Just came in. Here we go. First, sucks that De La Rose was finally out today. Surely a minor injury but not in game shape to play. I mean, honestly, probably the most frustrating camp ever as far as who weren't playing. I wanted to see Lehkonen and De la Rose so be in game situations. I also wanted to see Colin Sullvan. And see were Naatinen were at...nobody was playing.
- First thing is.....Greatest line BY FAR of this game....the
Nystrom-Duffy-Collberg line. Wow....can you actually win a contract with 1 game? If so, get
Ben Duffy a contract RIGHT AWAY. What an incredible game and not just because of his goals, but because of his overall vision, offensively and defensively, was able to cut some passes from the opponent, I mean he did everything right today. Impressive showing.
Nystrom complemented him incredibly well, impressive showing by Nystrom today and
Collberg was again, showing, that in the CHL, he would be D-O-M-I-N-A-T-I-N-G. Clear enough?
- Also
Shaw, the hitting maching, who was probably hitting his teamtes when he was changing....that was his job, kid is looking for a 4th line....was it enough. Tried to show some skills at some point, not sure it worked.
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Fucale: Still some years to develop. Watch that glove Zach....you won't want people to think you've been to the Carey Price school of goalies....
Oh and we were just behind something that was CLEARLY Fucale's family, without them, places would have been empty...(joking but there were surely 20 of them)
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McCarron: I have to say....looked a little out of breath. It is going fast right now and he was looking to breath. Kid might actually have indeed a broken nose. So I'm not sure it's solely a speed thing, seemed to me it's about his injury and there might be some cardio involved as well. But I tell you, once he fixes all that, we've got ourselves an intimidating very good prospect.
- In the category of "That was fun, okay bye". You have
Brouillard, Cadorette, Dekort (though he was great in shootouts),
Glass, Grassi (wasn't impressed today),
Gravel (expected more somehow, looked intimidated),
Guindon (didn't play today...),
Hall (skates well but just invisible to me,
Henley (big....but....just big),
MacAulay (I'm afraid he didn't do enough...),
Todd (totally irrelevant, skates well but still...),
Trainor (hurts me to say this...but if he doesn't score....not sure there's any use to him, didn't see him that much today)
- In the category "Well there might be something there, still 50-50", I'd have
Belzile (shows some good things, works hard, intelligent, wanted to see more today),
Dea (kid wasn't afraid today, good speed, didn't do much offensively, but was often implicated in plays),
Desjardins (got better as the game progressed...another one who despite his size, puts his nose where the danger is...),
Murphy (I guess I'm biased...wasn't stellar today, still liked how simple he played the game today), Shaw (again....was that enough? Was his physical commitment enough to convince that he could be a 4th liner with the Dogs),
Simonelli (My bias towards the NCAA tells me that this kid could be the Dogs Gorges. Everything simple, poised, calm. Will not put you in trouble.);
Suellentrop (In the category of "vet" that could help with his simple game...here's another one)
Now.....for the rest....
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Beaulieu: Wow....just bad today. So much skills and do what you do, loses the puck often, skates well and then nothing happens. Shades of last year's Beaulieu. But in this camp where you HAVE to be better than everybody else....he looks the part...but the end-result was AWFUL.
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Leblanc: Looked determined and very good as the game progressed. I thought it was reassuring to see him the way he played. Really good game
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Andrighetto: Starting to question if the Dogs will have some room for him. I know...just one game. But I have the feeling that small for small, Reway looked MUCH better. There are a lot of bodies in Hamilton...can we let him go in Switzerland, take his pro game there, and then have him back here? I think it's really a good question....and not because I'm the one asking...
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Bennett: I count the days till we see him with the Dogs. My god....what a dream of a puck carrier and a skater. If Bennett would be Beaulieu's size....first he would not have been picked in the 3rd....but he would be our best d-man after Tinordi. Can't wait for this kid to arrive here.
