While it's an amazing time of year, and in the lives of 211 of hockey's best young players, it is also a day of crushing disappointment for countless others. The NHL entry draft represents an opportunity for teams to improve their depth, change their fortunes and map out their future. Yet the same cannot be said for the young players involved or just on the outside. Sure, it certainly helps to get drafted but other than a great honor and some free team swag, the benefit and advantage that those players seem to have vanishes pretty quickly.
The fact of the matter is this, the sport of hockey is one of if not the most dynamic and demanding sport that human beings play. Yes, I'm somewhat biased here but what other sport requires you to learn every single necessary skill? Hockey possesses no natural skills, every skill is learned or acquired through countless hours of practice, repetition, instruction and hard work. I say this because hard work is the key.
Telling a player they are good is the worst possible thing you could do for their development. Hard work is referred to in the way that it is because it is not for everybody, it is rarely enjoyable and only a select few can push the boundaries of its very definition.
A good player does possess skills that are inherent to them through their upbringing. Very few of those skills vary that much from one hard working player to another. That is where we find special players. The elite. These players don't only train, they work. They don't only study, they absorb. They are always thirsty for more and aren't willing to take no for an answer.
The NHL draft always has players like this, players who have achieved a dream. They are satisfied. Satisfaction is development's natural enemy and very few of draft picks are actually at a level that warrants satisfaction.
I do not mean to take away from accomplishment or celebration, as I look at getting drafted as one of life's ultimate accomplishments and something that I failed to ever achieve.
The other side of satisfaction is acceptance. Acceptance in development is the same as giving up. There is a number of players drafted this weekend who have already become satisfied and a number of players who did not get drafted who are teetering towards acceptance. Yet the draft, as a benchmark, is meaningless. The players are all still in the same boat and share similar levels of opportunity.
The best players never stop working hard, they are never satisfied and they never accept defeat. Everything is a test, a challenge, a mission.
Drafted or not, the players involved in this weekend's process are going to have endless opportunities to prove their worth. And while the draft doesn't mean that much in the grand scheme of things, they are professionally eligible players as of now. That has meaning. If you want to be a pro, act like a pro, eat like a pro, work like a pro.
Motivation is one of the most curious elements of human life. It comes and it goes. Sometimes it is easy to acquire, sometimes it completely abandons us. Inspiration breeds consistent motivation. If you haven't achieved your goals or dreams, don't look for motivation to try again, seek inspiration to chase something you'll never catch. Perfection.
Drafted players: enjoy your accomplishments. Undrafted players: today is just a day off work for your competition.
Frown at those who tell you you are good. Follow the people who ask you for more and notice your work ethic.
We will see you in the NHL one day, drafted or not. Your time is only just beginning. Don't let anything stop you. And when I say work hard, I mean watch how hard everyone else is working, and work harder. The feeling you have today, on either side of the equation, is the reason why it is all worth it.
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Drafting for a 31st Team
During the draft I thought it would be fun to see how I would do if I were the GM for a fictional 31st team. And of course, those of you who know me and my giant ego, I just assume this team would have beat LA for the cup giving me the last pick in each round.
I wanted to live tweet this but was so busy trying to keep up with the pace and different media that I just jotted down names and promised myself I would write the blog on the plane. Instead I've at least started it while watching the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates have at it at the gorgeous PNC park and am now posting it as I arrive back home.
Round 1
Pick 31 - Oscar Dansk (Actrual draft position - 31 - Columbus) - I chose Dansk because I felt he was the best goalie in the draft and at this pick it is tough to pass over someone you consider to be the best player at their position. Even as a "cup winning" team, it's nice to have the best goaltender from a year in my system moving forward.
Round 2
Pick 62 - Adam Pelech (Actual draft poistion - 65 - NY Islanders) - I considered taking him or Dalton Thrower at the end of the first round but couldn't pass on Dansk. When Thrower went and Pelech was still around, it was an easy pick. He's big, plays a versatile style, can be mean and is the kind of player a team could mould into whatever they need long term.
Round 3
Pick 92 - Andreas Athanasiou (Actual draft position - 110 - Detroit) - I feel good drafting someone that the Red Wings ended up taking, makes me feel like I somewhat know my stuff. But then again, his inconsistency throughout the year did give me pause. However, his skill level and ability to play that game at high speeds is something that with some minor development and addition of strength/power makes him a great addition right here. A little risk, but good chance of reward.
Round 4
Pick 122 - Valeri Vasiliev (Actual draft position - 201 - Philadelphia) - Hard hitting physical defender with good technical ability, his bruising style will have opponents scared for their lives in a few years. He is hard to play against and has a warrior's mentality. I was hoping to hold off longer but with thoughts about taking him the 3rd, he's a must have for me, so I'm nabbing him now.
Round 5
Pick 152 - Gianluca Curcuruto (Actual draft position - 182 - Columbus) - I loved this guy the first few times I saw him. He has a good head for the game and shows good technical skill with some promising offensive potential. I'm surprised he's still around and while I'm happy with my drafted D to this point, I'm intrigued with what I can turn this guy into. I have a good feeling he's going to get a lot better and he's worth a 5th in my mind right now.
Round 6
Pick 182 - Peter Quenneville (Actual draft position - undrafted) - More than shocked that a kid who won his league MVP, committed to a good University program and who is as mature as this kid is still available at this point. Quenneville has loads of development left and with his shot and and outside scoring presence he is worth the wait. I'd look to improve his skating and defensive game but overall he's a project that has a lot of potential to turn out to be a massive steal here.
Round 7
Pick 212 - Anton Slepyshev (Actual draft position - undrafted) - I always think the cup champ should just give this pick away to the host team. It's a nice champion-like gesture. However, might get me fake fired from my fake team so I had to make a fake pick. Apart from Quenneville I was most shocked that Slepyshev and Max Iafrate were not selected. Having done well with defenders so far in the draft and Ebert going right before, Slepyshev makes sense. He was hot and cold all year but projects as a good depth forward that is worth the risk of a 7th round selection.
I wanted to live tweet this but was so busy trying to keep up with the pace and different media that I just jotted down names and promised myself I would write the blog on the plane. Instead I've at least started it while watching the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates have at it at the gorgeous PNC park and am now posting it as I arrive back home.
Round 1
Pick 31 - Oscar Dansk (Actrual draft position - 31 - Columbus) - I chose Dansk because I felt he was the best goalie in the draft and at this pick it is tough to pass over someone you consider to be the best player at their position. Even as a "cup winning" team, it's nice to have the best goaltender from a year in my system moving forward.
Round 2
Pick 62 - Adam Pelech (Actual draft poistion - 65 - NY Islanders) - I considered taking him or Dalton Thrower at the end of the first round but couldn't pass on Dansk. When Thrower went and Pelech was still around, it was an easy pick. He's big, plays a versatile style, can be mean and is the kind of player a team could mould into whatever they need long term.
Round 3
Pick 92 - Andreas Athanasiou (Actual draft position - 110 - Detroit) - I feel good drafting someone that the Red Wings ended up taking, makes me feel like I somewhat know my stuff. But then again, his inconsistency throughout the year did give me pause. However, his skill level and ability to play that game at high speeds is something that with some minor development and addition of strength/power makes him a great addition right here. A little risk, but good chance of reward.
Round 4
Pick 122 - Valeri Vasiliev (Actual draft position - 201 - Philadelphia) - Hard hitting physical defender with good technical ability, his bruising style will have opponents scared for their lives in a few years. He is hard to play against and has a warrior's mentality. I was hoping to hold off longer but with thoughts about taking him the 3rd, he's a must have for me, so I'm nabbing him now.
Round 5
Pick 152 - Gianluca Curcuruto (Actual draft position - 182 - Columbus) - I loved this guy the first few times I saw him. He has a good head for the game and shows good technical skill with some promising offensive potential. I'm surprised he's still around and while I'm happy with my drafted D to this point, I'm intrigued with what I can turn this guy into. I have a good feeling he's going to get a lot better and he's worth a 5th in my mind right now.
Round 6
Pick 182 - Peter Quenneville (Actual draft position - undrafted) - More than shocked that a kid who won his league MVP, committed to a good University program and who is as mature as this kid is still available at this point. Quenneville has loads of development left and with his shot and and outside scoring presence he is worth the wait. I'd look to improve his skating and defensive game but overall he's a project that has a lot of potential to turn out to be a massive steal here.
Round 7
Pick 212 - Anton Slepyshev (Actual draft position - undrafted) - I always think the cup champ should just give this pick away to the host team. It's a nice champion-like gesture. However, might get me fake fired from my fake team so I had to make a fake pick. Apart from Quenneville I was most shocked that Slepyshev and Max Iafrate were not selected. Having done well with defenders so far in the draft and Ebert going right before, Slepyshev makes sense. He was hot and cold all year but projects as a good depth forward that is worth the risk of a 7th round selection.
Friday, 15 June 2012
Canadian Ivan Hlinka Selection Camp Roster
Hockey Canada has released their list of their top candidates for this summer's U18 Ivan Hlinka team. The full list can be viewed here: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci_id/195782/la_id/1.htm.
Last week Hockey Canada started the process by holding their Goaltending Development Camp. This is an event that I attend yearly and usually have mixed feelings about the decisions that come out of it but this year, I have to say the 4 goaltender's who have emerged from camp were the correct decisions. The 1995 age group has perhaps one of the best goaltending crops in recent years for Canada. Any combination of the 4 will be one tough duo to compete with but I would peg Jarry and Fucale as the favorites at this point with Martin and then Comrie very tight behind them. All 4 goaltenders have tremendous potential but are also capable of stealing games already at elite levels. Goaltending will certainly be a major strength for Canada.
Last year's squad boasted one of the deepest and most talented Canadian defense squadrons perhaps ever. This year's crop will not be far off as Canada continues to develop high end, dynamic defenders with spectacular skill levels. The list will most likely be lead by U18 World Champ vets Josh Morrissey and Darnell Nurse as well as the only 1996 born player on the roster, Aaron Ekblad. From there you have 9 players competing for 4 spots and the competition should be superb. I would give my edge to Heatherington, Bowey and Murphy at this point but can't count any of the other defenders out. Of particular interest are Kayle Doetzel of the Red Deer Rebels who is a very intelligent and versatile defender, Samuel Morin who has great size, something this group might need some more of, and Jordan Subban, the younger brother of Montreal Canadien's defender P.K..
Up front it could be the deepest entry Canada has had in this event in years. The group will no doubt be lead by Nathan MacKinnon, who is a potential 1st overall candidate for 2013. Other players with near lock status would be Curtis Lazar, Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Ryan Kujawinski and Sam Reinhart, Nick Ritchie, who are not eligible for the NHL draft until 2014 because of their late 1995 birth dates. Reinhart, along with defender Ekblad are early favorites to be in the 1st overall debate for 2014. This would leave 6 spots for the remaining 17 forwards invited. There is a very good chance that MacKinnon's Halifax teammate, Jonathan Drouin will find himself in one of those spots. Other interesting players for me at this point would be Nick Baptiste, Bo Horvat, Morgan Klimchuk, Matt Needham, Nic Petan and Jason Dickson. This list is likely going to change significantly as camp starts up on August 3rd in Toronto, mostly due to the fact that the team will likely need to find some players willing to change their role slightly from that of which they play in their club teams.
Hockey Canada has done a tremendous job identifying the talent in the deep 1995 age group and has assembled an excellent group of young players that should be considered a favorite in what could prove to be one of the most exciting and competitive international U18 age groups in recent memory. And while there are always some omissions (in my mind Lethbridge Hurricane forward Jay Merkley is the one that sticks out most), the fact is, it is one of the deepest years for Canadian talent, making for some very difficult decisions for the Hockey Canada staff. This list of invitees would indicate they are up for the challenge and looking primed for another championship quality team heading to Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia in mid August. No matter who makes this team, it is going to be a very exciting group to watch.
Last week Hockey Canada started the process by holding their Goaltending Development Camp. This is an event that I attend yearly and usually have mixed feelings about the decisions that come out of it but this year, I have to say the 4 goaltender's who have emerged from camp were the correct decisions. The 1995 age group has perhaps one of the best goaltending crops in recent years for Canada. Any combination of the 4 will be one tough duo to compete with but I would peg Jarry and Fucale as the favorites at this point with Martin and then Comrie very tight behind them. All 4 goaltenders have tremendous potential but are also capable of stealing games already at elite levels. Goaltending will certainly be a major strength for Canada.
Last year's squad boasted one of the deepest and most talented Canadian defense squadrons perhaps ever. This year's crop will not be far off as Canada continues to develop high end, dynamic defenders with spectacular skill levels. The list will most likely be lead by U18 World Champ vets Josh Morrissey and Darnell Nurse as well as the only 1996 born player on the roster, Aaron Ekblad. From there you have 9 players competing for 4 spots and the competition should be superb. I would give my edge to Heatherington, Bowey and Murphy at this point but can't count any of the other defenders out. Of particular interest are Kayle Doetzel of the Red Deer Rebels who is a very intelligent and versatile defender, Samuel Morin who has great size, something this group might need some more of, and Jordan Subban, the younger brother of Montreal Canadien's defender P.K..
Up front it could be the deepest entry Canada has had in this event in years. The group will no doubt be lead by Nathan MacKinnon, who is a potential 1st overall candidate for 2013. Other players with near lock status would be Curtis Lazar, Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, Ryan Kujawinski and Sam Reinhart, Nick Ritchie, who are not eligible for the NHL draft until 2014 because of their late 1995 birth dates. Reinhart, along with defender Ekblad are early favorites to be in the 1st overall debate for 2014. This would leave 6 spots for the remaining 17 forwards invited. There is a very good chance that MacKinnon's Halifax teammate, Jonathan Drouin will find himself in one of those spots. Other interesting players for me at this point would be Nick Baptiste, Bo Horvat, Morgan Klimchuk, Matt Needham, Nic Petan and Jason Dickson. This list is likely going to change significantly as camp starts up on August 3rd in Toronto, mostly due to the fact that the team will likely need to find some players willing to change their role slightly from that of which they play in their club teams.
Hockey Canada has done a tremendous job identifying the talent in the deep 1995 age group and has assembled an excellent group of young players that should be considered a favorite in what could prove to be one of the most exciting and competitive international U18 age groups in recent memory. And while there are always some omissions (in my mind Lethbridge Hurricane forward Jay Merkley is the one that sticks out most), the fact is, it is one of the deepest years for Canadian talent, making for some very difficult decisions for the Hockey Canada staff. This list of invitees would indicate they are up for the challenge and looking primed for another championship quality team heading to Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia in mid August. No matter who makes this team, it is going to be a very exciting group to watch.
Monday, 28 May 2012
Memorial Cup Review
The Memorial Cup made the trip to Shawinigan and the Cataractes decided it needed a little more than the week it was to spend there. As predicted, it was a very competitive and intense week of action. My predicted finishes didn't quite work out, but that just made it better in my mind. It was a week of great passion, sacrifice and heroics, and truly honored the namesake of the trophy that was presented to the victors.
As far as the one ice performances go, here are some notes from my perspective:
Edmonton Oil Kings
- Stephane Legault doesn't get much credit but there certainly is a lot to like to the steady forwads approach to every shift. I was impressed with him as a midget player but he got lost in the shuffle a lot of the time in his WHL games that I scouted. He's reliable with a strong work ethic and a team first menatlity. While not one of the most exciting prospects on the Oil Kings, he deserves a shout out and I think he has a bright CIS future ahead of him and could turn that into a very good professional playing career as well.
- Henrik Samuelsson did a great job of showcasing his professional appeal. He really parlayed playing this late into the season and the extra exposure it grants into a very strong performance that will boost his draft stock, less than a month before the draft. He also earned himself a spot on the tournament All Star team.
- Griffin Reinhart really impressed with his development yet again. I've had the pleasure of watching go from bantam to midget to the WHL and it's obvious that he has a long career ahead of him at the next level as well. This is a kid who still has a lot to show and will be a major reason why the Oil Kings could come back to this event again next year, this time as the favorite.
Saint John Sea Dogs
- Jonathan Huberdeau is so dynamic and entertaining to watch. His neutral zone goals during the tournament were another indication of just how dynamic and intelligent he can be with the puck. He can brush it off as luck but it's obvious he has that extra sense and can react to that "thinking without thinking" phenomena so well. As technically and physically talented as he is, his mind is the true appeal and the true reason he will succeed at the NHL level very soon.
- Ryan Tesink was such a good pest, he was even driving me nuts as I watched the games. So easy to hate a player like this in the moment, but very wise to think about how having a weapon like this can benefit you. As long as I'm not looking at him, I love him.
- Zack Phillips and Tomas Jurco were up and down for me at this event. I'm a big Phillips fan, he can do so much good around the puck and has really improved his two-way game but it felt like he was trying to do too much a little too often. Jurco and Coyle were in a similar boat to me. I refuse to peg any blame on them as I still believe they represented their team, league and individual talent levels well but was a bit surprised they weren't as spot on as they could have been.
London Knights
Max Domi always draws attention from scouts and fans, usually from a curiosity or admiration due to his famous father but Max is a very dynamic talent who builds his fan base with very different skill set than his father. Tie was no offensive slouch in his junior days, but he never possessed the abilities of his son. Max will get a lot of attention next year as he heads into his draft year, where he is already projected to be a 1st-2nd round prospect.
Jared Tinordi is the kind of player that scouts drool over. He's huge, fairly mobile and will go through the wall for his team. His skating still needs some work and he has a ton of room to build on his massive frame but Tinordi's development is something that Montreal fans have to be excited about. I give him another 2-3 years before he's pro ready, but Tinordi looks like he could be one of the first in a new trend of hybrid 90's-2000's defenders. Skilled, tough, intelligent and will spear you in the throat if he doesn't like you.
Austin Watson was one of the top 5 most ready to play in the NHL prospects in the entire event. A big bodied player with good skills, his pro appeal on the offensive side is only minor at this point, but his defensive play has his appeal skyrocketing. Watson was arguably the best two-way forward in the whole tournament, along with Shawnigan gunner Michael Chaput. His faceoff presence and shot blocking ability had me thinking he had already played several seasons under Barry Trotz in Nashville. I have a feeling those two will get along nicely.
Memorial Cup Champion - Shawinigan Cataractes
Michael Chaput was selected in the dispersal draft after Lewiston folded in the summer of 2011. The Cataractes knew they got a top notch offensive player at that point, but little did they know just how much of an impact he would ultimately make. The 3rd round pick of the Flyers in 2010, his rights were traded to Columbus the next season. Chaput was dominant all week long in all three zones of the ice, winning faceoffs, scoring goals, starting and finishing plays from a variety of areas and situations. He was the perfect and easiest choice for MVP of this year's Memorial Cup and looked like the most ready NHL player during the week.
