Just got back from the game. I thought it was pretty boring but the Bulldogs put on a good show at the end. I haven't seen the replay of Stortini's hit on Kadri, but I didn't think it looked that bad. Maybe I'm too caught up in his junior days, but he embellished it a little. He came back the next shift, but I don't remember seeing him in the third. I'd like to see Stortini sit for it though, he's detrimental to this team.
A few thoughts on some of the players:
-Steve Quailer was alright today. His stride is no where near as awkward looking as it is on TV. It's weird. He can flat out fly too. He used his body pretty good, not for body contact, but shielding the puck and checking the stick.
-Brendan Gallagher was pretty quiet apart from a few shifts. He drove the net a few times and made some good plays to keep possession. It's rather hilarious watching much bigger players trying to push him off and they can't do anything. He strong on his skates and moves well too. He has to work on that shot though, his release is extremely inconsistent.
-I was extremely impressed with Jarred Tinordi's skating. I've mentioned it before, but it's like watching a completely different player. He skates fast, is agile, and has good technique. There's still lots of room to grow, but he's a fantastic skater now, especially since he's 6'6". He still looked a bit awkward though. The puck gets through his legs easy and sometimes it seems just out of reach. He almost crushed a Marlie too in the third.
-Nathan Beaulieu was pretty good. His gap control was surprisingly good. He jumped up on opposing forwards at the right time and kept them at bay for the most part. Offensively, he created a ton of chances. He had one sequence where he went all the way from one point, around the net and to the opposite point. He made it look easy. However, he did force his passes and tried to do too much. He scored at the very end of the game. He threw the puck at the net, celebrated, looked at the clock and put his head down
.
-Patrick Holland played poorly up until about halfway through the third. He did way too much. He's a very cerebral player, but he's not playing like one right now. He's making weird decisions with the puck and is rushing it at awful times. I was surprised by his lower body strength, he's very strong on his skates.
-Michael Bournival was decent. He was quiet for the most part and then like the rest of the Bulldogs he picked up near the end. He made a few turnovers, particularly on the first. He made a few bad reads too. Quailer got put on the second line and Bournival took his place. He looked really good. All over the ice and played really hard. I really like how he battles constantly. I'd say this was one of the worst games that he's played as a Bulldogs and he still had like 4 or 5 turnovers.
-Louis Leblanc played his best game since returning from injury, and to be completely honest, he wasn't very good. He had two nice plays where he cut to the slot and shot, but apart from that he was quiet. His board work was decent, he fought pretty hard at time. He could stand to be more abrasive though.
-Now the best Bulldog of the game, Morgan Ellis. He was great today. He must have played half the game. He was played with 3 different partners too. He's the kind of player who you just feel really confident with. He was very solid defensively and broke up plays well. Offensively he made a nice rush, he picked up an assist too. He pinched at all the right times. I really like the physical element that he brings. Not over the top, just hits at the right times. His skating, while being techniquely good, is slow. He has to improve his speed and acceleration. Tonight it wasn't a problem at all as he used his stick and body well, but he does get burned quite often.