General Game Notes: Kingston deserved to win this game due mainly because they were playing in a more effective and structured way than the home team, Oshawa who in turn were playing more of a reaction type of game. Kingston were basically the more assertive, physical and disciplined team that kept to the games plan and were rewarded for their efforts with a big road win. The Frontenacs settled into the game around the middle of the first period, after the dust settled, and then started playing with structured formations in which the home team Oshawa was constantly chasing and getting drawn into either penalties or away from their net. This left the keeper for Oshawa to only make saves in desperation, rebounds were more than usual and these rebounds resulted in goals against. Oshawa shortened the bench in the final 10 minutes of the third, making a game of it, but ran out of time before the visiting team was able to get the empty net goal to seal the win.
|Maleek^McGowan|
Game Grade: B
Comments: Maleek is a very strong skating player with a powerful stride and is extremely effective defensively playing against almost any player on the opposing team who will attempt to play the game with only the skill factor, usually in a one on one situation. Maybe Maleek could have been better with a tighter gap position than he was playing, and he probably didn’t play in as assertive and physical way, that is going to be expected in the future, when he gets more seasoned. He did not disappoint though by playing the game as if he was going to fail. Not afraid, coupled with a quiet confidence, not drawing attention to himself and occasionally chipping in with his offensive game, which netted an assist on the game sheet, is how I sum up Maleek, in this game.
|Ethan^Miedema|
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Ethan is not the player who I watched this fall when he attended the NHL rookie tournament in Buffalo. He seems to have slowed down, backed off in his physical style and approach, and then, for the most part, was expecting the game to come to him. I think that he has to go back to the way he plays more effectively and this means that he’s going to have to work hard again and fight for the puck against all comers, and then we will see him play again at what he does best. This means that the game for Ethan is a simple one, of taking anything that the opposing team is going to give and then not give it back. He seems to have lost his bone, and the other dogs have it. He just simply needs to get it back.
|Paul^Ludwinski|
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Paul is his team’s first line leader who can motivate the rest of his team just by demonstrating his dogged determination to win every battle. It’s just that simple. He was the best player for both teams in this game and was probably winning anything that would constitute a measurable statistic for the game. Most effective offensive player, most faceoff wins, most assist (tie with Soto)3, most goals 2, most takeaways, most hits resulting in turnovers, most ice time logged, etcetera… I think that I have heard, in the background and not in a convincing way, that he is going to be a good American league player. He has been silencing his critics for a while now and will have to keep doing it, for some reason he is an underdog. I don’t doubt this player, if given the opportunity, will play in the show and play it well. P.S. The Canadian Juniors were in need of a player like this guy who has been showing off his very huge heart. Most effective category of all, in my opinion
|Cal^Uens|
Game Grade: B
Comments: Cal has been playing in this league for the better part of three years,and is on his second team here in Kingston. He is just starting to get physically developed and he’s a very good skating player that uses his skill side, along with his high hockey IQ to navigate through the maze of oversized players who have a tendency to get in the way of a skilled athlete like Cal. His competitive style and leadership qualities are a very important part of Cals makeup and if he is given the opportunity to show his stuff on the offensive end of his teams PP, I have a sneaky suspicion that he will have some success which is worth the gamble in the long run. Tonight he was rocked a couple of times but he just keeps getting up, dusted himself off and played the role he was given, never complaining.
|Roman^Schmidt|
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Roman is a great big player that will be given every opportunity to succeed when he finishes his OHL career in Kingston. I think that he’s a good player who is able to play the 3-4-5 role as long as he doesn’t get too far back in his defensive game, and allow the opposing teams faster skating players catch him with his feet pointing in the wrong direction. Roman scored a goal on the PP tonight and it appeared as if he was surprised by the result. He has a very good shot and should use it if he has the time, like he did tonight.
