OHL: Majors Ice Dogs

In a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference showdown the St.Mikes Majors and Mississauga Ice Dogs meet again this year in the opening round of the playoffs. The IceDogs, seeded first in the East, won the season series over the Majors with a 4-2-2 record. The 5,488 fans at the Hershey Center welcomed the return of Daniel Carcillo back to the line up after a season long suspension. While Carcillo added a physical dimension to the game it was not enough, as the Majors took Game One on the strength of three power play goals. David Burstyn reviews the play of various Mississauga and St.Mikes players.

Daniel Carcillo (Pit), RW, Mississauga

First game back after 40 game lay-off .. a complete menace on the ice, constantly agitates opposition with late hits and spears, drawing players into taking penalties .. looks for and finishes checks .. comes to the defense of teammates but that often comes at the expense of taking untimely penalties .. has above-average skill level and has averaged point-per-game stats .. great skater; has a great second and third step and can blow by even the most experienced defenseman as witnessed in the second period when he stepped around Lehman, only to hit the crossbar .. quick release and hard wrist shot make him dangerous in open-ice situations .. has good balance and really thrives around boards where he can wear opponents down.

Jordan Owens (2005), LW, Mississauga

Smooth skater but not much speed .. keeps his feet moving and does not cheat on defensive responsibilities .. does not possess great offensive ability but has good enough vision to be the architect on plays .. goes into danger areas to dish off puck and/or spot open man .. puts forth a solid effort and works very hard for offensive chances .. solid work ethic demonstrated in sound back-checking skills that result in turnovers.

Patrick O'Sullivan (Min), C, Mississauga

Skill level is top in the OHL .. can skate and stick handle effortlessly through entire team .. always a threat to score or create offensive opportunities while on the ice .. great acceleration and crosses over nicely for top speed .. on-ice vision well above his peers .. spots holes and makes passes to teammates before they see it coming .. nice shot selection, although many were blocked in this game .. wrist shot is most accurate .. can do everything at top speed; pass, shoot and especially stickhandle to deliver and receive passes.

Adam Abraham (2005), D, Mississauga

A swift skater with nice lateral and backwards movement .. shot is kept low for tips and rebounds, however he must get it off much more quickly .. decision-making is sometimes questionable and can cough up the puck if rushed .. offensively he fulfills a role on second PP unit .. not overly physical .. doesn't usually finish checks, however is effective tying up the man with stick.

John Adams (2005), C, Toronto St. Michael's

Understands his role on team and plays a team game .. good knowledge of defensive concepts .. skating is unorthodox .. stride does not generate top-flight speed but he is strong on his skates .. does not excel in any particular area offensively .. needs to get the puck off his stick quicker and get into better scoring positions .. stick-handling movements are often slow and anticipated by the opposition.

Jeff Larsh (2005), RW, Toronto St. Michael's

Nothing flashy about any components of his game .. offensively he can find the net on the strength of his long reach and hockey sense .. skating is average but his positioning keeps him in the play .. smart player who is used in all game situations .. plays PP and is capable of making long cross-ice passes .. patient and does not rush plays, especially on PP .. has a good release but needs to shoot more.

Cory Vitarelli (2005), LW, Toronto St. Michael's

One of the leaders on and off the ice for this team.. strong work ethic and commitment to both sides of the rink .. intelligent player who can sneak behind defense for scoring chances .. good playmaking skills and is relied upon offensively .. nice long, crisp skating stride .. takes the body and makes the opposition know he's around.

Scott Lehman (Atl), D, Toronto St. Michael's

Anchors the Majors defensive unit and often logs over 28 minutes a game .. very physical .. played against O'Sullivan all night and contained him throughout the match .. defensively solid and keeps players to the outside to negate scoring chances .. will sacrifice the bod .. dove to block the puck to nullify a sure O'Sullivan goal .. effective on PP; good QB skills; can keep puck in zone and has a nice slapper, scoring a goal on one .. confident with the puck but must be aware of errant cross-ice passes that could be picked off in PP situations.