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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 11, 2004 22:58:05 GMT -5
Habs rookies smoke Sens rookies 5-2 in the first game of the tourney. Great write up of the game by Sakuuuuu from HFboards:
hey guys,
I was at the game and took notes, so here it goes.
Ferland was wearing the C for Montreal, with Milroy and Archer the A's, while Watson was Ottawa's captain.
FIRST PERIOD
Corey Locke opened the scoring 1:05 into the first when he dumped the puck into the offensive zone with a little flip, and Kostitsyn was the first man on it. Kosts one timed it hard on net and Locke got his stick on it making it 1-0 Habs. I was at the other end of the rink, and it looked to me like Kost got the goal, but they credited it to Locke.
Petit stood out to me in the first as he threw his weight around alot, and was imo the best of the try-outs.
Given today's date, somewhat ironically, Lapierre took the game's first penalty when he was called for boarding with 9:11 to go. Johnson tied the game for Ottawa on the powerplay, with Wick and Meszaros drawing assists.
Later in the period, Archer and Potulny and a small fight which didn't last long and was close. With five minutes to go, Lapierre took his second penalty of the period, but this time it was successfully killed off. Then, with just under 3 minutes to go, Bonneau and Campbell squared off in a duel that Bonneau came out on top of. Finally for the first, Labelle colided with an Ottawa player and got off the ice in a hurry, wincing in pain on the bench, seemingly favouring his shoulder. He would not return.
SECOND PERIOD (1-1)
The Canadiens get another fast start, as Kyle Chipchura finds a loose puck behind the net and makes a nice pass out front to Duncan Milroy who gives the good guys a 2-1 lead 1:58 in.
However, less than 3 minutes later, Ottawa replies as Potulny takes a one time pass from Bois to draw even yet again.
While some people have commented that Kostitsyn was a little selfish, I have to say I was totally impressed with the guy. Now I had decent expectations for him beforehand, but they increased tenfold tonight. What moves this kid has! He still needs to work on his defense, and a few other aspects of his game, but his agility and stickhandling are incredible, and he made several plays that had the crowd gasping.
8:50 into the period, an after the whistle scrum results in both Ferland for Montreal, and Komanoski for Ottawa sitting for 2 minutes, giving us some 4 on 4 hockey. Not long after the return to 5 on 5, Lambert and Lapierre break in on a 2 on 1. Lapierre feeds Lambert and goes to the net, where he is able to tip Lambert's slapper through Guard's (Ottawa's goalie) five hole. 3-2 Habs.
A shorw while later, there is yet another fight as Archer and Komanoski duke it out. Archer is assessed a match penalty for being involved in 2 fights, but Bois picks up an extra 2 minutes for Ottawa, and so Montreal gets a powerplay. The PP was bad tonight though, and was seldom even able to set up.
With a little more than five minutes to play in the period, the 2nd line was at it again. All three forwards break in, with Chippy going to the front of the net, leaving Bonneau open to receive a pass from Milroy and he one times it in. 4-2.
Montreal gets another powerplay late, and despite a dangerous looking trio of Kostitsyn-Locke-Milroy, there was still nothing doing.
THIRD PERIOD (4-2 Montreal)
Kostitsyn took his first North American penalty early on, as he got called for slashing, but the Habs penalty kill pulls through with some great work by Locke, Chipchura, and Ferland.
Later on, Guard misplays the puck behind the net, and it lands right on Kostitsyn's stick. Andrei makes a perfect pass out front to Locke, standing before an open cage, but Corey doesn't get proper wood on it and his one-time shot goes wide. Speaking of these two, there seems to be great chemistry forming between them.
With 5:35 to go, Kostitsyn's line is out there for a defensive zone face-off, when all of a sudden Andrei goes limping over to the bench and off the ice. I'm not sure what was wrong, as I didn't see anyone hit him, but he wouldn't take another shift this game. He did sit on the end of the bench though, and didn't seem to be terribly discomforted, following the play, and even once reaching over to close the bench door when another player forgot to do it.
In the last minute, Ottawa pulled their netminder for an extra attacker, and it's Kyle Chipchura that seals the deal with an empty netter assisted by Flood.
FINAL SCORE: 5-2 MONTREAL.
The Habs played very well. Danis was good when called upon, though he didn't really have to be spectacular.
Here's a brief little grading system for some key players' performances:
Chipchura: A+ - great 2-way game, threw hits, good offensively.
Milroy: A - Complements Chippy nicely. Good vision, size.
Kostitsyn: A- - Great moves. Sometimes tried to do a little too much on his own, but still very very flashy.
Lapierre: B+ - Reminded me of Matthew Barnaby out there. Throwing his body around, fighting, annoying, AND some offensive flare.
Danis: B+ - As I said, nothing spectacular tonight, but some tough saves, and overall sound.
Locke: B - He looked small out there, but he's a good skater and played well with Kostits.
Lambert: B - Nice chemistry with Lapierre. Good offensive player.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 11, 2004 23:00:57 GMT -5
Crosscheck from HF had this to say about the game:
I was at the game.
Kost was ok but he did some selfish plays that wasn't helping his line.
Lapierre and Milroy played well. Lapierre was aggressive and Duncan created a lots of turnovers.
