Memorial Cup Review: Kitchener Rangers

As the host team, the Kitchener Rangers did not disappoint, as they successfully made it to the Memorial Cup Finals. However, it was not without a scare, as they entered the play downs with a losing record. Backed by a capacity crowd of 6000 plus, the Rangers put on a clinic to eliminate the Belleville Bulls from Memorial Cup contention by a score of 9-0. In the end however, the Spokane Chiefs were just too powerful.

Goaltending

Josh Unice started every game despite rampant rumors that Steve Mason was practicing with the team and was set to return. Unice struggled in all of his round robin games and was particularly shaky in the opener when he allowed three goals on the first 12 shots. He surrendered many weak goals but to his credit, came up big when needed against the Bulls, recording the only shutout of the tournament. Unice never faced more than 30 shots in any of his games. He never stole a game for the Rangers and on two occasions, he was unable to keep the Rangers afloat despite nursing three goal leads.

Grade: B-

Defense

The backend was decimated so much that they forced Scott Tregunna to play defense. The Rangers were without the services of Yannick Weber and Robert Bortuzzo when it mattered most, namely the final games of the OHL finals and first few games of the Memorial Cup. Both returned to participate in the later stages of the tournament but were shadows of their former selves The acquisition of Shutron at the trading deadline was a strong addition and proved to be very valuable down the stretch. He provided clutch scoring and timely offence. The partnership with Pepe allowed Shutron to explore many offensive opportunities. Kelly was very solid in his own end and played a simple game that led to team success. He was physical when needed and did not over handle the, puck. The improved play of Alex Dzieski allowed coach DeBoer to comfortably roll three defensive pairings. Dzieski was not spectacular but partnered with Tregunna, he was able to hide his warts and play a simple glass and out game. He used his size and aggression to defend and was aware to move his feet constantly. Not an overly dynamic group but they did contain most teams and limited their scoring chances by smothering the opposition and having the forwards come back to support the backcheck.

Grade: B

Offence

The forward unit of Azevedo, Halischuk and Spaling was the most dynamic and dangerous line of all the featured teams in the Memorial Cup. The trio combined for 13 points in their semifinal massacre of the Bulls and finished 1-2-3 in scoring. The Rangers second unit of Kadri, Boedker and Duco was also the most offensively potent second line in the tournament. Kadri woke up in the later stages of the tournament while Boedker was a threat to score in any situation. Duco provided the line with some much-needed grit. The checking unit much to the surprise of many saw considerable icetime. Anderson, Mashinter and Battani were able to pin many of the team's better lines in deep and cycle the puck effectively down low. They provided energy and a spark that was often needed to get the higher scoring lines on track. Timmins, Akeson and Masicoli are all players that took a back seat in terms of being able to contribute offensively. These are young players and will be a big part of future in the next few years but were unable to see much PP time and as a result, often lined-up against the oppositions other scoring units and were employed in more of a shutdown role. All the Rangers lines worked well in tandem with one another. They understood and bought into team concepts and were successful as a result scoring a tournament leading 20 goals.

Grade: A

Kitchener Rangers Scouting Notes

Josh Unice (Chi), G, Kitchener

Unice was thrust into the limelight when a knee injury sidelined starting goalie Steve Mason .. the duo had split duties in both the opening rounds but Unice essentially inherited the job coming into the third round .. Unice left in many soft goals throughout the Memorial Cup but to his credit, he stepped up his game when it mattered most in a shutout win in the semifinals to give the Rangers a chance at the Memorial Cup .. not a terrific skater, he is sluggish when moving in and out of the net, which leaves him susceptible to rebounds and odd-man breakouts, as he must regain his position quickly .. he exposes too much net when moving laterally, as his stance is not compact .. he relies heavily on his reflexes, as he is not a positional goalie .. he struggles with wrap arounds, as he does not always keep his eye on the puck and can turn his back on it .. he is quick with his hands and his feet when sprawling down low in traffic, as he can usually pick up loose pucks in a skirmish .. he falters with his rebound control however and tends to kick pucks to the side .. his set-up is flawed, as he drops his glove too far down to get it up .. he struggles with shots on short sides and to the glove hand, which is a classic case of him not playing his angles well .. Unice tends to pack it in if he allows a weak goal early, as it destroys his confidence .. he does not necessarily carry bad games with him but he can fall into the same negative routine for the next goal .. he can handle the puck fairly well and will play the puck when he can .. he is at his best when he stays on his feet .. Unice should return to Ranger land and be the number one guy for next season given the organization's complete lack of depth at the goaltending position.

