early and showed no real moxie in trying to get back in it. Yes, we all know the Caps are good. But, Toronto doesn't have Washington's talent. Nor do they stack up against most teams in the East on paper. They have to outwork their opponents and when they don't, it shows.
Third Period Scoring
5-1 Fleischmann 16 (Ovechkin-33, Green-35) 6:47 PPG
6-1 Tom Poti 2 (Semin-41, Green-36) 11:07
Final thoughts Post-game wrap up.- 11:45 pm ET
Talked to three Caps players afterwards: Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Knuble and John Carlson. Here are the highlights:
Alexander Ovechkin
Q: You guys were taking the puck to the net hard all night, Alex. Was that a big difference in the game for you?
Alexander Ovechkin: Yeah- I think we didn't play well in the last couple of games especially in the first period. We gave up too many chances to them to score goals, and today we decided to go right away to the net, make some traffic and shoot more pucks. So, it worked well.
Q: What were your thoughts on Toronto tonight? You scored so early that it seemed as though they sagged a little...
AO: It was a little bit frustrating for them but this happens to everybody. They have pretty good team, but we used our chances all night.
Mike Knuble
Q: Are you feeling more comfortable with the (injured) finger? It looks like you might be shaking off the rust and getting back into form...
Mike Knuble: I do what I do and I think that people who watch the Capitals and watch me as a player it's kinda where I go and what I do. I'll be honest- I was getting frustrated not getting my little bounces and all that around the net. That's my game- I can't really change it- that's what they expect out of me and that's why I play with those guys to be the net presence out there.
Q: What kind of effect do you think that has on Toronto? They see Alex getting going like that and have to deal with the fact that he's on his game and the force we know he can be?
MK: As opposition, you hope he's going to sleep a little bit. You hope he doesn't get woken up. He's a real self-starter obviously, he wakes himself up. He doesn't need- right from the drop of the puck he's always going. That's why he is who he is because he never stops. Like the Terminator.
Q: What are your thoughts on Toronto? Are they as bad as the standings show?
MK: No, I don't think so because last night was probably a tough game for them. They came out with a good win. But, it's probably a bit of a buildup to the game- it was probably an emotional game for them last night. Giving up one in the first minute isn't- is not a great thing either when you're on the road like that. I guess our series ends up even, and all the home teams won. We're happy with our points- we're happy with the way we finished the game. That's all that matters. We're worried about ourselves and not anyone else.
John Carlson
Q: What time did you get here today after being called up from Hershey?
John Carlson: About 6:10 or 6:15...a lot of fans were already in the building by the time I got here.
Q: Did your parents make it here tonight to see you play?
JC: My dad did. My mom didn't- she was at the eye doctor all day and had to do some stuff, but my dad was here to watch it.
Q: Was it pretty special to have him here to see you announced as a starter and be on the ice when the opening puck dropped?
JC: Yeah-I was pumped to even start in the first place and to get that ovation was unbelievable.
I also asked Carlson about Jack Campbell, but I'll save those comments for another time when I'm posting about the U.S. WJC gold medal-winning goalie. Carlson is laconic- you don't get a whole lot from him in terms of an in-depth and extended response to the questions you ask him, but he lit up when I mentioned Campbell's name.
So there it is. A pretty convincing win for the Capitals tonight. B's fans are happy because that's another regulation loss that makes it tougher for Toronto to climb out of the cellar. The Caps players were pretty charitable on the record about their opponent, which is what you would expect, but let's face it- the Leafs didn't play with much inspiration tonight. If they're serious about making a go of this year, then they'd best pick up a sense of urgency.
I stopped by the Toronto dressing room...things there were pretty somber and there was no sign of Kessel so I moved on.
That does it for tonight. Thanks for checking in.
Red Line Report's January issue just arrived, so I'll digest it and post some commentary on it. I always love the January rankings because it is chock full of information from the WJC. I was also happy to read that their impressions of Nino Niederreiter jived with mine...I will tell you that he's moved up to 9th overall on their list. When you consider that he started out 47th- that's quite a jump from August to present.
Starting lineups:
Washington:
G- Jose Theodore
D- John Carlson
D- Shaone Morrisonn
LW- Jason Chimera
C- Brendan Morrison
RW- Eric Fehr
Toronto
G- Vesa Toskala
D- Carl Gunnarsson
D- Francois Beauchemin
RW- Alexei Ponikarovsky
C- Matt Stajan
LW- Nklas Hagman
And away we go!
Period 1
That didn't take long...Alex Ovechkin took a pass from Nicklas Backstrom on the right circle, snapped a wrister over Vesa Tosakala's glove, 1-0 Caps. Just the way the first game here at Verizon began back in October. Less than a minute in- 49 seconds to be exact- No. 29 on the year for AO.
U.S. WJC hero John Carlson was recalled from Hershey this afternoon and is out there now wearing No. 74 in red.
Nice flurry of saves there by Theodore to keep it 1-0 at the four minute mark. Wait...puck's in the net but it came off its moorings. Play is under review. Lee Stempniak shot it in, but no goal.
