Memorial Cup Review: Gatineau Olympiques

For the second straight Memorial Cup, the QMJHL team was the first to bow out. After an unbelievable QMJHL playoff run, in which they only lost three games, the Gatineau Olympiques failed to register a win in round robin play going 0-3. McKeen's correspondent David Burstyn reviews their performance and has notes on several of their players.

Goaltending

Mior faced an average of 47 shots a game. He was often left to fend for himself and was forced to make consecutive saves. He kept his team in the final game against Spokane making many timely saves. However, his performance against the Bulls was lackluster and his stickhandling gaffe, which cost his team a goal, changed the complexion of the game resulting in a loss in a much-needed win.

Grade: C

Defense

After sustaining injuries to many key players, the Olympiques were a broken down unit on the backend. Surrendering countless shots and unable to provide any offensive spark on the blueline, as only one defender recorded a goal in three games and only three others registered a point with an assist each. They were unable to make adjustments and were pressured off the puck on countless occasions. Their inability to make a pass out of the zone crippled their breakout game and forced forwards to retreat too deep. Youngster Hubert Labrie, draft eligible in 2009 was the teams' best all-around defenseman but missed the final game due to an injury he sustained in game 1. Joey Ryan saw minutes in all situations but his play was erratic and inconsistent. Top scoring defenseman Patrik Prokop was a horrendous minus-7 in the tournament and was on the ice for all six goals against Belleville. Maxime Mallette played in a limited role and Japanese-born Takuma Kawai was forced to play defense after playing the bulk of the season at forward.

Grade: D+

Offence

The dynamic duo of Byron and Giroux who combined for 83 playoff points between them coming into the Memorial Cup managed a meager goal and an assist each. Giroux's lone assist of the tournament came on a beautiful no-look pass to Quesnel to force OT in the first game but other than that, he was very quiet and easily contained. Byron was a sparkplug but was unable to convert on his chances. He exploded up the ice but given his diminutive stature, he was unable to capitalize on his chances. Stinziani and Smith were impressive in game 1 but then faded into obscurity when the team needed them the most. Team captain JP Chabot was unimpressive and unable to generate any offensive chances. Quesnel got better as the tournament wore on, as his gritty efforts were rewarded with a spot on the top line after the second game. Pistilli, the Olympiques biggest player was demoted to the third line and was a virtual non-factor, as he lost many loose puck battles that cost his team costly goals. The checking units of Fauser and Touchette did a good job killing penalties including nine in a row against Belleville. In the end, the Olympiques only had three dressed forwards over 6-feet and were a woeful 3-for-16 on the PP.

Grade: C-

Mckeen's reviews the play of several Gatineau Olympiques players.

Ryan Mior (FA), G, Gatineau

The former first round selection of the PEI Rocket in 2003 finished his junior season with the Olympiques after establishing a new QMJHL record for most games played by a goaltender (239) and registering the most shutouts in QMJHL history with 26 over a five-year career .. standing at 6-foot, he appears bigger in the net and uses his size to play more of a stand-up style that covers the majority of the net .. Mior moves from the crease well and he plays outside of the paint to minimize deflections .. his mental composure was tested in this tournament and he became unraveled in game two against Belleville in the third period .. in his defense, he played a technically sound game against Spokane the next night making many key saves to keep his team in the contest .. Mior has good balance on his feet and can recover well after a save .. possesses a good glove hand .. needs to handle the puck less as he has a tendency to want to make a play with it .. he generally prevents rebounds by directing shots to the corners .. he does not always swallow up rebounds when he should and pressure is often sustained in the offensive zone as a result .. Mior enjoyed a healthy junior career, however his game and lack of fundamentals does not make him a goalie at a level higher than CIS.

Patrik Prokop (2008), D, Gatineau

A former first round selection in the Import draft, Prokop immediately responded after being acquired by the Olympiques scoring close to a point a game in the regular season (25-2-20-22) .. came into his own in the playoffs, as he was the highest scoring defenseman for the Olympiques heading into Memorial Cup action .. Prokop scored two goals and notched 26 assists including a whopping nine points in the QMJHL finals against Rouyn-Noranda but by the time the Memorial Cup came around he was relied upon too heavily and played in more situations and minutes then he probably should have .. given the Olympiques injury-filled backend, the coaching staff had no choice and Prokop's game suffered as a result .. blessed with neither exceptional speed nor balance, Prokop's stride offers very little in terms of acceleration .. his puckhandling skills are choppy and too often, he makes a pass without looking up .. when he makes a mistake, it usually is the direct result of him having his head down and throwing the puck blindly up the ice .. his lack of balance hurts his game down low, as he loses far too many battles .. Prokop was a fixture on the PP but did little to create offensively .. he did an admirable job of keeping the puck in the zone but failed to use or get his shot off and when he did, it was very weak and usually off the mark .. Prokop really struggled against the Belleville Bulls, where the size and the speed of the Bulls gave him trouble all night, as he was on the ice for all six goals scored .. next season he could return, however he would take up two cards as an overage and an Import player .. look for him to be dealt or return home.

