OHL: High Flying Rangers

Determined to make it through the front door as hosts of the Memorial Cup, the Kitchener Rangers established new regular season highs in wins and point totals. Their opening round victory against the Plymouth Whalers displayed their awesome depth as they out scored the Whalers 29-13. The Rangers have no apparent weaknesses and with stellar goaltending from Steve Mason, this team could capture their second Memorial Cup in the last five years. McKeen's was on hand for the opening game of the second round series against the Sarnia Sting and files notes on several Rangers.

Steve Mason (CBJ), G, Kitchener

Given all his accolades this season, including a gold medal and most outstanding goalie at the WJC, it would seem only fitting to add a Memorial Cup victory to his resume as well .. unflappable goalie whose movements have been limited and overall approach and calmness have been at an all-time high .. does not panic, moves gracefully from post-to-post, albeit not as quick as he should, but he reads the plays so well that he is rarely exposed .. always outwaits an opponent and never commits first .. outstanding stickhandler, his ability to make a pass whether it is on his forehand or backhand are instrumental in launching at attack .. teams have tried to limit their dump ins as a result - a true sign of the respect they have for his puckmoving skills .. surrenders and shows very little net .. good recovery with composed rebound control and healthy concentration down low in scrums .. Mason has put together an outstanding campaign, as he successfully won nine-straight games since he joined the club .. given the lack of success OHL goalies have in terms of making an impact in the NHL, Mason has an uphill battle but all signs indicate that he will be given every opportunity next season to display his talents in Syracuse.

Yannick Weber (Mtl), D, Kitchener

Led the team in defenseman scoring and currently leads the team in points on the backend in the playoffs as well .. opened up the Plymouth series with back-to-back, multi-goal games, as his shot is blistering .. still needs to select better shooting lanes and work on accuracy .. only defensemen to employ a position on the first PP unit, as the Rangers go with four forwards .. moves the puck swiftly and has good QB PP skills .. quick feet and resounding agility make Weber effective in the offensive zone .. defensively he is getting better .. his strength and foot speed help to push guys to the outside and contain them, however he still needs to be stronger .. short reach when defending and needs to use stick more to knock away loose pucks or keep players at bay .. he has modified his defensive approach and now lets players come to him as opposed to trying to steamroll them like he has done in the past .. this is a direct sign of his maturity and confidence in the league .. should continue to be the stalwart defenseman throughout the playoffs and the Memorial Cup.

Robert Bortuzzo (Pit), D, Kitchener

Due to a rash of injuries this season, Bortuzzo was unable to build on his regular season point totals, however that is not his game .. he has been playing better defensive hockey and as a result, is trusted in many PK situations .. often pitted against the opposition's best, Bortuzzo does a good job of neutralizing scoring chances with his size, reach and unyielding strength .. at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he is one of the bigger players in the league and in most cases, he can strong-arm players off the puck .. he needs to still focus on his balance .. handling and making strong decisions with the puck is also something that needs immediate attention at the pro level .. he is not so exposed in Junior, however he needs to make upgrades to his puckhandling ability .. has been able to pad his stats in the playoffs due to second-unit PP time .. he generally keeps his shots very low, and is placed timely for rebounds .. is a good depth defenseman at this level but still needs considerable work to be part of the Penguins long-term plans.

Nick Spaling (Nsh), LW, Kitchener

Slowed down with a bout of mono, which kept him out of the lineup for five weeks and forced him to miss training camp for the WJC .. still seemed hindered by the ailment upon his return, as he did not pick up his game until 10 games after the injury .. appears fully recovered, as his point totals in the opening-round series against Plymouth were staggering with 11 points in the four-game sweep .. swift and agile, Spaling's best skill is his penchant for putting the puck around players and side stepping them to maneuver past them .. he has quick hands and his passing execution usually exposes defenseman and results in odd man breakouts or positions his teammates in better scoring opportunities .. he employs a series of head fakes to sell a particular direction and then he gingerly shifts his body in the opposite direction .. still lanky at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, but he has a good frame to work with in terms of adding strength and weight .. playing on the first PP unit on one of the best lines in the entire CHL should garner a considerable amount of points.

Matt Halischuk (NJ), RW, Kitchener

Will always be remembered for his OT gold medal-winning goal at the WJC but is setting his sights on being a Memorial Cup champion to punctuate his last season in junior .. his approach to the game is already on a pro level .. he is smart and positions himself so effectively in all three zones .. he is the defensive conscious on his line .. his offensive skills are not to be outdone, as he has sensational vision and the hands to feather a pass, whip a wristshot just inside the circle or drive the net and unleash a backhand in close .. led the team with six goals in the opening round .. plays well within the team concept and is very patient, as he understands systems and knows with good defense comes healthy offence .. has been a general for this team with his unrelenting work ethic and ability to put up points, as the success of the Rangers have a lot to do with his play.

Justin Azevedo (2008), C, Kitchener

It would be hard to argue that Azevedo is not a leading candidate for the Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player of the league .. he led the league in points and continues his torrid pace in the playoffs, as he has had a hand in half of the goals scored thus far .. stocky, with a low centre of gravity, Azevedo keeps his body low to the ice and his skating stride compact .. not a burner, but he does show healthy levels of acceleration when in tight spaces to elude coverage and find the open ice .. he is not shy about charging the net and can make things happen down low due to his quick hands .. highly imaginative player whose offensive instincts are superior to his peers .. he is making adjustments quicker in the transition game to better defend his goal .. showing an eagerness to throw hits but does not always follow through .. a huge component to team success in terms of overall scoring, his play this season should warrant another NHL training camp audition.

Mikkel Boedker (2008), RW, Kitchener

Scouts will be eager to see what Boedker can do in tighter checking contests such as the playoffs .. so far, he has not disappointed averaging over a point a game in the opening-round series against the Whalers .. breakaway speed and finesse skills that can open up a game .. he is a game breaker in the sense that his skills are so widely respected that he is often a receipt of multiple chances .. outstanding vision on odd man rushes, as he can hold onto the puck until one of his teammates enters the play and he hits them with pinpoint accuracy .. fluid skater who can dance in the offensive zone .. his puckhandling skills are surreal, as he has the hands of a surgeon and willingly challenges defensemen in traffic .. shields the puck or pulls it back when pressured and has a quick crossover move to bolt to the outside .. snapshot and wristshot explode off his stick .. employing more of a defensive approach to the game too .. at times, he is muscled off the puck and still shows an unwillingness to throw a check .. although he is not overly physical, he does play with intensity and competes .. has elevated his game to ultimate proportions and should continue to see his stock climb with each passing series.

Nazem Kadri (2009), C, Kitchener

Kadri has taken his game to another dimension, as he is trying things and playing with a confidence not yet seen before in his game .. everywhere on the ice, Kadri is such a versatile player who brings so many things to a team .. he can play either centre or wing, play the PP or the PK and can either protect a lead or help you establish one .. Kadri is so successful because of his will and determination .. he has a good first step and can create many partial breakaways .. his shot is good but not explosive, so he needs to get in close to score his goals .. still needs to put on weight, as he plays a reckless game at times .. very mature defensively and makes strong reads away from the puck .. he is developing quite a niche for himself as a two-way player and should only get better.