Brandon Gormley is a player that I have been extremely high on for several years now. The PEI native was an Andrews Hockey School mainstay, who the Andrews (Al and Josh) lit up to talk about. To me, he is pro ready already. He was the best defender at the World Juniors and looked like the most ready to step up the NHL player on any roster at that event and if it weren't for the possessed play of Chaput during this event he would have struck me in the same way again. Either way, he is not far from being an NHL blueliner and already seems to have the maturity of a player several years his elder.
Kiriil Kabanov wasn't the Russian who scored the heroic overtime winner, that honor belonged to Anton Zlobin, but Kabanov was an absolute beast in the final and was hands down the most consistently dangerous player on the ice. This is the glimpse of the Kabanov that could turn into a seriously impactful professional player. I was impressed with his drive, team play and consistency and the taste of the championship should reinforce the behaviors we want to see more of from the talented Russian.
With that the major scouting season comes to an end. The final touches will be put on the ISS draft guides and they will be sent out shortly. Focus for me will now turn directly to the NHL draft and media interviews (maybe a little golf too...) while the teams soak in their season triumphs and prepare for next year.
Congratulations to all of the participants (players, coaches and staffs) of all 4 teams, who made this a memorable and exciting Memorial Cup tournament and a huge congratulations to the champion team and city of Shawinigan.
As far as the one ice performances go, here are some notes from my perspective:
Edmonton Oil Kings
- Stephane Legault doesn't get much credit but there certainly is a lot to like to the steady forwads approach to every shift. I was impressed with him as a midget player but he got lost in the shuffle a lot of the time in his WHL games that I scouted. He's reliable with a strong work ethic and a team first menatlity. While not one of the most exciting prospects on the Oil Kings, he deserves a shout out and I think he has a bright CIS future ahead of him and could turn that into a very good professional playing career as well.
- Henrik Samuelsson did a great job of showcasing his professional appeal. He really parlayed playing this late into the season and the extra exposure it grants into a very strong performance that will boost his draft stock, less than a month before the draft. He also earned himself a spot on the tournament All Star team.
- Griffin Reinhart really impressed with his development yet again. I've had the pleasure of watching go from bantam to midget to the WHL and it's obvious that he has a long career ahead of him at the next level as well. This is a kid who still has a lot to show and will be a major reason why the Oil Kings could come back to this event again next year, this time as the favorite.
Saint John Sea Dogs
- Jonathan Huberdeau is so dynamic and entertaining to watch. His neutral zone goals during the tournament were another indication of just how dynamic and intelligent he can be with the puck. He can brush it off as luck but it's obvious he has that extra sense and can react to that "thinking without thinking" phenomena so well. As technically and physically talented as he is, his mind is the true appeal and the true reason he will succeed at the NHL level very soon.
- Ryan Tesink was such a good pest, he was even driving me nuts as I watched the games. So easy to hate a player like this in the moment, but very wise to think about how having a weapon like this can benefit you. As long as I'm not looking at him, I love him.
- Zack Phillips and Tomas Jurco were up and down for me at this event. I'm a big Phillips fan, he can do so much good around the puck and has really improved his two-way game but it felt like he was trying to do too much a little too often. Jurco and Coyle were in a similar boat to me. I refuse to peg any blame on them as I still believe they represented their team, league and individual talent levels well but was a bit surprised they weren't as spot on as they could have been.
London Knights
Max Domi always draws attention from scouts and fans, usually from a curiosity or admiration due to his famous father but Max is a very dynamic talent who builds his fan base with very different skill set than his father. Tie was no offensive slouch in his junior days, but he never possessed the abilities of his son. Max will get a lot of attention next year as he heads into his draft year, where he is already projected to be a 1st-2nd round prospect.
Jared Tinordi is the kind of player that scouts drool over. He's huge, fairly mobile and will go through the wall for his team. His skating still needs some work and he has a ton of room to build on his massive frame but Tinordi's development is something that Montreal fans have to be excited about. I give him another 2-3 years before he's pro ready, but Tinordi looks like he could be one of the first in a new trend of hybrid 90's-2000's defenders. Skilled, tough, intelligent and will spear you in the throat if he doesn't like you.
Austin Watson was one of the top 5 most ready to play in the NHL prospects in the entire event. A big bodied player with good skills, his pro appeal on the offensive side is only minor at this point, but his defensive play has his appeal skyrocketing. Watson was arguably the best two-way forward in the whole tournament, along with Shawnigan gunner Michael Chaput. His faceoff presence and shot blocking ability had me thinking he had already played several seasons under Barry Trotz in Nashville. I have a feeling those two will get along nicely.
Memorial Cup Champion - Shawinigan Cataractes
Michael Chaput was selected in the dispersal draft after Lewiston folded in the summer of 2011. The Cataractes knew they got a top notch offensive player at that point, but little did they know just how much of an impact he would ultimately make. The 3rd round pick of the Flyers in 2010, his rights were traded to Columbus the next season. Chaput was dominant all week long in all three zones of the ice, winning faceoffs, scoring goals, starting and finishing plays from a variety of areas and situations. He was the perfect and easiest choice for MVP of this year's Memorial Cup and looked like the most ready NHL player during the week.
Brandon Gormley is a player that I have been extremely high on for several years now. The PEI native was an Andrews Hockey School mainstay, who the Andrews (Al and Josh) lit up to talk about. To me, he is pro ready already. He was the best defender at the World Juniors and looked like the most ready to step up the NHL player on any roster at that event and if it weren't for the possessed play of Chaput during this event he would have struck me in the same way again. Either way, he is not far from being an NHL blueliner and already seems to have the maturity of a player several years his elder.
Kiriil Kabanov wasn't the Russian who scored the heroic overtime winner, that honor belonged to Anton Zlobin, but Kabanov was an absolute beast in the final and was hands down the most consistently dangerous player on the ice. This is the glimpse of the Kabanov that could turn into a seriously impactful professional player. I was impressed with his drive, team play and consistency and the taste of the championship should reinforce the behaviors we want to see more of from the talented Russian.
With that the major scouting season comes to an end. The final touches will be put on the ISS draft guides and they will be sent out shortly. Focus for me will now turn directly to the NHL draft and media interviews (maybe a little golf too...) while the teams soak in their season triumphs and prepare for next year.
Congratulations to all of the participants (players, coaches and staffs) of all 4 teams, who made this a memorable and exciting Memorial Cup tournament and a huge congratulations to the champion team and city of Shawinigan.
Friday, 18 May 2012
Top 25 Players to Watch at the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup
With the Memorial Cup set to kick off tonight, I thought I would offer a small primer of my top 25 players to keep an eye on during the tournament.
This year's field is stacked with 4 extremely quality teams that have deep rosters and should prove to be one of the most competitive and entertaining tournaments in recent memory.
25 - Henrik Samuelson - Edmonton - Son of Ulf, Henrik has inherited the family sandpaper but is also a capable offensive weapon as well. Likely a 2nd round pick in June's NHL entry draft.
24 - Kirill Kabanov - Shawinigan - Slick offensive Russian can be a bit Jekyll and Hyde, but when he's on he can really take over a game. He will be a major wildcard in this tournament. Kabanov is a 3rd round choice of the New York Islanders.
23 - Max Domi - London - The son of legendary NHL tough guy, Tie Domi, Max Domi is a slick offensive dynamo with explosive scoring talent. He is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2013.
22 - Morgan Ellis - Shawinigan - Versatile defender will need to be on top of his game. He has come a long way in his Q career and will need to provide steady defending with some offensive contribution as well if the Cataractes are going to steal some wins. He's a 4th round pick of Montreal.
21 - Travis Ewanyk - Edmonton - Ewanyk can really make a difference in a game with his strong two-way play. He will be relied on to kill penalties, shut down top offensive opponents and create energy for the Oil Kings. A 3rd round pick of the Oilers, he's a very unsung and underrated prospect.
20 - Tyler Maxwell - Edmonton - A smaller, speedier and opportunistic offensive forward, Maxwell can be easy to underestimate but finds open ice very well and is the kind of player you can't ignore. His production is crucial to the Oil Kings attack.
19 - Scott Harrington - London - He has developped into a very reliable two-way defender. He has some offensive upside but is most succesful in shutdown roles. He is a very likeable player who does his job well and will be key to London's hopes in this tournament. Harrington is a 2nd round selection of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
18 - Mark Pysyk - Edmonton - Smooth skating defender who moves the puck well, Pysyk is the Oil Kings captain. A 1st round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, Pysyk is very good at strating transitional rushes and can skate with anyone. He will need to be a factor for the Oil Kings in every game.
17 - Austin Watson - London - A 1st round pick of the Nashville predators, Watson is a big power forward who has a serious knack for showing up when the games have higher value. His prowess in short term competitions should not be ignored. With all their firepower, Watson could prove to be the most difficult Knight to contain in this setting.
16 - Seth Griffith - London - Undrafted diminutive playmaker always seems to find a way to get it done around the puck. He can set up, he can finish and he can start. Dangerous from a variety of areas around the ice, he can burn you a lot of ways.
15 - Nathan Beaulieu - Saint John - The offensive minded defender is relied on to launch a lot of the Sea Dog's transitional attacks and QB their PP. He's a 1st round selection of the Montreal Canadiens.
14 - Michael St. Croix - Edmonton - Talented offensive player will need to live up to his billing and will be the likely head of the Oil Kings attack. St. Croix is a 4th round pick of the New York Rangers.
13 - Vlad Namestnikov - London - A 1st round choice of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Namestnikov has been one of the best playmakers for London all playoffs long. His speed and quickness can really get opponents in a frenzy.
12 - Tomas Jurco - Saint John - Dazzling puckhandler with scorers touch, when he is on and moving he is extremely difficult to contain. Opponents need to limit his space around the net or they will pay. Jurco's talented mits are property of the Detroit Red Wings via their 2010 2nd round pick.
11 - Laurent Broissoit - Edmonton - One of the front runners to be Canada's starter for the next WJC, Broissoit could get a lot further in that bid with a solid performance on this stage. He is a 6th round pick of the Calgary Flames.
10 - Stanislav Galiev - Saint John - Speedy winger often takes a back seat to some of the other top tier talents on the Sea Dogs roster but Galiev has really put his stamp on this team so far during the playoffs and could again be a major factor in their offensive production. He is a 3rd round choice of the Washington Capitals.
9 - Michael Bournival - Shawinigan - Very skilled two-way centreman is going to have to be on top of his game as he will likely see major minutes against top opponents and if he can outmatch them, that could be key to the Cataractes chances. Bournival is a 3rd round pick of the Avalanche (EDIT: since traded to the Canadiens de Montreal).
8 - Griffin Reinhart - Edmonton - Big two-way defender can do a bit of everything and is a potential top 10 pick in this year's NHL entry draft. He has the benefit of another week of top tier exposure going for him and should be a standout for the Oil Kings.
7 - Jarred Tinordi - London - Playing in the province of the team that drafted him (Montreal) in the 1st round could prove to be some added motivation for the Knights leader. Tinordi is big, physical and mean. An intimidating combination of skills that can really afford the Knights some dangerous transition attacks.
6 - Zack Phillips - Saint John - Phillips has had a tremendous season and continues to show very strong development. He has great hands, sees the ice well and plays a reliable two-way style. He is one of the most talented technical players in this event and is a 1st round pick of the Minnesota Wild.
5 - Jonathan Huberdeau - Saint John - He was dominant and electrifying in this event last year and is back and poised for a repeat performance. He has the star power around him to afford him a little extra space here and there which could be the undoing of a lot of teams in this tournament. Huberdeau is the 3rd overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL draft and is expected to crack their roster next season.
4 - Charlie Coyle - Saint John - A 1st round selection of the San Jose Sharks whose rights were traded to Minnesota, Coyle has dominated the QMJHL since defecting from the US ranks. The Sea Dogs have a ton of weapons but none have been firing as effectively as Coyle during the playoffs.
3 - Curtis Lazar - Edmonton - 2013 eligible playmaker led Oil Kings in WHL playoff scoring with 19 poitns in 20 games. Will be counted on again to make an impact. Ranks among the best forwards available in 2013.
2 - Olli Maatta - London - Perhaps a bit of a surprise this high on the list, Maatta has been lights out in the playoffs so far for the Knights. Reliable two-way defender whose offensive intelligence has really shown in the playoffs. A likely 1st round pick in this year's draft, his stock continues to sore and will explode if he keeps it up in this tournament.
1 - Brandon Gormley - Shawinigan - The 1st round selection of the Phoenix Coyotes is steady and intelligent. Host Shawinigan is a major underdog but they do boast Gormley who can really make a difference for a team. The Coyotes look like they could use him right about now.
Honorable mentions: Jonathan Racine (SHA), Micheal Chaput (SHA), Yannick Veilleux (SHA), Alex Dubeau (SHA), Mitch Moroz (EDM), Stephane Legault (EDM), Martin Gernat (EDM), Charles-Olivier Roussell (SJSD), Mathieu Corbeil (SJSD), Ryan and Matt Rupert (LDN), Andreas Athanasiou (LDN), Greg McKegg (LDN), Jared Knigth (LDN), Michael Houser (LDN)
This tournament will be almost too close to predict, but where's the fun in that! Saint John has to be the favorite having one it last year and with most of their core players returning for a second run. London looks to be the deepest and most versatile team which gives them a real shot at beating anyone. Edmonton is versatile, deep and gritty and have some unheralded game breakers as well as a solid defensive corps and should produce the most competitive games with every team. Shawinigan lacks the firepower but they do have some reliable and intelligent players that are capable of frustrating opponents and outthinking them on the ice.
My prediction: Saint John defeats London in the final game. London just barely gets there in a barn burner with the Oil Kings and Shawinigan puts up a great effort but just can't match the depth or offensive talent of the three league champions.
Should be a great tournament, can't wait for the puck drop tonight!
This year's field is stacked with 4 extremely quality teams that have deep rosters and should prove to be one of the most competitive and entertaining tournaments in recent memory.
25 - Henrik Samuelson - Edmonton - Son of Ulf, Henrik has inherited the family sandpaper but is also a capable offensive weapon as well. Likely a 2nd round pick in June's NHL entry draft.
24 - Kirill Kabanov - Shawinigan - Slick offensive Russian can be a bit Jekyll and Hyde, but when he's on he can really take over a game. He will be a major wildcard in this tournament. Kabanov is a 3rd round choice of the New York Islanders.
23 - Max Domi - London - The son of legendary NHL tough guy, Tie Domi, Max Domi is a slick offensive dynamo with explosive scoring talent. He is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2013.
22 - Morgan Ellis - Shawinigan - Versatile defender will need to be on top of his game. He has come a long way in his Q career and will need to provide steady defending with some offensive contribution as well if the Cataractes are going to steal some wins. He's a 4th round pick of Montreal.
21 - Travis Ewanyk - Edmonton - Ewanyk can really make a difference in a game with his strong two-way play. He will be relied on to kill penalties, shut down top offensive opponents and create energy for the Oil Kings. A 3rd round pick of the Oilers, he's a very unsung and underrated prospect.
20 - Tyler Maxwell - Edmonton - A smaller, speedier and opportunistic offensive forward, Maxwell can be easy to underestimate but finds open ice very well and is the kind of player you can't ignore. His production is crucial to the Oil Kings attack.
19 - Scott Harrington - London - He has developped into a very reliable two-way defender. He has some offensive upside but is most succesful in shutdown roles. He is a very likeable player who does his job well and will be key to London's hopes in this tournament. Harrington is a 2nd round selection of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
18 - Mark Pysyk - Edmonton - Smooth skating defender who moves the puck well, Pysyk is the Oil Kings captain. A 1st round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, Pysyk is very good at strating transitional rushes and can skate with anyone. He will need to be a factor for the Oil Kings in every game.
17 - Austin Watson - London - A 1st round pick of the Nashville predators, Watson is a big power forward who has a serious knack for showing up when the games have higher value. His prowess in short term competitions should not be ignored. With all their firepower, Watson could prove to be the most difficult Knight to contain in this setting.
16 - Seth Griffith - London - Undrafted diminutive playmaker always seems to find a way to get it done around the puck. He can set up, he can finish and he can start. Dangerous from a variety of areas around the ice, he can burn you a lot of ways.
15 - Nathan Beaulieu - Saint John - The offensive minded defender is relied on to launch a lot of the Sea Dog's transitional attacks and QB their PP. He's a 1st round selection of the Montreal Canadiens.
14 - Michael St. Croix - Edmonton - Talented offensive player will need to live up to his billing and will be the likely head of the Oil Kings attack. St. Croix is a 4th round pick of the New York Rangers.
13 - Vlad Namestnikov - London - A 1st round choice of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Namestnikov has been one of the best playmakers for London all playoffs long. His speed and quickness can really get opponents in a frenzy.
12 - Tomas Jurco - Saint John - Dazzling puckhandler with scorers touch, when he is on and moving he is extremely difficult to contain. Opponents need to limit his space around the net or they will pay. Jurco's talented mits are property of the Detroit Red Wings via their 2010 2nd round pick.
11 - Laurent Broissoit - Edmonton - One of the front runners to be Canada's starter for the next WJC, Broissoit could get a lot further in that bid with a solid performance on this stage. He is a 6th round pick of the Calgary Flames.
10 - Stanislav Galiev - Saint John - Speedy winger often takes a back seat to some of the other top tier talents on the Sea Dogs roster but Galiev has really put his stamp on this team so far during the playoffs and could again be a major factor in their offensive production. He is a 3rd round choice of the Washington Capitals.
9 - Michael Bournival - Shawinigan - Very skilled two-way centreman is going to have to be on top of his game as he will likely see major minutes against top opponents and if he can outmatch them, that could be key to the Cataractes chances. Bournival is a 3rd round pick of the Avalanche (EDIT: since traded to the Canadiens de Montreal).
8 - Griffin Reinhart - Edmonton - Big two-way defender can do a bit of everything and is a potential top 10 pick in this year's NHL entry draft. He has the benefit of another week of top tier exposure going for him and should be a standout for the Oil Kings.
7 - Jarred Tinordi - London - Playing in the province of the team that drafted him (Montreal) in the 1st round could prove to be some added motivation for the Knights leader. Tinordi is big, physical and mean. An intimidating combination of skills that can really afford the Knights some dangerous transition attacks.
6 - Zack Phillips - Saint John - Phillips has had a tremendous season and continues to show very strong development. He has great hands, sees the ice well and plays a reliable two-way style. He is one of the most talented technical players in this event and is a 1st round pick of the Minnesota Wild.
5 - Jonathan Huberdeau - Saint John - He was dominant and electrifying in this event last year and is back and poised for a repeat performance. He has the star power around him to afford him a little extra space here and there which could be the undoing of a lot of teams in this tournament. Huberdeau is the 3rd overall pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2010 NHL draft and is expected to crack their roster next season.