Hubert Labrie (2009), D, Gatineau

Labrie played well beyond expectations considering the responsibilities thrust onto him at his youthful age .. not eligible until 2009, Labrie, often drew the hard defensive assignments against players such as Angelo Esposito, Jakub Voracek and Brad Marchand en route to series victories against Halifax and Quebec .. a quiet, yet effective defender who makes smart, calculated decisions .. mobile in all directions and pivots exceptionally well .. he has a considerable amount of agility and can force the opposition to the outside and then pin them along the glass .. despite his small stature, he can usually hold up an opponent long enough for help to arrive .. his physical play is subtle .. he can administer a clean hit but it is more so his angling and effective use of his stick that allows him to wrestle the puck free and make a play up ice with it .. Labrie handles the puck well but will not rush the offensive zone .. he sees the whole ice surface and finds his open man .. he needs to be more cognoscente of his positioning when making cross-ice passes, as he can extend his passes at times .. he is a very mature and learns from his mistakes .. he possesses excellent hockey sense and plays a dependable game .. he will need to add more strength to his frame .. he had a tendency to be over zealous in his defensive reads and was caught flatfooted a few times .. in a goal that Nigel Williams scored, he was manhandled off the puck and pushed out of position .. Labrie had a rough start to the tournament after sustaining a knee-on-knee hit in game 1, but he returned and played in all the PK situations in game 2 before sitting out the final game of the Memorial Cup .. his foot speed and ability to process the game is similar to a young Duncan Keith and he should be given a try out for the Ivan Hlinka Under-18 tournament.

Takuma Kawai (2008), D, Gatineau

Kawai holds the distinction of being the first Japanese-born player to play Major Junior .. invited to camp after a brief stint with Drummondville, Kawai missed a substantial amount of time this season with various injuries .. Kawai started the season as a forward but played many games in the QMJHL playoffs as a defenseman .. the return of Mallette in the third game allowed him to play both forward and defense .. a physical, bruising player who competes and looks to finish his checks .. average in terms of skill, he does show a penchant to join the rush when he has the puck .. since Kawai was converted into a defenseman from his natural LW position, he positioning was not always astute .. he could be caught running around and his footwork was suspect .. he takes too many steps and crosses over far too much to keep up with quicker players .. as a result, he is turned inside out .. better suited to be an up-and-down winger where his lack of foot speed will not be exposed .. it is uncertain what will become of Kawai's career in North America, however the experience he gained will surely make him a success in Japan should he return home.

Joey Ryan (LA), D, Gatineau

One of a few players acquired at the trading deadline, Ryan was a member of the Quebec Ramparts Memorial Cup winning team in 2006 .. not known for his offence as much as for his physical, defensive game .. Ryan struggles with consistency, as he made several poor decisions in each game .. he did an admirable job of clearing the crease and imposing his will onto others .. Ryan struggled with the puck, as his confidence and puckhandling ability is far from complete .. considering he has played well over 250 of junior, it is rather alarming that his puck skills have failed to develop within that time .. when pressured against stronger, faster teams (Belleville) his game was exposed considerably, as he often threw the puck away and was stripped off it countless times behind the net .. cannot seem to take or make passes on his backhand side, as his athleticism will not allow it .. Ryan does not look when making passes and this trait made his play very unpredictable .. his game (although riddled with errors) was relied upon heavily and considering the minutes he was forced to play, he would undoubtedly thrive in a lesser role and should land a spot in the ECHL next season as a depth defenseman.

Michael Stinziani (2008), LW, Gatineau

Bypassed in the NHL draft last season, Stinziani performed admirably in the Memorial Cup, as he was the team's leading scorer with five points in three games .. Stinziani started the tournament on a roll scoring the team's first goal and setting up another two in the opening contest .. he failed to exhibit the same consistency throughout the rest of the tournament .. not known as a top point producer, these playoffs were a coming out party for the former second round selection (29th/2005) of the Olympiques .. effective when given space, he has quick hands and can stickhandle in close .. he is no better than an average or fair passer, possessing neither the instincts nor hands to make a play .. an average skater with little rink speed .. he does boast ok first-step quickness but frantically moves his feet too much and expends too much energy in his start up to sustain his speed .. a feisty combatant, he uses his sturdy frame efficiently but too often, he disappears .. his complete lack of attention to defensive detail is unsettling .. he makes halfhearted attempts to retrieve the puck and is always the first player to leave the zone .. Stinziani should have ample time to improve his game and given the graduations of many key players, his icetime and offensive totals should blossom as a result.

