AHL [Mar-06]: Bite of the Bull-Dog

Bite of the Bull-Dog (posted 3.24.06)

by David Burstyn

The Hamilton Bulldogs are a team built on speed and aggressive forwards that are not afraid to attack the net. They have collected many young players who are playing their first year of professional hockey and while their record suggests they will miss the play- offs there is optimism that this team can and will succeed in the future. McKeen's takes a look at some powerful skating Frenchmen in J.F. Jacques and Maxim Lapierre as well as Edmonton Oiler' prospects Brad Winchester, Danny Syvret and M.A. Pouliot.

Marc-Antoine Pouliot (Edm), C

A player who boasts great hockey sense .. he understands where he needs to be on the ice and often looks like he is reading plays ahead of his teammates and is going to places where the puck should be .. a slick skater, he covers the ice well and has decent acceleration .. sound face-off skills .. not a flashy player he makes smart, simple plays that go unnoticed yet he is the leading scorer on the team .. often times he will wait for the defenseman to put himself slightly out of position to make a pass or merely flip the puck on the net with little to no power to hope for a rebound for a player to bang in while he is crashing the net .. his confidence is growing and he is learning how to lead and be counted on as the go-to-guy as he was in the shadows of Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Oceanic his whole junior career.

Brad Winchester (Edm), LW

Is everything an NHL prospect should be, strong, physical and has a soft touch around the net for a big man .. he has great balance on his skates and considering his size he is a good skater with a healthy stride .. possess good vision as he executes many timely passes that result in quality scoring chances .. not afraid to get involved physically as he readily parks himself in front of the net and is able to bang away loose pucks into the goal .. solid shot with quick release .. efficient along the boards as his big frame is able to retrieve many pucks and walk into the slot utilizing his shot selection .. defensively, he needs to pay more attention to detail however he certainly has NHL calibre skills and may be inserted into an NHL line up as soon as next season.

Jean-Francois Jacques (Edm), LW

Is a swift skater with excellent 2nd gear acceleration and is able to recover a stride should he need too .. aggressive forechecker, he willingly throws his weight around and plays a physical game .. solid build, he usually hits players hard thus opening up more room for himself and linemates .. drives to the net, protecting the puck well in the process, once he gets moving it is almost impossible to knock him off the puck .. strong work ethic is rewarded with key minutes .. sneaky player, as he does have offensive imagination to him and is capable of confusing defenders with his passing ability .. anticipates well in the neutral zone as he accepts passes and than uses his speed to wreak havoc in the offensive zone.

Corey Locke (Mtl), C

Pint-size forward is enjoying second season in the AHL and has already surpassed last season's totals by the 65 game mark .. a dynamic player who excels in open ice .. exceptional stick handler, small stick and quick hands often allow him to move around guys freely thus giving him an extra second to set up a play .. defenders need to be wary of his stick handling abilities and his short quick stride and often get fooled when they try to play the puck instead of him .. competes as he is always looking to get the shot off .. he does have some strength issues as his lack of size certainly hinders him from being aggressive by the boards or in front of the net.

Andrei Kostitsyn (Mtl), C

Former 1st rounder lacks consistency .. questionable work ethic, has been an area of improvement but still neglects certain defensive duties and team pays as a result .. his skills are high end as he is a fantastic skater with great speed .. he is able to unleash his one timer and has a tremendous shot .. his hockey sense and vision are debateable as he often elects to shoot rather than take an extra second to find an open man .. has become predictable to AHL competition and is far from realizing his NHL goals.

Maxim Lapierre (Mtl), C

A bang and crash player cut form the same cloth as fellow teammate J.F. Jacques .. they play a similar game in that they are both strong skaters and are not afraid to drive the net .. finishes checks and plays a hard nose physical style of game as he is 2nd on the team in PIM .. has good offensive instincts but like any rookie is adjusting slowly .. he can hold onto the puck for prolonged periods at a time but seems to lack the effective decision making (at this point) to know what to do .. at times when he should shoot he passes and vice versa and getting familiar with the league will alleviate those problems .. strong skater who is a mainstay on the PK unit .. successful rookie campaign and one to keep an eye on as his future looks bright.

