AHL: Tlusty for More

McKeen's Chief correspondent David Burstyn looks at several Toronto Marlies players after falling in the first round of the playoffs to the Manitoba Moose. Justin Pogge, Phil Oreskovic, Anton Stralman and the impressive Jiri Tlusty are featured.

Justin Pogge (Tor), G, Toronto

Pogge laboured through this third pro season and despite posting his worst statistical totals, he was recalled to the Leafs for a seven game audition .. an athletic, butterfly goalie whose long limbs help to cover the bottom portion of the goal .. skating and puckhandling are his best assets .. encouraged by coach Gilbert to play the puck, he still needs to be selective, as he is too over zealous to make a play and his decisions will need to be fine tuned at the NHL level .. gets caught deep in his net and struggles with his position, which lends to flopping techniques .. when confident he will play well above the blue paint but in close he tends to guess and surrenders his position with shooters in close .. five-hole is left too wide when he slides across .. still allows a weak goal in a contest too often .. Pogge did not play in last year's extended playoff run but has made good on the coaching decision to start him this year against the Manitoba Moose, as he single handily stole the two games the Marlies have won in the series.

Phil Oreskovic (Tor), D, Toronto

The rugged North York native achieved a life long dream when he was recalled for 10 games this season with the parent club .. physically imposing defender whose aggressive tendencies and mean streak have been his calling cards to date .. heavy footed whose game is stunted by his lumbering skating .. he is smart enough to understand his limitations and as such does not make low percentage plays to chase offensive opportunities .. plays a good defensive game in terms of positioning despite skating flaws .. he still needs to make quicker adjustments in the neutral zone, as speedier forwards can take advantage of his lack of first-step quickness .. not blessed with an abundance of offensive fortitude his game is best suited when paired with a fast, skilled offensive puck-rushing defender .. fits the mold of that prototypical Brian Burke defender so he should get plenty of chances to make good on capturing a 6th spot in the Leafs rotation.

Anton Stralman (Tor), D, Toronto

Stralman has split time with both the AHL affiliate and the Leafs the past two seasons, as a surplus of contract players has kept him form being a full time NHLer .. a slick puck-rushing defenseman whose skills are fully illustrated when he has the puck on his blade, but not so much without it .. relies heavily on his finesse skills in all areas of the ice .. is more daring in the AHL with his full on end-to-end offensive rushes deep into the offensive zone .. what is most encouraging about Stralman's play of late is his maturity with the puck, as he will always make sure he has a man beat before making a pass out of the zone .. fluid and has good mobility in all directions .. his play is crippled when the play shifts along the glass or is deep in his zone, as he can't fend off power and can't make a play off the boards when pressured .. he needs to play through the physical adversity .. his game mirrors that of a poor man's Kenny Johnson .. given the tough decisions GM Burke will be making with his defensive corps in the off-season, the door could easily be open for him to grab a coveted NHL roster spot.

Jiri Tlusty (Tor), LW, Toronto

Tlusty responded to the demotion to the AHL better than Leafs management could have imagined, as he helped lead the team into the postseason en route to scoring 25 goals .. a solid contributor on both sides of the puck .. constantly pumping his feet, he plays his wing well going up and down and owning the boards .. his ability to make a play in tight and off the boards makes him difficult to defend against .. his body shifts violently when in motion making him unpredictable in the paths he will choose .. his start up speed is a bit jerky and his top level of speed is plausible at the NHL level but not blinding .. he remains involved in most plays due to his play reading ability .. benefitted from the play of Stapleton, as the duo worked well with one another, as Stapleton's speed and passing skills got him the puck often .. Tlusty's skill set is more suited for the third line but for an organization void of offensive depth he may be asked to play outside his limitations on a second line as early as next season for the Leafs.