AHL: Toronto Double Vision

The expansion Toronto Roadrunners hosted the minor league affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday afternoon in the second match at the brand new Ricoh Center. AHL correspondent Doug Evinou was at the game, and files this report on the game’s more promising prospects, including Carlo Colaiacovo.

With the crowds’ sympathies split evenly between both teams, the St. John’s Maple Leafs stormed back from an early first period deficit to capture a convincing 6-4 victory over Edmonton’s new AHL affiliate, the Toronto Roadrunners, on Sunday afternoon. Harold Druken tied the game late in the second period with a 60-foot howitzer over the shoulder of Roadrunners’ goalie Steve Valiquette, before Brad Leeb and Kris Newbury scored to break the game open early in the third period. Here’s a quick look at several of the promising NHL prospects who were featured in the game.

Carlo Colaiacovo (TOR), D, St. John’s

The former first round pick is an excellent skater and a constant offensive threat … Colaiacovo is as dangerous on the rush as he is delivering the puck to teammates … an effective defender, his excellent athletic ability enabled him to make a diving stick-check after Nathan Barrett had given the puck away for a breakaway opportunity in the first period … paired with Karel Pilar on the club’s first power play unit for most of the afternoon … still needs to upgrade his positioning for a whole sixty minutes, and adjust to playing against bigger and faster competition at the pro level, especially along the boards … Colaiacovo has big-league skills and it’s only a matter of time before he makes his way to the NHL for good.

Maxim Kondratiev (TOR), D, St. John’s

The young Russian was the big surprise at Toronto’s training camp, landing the sixth defensive spot ahead of the likes of Colaiacovo and Pierre Hedin … assigned to St. John’s upon the return of Bryan McCabe to Toronto’s line-up, Kondratiev must work on his defensive-zone play during his stay in St. John’s … a strong skater with the potential to be an effective two-way defender at the NHL level … an excitable young player who likes to get involved physically … however, he gets impatient at times and tries to force the play, and needs to learn how to harness this energy in order to develop into a reliable and well-rounded player.

Kyle Wellwood (TOR), C, St. John’s

Diminutive playmaker has made a surprisingly quick adjustment to the AHL level with nine points in his first twelve pro games … paired with Harold Druken to form a dangerous offensive combo up front … Wellwood is very adept at turning little chip passes or touches into dangerous plays … he isn’t the quickest player in the league, but plays the game at a fast pace due to his intelligence and impressive stick skills … sees the ice very well and knows where to go to receive passes … doesn’t possess the heaviest shot in the league, but has a goal-scorer’s finish in close … survived a Roadrunner sandwich in Toronto’s end during the third period and, despite losing a helmet, emerged with the puck to create a quality scoring chance … Wellwood is a plucky player who showed that he possesses the drive and the abilities to confound his critics some more.

Brendan Bell (TOR), D, St. John’s

Scored his first professional goal on a hard shot between the five hole of Steve Valiquette mid-way through the second period … the play was a bit of a strange one, as Bell and Colaiacovo found themselves on a long 2-on-1 rush … Bell is a strong skater and a terrific passer … likes to rush with the puck and looks comfortable in this role … although he has improved his strength over the last few years, Bell still needs to play the body more effectively and consistently … posted a game high plus-3 rating on the afternoon … a solid year in St. John’s should put Bell in a good position to make a run at a Toronto roster spot next fall.

Doug Lynch (EDM), D, Toronto

The big defender looked like one of the few legitimate NHL prospects on a rather unspectacular Roadrunners’ roster … making his pro debut in the AHL after a stellar junior career with Red Deer and Spokane … known mostly as a defensive rearguard, Lynch showed impressive offensive instincts during this contest … skated well with the puck, and delivered an excellent pass to Jani Rita on Toronto’s third goal … a strong player, Lynch uses his size to full advantage in his own end … he made a few bad decisions with the puck in his own end, however, and still must get used to the quicker pace at this level.

Jani Rita (EDM), LW, Toronto

The hard-skating Finn has taken longer then expected to reach Edmonton … despite possessing NHL size and skating abilities, Rita has yet to consistently dominate at the AHL level … displays strong offensive instincts and knows how to get into positions where he can utilize his hard shot … earned the game’s second star after notching a goal and an assist in the first period … a frustrating player who can take over a game on one shift, and then fade into the background on the next … after falling behind Jarret Stoll and Raffi Torres on the Oilers’ depth charts during training camp, Rita needs to bring his ‘A’ game to the rink every night to be a full-time NHLer.