Danis was very good in net. He received way more shots than Guard and stood out pretty well. He gives too much rebound though.
I tought young Petit played a very good game also. He must have give 20 hits in the game. Not big but fast and physical.
Bonneau did have a very good fight against Stewart. He won that kinda long fight IMO. Archer also fought twice and got kicked out of the game for that. He wasn't as impressive as Jimmy in those 2 fights. He looks like he could fill out a bit more since he's already a tall d-man.
Chipchura was awsome. Not fancy but very accurate in everything he was doing. He's Mtl bound before long being already physically bigger than most of the guys on the ice.
Locke was average at best. He was centering Kost line with G Stewart and those 3 didn't stood out. The only good things about this line was those quick nifty moves that Andrei made now and then showing all his talent. These moves were just not leading to anything but sure there's talent overthere...
Our d-men were all average since we were missing both O'byrne and Korpikari in the NCAA
Very good pace during all the game. Very impressed with the speed of the overall game. Looks faster than last year.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 12, 2004 7:55:22 GMT -5
Here's a brief little grading system for some key players' performances: Chipchura: A+ - great 2-way game, threw hits, good offensively. Milroy: A - Complements Chippy nicely. Good vision, size. Kostitsyn: A- - Great moves. Sometimes tried to do a little too much on his own, but still very very flashy. Lapierre: B+ - Reminded me of Matthew Barnaby out there. Throwing his body around, fighting, annoying, AND some offensive flare. Danis: B+ - As I said, nothing spectacular tonight, but some tough saves, and overall sound. Locke: B - He looked small out there, but he's a good skater and played well with Kostits. Lambert: B - Nice chemistry with Lapierre. Good offensive player. Good to hear that Milroy is off to a solid start. I, like some other members, was glad that the Habs were able to draft him, and was disappointed by the results of his first AHL season. Especially pleasant to hear Locke described as a good skater since his skating has been one of the major knocks against him from the time he was drafted. Chipchura was awsome. Not fancy but very accurate in everything he was doing. He's Mtl bound before long being already physically bigger than most of the guys on the ice. I was happy to see him drafted and I have a good feeling that I'll be even happier when, not if, he dons a Habs jersey. |
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 12, 2004 8:53:10 GMT -5
As translated by rocketlives at HF:
Kostitsyn and Chipchura: nice future looming
La Presse 12 septembre 2004
Mathias Brunet
We have been critical of the Habs' first draft picks for a long time. Between 1985 and 2000, the Habs drafted only 2 first class players: Andrew Cassels in 1987 and Saku Koivu in 1993.
The Habs' first choices for the last two seasons, Andrei Kostitsyn (2003) and Kyle Chipchura (2004) were playing their first game in a Habs' uniform last night in Pierrefonds in the 1st game of the Rookie Tournament, and we can already foresee a brilliant future for both.
Kostitsyn scored the first goal in the first minutes of the game, Chipchura scored one goal and added an assist and the Habs' hopefuls beat the Sens' rookies 5-2.
The person in charge of scouting for the Habs, Trevor Timmins, liked what he saw very much. "They have a lot of merit because they were playing against an older and more physically mature group of players and the game was quite physical. In spite of all that, they were able to demonstrate their physical skills."
Chipchura who is only 18 was compared to Trevor Linden by Brian Burke, the ex GM of the Vancouver Canucks, after the Habs drafted him in the 18th rank last June. This young 6'3" 205lbs hard-nosed player made quite a nice play on the Habs' second goal. He picked up a loose puck behind the Sens' net and directed a perfect pass on Duncan Milroy's stick who was standing in front of the goal and didn't miss his chance. " He won a lot of one-on-one battles along the boards noted Timmins. He protects the puck very well and also does a lot of little things on the ice. He plays with assurance."
Kostitsyn showed superb natural skills during the game even if his linemates Corey Locke and Danny Stewart weren't very effective. Most of the Habs' defensemen were also rather erratic.
"We will have to find players that suit him said Timmins. He is a formidable goal scorer and he needs linemates who can give him the puck on the tape."
Coach Doug Jarvis was impressed by Kostitsyn's talent at 19. "He was dangerous each time he had the puck. We can see the power of his wrist shot. He will need a little bit of time to get used to the size of North American rinks."
Kostitsyn said he was surprised by the difference between European and North American hockey. " It is a lot quicker and more intense here. I'm not used to this style of play and I will need a little bit of time to get used to it. But I feel well. Physically I can finally play to my maximum since the team doctors have settled my health problems. The communication with my teammates is improving. I understand simple terms like passing, shooting etc..."
