The NHL regular season ends on April 11th, and with all teams having between 13 and 16 games remaining, it is an opportune time to begin talking about individual awards.
The New Jersey Devils, not usually involved in high stakes deals, got themselves one of the most prolific goal scorers of the last decade in Ilya Kovalchuk.
The Final Four is now set, but which players have had the greatest individual success through the first two rounds of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs?
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On Wednesday, February 10th, 2010, the Plymouth Whalers visited the Guelph Storm. Here is an analysis of the prospects involved in the game:
Plymouth
Tyler Seguin Strengths: His offensive game is very polished for a young player. He possesses good skating abilities, as he’s quick with good foot speed, and is rather agile. Seguin has a quick release, and has a hard, accurate shot. He’s plays a smart game on the powerplay, and frequently creates scoring opportunities. His stick handling and puck control abilities were on display as well, often beating players while stick handling around them. Seguin played a strong transition game, frequently back checking and getting back into the play.
Weaknesses: Seguin struggled against Guelph. He was getting frustrated, as he was consistently contained in the neutral zone. Each time he broke out of his zone, the defensemen collapsed on him, and he didn’t respond well to the defensive pressure placed on him. As the game began to get out of reach for Plymouth, Seguin began to ignore his defensive coverage/responsibilities, and started floating around his zone looking for a break out pass leading to a scoring opportunity. The problem was, Plymouth simply wasn’t getting the puck to him effectively.
Matt Hackett Strengths: Although Hackett allowed 5 goals against Guelph, he played a strong game. He is very positionally sound, and possesses a lot of quickness. He’s extremely quick in the crease, and is very fluid with his movement. He displayed good rebound control, often deflecting shots into the corners, or absorbing them into him. Hackett has good size for a young goaltender, at 6’3. If he can add to his frame, while maintaining his quickness, he’ll be an intimidating goaltender to face.
Weaknesses: It seemed as if Hackett went down on every shot he faced. Although he is a butterfly style goaltender, he needs to work on that aspect of the game. If he reaches the next level, going down on every shot he faces certainly won’t benefit him. Hackett also needs to control his temper. He was often hitting players, and encouraging them to fight him. He was frustrated over the amount of goals he let in, but when your team is losing, you simply cannot take unwarranted penalties.
Jamie Devane Strengths: Devane has unbelievable size, at 6’5, and about 220 pounds, and uses it well. He’s frequently in the corners throwing his body around, and certainly intimidated some of the Guelph players while doing so. When he body checks, he hits extremely hard. Devane is a player that understands his role, and plays it well. He is projected to be a 4th line enforcer should he make the jump to the next level. Devane is defensively responsible, as he frequently back checked and anticipated the play in the defensive zone rather well.
Weaknesses: Devane is an extremely poor skater. He has limited quickness and foot speed, and very little balance as well. He possesses a limited amount of offensive skills. He’s a very sloppy stick handler, often turning the puck over whenever he received it. Although he had a fairly good shot, he simply had no accuracy on it. Again, as mentioned above, Devane will not be relied upon to display a large amount of offensive skills should be make the jump to the AHL or NHL in the future, as he’ll be relied upon to be a 4th line enforcer.
Guelph
Peter Holland Strengths: Holland was simply the best player on the ice this game. Holland was excellent in the face-off circle, winning most of the draws he took. He uses his size and strength well through the neutral zone, often out muscling players to gain possession of the puck. Holland was also most impressive through the neutral zone, often using his good passing abilities to create chances for his teammates. Holland displayed good skating abilities, using his long stride to get past players with ease. He has an NHL ready shot, but didn’t use it to his advantage throughout the game. What was most impressive was his play- making abilities. The three assists he received during the game was a result of him creating some sort of opportunity with his stick handling or passing ability.
Weaknesses: Peter Holland simply needs to be more of a defensive player. He showed some responsibility at times, but was found floating around his own zone quite often. I’d like to see Holland play in the corners more. As a center, he needs to get aggressive in the corners, especially in the defensive end. It’ll certainly result with Holland winning more battles, and more frequent break out passes.
Taylor Beck Strengths: Beck has improved each year he has been in the OHL. He simply continues to get better, most notably offensively. He has good size, and uses his body rather effectively when trying to gain possession of the puck. He shows strong play making abilities, evidenced by his 50 assists recorded this year with the Guelph Storm. He often makes smart decisions with his passing, and takes his time trying to find the open man. Beck has a strong shot, and a nose for the net. Along with his play making abilities, Beck can put the puck in the net in a hurry. He isn’t afraid to drive hard to the net, chasing loose rebounds and creating traffic with his body.
Weaknesses: Beck’s glaring weaknesses is his skating, and it’s quite noticeable. He has limited food speed and acceleration, and looks rather choppy when skating. He simply needs to get quicker and work on his skating should he make the step to the next level.
