Volchenkov Earning Starting Spot
Volchenkov
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Comment .. solidified his chances of cracking the opening night lineup
with a solid performance alongside Wade Redden.
Scouting .. shows excellent skills and toughness in all zones .. a poised
puckhandler who consistently makes smart outlet decisions .. knows how to absorb
forechecking pressure, while maintaining possession of the puck .. very mature
for his age on the power play and has a knack for finding open teammates ..
stood up nicely to on-rushing puckcarriers and aggressively cleared the front
of the net .. keeps his feet moving on defensive coverage, but still needs to
work on his first-step quickness.
Spezza
Comment .. showed off his awesome array of passing and puckhandling talents,
but also exposed some deficiencies that may be better addressed in Binghampton.
Scouting .. has improved all facets of his game over the past year ..
his first few strides are getting quicker as is his shot release .. he is also
working harder away from the puck and showing greater determination on the forecheck
.. very dangerous when he reaches top gear, but still requires lots of time
and space to accelerate .. has a tendency to attempt low-percentage passes that
can lead to odd-man breaks .. still likes to dangle with the puck too much and
must learn to use his wingers more effectively on the rush.
Schastlivy
Comment .. flashed his considerable offensive abilities, but would have received
higher marks on this night had he not missed an open net in the second period.
Scouting .. very confident on the puck .. shows good patience and is
very adept at creating space with his puckhandling, thus buying time for his
linemates .. a smooth skater with a deceptively quick first few steps, although
he lacks that top-end gear for the straightaways .. easily slips into smart
scoring positions .. possesses a very quick forehand-to-backhand move .. showing
increasingly better attentiveness to his defensive duties .. still needs to
get more involved physically away from the puck.
Schubert
Comment .. 20-year-old German showed promise as a potential No. 4 blueliner,
although he was indecisive at times.
Scouting .. has all the physical tools including excellent size, good
all-around skating ability and solid puckhandling skills .. doesn’t have
blistering pace, but moves well for his size and gets up to full speed quickly
.. likes to step up and catch the puckrusher with his head down .. displayed
excellent alertness at all times and effectively maintained his defensive positioning
against the rush .. had trouble establishing his physical game .. lost his balance
skating backwards on a few occasions.
Langfeld
Comment .. a candidate for fourth-line duty, but could be a victim of
numbers if all the forwards are healthy.
Scouting .. a tough, up-and-down winger with excellent size and strength
.. fearlessly drives to goal and displayed an ability to hold his ground in
front of the net and soak up the physical punishment .. adept at getting his
body into position for deflections .. works hard away from the puck and is a
reliable physical presence .. his skating and quickness have improved, although
he still needs to get better in these areas.