Maxim Lapierre, used extensively, Michael Lambert, a goal, Duncan Milroy, a goal and an assist, Jimmy Bonneau a goal and a fierce fight, Jonathan Ferland, very physical, and the goalkeeper Yann Danis also did very well.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 12, 2004 8:56:10 GMT -5
Habs rookies win tourney openerCanadiens upset Sens before packed house (09/11/2004) In a physical, hard-fought game, first-round draft choice Kyle Chipchura experienced some heated moments first-hand. PIERREFONDS – In what gave Montreal fans a first-hand look into the future of their franchise, the Canadiens’ rookies downed their counterparts from Ottawa, 5-2, on Saturday night. Andrei Kostitsyn, Duncan Milroy, Maxim Lapierre, Jimmy Bonneau, and Kyle Chiphura provided the offense for Montreal. Peter Tsimikalis and Grant Potulny answered for the Senators. “Any time you win a game, even if it’s part of a rookie tournament, you have to be satisfied,” said Chipchura, the Canadiens’ top draft pick this past June. “The guys are pretty happy right now.”<br> - www.canadiens.com/eng/news/redirect.cfm?sectionID=habsNewsDetails.cfm&newsItemID=3946
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Post by blaise on Sept 12, 2004 11:55:24 GMT -5
A bit of cheer 4 days before the Dark Ages set in.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 12, 2004 15:15:36 GMT -5
More on the Ottawa-Montréal match from a couple of HF posters: Habsaku -I went there too, saw Gainey, Julien, Savard, Green and Melanson . Gainey was watching the Canada-Czech game instead for a bit which I found funny. First of all, I gotta say Locke is disapointing, he didnt do much at the game and really looks like the smallest, waekest player out there. He didnt even show a lot of flashy offensive moves unlike Ribeiro. I wouldnt be surprised if he never makes the NHL but Im pretty sure hes got a lot more talent then what I saw. He didnt stand out at all. Chipchura IMO, did great, hes a great stickhandler, hes got good speed, a good on ice vision. His offensive upside has been underrated around here, he seemed like the best player on the ice IMO. He does all the little things, he also hits, brings leadership and can get a few points. Wouldnt be surprised to see him become a consistent 60 point scorer or more. Lapierre was another guy I liked a lot, hes fast, he hits and can bring a bit of offense. Hes very fiesty and the opposition hates him. Hes definetly not a future top 6 forward but he could become one of the leagues good 3rd liners. The kinda guy you need in the playoffs, or who can not only shut down the opposition but make them mad at the same time. Kostitsyn has sick talent. Even though he played a terrible game IMO you can see hes got superstar written all over him. He doesnt seem to know what defense is, but his speed, his stickhandling, his shiftyness, the way he finds open spaces and his great shooting arsenal will get him regurlarly to the all-star game. Hes a bigger and better version of Perezhogin whom I think very highly of. Look for him to fight for a spot on the top 2 lines during training camp (thats if there is one of course). Ferland and Milroy were also good players but its understandable since they were older, more mature and turned professional. * toughstuff - I was at the game and was most impressed by: Andre Kostistsyn: This guy has amazing skill. Powerful skating stride. Moves that flabergasted the opponents. He did try on several occasions to go end to end but there is a reason for that. His teamates (Dany Stewart and Corey Lock) could not create anything for him on this night. Put decent players with him and he will be a team player. No doubt about it. Maxim Lapierre: You will love this guy!!! A ball of fire. A feisty SOB. Always in the middle of the play. Duncan Milroy: He played alongside Chipchura all night. A very mature and stabilizing presence on the ice. Very powerful on the boards. Won pretty much all battles all night. He left a very good impression. He will have a monster year this year in Hamilton. In the past, he never impressed me. But wow ... Kyle Chipchura: Started off slow ... His skating did not impress me but is he ever strong on the puck. Even stronger on the boards than Milroy. That is saying a lot. Is stick handling, in tight situation, is what most impressed me. He has got to work on his quickness but no doubt about it ... he is an NHLer. Jonathan Ferland: Always a physical presence. I would never want to play against this guy. His skill level might not allow him to make the NHL. Michael Lambert: Notice some work ethic, hard work and dedication. Never saw this from him in the past ...  Petit: Poor man Ferland. I was very disappointed by: Dany Stewart: was a constant liability on the ice. It certainly did not help that he was a linemate of Kost. No offensive imagination. no second effort and very weak on the puck. |
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Post by blaise on Sept 12, 2004 18:58:12 GMT -5
Whenever you assemble a crew of unproven prospects you expect some to live up to your expectations, some to surpass them, and some to disappoint. It was essential that the first rounders (Kostitsyn and Chipchura) not disappoint, and they didn't. It was encouraging to learn that most of those for whom expectations were fairly high (Lapierre, Milroy, Lambert) didn't disappoint. However, Locke may have given hints why he was selected as low as the fourth round. Too bad Urquhart couldn't play. The report on Ferland accords with my impression of him in September 2003. Overall, these eyewitness reports from fans support our view that the Habs now have a competent scouting staff.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 12, 2004 20:48:59 GMT -5
F. Duchemin from HF had this to say about today's 5-2 loss to the Panthers' young guns:
Ok I was at the game.
First of all, Kostitsyn played good but not great. He was in front of the goalie on the first goal ( a defenseman maybe Petit ) on the habs in the first period and did 2 really nice setup play on which his teammates should have scored in second period. In first period, he felt on ice often and did maybe 2-3 great attack in the game with stickhandling move and strong acceleration. My point of view is that a lots of players there, were there to impress and they werent all skilled so they had to check everything in order to impress but it is not Kostitsyn game to bang everything so he must have been a little "disgusted" by the way the game was played.
I didnt really liked what i have seen of locke. His setup werent accurate and is shot was weak. Today he wasnt really good, i dont think he helped the team.
Chipchura was strong and great today. Leading attack on his line, played great PK and good in the battle for the puck.