Paul Byron (Buf), RW, Gatineau

Byron went undrafted in the QMJHL but an invite to Gatineau's camp including a terrific playoff last season where he scored a goal a game resulted in him being selected in the sixth round by the Sabres .. a dynamic forward who glides effortlessly on the ice .. has a fluid stride, which generates healthy acceleration .. very slick in his movements especially when handling the puck .. he handles the puck at full throttle, as his hand and foot speed equal one another .. despite his small stature, Byron absorbs hits well, as his balance makes his opponents at times suffer the brunt of the physical punishment that is thrown out .. Byron is capable of scoring anywhere on the ice, as he has natural finishing ability .. he can pull the puck back and exhibits unique patience that puts him into better positions to score .. he can find himself in the dirty areas of the ice, he streaks towards the goal and looks for deflections, although he does not stay in traffic too long for self-preservation reasons .. he has astounding one-on-one skills and can drive wide .. he is very unpredictable in his play in the offensive zone, as he often keeps the puck so close to his feet, sheltering it while surveying options .. defensively, his speed helps to nurture takeaways much like Pavel Datsyuk, he uses his speed to get around players and pickpocket them from behind .. too often, the backend was unable to take advantage of Byron's speed in the neutral zone and connect him with a pass while streaking across ice .. he was forced to play deep to retrieve the puck and as a result, checking forwards where on him right away before he could utilize his speed, thus taking away from the strengths of his game .. Byron should return for another year of Major Junior but has a fair degree of work ahead of him and needs to put some weight on himself.

Alexandre Quesnel (2008), LW, Gatineau

Acquired at the trading deadline from Cape-Breton, Quesnel is a reliable, hardnosed forward who works for all his opportunities .. not blessed with an abundance of offensive skill, his heart and determination make him a successful player .. was promoted to the first line following two successful games in which he sacrificed his body and finished hits with unbridled enthusiasm .. a choppy skater, whose speed out of the gates prohibits him from joining or spearheading a rush .. he cycles the puck well down low and contributes by making smart, subtle plays to prolong offensive attacks .. he is an up-and-down winger with little imagination, yet he plays his position well and that reflects in his defensive game .. he often picks up his man and supports the backcheck .. he plays a physical game along the boards, as he has brute strength, which he uses to out-muscle opponents off the puck .. a role player who is the sum of his parts, who will play if he is hurt and always give you a solid effort.

Darryl Smith (FA), RW, Gatineau

An original pick of the Guelph Storm (129th/2003), he made the team as a rookie and played the better part of the following year before being released and joining on with the Gatineau Olympiques .. assistant captain is a steady point producer, Smith makes the best of his limited skill and managed back-to-back 25-plus goal seasons .. a jerky skater with good up-and-down speed .. he has an unorthodox skating style but can get to where he is going .. his limbs flap around uncontrollably and he is difficult to contain due to his wiry strength .. he likes to attack the offensive zone and work the boards down low .. his forays sometimes disable him from fully recovering and being a part of the play defensively the other way .. he tends to get overzealous in his puck pursuits but his aggressive nature usually lends to opening up lanes for his linemates .. Smith needs to constantly move his feet to be effective, as when he slows down or watches plays, he becomes very ordinary .. he needs to be reacting to a play, as his checking instincts help his overall game .. Smith is dangerous when he leaves the zone, he can handle the puck at a modest speed and is creative with the puck, as he always has his head up and/or stick on the ice when driving the net .. Smith has the skill set to be an effective ECHL player and should get some opportunities.

Matthew Pistilli (2008), RW, Gatineau

Pistilli exploded this season with 93 points on the strength of 37 goals .. the biggest forward on the Olympiques, he positions himself to use the half boards and shield the puck while moving further in the offensive zone .. balanced and strong on his skates, he is difficult to knock off the puck down low .. a sluggish skater with no first-step quickness .. he often loses many foot races and several of them resulted in goals against, as he was a team leading minus-5 amongst forwards .. his inability to keep up with the speed of Byron and the make-the-most-of-Giroux's creativity resulted in him being bumped off the first line to assume more of an energy role with Fauser and Touchette, a role in which he looked more comfortable in .. assistant captain played more of a down-low game and went hard to the net causing a disturbance in front taking full advantage of his mammoth frame .. considering the Olympiques lack of size and goals they will lose to graduating players, it is a safe assumption that Pistilli will return for an overage season.

Claude Giroux (Phi), C, Gatineau

Was Mr. Everything in Gatineau's quest to the Memorial Cup, as he scored 28 points in his final 10 QMJHL playoff games .. a member of both the WJC gold medal team and the Canada/Russia Challenge who won seven games and tied one .. an ultra creative and slick pivot who is an excellent skater .. he encompasses speed, agility, balance, quickness and acceleration .. he adds agility with his balance, as he is able to change direction in a step or two .. as good as his skating is, it may be outdone by his superior hockey sense and anticipation .. he sees plays unfold a few moves in advance and reacts accordingly .. at times, his teammates are oblivious to passes but have learned to keep their stick on the ice, as he always seems to be able to place it conveniently on their stick .. he can rifle a pass or feather it, as his hands are velvety soft .. his hockey sense gets him near the net in scoring situations and his hand skills allow him to score in close .. he does not shoot enough and has developed a reputation as more of a playmaker/passer .. his shot is ok but it is behind the rest of his skills .. Giroux is able to roll off players and find himself in positions to steal pucks from flatfooted defenders .. he is not physical due to his thin frame but he does assert himself with the occasional hit and is not afraid to go into traffic .. improved strength is mandatory for Giroux to take it to the next level .. a brief stint in the AHL may better prepare him, as he would more than likely play in the top six, a position he is unlikely to crack in the NHL given the depth of the Flyers.