Game Report

Game Report

Dec 28, 2011

2012 World Junior Championship

Home Team: USA

Away Team: Finland

Draft Eligible Prospects Breakdown:

USA#8(Jacob Trouba) Physical defenseman who dominated the boards all game long. The Finns had a difficult time getting away from him in the defensive zone. Very good gap control, and liked to hold the line and force opponents to dump the puck in. Took away shooting lanes well. Area of improvement would be his skating abilities. Not slow by any means, but a couple of times was slow to turn and stay with opposing forwards on a rush. Offensively, has a cannon of a slap shot and will be a threat, but as for puck moving abilities, is average. Had a good rush and created a scoring chance and a penalty.

USA#15(Jon Merrill) Smooth skating defenseman who is very adapt in both ends of the ice. 2nd game of the year for him all year long as he is currently suspended by the University of Michigan. Looked comfortable playing in all situations. Makes good outlet passes and quick decisions with the puck. Defensively, not the most physical guy, but gets into battles and gets the job done. Offensively, makes good decisions. Very good skater, turns quickly and has good speed to his game.

USA#24(Jarred Tinordi) Bruising defenseman who had an excellent game. Stepped up at the appropriate times and dished out some big hits. Doesn’t run around to try to land big hits, but lets it come to him. Great along the boards, and used his size to his advantage to keep the Finns within his grasp. Showed good skating abilities today. Looked comfortable getting around in all zones. Offensively, does not have the playmaking touch or ability to rush the puck up and create chances, but good along the blue line to make good shots and hold the line.

FIN#6(Teemu Pulkkinen) Quick forward with nice hands. Plays on the top line for the Finns, who as a group have not looked very dangerous. Has shown flashes of very good offensive abilities, but not at a consistent level, especially along the boards. Definitely has creativity to his game, on the rush or in tight. Defensively, comes back hard and takes the lanes away well. Strength must improve.

FIN#12(Ville Pokka) Defenseman who had a very good, consistent game. Not flashy, but solid. Makes quick accurate outlet passes to get the attack started, and defensively displayed good strength along the boards. Positionally sound, but is not someone to step up on an opponent along the blue line. Offensively, joined the rush a few times and was a threat. Good skater, but can improve on overall speed.

FIN#20(Mikael Granlund) Counted on to be the offensive catalyst for the Finnish squad, but has not lived up to expectations thus far. Scored a goal today but was more out of luck, as he threw it out in front and went off of an American skate and in. Great skater with smooth puckhandling skills in all situations. A great playmaker, always has his head up. Displayed a very good defensive game today. Staying in shooting lanes and battled hard to retrieve pucks. Must simplify his game with the rest of his linemates and just get pucks to the net. Trying to do too much off the rush, and not enough off cycles.

SCOUTS NOTES: Finns had a much better effort today than against the Canadians two days ago. Showed more hustle and willingness to win battles all game long. Joel Armia had two goals, but could have had a much better game today. Very soft in all situations. Can’t say enough about Jarred Tinordi and his game today. Physically dominated the game and was so solid defensively. Jacob Trouba was another player that quiet stood out. Not flashy by any means, but as soon as he gets into a battle along the boards, it was almost a guarantee that he would come out of it with the puck. Sami Aittokallio had a great game for Finland. Kept them in the game until the third where they turned it on offensively.

FINAL SCORE: 4-1 Finland

Game Report

Dec 28, 2011

2012 World Junior Championship

Home Team: Canada

Away Team: Czech Republic

Prospects Breakdown:

CAN#18 Ryan Strome – Starting to play much better after being pretty average from the start of selection camp. Strome needs to battle for pucks and use the cycle to be at his best. He did that tonight. Strome made a great pass to Brendan Gallagher on the PP early in the game, it would have been an assist if not for Gallagher whiffing on the puck. Strome was also in on the cycle play that led to Canada’s first goal when Huberdeau fed Stone in front of the net. Strome showed off his vision and hands in this game. He buried the puck into the empty net on the play started by Scott Wedgewood’s stretch pass to Freddie Hamilton. Only thing I didn’t like were a few forced shots on a late PP by Canada. A good strong game turned in by Strome.

CAN#30 Scott Wedgewood – If you visit our site often or follow on twitter, you would know that we have been talking about Wedgewood being on this team for over 12 months. Scott got his chance tonight and although he was not tested with too many big saves, he did make some good ones early on. He was strong on the PK, making the stops needed and secondary saves. Wedgewood is a kid that just seems to play better when the games are bigger. He ended up making a play that gave Canada a huge spark when he made a breakaway pass to Freddie Hamilton which led to Canada’s 2^nd goal. Wedgewood gets square to pucks and makes some difficult saves look easy. He also excels at recovering quickly to make second and even third saves. Wedgewood might just have taken over the #1 starting gig.

