Memorial Cup: Lightning Strikes Twice

The Rimouski Oceanic eliminated any chances of a Kelowna advance in the Memorial Cup with a 4-3 win last night, setting up a battle with the 67's in the semi-finals. In this instalment of our Memorial Cup coverage we take a look at both the second and third line of the Oceanic, which includes Tampa Bay Lightning prospects Mark Tobin and Zbynek Hrdel. We also review Danny Stewart, checking line forwards Francis Charette, Eric Neilson and Jean-Sebastien Cote and goaltender Cedrick Desjardins.

Zbynek Hrdel (TB), RW

Employed on the second line, which tends to play a more physical cycle game .. bang and crash type player .. long reach and able to park himself in front of the net .. can play defence when he wants but has many lazy habits .. eliminated Perry from scoring opportunity on one shift and then allowed Bolland to skate by him to the net the next .. attempts to play a conservative game and makes generally safe plays with the puck .. can look lost in defensive zone .. needs to show greater commitment for the puck when he's away from the play .. can make effective outlet passes in the neutral zone .. tall, upright skater who does not possess blinding speed .. needs to work on overall foot speed .. consistency is his work ethic needs to be addressed.

Mark Tobin (TB), LW

Big winger who is physical and tough .. plays an effective cycle game .. cuts from behind the net and stickhandles around guys smaller than him due to his size advantage and reach .. can also set up plays behind the net because of his patience with the puck .. throws hits but needs to keep his arms down to avoid penalties .. has to improve on play without the puck .. poor positioning and defensive lapses cost his team dearly against London.

Danny Stewart (Mtl) LW/ C

Not an overly big forward but makes up for it by playing a fierce game .. hand/eye coordination allows him to bat down many pucks .. plays centre but is better suited for the wing .. does not have the passing skills and lacks on-ice vision .. a diligent back-checker who is at his best pestering defenders to cough up the puck .. plays a smart fore-checking game as he looks for timely hits .. an honest worker along the boards .. cycle game complements his style of play .. most of his offence happens in front of the net as his shot power and accuracy simply not good enough to get it done elsewhere.

Eric Neilson (LA), RW

Aggressive penalty killer who adds an offensive element to third line .. assistant captain leads by example .. hard worker who rarely takes a shift off .. understands his role on the team and knows that he must compete on every shift to be effective .. gritty player who will stand up for his teammates willingly .. skating could use work especially with turns and stride .. determination in his fore-checking abilities leads to turnovers throughout the game .. lacks the offensive skills to be considered a high level prospect.

Francis Charette (Free Agent), C, LW

Mostly employed on the wing .. extremely small forward, listed at 5'6 .. a defensive forward who has chipped in with some goals during the playoffs .. limited playing time behind top two units but makes the most of his ice .. terrific penalty killer .. speed allows him to clear the zone and attack puck carriers .. array of moves allows him to go inside-out on defenders .. lack of size usually results in him being tied up or eliminated from the play .. can draw penalties when he keeps his feet moving.

Jean-Sebastien Cote (Free Agent), C

Plays a similar game to that of his linemate Charette but has more offensive upside and vision .. terrific penalty killer often working in tandem with Charette .. has good speed in short bursts and the straightaway .. made a nice saucer pass for a short-handed effort .. displays outstanding patience with the puck in order to make the pass.

Cedrick Desjardins (Free Agent), G

Big goalie that covers a lot of net .. poor rebound control against Ottawa but improved considerably against Kelowna .. needs to use his stick to make saves instead of relying on his pads .. plays typical Quebec League butterfly style .. can generally move from post-to-post well to make timely saves .. at times loses balance, leaning a little too forward on certain shots .. covers bottom of the net so well, especially in close .. tips need to be high to beat him .. many of his goals surrendered came from long range .. quick feet but is not a great skater .. can lose sight of the puck in goalmouth scrambles or when in his skates .. has made many highlight reel saves thus far in tournament .. absolutely robbed Perry .. on average has faced more than 44 shots a contest .. shies away from playing the puck.