So last night the Russians won the game, tying the series 3-3 and bringing it to a shootout. Comtois scored the only goal to clinch the series for the CHL and he was awarded player of the game for the Q team. Both he and Morand were scoreless in the game, but their line was the best one for the Q all night. I think Comtois and Batherson (OTT) were the best players for the Q team.
Comtois is a beast down low and along the boards. It felt like he won every board battle he was engaged in and was so hard to knock off of the puck. He's excellent at stripping the puck from opposing players, has good offensive instincts and a really good shot. He goes to the net and routinely had the Russians going at him after the whistles. A really impressive game for him all around. Stylistically he plays like Maroon with a bit of Mark Stone in him. I think the biggest question marks with him at the next level are 1)skating (He's not slow, but also not a speed demon), and 2) how his play down low will translate when he's no longer the strongest player on the ice. His board battles weren't won with size alone, he knows how to use his stick and feet to keep control of the puck and is good at using his teammates on the cycle, but it's something to keep in mind. All in all, I came away really impressed by him and think he's a great pick for 50th overall. He played center and wing, alternating with Morand. Morand was usually the center at even strength but played the point on the powerplay and Comtois would take over center duties. Comtois did however take a few draws at even strength (he was 5/9, Morand 8/10 iirc).
Morand played well and wore an A for the Q team. He's small but smart and has good hands, and not afraid to go into the corners with players much bigger than him. He made a couple nice plays defensively, at one point he took the puck from a Russian defender and then proceeded to see right around him. He wasn't as big of a factor as Comtois however, but the 2 did play well off of each other and he does have good instincts. He didn't have near the impact of Comtois though.
One last thought: on a few occasions they had Joe Veleno on their wing, and he worked really well with the two of them on the cycle and they hemmed the Russians in the zone almost every time they were there in the second period. They were dominant that period. If injuries cause the wheels to fall off this year, or if he falls in the rankings (his start was underwhelming) I would love to have Veleno on this team.