OHL: Methot of Success

The London Knights took a 3-1 stranglehold on the Western Conference Finals series with a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory this week. Corey Perry continues to lead the offensive charge for the Knights, while Marc Methot is a stay-at-home defenseman who plays within his limits. Boris Valabik really struggled against the speedy attack of the Knights and Jakub Kindl was constantly pressured and manhandled all night.

Corey Perry (Ana), RW, London Knights

A slick and deft playmaker who forces defenseman to back up, thus creating more offensive options .. has a wide variety of moves to burn the opposition .. elusive along the boards, constantly rolling off checks .. QB on PP .. patient with the puck .. hard, low shot .. unorthodox skater who has a jalopy style where every body part is moving .. needs a few strides to gain speed .. not afraid to get his nose dirty and deliver bodychecks .. sent Fraser down with a hard check .. pesky winger often draws opposition into penalties with his irritating style of play .. draws penalties by always keeping his feet moving .. played an entire two minute power play and logged huge minutes throughout the game .. excellent chemistry with teammate Schremp, constantly feeding off one another.

Marc Methot (Cbj), D, London Knights

A conservative stay-at-home defenseman .. limited skating and stick skills but plays within his limitations .. does little things well like chipping the puck up to his forwards .. angles the attacking puck carriers to the wall .. kills penalties, block shots and takes the body when he can .. physically strong enough to contain most forwards .. fluid skater rarely gets caught out of position .. smooth reverse and lateral movement .. very aware of his position in the defensive zone .. nice acceleration and can carry the puck well at top speed .. supports defensive partner well .. game complements a more offensive player like Syvret .. logs huge minutes for the Knights in their four defensemen system.

Kevin Henderson (2005), RW, Kitchener Rangers

Tall and lanky winger who will do all the dirty work to help his teammates .. not very gifted offensively .. charges the net .. lacks moves and one-on-one skills but still manages to power through defenseman and create chances .. applies his long reach well with an active stick in PK situations .. relentless puck pursuit .. large frame causes turnovers or dump-ins in all three zones .. is often the first forward to support defenseman when play changes direction .. does not possess high-end speed, but massive stride allows him to cover the ice well .. really digs his feet into the ice .. played on the third line checking unit with Acevedo and Keefe .. responsible for cycling the puck and getting it out in front to Acevedo .. took considerable abuse all night .. put forth a healthy effort every shift.

Boris Valabik (Atl), D, Kitchener Rangers

Overall consistency and skill set are still very raw .. limited mobility and foot speed was exposed as he was unable to contain fast skaters to the outside, resulting in penalties after he was forced to haul them down .. unable to identify when switches need to occur in defensive zone at times, especially in PK situations .. height and aggressive side are best assets but tends to lose composure at times, again resulting in needless penalties .. can take out the man with authority and is most effective tying man up along boards .. handles the puck poorly .. was constantly run at during this game and showed signs of fatigue as the game wore on .. has no offensive upside as he rarely shoots the puck and is not capable of being a QB on the PP.

Jakub Kindl (2005), D, Kitchener Rangers

Still having adjustment issues with the North American game .. showed occasional signs of offensive dominance throughout the game .. has a nice skating stride and is able to move the puck out of the zone admirably .. can make effective cuts to create open room for him in the neutral zone, but needs to distribute the puck more quickly .. not overly physical and has difficulty tying up bigger players .. lacks strength but attempts to use his stick as a third arm .. unwilling to take hits to further advance the puck into offensive territory .. shot power average and prefers to use wrist shots on the point .. a year of experience under his belt, combined with the lessons learned from the intensity of a series like this, could combine to improve his game next season.