Game played on 1/23/2025.
General Game Notes: This was a tied game with about ten minutes left in the third until the Eagles were able to break the tie and eventually secure the empty net insurance goal after. This was a literal back and forth game with teams switching off goals, the difference coming with the Cape Breton Eagles top players were the top players in the game tonight.
Alexis Cournoyer (G, L, 6’3″, 190, Cape Breton Eagles, 12/13/2005)
Grade: B+
Comments: Cournoyer shows decent ice awareness, scanning for threats at the proper moments and demonstrating good post play/save selection tactics because of his good anticipation and edge work capabilities. For a goaltender of his size, he has the ability to be explosive laterally and while exiting from his posts. He does a good job finding sightline to pucks through congestion, and he competes for loose pucks that might become available around the crease. He needs to continue to work on managing the puck and controlling rebounds, as he gives up multiple opportunities in front when the majority are preventable. Along with managing the puck on some movements, managing the clock as well. Couple times his teams were stuck in their own zone and needed a freeze rather than a paddle save into the corner.
Tomas Lavoie (D, R, 6’4″, 225, Cape Breton Eagles, 03/31/2006)
Grade: B+
Comments: Lavoie utilizes his skating best when escaping from high pressure and helping out in transition. He has this unique combination of being one of the bigger players on the ice and being one of the more mobile players as well. Lavoie is at his best when he is joining rather than leading rushes. Despite his tendency to mess up with his puck handling or his occasional brain farts, his skating has saved him from completely abandoning his position on numerous occasions. He does have some risk to his game but most of the time, his offense out weighs some of the risk he is looking to make. As a defensemen taking rushes, he does a good job at using his long reach before having get his body involved, this way he never really gets taken out of the play.
Cam Squires (RW, R, 6’1″, 185, Cape Breton Eagles, 04/11/2005)
Grade: B+
Comments: Squired scored a nice goal opening the scoring for the Eagles. He was just in the right place at the right time picking up a rebound shot from the point after it missed the net wide, bounced off the back wall, Squires was there on the back post to bang it home. Whenever he going in the offensive zone for entry, he banks on a quick give and go with his line mates in order to gain momentum into the zone in contrast of just dumping it in or keeping possession. Squires on the rush is extremely lethal as he finds when his winger is open and feeds them the puck on the tape as quickly and accurately as possible. He has great size to be able to keep possession when his first option is not open. He needs to use that same size to lower a shoulder and drive the net more rather than make a fancy play pulling up and finding back door.
Xavier Daigle (D, L, 6’0″, 179, Cape Breton Eagles, 03/11/2005)
Grade: B-
Comments: Daigle has some interesting characteristics to his game. At times, it is hard to say if he is offensive or he wants to stay put more in his own zone. He has this two way style where he will active off the blue line and be a fourth forward in the zone, but avoid jumping up in the rush when there was a clear couple entries that could have used an extra man. His skating does need a better sense of deceptiveness, though. Although he may be a swift skater who can flee from tight spaces like its nothing, he needs to work on having skaters bite on some of his motions. His skating carries such an agile look, it is indisputable that he has the potential to grow into a deceitful skater offensively.
Angelo Fullarton (RW, L, 6’3″, 205, Cape Breton Eagles, 08/21/2005)
Grade: B
Comments: Fullarton scored the game winning goal by throwing an absolute prayer at the net. From the goal line, contested, threw a puck with traffic at the net that bounced off a skate and ricocheted over the goalies glove. Fullarton was able to get this type of shot off because he is bigger than most the players on the ice. He was able to take contact, and whether he was looking pass or not, get the puck off and into a high danger area. He is willing to be on edge with every shift, and find ways to wire the puck through layers. Defensively, he plays a cool, calm, and collected game where he does not run around. At times, he loses players puck staring and needs to find his position. If he could get his head around the zone, he would have a better understanding where his opponents are.
Jacob Newcombe (C, L, 6’1″, 215, Cape Breton Eagles, 04/27/2004)
Grade: A-
Comments: With a hat trick in tonights game, Newcombe was not only player of the game but was the catalyst for the Eagles offense. Scored one of his three to tie the game back up in the second period. As he went from low to about the tops of the circles, Newcombe cut into the middle ice and unexpectedly ripped one through a couple screens, catching the goalie and probably most of the people in attendance off guard. It was such a quick and accurate shot that showed just some of his skill set in the offensive zone. One of the better parts about Newcombes game is his two way responsibilities. He comprehends the importance of structural defensive hockey, even though his gameness to participate offensively remains obvious.
Julien Paille (LW, L, 6’0″, 200, Gatineau Olympiques, 09/10/2004)
Grade: B+
Comments: Paille scored a nice goal with a wrap around attempt and an extra whack at the puck when the goalie was not able to freeze it on the first shot. For the moment, this goal put his team up by one but of course did not last for long. This was a nice goal because it showed a couple different solid aspects to his game. His edge works and ability to hold on the puck from post to post was impressive. He has good size and clearly showed he is not afraid to use it to get to the net front, he can bully for space when he combines his size and skating. Paille needs to improve his shot range and strength in order for him to be more of a threat. He also showed tonight that his shot selection could have been better as well tonight, too many shots from the outside making for easy routine saves for the goaltender.
Jan Golicic (D, L, 6’5″, 198, Gatineau Olympiques, 06/30/2006)
Grade” B-
Comments: Golicic was able to show tonight that as an offensive defenseman, he is always on his heels, ready to make a play. Whether it is a setup pass, a shot, or a power play cycle, he brings a sense of activity and deceptiveness. His hands start to engage as he reads the defense scheme and how he can attack it. He knows how to operate the open ice well on the power play and tends to get defenders to bite. When he starts to move around the puck, opponents fail to catch up to his level. His fast paced game corresponds the long strides that make his him hard to play against when he can get to top speed. With all that being said, he was a defensive liability tonight. He gets lost is his own end and when the long reach does not work, smaller forwards are able to get around his with his limited tight area foot speed.
Taos Jordan (D, L, 5’11”, 190, Gatineau Olympiques, 03/29/2004)
Grade: B
Comments: For a defenseman who does not get into the offense too often, Jordan scored a pretty nice goal putting one over the goalies shoulder right inside the blue line. Offensively, you will not see him lead a breakout or skate the perimeter in the offensive zone for long, but he does have a nice shot that he can get on net. Without stick handling or making a move, he beat the goalie clean with pure power. Jordan also has some solid side that he could use a little more. He has that type of defensive frame where he could punish more and limit the other teams puck possession. Rather he focuses a lot on stick work, which is fine, but the other teams top forwards never have to think twice about a risky blue line entry or and extra move below the goal line.
Isaiah Parent (RW, R, 6’0″, 170, Gatineau Olympiques, 02/25/2005)
Grade: B
Comments: Parent is a big part of his teams offense. He does a good job at breaking pucks out of his own zone by getting his head up before the puck touch to know where his ice and his teammates are. He then follows up the play quickly with a long stride and wants to be a part of the entry. He was able to show this type of urgency on the goal he scored where his teammate basically did all the work but score the goal. Parent followed the play closely up the ice and as a net front drive attempt by his teammate did not connect, the puck laying there for Parent to bang home did.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images