Danny Syvret (Edm), D

Has already had a brief call up with the Oliers this season as he plays a very intelligent game and is mature beyond his years .. smart positionally and gets in the way of shooting lanes .. will still need to add muscle to remove bodies from in front of the net .. has good puck skills, he has not yet developed his offensive side however he makes smart plays to get the puck out of the zone and is careful not to over play the puck .. his skating is average, it is not a liability and he is conscious that he does not over commit in the defensive zone so that some fast footed forward does not beat him to the outside .. has come along rather nicely in his AHL debut season and should continue to make strides to improve all facets in his game next season however the NHL is a few years away.

Phantoms lack Power (posted 3.14.06)

by David Burstyn

After winning the Calder Cup last season the Philadelphia Phantoms find themselves struggling for a playoff spot this season. Due to a litany of injuries to the Flyers, many of the Phantom's regulars were rushed into NHL duty. Mckeen's was on hand for a recent contest and files notes on several of the more productive Phantoms.

Matt Ellison (Phi), C

Acquired earlier in the season from the Black Hawks in exchange for Patrick Sharp .. he started the year in the NHL but has since been moved to the AHL to give the Phantoms more depth at centre .. he is an effortless skater who has good speed and acceleration however he must continue to work on his balance .. fearless in going to the net and aggressive in puck pursuit on loose pucks .. has good offensive tools and has already been named team's player of the month for his offensive output in January .. communicates well with his teammates in the defensive zone, as he does back check and makes sure others do not miss their assignments .. is physical and dropped the gloves, however some of the penalties he took throughout the contest showed lack of discipline and hurt his team.

Tony Voce (Phi), LW

Entering his second year of professional hockey after an outstanding career at Boston College in which he was named a Hobey Baker finalist in his senior year .. had a good first season and is building on those totals in his second season .. a small player he has amazing balance and strength on his skates, he did not get knocked off the puck once even though big defence corps were on him all night .. his skating sets him apart as he reaches top speed in a few strides and is an effective player in even strength or 4 on 4 situations due to the amount of ice he can cover in a short period of time .. has a big shot .. offensively he is creative and knows what to do with the puck around the goal.

Stefan Ruzicka (Phi), RW

After leaving the OHL were he averaged over a point a game and 35 goals a season over a two year period, he is playing his first year of professional hockey .. relies heavily on his shot which he is not afraid to unload .. can stick handle at top speed .. tries to put the puck through the defender's legs or goes inside out on the defender like he did in junior, but is slowly realizing that players are much stronger at this level and do not fall for the same tricks .. lacks the strength to break to the inside and refuses to go in front of the net to score dirty goals .. a perimeter player who will need to improve on the accuracy of his shot if he is to play that type of game at the NHL level .. continues to work on his discipline as he is prone to taking costly and unnecessary penalties.

Kiel McLeod (Phi), C

Originally a second round pick by the Blue Jackets in 2001 he was acquired earlier this season and has provided the Phantoms with some size up the middle as he is 6'6 .. overall skating needs work as his first steps are sluggish and he lacks a top separation gear, however he is still able to spring on loose pucks as his wing span is so vast .. provides good defensive awareness as he wins many key face offs and is positionally sound .. offensively he has not contributed as he shows little imagination, however the role in which he is used coupled with his lack of minutes, does not provide him many scoring opportunities .. is not overly physical despite his huge size, yet he does intimidate opposition especially in the corners.

Ben Eager (Phi), LW

A fluid skater who has great acceleration and is able to blow by defenders when he has the puck especially to the outside .. plays an extremely physical game as he led all rookies last season with the most PIM .. not intimidated by the professional game what so ever .. needs to show more urgency when the puck is not on his stick .. very lazy on the back check as he is usually the last man back .. did not see much action throughout the second period for his lack lustre play in the first in which he was a -2 .. came back in third to administer a cheap kneeing penalty which resulted in a game misconduct .. a temperamental player who will need to control his emotions if he is to be of any use to his team.