Worcester's own Tom Poti in the box here for delay of game at 4:29. Leafs on the PP. Nice puck movement from the Leafs with the man advantage, but no quality shots in the early going. Tweet! Nice positional save by Theodore on a hard snapshot from Ian White.
Caps killed it, but they're right back in the box- 2 min. to Backstrom for boarding. Caps keeping this PK opportunity to the perimeter: a few outside shots from Niklas Hagman, but nothing Jose Theodore couldn't handle. Killed it off.
Leafs are outshooting the home team by an 8-2 margin right now- that reflects the two PPs they've had to none for Washington, but Theodore looks on his game right now.
Not a lot of Capitals shots are getting through so far...nice hit along the boards by Boyd Gordon on Garnet Exelby.
Tomas Fleischmann denied by Toskala on a nice give-and-go from Alexander Semin. That was close...nice save by Toskala.
Not much action going on in last few minutes...both teams having trouble getting any sustained offensive pressure going.
Fehr had the open net with Toskala down and out, but shot it high.
Bang! 2-0, Caps just like that. Jason Chimera moved it to the point where Ovechkin blasted from the point. Fehr in front redirected it past Toskala for the 2-0 lead. 12th goal on the year by Fehr who is one of my favorite guys to cover on the Caps going back to the '03 draft when I got to hang out with him a bit. He's starting to come into his own offensively this season after being a big-time goalscorer with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
First 20 minutes are in the books- Theodore had to make a late save on Hagman as he broke in off the left wing and took the puck to the net. No rebound. Caps being outshot 14-8, but they're up by two.
Scoring for the period:
1-0 Ovechkin 29 (Backstrom- 34) 0:49
2-0 Fehr 12 (Ovechkin- 30, Chimera- 13) 17:51
Saw Leafs GM Brian Burke upstairs before the game started and he looked his usual intense self...this can't make him happy the night after his Leafs played so well at home against Philly in a 4-0 win.
OK- going to take a break. Be back for the 2nd.
Second Period
The second period is going on.
Doink! Toronto rings iron at one end, and Ovechkin breaks to the other. Puts the puck on net and Mike Knuble sweeps it into the open net. 3-0, Caps with a little under 16 minutes left in the 2nd. It is old friend Knuble's 11th. Ovechkin has a 3-point night. Backstrom with the other assist.
Caps on the PP thanks to Jay Rosehill's hooking penalty.
That's Knuble with another one...great tic-tac-toe passing with Ovechkin (his 4th point) and being Johnny on the spot in the goal mouth allowed him to sweep it into the cage after Ovechkin's shot rolled to him. Semin drew the secondary helper.
Toronto looks, well...tanked. Not much hustle behind the plays, and they're down 4-0 while outshooting the Caps 15-13. I watched their body language and they just seemed to sag when Ovechkin scored 49 seconds in. They got it together a little, but this is a team with a fragile psyche from the looks of it. When Fehr scored, they just seemed to go in a shell.
Phil Kessel...MIA. Haven't noticed him much out there, to be honest. Sure looks to me like he's a man in need of a legitimate NHL center. I don't see much creating on his own from him tonight.
Washington just blitzed out of their own end and down the ice with speed...Toronto barely contained it. And then I realized...that was the Caps' 4th line. This team has a lot of firepower and balance...when they get the goaltending, they're unbeatable.
Caps on the penalty when Toskala's cleared skied over the glass. Scratch that...Mike Green called for hooking. 4-on-4...where the Caps are most dangerous.
Referee Chris Rooney hearing it from the Caps fans for a cross-checking call on Fehr. Sounded like Boston fans for a second there...
Wow...nice standing 'O' the U.S. military seated in the "Tickets For Troops" section by EADS just got from Caps fans when announced on the Jumbotron. I love stuff like that.
Tomas Kaberle breaks the gooseegg with what looked like a weak snapshot from the point that had eyes and beat Theodore through a screen. It is a power play goal. Kessel with one assist, Stempniak with the other.
Caps up 4-1 after 2 periods, Maple Leafs still outshooting the Caps 21-17, but the home team up by three.
I'll be back for the third.
Second period scoring:
3-0 Mike Knuble 11 (Ovechkin- 31, Backstrom- 34) 4:03
4-0 Mike Knuble 12 (Ovechkin- 32, Semin- 40) 6:48 PPG
4-1 Tomas Kaberle 5 (Phil Kessel-13 Lee Stempniak- 4 ) 18:37 PPG
3rd Period
Is underway...not much happening.
Hagman with 10 of Toronto's 22 shots so far.
Caps go to the PP with Stempniak off for tripping. Pace has slowed considerably in this game, btw.
Ovechkin again...just 28 seconds into the man advantage. Took the puck near the left point, skated in and wired a shot that Fleischmann deflected, beating the hapless Toskala. That's 5 points for AO for those scoring at home, 5-1 Caps at 6:47.
Green off for slashing at 8:52...Toronto on the PP.
We're under 10 minutes in the game. A clearly dominant performance by Washington so far, as Toronto has looked pretty poor for the most part. A lot of their shots are from the perimeter, and aside from Rosehill pushing Green in the second trying to goad him into some kind of foolish fighting attempt, haven't seen much emotion.
