NCAA: Potulny, Irmen Fire Gophers

The University of Minnesota's sophomore duo of Ryan Potulny (Phi) and Dan Irmen (Min) have accounted for a third of the Gophers' scoring this season (43 of 127 goals). We have scouting reports on Potulny and Irmen, as well as freshman Kris Chucko (Cgy) and a disappointing New Jersey pick.

Ryan Potulny (Phi), C

A crafty, hard-working center .. currently sitting second in the WCHA with 24 goals after missing much of his freshman campaign recovering from knee surgery (11/03) .. not blessed with great size (6-0, 190), but plays a tough inside game .. fast, soft hands .. clever in-tight puck skills, able to create time and space in traffic with his puckhandling .. smart passer, disguises his intentions very well .. an excellent shooter with an explosive release .. likes to slip into the high slot and uncork one-timers .. wastes no time getting rid of puck and generates surprising power despite a minimal windup .. terrific velocity even on the backhand .. a solid, balanced skater .. strong on his feet .. good first step quickness though his top speed is adequate but nothing special; lacks an elite separation gear .. beats opponents with cunning and stick skills as opposed to blazing speed .. good at cycling the puck down low, utilizes wingers effectively .. gritty and determined .. battles to maintain crease presence .. can get lazy away from the puck at times, needs to keep moving his feet once he loses possession.

Dan Irmen (Min), RW

A skilled all-around playmaker .. fearless, gritty and uses size well .. makes well-timed drives to goal and is always in prime position to receive feeds around goal .. good target man, keeps stick on ice and willingly takes abuse .. goes to the net exceptionally well .. gets the garbage goals but is also a longer-range threat due to an excellent wristshot that is both hard and accurate .. seems to be getting quicker .. needs to strengthen his skating stride .. uses shorter strides which are very effective in tighter areas when cycling, however he takes time to reach top gear .. also could use upgrades in balance as he can get knocked off his feet .. makes quick puckmoving decisions and seldom gets caught overhandling puck .. a smart playmaker, alert and creative, picks out open linemates instinctively .. reads linemates well .. excellent hand-eye coordination and nifty one-on-one skills .. good with his stick, strong arms .. excels at holding off opponents and dealing the puck one-handed .. modest, easy-going guy off ice but shows a bit of jam on the ice .. can get nasty and deliver some mean hits .. has all the tools except quick feet.

Kris Chucko (Cgy), LW

A tough, skilled and spirited winger .. unselfish team player who does the little things that may go unnoticed .. sacrifices body to create space for teammates .. consistently blocks out opponents to allow teammates open shooting lanes .. willingly fights for position in the crease area, uses good size but doesn't have the muscle yet to hold off all opponents .. excels at protecting and grinding puck along the walls .. knows how to use his feet to control and direct passes .. headsy away from the puck as well, adept at drifting into open scoring positions, losing his mark .. skates hard on backcheck .. not a flashy or pretty skater but is fairly effective and has good top speed .. unable to dominate at collegiate level due to sluggish pickup gear .. his first few steps need to get stronger and quicker, though this will likely come as he adds strength .. routinely gets blown off his feet trying to punish older, stronger opponents .. can be lethal in the neutral zone where he loves to dish out heavy open-ice hits .. handles the puck well .. boasts an excellent shot highlighted by a quick release .. displays strong leadership qualities .. projects to be a dominant collegiate player once he adds strength and speed.

Barry Tallackson (NJ), RW

A classic enigma of a winger .. much more was expected from towering senior though, in his defense, he has been slowed by ankle problems .. can swoop by defenders like an unstoppable condor and also dishes out devastating hits, yet much of the time seems largely uninspired .. quick and smooth with impressive lateral agility for his size .. his intensity around the puck wavers wildly however .. will make nice power move to the net and then squanders the advantage because he stops moving his feet .. needs to learn to play an aggressive and disciplined game for a complete sixty minutes .. whenever he does pick up the physical intensity, he also has a tendency to get his elbows up and commits unwarranted fouls .. determining whether glass is half-empty or half-full is up for debate .. either way, his stock has been in steady decline since 13-goal freshman campaign.