4 - Charlie Coyle - Saint John - A 1st round selection of the San Jose Sharks whose rights were traded to Minnesota, Coyle has dominated the QMJHL since defecting from the US ranks. The Sea Dogs have a ton of weapons but none have been firing as effectively as Coyle during the playoffs.
3 - Curtis Lazar - Edmonton - 2013 eligible playmaker led Oil Kings in WHL playoff scoring with 19 poitns in 20 games. Will be counted on again to make an impact. Ranks among the best forwards available in 2013.
2 - Olli Maatta - London - Perhaps a bit of a surprise this high on the list, Maatta has been lights out in the playoffs so far for the Knights. Reliable two-way defender whose offensive intelligence has really shown in the playoffs. A likely 1st round pick in this year's draft, his stock continues to sore and will explode if he keeps it up in this tournament.
1 - Brandon Gormley - Shawinigan - The 1st round selection of the Phoenix Coyotes is steady and intelligent. Host Shawinigan is a major underdog but they do boast Gormley who can really make a difference for a team. The Coyotes look like they could use him right about now.
Honorable mentions: Jonathan Racine (SHA), Micheal Chaput (SHA), Yannick Veilleux (SHA), Alex Dubeau (SHA), Mitch Moroz (EDM), Stephane Legault (EDM), Martin Gernat (EDM), Charles-Olivier Roussell (SJSD), Mathieu Corbeil (SJSD), Ryan and Matt Rupert (LDN), Andreas Athanasiou (LDN), Greg McKegg (LDN), Jared Knigth (LDN), Michael Houser (LDN)
This tournament will be almost too close to predict, but where's the fun in that! Saint John has to be the favorite having one it last year and with most of their core players returning for a second run. London looks to be the deepest and most versatile team which gives them a real shot at beating anyone. Edmonton is versatile, deep and gritty and have some unheralded game breakers as well as a solid defensive corps and should produce the most competitive games with every team. Shawinigan lacks the firepower but they do have some reliable and intelligent players that are capable of frustrating opponents and outthinking them on the ice.
My prediction: Saint John defeats London in the final game. London just barely gets there in a barn burner with the Oil Kings and Shawinigan puts up a great effort but just can't match the depth or offensive talent of the three league champions.
Should be a great tournament, can't wait for the puck drop tonight!
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
World Championship Thoughts, Notes and Standouts
This year's edition of the IIHF World Championships has really displayed the narrowing gap between the elite ice hockey playing countries. Sure the likes of Canada, Finland, Russia, Sweden, USA, Slovakia and the Czech Republic remain firmly at the top of the elite echelon of teams in this event but they have faced stiffer and stiffer competition from nations that used to provide less of a test than a morning skate would. That has created some tense and tightly contested games but has also managed to show which teams are contenders and which are pretenders. It has been obvious which teams have enjoyed the nightlife a little too freely on some nights, and that is not a knock against anybody, because the players should be able to take in the local sights, sounds and flavors, especially in amazing cities like Helsinki and Stockholm, just not too much!
Here are some thoughts from the Helsinki group as the stage comes to an end Tuesday:
Belarus - Belarus has been a very interesting team to watch so far during this tournament. Of all the teams playing in Helsinki they seemed to bring the most consistent game plan game in and game out but have also produced some of the best performances from individual players in the event as well. They are a nation that is capable of putting together team's to compete with the highest caliber opponents but generally need to rely on the bounces falling their way to win or knock off the bigger teams, and that just hasn't happened for them in Helsinki.
Standouts - From their first game against Finland, goaltender Vitali Koval stood on his head. He has made highlight reel save after highlight reel save and has given Belarus a chance to win almost every game he has played in. His glove has been lightning quick all tournament long and his focus has been razor sharp. In front of him 23 year old Dmitri Korobov has been a pleasant surprise as well. The young defender has proved very good at finding the weakside lane during zone play and has found the net on multiple occasions so far in the tournament. The forward group has some NHL firepower but it has been the veteran presence of KHLer Alexei Kalyuzhny that has paced their attack. Kalyuzhny sees the ice well away from the puck but is also adept at dishing off to his speedier linemates before finding outlets for them around the net.
Canada - The favorite on paper, Canada has taken a bit of time to gel as a team but after two tough tests against Finland and Switzerland, they seem to have rebounded and found an identity, something that was clearly lacking in their OT loss to the USA. Many of the Canadian players are getting a serious lesson in how serious the Finns take their hockey as they haven't been able to do much around Helsinki without it making the papers, and while most of these players are used to such attention, this tournament usually provides some sort of relief from that, but not this year. On the ice it seems the team is capable of beating any of the other top countries but has also shown a bit of sleepiness at times. It will be interesting to see how focused the group is heading into the playoff stage.
Standouts - John Tavares has really raised his game, his skating stride and overall speed seem much improved and he has looked like a man who is really taking this opportunity to win some support for an Olympic team spot seriously. Tavares and Jeff Skinner have been the two players who have displayed the most consistency throughout the event for Canada and have been very exciting to watch.
Ryan Murray, the lone non-NHLer on the Canadian roster has not looked out of place. The 19 year old, projected top 5 pick in this year's NHL draft, has not seen a ton of ice time but has made the most of the ice time he has received, including time on the team's 2nd PP unit. It's clear that he is capable of playing against men and while he hasn't made much of an impact, he has been reliable and has looked mature beyond his years.
Finland - Finland started off the tournament very strong with great team play wins but it was evident this was going to be a team that struggled to score. Their performance dipped a bit with the pressure and media coverage they have received and it cannot be easy to get over the frustration hurdles that present themselves in a tournament like this when every on and off ice moment is scrutinized so harshly.
Standouts - Valtteri Filppula has been sensational. His skill level and speed are pacing his team. We've known for a while that he is a talented player but Detroit has done a magnificent job cultivating his puck management skills but has also created a ton of evident confidence. He looks poised to knock up his NHL performances a notch and has been one of the most consistently impressive players in the tournament.
Some none NHL players that have stood out for Finland are Leo Komarov, Antti Pihlstrom and Juuso Hietanen. Komarov might be the new worlds best pest. He has good speed, decent hands and applies great physical pressure. He loves to get under the opponents skin and often has at least three or four of the opponents players leaning over their bench yelling at him. He has the tools to be effective at the NHL level in his role very soon. Pihlstrom is another player who can play an intense and energetic physical style. His work ethic is off the charts and he has also shown some excellent offensive timing around the net as well. A very good penalty killer, he is looking like he is due for a return to the NHL. Juuso Hietanen is a relative unknown on the international circuit but after several stints watching the national team from the stands or press boxes, Hietanen has carved out his place this season. A smallish puck moving defender, Hietanen has great vision with the puck and is a quick decision maker. He isn't a physical force and isn't going to win many battles against bigger stronger opponents but he is very good positionally, anticipates well and as mentioned before really gets things started around the puck. Hietanen has been one of Finland's most used players during the tournament and has been very good QBing their top PP.
Also worth noting has been the play of Petteri Vehanen. Finland's backup goaltender has been touted as perhaps the best goaltender outside the NHL at the moment and showcased his skills well when called upon during this event. A very quick and athletic keeper, Vehanen finds loose pucks quickly and can prove very difficult to deceive in shooter vs goalie situations.
France - I brought it up before the tournament and France has really proven that I sometimes know what I'm talking about...or at least get lucky once in a while! The French have deep squad sprinkled with good offensive talent, committed defenders and a strong team work ethic. They have managed to upset top group mainstays, Switzerland and Belarus and continue to earn more and more respect as an elite hockey development program.
Standouts - Yohann Auvitu has been getting lots of attention from the Finns and not just because the second half of his name is pronounced the same as one of the more unfortunate Finnish words. Auvitu won a Finnish championship in the SM-Liiga this year with JYP and has been a steady offensive presence for the French, helping launch their attacks from the backend. Auvitu skates well, has very good puck presence and vision and is still very young.
Up front the French boast a deep and versatile forward group that has shown some serious confidence. It helps having NHLer Stephane Da Costa in the mix but the most consistently noticeable and effective forward on the French team has been Yorick Treille. Treille plays for Sparta Prague of the top Czech league and is a big bodied power forward with good playmaking ability and net presence. His puck protection skills have allowed the French to spread out the opponents defensive zone schemes and create some varied offensive attacks. He hasn't put up huge numbers but make no mistake he has been vital to the French success in this event.
Kazakstahn - Over-matched and outplayed for much of the tournament, the Kazaks return to the top group has them predictably facing relegation again, but this team has proven they are not the pushovers they once were on the international stage and are one of the best examples of the improvement of the quality of this sport outside the more known hockey playing nations.
Standouts - Vitali Kolesnik has been extremely reliable for the Kazaks facing a constant barrage of shots yet controlling the quality of any rebounds he's offered and often challenging the angle well enough to limit the effectiveness of most shooting lanes. Talgat Zhailauov has been one of their most noticeable skaters. He's not the biggest player but he is a smooth and fast technical skater with good hands. He has been a good presence on the forecheck and has been able to match the tempo of some of the higher skilled nations with his play.
Slovakia - The Slovaks have gone through the tournament with relative predictability so far. They have competed well in every game and have beat a top tier team, something they always seem to do in international play. They have gotten strong goaltending, stellar defence and some balanced scoring from their versatile group of forwards but will need to do more than rely on Chara's ability to keep opponent's top guns at bay if they are going to make any more noise in this event.
Standouts - Apart from Chara, young sniper Tomas Tatar has been another fine example of the Detroit Red Wings development system. Tatar is looking like another of their European "steals" already. He has great speed, tremendously quick hands and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Watching him buzz around the ice has been one of the tournament's early pleasures and judging by his performance in Helsinki thus far, it shouldn't be long until that is an NHL fan's pleasure.
Switzerland - Not the typical style of Swiss hockey we have seen in the past this particular group has some real sandpaper to them and it has made them a very interesting team to follow. Their aggressive and gritty style helped them push the Canadians and Finns but also proved to be their undoing in arguably the tournament's biggest upset when they lost to France.
Standouts - Damien Brunner has had Swiss hockey fans buzzing all season long. Brunner has emerged as one of the Swiss A League's most dynamic offensive forces and has carried that play into this tournament. A very quick and agile skater, Brunner has good hands but is most effective because of his ability to streak into open lanes and find holes in coverage away from the puck. The jury is still out on whether his style would translate to the North American game as he is fairly slender and doesn't have the ideal skill set for winning space in small contested areas. There have been plenty of NHL pro scouts keeping tabs on him though.
That sandpaper I mentionned has been most evident in the play of Switzerland's youngest player, Nino Niedereitter. El Nino has been playing with some serious fire and seems to be in some sort of skirmish after every play. Nino is looking more and more like a man and is showing good strides in improving his diversity and versatility. His scoring still needs some improvement in terms of consistency but the excitement keeps growing around the young prospect.
USA - Much like the Canadians, the US squad has been wildly inconsistent with their efforts, looking undefeatable at times and just plain bad at others. They have good team speed and a well rounded energetic young roster that can score and grind it out if need be. Their goaltending has been lackluster so far during the tournament and could prove to be their undoing but both goaltenders are also capable of stealing games and they may just be waiting for the right time to do so.
Standouts - No US player has impressed more than young Carolina Hurricanes defender Justin Faulk. Faulk has been incredible so far and teams continue to struggle to find an answer for his big shot from the point on the powerplay. Ryan Lasch is not a household name, but the diminutive American speedster led the Finnish league in scoring this year and has made himself comfortable playing top 6 minutes for a US team loaded with NHL talent. He is very quick and extremely opportunistic around the puck. His energy level has been noticeably higher than many of his NHL caliber teammates.
I'm getting ready to head back to Canada from Helsinki, and while I will continue to monitor this tournament closely my attention will shift a bit to the Memorial Cup tournament, stay tuned for my thoughts on that and some closing thoughts from this event throughout the playoff round.
Here are some thoughts from the Helsinki group as the stage comes to an end Tuesday:
Belarus - Belarus has been a very interesting team to watch so far during this tournament. Of all the teams playing in Helsinki they seemed to bring the most consistent game plan game in and game out but have also produced some of the best performances from individual players in the event as well. They are a nation that is capable of putting together team's to compete with the highest caliber opponents but generally need to rely on the bounces falling their way to win or knock off the bigger teams, and that just hasn't happened for them in Helsinki.
Standouts - From their first game against Finland, goaltender Vitali Koval stood on his head. He has made highlight reel save after highlight reel save and has given Belarus a chance to win almost every game he has played in. His glove has been lightning quick all tournament long and his focus has been razor sharp. In front of him 23 year old Dmitri Korobov has been a pleasant surprise as well. The young defender has proved very good at finding the weakside lane during zone play and has found the net on multiple occasions so far in the tournament. The forward group has some NHL firepower but it has been the veteran presence of KHLer Alexei Kalyuzhny that has paced their attack. Kalyuzhny sees the ice well away from the puck but is also adept at dishing off to his speedier linemates before finding outlets for them around the net.
Canada - The favorite on paper, Canada has taken a bit of time to gel as a team but after two tough tests against Finland and Switzerland, they seem to have rebounded and found an identity, something that was clearly lacking in their OT loss to the USA. Many of the Canadian players are getting a serious lesson in how serious the Finns take their hockey as they haven't been able to do much around Helsinki without it making the papers, and while most of these players are used to such attention, this tournament usually provides some sort of relief from that, but not this year. On the ice it seems the team is capable of beating any of the other top countries but has also shown a bit of sleepiness at times. It will be interesting to see how focused the group is heading into the playoff stage.
Standouts - John Tavares has really raised his game, his skating stride and overall speed seem much improved and he has looked like a man who is really taking this opportunity to win some support for an Olympic team spot seriously. Tavares and Jeff Skinner have been the two players who have displayed the most consistency throughout the event for Canada and have been very exciting to watch.
Ryan Murray, the lone non-NHLer on the Canadian roster has not looked out of place. The 19 year old, projected top 5 pick in this year's NHL draft, has not seen a ton of ice time but has made the most of the ice time he has received, including time on the team's 2nd PP unit. It's clear that he is capable of playing against men and while he hasn't made much of an impact, he has been reliable and has looked mature beyond his years.
Finland - Finland started off the tournament very strong with great team play wins but it was evident this was going to be a team that struggled to score. Their performance dipped a bit with the pressure and media coverage they have received and it cannot be easy to get over the frustration hurdles that present themselves in a tournament like this when every on and off ice moment is scrutinized so harshly.
Standouts - Valtteri Filppula has been sensational. His skill level and speed are pacing his team. We've known for a while that he is a talented player but Detroit has done a magnificent job cultivating his puck management skills but has also created a ton of evident confidence. He looks poised to knock up his NHL performances a notch and has been one of the most consistently impressive players in the tournament.
Some none NHL players that have stood out for Finland are Leo Komarov, Antti Pihlstrom and Juuso Hietanen. Komarov might be the new worlds best pest. He has good speed, decent hands and applies great physical pressure. He loves to get under the opponents skin and often has at least three or four of the opponents players leaning over their bench yelling at him. He has the tools to be effective at the NHL level in his role very soon. Pihlstrom is another player who can play an intense and energetic physical style. His work ethic is off the charts and he has also shown some excellent offensive timing around the net as well. A very good penalty killer, he is looking like he is due for a return to the NHL. Juuso Hietanen is a relative unknown on the international circuit but after several stints watching the national team from the stands or press boxes, Hietanen has carved out his place this season. A smallish puck moving defender, Hietanen has great vision with the puck and is a quick decision maker. He isn't a physical force and isn't going to win many battles against bigger stronger opponents but he is very good positionally, anticipates well and as mentioned before really gets things started around the puck. Hietanen has been one of Finland's most used players during the tournament and has been very good QBing their top PP.
Also worth noting has been the play of Petteri Vehanen. Finland's backup goaltender has been touted as perhaps the best goaltender outside the NHL at the moment and showcased his skills well when called upon during this event. A very quick and athletic keeper, Vehanen finds loose pucks quickly and can prove very difficult to deceive in shooter vs goalie situations.
France - I brought it up before the tournament and France has really proven that I sometimes know what I'm talking about...or at least get lucky once in a while! The French have deep squad sprinkled with good offensive talent, committed defenders and a strong team work ethic. They have managed to upset top group mainstays, Switzerland and Belarus and continue to earn more and more respect as an elite hockey development program.
Standouts - Yohann Auvitu has been getting lots of attention from the Finns and not just because the second half of his name is pronounced the same as one of the more unfortunate Finnish words. Auvitu won a Finnish championship in the SM-Liiga this year with JYP and has been a steady offensive presence for the French, helping launch their attacks from the backend. Auvitu skates well, has very good puck presence and vision and is still very young.
Up front the French boast a deep and versatile forward group that has shown some serious confidence. It helps having NHLer Stephane Da Costa in the mix but the most consistently noticeable and effective forward on the French team has been Yorick Treille. Treille plays for Sparta Prague of the top Czech league and is a big bodied power forward with good playmaking ability and net presence. His puck protection skills have allowed the French to spread out the opponents defensive zone schemes and create some varied offensive attacks. He hasn't put up huge numbers but make no mistake he has been vital to the French success in this event.
Kazakstahn - Over-matched and outplayed for much of the tournament, the Kazaks return to the top group has them predictably facing relegation again, but this team has proven they are not the pushovers they once were on the international stage and are one of the best examples of the improvement of the quality of this sport outside the more known hockey playing nations.
Standouts - Vitali Kolesnik has been extremely reliable for the Kazaks facing a constant barrage of shots yet controlling the quality of any rebounds he's offered and often challenging the angle well enough to limit the effectiveness of most shooting lanes. Talgat Zhailauov has been one of their most noticeable skaters. He's not the biggest player but he is a smooth and fast technical skater with good hands. He has been a good presence on the forecheck and has been able to match the tempo of some of the higher skilled nations with his play.
Slovakia - The Slovaks have gone through the tournament with relative predictability so far. They have competed well in every game and have beat a top tier team, something they always seem to do in international play. They have gotten strong goaltending, stellar defence and some balanced scoring from their versatile group of forwards but will need to do more than rely on Chara's ability to keep opponent's top guns at bay if they are going to make any more noise in this event.
Standouts - Apart from Chara, young sniper Tomas Tatar has been another fine example of the Detroit Red Wings development system. Tatar is looking like another of their European "steals" already. He has great speed, tremendously quick hands and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Watching him buzz around the ice has been one of the tournament's early pleasures and judging by his performance in Helsinki thus far, it shouldn't be long until that is an NHL fan's pleasure.
Switzerland - Not the typical style of Swiss hockey we have seen in the past this particular group has some real sandpaper to them and it has made them a very interesting team to follow. Their aggressive and gritty style helped them push the Canadians and Finns but also proved to be their undoing in arguably the tournament's biggest upset when they lost to France.
