Pinkston Picks Up Game When It Counts

Watching the Tri-City Storm down the stretch, it seemed as if the team wanted to hand the streaking Sioux City Musketeers the fourth and final playoff spot from the West Division. Most of the Storm played flat during an 11-game stretch from Feb. 20 through March 26 when the team went 3-8, which included three losses to a Chicago Steel team whose roster had (on paper) been significantly depleted of much of its offensive firepower prior to the roster freeze Feb. 6. At a time when the Storm players should have been fighting for their playoff lives, almost nobody stepped up their game - except for defenseman Rick Pinkston. Pinkston turned his compete level down the stretch from good to great. He was suddenly faster and quicker in his defensive zone, after being fairly average in these two areas before, and getting to his assignment quicker and engaging physically. He was also suddenly thrusting into his hits more and becoming a real physical presence for Tri-City. In fact, every single area of Pinkston's game seemed to improve at least a little bit. When the Storm needed its players to answer the bell and preserve their playoff position, it was Pinkston who started playing playoff hockey early and brought the battle to the opponent every shift. He may not have had a letter on his jersey, but he certainly was a leader by example, and it didn't go unnoticed.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to catch the Tri-City Storm twice down the stretch and once during the playoffs and enters notes on Rick Pinkston and fellow defensemen Tyler Amburgey and Branden Fisher, as well as two forwards eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft who are now with other USHL teams.

Rick Pinkston (2010), D, Tri-City

Stepped up his game down the stretch, although not shown statistically, and played the best hockey I've seen him play .. took his compete level from good to great .. displayed improved speed and quickness down low in his defensive zone .. maintains a wide base backward, reduces crossovers, and maintains a short gap .. consistently engages physically at or near the blueline .. able to angle his opponent to rub them out .. started thrusting into some of his checks .. an adept stick checker .. generally makes hard, crisp, accurate breakout passes .. able to draw the puck off the boards quickly and get off a crisp wristshot .. willing to drop the gloves .. isn't a big defenseman by NHL standards at 6-foot, 198 pounds, but he isn't prohibitively small, either .. very little chance at selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, his second and final year of eligibility, but deserving of some recognition for how he finished the season .. committed to Dartmouth (2011) .. scored 2 goals and 9 assists in 55 games .. tallied 1 assist in 3 playoff games.

Tyler Amburgey (2010), D, Tri-City

Former USNTDP member had an underwhelming first season in the USHL .. gets low backward, maintains a reasonably wide base, and engages physically .. usually plays his 2-on-1's well .. able to employ leg drags skating backward .. tends to make short passes on the breakout that are hard, crisp, and on target .. has good size at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, but didn't play with the physicality he showed in the preseason with Waterloo .. has a crisp wristshot from the point .. able to place his shots low for deflection .. virtually no shot at selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but does have a third year of eligibility .. hope to see him play as a physical defensive defenseman that contributes a bit offensively in 2010-11 .. no college commitment of yet .. scored 6 goals and 5 assists in 44 games .. missed the first two weeks of January with an upper body injury .. went without a point in two playoff games.

Branden Fisher (2011), D, Tri-City

Joined Tri-City January 10 after starting season in NAHL with Kenai River .. wasn't truly USHL-caliber upon his arrival, but gained valuable experience .. appeared slightly overwhelmed by the pace of the USHL .. needs to improve his speed, as he is too easily opened up .. maintains a reasonably wide base backward and reduces crossovers, but gets a bit upright accelerating backward and thus lacks some power .. allowed himself to lose positioning for the puck too often .. seemed hesitant to engage in some 50/50 battles .. muscled off the puck too easily .. obviously needs to fill out his 6-foot-2, 168-pound frame .. did lay down the odd big hit now and then, though .. needs to improve his speed and quickness forward, too, as he lacked separation or was easily beaten in races for the puck .. takes steps rather than crossovers .. needs to get lower in his crossovers and use the toe of his blade much more .. appeared more confident in playoff viewing where his passing game was more authoritative and crisper .. needs to work on his one-timers .. despite the seeming negativity of this report, does have some potential, particularly after he fills out .. skipped the midget major level and went directly to his hometown NAHL team .. could potentially equate to Kevin Lind (future teammate) down the line, but needs to have a strong summer to do so in his draft year .. eligible for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and will be someone to watch, likely as a potential late-round pick at this point .. had 3 assists in 23 games for Tri-City .. tallied 2 assists in 25 games with Kenai River .. had 1 assists in 3 playoff games.

Mitch Hughes (2010), LW, Tri-City (now with Omaha)

Started the season as a marginal USHL player, but was significantly improved by the end of the season .. still not classified as fast or quick, but he has improved his speed and quickness .. crossover form is improving and he is looking more comfortable circling with the puck .. turns in general are becoming smoother and more powerful .. still skates a bit upright under acceleration .. started the season as "hot potato" with the puck, but was starting to show some poise with it toward the end of the season .. also now much more successful at not falling when he makes the hit .. significant improvement in absorbing checks, too, and maintaining possession of the puck .. has good size at 6-foot-2, 213 pounds .. was frequently scratched by the Storm .. released by Tri-City after the season and selected by Omaha in the USHL Entry Draft .. interesting that Tri-City released Hughes after developing him for one season and he made significant improvement .. not necessarily a lock to make Omaha's lineup, though .. virtually no chance at selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but still has some raw talent to become a decent power forward .. no college commitment of yet .. scored 2 goals and 3 assists in 39 games .. went without a point in three playoff games.

T.J. Schlueter (2010), C, Tri-City (now with Dubuque)

Impressed at the Fall Classic as a defensive/physical center, but saw limited icetime throughout the season .. still displayed good hustle on the forecheck .. has decent speed .. a threat to play the body from the side on the backcheck .. able to drop opposing defensemen when crashing in on the forecheck .. has decent size at 6-foot-0, 192 pounds .. displays some poise with the puck down low protecting it with swivels and the like and then moving it .. has a fairly hard, crisp wristshot .. despite being a frequent scratch, he was certainly USHL-caliber all season .. was selected by Dubuque in the USHL Expansion Draft, and certainly hope to see Schlueter as a top-10 forward for the Fighting Saints in 2010-11 .. virtually no chance at selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but has some potential as a checking line/energy-line center .. no college commitment of yet .. scored 1 goal in 33 games .. did not play the two weeks prior to the Christmas break .. scored 1 goal in 3 playoff games.