Tri-City came into to Youngstown for a pair of games and got the weekend series off to a great start by handling the Phantoms with conviction on Friday night. The depth and speed that Tri-City played with was just too much for Youngstown to counter. The Storm buzzed around the ice and played with a lot of energy while out shooting the Phantoms 33-19 in the contest. There were no lulls in the game as they played a complete and impressive road game.
SEE BELOW FOR PLAYER GAME GRADES:
Mitchell Miller (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B) Defense
Mitchell has been on a tear recently in terms of his offensive output from the blue line and it carried over in tonight’s game. He was up in the play and involved offensively. His ability to pick his spots on when to support the offense was impressive. He was able to be up ice or below the top of the circles without getting caught when the possession changed teams. He played well with his partner and used him as an outlet when pressured in order to relieve pressure. Pucks were kept on his fore hand often and he didn’t over handle and put himself in tough situations. He didn’t bail out of hits and was able to absorb checks in order to get the puck up ice. GAME LINE: 1-2-3 (2 SOG) GAME GRADE: A
Colby Ambrosio (4.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B) Forward
His best asset is his feet as he played with speed up and down the ice. He constantly put pressure on the defense off the rush with the pace of his play. He is able to make plays at full speed whether it was finding a line mate or created his own shot. A quick stick to go along with his feet made him dangerous often. Although undersized, he showed the willingness to get around the net and bang in a rebound for his goal. He has vision and sense with the puck on his stick and drew a lot of attention. His body can still get stronger in the next couple of years which adds some upside to his already existing talent level. GAME LINE: 1-0-1 (4 SOG) GAME GRADE: A-
Matthew Knies (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — B+) Forward
Matthew is a late ‘02’ and not eligible until the 2021 NHL Draft and is making a strong impression in his first USHL season. A mix of power and skilled forward attributes have him producing at a high level. He is a powerful skater with the ability to change direction with the puck on his stick. His thick body and soft hands allowed him to be very hard to deal with down low for Youngstown. He was able to slow the game down in the offensive zone and play with defenders on his hips. Several cut backs while protecting pucks and then was able to get his head up and move the puck to the open man. He played with a ton of confidence and poise with the puck tonight for a young player. GAME LINE: 0-1-1 (1 SOG) GAME GRADE: B+
Michael Koster (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+, 2019 round 5 #146 overall by Toronto Maple Leafs) Defense
Michael was a 5 th round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has adjusted well in his first season of Junior hockey after coming out of Minnesota High School hockey. His mobility sticks out like a sore thumb as he gets around the ice effortlessly. He had his head up with the puck and put pucks directly on the tape of his forwards which created offense. His feet and puck skills allowed him to walk the blue line and create lanes to move the puck or get it to the net. Tough to fore check as he used his feet to beat the first fore checker before getting the puck up ice. He kept pucks alive in the offensive zone by getting to pucks and keeping the offense alive. GAME LINE: 0-1-1 (3 SOG) GAME GRADE: B+
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Game Report: Lenny Hofmann