Despite the score, Halak impressed me. He was really quick. At one time in the game it was 3-2 and he had 2 goal between the legs, 1 from the blue line and the others was a rebound by Stewart i think. I just think that when the put went in he couldnt make anything else than watch it on the 3 other goals. He made 3-4 impressive save with quick reflexe.
Bonneau really ripped someone at the beginning of the game, dont know who it was but i guess he learned who bonneau was. Bonneau landed maybe 5 severe punch in the face.
Saw a little of lambert and he didnt do much on offense and again...this type of gang bang game wasnt maybe his type too.
Flood had a nice goal when Ferland or Chipchura were in front of the goalie in PP, i think. It was a hard accurate shot and went throuth the legs of the man in front of the goalie who jumped a little to let the puck go into the net.
I didnt take note throught the game so...i dont remember everything right now. Maybe some others poster can comments the game.
Oh by the way, the game finished 5-2. But it wasnt a blowout...the canadiens were near in the score almost all the game and they even lead maybe 28 min.
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Post by seventeen on Sept 13, 2004 0:43:39 GMT -5
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 13, 2004 5:46:41 GMT -5
justsomeguy at HF wrote:
I didn't recognize most of the guys there and had 'em pointed out to me by a dedicated hound who has been collecting autographs for over 20 years and is quite well known, or at least, often recognized by the hockey guys.
A partial list - Andre Boudrias, Gord Donnelly, John Ferguson Jr., Lucien Deblois, Rick Ley, Anders Hedberg, Pierre Gauthier, Wayne Mundey (ex ref, both WHA and NHL, now with the Blues), Larry Carriere, Trent McLeary, Brian Murray, Ron Low, Guy Charron, Keith Acton, Mike Busniuk, Nick Polano.
Of course Gainey, Jarvis, Julien were all in attendance. So was David Mulder, team uberdoktor. I accidentally elbowed Gainey but he didn't retaliate.
Also present yesterday, proud father Wally Weir. His son was one of 10 free agent invitees to the Panthers' camp. " I still hate the Canadiens" the one-time Nordiques blueliner was overheard telling a virtually unknown local writer.
Dave Jackson and family there tonight.
Also a number of pathetic puckbunnies, most of 'em blonde, looking to advance themselves.
Disagree with the poster making the "bush league" declaration. This rookie tourney is a gas. Enjoy it if you're able to attend cause it may just be the last NHL hockey you get to see for a while.
Whaddaya want for seven bucksanyway?
Every seat in the place is better than the best location in the Bell Centre. You get to see possible future stars knocking themselves out, trying for a grab at the brass ring.
And, if you listen closely you get to hear a lot of inside stuff you ain't ever gonna read in the papers. Real important stuff like who's getting divorced, who just can't seem to sink a putt anymore, who's going to be elevated to the big team's coaching staff, why we haven't built a new rink for any junior teams in Quebec in 25 years while they've built new rinks for a whack of teams outside the province.
And then there's the trainers from a visiting team that videotaped a Habs employee changing their clothes. Nothing naughty, overclothes only, but visible in a Skydome sort of way from rinkside.
Then there are the relatives who turn up wearing their son/brother/cousin's sweaters. The one from the OHL team and the one he was given at the draft in Nashvile for the photo op with 03 on the back.
Oh yeah, there were some hockey games played as well.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 13, 2004 5:57:54 GMT -5
Well, the kids certainly aren't being caught trapping. 38 shots on the opposition goal in the first game and 40 shots last night.
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Post by blaise on Sept 13, 2004 11:41:29 GMT -5
We've been focusing on the forwards, because they're the ones who put numbers on the scoreboard. However, we haven't been hearing glowing reports about the young defensemen. This concerns me because the Habs appear to lack depth behind the blue line.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 13, 2004 11:55:35 GMT -5
The defence rests for the Habs during this rookie camp. 4 of the 7 d-men are try-outs, basically placeholders. The best young Habs d-men are elsewhere: O'Byrne, Korpikari, Korneev, Yemelin. Those 4 plus Archer, Flood and Dulac-Lemelin would make a pretty decent grouping.
