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Post by Anardil1 on Jan 27, 2007 23:41:47 GMT -5
Hamilton shut out their nemesis (Manitoba Moose) 3-0. players of interest: Kosty Sr. 1+1. Matt D'Agostini 1+1 (recently returned from long injury IIRC) and Grabovsky 2 helpers. Halak with 30 saves for the shut out. Hamilton had 39 shots. Didn't listen to the game (maybe I should have with the way the Habs played tonight), so I can't give any in depth details of how they played beyond the stats.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 28, 2007 0:39:26 GMT -5
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Post by chief6 on Jan 28, 2007 17:43:13 GMT -5
I've written here before, and I'm sure you all are as bored of reading it as I am of writing it: Ryan O'Byrne was awesome all weekend. He's still at least another full year in the AHL away from getting a real look with Montreal, but he's the most complete rookie defensemen I've ever seen in Hamilton. J-P Cote was also excellent. His ability to block shots, fearlessly, and without inadvertently redirecting them at the net makes him the special player he is. It's a thrill to watch these guys play together, and I hope they get an opportunity to do so at the Bell Centre soon.
Up front, Andrei Kostitsyn played very very well. He's not a big guy, but he's starting to use his body very effectively to separate his opponents from the puck, and his play in the neutral zone improves every night out. He went on a Kovalevian voyage last night, circling the entire offensive zone with the puck, deking through opponents and teammates alike, and he's learning how to take control of a game. And Matt D'Agostini probably played his best game as a Bulldog last night. He was flying on offense (had a few shifts with the Belarussians), and played really well in his own end.
A big honorable mention to Jonathan Ferland, who just always seems to make a strong play. When Max Lapierre was called up, a lot of Bulldogs fans were left wondering "what now?" and Ferland is turning those "what now?"s into "Max who?"s. He's playing that well.
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Post by Gogie on Jan 29, 2007 9:32:43 GMT -5
A few observations on the game:
AK is developing into a much more complete offensive threat. He's controlling the play more and making plays as well as potting a few goals. I've always seen him as being very strong on his skates and he's become very good at protecting the puck. He has much more confidence now.
I really like D'Agostini. He's been moved up to the first line with AK and Grabovski and he doesn't look out of place. The Dog's moved Milroy to the second line, where he's continued to produce (looking to spread out the offensive production a bit?), giving Dags an opportunity with the dymamic duo.
Halak, by the way, broke the record for career shutouts with the Bulldogs on Saturday. This guy is simply amazing. He plays a terrific positional game and has tremendous reflexes. He makes a lot of difficult saves look easy. He's the type of goalie that can carry a team (and hopefully he'll be doing that come the playoffs!!).
The defense has been outstanding for the Dogs (as evidenced by their league low 112 goals against this season). I've made a point of watching O'Byrne once in a while and, like chief6, I'm impressed with this kid. In his first year as a pro he's developing very quickly in a position where young players often struggle. He's learning how to clear the zone and he's using his size to advantage more and more. I see a lot of upside potential from him.
All in all it was a solid team effort. Despite the protestations of some posters, I think Lever and his assistants have done a good job developing the team and getting the players to play as a team.
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