AHL: Hamilton Daley News

The Hamilton Bulldogs took advantage of a poor Cleveland effort last Friday night, pouring in three power-play goals thanks to a number of careless early penalties by the Barons.

Cleveland managed just eight shots on Montreal goaltending prospect Yann Danis through the first two periods, as the Bulldogs coasted to a convincing 3-1 victory.

Garrett Stafford (SJ), D, Cleveland

First game back in Hamilton for the California-born rearguard who was nearly decapitated by Alexander Perezhogin in the playoffs against the Bulldogs last season .. a smooth skater who usually makes sharp outlet passes .. manned the power-play point with Christian Ehrhoff .. also sees time on the second penalty-killing unit .. endured one nightmare shift on a delayed penalty call, skating past the puck once, and then making two bad passes with his goalie pulled for an extra attacker .. earned a second assist on the Barons lone goal by Patrick Rissmiller .. coming off a stellar offensive season as a rookie last year (46 points in 63 games) after being signed as a free agent out of the University of New Hampshire .. while slightly undersized by NHL standards, Stafford’s right-handed shot and ability to contribute on special teams give him a shot at challenging for NHL duty at some point.

Josh Gorges (SJ), D, Cleveland

Former Cdn WJC rearguard signed with San Jose in the off-season .. picked up 42 points with Kelowna of the WHL last season, but is still searching for his first pro point after nine contests with the Barons .. plays in the third pairing and sees some time on the second power-play unit .. getting an opportunity for regular icetime early in his rookie campaign due to an injury to veteran rearguard Doug Murray .. Gorges is an intelligent and reliable defender with strong puckmoving skills, and can play in all situations, albeit he is not exceptional in any particular area .. most critically, he lacks the size and strength to handle bigger opponents .. this was driven home when Bulldogs forward Jason Ward slipped past him while driving to the net and took a Tomas Plekanec pass for the backbreaking third goal .. seems to have the potential to contribute as an AHL player, though it is hard to see him advancing to the NHL without some major upgrades in muscle and defensive resistance.

Christian Ehrhoff (SJ), D, Cleveland

After a stint with Team Germany at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, Ehrhoff is continuing his excellent play early this season .. sees a ton of icetime and is used in all situations .. a talented puckrusher who can accelerate rapidly with the puck .. uses his size to advantage in the defensive end and is very adept at tying his man up along the boards .. not an overly physical presence, though he does show the odd flare of nastiness .. was bailed out by Nolan Schaefer on a terrible unforced giveaway to Corey Locke in the second period .. possesses a great point shot .. delivered a bullet on goal in the third period, with Patrick Rissmiller burying the rebound for Cleveland’s lone goal in the game .. Ehrhoff likely would have been playing in San Jose if not for the NHL lockout .. looks poised to make an impact at the next level if and when the Sharks season starts.

Andrei Kostitsyn (Mtl), RW, Hamilton

Among the high-profile AHL rookies, Montreal first-rounder hasn’t been overly aggressive early in North American debut, nor has he shown much confidence .. he does, however, display moments of offensive brilliance .. avoided an offside whistle on the rush with a nice forward flip-pass that allowed Gavin Morgan to gain the offensive zone .. also made a terrific individual effort by blocking a clearing pass with his stick, and then swooping around goal to get a good shot away on Nolan Schaefer .. displays a lightning-fast stick and good passing skills .. saw time on the Bulldogs second power-play unit .. Kostitsyn has all the tools one would expect of a high draft pick, but will certainly need time adjusting to the increased speed and physicality of the pro game before racking up serious numbers .. to earn more icetime on a squad that is fairly deep up front, he also must show better defensive consistency .. on one particular play in the third period, he repeatedly failed to get the puck out of his own end, when he had ample opportunity to safely clear it off the glass.

Trevor Daley (Dal), D, Hamilton

An exceptional skater who loves to rush the puck a la Bobby Orr, the Dallas prospect earned the game’s second star for a two-point effort .. after taking a seeing-eye pass from Corey Locke, Daley unleashed a howitzer point shot, which Locke tipped past Schaefer to make it 1-0 on a first period power play .. earned a second assist on a pass to Tomas Plekanec on Dan Jancevski’s first-period power-play marker .. makes quick decisions and likes to be creative with his passing, although he gets a little too fancy occasionally and can turn the puck over at inopportune times .. attempted a behind-the-back pass which a teammate failed to anticipate - an example of a play which might have worked had he been surrounded by NHL players .. most of the time, he displays good vision and is aware of what’s going on around him .. however, he still suffers the odd brain-cramp, as he demonstrated tonight, icing the puck while his team was on the power play .. all in all, an intriguing talent who must continue to work on his game-to-game consistency, while cutting down on careless mental errors.

Scott Dobben (AHL), RW, Cleveland

Former member of the Erie Otter’s championship OHL team in `01-2 .. signed with the Barons, so technically not an NHL prospect .. an economical player with good size who displays excellent hustle on the penalty kill .. goaded Andrew Archer into an interference penalty after some strong cycling work behind the Bulldogs net and in the corner .. not tremendously skilled, but a good meat-and-potatoes player who plays a smart, simple style .. looks to be a solid depth player who should get an opportunity to improve over the course of his rookie AHL season due to his reliability and consistent effort.

Game Notes

Montreal prospect Chris Higgins missed the contest after being suspended by the AHL for one game as a result of his actions in a November 2nd, 2004 game in Cleveland. Higgins has five points in Hamilton’s first ten games this season.