Had to tape the Erie game from yesterday. They look like the powerhouse they're suppose to be. I was real excited to see Cernak for the first time. Biggest impression is he's a net protector. He'll make sure you know he's there, sometimes even after the whistle. A few times, including once on Barzal he made sure to put the unlucky passerby right on the ground. 2nd biggest thing is he's more athletic than I thought he'd be. I was expecting more of a reserved stay at home type, but with the way Erie attacks and gets up ice he has no problem joining the offense and being aggressive. He'll carry the puck up or pinch in deep inthe offensive zone if need be. The standout play was a puck he collected high along the wall and took it low and around the net for a wrap around, beating out the guy defending him. Was not expecting that.
Raddysh also looked great. There's definetely a big difference between playin against the average CHL kids and the top WJC teams like the US and Russia. And it showed. He looked a lot faster against his competition and had the puck a whole lot more than he did wih Team Canada a few months back. He had a breakaway and it could of been 2. The speed and smarts difference of his competition really lets him dominate more. So the questions still remain for him, but it was nice to see him be a big piece of his Erie team and play like it.
And then there's Cirelli. Everything still holds true for him too. Great job winning face offs, on the penalty kill, constantly makes plays, including a lot that made their way over to Raddysh. And when Erie was protecting their lead with Seatles goalie pulled, of course it was Cirelli who shined once again and helped create the empty net goal. Consistant and impactful as he was when I saw him during the WJC.
Lastly I know a lot of people here are high on Darren Raddysh, but in my very limited viewing of him, it was very meh. He plays like a 4th forward but he wasn't as impressive as his stats suggest. I look forward to watching him more and getting a better picture.