On February 21/2010, the Barrie Colts visited the Brampton Battalion. Here is an analysis of the prospects playing in the game:
Barrie Colts
Alexander Burmistrov Strengths: Burmistrov has dazzling speed and skating abilities. His food speed and acceleration is explosive, and often beat players with his speed. He’s a strong, balanced skater, and looks steady in his stride. Although Burmistrov has a smaller frame, he likes to use his body, and plays with a bit of an edge to his game. Offensively, Burmistrov shows a lot of promise. His play making skills are extremely impressive for such a young player. He displays good passing skills, and finds the open man with ease. He’s very comfortable having the puck on his stick, and is extremely creative with the puck. Away from the puck, he made himself available and created space to get open. He likes to battle in the corners, and once he gets stronger, he’ll be more effective in that aspect of his game. Defensively, he shows promise. He is very responsible in the defensive zone, rarely leaving his player open. In transition, he backchecked frequently, and was active with his stick. Overall, he is very competitive and plays a fierce game. He isn’t physically intimidating, but his hard work certainly pays off. Look for Burmistrov to be a top 15 pick in the upcoming NHL draft.
Weaknesses: He’s on the smaller side, and needs to bulk up. He has decent height, but needs to add some weight and muscle. At such a young age, he has plenty of time to bulk up, so it’s no area for immediate concern. He is very comfortable on the ice with the puck, but sometimes took too long to get rid of the puck, causing turnovers in the offensive zone.
Alex Pietrangelo
Strengths: At 6’4, 210, one of Pietrangelo’s greatest assets is his size. He is a physical player, and is effective in the corners in the defensive zone. He clears the front of the net out well, which is a testament to his strength. He’s very mobile for such a big defenseman. He has good speed, and tends to pick up speed through the neutral zone. His first pass out of the defensive zone is excellent, often completing his passes to his teammates on the break out. He has a hard, accurate shot, and uses it well. His shot from the point created scoring opportunities, as his shot was rather intimidating. One good trait in a young defenseman was his ability to shoot low through traffic from the point. Away from the puck, he frequently makes himself available in the offensive zone. Defensively, he is very responsible. He is effective in keeping his player in front of him when defending on a rush from the opposition. His transition game is also very good, and was often the first defenseman back on a rush.
Weaknesses: I’d like to see Pietrangelo be more intimidating in the defensive zone. Although he is strong in the corners, he needs to use his body more effectively. He needs to body check more often, and shy players away from playing against him.
Kyle Clifford
Strengths: Clifford has showed great signs of improvement over the past 2 seasons with the Barrie Colts. A 2nd round pick with the LA Kings in last year’s NHL draft, Clifford is still very raw in most aspects of his game. His physical play is extremely impressive. He’s often looking to body check players in both ends of the ice, and does so with authority. He understands his role well, and uses his size and strength to his advantage. He made it very difficult for the opposing defenseman in the corners in the offensive zone, often winning the battles along the boards. He has an average shot, and is also an average skater. Long term, he projects to be a 3rd line checking forward, occasionally jumping up to the 2nd line.
Weaknesses: His skating abilities certainly need work should he progress to the NHL. He doesn’t have much offensive flare as of yet, but he’s continuing to improve offensively. He lacks the vision of a good offensive player as well. Defensively, he’s responsible, but I’d like to see him defend his zone using his physical play.
Alex Hutchings
Strengths: Hutchings is very good offensively, and displays excellent offensive qualities in order to be successful in the NHL. He has phenomenal speed, and uses it to beat defenders wide in offensive rushes. He has very good acceleration, and good foot speed. He can receive a pass in the neutral zone, and quickly beat his player, creating odd man rushes. Hutchings can put the puck in the net in a hurry, showing a hard, accurate shot. He has good puck handling abilities, and good vision, often finding the open man with his passes in the offensive zone. He also showed some promise in the neutral zone, playing above average defensive coverage. Defensively, he was responsible. He showed determination in back checking, and was very active in his own zone.
Weaknesses: His size and strength is definitely an area for concern. He needs to bulk up, and get stronger. Although it may not be a facet of his game, he needs to be more physical. He was often out muscled by the opposition in the corners, and in front of the net. Should he get bigger and stronger, he should make a smooth transition to the NHL.
Brampton Battalion
Cody Hodgson
Strengths: Cody Hodgson was the best player on the ice, on either team. He’s simply a great prospect that continues to get better. His skating has improved since returning from injury, and his number of shifts, along with the duration of shifts increased as the game progressed. Hodgson is quick, and likes to pick up speed through the neutral zone. Once he receives the puck just before the blue line on a break out, he really gains momentum by the time he passes the red line. He has an NHL calibre shot, and a quick release, which fooled the goaltender on several occasions. His goal came from a tip in, and showed great hand-eye coordination on the goal. Hodgson loves having the puck on his stick, controlling the play each time he had the puck. He’s very calm, and makes good decisions when looking for the open man. He’s very creative both with his passing abilities, but also his stick handling as well. Defensively, he’s responsible, often back checking. He had good defensive coverage, and showed a good transitional game breaking out of the defensive zone. Judging by his demeanour and the way the players on his team reacted around him, he’s certainly captain material in his future NHL career.
Weaknesses: His physical play is certainly lacking. Although he just returned from a lengthy injury, he needed to be more involved with the physical aspect of his game. He is a strong player, but was sometimes outplayed in the corners in the defensive zone. I’d like to see him throw his weight around a bit, especially if he’s going to be an effective center in the NHL.
