NCAA [Apr-06]: Toews Draws Raves At Frozen Four

Toews Draws Raves At Frozen Four (posted 4.8.06)

by Max Giese

Rob Bellamy (Phi), F, Maine

Another pest in the Philadelphia system, Rob played his usual buzz saw game effectively causing the Badger defenseman to get frustrated by finishing every check even if he has to go out of his way to deliver it. This caused the Wisconsin defenseman to constantly be looking over their shoulders. Shows good speed especially of the gate with a very strong first step and a nice burst of secondary speed. Hits everything he can, loves to forecheck harder then anyone else, and loves to get his nose dirty in all situations. Played the role of the "pest" very effectively, also played well defensively showing strong a strong work ethic. Highly competitive and tried to mix it up late in the game with an extremely physical shift that lead to a fight. Stocky frame, tenacious attitude, and impressive speed could make him an effective checker in the NHL.

Ben Bishop (StL), G, Maine

6-7 goalie with superb athleticism and calm demeanor but is still raw. Confident and poised even after allowing a soft goal, doesn't get rattled and doesn't change his game. Not a typical butterfly goalie and plays a hybrid style leaning more towards the stand up style. Loves to play the puck and isn't afraid to venture far from his crease to do so. Moves the puck effectively and can get creative. Once in the face of pressure after the initial shot, he elected to move the puck past two Badgers to an open forward, instead of covering eventually leading to Maine's second goal. Handles himself very well in the and outside of the crease. Strong laterally if he stays on his feet and skates very well. Huge five whole but covers it quickly, has long legs and covers down low well but his leg quickness is just average. Needs to keep his stick on the ice, got beat five whole and didn't use it to control rebounds. Impressive blocker and is strong glove side, showed adequate rebound control although did tend to loose the puck on scrambled and had to flop to often. Usually makes the first save but once he goes down he has trouble getting over for the second save without losing positioning. Did show impressive rebound control from out side shots. He has the proper form but needs to add leg strength. Overall all his problems are solvable and there is just to much natural ability here. Only a freshman he could be very good when his four year tenure is up.

Greg Moore (NYR), F, Maine

Lead the team with 28 goals in the regular season but failed to convert vs. Wisconsin. Still showed up and played a strong game but it was obvious Wisconsin was trying to keep him to the outside and take away his time and space. Has a pro release and isn't afraid to use it from anywhere, almost caught Brian Elliot off guard with an accurate & hard shot from a bad angle but never scored. Moves the puck well to his line mates and isn't a puck hog, but isn't very creative and isn't dangerous, mostly just good at the cycle and keeping the play alive. Has a gritty element to his game, strong on the forecheck and has a powerful lower body that allows him to drive through and deliver checks. Played a strong game but didn't break it open.

Matt Duffy (Fla), D, Maine

Rather invisible throughout the game until the power play unit took the ice where he showed a strong offensive presence. Held the zone well and didn't panic in the face of pressure. Moves the puck well to his partner to set up Leveille's heavy shot. Made a few nice cross ice feeds on the power play but looked timid to shoot. Was caught a few times and the Badgers did get behind him, also his skating just looks to be average. He likes to play a physical style of hockey in his own end but was caught out of position a few times, he is strong at pinning his man and removing him from the puck though. Not an impact player at this level yet as a freshman but the coach showed a lot of confidence in him and he made some plays in timely situations but was a bit reckless.

Brian Lee (Ott), D, North Dakota

The Sioux's best defenseman of the game continued to impress with his poised puck movement and all around heady game. Moves the puck with ease and really is a calming presence on the break out. Makes it look easy and never rushed into a turn over. Didn't use it when he had the puck but away from it he showed exceptional speed. Has one of the quickest strides at this level and he gains steam quickly catching forwards who had several steps on him earlier. Shows upside as a quarterback of the power play, has great vision and instincts for what to do with the puck in any situation, will make the safe play most of the time and isn't error prone. Scored a late goal to make it a one goal game by finding an open lane and shooting it through traffic for a goal that surprised Corey Schneider. Shot is accurate, gets it through and is quickly released but he lacks that over powering shot. As good as he is offensively, he was always the last man back on odd man breaks and showed a great head for the defensive side of things by always being in position. If he added some bulk and played more physical he would be superb. A strong performance and should only get better, finished with a goal and one assist.

Joe Finley (Wsh), D, North Dakota

Struggled in this game much like he has all season. Looked uncomfortable handling the puck and struggled to identify an open man and distribute the puck without causing a turn over. It seemed like every other outlet pass was turned over and the other was off the mark. Showed impressive agility and all around mobility for such a towering defenseman. Used his reach effectively and was strong in his own end. Didn't do much physically as he struggled to really gain position on the Boston College players as he couldn't keep up with their shiftiness and speed. Starting to show why he was a reach being selected in the first round. By the end of the game he was sitting on the bench. Didn't make any plays and worse of all, created several turnovers. Boston College got their third goal of the night by tipping it off his stick from a bad angle.

Matt Smaby (TB), D, North Dakota

Big defenseman who has added bulk since last season. Delivered two devastating open ice hits and forced to the Eagles to keep their head up crossing through the neutral zone. Had a Scott Stevens like presence to him on the ice. Just an average skater overall, has a good top speed and can rush the puck up the ice on his own but lacks that top end ability to do anything but dump the puck in the zone. Can struggle skating backwards with faster players, Nathan Gerbe took him inside then out and made him fall leading to the deciding sixth goal from BC. Was very strong when he kept the game in front of him or when the play slowed down. Doesn't have much of an offensive element to his game despite having a heavy slap shot that is a bit wild. Not a great puck distributor. Not quite where Matt Greene was but he plays a similar style.

