Game played on 12/11/2024.
General Game Notes: An early lead from Team USA seemed to hold of the Lumberjacks for sixtey minutes. Two goals were scored in the first period and that was enough to secure a win. Power plays were a factor in Teams USA’s win tonight, not that they converted on every one but seven power plays is enough to control momentum in a game.
Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev (G, L, 6’2″, 170, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 10/26/2004, Michigan Tech)
Grade: B
Comments: Despite the loss, Gadzhiev showed how acrobatic he can be, and kept the game as close as it was for the time being. He made a couple windmill saves that his team needed to catch that same momentum and score at the other end. He is very athletic in his movements where he can get to the other side and make a sprawling save, this type of movement also puts him out of position a couple times. His side to side pushes can be so powerful that he over pushes and one pass back the other way catches him pretty easy. If it was not for a couple of great timing blocks, the score might have been a little different.
Teddy Spitznagel (F, L, 6’2″, 187, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 04/06/2006, Michigan)
Grade: B+
Comments: With the lone goal for the Lumberjacks tonight, Spitznagel was able to capitalize on a string of nice passes that ended up with one of them back door on his tape. Off the rush on the power play, Spitznagel beat out the back side defenseman to obtain net front space and be an option at the crease. Great burst of energy and a willingness to get to the paint was shown during this goal. The big does a good job at owning his space, he uses his size and power in his stride to make it hard to bump him off the puck and his route to the net. When he gets a chance to lower his shoulder, whether it is at the net or a race for a loose puck, he was able to show tonight that he has a great chance at winning that race and battle.
Joey Slavick (G, L, 5’11”, 175, USA NTDP U18, 04/05/2007)
Grade: A-
Comments: Player of the game tonight, McKinney was able to get on the score sheet with a goal and two assists. One of the more obvious ways he is able to produce this stat line was his skating. You will notice McKinney is all three zones, where he was his best tonight in transition, it is where you really notice his skating. When he attacks off the rush he has the agility to make small little moves in the neutral zone that forces defenseman off their routes. He pushes the pace as he crossed the blue line and made an opportunity for his team to gain possession in the offensive zone even. No doubt when he has time and space he needs to be pressured, if left alone to be creative, especially on the power play, he can make the other team pay.
Garrett Lindberg (D, R, 5’10”, 190, NTDP U18, 03/08/2007, North Dakota)
Grade: B
Comments: Lindberg showed that he was effective defensively off the rush with a couple nice stances at his own blue line. He was at his best when he was using his feet to recover, being able to close gaps between him and the attacking player with his stick as well as creating a turnover. On a certain play, an opposing forward had a two on one rush fast break. Lindberg used his feet to gap up, showed his stick skills to use his stick to not allow the opposing player to go into the middle of the zone or in front of the goalie. These little detailed types of plays create turnovers and pucks going the other way.
Richard Gallant (C, L, 5’8″, 170, NTDP U18, 06/12/2007, Harvard)
Grade: B+
Comments: Gallant is a smaller forward who does not have a probem with the extra stick handle to make a play. Consistency was an issue. His passes are great, strong but only when he is confident or he has time and space around himself. If he does a couple of nice plays, could be only easy passes, he is then one of the best players on the ice. If not, he has a tendency to throw pucks away. He does not play irresponsibly but he is trying to make a better play than just the safe play. For example, he was the first man on the puck in the corner and as he saw that easy play of just moving the puck slowly behind the net where his teammate would have been, with quite a lot of space around him. It was probably too easy for him so he chose a turn but he was caught in a moment between two attackers so he had to throw the puck along the boards.
Mace’o Phillips (D, L, 6’4″, 195, NTDP U18, 02/25/2007, Minnesota)
Grade: B+
Comments: Phillips was able to show tonight that he can move well for a bigger defenseman. He has the first couple steps of a smaller forward that helps him defend rushes versus players like that. His deft edge work, low centre of gravity and ability to handle in tight allows him to absorb checks below the goal line and escape from the pressure, and attack up ice. Tonight, he did not really show any signs of hesitation on the puck and because of his larger size, he invites bigger, stronger opponents bearing down on him and wants close pressure, this helps him find outlets once he beats them. If that players does get contact, Phillips does a good job at embracing and will even reverse hit some players.
Jack Murtagh (LW, L, 6’1″, 200, NTDP U18, 08/22/2007, Boston University)
Grade: B+
Comments: Murtagh saw the ice tonight at a high level, with two assists, he made some great passes that were able to set teammates up for scoring chances. Murtagh has great size on the ice to some of his peers, at times though, he seemed to shy away from using it. Although there was not a strong physical element tonight, he still engages when necessary and has a readiness to win every battle he is in. He does not seem to go deep defensively to recover pucks a whole lot nor dig into the dirty areas, but he does defend just at length with an active stick. Couples times tonight, if he engaged with his body, pucks could have been broken out of his zone quicker.
Cole McKinney (C, R, 6’0″, 200, NTDP U18, 03/16/2007, Michigan)
Grade: A-
Comments: Player of the game tonight, McKinney was able to get on the score sheet with a goal and two assists.
William Moore (C, L, 6’2″, 161, NTDP U18, 03/24/2007, Boston College)
Grade: B+
Comments: One of the more polarizing players for Team USA tonight, despite not getting on the score sheet. More has some traits that are hard to miss, being one of the bigger players on the ice and being able to move as well as he can are assets that will translate to the next level. Once Moore is able to separate from pressure, he tends to move the puck quickly to try and expose any numerical or personnel advantage. Moore did a good job tonight at processing what is ahead quickly, makes good risk assessments and executes his play. He does not ‘dust’ off the puck, over stick handling it to see what better play is available. His ability to find a play and make it allow him to usually spend more time in the offensive zone.
Donato Bracco (D, L, 5’10”, 170, NTDP U18, 07/26/2007, Harvard)
Grade: B
Comments: Bracco has some good wheels with time and space and he is not afraid to attack ice, in any zone. What he was doing well and often is sliding around the net and trying to put the puck behind the goalie by skating the extra length in the offensive zone. No matter which side, he is able to turn left or right superbly and also at high speed. The faster he goes, the more dangerous for the goalkeeper it is to keep track of him, along with defenders. When he sees an opening, he will dive in from the blue line to be an option for a quick play in the middle. His style is subject to some risk, at times he found himself chasing back plays. The couple plays that this happened, it was at least due to a bad pass and not his his positioning.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images