Standouts - Damien Brunner has had Swiss hockey fans buzzing all season long. Brunner has emerged as one of the Swiss A League's most dynamic offensive forces and has carried that play into this tournament. A very quick and agile skater, Brunner has good hands but is most effective because of his ability to streak into open lanes and find holes in coverage away from the puck. The jury is still out on whether his style would translate to the North American game as he is fairly slender and doesn't have the ideal skill set for winning space in small contested areas. There have been plenty of NHL pro scouts keeping tabs on him though.
That sandpaper I mentionned has been most evident in the play of Switzerland's youngest player, Nino Niedereitter. El Nino has been playing with some serious fire and seems to be in some sort of skirmish after every play. Nino is looking more and more like a man and is showing good strides in improving his diversity and versatility. His scoring still needs some improvement in terms of consistency but the excitement keeps growing around the young prospect.
USA - Much like the Canadians, the US squad has been wildly inconsistent with their efforts, looking undefeatable at times and just plain bad at others. They have good team speed and a well rounded energetic young roster that can score and grind it out if need be. Their goaltending has been lackluster so far during the tournament and could prove to be their undoing but both goaltenders are also capable of stealing games and they may just be waiting for the right time to do so.
Standouts - No US player has impressed more than young Carolina Hurricanes defender Justin Faulk. Faulk has been incredible so far and teams continue to struggle to find an answer for his big shot from the point on the powerplay. Ryan Lasch is not a household name, but the diminutive American speedster led the Finnish league in scoring this year and has made himself comfortable playing top 6 minutes for a US team loaded with NHL talent. He is very quick and extremely opportunistic around the puck. His energy level has been noticeably higher than many of his NHL caliber teammates.
I'm getting ready to head back to Canada from Helsinki, and while I will continue to monitor this tournament closely my attention will shift a bit to the Memorial Cup tournament, stay tuned for my thoughts on that and some closing thoughts from this event throughout the playoff round.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
2012 IIHF World Championship Preview
For those of you who don't me that well, or at all, I am a passionate fan of the sport of hockey with a background in coaching and scouting. I tend to write about all sorts of topics from scouting prospects and junior leagues to ideas for rule changes and opinions on NHL issues. What most people don't know, is that my biggest passion is the international hockey scene. Having been fortunate enough to see a lot of the hockey playing world and experience the love for the game in so many different cultural settings has only amplified this love.
When I was younger, I looked at the World Championships as most Canadian hockey fans do. It's almost a second thought, no one seems to care if we win or lose, although we expect to win but if we don't oh well we didn't send our best players. Internationally, the game has come a long long way in my experience with it. The major hockey playing nations such as Russia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, didn't have to send their best players to be competitive or even challenge for medals. Those days are gone and the gap between the relegation teams or Division 1 teams and the top group is substantially smaller than it has ever been.
The World Championships is a gift to hockey fans every year, a gift that is still uncherished in North America. I leave for Finland tomorrow afternoon and I can't express how fond of and excited for this tournament I now get every year. Sure, part of that is that I get to adventure off to European cities, but that isn't anything new in my life since I ventured down this path. What really gets me going is how these European cities are flooded with hockey tourism. The life, the atmosphere, the passion. When I moved to Finland in 2006, they had only ever won the World Championships once, in 1995. You couldn't go in a bar in the entire country that didn't have some sort of recognition of that glorious victory. The players, coaches and staff of that team were legends and revered by the younger generations who grew up with aspirations of matching this achievement. Well, that generation did just that last year and the party that ensued was epic at a level that only the Finns could pull off.
People in North America don't realize how much this tournament means to the rest of the world, but we're starting to grasp it. Ask the people of Halifax about Latvians and every single one will have a hilarious story about a run in with a boistorous and excitied Maroon-cladded fan from the 2008 World Championship. Or the people of Quebec City who saw their Collisee flooded with Russian hockey fans. Hockey fans are amazing people who breed outstanding legends all over the world. Get caught up in that passion, keep a close eye on this event, even the countries you don't think can play hockey, can, and play it very well. Last year's tournament has one game that sticks out in my mind as being something I wasn't prepared for and it was the intensity of a budding hockey rivalry between the two emerging hockey nations of Austria and Slovenia. Neither squad boasted an NHL player, but both were loaded with passionate and talented young professionals and the game was more than worth the price of admission.
With all of that being said, here are some predictions and players to keep an eye on (keep in mind teams can continue to add players or remove from their roster at this point):
Belarus
Not considered an elite hockey nation, Belarus has a strong hockey playing population and with the addition of the KHL to Minsk, the popularity of the sport continues to gain momentum. It has been 10 years since Belarus stunned Sweden in the quarterfinals of the Salt Lake City Olympics but the goaltender that stole that show, Andrei Mezin, is back. Add explosive offensive talent Mikhail Grabovski of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Belarus is once again an absolute wildcard with the potential to beat anyone if they put it all together again.
Keep an Eye On: Sergei Drozd
Potential Young Star: Roman Graborenko
Prediction: 8th
Canada
Always the powerhouse and always in the mix as far as favorites for this event go, Canada has not been great in recent years but a young, hungry roster and the promise of potential Olympic team positions (should the NHL agree to send players) could be a winning combination for Hockey Canada brass. A gold medal may be tough to come by, but you can bet this roster will showcase the Canadian product well and should contend for a medal. A tournament win and a Finland failure to medal would leave Canada as the top seed for the Sochi games.
Keep an Eye On: Too many to mention but Jordan Eberle and Jeff Skinner seem ready to make a mark on this event.
Potential Young Star: Ryan Murray - a likely top 5 pick in this year's NHL draft.
Prediction: 2nd
Czech Republic
This is a very good offensive entry for the Czechs but they are lacking a bit on the other side of the puck. David Krejci and Tomas Plekanec will lead the charge in creating that offense and Milan Michalek is a prime target to finish off some of those opportunities but the they will need to rely on strong systems play with a relativley defensive minded group on the backend and not a lot of puck movers. Somebody always seems to step up for the Czechs though and it could very well be the grizzled old vet himself, Petr Nedved. Yes, that Petr Nedved. Nedved is actually making his Czech team debut after having difected to Canada in the early 90s. Nedved has completed his 5th straight season in the Czech league, making him IIHF eligible to represent his home country. It will be great to see him at this stage again.
Keep an Eye On: Petr Caslava
Potential Young Star: Tomas Vincour
Prediction: 5th
Denmark
One of the true emerging hockey nations, Denmark's program has come a long way and they are no longer the push overs of old. Denmark boasts a ton of technical skill and speed which could make them one of the more exciting teams to watch during this tournament. Frans Nielsen, Jannik Hansen and Lars Eller are the big names that will lead the way for the Danes, but don't overlook the young and talented Philip Larsen on defence. The Danes have learned a lot from the Swedes and Finns when it comes to developing talent and with two goaltenders working in the "Finnish goaltending factory", Denmark could make some noise.
Keep an Eye On: Jesper Jensen (there's two of them, so he/they should be everywhere!)
Potential Young Star: Philip Larsen
Prediction: 10th
Finland
The main host of this year's event, Finland is also the defending Champion, and the hype for this event has been off the charts in Suomi. Finland has a love for sport that few countries can match, and the crown jewel of sports for the Finns is jaakiekko (ice hockey). Helsinki will be rocking and the Koskenkorva will be flowing. The roster is loaded with players with National team experience. Finland should play a similar two-way gritty style that helped them win last year's title. They have exceptional goaltending, reliable defence and a versatile forward group. They should be able to match up against everyone and could prove to be a tough team to knock off during the elimination stages of the tournament. Finland should compete for a medal.
Keep an Eye On: Antti Pihlstrom
Potential Young Star: Mikeal Granlund...not a potential star....already a star
Prediction: 3rd
France
Many would be surprised by the growing talent base in France. Their program from the grass roots up has made huge strides in the past 5 years and they continue to show potential to be a breakout power in the not too distant future. A strong international result could be a huge boost to the program that continues to find momentum without one. They are producing top level professional talent and cultivating it well. Their proximity to countries like Switzerland has also helped their competition levels. They may even boast a first round NHL prospect this year if Timothe Bozon hears his named called in June in Pittsburgh.
Keep an Eye On: Cristobal Huet (yup, he's still there)
Potential Young Star: Stephane Da Costa
Prediction: 14th
Germany
Germany used to have to rely on strategy to compete with the top teams in international play. They would trap up and play a very boring and frustrating style. They have ventured away from that and it has paid major dividends with their youth systems. While other countries have caught up to them, Germany continuously produces top level talent, and they are starting to reap the rewards of this. This team will still be led by the veterans that always seem to represent their country but will be sprinkled with glimpses of the future, a future that is very bright and a long time coming. The time might not be now for them, but it's not far away and they will impress and surprise.
Keep an Eye On: Philip Gogula
Potential Young Star: Dennis Reul
Prediction: 11th
Italy
Italy has benefited from some good decision making, an organized professional structure and the 2006 Olympics. The country known for their soccer players has started to see some of those athletes move over to hockey. Their community is tight and they have gained a lot from having import professionals come over and raise the level of their leagues. They can know put together very competitive national teams at multiple age groups and are starting to forge a style and reputation for their players that is almost the polar opposite of how we see their soccer players. The gritty and rugged Italians (weird right?) aren't intimidated anymore and are on the road to producing a higher and higher calibre of player domestically. Not likely a threat to the major nations for some time yet, they are on the hockey map and will not be going anywhere anytime soon.
Keep an Eye On: Andreas Bernard
Potential Young Star: Marco Insam
Prediction: 15th
Kazakhstan
The Kazaks will actually have one of the most experienced rosters coming into this tournament. After a few years out of the top group, they return with a group that is very familiar with the task at hand. It will be an uphill climb for Kazakhstan to avoid the relegation stages but they will be capable of winning games if taken lightly.
Keep an Eye On: Dmitri Upper
Potential Young Star: Konstantin Savenkov
Prediction: 16th
Latvia
Latvia has become the pride and joy of this tournament in recent years, not just because of an improving level on the ice and certainly not because of their results, but because of the passion the team and their fans bring to the host cities every year. They don't quite have the star power to rely on that they did in the days of Sandis Ozolinsh, Arturs Irbe and the late Sergei Zholtok but their depth is much improved and that star power isn't far away form returning with the young prospects such as Zemgus Girgensons and Teodors Blugers waiting in the wings. They will have the experience of former NHL top coach, Ted Nolan and some young faces ready to take over the reigns. They likely won't be able to knock off any of the top teams, but they will try and they always prove to be one of the most entertaining and likeable aspects of this yearly event.
Keep an Eye On: Kaspars Daugavins
Potential Young Star: Roberts Bukarts
Prediction: 12th
Norway
It has always boggled the mind how Sweden and Finland can be so good at this sport and how Norway lags so far behind. Norway finally seems to be serious about the sport and they now prove to be a serious opponent for every nation. In the 90s Norway was regarded as a stat padding opponent, but now Norway competes well at every level. Their professional leagues are outstanding and improving year after year and their youth system continues to impress with the quality of their young prospects. Norway has leap frogged a ton of nations into becoming one of the next nations on the cusp of hockey's elite group.
Keep an Eye On: Jonas Holos
Potential Young Star: Andreas Martinsen
Prediction: 13th
Russia
Their likely isn't another nation, other than perhaps Finland, who will be more fired up to win at this tournament than Russia. The push for Sochi is becoming very clear, and like Vancouver was for Canada, a gold in hockey would mean a success for the hosts. That push is clearly amplifying and the Russians will come out swinging. They have the goaltending with Semeon Varlamov, they have the scoring forwards with arguably the most exciting and most productive offensive players in the world in Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin but they also have a ton of players with something to gain, and that's what makes them scary.
Keep an Eye On: Datsyuk and Malkin (apart they are pretty good, together they can melt your mind)
Potential Young Stars: Evgeni Kuznetsov has gotten a ton of love and hype but Vladimir Tarasenko might just be better. Either way that's an excellent one-two punch of talented youth.
Prediction: 4th
Slovakia
For such a small nation, the Slovaks have one of the best percentages of developing players for elite professional hockey than anywhere else. Slovakia is in hockey's elite group of nations and always seem to ice competitive and dangerous squads. Having big Zdeno Chara anchoring their team will certainly help. Their has been a gradual changing of the guard for Slovakian ice hockey and they will have to without the big offensive guns they used to threaten with but their replacements are on the way and this could prove to a very big moment for some of those players. Slovakia always seems to impress when they shouldn't and this is a year where they shouldn't be able to play with the top teams, but I think they will do so anyways. Mark them down as a wildcard and potentially the most underrated as well.
Keep an Eye On: Anyone you can see around Zdeno Chara...
Potential Young Star: Tomas Tatar
Prediction: 7th
Sweden
The other hosts of this event, Stockholm will host the B pool this year before taking over and switching with Finland for next year as the main host. The home cooking should be a welcome boost to a team that has complimented its aging stars with examples of their world class development system. The Alfredssons, Franzens and Zetterbergs will still lead this team, but it will be the Landeskogs, Karlssons and Hedmans that will hold the fate of the Swedes successes. If Sweden has one weakness it will be in goal, but calling Jhonas Enroth a weakness would not be wise. The diminutive netminder has been stealing games for his country for years, and let's not forget he almost stole a job from Ryan Miller. The Swedes are deep, versatile and dangerous, how they mesh could be the biggest obstacle. They will be looking to give back some of the torment the Finns subjected them to after losing 6-1 in last year's gold medal game, what better place to extract that revenge than the Finnish capital. Anything less than a medal for Sweden would be shocking.
Keep an Eye On: Jonas Brodin
Potential Young Star: Calle Jarnkrok
Prediction: Gold
Switzerland
The Swiss are still a couple years off from being able to capitalize on their young stars like Nino Niederreiter and Sven Bartschi but they still boast an very good transitional defensive group, led by New York Islanders captain, Mark Streit. Nino will continue to rake in the experience but shouldn't expect a fairy tale just yet. The Swiss will be a force to be reckoned with in the not too distant future but for now they are going to grind some games out and force opponents to play their style. They should float around the middle of the pack all tournament long and will not be a push over by any stretch of the imagination but also lack the depth to beat any of the top nations, especially if those nations are firing on all cylinders.
Keep an Eye On: Roman Wick
Potential Young Star: Nino Niederreiter and Luca Sbisa
Prediction: 9th
USA
The US program does a very good job of fielding young competitive teams every year but they, like Canada, use this program to tryout players for the Olympic and World Cup events. It is tough with so many of the top talents from your system playing in the NHL playoffs still or recovering from the grueling season. They are not lacking for talent but only have 6-9 of their top players on this roster. With that being said, they are deep, young and they do have some emerging talents on their roster. They might not be the big bad Americans we saw in the 2010 Olympics, but there is some of that element present and some new dimensions that could prove to be very beneficial in the international style of play.
Keep an Eye On: Cam Atkinson, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny
Potential Young Star: Justin Faulk
Prediction: 6th
As much as I love junior hockey, top level professional hockey and the NHL, I have learned to love this event like a European. As exciting as the NHL playoffs are, they don't do as much for hockey worldwide as this event does. However, the fact that both are going on simultaneously and will this year be broadcast to more countries than ever is huge and will only make for better quality of the game and more opportunities for players, coaches and fans. Some may disagree with me, but my experience has led me to believe that International hockey truly is the game at its purest.
I will continue to blog from Helsinki on the games and from the Coaching Symposiums over the next couple of weeks. I promise they will be shorter and easier to read, haha!
Follow me on twitter @rossmaclean for less wordy updates!
When I was younger, I looked at the World Championships as most Canadian hockey fans do. It's almost a second thought, no one seems to care if we win or lose, although we expect to win but if we don't oh well we didn't send our best players. Internationally, the game has come a long long way in my experience with it. The major hockey playing nations such as Russia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, didn't have to send their best players to be competitive or even challenge for medals. Those days are gone and the gap between the relegation teams or Division 1 teams and the top group is substantially smaller than it has ever been.
The World Championships is a gift to hockey fans every year, a gift that is still uncherished in North America. I leave for Finland tomorrow afternoon and I can't express how fond of and excited for this tournament I now get every year. Sure, part of that is that I get to adventure off to European cities, but that isn't anything new in my life since I ventured down this path. What really gets me going is how these European cities are flooded with hockey tourism. The life, the atmosphere, the passion. When I moved to Finland in 2006, they had only ever won the World Championships once, in 1995. You couldn't go in a bar in the entire country that didn't have some sort of recognition of that glorious victory. The players, coaches and staff of that team were legends and revered by the younger generations who grew up with aspirations of matching this achievement. Well, that generation did just that last year and the party that ensued was epic at a level that only the Finns could pull off.
People in North America don't realize how much this tournament means to the rest of the world, but we're starting to grasp it. Ask the people of Halifax about Latvians and every single one will have a hilarious story about a run in with a boistorous and excitied Maroon-cladded fan from the 2008 World Championship. Or the people of Quebec City who saw their Collisee flooded with Russian hockey fans. Hockey fans are amazing people who breed outstanding legends all over the world. Get caught up in that passion, keep a close eye on this event, even the countries you don't think can play hockey, can, and play it very well. Last year's tournament has one game that sticks out in my mind as being something I wasn't prepared for and it was the intensity of a budding hockey rivalry between the two emerging hockey nations of Austria and Slovenia. Neither squad boasted an NHL player, but both were loaded with passionate and talented young professionals and the game was more than worth the price of admission.
With all of that being said, here are some predictions and players to keep an eye on (keep in mind teams can continue to add players or remove from their roster at this point):
Belarus
Not considered an elite hockey nation, Belarus has a strong hockey playing population and with the addition of the KHL to Minsk, the popularity of the sport continues to gain momentum. It has been 10 years since Belarus stunned Sweden in the quarterfinals of the Salt Lake City Olympics but the goaltender that stole that show, Andrei Mezin, is back. Add explosive offensive talent Mikhail Grabovski of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Belarus is once again an absolute wildcard with the potential to beat anyone if they put it all together again.
Keep an Eye On: Sergei Drozd
Potential Young Star: Roman Graborenko
Prediction: 8th
Canada
Always the powerhouse and always in the mix as far as favorites for this event go, Canada has not been great in recent years but a young, hungry roster and the promise of potential Olympic team positions (should the NHL agree to send players) could be a winning combination for Hockey Canada brass. A gold medal may be tough to come by, but you can bet this roster will showcase the Canadian product well and should contend for a medal. A tournament win and a Finland failure to medal would leave Canada as the top seed for the Sochi games.
Keep an Eye On: Too many to mention but Jordan Eberle and Jeff Skinner seem ready to make a mark on this event.
Potential Young Star: Ryan Murray - a likely top 5 pick in this year's NHL draft.
