Post-Game Talk: Young Stars Classic - Canucks def. Sharks - 3-2 (Horvat, Jensen, Lolwho? (Johnston))

[vanuck]

So tired, i haven't even rewatched this one... If there are mistakes or glaring omissions, sorry! How does MAK do this after every game? He is god. I'm dead and i have work in 4 hours!

Now THAT is dedication... Thanks for doing this feebs.

 

[me2]

Flames look much more dynamic than our prospect group. Going to be an interesting matchup.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

So tired, i haven't even rewatched this one... If there are mistakes or glaring omissions, sorry! How does MAK do this after every game? He is god. I'm dead and i have work in 4 hours!

I think there is a mistake on the boxscores. The assist on Johnston's goal is Pacan, not Guimond from what i can tell.

Excellent job - thanks, feebs!

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Boxscore, for those curious: http://canucks.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=63786

Scoring plays were Horvat from Shinkaruk, Jensen from Blomstrand, and Johnston from Guimond.

 

[Tiranis]

Am I the only one that remembers that Lack looked totally uncomfortable the first few games in North America? He got results just like Eriksson did but he certainly didn't look very confident or composed.

 

[tantalum]

So it looks from what I've been reading and the highlights they have that really everyone is to a great degree coming as advertised:

Horvat - solid player that might be close.

Shinkaruk - creative and potentially dynamic but undersized at this time

Jensen - he's a goal scorer that needs to work on shift to shift consistency (Be interesting if Torts can get that out of him in camp)

Gaunce - solid positionally and strong defensive IQ but mobility may be an issue

Subban - talented but undersized and a high risk player

and then you have a handful of OK but far from spectacular D-men.

I don't put much stock on Eriksson's first game in the NA one way or the other. Guy will need time to adjust and settle down. And really you can say the same thing about most of these kids. They need a chance to settle down, figure out how to elevate play etc that one game at this prospect level doesn't tell us much.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

The future rosters are fun to look at but they are usually so far off. Look back in a few years and it will be only a few names that turned out. It's hilarious to look at threads from 5 years ago.

The fact that most of these future rosters leave off Hansen is concerning.

Anyway, thank's for the insight, game watching guys... glad there seems to be some hope for our future.

 

[Bleach Clean]

So it looks from what I've been reading and the highlights they have that really everyone is to a great degree coming as advertised:

Horvat - solid player that might be close.

Shinkaruk - creative and potentially dynamic but undersized at this time

Jensen - he's a goal scorer that needs to work on shift to shift consistency (Be interesting if Torts can get that out of him in camp)

Gaunce - solid positionally and strong defensive IQ but mobility may be an issue

Subban - talented but undersized and a high risk player

and then you have a handful of OK but far from spectacular D-men.

I don't put much stock on Eriksson's first game in the NA one way or the other. Guy will need time to adjust and settle down. And really you can say the same thing about most of these kids. They need a chance to settle down, figure out how to elevate play etc that one game at this prospect level doesn't tell us much.

Missed the game, does anyone have a link to the full game?

The comments about Gaunce are disconcerting. Hopefully, this was just a one off. Even with that said, I'm much more interested in what Jensen is doing because unlike Gaunce, Jensen doesn't really have solid play away from the puck to fall back on. He must develop a stronger 2way game.

 

[PhilMick]

Was at the game and saw things much differently than most on this thread

<snip>

.

Stopped scanning back through the thread here; always appreciate an orcatown review, even though it sometimes has discouraging news. Thanks for the summary

A couple questions:

nevermind, answered by feebster's awesome video.

 

[ChilliBilly]

watch the highlight reel at the top of this page.

Hertl crosschecked a canuck into the boards

 

[PhilMick]

watch the highlight reel at the top of this page.

Hertl crosschecked a canuck into the boards

That was next on my list of things to do.

Hah, that video answered both my questions. Awesome.

 

[arsmaster*]

Missed the game, does anyone have a link to the full game?

The comments about Gaunce are disconcerting. Hopefully, this was just a one off. Even with that said, I'm much more interested in what Jensen is doing because unlike Gaunce, Jensen doesn't really have solid play away from the puck to fall back on. He must develop a stronger 2way game.

Gaunce's issues are being overstated in this thread.

People expect these guys to stick out like sore thumbs with flash and dash. Gaunce will never stick out like that. It's not his game or his style.

Jensen's game away from the puck was ok, but he's an offensive player...both he and Shinkaruk were always looking to push the puck on offense when sometimes a safer or smarter play would have been better.

Again, hard to take too much from this game.

 

[arsmaster*]

Guimond rushed the puck like I would have liked to see Tommernes and others rush it. People complain about a lack of puck rushing prospects, this guy could gain the offensive zone better than any dman on either team last night.

Yes, raw, yes risky, but he had the skills to get it there....the big wind up from the point for his shot needs to speed up. Should be at least decent in the AHL (a non lockout talent pool down there should help all our guys).

 

[quat]

This was the first game for a lot of these guys. Can't write off NHL chances based on this one. I expect a lot of these guys to get better as the tourney goes on.

Yeah ... reading some of these reviews, some of the criticism seems a bit over the top given this is the first time many of these guys have played together. There was a ton of individual play going on for the first couple of periods, as much defensively as offensively, so it tended to make a lot of the players look boring or ineffective. I'd say Cassels, Blomstrand, Jensen and Gaunce were good examples of this. They were pretty committed to keeping the other team from getting too many good looks at the net.

As the game wore on and guys started to get comfortable and played more of a team game, this group of guys started to be more effective offensively.

