Carrier-ing the load

The Lewiston MAINEiacs off-ice issues continued this season. After their bid to move the team near Montreal was rejected, they faced the difficult task of convincing their fan base that the organisation is committed to building a winner in Lewiston. Mckeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti reports on some of the young players that could make that goal reachable.

Matthew Bissonnette (2010), C/LW, Lewiston

Somewhat choopy skater .. takes short strides therefore not taking full advantage of his tall body .. he has made some impressive strides as the season progressed in terms of lateral mobility and pivots, which bodes well for the future as he continues to grow into his body .. plays the point on the powerplay where he takes advantage of his ability to make sharp passes .. shot is pretty hard but he has trouble on his release sometimes losing that split-second that makes a difference .. very good peripheral vision .. can pass the puck on either side of him well .. not really used in defensive situations at this point in his career .. very soft hands when handling the puck .. uses his reach to protect the puck but can be taken out of his game if challenged physically.

Samuel Carrier (2010), D, Lewiston

Mobile defenseman has become the go-to guy on defence due to lack of depth at this position on the Maineiacs .. may be playing too many minutes with the loss of Eric Gelinas .. skating is very fluid and turns are crisp .. moves well laterally .. lacks upper body strength so he is more effective when matched up with a partner who can bring a physical element .. suffers from brain cramps in his own zone .. the offensive side of the game is where he really shines .. distributes the puck very well when manning the point .. decisions are made really quickly .. understands when to pinch in and support his forwards .. average shot in terms of strength .. regularly shoots the puck high .. doesn't get too many penalties but he tends to get them at the wrong time.

Michael Chaput (2010), C, Lewiston

Choppy skater .. not very agile .. does have underrated speed once he gets going .. finishes his checks without taking himself out of the play to do so .. willing to battle for the puck along the boards .. does fairly well but needs to bulk up to win more of these battles .. doesn't quit on the play and will try to give a second effort .. used in defensive situations where he usually does quite well .. in his own zone, he tends to stay calm and just tries to make sure he is cutting the angles and keeping his stick active .. can't over commit to the puckcarrier due to his skating so he plays very conservatively .. wins his faceoffs with regularity .. lacks the offensive vision needed to surprise opponents but he won't make the kind of mistakes that place his team in trouble either .. goals come from placing himself in front of the net and trying to deflect shots from the point or bang home rebounds .. doesn't try to carry the puck too much .. doesn't have soft hands but he does get the job done with the puck.

Jess Tanguy (2010), C, Lewiston

Real lanky center who must get a lot bigger .. easily pushed off the puck by opponents .. so much so that he actually draws penalties .. fluid skater who moves effortlessly .. decent speed but lacks lower body strength to really accelerate .. has good hockey sense and vision .. distributes the puck quickly avoiding big hits .. generally plays the puck in his own zone, as he cannot play the body .. terrible faceoff man .. hard wristshot with a quick release.

Francis Beauvillier (2012), C/LW, Lewiston

Youngster has logged a lot of minutes with a rebuilding Lewiston team .. only an average skater .. footwork could be better .. does somewhat compensate for his lack of skating ability with a mature game .. slapshot is hard but a little erratic .. needs to improve his peripheral vision .. doesn't always seem sure of where his linemates are on the ice .. can make some bad decisions when he tries to rush his plays.