Prediction: 2nd
Czech Republic
This is a very good offensive entry for the Czechs but they are lacking a bit on the other side of the puck. David Krejci and Tomas Plekanec will lead the charge in creating that offense and Milan Michalek is a prime target to finish off some of those opportunities but the they will need to rely on strong systems play with a relativley defensive minded group on the backend and not a lot of puck movers. Somebody always seems to step up for the Czechs though and it could very well be the grizzled old vet himself, Petr Nedved. Yes, that Petr Nedved. Nedved is actually making his Czech team debut after having difected to Canada in the early 90s. Nedved has completed his 5th straight season in the Czech league, making him IIHF eligible to represent his home country. It will be great to see him at this stage again.
Keep an Eye On: Petr Caslava
Potential Young Star: Tomas Vincour
Prediction: 5th
Denmark
One of the true emerging hockey nations, Denmark's program has come a long way and they are no longer the push overs of old. Denmark boasts a ton of technical skill and speed which could make them one of the more exciting teams to watch during this tournament. Frans Nielsen, Jannik Hansen and Lars Eller are the big names that will lead the way for the Danes, but don't overlook the young and talented Philip Larsen on defence. The Danes have learned a lot from the Swedes and Finns when it comes to developing talent and with two goaltenders working in the "Finnish goaltending factory", Denmark could make some noise.
Keep an Eye On: Jesper Jensen (there's two of them, so he/they should be everywhere!)
Potential Young Star: Philip Larsen
Prediction: 10th
Finland
The main host of this year's event, Finland is also the defending Champion, and the hype for this event has been off the charts in Suomi. Finland has a love for sport that few countries can match, and the crown jewel of sports for the Finns is jaakiekko (ice hockey). Helsinki will be rocking and the Koskenkorva will be flowing. The roster is loaded with players with National team experience. Finland should play a similar two-way gritty style that helped them win last year's title. They have exceptional goaltending, reliable defence and a versatile forward group. They should be able to match up against everyone and could prove to be a tough team to knock off during the elimination stages of the tournament. Finland should compete for a medal.
Keep an Eye On: Antti Pihlstrom
Potential Young Star: Mikeal Granlund...not a potential star....already a star
Prediction: 3rd
France
Many would be surprised by the growing talent base in France. Their program from the grass roots up has made huge strides in the past 5 years and they continue to show potential to be a breakout power in the not too distant future. A strong international result could be a huge boost to the program that continues to find momentum without one. They are producing top level professional talent and cultivating it well. Their proximity to countries like Switzerland has also helped their competition levels. They may even boast a first round NHL prospect this year if Timothe Bozon hears his named called in June in Pittsburgh.
Keep an Eye On: Cristobal Huet (yup, he's still there)
Potential Young Star: Stephane Da Costa
Prediction: 14th
Germany
Germany used to have to rely on strategy to compete with the top teams in international play. They would trap up and play a very boring and frustrating style. They have ventured away from that and it has paid major dividends with their youth systems. While other countries have caught up to them, Germany continuously produces top level talent, and they are starting to reap the rewards of this. This team will still be led by the veterans that always seem to represent their country but will be sprinkled with glimpses of the future, a future that is very bright and a long time coming. The time might not be now for them, but it's not far away and they will impress and surprise.
Keep an Eye On: Philip Gogula
Potential Young Star: Dennis Reul
Prediction: 11th
Italy
Italy has benefited from some good decision making, an organized professional structure and the 2006 Olympics. The country known for their soccer players has started to see some of those athletes move over to hockey. Their community is tight and they have gained a lot from having import professionals come over and raise the level of their leagues. They can know put together very competitive national teams at multiple age groups and are starting to forge a style and reputation for their players that is almost the polar opposite of how we see their soccer players. The gritty and rugged Italians (weird right?) aren't intimidated anymore and are on the road to producing a higher and higher calibre of player domestically. Not likely a threat to the major nations for some time yet, they are on the hockey map and will not be going anywhere anytime soon.
Keep an Eye On: Andreas Bernard
Potential Young Star: Marco Insam
Prediction: 15th
Kazakhstan
The Kazaks will actually have one of the most experienced rosters coming into this tournament. After a few years out of the top group, they return with a group that is very familiar with the task at hand. It will be an uphill climb for Kazakhstan to avoid the relegation stages but they will be capable of winning games if taken lightly.
Keep an Eye On: Dmitri Upper
Potential Young Star: Konstantin Savenkov
Prediction: 16th
Latvia
Latvia has become the pride and joy of this tournament in recent years, not just because of an improving level on the ice and certainly not because of their results, but because of the passion the team and their fans bring to the host cities every year. They don't quite have the star power to rely on that they did in the days of Sandis Ozolinsh, Arturs Irbe and the late Sergei Zholtok but their depth is much improved and that star power isn't far away form returning with the young prospects such as Zemgus Girgensons and Teodors Blugers waiting in the wings. They will have the experience of former NHL top coach, Ted Nolan and some young faces ready to take over the reigns. They likely won't be able to knock off any of the top teams, but they will try and they always prove to be one of the most entertaining and likeable aspects of this yearly event.
Keep an Eye On: Kaspars Daugavins
Potential Young Star: Roberts Bukarts
Prediction: 12th
Norway
It has always boggled the mind how Sweden and Finland can be so good at this sport and how Norway lags so far behind. Norway finally seems to be serious about the sport and they now prove to be a serious opponent for every nation. In the 90s Norway was regarded as a stat padding opponent, but now Norway competes well at every level. Their professional leagues are outstanding and improving year after year and their youth system continues to impress with the quality of their young prospects. Norway has leap frogged a ton of nations into becoming one of the next nations on the cusp of hockey's elite group.
Keep an Eye On: Jonas Holos
Potential Young Star: Andreas Martinsen
Prediction: 13th
Russia
Their likely isn't another nation, other than perhaps Finland, who will be more fired up to win at this tournament than Russia. The push for Sochi is becoming very clear, and like Vancouver was for Canada, a gold in hockey would mean a success for the hosts. That push is clearly amplifying and the Russians will come out swinging. They have the goaltending with Semeon Varlamov, they have the scoring forwards with arguably the most exciting and most productive offensive players in the world in Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin but they also have a ton of players with something to gain, and that's what makes them scary.
Keep an Eye On: Datsyuk and Malkin (apart they are pretty good, together they can melt your mind)
Potential Young Stars: Evgeni Kuznetsov has gotten a ton of love and hype but Vladimir Tarasenko might just be better. Either way that's an excellent one-two punch of talented youth.
Prediction: 4th
Slovakia
For such a small nation, the Slovaks have one of the best percentages of developing players for elite professional hockey than anywhere else. Slovakia is in hockey's elite group of nations and always seem to ice competitive and dangerous squads. Having big Zdeno Chara anchoring their team will certainly help. Their has been a gradual changing of the guard for Slovakian ice hockey and they will have to without the big offensive guns they used to threaten with but their replacements are on the way and this could prove to a very big moment for some of those players. Slovakia always seems to impress when they shouldn't and this is a year where they shouldn't be able to play with the top teams, but I think they will do so anyways. Mark them down as a wildcard and potentially the most underrated as well.
Keep an Eye On: Anyone you can see around Zdeno Chara...
Potential Young Star: Tomas Tatar
Prediction: 7th
Sweden
The other hosts of this event, Stockholm will host the B pool this year before taking over and switching with Finland for next year as the main host. The home cooking should be a welcome boost to a team that has complimented its aging stars with examples of their world class development system. The Alfredssons, Franzens and Zetterbergs will still lead this team, but it will be the Landeskogs, Karlssons and Hedmans that will hold the fate of the Swedes successes. If Sweden has one weakness it will be in goal, but calling Jhonas Enroth a weakness would not be wise. The diminutive netminder has been stealing games for his country for years, and let's not forget he almost stole a job from Ryan Miller. The Swedes are deep, versatile and dangerous, how they mesh could be the biggest obstacle. They will be looking to give back some of the torment the Finns subjected them to after losing 6-1 in last year's gold medal game, what better place to extract that revenge than the Finnish capital. Anything less than a medal for Sweden would be shocking.
Keep an Eye On: Jonas Brodin
Potential Young Star: Calle Jarnkrok
Prediction: Gold
Switzerland
The Swiss are still a couple years off from being able to capitalize on their young stars like Nino Niederreiter and Sven Bartschi but they still boast an very good transitional defensive group, led by New York Islanders captain, Mark Streit. Nino will continue to rake in the experience but shouldn't expect a fairy tale just yet. The Swiss will be a force to be reckoned with in the not too distant future but for now they are going to grind some games out and force opponents to play their style. They should float around the middle of the pack all tournament long and will not be a push over by any stretch of the imagination but also lack the depth to beat any of the top nations, especially if those nations are firing on all cylinders.
Keep an Eye On: Roman Wick
Potential Young Star: Nino Niederreiter and Luca Sbisa
Prediction: 9th
USA
The US program does a very good job of fielding young competitive teams every year but they, like Canada, use this program to tryout players for the Olympic and World Cup events. It is tough with so many of the top talents from your system playing in the NHL playoffs still or recovering from the grueling season. They are not lacking for talent but only have 6-9 of their top players on this roster. With that being said, they are deep, young and they do have some emerging talents on their roster. They might not be the big bad Americans we saw in the 2010 Olympics, but there is some of that element present and some new dimensions that could prove to be very beneficial in the international style of play.
Keep an Eye On: Cam Atkinson, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny
Potential Young Star: Justin Faulk
Prediction: 6th
As much as I love junior hockey, top level professional hockey and the NHL, I have learned to love this event like a European. As exciting as the NHL playoffs are, they don't do as much for hockey worldwide as this event does. However, the fact that both are going on simultaneously and will this year be broadcast to more countries than ever is huge and will only make for better quality of the game and more opportunities for players, coaches and fans. Some may disagree with me, but my experience has led me to believe that International hockey truly is the game at its purest.
I will continue to blog from Helsinki on the games and from the Coaching Symposiums over the next couple of weeks. I promise they will be shorter and easier to read, haha!
Follow me on twitter @rossmaclean for less wordy updates!
Friday, 20 April 2012
CHL league semifinal pre-series thoughts
In what was arguably one of the most exciting playoff rounds in recent memory for all three CHL leagues (7 game 7s), the hype around the remaining teams is sky high. Here are some thoughts on those that remain:
Starting out west - WHL
Edmonton Oil Kings vs. Moose Jaw Warriors
Both teams have deep deep rosters with high end talent. Both teams have young stars that have been electrifying so far in the playoffs as well. Both teams have goaltenders that have proved very reliable thus far in the playoffs. We are likely to see the return of Morgan Rielly which could prove to be a great boost for Moose Jaw.
Key Players
Edmonton - Curtis Lazar, Michael St. Croix, Mark Pysyk
Moose Jaw - Quinton Howden, Cam Braes, Dylan McIlrath
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Edmonton - Curtis Lazar, Griffin Reinhart
Moose Jaw - Morgan Rielly, Brayden Point
Wildcard
Edmonton - Travis Ewanyk - Very good two way player is the kind of player who steps up well in playoffs.
Moose Jaw - Eric Arnold - Unheralded Swiss import has come to life in the playoffs, did the same in Swiss league playoffs last year. He loves playing this time of year.
Prediction: Oil Kings win in 6
Tri-City Americans vs. Portland Winterhawks
Both teams have aging core rosters (hilarious to say when talking about junior hockey) and the time to win is now. These two teams are both capable of playing high-octane offensive styles and this series should be an offensive showcase.
Key Players
Portland - Ty Rattie, Sven Bartschi, Joe Morrow
Tri-City - Adam Hughesman, Brendan Shinnimin, Patrick Holland
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Portland - Derrick Pouliot, Brendan Leipsic
Tri-City - Brian Williams, Connor Rankin
Wildcard
Portland - Brad Ross - Can absolutely drive other teams insane with rage with aggressive and antogonistic play but can also put up big numbers.
Tri-City - Ty Rimmer - Has been very strong in the playoffs so far and will need to be on his game to try and frustrate Winterhawk attack.
Prediction: Portland in 6
OHL
London Knights vs. Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener showed some great depth and character in knocking off the Plymouth Whalers in round 2 and are rewarded with trying to do the same to the top seeded London Knights. London has a relentless attack and a strong backend. Kitchener can launch attacks from anywhere on the ice. This should be a very fun series to watch.
Key Players
London: Jarred Tinordi, Seth Griffith, Vlad Namestnikov
Kitchener: Ryan Murphy, Tobias Rieder, Michael Catenacci
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
London: Olli Maatta, Max Domi
Kitchener: Radek Faksa, Max Iafrate
Wildcard
London: Scott Harrington - Needs to showcase his two-way ability but also be strong at holding off Kitchener's big forwards and any rushes from Ryan Murphy.
Kitchener: John Gibson - Has the ability to steal games, he will need to show that a couple times in this series.
Prediction: London in 7
Ottawa 67s vs. Niagara IceDogs
The top 2 seeds in the OHL East collide in what could be a runaway win in either direction or a very tight and highly contested series. Both teams have the potential and firepower to run up the score on each other. Both teams have very good puck moving defenders that can turn transitional rushes up ice very quickly and both teams have high impact, reliable goal scorers.
Key Players
Ottawa - Tyler Toffoli, Shane Prince, Petr Mrazek
Niagara - Ryan Strome, Freddie Hamilton, Dougie Hamilton
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Ottawa - Sean Monahan, Cody Ceci
Niagara - Jesse Graham, Joel Wigle
Wildcard
Ottawa - Tyler Graovac - Will need to be strong in both directions to keep pace with deep Niagara forward group.
Niagara - Tom Kuhnhackl - The German import and draft pick of the Penguins is a very good goal scorer who is really starting to find his stride, which could spell trouble for Ottawa.
Prediction: Niagara in 6
QMJHL
Saint John Sea Dogs vs. Chicoutimi Sagueneens
The defending Memorial Cup Champions are maybe even a better team than the one that won last year and have had no challenge so far in the playoffs. That changes with Chicoutimi, who are one of the only teams to hold a winning record vs. Saint John in a year over the past two seasons.
Key Players:
Saint John - Jonathan Huberdeau, Zack Phillips, Charlie Coyle, the list goes on...
Chicoutimi - Guillaume Asselin, Christian Ouellet, Christopher Gibson
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Saint John - Stephen MacAuley, Oliver Cooper
Chicoutimi - Charles Hudon, Jeramie Gregoire
Wildcard
Saint John - Nathan Beaulieu - The offensive blueliner could see an increased reliance on him if Chris Gibson is able to stall the Sea Dog attack. Powerplay could be a major factor in this series and Beaulieu will need to launch those attacks.
Chicoutimi - Lukas Sedlak - He has been a tremendously reliable and consistent offensive contributor in the second half of the season and will need to raise him game even more to push Saint John.
Prediction:
Saint John in 5
Halifax Mooseheads vs. Rimouski Oceanic
After an epic comeback from being down 3 games to zip and winning a thrilling game 7 overtime against Quebec, the Mooseheads find a familiar playoff foe in the Rimouski Oceanic. Rimouski has had a very succesful playoff past against Halifax, including a 2004 QMJHL championship victory when they were led by a Halifax kid named Sidney Crosby. Halifax has the highly touted Cole Harbour prodigy this time and should put up a much better fight this time around.
Key Players
Halifax: Martin Frk, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin,
Rimouski: Alexandre Mallet, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Alex Belzile
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Halifax: Read Key Players again and add Zachary Fucale and Andrew Ryan
Rimouski: Alexis Loiseau, Ryan MacKinnon
Wildcard
Halifax: Cameron Critchlow - After a 4 goal game 7 performance vs. Quebec, the Moosehead captain is the steady beat that keeps Halifax's potent young attack rocking. Crithlow is a heart and soul character player who can turn around Halifax's fortunes if they start to go the wrong way.
Rimouski: Scott Oke - He has the playoff experience, winning with Saint John last year, and could be relied on to match up against Halifax's top guns. The bigger impact he makes on this series, the better chance Rimouski has of winning.
Prediction: Halifax in 6
It should be another very interesting round of games around the CHL. If you live anywhere near these cities, get out and support team or take in some of the best and most competitive hockey going. Unless you are in Halifax where 10,500 tickets have sold for games one and two and are being resold at 100$ by scalpers. That's an 83$ mark up in some cases! That's what a crazy comeback can do!
Best of luck to all the teams still battling it out for their Memorial Cup dreams!
Starting out west - WHL
Edmonton Oil Kings vs. Moose Jaw Warriors
Both teams have deep deep rosters with high end talent. Both teams have young stars that have been electrifying so far in the playoffs as well. Both teams have goaltenders that have proved very reliable thus far in the playoffs. We are likely to see the return of Morgan Rielly which could prove to be a great boost for Moose Jaw.
Key Players
Edmonton - Curtis Lazar, Michael St. Croix, Mark Pysyk
Moose Jaw - Quinton Howden, Cam Braes, Dylan McIlrath
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Edmonton - Curtis Lazar, Griffin Reinhart
Moose Jaw - Morgan Rielly, Brayden Point
Wildcard
Edmonton - Travis Ewanyk - Very good two way player is the kind of player who steps up well in playoffs.
Moose Jaw - Eric Arnold - Unheralded Swiss import has come to life in the playoffs, did the same in Swiss league playoffs last year. He loves playing this time of year.
Prediction: Oil Kings win in 6
Tri-City Americans vs. Portland Winterhawks
Both teams have aging core rosters (hilarious to say when talking about junior hockey) and the time to win is now. These two teams are both capable of playing high-octane offensive styles and this series should be an offensive showcase.
Key Players
Portland - Ty Rattie, Sven Bartschi, Joe Morrow
Tri-City - Adam Hughesman, Brendan Shinnimin, Patrick Holland
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Portland - Derrick Pouliot, Brendan Leipsic
Tri-City - Brian Williams, Connor Rankin
Wildcard
Portland - Brad Ross - Can absolutely drive other teams insane with rage with aggressive and antogonistic play but can also put up big numbers.
Tri-City - Ty Rimmer - Has been very strong in the playoffs so far and will need to be on his game to try and frustrate Winterhawk attack.
Prediction: Portland in 6
OHL
London Knights vs. Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener showed some great depth and character in knocking off the Plymouth Whalers in round 2 and are rewarded with trying to do the same to the top seeded London Knights. London has a relentless attack and a strong backend. Kitchener can launch attacks from anywhere on the ice. This should be a very fun series to watch.
Key Players
London: Jarred Tinordi, Seth Griffith, Vlad Namestnikov
Kitchener: Ryan Murphy, Tobias Rieder, Michael Catenacci
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
London: Olli Maatta, Max Domi
Kitchener: Radek Faksa, Max Iafrate
Wildcard
London: Scott Harrington - Needs to showcase his two-way ability but also be strong at holding off Kitchener's big forwards and any rushes from Ryan Murphy.