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Post by blaise on Sept 13, 2004 12:58:25 GMT -5
The defence rests for the Habs during this rookie camp. 4 of the 7 d-men are try-outs, basically placeholders. The best young Habs d-men are elsewhere: O'Byrne, Korpikari, Korneev, Yemelin. Those 4 plus Archer, Flood and Dulac-Lemelin would make a pretty decent grouping. Time will tell, but at the moment I'd be more reassured by favorable reports from the rookie tournament. There were a lot of shots on the Habs goal. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 13, 2004 14:11:20 GMT -5
Time will tell, but at the moment I'd be more reassured by favorable reports from the rookie tournament. There were a lot of shots on the Habs goal. Archer, the most experienced of the three defencemen who are Habs' "property", missed the game due to injuries. So, that leaves Flood (drafted 188th in 2003) and Dulac-Lemelin (drafted 278th in 2004) and 4 try-out guys who weren't originally drafted holding down the blueline. Not exactly a proven defensive core. Also, in the article on the Habs' official site, Jarvis indicated that the team still has a bunch of offensive forwards who aren't yet on the same page as their defensive team-mates in fulfilling their defensive responsibilities in their own end. After two brief practices and two games, this should not be a concern with a bunch of guys who haven't played together, including 7 try-outs. The list of young defencemen who are not at this tourney is pretty solid (see Mr B's list) and would improve things considerably. I guess all this to say I am comfortable that yesterday's 42 shots does not bode poorly for the future of the Habs' blueline IMO. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 13, 2004 14:14:53 GMT -5
Good to hear that Milroy is off to a solid start. I, like some other members, was glad that the Habs were able to draft him, and was disappointed by the results of his first AHL season. Milroy seemed to have a bit more spark right near the end of last season and seems to be picking up a bit with this tourney. I imagine he will get lots more ice time this season in Hamilton and I too am hoping that his Memorial Cup form can translate into success in the AHL. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 13, 2004 17:22:18 GMT -5
Le depisteur from HF had this to say about the first two games:
I saw both games this weekend and here's my comments:
The players who impressed me the most are Chipchura, Lapierre, Milroy, Ferland and Kostitsyn... In fact, they are those that I'm almost certain that they will play in the NHL one day, except maybe Danis, Halak and Archer.
Chipchura: Impress me a lot. He's better offensively that i thought... A real steal at the 2004 draft... Good skating, Very good stickhandling... Very strong with the pouck and very effecive in the defensive zone... THE leader with Milroy on the ice... Could be with the big club as of today...
Milroy: Very mature, good skating, I was happy to see him played with authority... he's older, the difference is visible but I would not be surprised to see it in Montreal in 2-3 years... It's the Milroy as it is supposed to be since we drafted him...
Ferland: His skating improved a lot... Very energetic player... Will be great on a 4rd line...
Lapierre: Our future 3rd liner... Very Good skater with a good offensive flair... A real pest...
Kostitsyn: By far, the most talented player on the ice... Great vision, good skating, very good shoot, a wizard with the puck... But not very intense, but it's excusable...
The players who disappointed me the most are Locke, D.Stewart and Dulac-Lemelin...
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 13, 2004 17:47:40 GMT -5
Some nice musings from 417 to Ottawa from HF on the Habs-FLA game:
I was at the game as well...me and my friends got there quite early, we left for a bit and when we came back, all the seats were taken, we had to stand/sit on the railings, but it was well worth it...we were standing behind a Florida Panthers scout and George McPhee, the GM of the Caps? both of them were quite busy all game looking over the Habs players on their prospect sheets they had, I managed to sneak a few peaks and they had individual write ups on every player, I wonder what the Caps GM was doing there...I also met Nathan Horton, quite a nice guy, he's actually pretty huge, I met and spoke to Anthony Stewart's dad, I told him that like him, I wished the Habs had traded up to pick his son in that draft, and he replied him too and that we needed more players like his son...spoke with Claude Julien and Trevor Timmins briefly and I also spoke to a Blues scout, don't remember what his name was, but he told me there were only a few prospects who stand out here...he had quite a few nice things to say about A. Stewart, Kostitsyn, Chipchura, Hubbaeur a Leafs prospect or tryout...
As for the game, I tried to follow all the players, but it was quite hard to do from where I was standing, here's a few players that I took quick notes on...
Alexandre Dulac-I thought he was horrible, yet he received alot of icetime it seemed, he was very slow, the only thing I liked about him was his size, but he seemed a step behing everyone, he tries to play physical, but can't seem to locate his man half the time.
Mark Flood-Good skater, good first pass, plays chippy in his own zone, but he's easily overpowered, he's got to put on more strength, seems very wiry on the ice, he's got some offensive potential, and showed a nice shot on his goal.
Didn't pay much attention to the try outs...sorry
G. Stwewart- He was IMO, the most physical forward during this game for the Habs, especially during the 1st and 2nd periods, he hit everything that move, especially during 1 shift where he absolutely layed out some guy, didn't see much of him in the 3rd, he has good size, good skating and seemed to like to stir up things.
D. Stewart-good skater, threw his body around, but missed alot of checks, he seems a little tentative with the puck, he's got some nice moves though, is a small player though and gets easily knocked off the puck.
M. Lambert-One of the better skaters on the ice IMO, has a very nice shot, good size, though he dosen't use it too much, he's got good moves but he likes to stay on the perimeter too much, if he can learn to drive to the net more, he could be a keeper.
M. Lapierre-Always around the puck it seems, he's very physical, he's got good size, though he seems a little skinny, his offensive game has improved since i've seen him last year, but he's still rough around the edges in that regard. I love the chippiness though.
J. Bonneau-When I went to last years tournament, I thought he was horrible, well, he improved alot, though he's still got a ways to go, he crushed the guy he fought against, and he looks huge on the ice, he was a crowd favorite too, his skating is still very choppy, he hit hard and didn't look out of place playing with Chipchura, he fanned on a beautiful pass by Chipchura once, but aprt from that he played his role to a tee.
Now here's a few players I keyed on most of the night...
