WHL: Two Faces of Dubinsky

Michael Funk (2004), D

Started the game partnered with Ritchie Regher .. delivered a weak, albeit accurate point shot on goal .. moves the puck efficiently and on the tape .. took a hit in the corner to make a play .. received the puck as he broke open on an odd man rush, unfortunately his wrist shot his the goalie in the logo .. on the powerplay and penalty-killing units .. twice tried to beat a player one-on-one while being the last man back and both times was stripped of the puck .. versatile enough to play either side .. was caught watching the puck and allowed his man to sneak behind him and take a short pass along the boards and go in unopposed on the goalie and score .. cuts down the puck carrier’s time and space .. questionable hockey sense at times as he can be a bit of a liability in his own zone .. very good physical skills, but needs to improve his focus .. received a ton of quality ice time .. shows a willingness to carry the puck out, albeit must learn to pick his spots better .. has a bit of a nasty streak .. delivered an exceptional pass through traffic to an open man .. given patience by the NHL team that selects him in the upcoming draft, Funk could turn out to be a quality top four defenseman, however the sum of his parts are greater than the whole at this time.

Brandon Dubinsky (2004), C

Centered a line with Robin Big Snake and Dan Da Silva .. extremely mobile and his first step quickness is developing .. on the powerplay and penalty-kill .. his ultra competitive nature helps overcome his lack of size and physical strength to punish the opposition with a bone jarring hit .. tends to get rid of the puck quickly .. impressive vision and hockey smarts .. picks up his man defensively, yet needs to work on giving a more consistent effort while in his own end .. mediocre top end speed .. needs to keep his feet moving .. displays leadership skills .. can be a bit of an agitator .. soft hands and often makes the tough play in tight spaces .. his temper got the best of him as he got in a fight with a much larger player who tuned him up pretty easily, but full marks for answering the bell .. got tossed out of the game and didn’t go quietly as he squawked at the officials and the bench as he was being escorted off the ice.