Kitchener: John Gibson - Has the ability to steal games, he will need to show that a couple times in this series.
Prediction: London in 7
Ottawa 67s vs. Niagara IceDogs
The top 2 seeds in the OHL East collide in what could be a runaway win in either direction or a very tight and highly contested series. Both teams have the potential and firepower to run up the score on each other. Both teams have very good puck moving defenders that can turn transitional rushes up ice very quickly and both teams have high impact, reliable goal scorers.
Key Players
Ottawa - Tyler Toffoli, Shane Prince, Petr Mrazek
Niagara - Ryan Strome, Freddie Hamilton, Dougie Hamilton
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Ottawa - Sean Monahan, Cody Ceci
Niagara - Jesse Graham, Joel Wigle
Wildcard
Ottawa - Tyler Graovac - Will need to be strong in both directions to keep pace with deep Niagara forward group.
Niagara - Tom Kuhnhackl - The German import and draft pick of the Penguins is a very good goal scorer who is really starting to find his stride, which could spell trouble for Ottawa.
Prediction: Niagara in 6
QMJHL
Saint John Sea Dogs vs. Chicoutimi Sagueneens
The defending Memorial Cup Champions are maybe even a better team than the one that won last year and have had no challenge so far in the playoffs. That changes with Chicoutimi, who are one of the only teams to hold a winning record vs. Saint John in a year over the past two seasons.
Key Players:
Saint John - Jonathan Huberdeau, Zack Phillips, Charlie Coyle, the list goes on...
Chicoutimi - Guillaume Asselin, Christian Ouellet, Christopher Gibson
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Saint John - Stephen MacAuley, Oliver Cooper
Chicoutimi - Charles Hudon, Jeramie Gregoire
Wildcard
Saint John - Nathan Beaulieu - The offensive blueliner could see an increased reliance on him if Chris Gibson is able to stall the Sea Dog attack. Powerplay could be a major factor in this series and Beaulieu will need to launch those attacks.
Chicoutimi - Lukas Sedlak - He has been a tremendously reliable and consistent offensive contributor in the second half of the season and will need to raise him game even more to push Saint John.
Prediction:
Saint John in 5
Halifax Mooseheads vs. Rimouski Oceanic
After an epic comeback from being down 3 games to zip and winning a thrilling game 7 overtime against Quebec, the Mooseheads find a familiar playoff foe in the Rimouski Oceanic. Rimouski has had a very succesful playoff past against Halifax, including a 2004 QMJHL championship victory when they were led by a Halifax kid named Sidney Crosby. Halifax has the highly touted Cole Harbour prodigy this time and should put up a much better fight this time around.
Key Players
Halifax: Martin Frk, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin,
Rimouski: Alexandre Mallet, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Alex Belzile
Prospects who Could Make an Impact
Halifax: Read Key Players again and add Zachary Fucale and Andrew Ryan
Rimouski: Alexis Loiseau, Ryan MacKinnon
Wildcard
Halifax: Cameron Critchlow - After a 4 goal game 7 performance vs. Quebec, the Moosehead captain is the steady beat that keeps Halifax's potent young attack rocking. Crithlow is a heart and soul character player who can turn around Halifax's fortunes if they start to go the wrong way.
Rimouski: Scott Oke - He has the playoff experience, winning with Saint John last year, and could be relied on to match up against Halifax's top guns. The bigger impact he makes on this series, the better chance Rimouski has of winning.
Prediction: Halifax in 6
It should be another very interesting round of games around the CHL. If you live anywhere near these cities, get out and support team or take in some of the best and most competitive hockey going. Unless you are in Halifax where 10,500 tickets have sold for games one and two and are being resold at 100$ by scalpers. That's an 83$ mark up in some cases! That's what a crazy comeback can do!
Best of luck to all the teams still battling it out for their Memorial Cup dreams!
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Looking forward to U18 Quarter Final Matchups
The playoff round gets set to begin for the U18 World Champs after a day off. Here's what you can likely expect:
Finland vs. Germany
The winner of this game gets to play Sweden in the semifinals. Germany is a bit of a surprise to have made it this far, and on paper this looks like it could be an easy win for Finland. But Germany is anything but an easy opponent. Germany is well coached by Jim Setters and has a versatile lineup with capable goaltending. They have shown good discipline, work ethic and commitment to their gameplans. Finland has some potent offensive talent and some good strong physical forecheckers. The Finns biggest asset is their powerplay which has created relentless scoring chances for them every game except their first. This game will likely come down to special teams. If Germany can stay out of the box they can likely keep the score tight and compete, possibly even upset the Finns but if they give the Finns any space, the Finns are tough to stop once they get running.
Key Players
Finland: Teuvo Teravainen, Ville Pokka, Sasha Barkov
Germany: Leon Draisaitl, Marcel Kurth, Marvin Cupper
Prediction: Finland pulls out a 6-3 win but the game is closer than the score indicates. (How can you bet against a Finland vs. Sweden semifinal?)
Canada vs. Russia
The winner of this match of bitter rivals gets another bitter rival in the USA as a semifinal opponent. Russia does not play like the stereotypical Russian entries in past years of this tournament. They have a gritty, well rounded team that plays hard in both directions but also boasts some extremely dangerous offensive talent. Canada has a similar team, with a bit more grit but not as much offensive firepower. This game could come down to which team can figure out the opposition goaltending first. Both Russia's Vasilevski and Canada's Murray have been strong so far in the event but have both also given up some goals they probably shouldn't have. If that happens in this game, it could prove costly. Canada will need to attempt to work down the Russian defence and get pucks to the net front. This is where Kerby Rychel, Scott Laughton and Hunter Shinkaruk come in. All three will need to be on and winning battles down low for Canada to optimize their chances for victory. Russia has great speed and creativity. If they can push Canada's defence low and get some good shots from motion they will improve their chances of winning dramatically. This game has potential to be a hard battle or an all out run and gun shootout.
Key Players
Canada: Matt Dumba, Brendan Gaunce, Hunter Shinkaruk
Russia: Valeri Nichushkin, Bogdan Yakimov, Anto Slepyshev
Prediction: Canada gets their rematch with the US with a 4-3 win.
(Don't forget to catch this game on TSN in Canada or on fasthockey.com)
Finland vs. Germany
The winner of this game gets to play Sweden in the semifinals. Germany is a bit of a surprise to have made it this far, and on paper this looks like it could be an easy win for Finland. But Germany is anything but an easy opponent. Germany is well coached by Jim Setters and has a versatile lineup with capable goaltending. They have shown good discipline, work ethic and commitment to their gameplans. Finland has some potent offensive talent and some good strong physical forecheckers. The Finns biggest asset is their powerplay which has created relentless scoring chances for them every game except their first. This game will likely come down to special teams. If Germany can stay out of the box they can likely keep the score tight and compete, possibly even upset the Finns but if they give the Finns any space, the Finns are tough to stop once they get running.
Key Players
Finland: Teuvo Teravainen, Ville Pokka, Sasha Barkov
Germany: Leon Draisaitl, Marcel Kurth, Marvin Cupper
Prediction: Finland pulls out a 6-3 win but the game is closer than the score indicates. (How can you bet against a Finland vs. Sweden semifinal?)
Canada vs. Russia
The winner of this match of bitter rivals gets another bitter rival in the USA as a semifinal opponent. Russia does not play like the stereotypical Russian entries in past years of this tournament. They have a gritty, well rounded team that plays hard in both directions but also boasts some extremely dangerous offensive talent. Canada has a similar team, with a bit more grit but not as much offensive firepower. This game could come down to which team can figure out the opposition goaltending first. Both Russia's Vasilevski and Canada's Murray have been strong so far in the event but have both also given up some goals they probably shouldn't have. If that happens in this game, it could prove costly. Canada will need to attempt to work down the Russian defence and get pucks to the net front. This is where Kerby Rychel, Scott Laughton and Hunter Shinkaruk come in. All three will need to be on and winning battles down low for Canada to optimize their chances for victory. Russia has great speed and creativity. If they can push Canada's defence low and get some good shots from motion they will improve their chances of winning dramatically. This game has potential to be a hard battle or an all out run and gun shootout.
Key Players
Canada: Matt Dumba, Brendan Gaunce, Hunter Shinkaruk
Russia: Valeri Nichushkin, Bogdan Yakimov, Anto Slepyshev
Prediction: Canada gets their rematch with the US with a 4-3 win.
(Don't forget to catch this game on TSN in Canada or on fasthockey.com)
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
U18 Thoughts - Day 5
Day 5 of the IIHF World U18 Champs saw some decisive victories surrounding one highly entertaining and competitive matchup that again contained those crazy Latvians! Here are some thoughts on the fifth day of action:
CAN - CZE
- Canada came out with a strong effort that really displayed some of the depth they have on their roster and rode it to a comfortable victory.
- Brendan Gaunce who has been a terrific and unheralded player so far for Canada really got the ball rolling. His PK play and defensive zone responsibility have been better than any other forward in the tournament so far and he proved he has the offensive touch to go with it. He seems highly motivated and could prove to be the driving force behind any potential Canadian success. I'm very pleased with what he has shown so far.
- Matt Dumba and Kerby Rychel continue to be consistent and determined players for Canada. Rychel is oozing confidence and has shown tremendous focus. Can't say enough about him. Dumba has been a true leader and has toned down his (at times) risky play in favor of opportunistic and intelligent aggression.
- Scott Laughton has been a beast in the faceoff circle for Canada. Very aggressive and determined in the dots. Wins a lot of draws clean, but almost always wins draws that begin contested. Very good small area battle in this kid.
- Felix Girard made his tournament debut to round out Canada's roster. An energetic defensive forward, his presence will be a big boost as the competiton heats up.
- Petr Sidlik has been very strong and reliable all tournament long. He has proven very good at calming the play down and leading the Czech breakout. He is smooth and intelligent and while not overly flashy, his decision making has really stood out in a positive way.
- Patrik Machac made his tournament debut for the Czechs after his Brampton Battalion team was ousted from the OHL playoffs. While he seemed a little subdued at times, Machac has blazing speed and can really push defenders wide opening up middle lanes for teammates. He connected on a brilliant pass with Dominek Volek for what was arguablly the nicest goal of the game.
FIN - DEN
- The combo of Teuvo Teravainen and Arrturi Lehkonen was too much to handle for the Danes, who have put up good fights against top competition in all their games but just haven't shown the depth or team play ability to upset anybody.
- Teravainen looked like a man playing against boys and was able to dazzle around the puck all game long.
- Lehkonen has great hands and always seems to find holes in coverage while Teravainen has the puck. Lehkonen has a nose for the net and is deadly with the puck in any sort of space in the offensive zone.
- Danish defender Bjorn Uldall, who has been a strong player internationally for the Danes all year long, displayed some very good two-way potential in this game and seemed to finally be settling in to a comfort zone in this tournament after some inconsistent play early on.
- Finland seems to adapt their gameplan to their opponent, something that has helped them gain success so far in the tournament, but you can't help but get the feeling that it could be playing with fire come the playoff rounds. They do however have the talent to back it up.
RUS - SUI
- Switzerland has been a bit of a disapointment so far and the effort they needed in this game was nowhere to be seen.
- Russian Captain, Anton Slepyshev, who is a top rated prospect and is highly under the microscope in this event had a breakout game. He had been overshadowed by Yakimov and Nichushkin in previous games but managed to steal back some of his thunder in this game.
- Daniil Zharkov continues to impress, showing great puck presence in this game. His shot is lightning quick and if it doesn't go in, it either misses the net or creates some sort of rebound, and he doesn't miss the net often.
- Yegor Malenkikh has been a very interesting player for the Russian's, he seems to be gaining confidence with each game and has shown some good rushing ability in the past two games.
- Sandro Zangger was really the only Swiss player worth mentioning in this game. His effort level and energy have been consistent in both directions all tournament long, and while not the flashiest or smoothest player, he is highly effective and shows some strong potential for development moving forward. He certainly has a good head for the game.
LAT - GER
- This game was the crown jewel of the day. A back and forth seesaw affair that had a bit of everything.
- Latvia continues to play a very entertaining and likeable style of hockey that is both bold and passionate. Characteristics that international hockey fans know Latvians hold in abundance.
- Germany has countered with a silent, strong work ethic mixed with some dazzling speed and very good technical team play.
- Dominik Tiffels had a great game for Germany and his stretch passes were some of the first of the tournament that have managed to create consistent breakins on the aggressive and physical Latvian defenders.
- Leon Draisaitl is one of the best perimeter passes in the tournament. He has a big powerful frame, protects the puck well and makes accurate passes with great poise and crispness. The young German has a ton of potential, especially if he can acknowledge the minor defensive deficiencies and lack of consistent two-way effort in his game.
- Latvia's Robert Lipsbergs was possessed in this game and wowed with his determination to follow up on original shots. His constant motion after shooting led to 2 of 3 goals on the game, while his above average shot led to the winner.
- While Lipsbergs, Bluegers and Jevpalovs have been the most dangerous offensive weapons for Latvia, their supporting cast has shown very well also. Edgars Kulda is one player that always seems to be doing something positive for his team and while he hasn't put up big numbers he has been a catalyst for good on his team and has proven to be one of their most consistent workers.
- Latvia has made some serious noise in this tournament but Germany still has a very real shot of moving to the quarterfinals as well. A German win against winless Switzerland combined with a Russian loss to the undefeated Swedes would cause a 3 way tie for the final spot, and the resulting tiebreakers could sink the Latvians hopes of moving on. One thing is for sure, it will be a very interesting finish in group B.
Day 6 brings some of the most anticipated matchups of the entire tournament. Sweden vs. Russia and USA vs. Canada headline a very important day of action. Russia is in a must win situation unless they feel comfortable leaving their fate to the result of the Germany vs. Switzerland game which could have major implications in both the quarterfinals and relegation games. Also on top is a very important game between the host Czech Republic and Finland. This game has major tournament implications as well as both teams need a win to dictate their quarterfinal fate. A Czech win combined with a Canadian loss would create a log jam for the playoffs and the tie-breaker could end up being decided by the actual scores of these games.
Also of note, the U18 Div1 will be decided today as Norway and Slovakia do battle in Piestany, the winner will gain promotion to the top group for the 2013 U18 World Champs.
What a great time of year!
CAN - CZE
- Canada came out with a strong effort that really displayed some of the depth they have on their roster and rode it to a comfortable victory.
- Brendan Gaunce who has been a terrific and unheralded player so far for Canada really got the ball rolling. His PK play and defensive zone responsibility have been better than any other forward in the tournament so far and he proved he has the offensive touch to go with it. He seems highly motivated and could prove to be the driving force behind any potential Canadian success. I'm very pleased with what he has shown so far.
- Matt Dumba and Kerby Rychel continue to be consistent and determined players for Canada. Rychel is oozing confidence and has shown tremendous focus. Can't say enough about him. Dumba has been a true leader and has toned down his (at times) risky play in favor of opportunistic and intelligent aggression.
- Scott Laughton has been a beast in the faceoff circle for Canada. Very aggressive and determined in the dots. Wins a lot of draws clean, but almost always wins draws that begin contested. Very good small area battle in this kid.
- Felix Girard made his tournament debut to round out Canada's roster. An energetic defensive forward, his presence will be a big boost as the competiton heats up.
- Petr Sidlik has been very strong and reliable all tournament long. He has proven very good at calming the play down and leading the Czech breakout. He is smooth and intelligent and while not overly flashy, his decision making has really stood out in a positive way.
- Patrik Machac made his tournament debut for the Czechs after his Brampton Battalion team was ousted from the OHL playoffs. While he seemed a little subdued at times, Machac has blazing speed and can really push defenders wide opening up middle lanes for teammates. He connected on a brilliant pass with Dominek Volek for what was arguablly the nicest goal of the game.
FIN - DEN
- The combo of Teuvo Teravainen and Arrturi Lehkonen was too much to handle for the Danes, who have put up good fights against top competition in all their games but just haven't shown the depth or team play ability to upset anybody.
- Teravainen looked like a man playing against boys and was able to dazzle around the puck all game long.
- Lehkonen has great hands and always seems to find holes in coverage while Teravainen has the puck. Lehkonen has a nose for the net and is deadly with the puck in any sort of space in the offensive zone.
- Danish defender Bjorn Uldall, who has been a strong player internationally for the Danes all year long, displayed some very good two-way potential in this game and seemed to finally be settling in to a comfort zone in this tournament after some inconsistent play early on.
- Finland seems to adapt their gameplan to their opponent, something that has helped them gain success so far in the tournament, but you can't help but get the feeling that it could be playing with fire come the playoff rounds. They do however have the talent to back it up.
RUS - SUI
- Switzerland has been a bit of a disapointment so far and the effort they needed in this game was nowhere to be seen.
- Russian Captain, Anton Slepyshev, who is a top rated prospect and is highly under the microscope in this event had a breakout game. He had been overshadowed by Yakimov and Nichushkin in previous games but managed to steal back some of his thunder in this game.
- Daniil Zharkov continues to impress, showing great puck presence in this game. His shot is lightning quick and if it doesn't go in, it either misses the net or creates some sort of rebound, and he doesn't miss the net often.
- Yegor Malenkikh has been a very interesting player for the Russian's, he seems to be gaining confidence with each game and has shown some good rushing ability in the past two games.
- Sandro Zangger was really the only Swiss player worth mentioning in this game. His effort level and energy have been consistent in both directions all tournament long, and while not the flashiest or smoothest player, he is highly effective and shows some strong potential for development moving forward. He certainly has a good head for the game.
LAT - GER
- This game was the crown jewel of the day. A back and forth seesaw affair that had a bit of everything.
- Latvia continues to play a very entertaining and likeable style of hockey that is both bold and passionate. Characteristics that international hockey fans know Latvians hold in abundance.
- Germany has countered with a silent, strong work ethic mixed with some dazzling speed and very good technical team play.
- Dominik Tiffels had a great game for Germany and his stretch passes were some of the first of the tournament that have managed to create consistent breakins on the aggressive and physical Latvian defenders.
- Leon Draisaitl is one of the best perimeter passes in the tournament. He has a big powerful frame, protects the puck well and makes accurate passes with great poise and crispness. The young German has a ton of potential, especially if he can acknowledge the minor defensive deficiencies and lack of consistent two-way effort in his game.
- Latvia's Robert Lipsbergs was possessed in this game and wowed with his determination to follow up on original shots. His constant motion after shooting led to 2 of 3 goals on the game, while his above average shot led to the winner.
- While Lipsbergs, Bluegers and Jevpalovs have been the most dangerous offensive weapons for Latvia, their supporting cast has shown very well also. Edgars Kulda is one player that always seems to be doing something positive for his team and while he hasn't put up big numbers he has been a catalyst for good on his team and has proven to be one of their most consistent workers.