|Jacob^Battaglia|
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Jacob has a very good set of hands to help him to utilize his big frame, in and around the opposing teams end and especially in the scoring areas. Tonight he scored a goal and added a couple of assists in these areas. He was also a consistent threat to score, not only on the PP but when he was in the even strength situations. If Jacob is diligent about his skating development changes, which are very apparent to the trained eye, he is worth the investment and he will be drafted into the NHL. I think that if he can get the feet to match up with his very good understanding of the game, with or without the puck, you could have a good NHL prospect for the future.
|Matthew^Soto|
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Matthew is an extremely interesting prospect for the upcoming NHL’s draft group. He definitely has a good grasp of the game and the offensive side formations that his team has in place. He was also able to make offensive decisions on the PP and when his team was in even strength situations. He and his teammates were rewarded with the win, and Matthew was playing a big part in this game as he picked up three assists. His defensive game, like many other players in this league is the only knock against him, and for me Matthew needs to be more than an offensive side of a player. He has the gift of his skating speed in order to get into the opposing teams passing lanes, rather than just be a chaser who looks as though he’s trying to get back to defend. His efforts are within his capabilities.
|Jacob^Oster|
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Jacob was just a little bit late in his puck tracking, and as a result, at this level of play, he was seemingly just able to make the save, barely. The rebounds that he was kicking right back into the play, were for the most part, why he allowed four of the five goals scored while he was in the net. The only goal that he wasn’t in the net for was the empty net goal in the third period.
|Luke^Torrance|
Game Grade: B
Comments: Luke has always been a fair sized guy who has been showing up for his teammates when the game is playing in the assertive physical style, and I think that he’s very effective when he’s playing in this manner or style. He is one of his teams most tenacious puck pursuing players in and around the opposing teams net and will compete with anyone for the puck in these said areas. Where I think Luke would become more effective, would be if he could lose some of his bulkiness, and therefore he would be able to move in a quicker manner around the ice. This half of a step would likely put him in front of his opponents rather than being the chasing player. Still not a bad game though. One of his teams consistent players who gave his best each and every shift.
|Luca^Marrelli|
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Luca’s not only a very strong skating offensive player that was creating separation from his opponents when he was carrying the puck, in all three areas of play. He was also involved physically and was able to engage with any of the players who were attempting to gain territory in front or around his net. Luca assisted on the first goal for his team and was his teams quarterback for his team’s PP. He is versatile enough to warrant time to get some PK time as well due to his very good defensive positioning skills. He has been showing improvement in his own end, despite his notable lack of physical strength, although he is a much better defender than his earlier couple of years, when he was physically immature. I like Luca’s chances to be drafted in this upcoming NHL’S draft.
|Calum^Ritchie|
Game Grade: B
Comments: Calum is a very slick and intelligent guy who, when given time to make plays with his tricy skill level, style of play and with that is going to make you pay. Tonight he was totally overmatched, by his opponents, especially when he was matched up against Ludwinski, who was playing with the assertive physical style, and Calum had not much of a response. The defensive system that Kingston had in place was effective in this game, which is one that can be used against a team that relies on their offensive skills and not their grit. Calum is a very smart and slick player that is not much of a gritty character. He did get the puck to Sennecke for a big goal in the third period, which was the only goal that he was credited for with an assist.
|Dylan^Roobroeck|
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Dylan scored a goal in the second period to tie the game at the time, 3-3. I think that Dylan is also one of the tallest players in this league could potentially be still filling out, though I don’t know if it’ll make much difference in his overall game. He was getting top player ice time, which consisted of PP and PK. He is a bit of a presence, and he has a lot of offensive skills in his bag of tricks, that being a good shot, with some zip on it. His reach is off the charts for a player of his size. I just don’t think that tonight he was very effective on the offensive side of the game, which was really evident when he was stripped of the puck time and time again, and then he has no response or intention to make the effort to get it back, probably because he really doesn’t have any power in his stride or strength in his upper body when he leans into the opposing teams players who just took the puck away from him. I think that he can get stronger if he puts more emphasis on the off ice daily work required to be a top professional hockey player. This is all up to Dylan. If he is not willing to do the work, he can be sure that he will remain a member of the middle range scoring players.
