Recap:
This WHL match-up at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan was a close game the entire 60 minutes. Both teams seemed to come out slow in the first period as there were a bunch of turnovers and not a lot of quality scoring opportunities. As the game continued, the pace and quality of play both improved significantly. The score was 1-1 heading into the third period and the Warriors goalie was the main reason for such a close score. He was peppered with shots and came up with save after save to keep his team in it. In the final minute and forty seconds, the Wheat Kings put home a rebound goal to go up 2 to 1. They would add a third goal (empty net) with only a few seconds left on the clock to make the final score 3-1. This game left the Wheat Kings sitting in third place in the Eastern Division and the Warriors at fifth in the Eastern Conference Wildcard spot.
Wheat Kings:
Braden Schneider (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A-) Defense
Schneider was the most complete player on the ice for his team. The composed defenseman can do it all. He is physical, competes hard, and plays a professional style game. He ran the Wheat Kings’ power-play as the top man of their umbrella and was the leader of the breakout. He works both sides of the ice efficiently and is an excellent puck mover to open teammates on the wings. He is very aware of his surroundings and is calm under pressure. On the breakout, his head is up and his long stride allows him to blow by the opposition – he makes it look effortless. Braden is a late 2001 and wears the “A” for his team showing his leadership at a young age. On the defensive end, he has very good gap control, will engage with his body, and has a very active stick. He is consistent and will take it end to end if given the space. He was very effective on the power-play, however, he did turn the puck over once which lead to an odd man rush in the opposite direction. In the last 30 seconds of the game, he chipped the puck high and hard off of the glass to get it out during a critical time of the game and was rewarded with an assist on the empty net goal. Game Grade: A-
Ridly Greig (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
Greig is a very quick forward who is always moving out there. He is a clever player and can handle the puck exceptionally well. He catches passes in his feet and was able to make smart passes while under duress. He was also effective on the fore-check as he showed the tenacity to hunt pucks, the ability to take good angles, and the will to break up plays with his active stick. Ridly was also noticed on the zone entry with his ability to slow the game down and create space. On one play, he cut across the top of the circles between three opponents and made a nice drop pass to a trailing forward who sniped it past the talented Warriors goalie. While he didn’t make much noise on the power play, he still showed the ability to move pucks quickly and snap a shot on goal with little space. When given time and room, Greig is a real threat. On one play he came in on the zone entry, hesitated by faking a pass, and then tried roofing the puck in tight but the goalie got there in time. He goes low to help in the defensive zone and showed confidence in his game. He also collected a goal in the final seconds of the game by winning a race to the puck with his feet and tapping it into the empty net. Game Grade: B+
Ethan Kruger (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Goalie
Kruger earned the opportunity to start in this game and came prepared to play. He finished the first period without seeing too much action, but he showed the ability to track pucks well and did not let up many rebounds. He comes out of his net to challenge the shooter and takes good angles. He let up a soft deflection goal in the second period that looked to have maybe hit his own player on the way to the net. This left the game tied 1-1 and from this point on he would be put to the test for the remainder of the game. He finished out the second period with a few highlight saves as he made the initial stop and then turned away the rebound opportunity with only three seconds remaining. In the third period, he then wowed everyone again by making three desperation saves in less than 5 seconds. His save percentage on the year is over 90% off of 19 games played and he earned the win here tonight for his team. Game Grade: B
Ben McCartney (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
McCartney is a quick player who was constantly buzzing out there. He accelerates very fast and is solid on his feet. He has a quick set of hands to match his feet and showed the ability to use them to make it out of tight areas. He was effective at clearing the puck on the penalty kill and also had a spot on the second power play for the Wheat Kings. He does a nice job on the wing as he gets pucks out of the defensive zone and will take a hit to make a play. He knows where to be on the ice and showed some physicality when battling for the puck along the boards. He made one play that we noted where he used his stick to break up a play and gain the puck for a 2v1. He then toe dragged the opposition for a quick shot which was blocked by a sprawling defender. Ben has the right instincts, but he needs some polish moving forward. Game Grade: B-
Warriors:
David Homola (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Homola, who looks bigger than his listed size of 6’0, proved to be a good even strength player. We did not see him out there for any special teams, but that didn’t seem to be his role for the Warriors. He uses his body to separate the opposition from the puck and is not afraid to go into the corners with anyone. His feet are alright, but to get to the next level they will need to improve. When under pressure with the puck, he also showed a tendency to throw it and sometimes turn it over. He is a solid player in a very competitive league, but he will need to make some improvements if he wants to eventually make that jump to the next level. Game Grade: C+
Game Evaluation by: Oliver Gignoux
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images