Played on Mar 27, 2025
Ontario Hockey League
Game Played in Sadlon Arena
General Game Notes: This was a great game to open the OHL playoffs, it was close and violent but had the skill to show how fast playoffs are. Barrie was able to edge out Niagara tonight with a great last period and a half defensive stand. They were hard to play against and they played gritty playoff hockey.
Grayson Tiller (D, L, 5’11”, 195, Barrie Colts, 02/20/2005)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Tiller was able to show tonight his relentless commitment to defense. He is not an incredible skater and will struggle to be an asset in transition, but he is smart enough to know what he needs to do with the puck and when he needs to do it. Tiller is big enough and strong enough to be a factor in board battles, and he is smart enough to be in the right place at the right time defensively. He comes out of the wall with a lot of pucks and does this by getting to loose pucks first and having a plan.
Anthony Romani (C, R, 6’0″, 185, Barrie Colts, 07/12/2005)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: With two goals on the night tonight, Romani was able to show his offensive dominance. Opened the scoring tonight with a net drive goal where he was able to get a high tip pass that caught the goalie off guard. This goal was a great representation of his game and playoff hockey, head down straight to the net front and not let anyone get in your way. Romani plays with pace and with his solid size, when he is at full speed he is hard to match. Another aspect the separated Romani from his peers tonight was how hard he worked in his own end and not just the offensive zone. He created multiple breakouts that resulted in rushes and chances for.
Owen Van Steensel (LW, L, 5’10”, 174, Barrie Colts, 08/04/2004, Clarkson)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Van Steensel put the nail in the coffin tonight with a slick wrist shot. He was able to show tonight that when defenders have to respect a shot like Van Steensel’s, he is able to get some extra chances with the puck that other forwards simply do not get. He is able to take advantage of these opportunities by being selfish and taking shots and not passing up plays looking for the highlight reel. At times, it looks like he is shooting to shoot, rather than taking time to make a play, but other players will look to make the back door pass, fail and turn the puck over, now it is going the other way.
Cole Beaudoin (C, L, 6’2″, 209, Barrie Colts, 04/24/2006)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Beaudoin was able to show tonight that he has a wide variety of shooting angles to work with and he has excellent hand eye coordination, expertly turning quick passes into excellent shots. He is not the most fantastic skater and will not burn by defenders to create chances, or at least did not tonight, but he sees the ice very well and is able to leverage his puck possession abilities and strong shot in order to create time and space for himself with the puck.
Gabriel Eliasson (D, L, 6’7″, 210, Barrie Colts, 09/09/2006, Michigan)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Eliasson not a terrible skater and flashes some real skating touch, but he lacks overwhelming strides and will not crush opposing forwards along the boards. His game is a lot of trying to he mistake-free, but he is not the safest with the puck on his stick and sometimes is simply just outplayed by opposing forwards. At times he struggles in front of the net despite his size, and despite his best efforts and great work ethic, made some tough plays with the puck. It is troubling, because his offense is not at the level where he can be sheltered by a better defensive defenseman and allowed to make some mistakes in order to create scoring chances.
Dalyn^Wakely|
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Wakely was able to record two assists on the night by showing that he is simply a triggerman, using his ability to create space with his physicality and his above average shot to convert shots into scoring chances. an asset in front of the net or as a shooter on the power play, but he should not be the guy with the puck on his stick that his teammates are relying on to create offense as at times, he can fumble it and start the transition hockey for the other team. His defensive game is uneven, as he sometimes sacrifices sound defensive decision making in order to make the most bruising play possible.
Noah Van Vliet (D, L, 6’2″, 222, Niagara Icedogs, 02/18/2004, Sacred Heart)
Game Rating
B
Van Vliet is a physically imposing defenseman who demonstrates solid mobility and positioning on the ice. He possesses good hockey sense and reliable puck skills, which allows him to effectively manage the game in both defensive and offensive zones. In the defensive zone, he plays with a physical presence, delivering hits and shutting down opponents. While there were moments of inconsistency, Van Vliet excelled when utilizing his size with his stick, using his long reach to intercept passes and disrupt plays.
1 Viewing
Comments: Van Vliet was able to show tonight that he has great size and a great mind for a blue liner. The name of his game is stability. He always brings a calm, stable presence to the blue line, and pairs that with a high work ethic and commendable grit to make him an incredibly valuable defensive defenseman. He wont elevate a weaker partner or possess the puck down the wall in the offensive zone , but he can log heavy minutes on the penalty kill and he will be out on the ice during those important situational defensive stands.
Alexander Assadourian (C, L, 5’9″, 172, Niagara Icedogs, 07/24/2005)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Assadourian scored a nice goal getting his body at the net front and tipping a puck from the point. The smaller forward plays a pesky game that makes slower footed defenseman to keep track of. For example on this goal, he comes out of the corner being chased and has the wherewithal to track the puck from the defenseman. He can get lost with agile skating but at times, when defenseman do get a jump on him, he is easy to bump off pucks. He just plays at a faster pace that this does not happen too often.
Kevin He (LW, L, 6’0″, 182, Niagara Icedogs, 04/30/2006)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: He picked up a nice power play goal crashing the net and burying home a rebound that came directly to him leaving the goalie zero chance to make a stop. He plays with pace and makes himself very hard to keep up with, with his quick agile movements, he can get lost quickly. This was most evident on his goal where his opponent lost coverage for a split second then the puck was in the back of the net. He is at his best when his head is up looking to push the pace off the rush. He makes it very difficult for slower footed defenseman to keep a good gap and he will exploit that space with a skilled play.
Mathieu Paris (C, R, 6’0″, 182, Niagara Icedogs, 01/01/2005)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Paris is offensive but can still be caught out of position or outmuscled for pucks, but he has all the makings of an impact defensive forward within him. Offensively, Paris needs to get stronger on the puck to be able to produce more consistently throughout the game. His skating is not at the level where it alone would allow him to create chances, so he needs to find a way to grit and grind his way to the space with the puck he needs to create plays. He was at his best with time and space where he can let his creativity take over.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images