A.Kostitsyn-Now I know what Kyle Woodlief meant when he said that he becomes alive when he has the puck on his stick, sometimes you'll look at him and he isin't doing anything, but as soon as he gets the puck, he's gone!His skating, shot, passing, stickhandling are all top notch. He likes to start out with the puck in his own end gather up some speed and burst through the neutral zone, he tried a few moves on defenseman, but it seemed like he would always do 1 move too many, I remember once, he got the puck in his own zone, circled back, deked one guy out of his skates, then took on the 2 d-men 1 vs. 2 made a few moves and out a weak backhand on net, but at one point during that move, he had the d-man leaning the other way and could of let go of one of his wrist shots but he decided against it. What surprised me the most about him is his passing, on a couple of occasions, he fed Cory Locke with a few very nice passes but he couldn't do anything with them, Kostitsyn could easily have had 2 or 3 assist. He didn't mind the physical game either as he went into the corners and only 1 did i notice him ending up on the ice as a result...defensively he wasn't great, but he wasn't as bad as I expected, on a few occasions I saw him hanging around the blueline but that's it, he helped his defenseman on a few occasions as well...All in all, when Kostitsyn has the puck on his stick he's very dangerous, in that occasion, he does make me think of Marian Hossa, the way he just attacks the d-man and forces him to back off and he tries to cut through, get around the d-man as well, you can tell when he has the puck that he wants to do something with it...I know some of you were saying he was invisible, but I thought he was everything but, he didn't have a great game, but there were moments where I was just speecheless, and so were my friends who have been hearing me talk about this guy for a while, easily the most talented player on the ice along with Anthony Stewart, he's going to have to improve his play without the puck though, offensively and defensively.
K. Chipchura-Has an NHL body already, he's physical, and a leader on the ice, is a pretty good playmaker, needs to work on his skating, it's not horrible but I think it's the difference between him becoming an effective shutdown center or a good 2 way 2nd line centerman...had a few chances, especially in the 2nd, when he danced his way into the slot but I think he fanned on his shot or something as I was getting ready to start cheering but nothing happened? His shot is weak, he'll also need to work on that, he was a very safe pick, he's got everything he needs to succeed, what kind of role will depend on him, and if he improves some of the things in his game;skating and shooting...he's also a pretty good stickhandler...the 1st player I thought of when I saw him play was Trevor Linden, he plays exactly like him IMO, only difference is Chipchura's left handed.
D.Milroy-Seems like he got bigger, you can tell that he's experienced in this tournament, as he seemed to handle the leadership role quite well, he's got a very nice shot, he's good along the boards and never stops working there, very dangerous around the net, his skating still needs work, although it isin't horrible, dosen't mind the physical stuff, but needs to learn to dish it out more instead of always being on the receiving end, on the the better forwards on the night IMO.
C.Locke- If he got bigger, it dosen't show, nevertheless, he played a good game, he isin't lightning fast, but he's quick, plays a thinking game in the offensive zone and knows how to find his teamates, had a great scoring opportunity like I said but he missed, he likes to pick corners on his shots as his shot is not powerful but it's very accurate, his lower body and upper body is weak, and he got punished a few times against the boards, but I like the way he gets back up...still don't know about him, though it seems as though he can handle his own vs. bigger players, i'd have to see it vs. real pros.
J.Ferland-almost forgot about him...he too has an NHL sized body, one of the leaders on the ice, he works hard all the time, is physical, he improved his skating, and is good along the boards, will be a good 4th liner, probably sooner than later...is alot like Jason Ward, except he's probably not as good offensively, but he's bigger and tougher...
Anyway...that's it for me, some of you may not agree, but that's what I saw from the players, I don't really look at production in a tournament like this, I look at every player individually and take into consideration who they're playing with...
hope this was helpful, any questions feel free to ask...
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Post by montreal on Sept 13, 2004 17:54:55 GMT -5
We've been focusing on the forwards, because they're the ones who put numbers on the scoreboard. However, we haven't been hearing glowing reports about the young defensemen. This concerns me because the Habs appear to lack depth behind the blue line. I like Mark Flood a lot, as he's a very good skater but he's not very strong although I'd say he's bulked up some from the look of it during the development camp. I don't know what they will do with Flood this season, either the Petes or Hamilton or Long Beach. Archer is also solid and imo perhaps the top defensemen at the developement camp (Korpikari was also very good, very professional) I can't wait to see what Archer does this year. |
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Post by sergejean on Sept 13, 2004 21:26:35 GMT -5
Just came back from the game against the Laffs prospects... 9-4 MTL. Here is what I think:
Milroy with the hat trick, Kostitsyn and Ferland with 2, Chipchura with three assists (or is it four???) anyway... good game overall...Kostitsyn has obvious talent, outstanding acceleration and stronger than I thought along the board.... Chipchura is playing like a veteran out there... Locke was almost invisible but he won most of the faceoffs he took and Milroy, WOW!!! nice pair of hands...
Archer and Flood were definitely the best two defensman on the ice.... Dulac is very big... a lot of work to go to polish his game but he didn't seem to panic and aside from one or two mistakes one of them almost costing a goal, he didn't look out of pace... good word also for Lacasse who impressed me with a couple saves...
anyone else was at the game?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 13, 2004 22:13:05 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 13, 2004 22:29:20 GMT -5
Jake Wilson from HabsWorld had this write-up on the game tonight against the Leafs:
In the final game of the regulation portion of the prospect tournament the Habs prospects earned a spot in the finals with a 9-4 victory over the Maple Leafs prospects.