Other than maybe Horvat, I didn't see anyone that didn't look like another year in junior or the AHL wouldn't be of benefit. Heh ... how's that for turning negatives into positives? (sentence structure ..)

 

[Bleach Clean]

Gaunce's issues are being overstated in this thread.

People expect these guys to stick out like sore thumbs with flash and dash. Gaunce will never stick out like that. It's not his game or his style.

Jensen's game away from the puck was ok, but he's an offensive player...both he and Shinkaruk were always looking to push the puck on offense when sometimes a safer or smarter play would have been better.

Again, hard to take too much from this game.

Yes, I'm hoping that the opinions on Gaunce were overstated. I did not watch the game so cannot accurately judge. Still a big fan of this prospect.

What was Jensen's vision like? He can put the blinders on from time to time and not utilize his teammates well.

 

[arsmaster*]

Yes, I'm hoping that the opinions on Gaunce were overstated. I did not watch the game so cannot accurately judge. Still a big fan of this prospect.

What was Jensen's vision like? He can put the blinders on from time to time and not utilize his teammates well.

Honestly, I just tried to watch the game last night as a fan (my 10 year old daughter can attest as I screamed out loud when Bo scored, and I woke her up when Hertl hit Tommernes).

Jensen is and always will be a shooter, he got a number of shots and created chances (I felt he drew at least 2 penalties that weren't called). I don't think he tried to puck hog or go one one one when it wasn't the right play, but I remember one instance where he made a blind pass in his own zone (a creative play) but it didn't come off and they didn't get the puck out of the zone.

He did hussle on the back check and put himself into good positions in the neutral zone I thought.

 

[Proto]

I love hearing everyone's thoughts, but some of the over-the-top declarations (both positive and negative) after a single game in early September are... putting about fifty-seven carts before a miniature horse.

 

[quat]

I love hearing everyone's thoughts, but some of the over-the-top declarations (both positive and negative) after a single game in early September are... putting about fifty-seven carts before a miniature horse.

Yes, but the flowing mane on the horse, how it catches the light!

 

[Proto]

Yes, but the flowing mane on the horse, how it catches the light!

It's a sign of good genetic breeding. If that horse grows another foot... it will never be a clydesdale, but if it can run like the wind, it won't matter!

 

[Lindgren]

Guimond rushed the puck like I would have liked to see Tommernes and others rush it. People complain about a lack of puck rushing prospects, this guy could gain the offensive zone better than any dman on either team last night.

Yes, raw, yes risky, but he had the skills to get it there....the big wind up from the point for his shot needs to speed up. Should be at least decent in the AHL (a non lockout talent pool down there should help all our guys).

I'm so happy to read this after taking in all the criticism of my long-shot pick for an impressive showing. I say Guimond will improve throughout the tournament and get some positive comments from the coaches. (Earlier I predicted he'd get in some exhibition games, but since he's on an AHL contract, I'm supposing that's not possible.)

 

[WetcoastOrca]

For what it's worth. How Botchford viewed Jensen. Interesting that a couple of scouts also singled him out.

"From beginning to end, from my perch, he had the best game. In the second intermission, some scouts were commenting on how “free” he looked on the ice. He looked more explosive than I’ve seen him and when I asked the scouts which player was surprising them in this game, two immediately said Jensen."

 

[tantalum]

When it comes down to it, Shinkaruk, Horvat, Jensen, Corrado, gaunce, Eriksson and a handful of others are through to main camp no matter what they do. For them this is about staying out of the doghouse and learning what the coaching staff is teaching them about the system so they are ready to hit main camp in stride.

I don't worry about those guys at all at this point as their evaluation will truly be seen later (that isn't to say they should be dogging it, but I expect they will be keeping some gas in the tank). It's the lesser lights like Cassels and guys wanting to earn a contract that are going to be going full tilt.

You have two groups of guys:

-a slightly higher potential group saving a bit of something for a week from now and

-a group leaving it all on the ice to earn a camp spot

When that happens you end up with guys who you think should stand out from the first group not doing so and guys from the second group that are surprising you. So, in short, it's a rookie tourney don't get too high on the surprises and don't get too down on the "disappointments" because in all likelihood the surprises will quickly bow out in main camp and disappointments will start showing their worth.



@lindgren....he can certainly see preseason action. Players don't need to be under nhl contracts. Quite often teams will invite those AHL contract guys to camp for the chance to earn a two-way deal (now or later).

 

[Wisp]

For what it's worth. How Botchford viewed Jensen. Interesting that a couple of scouts also singled him out.

"From beginning to end, from my perch, he had the best game. In the second intermission, some scouts were commenting on how “free†he looked on the ice. He looked more explosive than I’ve seen him and when I asked the scouts which player was surprising them in this game, two immediately said Jensen."

Just goes to show how 'what have you done for me lately?' skews some around here.

 

[Lindgren]

@lindgren....he can certainly see preseason action. Players don't need to be under nhl contracts. Quite often teams will invite those AHL contract guys to camp for the chance to earn a two-way deal (now or later).

Thanks for that info! Go Guimond!

 

[tantalum]

Thanks for that info! Go Guimond!

Really no difference to giving a veteran a professional tryout. It's a chance for him to earn a spot and a contract coming out of camp.

Pretty sure Burrows earned his first NHL deal in this manner. He was a Moose finding that was invited to the canucks camp and he earned his deal (not sure the timing of the deal if it was from that camp or he impressed enough that they kept an eye on him and signed him later).