AHL: New Home, Same Style

The Quad City Flames still play a tight forechecking game and after a difficult start, the young team is starting to find a little offense at the quarter mark of the 2007-08 season. Young two-way center Dustin Boyd has been recalled, but the team is still loaded with forwards who could develop into future fourth-line NHLers. The team also sports considerable size from the backend, including rookie pro and former first rounder Matt Pelech. McKeen's caught the QC Flames in action recently and enters notes on several baby Flames eager to make an impact this season.

Dustin Boyd (Cgy), C, Quad City

Was somewhat invisible on this night, as the second and third-line forwards generally stole the show .. showed good speed and hustle, but lacks the top-end gear to separate himself from NHL-caliber opponents .. two-way center did well to position himself offensively and defensively, and was effective in using his stick in stripping opponents of the puck .. was recalled by Calgary November 22, 2007, a few days after this viewing. see recent Dustin Boyd interview.

Matt Pelech (Cgy), D, Quad City

Big 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has the raw tools to be an NHL-caliber, defensive defenseman .. plays a physical game and can launch into opponents along the boards, in the corners or in races to the puck .. shows good power in his forward and lateral skating and can get some momentum going when skating the puck .. has some agility with the puck and can cut back on forecheckers to regroup and break the puck out .. makes simple plays with the puck and is fairly reliable in his puck moving .. needs to work on his pivots and the subtleties of them .. takes too many steps when pivoting from backward too forward, which is an indication that he needs more speed backwards .. on one occasion in this viewing, he biffed when switching to backwards, which caused an odd-man break .. occasionally circles and does not continue to face the play when the opposition transitions with the puck .. also circles away from the puck at times down low when an opponent switches back on him .. needs to make sure he is pivoting, stopping and starting while facing the play.

Kris Chucko (Cgy), RW, Quad City

Long knocked for his skating, Chucko's skating is becoming less of an issue .. showed good speed and a fairly powerful, long stride .. his speed is deceptive, as his long stride does not require a lot of turnover, but becomes evident in races for the puck or when he springs for a breakaway .. showed some offensive awareness, as he connected with breaking teammates with crisp passes .. consistently put himself in position for offensive opportunities around the net and off the boards .. fore checked efficiently, as almost all Calgary forward prospects do at the AHL level .. not a standout player at the AHL level at this point in his development.

Tim Ramholt (Cgy), D, Quad City

Solid puck-moving defenseman .. has a reliable first pass and can spring forwards with long-distance passes through traffic .. passes are quick and crisp .. maintains poise with the puck when hounded by checkers and has patience to wait for options or create his own .. good with his stick in making poke and sweep checks and intercepting passes .. seemed unsure of his backward skating in this viewing and had some trouble with speedy forwards .. generally seemed to have good all-compass mobility though .. was a regular on the powerplay and the penalty kill.

David VanDerGulik (Cgy), RW, Quad City

Almost invisible offensively on this evening .. did show a great second effort on a play behind the net in which he was blatantly tripped and still made a pass from his knees to the slot .. was a regular on the penalty kill and was able to strip opponents of the puck .. despite being only 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, he laid a huge hit on physical, two-way forward Joel Lundqvist .. displayed a hard wristshot .. had 16 goals and 27 assists in 80 games his rookie-pro season, but is nowhere close to that pace to start 2007-08.

Tomi Maki (Cgy), RW, Quad City

Primarily a defensive forward .. speedy winger who relies on quick feet instead of power .. effort was noticeable, even amongst the generally hard-working Flames forward prospects .. second and third efforts helped create offensive chances down low and on the forecheck .. finishes his checks and can do so with some force .. was very active operating the point on the penalty kill with quick starts and stops and pressuring the opposition's powerplay.

Brett Sutter (Cgy), C, Quad City

Fits in well with Quad City's defensive style .. skating still needs a little refinement, although it does not hold him back .. turns look a bit awkward at times and skates upright, especially when he gets tired .. occasionally mishandles the puck while stickhandling in open ice, but his second and third efforts helps him recover .. despite occasional open-ice miscues, he was good at controlling the puck along the boards and in starting cycles .. shows a good effort on the forecheck and can hound opponents .. can be caught not moving in the neutral zone if he is not toward the front of the forecheck and as a result, he can be sidestepped .. is not a gifted-offensive player, but he has a quick wristshot and can put himself in a position to finish the chances he gets.

Cam Cunning (Cgy), LW, Quad City

Quad City's biggest physical presence on this night .. showed good speed with and without the puck .. finishes his checks and does not mind dumping the puck into the corner, slamming the opponent, and getting it back .. is not averse to skating through his man either .. lays out some heavy hits .. showed excellent hustle and good acceleration and quickness of the faceoff .. has a hard wristshot .. did not originally plan to take notes on Cunning on this viewing, but his solid play forced the issue on this night from his first shift.