Whoa...Poti just looked like Bobby Orr there. Swooping in the zone and bursting up the middle, taking a Semin pass and firing it high into the net for a 6-1 lead. That's Poti's 2nd of the season with the second assist to Green. This one's a laugher, folks. And Toskala's save percentage is taking a beating...again.
Stempniak just hit the goal post...puck stays out. It's been that kind of night for the Leafs.
Well, folks- not much else to do here but wait for the final seconds to tick down. I'm going to go ahead and close up shop so I can go interview the players and whatnot. I'll be back later with final observations, some relevant quotes and so on.
Oh, look- a donnybrook. Looks like Shaone Morrisonn just got hammered there. Who was he fighting? I didn't catch it. Rosehill? No- Colton Orr. Mike Green, too it looks like. Uhhhh, Toronto- too little, too late, guys. Actually- on replay, Big Mo handled himself OK against Orr.
But, on this night- if Leafs Nation was feeling pretty good about their team after the win over Philly, they've certainly come back down to Earth after this one. Just not impressed with the Leafs for the second time I've seen them live here in Washington this season. Both games, they fell behind early and showed no real moxie in trying to get back in it. Yes, we all know the Caps are good. But, Toronto doesn't have Washington's talent. Nor do they stack up against most teams in the East on paper. They have to outwork their opponents and when they don't, it shows.
Third Period Scoring
5-1 Fleischmann 16 (Ovechkin-33, Green-35) 6:47 PPG
6-1 Tom Poti 2 (Semin-41, Green-36) 11:07
Final thoughts Post-game wrap up.- 11:45 pm ET
Talked to three Caps players afterwards: Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Knuble and John Carlson. Here are the highlights:
Alexander Ovechkin
Q: You guys were taking the puck to the net hard all night, Alex. Was that a big difference in the game for you?
Alexander Ovechkin: Yeah- I think we didn't play well in the last couple of games especially in the first period. We gave up too many chances to them to score goals, and today we decided to go right away to the net, make some traffic and shoot more pucks. So, it worked well.
Q: What were your thoughts on Toronto tonight? You scored so early that it seemed as though they sagged a little...
AO: It was a little bit frustrating for them but this happens to everybody. They have pretty good team, but we used our chances all night.
Mike Knuble
Q: Are you feeling more comfortable with the (injured) finger? It looks like you might be shaking off the rust and getting back into form...
Mike Knuble: I do what I do and I think that people who watch the Capitals and watch me as a player it's kinda where I go and what I do. I'll be honest- I was getting frustrated not getting my little bounces and all that around the net. That's my game- I can't really change it- that's what they expect out of me and that's why I play with those guys to be the net presence out there.
Q: What kind of effect do you think that has on Toronto? They see Alex getting going like that and have to deal with the fact that he's on his game and the force we know he can be?
MK: As opposition, you hope he's going to sleep a little bit. You hope he doesn't get woken up. He's a real self-starter obviously, he wakes himself up. He doesn't need- right from the drop of the puck he's always going. That's why he is who he is because he never stops. Like the Terminator.
Q: What are your thoughts on Toronto? Are they as bad as the standings show?
MK: No, I don't think so because last night was probably a tough game for them. They came out with a good win. But, it's probably a bit of a buildup to the game- it was probably an emotional game for them last night. Giving up one in the first minute isn't- is not a great thing either when you're on the road like that. I guess our series ends up even, and all the home teams won. We're happy with our points- we're happy with the way we finished the game. That's all that matters. We're worried about ourselves and not anyone else.
John Carlson
Q: What time did you get here today after being called up from Hershey?
John Carlson: About 6:10 or 6:15...a lot of fans were already in the building by the time I got here.
Q: Did your parents make it here tonight to see you play?
JC: My dad did. My mom didn't- she was at the eye doctor all day and had to do some stuff, but my dad was here to watch it.
Q: Was it pretty special to have him here to see you announced as a starter and be on the ice when the opening puck dropped?
JC: Yeah-I was pumped to even start in the first place and to get that ovation was unbelievable.
I also asked Carlson about Jack Campbell, but I'll save those comments for another time when I'm posting about the U.S. WJC gold medal-winning goalie. Carlson is laconic- you don't get a whole lot from him in terms of an in-depth and extended response to the questions you ask him, but he lit up when I mentioned Campbell's name.
So there it is. A pretty convincing win for the Capitals tonight. B's fans are happy because that's another regulation loss that makes it tougher for Toronto to climb out of the cellar. The Caps players were pretty charitable on the record about their opponent, which is what you would expect, but let's face it- the Leafs didn't play with much inspiration tonight. If they're serious about making a go of this year, then they'd best pick up a sense of urgency.
I stopped by the Toronto dressing room...things there were pretty somber and there was no sign of Kessel so I moved on.
That does it for tonight. Thanks for checking in.
Red Line Report's January issue just arrived, so I'll digest it and post some commentary on it. I always love the January rankings because it is chock full of information from the WJC. I was also happy to read that their impressions of Nino Niederreiter jived with mine...I will tell you that he's moved up to 9th overall on their list. When you consider that he started out 47th- that's quite a jump from August to present.
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