OHL: Eager Dogs it

Ben Eager got nasty in game seven of the Generals-IceDogs matchup. Also read on for more scouting reports on the teams’ top prospects and their play to begin the OHL post season.

David Shantz (2004), G, Mississauga

Coming off a solid, consistent year and is impressing in the playoffs .. a very vocal and active goalie, directing his defensemen as they move the puck out of the defensive end .. cautious and intelligent, not afraid to cover the puck if things get busy around the crease .. very quick, with the agility to scramble and make a second or third save on rebounds.

Patrick O'Sullivan (MIN), C, Mississauga

Effortless skater with major league wheels .. a smart player who is very aware of the developing play .. speed and positioning make him an extremely dangerous player in all zones … with Oshawa trailing 3-1 at the start of the third period (game seven, first round), O'Sullivan caught a Generals defender flat-footed in the neutral zone, sped into Oshawa's zone, hesitated and froze the back-checkers, and delivered the puck to Brad Efthimou for the back-breaking fourth goal … Mississauga coach Greg Gilbert regularly sent O'Sullivan out to take defensive-end face-offs for the other Ice Dog centers.

Chad Painchaud (2004), LW, Mississauga

A crafty little player who has seen his draft stock rise as the season has progressed … a heart and soul player, Painchaud is not afraid to mix it up in high traffic areas … a quick, darting skater who will occasionally demonstrate elite level offensive abilities, Painchaud needs to work on the consistency in his offensive game … during the Oshawa series, Painchaud struggled to generate offensive opportunities against the large Generals rearguards … Painchaud has earned coach Gilbert’s trust over the season, and takes regular shifts as a penalty killer … the main concern with Painchaud is that his average size will hold him back at the pro level … while a fine skater, Painchaud doesn’t have the extra gear that similarly-sized team mate Pat O’Sullivan possesses to compensate.

Rick Caughell (2004), D, Mississauga

A relatively unknown 2004 draft prospect, Caughell provides the Ice Dogs with defensive depth and size … a former Sault Ste. Marie draft pick, Mississauga acquired Caughell this fall … at 6-3 and 195lbs, Caughell had the size to handle the larger Oshawa forwards throughout the series, and earned a regular shift in the Ice Dog defensive rotation … a right-handed shot, Caughell has limited offensive potential … if Mississauga continues to progress through the play-offs, the additional exposure might allow Caughell to sneak into the later rounds of this June’s draft.

Ben Eager (PHI), LW, Oshawa

The power forward had a productive series against the Ice Dogs, registering 5 points in the 7 games, including scoring the overtime winner in Game 6 … easily the most disliked player in any arena around the OHL, chants of “Eager sucks” rained down on the Generals’ leader for most of the game; even when he wasn’t on the ice … had a hand in the Generals lone goal, passing the puck smartly to a wide-open Tobias Whelan, who finished off the play … On top of his game, Eager is a hard-hitting, swift skater who has a decent scoring touch … Unfortunately for the Generals, Eager too often plays out-of-control, taking poorly-timed penalties, and not focusing on his on-ice dutie … With the Generals down 5-1 in the third, Eager ended his OHL career in crowd-pleasing (or not-pleasing) fashion, sucker-punching two or three Ice Dogs players in an attempt to goad them into a fight, and turtling when 6-4 Brandon Elliot skated over to oblige … Eager skated off the ice amidst cat-calls, having earned 16 minutes in penalties which ended his night.

Dan Turple (2004), G, Oshawa

The Hamilton native has been a rock for the Generals between the pipes down the stretch after struggling shortly following his acquisition from the Kingston Frontenacs in late October … at 6-5, Turple covers a lot of the net … passed over in last year’s draft after struggling in only 12 games with Kingston, posting a 6.00 GAA … this year, Turple played with a lot more confidence, and it showed statistically, with a 2.60 GAA and a 0.923 save percentage in the regular season … played magnificently in getting the Generals to Game 7, posting a shut-out in the series’ second game, and stopping 53 shots en route to Oshawa’s 3-2 game 6 victory… the Generals were sorely overmatched in Game 7, and Turple was left to fend off numerous odd-man rushes … while he didn’t stop all the shots, the loss could hardly be blamed on the netminder … Turple controls rebounds well, and has a good glove hand.

Chris Hulit (2004), C, Oshawa

Hulit has quietly put together a very solid campaign in Oshawa, doubling his offensive outputs from last season … one of the Generals’ better forwards in the first round series against Mississauga, Hulit exerted offensive pressure by utilizing his speed and size, and recorded four points in the seven games … with the game out of reach in the third period, Hulit was one of the few Generals’ players who kept skating … was passed over in last year’s draft … skated on Generals’ top line with Ben Eager and Tobias Whelan … recorded an assist on Whelan’s goal … Hulit projects to be a solid up-and-down winger at the pro level … he has a decent shot and demonstrates some offensive creativity … Hulit needs to keep improving his skating and positioning; the size and work ethic seems to be there.

Bret Nasby (2004), D, Oshawa

A promising OHL defenseman for this year’s draft, Nasby is solid on his skates and has an imposing 6-3 frame … primarily a defensive defenseman at this point, Nasby surprisingly nearly matched his season totals in points during the play-offs, registering 3 assists in 7 games … Nasby instinctively makes accurate decisions in his own end with the puck, clearing the zone when needed, and looking for passes when the opportunity presents itself … one of several Oshawa defenseman who had trouble getting their shots past the Ice Dog forwards at the blue line and at goalie David Shantz in the first round of the playoffs … Nasby seems to be on the right path, but it would be nice to see him using his size to more to his advantage and focus on keeping his feet moving … With the expected graduation of Paul Ranger, Nasby will be the blue-line leader for the Generals next season.