Ben Shutron (Chi), D, Kitchener

It is amazing what a change of scenery and some added responsibility can do for a player .. virtually rotting away in Kingston's defensive system, Shutron, when not battling injuries was coached not to rush a play, rather hang back, thus negating his true strengths as a player .. given the icetime in lieu of two key injuries on the backend (Weber, Bortuzzo) Shutron took it upon himself to elevate his game in their absence .. skating and puck moving are the keys to Shutron's game .. he is exceptionally balanced on his skates and very fluid in his movements .. he can surprise opponents with his quickness and aggressively looks to architect offensive chances .. he is more effective when he makes quick passes and moves up with the play .. he gets good reads up ice and finds the open man .. he is consistent in his play both offensively and defensively .. he can be guilty of the occasional no-look pass but his mistakes are very limited .. his reverse skating helps him establish position in the defensive zone, as he has good footwork .. Shutron's shot is probably the weakest aspect of his game, as it is average in terms of speed and power .. he does set up well to shoot off the pass but his shot is anything but feared .. established himself as a very mature player capable of seeing ample minutes in all situations in Kitchener's final playoff round .. could return to Junior, as he would be able to improve on his QB PP skills as an overage player next season.

Yannick Weber (Mtl), D, Kitchener

It may have been no surprise that Kitchener's collapse coincided with Weber's absence .. the Swiss native led the backend in scoring in both the regular and postseason .. a highly offensive rearguard with a blistering pointshot and healthy passing skills .. he carries the puck confidently from the defensive zone and deep into offensive territory .. in his first game back, he was tentative and did not play his high-tempo-offensive game .. he has good touch and vision but suffers from lapses and poor decisions when pressured .. he can be a tad careless when moving the puck and takes for granted his time and space, as he can be too laid back in his approach .. he is aggressive offensively, as he will always look to jump the play .. he does however generate good speed and opponents have to play the body to stop him .. his lower body strength helps him dig into the ice and make quick twists and turns, however clearly his ankle injury got the best of him in the final games of the Memorial Cup .. he appeared sluggish and could not fend off opponents .. his defensive play is unexceptional .. he can hold off guys coming down his wing, as he is more than likely to use his foot speed to step up on a player; forcing him to make a play than try to keep with him to the outside .. this approach sometimes gets him in trouble .. Weber still needs to use his body more and become more physically involved .. his in-front coverage has to be better monitored in terms of position, since he is not always in the right spots and is not physical enough to make players pay the price in front .. Weber has some great tools but still needs seasoning, a few years in Hamilton should help.

Matt Pepe (FA), D, Kitchener

Team captain is one of two original draft picks from the 1987 draft (Duco being the other), to enjoy a five-year career establishing new personal career highs in the goal-scoring department and in playoff scoring .. not known for his offensive contributions, Pepe is a hardnosed defender who willingly dishes out hits .. Pepe wants to play the body and at all times, however his eagerness must be curbed, as he tends to take himself out of the play .. partnered with an offensive defenseman allows him to focus on his defensive duties .. not flashy in his approach, Pepe has improved considerably in reading plays and reacting .. his footwork gets him into trouble and he constantly has to move to track down his mark .. he closes the gap quickly most times, however at other times, he can lose his man entirely .. lacks the lateral mobility to keep up with quicker players like Mitch Wahl .. blossomed into a serviceable defensive defenseman, however the AHL might be a tad lofty.

Scott Tregunna (FA), D, F, Kitchener

The Rangers might have over paid for the Mount Forest native services (2nd and 3rd round pick), however he did have a breakthrough season last year and was close to a point a game player with Owen Sound when acquired .. never seemed to find his groove on a top-two scoring line, even though he was given many opportunities .. was relegated to a fourth-line checking role and even saw time on the backend due to a rash of injuries to the blueline .. calm and composed with the puck, he made many smart and methodical plays with the puck when forced to play out of position .. an average skater who showed limited creativity .. he did not have the mobility or speed to launch an attack but his puckhandling skills outshined many of the current players on the backend .. his decision-making at times suffered because of the new position due to his lack of lateral movement, as he often put himself into poor position and was angled-off effectively by faster forecheckers .. he was not coached to manufacture offence more to make the simple, safe play, as the forwards often supported the defenseman in coming back .. when he was asked to play forward, he was once again relied upon to check the opposition's better players and generally keep the puck down low for the top units to get a rest .. a mature player, he accepted his role and thrived in a shutdown role, he even managed to score a few goals due to his quick hands in front .. under utilized, Tregunna has a decent set of hands and sharp offensive instincts and could make a very productive ECHL player.