CAN#14 Brett Connolly – Really liked Connolly tonight because he used his size. Early in the game he set the tone for his entire game with a strong play to the net that forced Petr Mrazek to make his first of many big saves. He could have easily scored 3 goals in this one. He missed an empty net when his stick just caught Mrazek’s toe. Connolly scored a beauty goal later in the game when he beat two Czech defenders and followed up his own rebound to bang it home. He made several strong plays winning battles and finishing checks. He took an interference penalty on one hit that was a few steps late. When Connolly is on, he is a huge part of Team Canada.

CAN#6 Scott Harrington – Another standout game for the London Knight defender. I have seen Harrington over 20 times this season and he has been doing exactly what you have seen in the Team Canada uniform. Harrington is at his best when he plays the shutdown game and doesn’t try to do too much on offense. He is smart and uses quick feet to stay with defenders. He won the 1 on 1 battles and has become a force on the PK.

CAN#4 Doug Hamilton – Logged a ton of minutes which he is used to doing. Not his best effort in this game. Some ugly decisions with the puck and got turned around a little bit on a couple 1 on 1’s. He lost his man in coverage on one sequence in his own zone. He might have got away with a late hit that might have been called if not for the fact that there was already a delayed penalty on Canada. Got caught on a pinch which gave up a shorthanded odd man rush, no harm was done. He moved pucks quickly and hit his forwards in stride which is a part of his game he has improved since last season. Hamilton made some bad decisions with the puck on a late PP. He forced a few pucks into traffic. Not a brutal game by any stretch but not his best.

CAN#15 Tanner Pearson – He struggled a bit early in the game with some poor puck protection and weak turnovers on forced passes. He took a lazy hooking penalty as well after turning over the puck. Then out of nowhere Pearson became one of Canada’s best players the rest of the game. He made several hard working plays winning pucks, including the play where he stole the puck from David Musil which led to Canada’s 4^th goal. Pearson also setup his Barrie teammate Mark Scheifele on a PP after the 1^st PP unit struggled to get much going.

CZECH#2 Petr Mrazek – The star of the game was Mrazek. If not for about 6 huge saves the game would have been out of hand very early. When it was only 1-0 late in the 2^nd period it was only because of Mrzazek. Much like Scott Wedgewood, Petr recovers very quickly which enables him to make secondary saves. He sports a good glove which he showed off several times in this game, including robbing Ryan Strome from point blank range. Mrazek will need to be just as good to give his team a chance versus USA and Finland.

SCOUTS NOTES:

Canada came out of the gate flying again in this game. They were turned away by a hot tender early and then got into some penalty trouble which slowed momentum. Guys like Huberdeau were a key. Huberdeau obviously helps the offense but he also chips in doing all the little things. He was great on the forecheck along with Strome who executed it very well. Freddie Hamilton also played another good game, not player of the game good IMO, but solid nonetheless. Freddie seems to be buying into Don Hay's systems and style and is being rewarded with good minutes including PK time. Freddie has been effective on the PK, although he does make some big turns at times. I’d like to see more straight line skating from all the PK guys. (even though the PK is perfect so far) Jaden Schwartz chipped in with some good PK shifts, but his best is yet to come. He was one of Canada’s best players in the pre-tourney games. Czech NHL Draft prospect Tomas Hertl was very good in yesterday’s game but playing vs Denmark is much different than playing vs Canada. Hertl turned over a bunch of pucks, including the play that led to Brett Connolly’s highlight reel goal.

FINAL SCORE: 5-0 Canada

Russia vs Switzerland – Dec. 26^th

Prospects Breakdown:

SWI #15 (Sven Bartschi) The Portland Winterhawks star didn’t get a chance to play in Calgary earlier this year when the Winter Hawks came through since he was out with an injury, but he did not disappoint the throngs of Flames fans in his first appearance in Calgary since NHL training camp. Bartschi remains the Swiss' biggest scoring threat.  He was all over the ice controlling the Swiss attack. Bartschi showed off the quick release that he has with his snap shot. Bartschi skates well and was able to create a couple turnovers by being hard on the forecheck. The only damper to his night was a terrible drop pass while entering the offense zone that was intercepted by Alexader Khocklachev for Russia’s first (and eventual game-winning) goal of the game.

SWI #12 (Lino Martschini) The diminutive Martschini was mostly kept to the outside but used his wheels to create chances off the rush. Unleashed a nasty shot from the slot that Vasilevki didn’t see but much to his disappointment, it hit square off the cross bar and stayed out of the net.

