As you might have recently read, we saw the Muskegon versus Chicago game on November 29th. We were really looking forward to this match-up as both teams have high skill levels along with highly touted youth. It made for a great game to watch in terms of 2020 NHL draft able talent along with multiple players who will be viewed heavily next season for the 2021 NHL draft. Chicago controlled the play and had the better of the scoring chances, but found themselves down by 2 goals multiple times. They put on a strong push to tie it up, but were unable to take the lead as Muskegon played discipline and was very opportunistic. Eventually Muskegon got an empty net goal to seal a 6-4 victory over a very strong Chicago team. Timely scoring and big saves from Jonathan Williams (37 SAVES, 4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) in net got the job done for Muskegon.
Rhett Pitlick (4 Star Amateur Rating, 2019 Round 5 #131 overall by Montreal Canadiens) Forward
Rhett was very noticeable with his quickness and pace that he played with. His stick was quick and he was in attack mode with the puck. He is still slight and has a lot of room for growth in his game as he gets stronger. Shifty and elusive with the puck and was able to create time to make a play by separating. He differed most of the night and looked to pass the puck more than shoot. He is a player that will take time considering his body type. Rhett was a 5th round pick by Montreal in the 2019 NHL Draft. GAME GRADE: B
Danil Gushchin (4.75 Star Amateur Prospect, NHL Grade — B) Forward
No doubt Danil has all the skill and scoring ability at his disposal in order to dominate a hockey game on any given night. However, he was held scoreless and without a shot on goal tonight. He made some highly skilled plays with his stick in the offensive zone with time and space. His game wasn’t very aggressive tonight as he appeared to wait for the game to come to him and it never did. There were times where you saw his dynamic skill and vision but he just wasn’t able to get it going consistently tonight. GAME GRADE: C+
Artem Shlaine (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Interesting viewing for Artem as he has been playing at Stattuck St. Mary’s Prep team this season and doesn’t’ have much Junior hockey experience. He also was playing center tonight which is a tough task against a very strong opponent on the road. Artem competed hard and found his way around the puck down low in the offensive zone to get a couple chances. He was able to get on the score sheet by finding the net on a broken play off the backhand. At first glance, he isn’t the greatest of skater but seems to get from point A to point B well enough. He was strong on the puck when he had it on his stick and took care of it. Credit to his work ethic for being around the puck in a tough situation. Not a ton of plays were made but he found a way to impact the game on the few chances he had. GAME GRADE: B-
Cameron Berg (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
Cameron had a great night and was all over the place registering 2-1-3 in the game. He had energy and used his strong skating ability to his advantage. His shot is heavy and he showed the ability to score from the top of the circles. Nonstop motor tonight along and showed he can make skill plays when needed. He had a strong impact on the game and was responsible down the middle. He has the ability to make a strong push as a late draft pick if he can put more games together like this down the stretch. GAME GRADE: A-
Hank Kempf (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Defense
Hank had a strong game and played a lot of valuable minutes for his team along with being +2 on the night. He showed a calm demeanor for a young defender and was poised with the puck while making strong reads. His skating is strong and he showed mobility. Along with that, he has solid size and a thick frame which allowed him to use his body when needed. He was able to separate attackers from the puck off the rush and down low using his body. Offensively he moved the puck well and made simple and accurate decisions. He is still a young defenseman in an older league and has a strong chance to improve as the season goes
on. GAME GRADE: B
Alex Gaffney (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Alex is a smaller player who doesn’t have much for stature, but he makes up for it with effort and skill. He was all over loose pucks and dug in on stick battles. He found a way to get to the net with and without the puck. This combination made him effective and gave him a productive line with 1-1-2. He was able to make plays with little or no time and showed off his quick stick. GAME GRADE: B+