Rookie Showcase

[Porter Stoutheart]

Couple of fights in the 2nd. Matier and Riley Bezeau... our guy has the size, but Bezeau has that extra year against men and got the decision. Then Lind against Josh Davies.... they are both junior players, and while Davies is not big, like 5'9" he's like a Jordin Tootoo fire hydrant and has a lot of fighting experience in junior, so no real surprise he was stronger than Lind.

2-1 Panthers after 2. Preds are outshooting them 23-15, but it's a pretty even game.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Hmph, a 4-2 loss despite outshooting the Panthers 40-21. It was probably a little more even than the shots might suggest, but special teams and opportunism were definitely against the Preds.

I don't think goaltending was to blame. Grigals looks a bit small in net, but aside from the short-side late goal, I thought he looked alright. I guess I have a few more thoughts about individual players now after 2 games of seeing these guys, but I'll save all that for after Game 3. Not playing Stastney today definitely makes a difference on D, no question he is our best guy there, but it was already a little unfair to even have him in this tourney.

I guess we won the shoot-out with goals from Mutter and L'Heureux, but that's just fun for the fans in these games. I thought our energy guys like Lind, Mutter were playing their roles nicely. So it was a nice nod for some of those guys to get a chance in the shootout.

0-2 now... I guess not entirely what we hoped for given some of the players we sent here, but no biggie. Guys are getting their taste of things. Winning it was never really the objective.

 

[OHLoutsider2020]

Couple of fights in the 2nd. Matier and Riley Bezeau... our guy has the size, but Bezeau has that extra year against men and got the decision. Then Lind against Josh Davies.... they are both junior players, and while Davies is not big, like 5'9" he's like a Jordin Tootoo fire hydrant and has a lot of fighting experience in junior, so no real surprise he was stronger than Lind.

2-1 Panthers after 2. Preds are outshooting them 23-15, but it's a pretty even game.

Total of 8 goals against this tourney and Matier plus player in both games. Solid all around. The fight was a bonus.

 

[PredsV82]

So who scored our goals tonight?

 

[AintLifeGrand]

some invitee and molendyk apparently

if we had simon knak out there we would be 2-0 no doubt

 

[Olderfan]

Winning rookie tourney games isn’t important. It wasn’t important to them either, yet they won and feel better. 2G out of 40S is a little disappointing. Need finishers.
But just rookie exhibitions; doesn’t mean anything. On to Game 3. After which the big boys show up.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

So who scored our goals tonight?

Wall got a tuck-in near the side of the net, but was otherwise fairly invisible I thought. I am drawing a blank atm on the 2nd goal, but if folks say Molendyk, sounds good. Too much week-end day drinking. I have definitely liked Molendyk these games. He carries the puck and stands nicely at the line, for an 18-year old, he stands out a lot. I would say he's either our 2nd or 3rd best D this tourney so far. Which is very impressive for his age. You expect Stastney and Wilsby to be the best ones. They are just that much older and more experienced. But Molendyk stands out, and I have thought Prokop has done a fairly nice job too, playing "calm" and threading pucks through to the net.

Matier, Sward, and today MacKinnon... well, these are junior players, and you can't ask for much. Those guys just aren't ready yet, and that's fair enough for where they are at.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

I've like Molendyk as well. His physicality has surprised me based on what I read on the draft scouting reports.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I've like Molendyk as well. His physicality has surprised me based on what I read on the draft scouting reports.

He seems to have the "it" factor, he has the confidence to try to carry the puck or make stretch passes, he isn't "playing it safe" and minimizing his skillset like the other younger D are. Watching him play, I like this pick a lot more than I did on draft day, that's for sure. If he plays 2 more years of junior, he's going to be quite a beast at that level, I suspect.

 

[Kat Predator]

He seems to have the "it" factor, he has the confidence to try to carry the puck or make stretch passes, he isn't "playing it safe" and minimizing his skillset like the other younger D are. Watching him play, I like this pick a lot more than I did on draft day, that's for sure. If he plays 2 more years of junior, he's going to be quite a beast at that level, I suspect.

I liked the pick. Seemed like a good move to draft the monster who lived under Connor Bedard's bed.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Molendyk gave me similar vibes to Girard, watching him early after we drafted him. He's more physical than that, but seemed to be really confident in what he does.

We've got breakfast hockey dropping the puck at 9 this morning.

https://x.com/PredsNHL/status/1703763371206615524?s=20

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Ugly start for MacKinnon. Turned it over and bounced it right off the Car forward into the net.

Molendyk looking super active and causing all kinds of issues for Car

 

[Scoresberg]

I'm going to get seasick by watching this feed.

 

[Scoresberg]

Before Rookie Camp, I was almost making a statement that Afanasyev would make the team out of camp.

Safe to say, I am nowhere near as eager to make that statement anymore.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Active in the offensive zone with 16 shots already with 1;41 in the 1st remaining. Nothing to show for it though.

 

[herzausstein]

Molendyk is looking like a really solid choice for our draft pick.

Askarov may be more active behind the net than Pekka was. If he becomes our starter in the future, i may have to double my blood pressure meds.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Molendyk is looking like a really solid choice for our draft pick.

Askarov may be more active behind the net than Pekka was. If he becomes our starter in the future, i may have to double my blood pressure meds.

Ha, that's no joke. He isn't just playing the puck behind the net, he's actively poke checking and shielding the puck for possession. He think's he's a 3rd dman back there it seems.

 

[herzausstein]

Ha, that's no joke. He isn't just playing the puck behind the net, he's actively poke checking and shielding the puck for possession. He think's he's a 3rd dman back there it seems.

Gotta say he is calm under defensive pressure. He turns around and uses his body to shield the puck and makes a clean pass out. Still.... the things this does to my heart.....

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

If Suzuki and Ponomarev were loaned to the Ads, I would not complain...

 

[Scoresberg]

Molendyk fumbles the puck on the Carolina blueline after which Ryan Suzuki gets a breakaway. Askarov cannot bail them out and it's 2-0.

Rough day for the -23 drafted defensemen.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

Before Rookie Camp, I was almost making a statement that Afanasyev would make the team out of camp.

Safe to say, I am nowhere near as eager to make that statement anymore.

Could have told you that a year ago

 

[Scoresberg]

Molendyk is rough today..

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Molendyk is rough today..

Had 2 bad puck mistakes, but otherwise I've thought he's been really good.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

After watching a decent amount of the past 3 games, I think its fair to say our Prospect Pool is very overrated.

Its unacceptable that we passed on Andrew Cristall, Gracyn Sawchyn etc for Kalan Lind and Austin Roest

We have no one capable of distributing the puck or playing with any creativity outside of Evangelista and Kemmell

 

[Scoresberg]

2-1 O'Brien (Wall, Kondelik)