RUS #25 (Yevgeny Kuznetsov) Kuznetsov seems to be able to play at a level above everyone else. The skilled forward is an elusive skater that is able to make opponents miss him with ease. He is strong on his feet and he uses his body well to protect the puck and win battles along the boards. While he didn’t figure in any of the scoring, Kuznetsov was a constant threat each shift. He has very nice hands and is very patient with the puck. He might have been too patient with the puck a couple time as he wasted scoring chances by taking too much time to make a play. He may need to speed up his internal clock that lets him know how much time he has to make a play. Kuznetsov was also guilty of over-handling the puck a bit, but that’s really just nitpicking as he played a very strong game.

RUS #17 (Mikhail Grigorenko) Grigoreko has a soft touch with the puck. His ability to effortlessly set up his linemates with tape-to-tape passes make him very dangerous both on the power play and in transition. That passing ability garnered him an assist and his awareness of where to find open ice positioned him to capitalize on a pretty passing play for a goal too. Grigorenko is a pretty good skater with excellent vision and awareness. While he didn’t show a lot of interest in backchecking, Grigorenko was still used on the PK where he was able to get into the shooting lanes and take some faceoffs with varying success. He seemed content to fight for the puck with stick rather than use size/body to more effectively win puck battles.

RUS #30 (Andrei Vasilevski) The Russian netminder faced a lot of rubber early on and once he made a few saves, he got into a rhythm and played with a lot of confidence. Vasilevksi did a good job at challenging shooters although he perhaps got a little over aggressive. He did get a little lucky a couple times (most notably on Martschini’s crossbar shot), but he played exceptionally well for a Russian team just holding on to a couple goal lead late in the game. Ended up making 40 saves for a shutout. The key to Vasilevski’s game was the use of his quick reflexes. He was especially good with his glove hand where he was able to snag several dangerous shots out of mid area and trap pucks. He also did a good job for the most part of kicking rebounds out to the corners or covering up the puck and not leaving too many pucks in dangerous places for rebounds.

SWI #25 (Dario Simion) The 2012 draft-eligible has a nice combination of size, strength, and skating ability for his age. While not the most explosive or physical player, Simion made his presence felt by being very noticeable in a positive way for an underager. He fought hard for loose pucks, he went hard to the net, he worked hard to create/find space for himself, and he showed the promise of some offensive skill when he received some power play time. He still looks somewhat raw in how he uses his body, but he definitely has the raw tools needed to have a pro career.

Scouts Notes: A pro-Swiss (and pro-Bartschi) crowd went home disappointed after the Russians held on for a 3-0 win. The Swiss actually outshot the Russians and while their chances weren’t all of a high quality like the Russian shots were, there were numerous chances for the Swiss to score and make a game out of it. Both goalies played very well. Alexander Khocklachev’s goal was a beauty after he picked off Bartschi’s drop pass, skated around a flat-footed Swiss defender and broke in alone on Tim Wolf.

FINAL SCORE: Russia 3 - Switzerland 0

Our January Newsletter is now available on our scouting portal. This month we expand our 2012 NHL Draft player rankings to a top 60 list. We also review the holiday hockey tournaments in Alberta and Windsor. HP scouts attended both the World Under 17 Challenge and the World Jr. Championship.  We profile Matt Finn from the OHL and Colton Sissons  and Cody Corbett of the WHL. This months newsletter is 18 pages and we remind you that subscribers also get our 2012 NHL Draft Guide (digital edition available in May 2012) included. All this for just $29.99!!

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Game Report

Dec 30, 2011

2012 World Junior Championship

Home Team: USA

Away Team: Czech Republic

Prospects Breakdown:

USA#8(Jacob Trouba) Defensive defenseman who generally had a solid game. In the first two periods, had limited ice time because the Americans got so much PP time, and he does not man a point. When on the ice, really showed off his defensive capabilities and toughness. Stepped into a big centre ice hit in the first. Reads the play very well. Hard to beat along the boards with his skating and size. Plays hard, but does well to play within the rules. Offensively, had limited chances, but on a couple of times rushed the puck and created scoring chances for himself. On the fourth goal against, he tried to get by an opponent, but had a puck knocked away from him and resulted in a 2 on 1 goal.

USA#16(Jason Zucker) Captain of the Americans, had an ok game in both ends of the ice. Showed his very good skating abilities in both ends of the ice. Can turn quickly with the puck and create room for himself, or close in on opponents. Showed some grit in his play, but was average along the boards. Had a hard time breaking away from his checks. Made some bad decisions with the puck, or make bad passes to teammates. For example, on a 3 on 1, a pass to a teammate about 7 feet away from him was given to him too far ahead. Got an assist on the second goal on the PP by going far side pad, created an easy rebound for his teammate to pounce and score on.

USA#27(Nick Bjugstad) Big forward who, considering his size, was too easy to play against at times. Stands 6’5, 212 lbs, and was far too easy to knock off the puck along the boards. Was one of the players counted on for offense and created very little. Good speed given his size, but very awkward strides. His lower body is bent, but he keeps his upper body too straight. Showed some life in the 2nd, but when the going got tough, did very little. On the PP, manned a point and was the back door option. Has a very good shot. Deceptive release. Defensively, looked disinterested at times and did not take the body enough.