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Boudens: Somehow.....I want him in Hamilton. His energetic pest style would be great to follow with the Dogs. Not the purest of skilled guy...on the contrary, but drives the net like crazy and makes things happen....I really like him.....but he might not be signed by us...but wouldn't be surprised to see the Dogs signing him. Typical AHL contract signing.
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Bournival: Good old Bournival. Skates well, great line today. Nice hands. Good overall game even if I expected a little more.
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Bozon: Pretty quiet all week long for me. There are something missing in his overall game. And when he misses the chances like he missed today....well it doesn't look incredible. Too quiet today for my liking
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Cichy: Was fun Mike. We'll watch you this year to see how you are doing....but you will not be back with us. Thanks though for the memories
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Condon: I love him. Starting to think that if he is loved the way I do, we might see a Condon and Mayer combo.
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Delmas: Tough day today, not sure he was weak though. Pretty shots that beat him.
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Didier: Just big and solid. Improved his puck skills though will never be an offensive d-man. But we do have a pretty solid defensive d-man in our hands.
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Dietz: Love the kid....but tough day today. Fumbled the puck often, and really wasn't that fast until....he put one heck of a slapper over Fucale's glove. A Fucale though that didn't have a stick 'cause he was banged in his net just previously.
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Ellis: Solid and reliable. Nothing spectacular
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Fournier: Had a pretty bad 1st part, took 2 bad penalties, but then, was better as the game progressed. Was driving the net, injured himself a little doing it. Still looked much more assertive as the game progressed.
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Grégoire: Totally invisible and when I was looking for him. Was indeed looking slow. That line with Andrighetto and McCarron was not clicking.
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Holland: Wow...just wow. Not that I was ready to write him off, but this kid has such a high IQ that he looked NHL ready. Looked one step ahead of everybody. Everything was going great for him today, great shot, great passes, great everything. Impressive.
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Hudon: Tough 1st minute, 2 turnovers on the 1st shift...pretty uneventful rest of the game though showed his skills throughout the game. Not an incredible showing though. With what we've seen from him, we could maybe eve put it as a bad game. But don't worry, he'll bounce right back
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MacMillan: Small Mac seems to want to add a physical aspect of his game and that's fine with me. Looks much more bigger than the last camp we saw him, he used the North Dakota facilities really really well. Rest of his game though was pretty meh....
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Pateryn: I just wouldn't want to play this guy. He pretty much had to restrained himself from not sending anybody in the hospital. I saw him breaking a whole lot of times to avoid big time collisions. Solid, tough and mean player. Not sure if he has the upside to ever make it as a regular NHL'er....but as of now, you'd love to think so.
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Quailer: Really tall. To me, this is kid we'll say goodbye too once his contract ends. My feeling.
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Reway: Really thin and small...but wants the puck so bad and really talented. If this kid could ever find a way to put some beef on that frame....we might forget who the 3rd Subban was....
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Thomas: Up and down game. Expected more for a guy who is borderline NHL'er. Shows his quick wrister but wasn't implicated that much in the game. Great speed...I have no idea what people were saying about him. Watch his technique...not that bad. I mean, I guess that his biggest problem would be to find 2 better teamates...But I do expect more from him....we did get rid of MY Danny Kristo....you've got to be MUCH better Mr.Thomas...
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Thrower: Uneventful. Tried to carry the puck a little more on the 2nd half of the game. Had a great hit on I don't remember who. Aside from that....nothing much
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Tinordi: Ahead of everybody. Nothing to see. Next.
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Vail: See him as a future big 3rd liner. Yet today....not his greatest skating day. Tough, really solid, great balance...but nothing in the offensve...and nothing in the legs.
I might have missed somebody, I'll come back to add him. Feel free to ask though I will be leaving for something real soon, coming back around supper time.
They need another Dman or two IMO, big punishing Dmen like Teubert and A.Plante. Desjardins could be a good forward to add by the sound of his play.
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