Duncan Milroy started the scoring in the first period with his first of 3 goals on the night, Gregory Campbell made it 2-0 for the habs with a nice looking top shelf goal. The leafs soon made it 2-1, but Andrei Kostitsyn restored the 2 goal habs margin late in the first period with a lucky goal. The last goal of the period was scored by M.Lambert. Loic Lacasse played the entire game in nets for the Canadiens, he made one spectacular diving save in the first period but was otherwise untested.
Duncan Milroy started off the 2nd with another goal while made the score 5-1 habs, this was followed by a leafs goal to make the score 5-2. At this point the game started to get chippy, with lots of shoving matches taking place. The leafs scored again late in the 2nd to make it 5-3.
Jonathan Ferland began the scoring in the 3rd with a nice 2 on 1 goal, Ferland kept the puck, shot and scored. Milroy then completed his hat-trick with a beautiful looking goal to make it 7-3 habs. The leafs made it 7-4 before Ferland and Kostitsyn completed the scoring in the game. The game went without any fights. Final score 9-4 Canadiens.
Andrei Kostitsyn: Scored 2 goals but had an otherwise quiet game and was invisible when he was without the puck. He showed flashes of his skill at a few points during the game by performing dekes or making hard tape to tape passes. His 2nd goal was a thing of beauty, after Kostitsyn's original shot was stopped he dove for the rebound and knocked it past the Toronto goaltender.
Duncan Milroy: What else can you say about him? He's been dominant the entire tournament. He's a step ahead of everyone else on the ice, it could be because he is older then most players in the Tourney, or (hopefully) it could be because he is just that good.
Andrew Archer: Played physical and smart tonight, he used his size and dished out a few hard checks. He had a strong game defensively, and is probably the top habs D in this tourney.
Habs goal scorers
Milroy (3)
Ferland (2)
Kostitsyn (2)
G. Campbell
M. Lambert
The championship game between Montreal & Toronto takes place Tuesday night at 7:30pm
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 13, 2004 22:49:30 GMT -5
Habs514 from HF had these thoughts to say about the game and for those who want more than just write-ups, TSN just showed highlights on SportsCentre:
I was at the game and was very impressed by Milroy. He reminds me of Ryder and I believe he will have a big year in Hamilton. It was standing room only so it was hard to see all the plays but he looked good. Very gritty player with a very good shot. He got into a couple of shoving matches with a couple of Leafs players.
I like what I saw from Kostitsyn. Not only did he check a Leafs player into boards but he the followed the play by banking a shot off the goalie into the net. I see big things from him.
I agree with his assessment about Chipchura. Chipchura plays with a lot of poise and seems a lot older then he actually is. Good pick up by Montreal.
Cory Locke was invisible tonight I don’t know if he is ready for Hamilton yet. Don’t be surprised if he is not signed by Montreal this year.
Michael Lambert has a hell of wrist shot. I think he scored the third or fourth goal by Montreal?
Can someone please tell the Canadiens not to have this tournament in Pierrefond next season? Very small arena with too many people crammed inside. Not a good thing. Especially if the person next to you has BO.
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Post by Rimmer on Sept 14, 2004 2:16:58 GMT -5
Time will tell, but at the moment I'd be more reassured by favorable reports from the rookie tournament. There were a lot of shots on the Habs goal. they only dressed 5 dmen against Panthers because of injuries. otherwise, it's likely the result would be more favourable for our young prospects: Petit’s infraction had come on the heels of a hooking call on Alex Dulac-Lemelin and a holding call on Francois Caron. The latter pair, both defensemen, signaled the beginning of the fatigue felt by a Montreal squad that proceeded to yield four goals in the third.R. |
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 14, 2004 5:05:17 GMT -5
A report on last night's Leaf mulching by Brett2587 of, yes, Fanhome:
Saw the Habs-Leafs tonight and it was a real good game- the Habs won 9-4. Here are some things that stuck out:
1) Archer was the only d-man who did anything worth talking about. The rest were pretty adequate but nothing great.
2) Kostisyn scored two goals and he reminds me a lot of Marian Hossa. He was fantastic, shows a lot of heart and when he needs to be physical he can be. He is a lot bigger then I thought. He scored a beautiful goal where he was coming in one on one with the d-man, and he shot, the goalie saved it, and Kostitsyn jumped over the Leaf defenceman who had slid in front of the rebound and banged it in. The crowd loved it.
3) Chipchura had 4-5 points. The crowd already embraced this guy, and it helped the announcer announced him as Kyle ChipCHUUUUUUURA. And the whole crowd would respond with CHUUUUUUURA. Anyway, the kid has a lot more skill then I thought and plauys extremely well on the PK. He is aggressive, and already seems like a leader out there on the ice.
4) Unfortunately, I think Corey Locke is just too small for this league. He is also slow, which doesnt exactly help. Still, he is pretty tough and it was interesting to watch him. He doesnt look like he has Marty St Louis skill, but he could surprise.
5) Other notables included Duncan Milroy, Johnathan Ferland, Bonneau, Lapierre and Stewart. Urquhart played OK, and our goalie (Lacasse) played extremely well, although he is VERY undersized. He is very very quick.
That is all I can remember- the future looks bright!