- Latvia has made some serious noise in this tournament but Germany still has a very real shot of moving to the quarterfinals as well. A German win against winless Switzerland combined with a Russian loss to the undefeated Swedes would cause a 3 way tie for the final spot, and the resulting tiebreakers could sink the Latvians hopes of moving on. One thing is for sure, it will be a very interesting finish in group B.
Day 6 brings some of the most anticipated matchups of the entire tournament. Sweden vs. Russia and USA vs. Canada headline a very important day of action. Russia is in a must win situation unless they feel comfortable leaving their fate to the result of the Germany vs. Switzerland game which could have major implications in both the quarterfinals and relegation games. Also on top is a very important game between the host Czech Republic and Finland. This game has major tournament implications as well as both teams need a win to dictate their quarterfinal fate. A Czech win combined with a Canadian loss would create a log jam for the playoffs and the tie-breaker could end up being decided by the actual scores of these games.
Also of note, the U18 Div1 will be decided today as Norway and Slovakia do battle in Piestany, the winner will gain promotion to the top group for the 2013 U18 World Champs.
What a great time of year!
Sunday, 15 April 2012
U18 Thoughts - Day 4
Only 2 games on the schedule yesterday and here are my thoughts:
USA- DEN
- Jared Rutledge got his chance to keep USA's shutout streak alive and didn't disapoint his team. Although not challenged too much he did have to make a few saves in the first that really set the tone for the rest of the game.
- The US defense was stellar once again. Their ability to move the puck up ice off transition has been the key to the US success so far.
- Up front Matt Lane and Quentin Shore had good games. Shore has shown some strong ability to fire the puck from the circles and picks his spots well.
- Denmark's Magnus Povlsen was again a pleasant surprise for his team. He really gets around the ice well and proved he can skate and deny space well against a grittier North American opponent.
- There is also quite a bit to like about Danish captain Kristoffer Lauridsen. Strong on skates, was unintimidated by big US defenders Jones and Trouba and fought well to earn space in the net front area.
- US is quickly earning respect and I might need to revise my pre-tournament predictions as they are emerging as the favorites thus far.
SWE-LAT
- The Swedes seemed generally shocked by the speed and physicality the Latvians offered early on in this game. They really struggled to get much offensive zone pressure early and had an equally hard time breaking the puck into the zone against a very underrated and defensively sound Latvian D group.
- As the game wore on, Swedish captain started to assert himself and was a force in all 3 zones. He threw some good hits, unleashed a couple rocket shots and was a strong defensive presence as well.
- Top goaltending prospect, Oscar Dansk had the night off for Sweden and the game was no picnic for his backup, Magnus Hogberg. Hogberg was forced to come up with some very tough saves in the 3rd period to keep a determined Latvian attack from equalling the game.
- Elias Lindholm, a late 94 birthdate, was also very strong for the Swedes. And while that's easy to say, considering he was given credit on two goals in the 3rd period for the Swedes, it was his faceoff presence and consistency that really helped push his team to victory.
- Swedish 95 born Andre Burakowsky was the other member of Sweden's top line and really showcased his quickness and outside rush ability during this game. He is a real gem and will be a highly coveted offensive player in the 2013 NHL draft.
- Teddy Bluegers had another strong showing for the Latvians. He was creating offensive chances all game long in the playmaker role but also had a strong rush in the 2nd period but was robbed after a very nice move to backhand on partial breakaway.
- Rihards Bukarts was also in fine form for most of the game and can prove extremely elusive with the puck on the rush. He is very good at making last second cuts to avoid checks and continune on with the puck.
- Defender Rinalds Rosinskis was again an impressive physical force for the Latvians. A defence first player, he can really take away space well and was difficult to get around all night for even the most elusive Swedish forwards. He is really carving out a name for himself so far at this event.
- Latvian goaltender Ivans Punnenvovs was spectacular. This was first viewing of the young Latvian, and what I say was an impressive display of competitiveness and skill. He answered the call almost every single shot and had to make some ridiculous saves with his glove. If he can show effort like this consistently, we just might have something to talk about as far as pro potential is concerned.
Random Notes:
- The scouts section was packed for the Sweden vs. Latvia game and included a few GMs as well. Steve Tambellini was in attendance, as was Steve Yzerman. Yzerman, always the class act, posed for a ton of photos with Czech fans on the concourse after the game. I remember when I was on the organizing committee in Halifax for the World Championships and Yzerman and Shane Doan would stop to sign every shirt, pose in every picture. It was tough when it was your job to move them around undetected and on time, but I always had a ton of respect for them for making that time.
USA- DEN
- Jared Rutledge got his chance to keep USA's shutout streak alive and didn't disapoint his team. Although not challenged too much he did have to make a few saves in the first that really set the tone for the rest of the game.
- The US defense was stellar once again. Their ability to move the puck up ice off transition has been the key to the US success so far.
- Up front Matt Lane and Quentin Shore had good games. Shore has shown some strong ability to fire the puck from the circles and picks his spots well.
- Denmark's Magnus Povlsen was again a pleasant surprise for his team. He really gets around the ice well and proved he can skate and deny space well against a grittier North American opponent.
- There is also quite a bit to like about Danish captain Kristoffer Lauridsen. Strong on skates, was unintimidated by big US defenders Jones and Trouba and fought well to earn space in the net front area.
- US is quickly earning respect and I might need to revise my pre-tournament predictions as they are emerging as the favorites thus far.
SWE-LAT
- The Swedes seemed generally shocked by the speed and physicality the Latvians offered early on in this game. They really struggled to get much offensive zone pressure early and had an equally hard time breaking the puck into the zone against a very underrated and defensively sound Latvian D group.
- As the game wore on, Swedish captain started to assert himself and was a force in all 3 zones. He threw some good hits, unleashed a couple rocket shots and was a strong defensive presence as well.
- Top goaltending prospect, Oscar Dansk had the night off for Sweden and the game was no picnic for his backup, Magnus Hogberg. Hogberg was forced to come up with some very tough saves in the 3rd period to keep a determined Latvian attack from equalling the game.
- Elias Lindholm, a late 94 birthdate, was also very strong for the Swedes. And while that's easy to say, considering he was given credit on two goals in the 3rd period for the Swedes, it was his faceoff presence and consistency that really helped push his team to victory.
- Swedish 95 born Andre Burakowsky was the other member of Sweden's top line and really showcased his quickness and outside rush ability during this game. He is a real gem and will be a highly coveted offensive player in the 2013 NHL draft.
- Teddy Bluegers had another strong showing for the Latvians. He was creating offensive chances all game long in the playmaker role but also had a strong rush in the 2nd period but was robbed after a very nice move to backhand on partial breakaway.
- Rihards Bukarts was also in fine form for most of the game and can prove extremely elusive with the puck on the rush. He is very good at making last second cuts to avoid checks and continune on with the puck.
- Defender Rinalds Rosinskis was again an impressive physical force for the Latvians. A defence first player, he can really take away space well and was difficult to get around all night for even the most elusive Swedish forwards. He is really carving out a name for himself so far at this event.
- Latvian goaltender Ivans Punnenvovs was spectacular. This was first viewing of the young Latvian, and what I say was an impressive display of competitiveness and skill. He answered the call almost every single shot and had to make some ridiculous saves with his glove. If he can show effort like this consistently, we just might have something to talk about as far as pro potential is concerned.
Random Notes:
- The scouts section was packed for the Sweden vs. Latvia game and included a few GMs as well. Steve Tambellini was in attendance, as was Steve Yzerman. Yzerman, always the class act, posed for a ton of photos with Czech fans on the concourse after the game. I remember when I was on the organizing committee in Halifax for the World Championships and Yzerman and Shane Doan would stop to sign every shirt, pose in every picture. It was tough when it was your job to move them around undetected and on time, but I always had a ton of respect for them for making that time.
U18 Thoughts - Day 3
Day 3 of the U18 Champs had me running around the country to catch the games I wanted to see, got to enjoy the backroads of southern Czech Republic, experienced a 5 man accordion band in the lobby of my hotel when I got back and saw some old friends.
As far as the games went here are my thoughts from a busy day 3:
USA- CZE
- Another shutout for Collin Olson, people don't understand how difficult it is for a North American to come to Europe for a short term competiton. The adjustments and fatigue really effect focus, which most positions can get away with. Goaltenders not so much.
- The US kept the Czechs to 17 shots on goal with most of those coming in the 3rd period with the game firmly in their control.
- The stable of US defenders led by Jones and Trouba is exceptional, they play a smart team game and the transitional attack option they provide is deadly.
- Daniel O'Reagan has been a nice addition to the team and has seen a lot of crucial offensive minutes up front, including PP minutes. His ability to play the perimeter has made life easy for Nicholas Kerdiles who is getting more chances from the middle ice to shoot.
- Young Czech forward Jakub Vrana had a great game agasint Denmark but was not able to match his performance agains the US and really struggled to win space against the big, mobile US defenders.
- It was a tough showing for most of the Czech players as not many were able to get much going.
RUS - GER
- Germany pulled off arguably their biggest upset win at this tournament in recent memory. They were a surprising team last year and look to repeat that situation again this year.
- Germany is well coached, play a very disciplined team style and pick their spots.
- 95 born Frederik Tiffels was the catalyst for Germany in this game. His lightning quick speed and full ice work ethic was contagious after he put it together for Germany's first goal of the game.
- The combination of Marcel Kurth and 95 born Leon Draisaitl was potent on the powerplay. Draisaitl is a very good playmaker in the offensive end and showed off some tremendous vision, with Kurth battles hard for space and can make things happen around the net.
- German goaltender Marvin Cupper was beyond stellar keeping Russia frustrated in the 3rd period and was the main reason Germany was able to hold on for the win.
- Russia has great young talent up front. Late 94 birthdate Bogdan Yakimov is a very appealing offensive player. He has great size, moves well and his technical ability with the puck is impressive.
- Valeri Nichushkin, who plays every shift with Yakimov in all situations, is explosive and has seemingly endless talent. Great with the puck, he showed outstanding poise and patience on Russia's first goal and sprinkled in strong displays of defensive and physical play throughout the game for a very complete performance.
- Anton Slepyshev is one of Russia's top prospects for this year's draft but has been seriously overshadowed by his younger linemates.
- Andrei Vasilevski, who has a shot to be the first goaltender drafted this year, was unimpressive. He didn't have a bad game, but wasn't able to come up with the saves he really needed to. He continues to show holes on his blocker side. He wasn't bad, by any stretch, but he needs to be better to justify his hype.
SWE-SUI
- Sweden continued their dominance of this event so far with a convincing drubbing of Switzerland.
- The game was never really in doubt for Sweden and their big guns had little trouble creating chances on the Swiss.
- Again, leading the way it was the line of Sebastien Collberg, Alexander Wennberg and Gustav Possler, with Possler taking his turn to score a hat trick in this game. The 3 are at the top of the tournament scoring chart so far.
- Hampus Lindholm had a strong showing and displayed some of the offensive flare that has him flying up the draft board for most teams.
- Swedish netminder Oscar Dansk, who is my personal vote for top goaltending prospect this year had a mediocre showing. He was never forced to do too much and went long stretches without much action.
- The Swiss did not have much working for them in this game. They relied heavily on their top line of Lukas Balmelli, Lukas Sieber and Dario Simion but the trio was not able to muster up many chances. Sieber's frustration was evident in the 3rd period and he resorted to using his stick a little freely on the defensive side of the puck.
CAN-FIN
- The game started out with a fast pace and some good physical play. Both teams had some good chances to score but both Korpisalo and Murray proved up for the task
- Canada got on the board with under a second to play in the 1st period as Matt Dumba hammered a one timer off the faceoff to open the scoring.
- Canada had Ryan Pulock and Hunter Shinkaruk dressed and playing even though they only arrived in Breclav slightly over an hour before the game. Pulock showed the fatigue a bit, struggling to control the puck early and was relegated to mostly PP duty for the game with the odd shift here or there. Shinkaruk on the other hand didn't seem to miss a beat and was more and more prevelant as the game went on.
- Scott Kosmachuk's work ethic really stood out. He flies around the ice and always seems to be in the action.
- Darnell Nurse had a rough game, getting called on some tough situations where he was perhaps a bit too overzealous physically.
- Kerby Rychel was arguably Canada's best player in this game, showing great work ethic and desire to get the puck at the net.
- Teuvo Teravainen and Juuso Ikonen were also making their tournament debuts as both just arrived in the Czech Republic. Teravainen was hands down the best player on the ice for either team and showcased his ability to do a bit of everything. His stock will continue to climb if he can keep up the efforts like this one.
- Ristolainen and Pokka had very average showings but Niklas Tikkinen was exceptional. He is a very smooth moving defender with great deceptive skills and tremendous puck distribution ability.
- Arrturi Lehkonen is a 95 born Finnish forward wearing an A. He played on the top line with Teravainen and Ikonen and had a very strong showing. He is dynamite around the net and shows great ability to pick up pucks in scrambles and rebounds. His hands and goal scoring ability are high end.
- Canada's Matt Murray actually kept the score from being a lot worse than it was. Finland moved the puck extremely well on the PP and managed to find shooting lanes from side to side. Murray was excellent at getting across and denying chance after chance. As strong as he was, I felt he was making saves he shouldn't have but didn't make a couple he should have. All in all though an impressive performance that should help his draft stock.
Today there are two games on tap: Denmark vs. USA in Brno and Latvia vs. Sweden in Znojmo. Both games are set to start at the same time, so I will likely take in the fun loving Latvians vs. the uber talented Swedes, which could prove to be a more competitive game than it appears on paper.
As far as the games went here are my thoughts from a busy day 3:
USA- CZE
- Another shutout for Collin Olson, people don't understand how difficult it is for a North American to come to Europe for a short term competiton. The adjustments and fatigue really effect focus, which most positions can get away with. Goaltenders not so much.
- The US kept the Czechs to 17 shots on goal with most of those coming in the 3rd period with the game firmly in their control.
- The stable of US defenders led by Jones and Trouba is exceptional, they play a smart team game and the transitional attack option they provide is deadly.
- Daniel O'Reagan has been a nice addition to the team and has seen a lot of crucial offensive minutes up front, including PP minutes. His ability to play the perimeter has made life easy for Nicholas Kerdiles who is getting more chances from the middle ice to shoot.
- Young Czech forward Jakub Vrana had a great game agasint Denmark but was not able to match his performance agains the US and really struggled to win space against the big, mobile US defenders.
- It was a tough showing for most of the Czech players as not many were able to get much going.
RUS - GER
- Germany pulled off arguably their biggest upset win at this tournament in recent memory. They were a surprising team last year and look to repeat that situation again this year.
- Germany is well coached, play a very disciplined team style and pick their spots.
- 95 born Frederik Tiffels was the catalyst for Germany in this game. His lightning quick speed and full ice work ethic was contagious after he put it together for Germany's first goal of the game.
- The combination of Marcel Kurth and 95 born Leon Draisaitl was potent on the powerplay. Draisaitl is a very good playmaker in the offensive end and showed off some tremendous vision, with Kurth battles hard for space and can make things happen around the net.
- German goaltender Marvin Cupper was beyond stellar keeping Russia frustrated in the 3rd period and was the main reason Germany was able to hold on for the win.
- Russia has great young talent up front. Late 94 birthdate Bogdan Yakimov is a very appealing offensive player. He has great size, moves well and his technical ability with the puck is impressive.
- Valeri Nichushkin, who plays every shift with Yakimov in all situations, is explosive and has seemingly endless talent. Great with the puck, he showed outstanding poise and patience on Russia's first goal and sprinkled in strong displays of defensive and physical play throughout the game for a very complete performance.
- Anton Slepyshev is one of Russia's top prospects for this year's draft but has been seriously overshadowed by his younger linemates.
- Andrei Vasilevski, who has a shot to be the first goaltender drafted this year, was unimpressive. He didn't have a bad game, but wasn't able to come up with the saves he really needed to. He continues to show holes on his blocker side. He wasn't bad, by any stretch, but he needs to be better to justify his hype.
SWE-SUI
- Sweden continued their dominance of this event so far with a convincing drubbing of Switzerland.
- The game was never really in doubt for Sweden and their big guns had little trouble creating chances on the Swiss.
- Again, leading the way it was the line of Sebastien Collberg, Alexander Wennberg and Gustav Possler, with Possler taking his turn to score a hat trick in this game. The 3 are at the top of the tournament scoring chart so far.
- Hampus Lindholm had a strong showing and displayed some of the offensive flare that has him flying up the draft board for most teams.
- Swedish netminder Oscar Dansk, who is my personal vote for top goaltending prospect this year had a mediocre showing. He was never forced to do too much and went long stretches without much action.
- The Swiss did not have much working for them in this game. They relied heavily on their top line of Lukas Balmelli, Lukas Sieber and Dario Simion but the trio was not able to muster up many chances. Sieber's frustration was evident in the 3rd period and he resorted to using his stick a little freely on the defensive side of the puck.
CAN-FIN
- The game started out with a fast pace and some good physical play. Both teams had some good chances to score but both Korpisalo and Murray proved up for the task
- Canada got on the board with under a second to play in the 1st period as Matt Dumba hammered a one timer off the faceoff to open the scoring.
- Canada had Ryan Pulock and Hunter Shinkaruk dressed and playing even though they only arrived in Breclav slightly over an hour before the game. Pulock showed the fatigue a bit, struggling to control the puck early and was relegated to mostly PP duty for the game with the odd shift here or there. Shinkaruk on the other hand didn't seem to miss a beat and was more and more prevelant as the game went on.
- Scott Kosmachuk's work ethic really stood out. He flies around the ice and always seems to be in the action.
- Darnell Nurse had a rough game, getting called on some tough situations where he was perhaps a bit too overzealous physically.
- Kerby Rychel was arguably Canada's best player in this game, showing great work ethic and desire to get the puck at the net.
- Teuvo Teravainen and Juuso Ikonen were also making their tournament debuts as both just arrived in the Czech Republic. Teravainen was hands down the best player on the ice for either team and showcased his ability to do a bit of everything. His stock will continue to climb if he can keep up the efforts like this one.
- Ristolainen and Pokka had very average showings but Niklas Tikkinen was exceptional. He is a very smooth moving defender with great deceptive skills and tremendous puck distribution ability.
- Arrturi Lehkonen is a 95 born Finnish forward wearing an A. He played on the top line with Teravainen and Ikonen and had a very strong showing. He is dynamite around the net and shows great ability to pick up pucks in scrambles and rebounds. His hands and goal scoring ability are high end.
