I agree 100%. And other than Howe, do you have some comments about Charlottetown players ?
Logan Cooke didn't look as bad in person as he does on paper. The defence were pretty disorganized. He made a couple of keys saves early on and has good reflexes. Very fast moving. He really needs to work on rebounds though and the Wildcats were shooting high blocker side which came across suspect. I find it really hard to gauge goaltenders , especially in high scoring pre-season games. And that's based solely on tonight's game.
Duncan McKie is very solid. Physical , stay at home defenceman that plays a simple but effective game. He blocked a lot of shots and threw a lot of hits. His skating is decent and hockey sense is good. Cleared the front of the net well and doesn't shy away from anyone. IMO , he definitely is a lock.
Daniel Sprong had a good game. Uses his speed well to skate around the outside. He's a perimeter player with good vision. He made several nice passes and picked up an assist on Allard's goal. He needs to be better without the puck and help out more defensively. I also think it'll take him a half dozen regular season games to adjust to the speed. He's making a bit of a jump in leagues. Overall he was solid and will be an elite playmaker in this league. You guys were lucky to get him as late as you did.
Marco Sedlar looked okay. I didn't notice him a lot early but he came around as the game went on. Strong skater but looked lost at times. There's always going to be that adjustment period. He didn't do well in the faceoff circle. He has good vision and was passing the puck off a lot. I'm not sure what to think and am certainly going to keep on eye on him.
Malik Johnson was a beast tonight. One of the best players for the Islanders tonight. Looked very sturdy and was strong on the puck. Moncton defenders had a hard time containing him. Drove to the net and got in close and dangerous. Generated quite a few good scoring chances and potted a couple on the scoreboard. He was also reliable defensive and made smart decisions with and without the puck. If I had to pick a team tomorrow for Charlottetown , he'd be on it.
Another player I did take notice of and liked was Bradley Kennedy. Smooth skater and very smart. Had a few good scoring chances but couldn't buy a goal to save his life. He was solid defensively as well , usually the first on his line to jump back and help the D. Looks like he could balk up and could be more engaged at times. Looks like he's going to be a solid player in this league.
