OHL: Armstrong Takes No Prisoners

Plymouth Whalers winger James Neal may be on the verge of a breakout second half if our latest viewings are of any indication. Recent OHL draftee John Armstrong is a top prospect for the 2006 NHL draft - read on for more details.

James Neal (2005), LW

Icetime is rising for the rangy winger .. seeing pp and pk time .. really polishing up his all-around game .. reliable in all three zones, especially defensively where he's usually the first forward to bounce back looking for a man .. coughed up the puck on the pp to Darryl Boyce and rushed like mad after him stealing it from behind .. has a big body presence in front of the net and is tough to move .. skating is very good especially agility .. straight away speed is not exceptional, however, and can be caught from behind .. still needs to add a physical dimension as he was receiving the big hits rather than dishing them out .. after taking a big hit along the boards by Ryan Wilson, he got up and retaliated by elbowing Boyce in the back, receiving an interference penalty .. got exasperated at the end of the game, but mostly due to high icetime .. determination and desire get him high marks.

Dan Collins (2005), RW

Has struggled to make the jump from the Whalers' third line but was used on the power play with Meidl and Sestito .. pk mainstay .. uses his imposing frame to make the goalie uncomfortable near the crease .. needs to be more physical despite a body that seems built to intimidate .. pretty solid at both ends, nothing flashy .. lost his patience late in a close game by wrapping his arms around Darryl Boyce and throwing him to the ice .. does not have great hands but with increased jump he should be a very productive OHLer very soon .. effective at the cycle but needs to get meaner and show more desperation.

John Armstrong (2006), C

Elite-level prospect to watch out for the 2006 NHL draft .. Plymouth's first round pick in the 2004 OHL priority selection .. a solid physical presence .. plays on the line with John Mitchell and John Vigilante .. very aggressive, especially along the boards where he just looks to lay an opposing player flat on the ice .. good straightaway speed, however at times reluctant to use it .. was caught from behind by Tyler Haskins while carrying the puck up the ice because he stopped moving his feet .. will be a force along the boards when he matures further .. at this time not asked to do much offensively .. does everything.

John Mitchell (Tor), C

A wizard at the faceoff circle; relied on for every key faceoff .. probably only lost a handful in the whole game .. most other aspects were underwhelming, underscored by his sudden lack of heart, determination and hustle .. good puck control and nice first step quickness going into strong top-end speed .. plays with John Armstrong and John Vigilante .. completely disinterested in playing defense and would often let his man go without challenging him .. often the last player on the ice to return to the defensive end .. rarely moves his feet well when the puck is not on his stick electing to drift slowly in and out .. often makes things happen when the puck is on his stick but once he loses it he stops trying .. frequently took extended shifts as long as two minutes .. didn't improve as the game wore on .. stylistically reminds a bit of Yanic Perreault with his puck skills and faceoff prowess.

Vaclav Meidl (Nsh), C

Not producing, taking a step back from last season .. dormant offensively and relegated to third line duty .. has a nasty edge and is not adverse to roughing up the opponent after the whistle .. linesmen prevented him from dropping the gloves with Jaroslav Mrazac after the whistle .. moves well for a big guy; speed is deceptive .. responsible defensively; ties up his man and looks to make the big hit .. looks more like a guy who likes to take out frustration on guys but usually not in ways to help his team win .. just doesn't have the hands nor the vision to put up points.

Cory Tanaka (2006), C

Diminutive forward desperately needs to bulk up to be effective .. good stickhandler and a creative offensive-minded player .. lack of size and icetime have delayed a break-out .. should get more icetime if the Whalers decide to go young and trade away the vets as some expect.

Gino Pisellini (Phi), RW

Enforcer has pretty good hands .. early in the first period he poked a pass by Ryan Wilson at the blueline and corralled it at the other side .. did not score but got a good shot on goal .. good speed though first step should be improved .. showed better discipline than in the past .. got away from a penalty when he cross-checked Cory Vitarelli to the ice from behind when the ref was not looking.