Nick Spaling (Fla), LW, Kitchener

Another player that was slowed down by mono, Spaling missed close to a month of action, missing training camp for the WJC and needed another few weeks to find his game upon his return .. the chemistry he helped establish between Halischuk and Azevedo was sensational .. an extremely talented hockey player with an under-appreciated skill set and uncanny hockey sense .. understood his role on the ice and did an admirable job staying with top-flight players and following plays that led to goals .. quick stick and nose for net make him effective .. he is not a physical player but he will make plays in traffic and go hard to the net with his stick on the ice .. registered five points in the semifinal game against Belleville but also played superb defense throughout the entire tournament .. Spaling is not afraid to put the puck on net if he sees no play unfolding .. he is a threat to score because he can shot and pass .. his passing skills are effective in tight spaces, as he employs his reach to make a subtle pass and gets his teammate in the clear with a flick of the wrist .. keeping with his philosophy of not throwing the puck away, often he will cut to the centre of the ice while opening up room for his teammates to make a pass .. not a blessed skater, his stride is long and thick .. he does not have multiple levels of speed but he is able to sustain his speed for prolonged periods .. he uses his speed to his advantage and is very sneaky in terms of getting into open ice .. he will dig and battle for loose pucks and always give an honest effort when he is on the ice .. since he is fearless in his approach to go to the net, he is often the recipient of banging away many loose pucks .. Spaling has established himself as a marquee two-way forward, however his speed will hold him back.

Scott Timmins (2008), C, Kitchener

Timmins has a very deceptive skill set .. he quietly put together an amazing season considering how much icetime he got especially on the PP .. used primarily in a checking role on the third line, Timmins is a versatile player who can play either forward position and was often slotted with different linemates due to his ability to adapt to any game situations .. he is a strong skater with good acceleration .. his best qualities are his ability to read plays well both in the offensive and defensive game .. a second unit PK player who stays with his check up and down the ice .. he cuts off the passing lanes and shadows players closely to neutralize scoring opportunities .. his puckhandling skills are improving and he can make nifty plays out of the corner or in open areas of the ice .. he positions himself well along the glass and wins his battles due to his smarts, not his brute strength .. he does not throw his weight around but uses his modest frame to hold his man off the puck to make a good defensive play .. Timmins showed that he has the skill set to produce at the OHL level so look for his point totals to take quantum leaps next season with the top-six forward spots graduating.

Mike Duco (Fla), LW, Kitchener

A great combination of grit and scoring touch, Duco is the type of player that the opposition loathes playing against .. whether he gets his stick on your back, shin or chest, he always will give you the stick .. his ability to infuriate the opposition's best players and goad them into taking a penalty is paramount to his success .. a team player who works hard and always competes and has become a fan favorite as a result .. a quick, darty skater, he swallows ice up fast but does not have much of a glide, therefore he constantly has to keep his feet moving .. despite his 'dirt under the fingernails' approach to the game, he has good offensive polish as demonstrated by his 30-plus goal campaign .. he always throws the puck on the net and can use his teammates well .. he likes to drop his shoulder and pressure the defense back while charging the net .. he scores many goals from in close, as he takes punishment to get on the score sheet .. Duco, a player who went undrafted impressed the Florida Panthers enough for him to sign a pro contract, he will be a complimentary AHL player.

Justin Azevedo (FA), C, Kitchener

The OHL and CHL Player-of-the-Year had a sensational season leading all CHL scorers with 124 points in 67 games .. he doubled nearly every offensive category from last season .. the Wizard of West Lorne, (as he is affectionately dubbed), is a nice package of offensive skill .. his backhand saucer passes in traffic and ability to make plays in tight spaces often leads to a faceoff at centre ice .. he has outstanding playmaking smarts and his understanding of the game in the offensive zone is spectacular .. he creates openings with his hands and skating .. a peppy skater, he has a surprising quick jolt of speed, although he cannot sustain it .. he is very conservative as to when to use his limited speed and it usually occurs just when he is about to cross the line .. Azevedo can be guilty at times of not moving his feet and hanging on the sideboards .. when he is moving, he is dangerous .. he has a good shot that he uses to score many goals, his wrist and snapshot are not overly powerful but are released quickly and have accuracy .. he will score from near the net where he can use his soft hands in tight .. great hand/eye coordination, as he can make plays from his skate to his stick in one continuous motion .. his defense is ok and he has improved in all three zones .. he lacks a physical game .. he does not really have the size or strength but to his credit, at the OHL level he plays bigger than what the media guide suggests .. however, once he is caught at a higher level of competition he will more than likely be out muscled off the puck .. he needs to stay away from crowds to be successful .. Azevedo should have plenty of offers for NHL tryouts this off-season and will be able to chart his own course.