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 14, 2004 5:36:47 GMT -5
"Who's been skating on my rink?", said Papa Bear at HF:
I was at the game with a buddy of mine...
Here are my impressions:
Duncan Milroy was the best player on the ice (for both teams). He oubviously scored a hat trick but i was really following him all over the ice and he was everywhere. Jarvis used him in all situations and he showed good hustle and quickness (his hustle allowed ferland to score his first goal if i'm not mistaken), he showed good instincts and impressive grit for a player that has been mentioned as being soft at times.
He also looked bigger than 6'0 200 pounds. Although he was more experienced than most of the other players there, he did not disappoint me tonight...
Kyle Chipchura is going to be a player. It was my first time seeing him tonight but he played a really strong game. He's definitely not as flashy as ak but boy can he play in all 3 zones... he also showed good instincts (especially in the neutral zone and the defensive zone) and on more that a few occasions displayed good hands. He may not ever win a scoring title, but if he continues to improve, he will not be a terry ryan...
I must mention that although he did get 3 points tonight, you have to watch all the other things he does to appreciate him... if he can put on 15-20 pounds and at least not loose any speed, he could be really valuable down the road...
but let me repeat that he still has improving to do (as do all of our prospects) i'm just saying that i was pretty impressed with his play...
Andrei Kostitsyn - you can tell that he's not quite in his element just yet... he does float but it just seems that its not cause he's uninterested... i dunno how else to explain it ut i have a friend who was much the same way when he played...
it was my first time seeing kosts play and to me he's not a mike modano or marian hossa type glider out there... he seems to move better than average to good out there until there is an oppurtunity to make a play, then he displays an extra gear... in fact he displayed that at the end of the game when he took a pass along the boards at the TO blueline behind him, saw an oppurtunity to deke the d-man, passed the puck behind himself, and took it up an extra gear... which forced the d-man to trip him and prevent kosts from going in on a partial breakaway...
What i was most impressed with is his wrist and snap shot... man are they quick and hard... i think his release might be better than ryder's...
well gotta hit the sack for now, i'll post some more later today, although these are the three that impressed me the most...
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Sept 14, 2004 5:42:08 GMT -5
HF's Disco Volante sniffs:
I was at the game, and I disagree with some of the things previously said.
-Chipchura was by far the best player on both teams.
-Milroy had a good game, but not as good as it looks. His second goal was from the neutral zone, and the Leafs goalies (Ford and Racine) were atrocious. His third goal was still really impressive - he managed to keep control of the puck with his feet to get thru a defenseman, and beat the goalie (which wasn't that hard, I assure you).
-Kots needs a lot of work. Has the hands, but that's about it for now.
-Archer is a cone. Well, he looked REALLY tired tonight. But I didn't suspect he could blast a puck like that : he cleared his zone with a slapper that got right behind the other goal, straight in the air, and it had still great velocity when it hit the board.
-D.Stewart showed some heart, doesn't quit, and bugs the other players, but doesn't have that much talent.
-Urquhart showed a lot more to me tonight than he did on the 6 or 7 games I saw him play with the Rockets. Could be a good 4rth liner or something.
-Lacasse really sucks.
-I don't think the score "shows you the quality of the Leafs prospects" at all. It shows how screwed up they are in goals, but as for the rest, their best prospects weren't there. And they still managed to score 4... shows you the quality of our "less than average" defense and very poor goaltending (in tonight's lineup anyway).
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Post by blaise on Sept 14, 2004 7:06:56 GMT -5
My concerns about the young defensemen still haven't been allayed. The only one I've seen is Ryan O'Byrne, and IMO he'll need at least 2 years to be NHL-ready. The others mentioned in this thread (with the posible exception of Korpikari) seem to be farther away than that.
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Post by BadCompany on Sept 14, 2004 9:10:44 GMT -5
Habs514 from HF had these thoughts to say about the game and for those who want more than just write-ups, TSN just showed highlights on SportsCentre:I was at the game and was very impressed by Milroy. He reminds me of Ryder and I believe he will have a big year in Hamilton. It was standing room only so it was hard to see all the plays but he looked good. Very gritty player with a very good shot. He got into a couple of shoving matches with a couple of Leafs players. Funny, that's who I've always compared Milroy too. Ever since he went on that tear in the Western Hockey League playoffs, a couple of years back. Ryder had a habit of lighting it up in the playoffs to (up until last season, unfortunately), and they play the same style; kind of mucky, not great skaters, but willing to dig, opportunistic shooters. I too think he is in for a big year in Hamilton. He's dominating this tournament, as he should, what with spending the year in the AHL and all, but nonetheless, it has got to be a good confidence booster for him. With what looks to be a young Hamilton team coming up next year (assuming the Habs don't dump too many guys, like Ribeiro, Ryder and Ward down there), he should assume a leadership mantle, just by default. Can only help. I'm a little concerned with Kostsitsyin. I haven't seen any of the games, but pretty much all the reports say he floats for extended periods, then explodes with tremendous skill once he gets the puck. Sounds kind of like a Bure-brother, with a little more size and grit (Alex Kovalev?). Hopefully Jarvis can get him going full speed, full time, to better harness his obvious tremendous talent... |
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Petit: Poor man Ferland.