|Tyler^Graham|
Game Grade: B-
Comments: I haven’t seen Tyler play since his U 16 draft year, when he was a much more dominant player who was playing against players that for the most part were smaller than himself. Fast forward to a year and a half later, I think that he’s still about the same size and strength wise appears to be a little bit stronger mainly showing in his skating speed. Tyler appears tentative behavior that I don’t think I saw before, and looking at his history of injuries could be why. Didn’t really get much ice time in this game so it is not fair to say much more.
|Tristan^Delisle|
Game Grade: B
Comments: Tristan was playing in a physical, assertive manner that was reminiscent of last season when he was a good skating player that liked to stir it up for his team and also was known to play in a rambunctious way. He scored a goal, his team’s first, early in the 1st period,when his line caught the Frontenac D napping, causing a turnover and he was waiting at the side of a wide open net, and tapped it in. He is a hard working player who understands the importance of his defensive side of the game and was able to contribute by chipping away when his line was called upon to try to create more of these turnovers and play in a sound defensive manner. Now Tristan has to continue to work hard on trying to get stronger, especially in his core and try to find more speed in his stride, which can be tinkered with to get a good, long explosive extension when he works with his power skating coaches. I like his competitive style and his above average hockey IQ is going to get him to the next level.
|Beckett^Sennecke|
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Beckett was not much of an effective player when he was playing in the slower grinding areas, like along the boards or in the corners of the ice. When he gets the separation from these higher traffic areas and is able to get up to speed where he’s able to use his extremely good stick skills for extension in order to make superb passing plays or to get the puck to the net, he is displaying top level professional level finesse and finishing touch. In this game he was pretty much kept at bay for most of the first two and a half periods. The bench was shortened, and then he was playing with more freedom. He was actually the best player on the ice for both teams during that period of time when he was dominating at times. He scored a goal that got the fans out of their seats and I think that I said to myself ‘where have you been hiding ‘? If he can get to that level on a regular basis he will be a first round pick in this NHL draft group and even if he was to play in the manner that he was playing during the earlier part of this game, he will be taken in the early stages of the draft just because he is still growing in stature and strength.
|Zachary^Sandhu|
Game Grade: B
Comments: I’m going to give Zachary the positive side of his games report as he deserves it due to his being courageous enough to try things that are only going to pay off in his future. This player has a very good skating stride and is generating enough speed off his rush to get a check mark on his offensive game. He was giving up a bit more space, in the neutral zone when the opposing teams players were attacking, but that is to be expected from a young player who is trying to get used to playing for a new team and league, for now. He was immediately impressive when he was able to make an offensive rush and gained entry into the opposing teams end. He was also involved physically when he was engaged in battles with good players, along the boards and in front of his teams net.
|Benjamin^Danford|
Game Grade: B
Comments: Ben, outside of the occasionally big hit and run offensively up the ice didn’t do much more than qualify as a defensive minded player who can take care of his own end. He was having trouble with the flow of the opposing teams game and it appeared that his switch offs were not necessarily natural and labored. Looking like he’s got a good shot from the point where he can keep it low and gets it through. Not a strong game but maybe he was having trouble adjusting to the opposing teams flow.
|Stuart^Rolofs|
Game Grade: B
Comments: Stuart had a few moments when he showed me flashes of offensive, opportunistic, skills and that was usually when he was on the PP. He was also not very accurate in his shooting, as he was misfiring over the net with his hard shot. For his final season he is presently producing a point a game and if he can hit the net with his chances could have a good ending to his junior hockey career.
|Owen^Griffin|
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Owen is back to playing on the wing, for the most part, as he was used sparingly and he was basically only effective in a chasing puck pursuit game, which in my opinion not his forte. Owen is still trying to make an identity for himself in the league and in time, this will come, as he is just too talented to be used as a defensive checking player. This work though will be useful in his development as a complete, two player.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Scout: Mike Crawford