- Canada's Matt Murray actually kept the score from being a lot worse than it was. Finland moved the puck extremely well on the PP and managed to find shooting lanes from side to side. Murray was excellent at getting across and denying chance after chance. As strong as he was, I felt he was making saves he shouldn't have but didn't make a couple he should have. All in all though an impressive performance that should help his draft stock.
Today there are two games on tap: Denmark vs. USA in Brno and Latvia vs. Sweden in Znojmo. Both games are set to start at the same time, so I will likely take in the fun loving Latvians vs. the uber talented Swedes, which could prove to be a more competitive game than it appears on paper.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
U18 Thoughts - Day 2
Day 2 wrapped up with some surprisingly entertaining games.
CZE vs. DEN
- After a couple down years, the Czechs have a very well rounded squad with a lot of underrated and talented players.
- Jakub Vrana was the best player on the ice all game long, significant because he's the only 96 born in the tournament.
- The Czechs were very good at creating scrambles and capitalizing on the bounces around the net.
- Eusthasious Soumelidis is very good at timing his net front attacks and has strong hand eye coordination.
- The Danish offense has some weapons but their top gun Oliver Bjorkstrand was far too selfish in this game. Sure he scored 2 goals, but I didn't count a single pass made or even attempted after the first period. Troubling trend if it continues.
- Soren Martensen and Magnus Povlsen both displayed tremendous skill and ability for the Danes during the game and while both aren't the biggest players they were quite effective in this game and deserve further attention.
- The Czechs need better performance from their goaltending but they have the capability to run with the best of this event.
SUI vs. LAT
- This was one of the best games I have ever watched at this tournament...honestly.
- The pace from the start of the game was intense and physical with both teams dishing out a ton of punishment and playing at a speed for a long duration. The flow slowed a bit once the refs got involved but picked up again in the 3rd.
- The Latvian group is a fun loving, hard hitting, run and gun style team that is very entertaining to watch.
- Latvia's Teddy Bluegers really showed why his name is being bounced around the mid rounds of NHL draft talk and was a prominent player in this game even though he failed to register a point.
- Young Edgars Bukarts is maybe the fastest player in the entire tournament. Great quickness in hands and feet.
- The Latvian defense must have thrown 40 hits on their own, including some huge open ice crunches by Rinalds Rosinskis and Edmunds Augstkalns.
- Goaltender Elvis Merzlinkins was wired all game long and made some incredible desperation saves, earning him player of the game for Latvia.
- Karlis Ozolins blocked a shot off his chest in the 3rd and was being attended to by paramedics on the bench. They even called for the paddles at one point, but they were not used and he was conscious and seems to be recoring fine. Something to keep an eye on as I beleive he went to hospital after the game.
- Swittzerland is really missing that playmaking star they've had in years past but boast some great young power forwards in Lukas Balmelli, Dario Simion and Lukas Sieber. Balmelli was particularly impressive in this game and just missed two shots late in the game, by the slimmest of margins.
- 95 born Phil Baltisberger plays like he is 5 years older than he is. Strong, physical and intelligent.
- Julian Schmutz was one of the best offensive players for the Swiss but almost left the game early after getting hammered at centre ice and coming off favoring his right shoulder. He missed a couple shifts but then scored on his first back and had a fairly good showing after, except for giving up the puck as the last man back on Latvia's second goal.
- Tough loss for the Swiss who will likely have to battle it out with Germany and Denmark in relegation unless they can upset one of the big dogs.
- A huge win for Latvia, which has without a doubt iced it's most competitive U18 team ever, an amazing feat considering their best player in the age group isn't participating. They are a fun team to watch, on and off the ice. When the girls who present the Tissot watches came on the ice they all raised their sticks and slapped them down to salute them and then erupted in laughter. Great to see kids having fun at a hockey tournament!
Day 3 will see 4 games on tap, I plan on taking the Germany-Russia game in Znojmo and then moving over to see Canada and Finland play in Breclav in the evening. Other games see the Czechs battle the US in Breclav and the Swedes and Swiss locking up in Znojmo in the evening. Games are moved from Brno to Breclav today as Brno's senior team is still in the Czech league playoffs.
CZE vs. DEN
- After a couple down years, the Czechs have a very well rounded squad with a lot of underrated and talented players.
- Jakub Vrana was the best player on the ice all game long, significant because he's the only 96 born in the tournament.
- The Czechs were very good at creating scrambles and capitalizing on the bounces around the net.
- Eusthasious Soumelidis is very good at timing his net front attacks and has strong hand eye coordination.
- The Danish offense has some weapons but their top gun Oliver Bjorkstrand was far too selfish in this game. Sure he scored 2 goals, but I didn't count a single pass made or even attempted after the first period. Troubling trend if it continues.
- Soren Martensen and Magnus Povlsen both displayed tremendous skill and ability for the Danes during the game and while both aren't the biggest players they were quite effective in this game and deserve further attention.
- The Czechs need better performance from their goaltending but they have the capability to run with the best of this event.
SUI vs. LAT
- This was one of the best games I have ever watched at this tournament...honestly.
- The pace from the start of the game was intense and physical with both teams dishing out a ton of punishment and playing at a speed for a long duration. The flow slowed a bit once the refs got involved but picked up again in the 3rd.
- The Latvian group is a fun loving, hard hitting, run and gun style team that is very entertaining to watch.
- Latvia's Teddy Bluegers really showed why his name is being bounced around the mid rounds of NHL draft talk and was a prominent player in this game even though he failed to register a point.
- Young Edgars Bukarts is maybe the fastest player in the entire tournament. Great quickness in hands and feet.
- The Latvian defense must have thrown 40 hits on their own, including some huge open ice crunches by Rinalds Rosinskis and Edmunds Augstkalns.
- Goaltender Elvis Merzlinkins was wired all game long and made some incredible desperation saves, earning him player of the game for Latvia.
- Karlis Ozolins blocked a shot off his chest in the 3rd and was being attended to by paramedics on the bench. They even called for the paddles at one point, but they were not used and he was conscious and seems to be recoring fine. Something to keep an eye on as I beleive he went to hospital after the game.
- Swittzerland is really missing that playmaking star they've had in years past but boast some great young power forwards in Lukas Balmelli, Dario Simion and Lukas Sieber. Balmelli was particularly impressive in this game and just missed two shots late in the game, by the slimmest of margins.
- 95 born Phil Baltisberger plays like he is 5 years older than he is. Strong, physical and intelligent.
- Julian Schmutz was one of the best offensive players for the Swiss but almost left the game early after getting hammered at centre ice and coming off favoring his right shoulder. He missed a couple shifts but then scored on his first back and had a fairly good showing after, except for giving up the puck as the last man back on Latvia's second goal.
- Tough loss for the Swiss who will likely have to battle it out with Germany and Denmark in relegation unless they can upset one of the big dogs.
- A huge win for Latvia, which has without a doubt iced it's most competitive U18 team ever, an amazing feat considering their best player in the age group isn't participating. They are a fun team to watch, on and off the ice. When the girls who present the Tissot watches came on the ice they all raised their sticks and slapped them down to salute them and then erupted in laughter. Great to see kids having fun at a hockey tournament!
Day 3 will see 4 games on tap, I plan on taking the Germany-Russia game in Znojmo and then moving over to see Canada and Finland play in Breclav in the evening. Other games see the Czechs battle the US in Breclav and the Swedes and Swiss locking up in Znojmo in the evening. Games are moved from Brno to Breclav today as Brno's senior team is still in the Czech league playoffs.
Friday, 13 April 2012
U18 Thoughts - Day 1
After a day long hike, I've finally arrived in Brno, Czech Republic for the Under 18 World Championship tournament.
Day 1 saw some fairly predictable results but none the less here are some thoughts:
USA vs. FIN
- Seth Jones is wearing the C for the US and was easily the best player on the ice in the first game. He is a favorite to go #1 overall in 2013 and with good reason. I honestly believe he would go over Yakupov if he were available this year. Best U18 defenseman I think I have ever watched.
- Nicholas Kerdiles has taken a bit of heat for the fact that his offensive numbers don't seem to justify his top prospect status. If last night was any indication Kerdiles is looking to shoot the lights out here in the Czech Republic. Really liked what I saw, especially his aggressive box attacks from the half wall on the PP.
- Finnish defender Rasmus Ristolainen is about as likeable of a prospect as you could ask for. There doesn't seem to be anything he can't do insanely well. I would be scared to play against him.
- The Finns really need Teravainen, there net presence was not strong and they need a player who can create space to the outside so others can penetrate.
- The Finns overused Ville Pokka, who did not show well in the first game of the tournament and underused Ristolainen.
- The Us defense is scary good and Olson is a very underrated goaltender who does not give up rebounds very often.
CAN - DEN
- Oliver Bjorkstrand is the only Danish player who seemed to be able to consistently play against the Canadians
- Matt Dumba is a machine
- Kerby Rychel always seems to improve on each shift, it's amazing
RUS - LAT
- Osnovin and Zharkov have shown instant chemistry and could be the dynamic duo for the Russian offense all tourney long
- Vasilevski looked bored
- Born on the last day of the year 1995, Latvia's Rihards Bukarts has some serious potential
SWE - GER
- Surprised not to see Cupper in nets for Germany
- With all the big guns in Sweden's lineup it was Alexander Wennberg who stole the show, scoring a hat trick and really capitalizing on the space that his linemate Sebasiten Collberg created for him
- Filip Forsberg scored the 8th goal for Sweden but was a two way force all game long and was dominant at times.
- Calle Andersson outshined Ludvig Bystrom, his puck movement skills and quick reactions are tremendous. I picked him to be one of the biggest movers after this tournament as far as draft stock is concerned and if he keeps this up, even I may be surprised with just how far he climbs.
Games are moved from Brno today, so I will be taking in the CZE - DEN and SUI - LAT games in Znojmo. Another adventure on the seemingly ruleless Czech highways...
Day 1 saw some fairly predictable results but none the less here are some thoughts:
USA vs. FIN
- Seth Jones is wearing the C for the US and was easily the best player on the ice in the first game. He is a favorite to go #1 overall in 2013 and with good reason. I honestly believe he would go over Yakupov if he were available this year. Best U18 defenseman I think I have ever watched.
- Nicholas Kerdiles has taken a bit of heat for the fact that his offensive numbers don't seem to justify his top prospect status. If last night was any indication Kerdiles is looking to shoot the lights out here in the Czech Republic. Really liked what I saw, especially his aggressive box attacks from the half wall on the PP.
- Finnish defender Rasmus Ristolainen is about as likeable of a prospect as you could ask for. There doesn't seem to be anything he can't do insanely well. I would be scared to play against him.
- The Finns really need Teravainen, there net presence was not strong and they need a player who can create space to the outside so others can penetrate.
- The Finns overused Ville Pokka, who did not show well in the first game of the tournament and underused Ristolainen.
- The Us defense is scary good and Olson is a very underrated goaltender who does not give up rebounds very often.
CAN - DEN
- Oliver Bjorkstrand is the only Danish player who seemed to be able to consistently play against the Canadians
- Matt Dumba is a machine
- Kerby Rychel always seems to improve on each shift, it's amazing
RUS - LAT
- Osnovin and Zharkov have shown instant chemistry and could be the dynamic duo for the Russian offense all tourney long
- Vasilevski looked bored
- Born on the last day of the year 1995, Latvia's Rihards Bukarts has some serious potential
SWE - GER
- Surprised not to see Cupper in nets for Germany
- With all the big guns in Sweden's lineup it was Alexander Wennberg who stole the show, scoring a hat trick and really capitalizing on the space that his linemate Sebasiten Collberg created for him
- Filip Forsberg scored the 8th goal for Sweden but was a two way force all game long and was dominant at times.
- Calle Andersson outshined Ludvig Bystrom, his puck movement skills and quick reactions are tremendous. I picked him to be one of the biggest movers after this tournament as far as draft stock is concerned and if he keeps this up, even I may be surprised with just how far he climbs.
Games are moved from Brno today, so I will be taking in the CZE - DEN and SUI - LAT games in Znojmo. Another adventure on the seemingly ruleless Czech highways...
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
NHL Playoff Predictions
We're about an hour from puck drop for the first games of round 1 and I can't contain my excitement much longer, so I figured I'd unleash some predicitions for the first round.
East
New York over Ottawa in 6 games - The Sens won the season series 3-1 and are not an easy opponent by any means, but Henrik Lundqvist is too much and seems focused and poised to carry the Rangers deep. Erik Karlsson keeps scoring, Spezza will struggle a bit, Gaborik launches a huge assault but Ryan Callahan does it all for the Rangers en route to a series win.
Boston over Washington in 7 games - Washington seems to have been written off by many, but I remember watching Braden Holtby in junior, he is a future star goaltender and he has a prime opportunity with a strong supporting cast, but the Big Bad B's style will eventually prevail. Caps make it a series though. Ovechkin steals some hype but the bottom 6 are the ones that pace the Caps to a couple victories but Krejci and Seguin are one of the best duos around and outduel the Caps dynamic combinations.
New Jersey over Florida in 6 games - I think we will all be surprised by the Florida fan support and that could go a long way in carrying the Panthers to a couple wins. Florida's team play style is also one that is proven effective. New Jersey has a lot of interesting characters but also the offensive muscle to push aside the surprising push the Panthers should give. Zach Parise takes over and doesn't look back, Adam Larsson shows off some offense, Stephen Weiss finally gets some of the credit he's due.
Pittsburgh over Philadelphia in 5 games - This could be my heart speaking a bit, as Mario Lemieux was the reason I got into hockey at all but the other part of this prediction is how far out of their way Philadelphia went to try and get under the Penguins skin. They don't have the intimidating brutes to scare the Penguins skill and the words directed at their players and coaches will only serve as white board material. We all want this series to go 7 as the entertainment value could be off the charts but I think Philly has already shot themselves in the foot. Staal makes a huge difference, Fleury outduels Bryzgalov and the Pens actually "out-tough" the Flyers. Hartnell still goes off and Sean Couturier makes a bigger name for himself.
West
Vancouver over Los Angeles in 6 - LA has the goaltending and defensive strategy to try and shut down the higly skilled Canuck attack but as capable as they are at beating a team like Vancouver, try will be about as much as they can muster. LA has Mike Richards, and come playoff time, Richards is an absolute beast, he could completely neutralize the Sedin factor and maybe even eclipse. I think Luongo comes to play and regains a bit of his old dominant form while Quick struggles to keep the pace he set for himself in the regular season.
St. Louis over San Jose in 7 - This series has the potential to be the best of the first round. San Jose even has the potential to win but I think the Blues disciplined team style will prevail. Many expect St. Louis to keep the scoring down, this series they may not be able to control that and we could see some surprisingly offensive style games. I think David Backes and Ryane Clowe have the potential to pace this series while David Perron, Kevin Shattenkirk, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture could be poised to run wild offensively.
Chicago over Phoenix in 6 - Mike Smith finished the year hot, but Chicago has the guns to wear him down. Phoenix has underrated talent and could surprise but the safe bet here is a Blackhawk victory, especially with the likelihood of captain Jonathan Toews returning. Not enough credit is given to the secondary scoring of the Hawks either, I expect Shaw, Kruger and Nick Leddy to make a difference in round 1.
Nashville over Detroit in 6 - A difficult call, especially considering I loaded up on Red Wings in the mid rounds of my playoff pool but Nashville has tremendous depth and can play a very frustrating calculated physical style that could beat up the aging Wings enough to get on. The Wings do hold the wildcard in Pavel Datsyuk and if he gets going, my prediciton could be done, but my playoff pool could look very very good.
East
New York over Ottawa in 6 games - The Sens won the season series 3-1 and are not an easy opponent by any means, but Henrik Lundqvist is too much and seems focused and poised to carry the Rangers deep. Erik Karlsson keeps scoring, Spezza will struggle a bit, Gaborik launches a huge assault but Ryan Callahan does it all for the Rangers en route to a series win.
Boston over Washington in 7 games - Washington seems to have been written off by many, but I remember watching Braden Holtby in junior, he is a future star goaltender and he has a prime opportunity with a strong supporting cast, but the Big Bad B's style will eventually prevail. Caps make it a series though. Ovechkin steals some hype but the bottom 6 are the ones that pace the Caps to a couple victories but Krejci and Seguin are one of the best duos around and outduel the Caps dynamic combinations.
New Jersey over Florida in 6 games - I think we will all be surprised by the Florida fan support and that could go a long way in carrying the Panthers to a couple wins. Florida's team play style is also one that is proven effective. New Jersey has a lot of interesting characters but also the offensive muscle to push aside the surprising push the Panthers should give. Zach Parise takes over and doesn't look back, Adam Larsson shows off some offense, Stephen Weiss finally gets some of the credit he's due.
Pittsburgh over Philadelphia in 5 games - This could be my heart speaking a bit, as Mario Lemieux was the reason I got into hockey at all but the other part of this prediction is how far out of their way Philadelphia went to try and get under the Penguins skin. They don't have the intimidating brutes to scare the Penguins skill and the words directed at their players and coaches will only serve as white board material. We all want this series to go 7 as the entertainment value could be off the charts but I think Philly has already shot themselves in the foot. Staal makes a huge difference, Fleury outduels Bryzgalov and the Pens actually "out-tough" the Flyers. Hartnell still goes off and Sean Couturier makes a bigger name for himself.
West
Vancouver over Los Angeles in 6 - LA has the goaltending and defensive strategy to try and shut down the higly skilled Canuck attack but as capable as they are at beating a team like Vancouver, try will be about as much as they can muster. LA has Mike Richards, and come playoff time, Richards is an absolute beast, he could completely neutralize the Sedin factor and maybe even eclipse. I think Luongo comes to play and regains a bit of his old dominant form while Quick struggles to keep the pace he set for himself in the regular season.
St. Louis over San Jose in 7 - This series has the potential to be the best of the first round. San Jose even has the potential to win but I think the Blues disciplined team style will prevail. Many expect St. Louis to keep the scoring down, this series they may not be able to control that and we could see some surprisingly offensive style games. I think David Backes and Ryane Clowe have the potential to pace this series while David Perron, Kevin Shattenkirk, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture could be poised to run wild offensively.
Chicago over Phoenix in 6 - Mike Smith finished the year hot, but Chicago has the guns to wear him down. Phoenix has underrated talent and could surprise but the safe bet here is a Blackhawk victory, especially with the likelihood of captain Jonathan Toews returning. Not enough credit is given to the secondary scoring of the Hawks either, I expect Shaw, Kruger and Nick Leddy to make a difference in round 1.
Nashville over Detroit in 6 - A difficult call, especially considering I loaded up on Red Wings in the mid rounds of my playoff pool but Nashville has tremendous depth and can play a very frustrating calculated physical style that could beat up the aging Wings enough to get on. The Wings do hold the wildcard in Pavel Datsyuk and if he gets going, my prediciton could be done, but my playoff pool could look very very good.
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