CZE#6(David Musil) Czech Republic’s rock on defense. Must have played more than 30 minutes today. Out in every crucial situation, and excelled all game long. Plays a physical game all over the ice, and constantly won battles for pucks. Skating was the only issue to his game, but other than that, played extremely well. Unsung hero of the game. Offensively, made some nice passes and got shots on net. Did everything he can for his team to win the game, and it paid off in a big way.

CZE#18(Tomas Nosek) 2 way forward who has a deceptive game. He makes the game easy for himself. Doesn’t necessarily go into the boards and use his body to win battles, but gets his stick in there and digs it out and quickly makes a play. One of the key penalty killers of the game. Did a great job making his assignments a non factor all game long by using his stick again. Kept opponents to the outside and blocked shots consistently. Made a big play on the 4th goal as he stripped the puck away from Trouba and made a nice pass after wards for the goal. A very good skater, who moves effortlessly around the ice.

CZE#19(Tomas Hertl) Didn’t play much because of all the penalties the Czechs took. When on the ice, was effective on the offensive zone, but could have simplified his game a little instead of trying to go 1 on 1 with every defenseman and deke around them. Scored the 2nd goal by being defensively sound and being in the right position. Very nice finish for the goal. Has a quick release, and in scoring areas, doesn’t take long to get shots off his stick.

SCOUTS NOTES: The Americans really struggled on the PP and on even strength. Their PP units looked out of place, almost as if the players were not comfortable. Perfect example would be Nick Bjugstad. Did not look good trying to play the point at all. Czechs won because of their defensive efforts and Tomas Mrazek who stood on his head all game long. Celebrations at the end were a bit too much at times, but it was a huge game for his country. Emerson Etem, Brandon Saad and Nick Bjugstad, and others, were big disappointments as they produced close to nothing offensively. Couldn’t sustain constant pressure to win games like these. They weren’t able to wear down the Czech defense enough.

FINAL SCORE: 5-2 Czech Republic

Game Report

Dec 30, 2011

2012 World Junior Championship

Home Team: Sweden

Away Team: Slovakia

Prospects Breakdown:

SWE#9(John Klingberg) 2 way defenseman who loves to carry the puck and join the rush. A very smooth skater who can join the rush in a hurry. Makes very good decisions with the puck on the rush or on the point. Always looks to join the play and make a difference. Most of the time does so at the appropriate situations, but did get caught a couple of times trying to be too aggressive on the rush. Defensively, a hard player to play against. Battles hard along the boards for pucks, and opponents had a hard time trying to shake away from him. A physical presence all game long.

SWE#15(Sebastian Collberg) Offensive forward who owns one of the quickest releases in the tournament. As soon as he has the puck on his stick in a scoring area, looks up and takes a shot. Very good shot placements, and rarely missed the net. Played a good game along the walls, but can be improved on. Will definitely need to get stronger to be successful at the higher levels. Defensively, looked very engaged and used his stick effectively. A good skater that needs to improve on his overall speed.

SWE#13(Johan Sundstrom) Big 2 way forward who plays a great game along the boards. Showed a ton of strength and work ethic by constantly coming away with the puck from battles. Goes to the net hard and plays a gritty game. Got awarded with a goal by tipping a point shot about knee high. Defensively, one of the hardest working forwards. Always getting in lanes and winning battles to get pucks out. Very dependable on a consistent basis.

SVK#17(Marek Tvrdon) Big forward with nice hands and good skating skills. One of the most depended on forwards in offensive situations for Slovakia. Had a good game, but had a difficult time generating much with his teammates. Would make good passes and right decisions, but teammates would often let him down and plays would end there. Showed off his great shot on a 2 on 1, going post and in. Very deceptive shot.

SVK#25(Martin Gernat) Defensive defenseman who played a physical game, but had a tough time dealing with Sweden’s team speed. An average skater who really needs to work on his overall speed. Turns and strides must be improved too. Used his stick effectively all game, and kept opponents to the outside. Used his body well and won a ton of puck battles. Offensively, made good outlet passes and quick decisions with the puck. Has a good shot. Consistently gets it through.

SCOUTS NOTES: Sweden really overwhelmed Slovakia with their physicality. They went at the Slovaks with a lot of authority and did not back down from any challenges. Went to the net hard and scored most of their goals from the slot. Filip Forsberg keeps proving that he is the whole package. Offensively and defensively, had a solid game. Stayed disciplined when most of his teammates could not. Rickard Rackell really stood out physically. Laid the body consistently and fought for pucks as hard as anyone on Sweden. Still displayed his skills, and it was nice to see a complete game from him.

FINAL SCORE: 9-1 Sweden