Taylor Chorney (Edm), D, North Dakota

Plays in the shadow of Brian Lee but makes strong plays in both ends. Makes up for his lack of size with a very smart approach to the game and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Impressive gap control and mobility to handle his man off the rush. Always plays the body and is tough to beat one on one. Showed an aggressive edge as the game progressed pushing players in front of his crease and making a nice hip check along the half wall. Played on the first power play but was more focused on getting the puck down low or to Brian Lee. A solid depth defenseman likely in the NHL but isn't skilled or big enough to make a large impact at either end. Very smart player though who never hurts your team.

Drew Stafford (Buf), F, North Dakota

Showed some flashes but was a non factor in his teams biggest game of the season. Was strong on the cycle and hard to remove from the puck. Uses his big size to be effective in traffic but isn't dominant. His hands are soft with some dangle in him, showed flashes of top end ability with them at times, showing a dazzling display of some slick one on one moves. However, he failed to create anything with those moves and didn't drive the net as hard as usual. His skating isn't an issue but he would be so much better if improved this aspect to his game especially his acceleration. Didn't create anything offensively and failed to get his shot off, did however do the dirty work that eventually lead to some breaks for his line mate Zajac. His struggles lead to the first power play unit struggling too.

Rastislav Spirko (UFA), F, North Dakota

A solid complementary forward on the top line and shows some high end skill. Showed an impressive first step and water bug like skating but didn't have the top end to be dangerous. More of a passive player at times and doesn't have a game breaking quality. Scored a short handed goal with a strong effort to get to the loose puck, then let a hard shot rip from the slot, when Corey Schneider gaffed the rebound he sprung on it and knocked it home.

Travis Zajac (NJ), F, North Dakota

Showed off his hands and ability to cycle the puck down low mostly and had a good game. Scored a beautiful breakaway goal to make it close in the third on a short handed chance. Put two moves on Schneider making him go down early, then preceded to roofing it back hand. Had two short handed points. Impressive defensively, willing to come down low and picks up the correct man and stays with him. The first power play unit often ran through him along the half wall and he showed good vision. Fairly creative and is a strong play maker but not deadly. He didn't have many opportunities to let off his shot but he did collapse around the net looking for loose garbage. Silky hands, not a pure dangler but is quite the puck handler in tight spaces and has some impressive moves. Not elite but is a good skater with a good separation gear to win foot races and get to the open ice and has a stable base. Has the ability to rise to the occasion with another strong showing in the Frozen Four, even when his teammates were often found idle tonight. Could use more time and seasoning in the NCAA however as he has yet to put together a full season of his best hockey.

Jonathan Toews (2006), F, North Dakota

I think he's a top 3 pick in the draft and his offensive upside isn't limited as many say. Doesn't have the great speed to get away from the clutching and grabbing that has limited him in the NCAA this season. However, with the NHL's new strict obstruction standards his ability to handle the puck through a maze of traffic, battle through several checks, all this while keeping his eyes open for an open passing lane or shot will make him very hard to stop. His hands are very impressive, and while he lacks top end speed and could improve his acceleration, his skating seems to more than get it done and he shows necessary tools to improve. Scored a goal from the top of the circle when he beat Schneider between his glove and body. Possesses a pro release with an accurate and fairly hard shot as he can score from in tight or from the out side. Was especially dangerous in tight around the net with his quick stick and ability to corral loose change and get it off quickly and accurately, he'll score a lot of garbage goals in the NHL. For such a top end talent he plays with a lot of grit too, and enjoys getting his nose dirty. Thinks the game at a high level, has the uncanny ability to see the play before It happens and has great anticipation. He's a guaranteed pro and I believe his ultimate offensive upside is higher then some make it out to be. A shoe in for the top five.

T.J. Oshie (StL), F, North Dakota

The most electrifying player on the ice when he has the puck on his stick. His acceleration separates him from the rest and he has a very good top end speed. Has great agility and his stride is powerful enough to not loose a step even when dodging side to side. Extremely balanced, can take a hit or give one at full speed without falling. Fearless attacking the net with the puck, loves to take it off the wall and go straight to the net often creating a deadly scoring chance. The crowd goes a buzz when the puck is on his stick. Possesses one of the quickest and sneakiest releases in college hockey and can pick corners with his shot. His shot happens to be a cannon as well and is dangerous from all areas, I would venture to say he has sniper like qualities. Loves to hang around the front of the net looking for rebounds to pop loose and creates gorgeous scoring opportunities with his shot creating rebounds. He showed commitment to his own end as well, once back checking very hard then picking up the loose puck and taking it the other way with out losing a step. The only area he could improve on his utilizing his line mates. He lacks that vision and set up skills to become a complete dynamic offensive threat. He works hard every shift with or without the puck, and never gives up on a play or a loose puck, and refuses to be stopped often drawing penalties with his great work. Once a surprising and questioning pick has turned out to be one of the better ones made in the 2005 draft. Even without a point he was the best player on the ice for his team and he's been doing it all season.

Jordan Parise (UFA), G, North Dakota

Once the talk of the NCAA world along with Peter Mannino about a possible NHL contract, Parise showed why teams are afraid to give him his chance just yet. Was very soft high all night, giving up goals from the outside glove side twice and once went down unnecessarily allowing a goal from a terrible angle to beat him blocker side. Did come through with some good leg saves showing impressive quickness down low. Struggled with rebound control for the most part. I like his aggressive side to his game often coming way out to challenge the shooter. Doesn't handle the puck well. He still has a long time to figure things out but he is to weak up high at this point to be considered for a NHL job down the road.