Matt Halischuk (NJ), RW, Kitchener

After scoring the biggest goal in his hockey career, the GWG in OT in the finals of the WJC, Halischuk suffered a freak foot accident that kept him out of the lineup for 15-plus games .. not slowed down by the injury, Halischuk returned and provided the Rangers with one of the best two-way players in junior ..Halischuk does everything well .. he has tremendous balance, agility, acceleration and strength in his stride and his skating .. he can explode up ice and make a play, as he marries his foot speed with his hand speed .. a quiet player in terms of his appearance on the ice, he accomplishes much with his positioning and defensemen are always aware when he is on the ice .. what makes Halischuk so effective in his keen attention to detail .. he understands his opponent's weaknesses and appears to have a scouting report on how to react and play each one differently .. he knows when to back away from a defenseman or when to pressure him relentlessly and his decisions usually pay off .. he is focused in his puck pursuit and closes the gap quickly when pressuring forwards on the boards down ice .. creative and talented with the puck, he finds the open man, can take the shot or stickhandle in close to make an extra move .. not a physical specimen, he is not afraid to get his nose dirty .. a team player who works hard and leads by example .. Kitchener's resurgence in recent years can largely be accredited to Halischuk, as since his arrival, he has given the Rangers a legitimate first line RW .. myriad attributes such as speed, uncanny hockey sense and a competitive drive that fuels him to succeed will be his calling cards into the NHL .. given the Devils aging forward contingent, look for him to make a push for a roster spot this coming season.

Nazem Kadri (2009), C, RW, Kitchener

Speculation was confirmed that Kadri, at the conclusion of the Memorial Cup would be shipped to London as compensation for the Mason deal .. a dynamic forward with blazing speed and a never-surrender attitude .. fell asleep in the first two games but found his game toward the end of the tournament with an inspiring performance against Belleville in semifinal action, as he netted the GWG .. smart in terms of positioning, he has learned to hold his defensive position and not chase the puck .. he is more patient and allows plays to unfold naturally as opposed to him trying to be the difference maker .. at times, he can lose his focus but that is only because he wants to do so much on the ice .. an extremely hard worker on the ice, as reflected by his competitive nature and unwavering forechecking game .. Kadri is at his best when he is banging bodies but he needs to be more balanced on his skates, as he tends to fall down too often and can be useless on a play that is surging up ice .. he works hard down low and plays a feisty, yet honest game in terms of retrieving the puck .. his wiry strength helps him fend-off players .. offensively, he has a great shot and he uses it often .. Kadri is not afraid to get knocked around to get a goal .. he still needs to put on some weight especially in his lower body .. Kadri's return to his hometown should help his game immensely .. given his ability to play defense, playing under coach Hunter's offensive style should see him pad his stats and make him a highly sought after prospect for next year's NHL entry draft.

Jason Akeson (2008), C, Kitchener

Akeson turned down many school offers to join the Rangers midseason after a successful season in the CJHL (Central Junior Hockey League) where he led his Cumberland Grads in scoring with 53 points in 54 games .. played sparingly during the regular season but saw his icetime climb in the playoffs and was skating a regular shift in the Memorial Cup on a third line that provided energy and was utilized often .. an average skater, he digs into the ice and it not pretty in terms of appearance but he is effective once he gets going .. a smart player who understands team concepts and plays well within his limits .. coached very well, as he is patient in his opportunities and finds holes to get into .. always noticed on the ice, as he works hard in the dirty areas of the ice and gets involved physically .. plays a bigger game than his height and weight suggest .. good movement up and down his wing but his mobility and overall agility need work .. he is the sum of his parts and a budding power forward in the making .. his development should take big jumps next season, as should his offensive totals.

Mikkel Boedker (2008), RW, Kitchener

Boedker is looking to make history by becoming the highest drafted Dane in the NHL .. projected as a top-10 selection, the young and charismatic Dane did wonders to improve his draft stock with an outstanding playoff .. highly skilled and one of the best purest skaters in the draft, Boedker is an electrifying skater and his ability to control the puck at his supersonic speeds mean anything is possible .. the breakouts were designed solely around him, as he would often carry the puck from behind his own goal deep into enemy territory .. he has an amazing pointshot that he also uses on the PP .. Boedker is an elusive player and is able to sneak behind defensemen to generate offence .. not known for taking the body to start the season, he improved on the physical, North American-style-of game and was even looking to administer hits toward the end of the season .. exceptionally balanced and strong on his skates, he can make plays in any area of the ice .. if he has space to move, he is extremely difficult to defend .. he does a good job of holding onto the puck and sheltering it close to his body .. he can draw guys to him and deliver perfect passes .. Boedker is not a natural scorer but he possesses a kind of selfishness that is intrinsic to good point producers .. Boedker, much like all prospects who saw their stock increase, played his best hockey when it mattered most - the playoffs .. Boedker, considering his background came into a huge hockey hotbed and earned the respect of the coaching staff and teammates almost instantly due to his positive attitude .. the reputation he helped forge for Denmark players in the CHL will speak volumes for future Danes looking to play in North America, as he will be the measuring stick .. depending on his draft position and the team that selects him, he could be honing his skills in the NHL as early as next season.