WJC: Inside Schwarz
Notes on assorted World Junior participants in Finland, including Marek Schwarz, Rostislav Olesz, Alexander Ovechkin, Jakub Sindel, Evgeni Malkin, Johannes Salmonsson, Loui Eriksson and more.
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Bulky forward played on the second line for Czechs .. possesses explosive first-step quickness despite the big frame .. scored a shorthanded goal on a snappy wrister on a rebound .. had numerous scoring chances near the goal, but was not able to capitalize .. amassed an assist on third Czech goal after receiving a hard pass smoothly and moving the puck to Vojtek Polak .. played a strong game cycling the puck in the Ukraine zone .. promoted to the first line in the game against Finland .. had a very strong first period, amassing a couple of goals, first with a hard, accurate shot from an angle and second on a precise tip .. very strong on the puck and really attacks the net with his size .. makes things happen on every shift and has no glaring weaknesses .. An all-around solid package of size, speed and skills.
Earned an easy shutout against weak Ukraine team .. a standup-style goalie .. excellent reflexes and will use any part of his body to make the save .. came out of his crease to challenge shooters .. looks bigger the ice than the vitals would suggest .. did have some problems handling the puck a couple of times, so puck movement needs work .. last line of defense for Czech Republic in the 3-2 loss to Finland .. stopped 32 of 35 shots .. has a lightning-quick glove save and plays the angles to a tee .. terrific leg speed and shows virtually no space five-hole.
Centered the Czech second line .. showed noticeably graceful stick handling abilities in the game .. received an assist on Rostislav Olesz's shorthanded marker after some hard work in the Ukrainian zone .. a good skater, but did not show considerable speed despite a weak Ukranian opponent .. surprisingly was not able to outmuscle many of the Ukranians which is troubling .. plenty of room for improvement.
Played on the third defensive pairing for Czechs .. saw a lot of PP time .. has a fluid skating stride, a smooth, effortless skater .. plays strong with the puck while skating and is able to get through traffic without losing the puck .. was credited with an assist on Jiri Hudler's solo goal .. received a penalty for charging after pushing opponent in the chest .. handles the physical style of game well, but must add some more muscle to his 6-3 frame.
Played on the fourth line for Czech Rebublic .. scored a easy-looking goal on a crisp slapshot from the faceoff circle .. an energetic skater and has pretty good size .. did not get much ice time in this first game.
Promising forward finished the game with three assists to his credit.. centered the second line for Russia .. utilized on the PP when Russia had a two-man advantage .. has excellent patience with the puck, due to his rangy stick handling and hockey sense .. made several nice hits, though he could use more muscle on his big frame and still looks lanky .. performed admirably in the defensive zone, preventing a goal with an instinctive goal-saving play when a Swedish opponent had an empty net to shoot at.
Settling into a groove in round robin play .. played much on the point for the Russian PP and got off several blistering shots on the Swedish goal .. scored the second Russian goal on a semi-breakaway, sliding the bouncing puck into the Swedish goal .. the most noticeable player on the ice, taking hits in style, drawing penalties, displaying eye-popping stick handling skills and explosive acceleration .. communicates well with his teammates and sticks up for them .. faded away a bit as the game went on, but finished with a couple of points for the night.
Thrives on a lot of work, but looks a tad raw at this time .. made some easy-looking saves on harmless Swedish shots in the early going .. a very balanced, economical technique .. plays with a small gear, which allows for much flexibility and mobility .. handles the puck very effectively and confidently .. struggles to maintain the same composure when he does not see consistent rubber.
Thus far the best, and most clutch, forward for the Russians .. scored twice in the third period, including the game winner .. finished both times on semi-breakaways, the second time on an accurate, snappy wrister .. an effective force along the boards and in front of the net due to his good size and work ethic .. strong and agile skater with excellent lower-body strength, thus tough to knock off the puck .. gets to loose pucks well and maybe the most effective forechecking forward among the Russians at this time.
Bulky tank-like forward is playing on the fourth line for the Russians .. very tough to knock off the puck and plays a daring and aggressive game .. causes much trouble for his opponents, by using the body and fighting hard for the puck along the boards .. shows flashes of fine puck skills, but has not had many opportunities to finish .. saw less icetime as the game went on.
Creative forward started the game on the fourth line .. tall and lanky kid with good balance and a smooth skating stride .. an excellent stickhandler with good vision and impressive overall offensive awareness .. not quite strong enough to shake off older defensemen for a clear shot .. impressed with his hustle and saw increased playing time in the third, a couple of times alongside Alexander Steen .. lots of flashes of excellence, but he’ll remain among the supporting cast in this tournament due to his age and overall lack of experience.
Selected as the player of the game for team Sweden .. excellent at protecting the puck in the offensive zone .. creates space for himself with good dekes and sharp turns and finds the necessary offensive angles to unleash his shot .. a smooth and balanced skater and a deft stickhandler .. went pointless in this game, but his poise with the puck is turning some heads.
Strong, blue-collar forward has shown all-purpose upside .. his speed is better than we expected, explodes quickly to the puck .. challenges Czech defensemen to the side and likes to drive to the net .. no points in his effort, but showed spunk and drive.
Thus far has consistently been Finland’s finest rearguard .. often doubleshifted .. an excellent skater, he can go far with the puck if given enough room .. a real force on the point and possesses the best shot on the Finnish PP .. hit the post in a game against Canada and unloaded a blistering slapshot past Czech Marek Schwarz for a power play marker in another game.