cross16

You have to earn your time. If Ortio is to be the starter in Abby he simply needs to play better than everyone else down there. Very simple.

I think te differences for me is one the disposable income in calgary has remained quite high as the job market and salaries are good and not just from a personal standpoint but from a corporate one too. Many corporation just couldn't afford to partner with the flames then. You also had the issue of the dollar and the instability of operating a Canadian club. I think a large reason fas lost interest in most Canadian markets in the late 90s is they for tired of seeing all of their stars shipped out because they couldn't afford them. Creates a lot of resentment and lack of interest when you feel you are just a feeder system and not capably of keeping your stars or surrounding them with anything good. Flames bucked the trend of keeping Jaromw but it hurt then in not being able to support him and now with the salary cap you don't have that issue. Lastly the flames have solid ownership now and no threat to move, in fact a brand has been recreated that wasn't there at that time. I won't dispute that interest has dropped but personally I haven't seen it drop near the levels of the 90s. I still think there is a very healthy amount of interest and intrigue in the flames and they ave a few seasons to try and work off of that but not much more that I will agree with.

To be fair, it's the first preseason game.... I think it's more than fair to give players a pass on one or te games. Attended the game in calgary and Macdonald actually played very well and looked ready, Ortio was pretty so/so in my mind.

Is that really a fair comment considering its only been the one rebuild that wasn't supported and during that time the oil industry was in a recession and there was no salary cap. To me there are very few similarities between what the flames did in the late 90s and what they are doing right now.

Kipper was not as unknown as you think. He was a back to back AHL all star and initially faired pretty well at the NHL level but he struggled to take the reins and eventually lost his job. To me kipper was your classic example of a change of scenario type of player not one that was picked up out of nowhere. I don't think the flames were expecting the level they got but I think they expected a decent starting goalie when they made that move because he had already proven the talent was there and I think Ramo is fair more of a wild card than kipper was when he was traded because at least kipper has North American success where Ramo has had none, not even in the AHL. Not saying that I think that means Ramo will fail just I don't think the two sides are very comparable.

And that's all I'm saying. Posting thought on how someone plays in a game doesn't mean in saying that's who he is. I just think he is more of a project and probably needs sone seasoning in the A rather tan someone who is going to step in right away and play.

I felt he got very lucky yesterday. There were 3 or 4 times he got out of place on a rebound and the player just missed the net. Im not saying he has Ben awful I just think he is more of a project at this point than someone ready to play in the NHL. I also didn't think the Granlund goal was particularity great.

I also don't think it's an awful thing for Brossoit to play in the ECHL either. Personally I didn't walk away from camp that happy with Berra. I was expecting a more technically and fundamentally sound goalie and what I found was someone who I thought pulled himself ou of position making saves which made recovery difficult. He also let in two pretty weak goals in my opinion yesterday. Ortio had a pretty solid camp IMO but I think it comes down to training camp and wether or not Ortio has any interest in playing in the A. If he doesn't and would prefer to play pro in Finland it makes for an easier decision.

What he is making in the KHL should not, IMO, impact what the flames offer. Cervenka was making far more in the k and he still came over for just over 1 mill. If he wants to be an NHL goalie then he needs to understand there are sarifices you need to make in order to do that and in no way should the flames reward his KHL play in his NHL contracts. So I will say again if Feaster is paying Ramo more than 2 million that is ridiculous because he doesn't deserve it and if Ramo had said that he needs X amount to come over I would have told him to go pound sand and get lost and the flames should have too. He shouldn't be one penny over 2 million in fact I was being generous with that 2 mill figure.

If they pay him anymore than about 2 million Feaster should be canned ASAP. I don't care what he was making in Russia this is an opportunity to play in the NHL and that means sacrifice. I'm think 2 years at 2mill or less per.

I'm not sold on the Flames goaltending plan, but one positive I do see with it is that they arn't committing to it long term. They try it next year and if it doesn't work 2014 actually has some pretty good potential UFAs: Lundqvist (probably won't make it there) Ryan Miller JOnas Hiller Halak Dubynyk Crawford Elliot Not to mention anyone else who could develop in that time. The goalie market has been very strong over the last several years so as long as the Flames don't commit to this long term if Berra/Ramo don't work out it's not like they can quickly change gears. Also with the depth they should add in with thie draft combined with other draft efforts they should have enough depth to be more aggressive in trades. Again not saying it's the best plan but there are some positive to it.

And like I said I don't know until I see Berra play. If Conz is better well that sucks becuase i'm not a Conz fan but all i'm saying is i'm willing to see what Berra can do before I dismiss him soley based on stats that all

Have you seen him play or is that simply based on stats? I don't think it's fair to write someone off soley based on stats when goaltenidng stats are incrdibly misleading to begin with.

I don't know much about Berra so this isn't in resonse to him but Conz is not an NHL goaltender I would be very upset if the Flames signed him. I remember watching him in the World juniors and thinking overrated. Yes he faced alot of shots but the quality of his saves was average and his athletic ability is average as well. Good media story but not a good prospect and there is a very good reason he got passed over in TWO entry drafts and still remainds unsigned depsite being named top goaltender. He would have had to improve leaps and bounds from where he was then for me to want to sign him. And being compared once by Pierre Mcquire and Gord Miller does not constitute "often" being compared to Jiggy.

No, i think its the same as it was he is still really having problems with it. The difference is his defence is in a much better position to get those rebounds where before no one was there. he kicked out 5 or 6 horrible rebounds last night but reacted well on two of them and made the reflex save and the rest were cleared by the team in front of them. Flames have cleared up, to some degree, their play in their own zone and that's been the difference not his actual rebound control it's still not great.

The Flames plan for next season has to start with Kipper, and I don't mean keeping him. I think it's pretty clear that Kipper is not in this team's plans but what I mean is retirment an option or is it a trade? Either way you have to deal with that first before you move on becuae if Kipper does not want to retire and there isn't a trade option then you need him here and Joey Mac probably can't re sign Joey Mac. I think what is ideal is Kipper either retires or is traded and you re sign Joey Mac and bring him, Bera, and Ramo all in for an open competition in training camp. I'm not too concerned about that becuae both Bera and Ramo have an option to go back to pro hockey in Europe should it not work out here and that still gives the option for Brossoit and or Ortio to play in the A. So overal i dont think the glut of goalies is unmanagable.

I have never had the pleasure to meet the hockey player known as Jarome Igina. He does not know my name, my story, where I come from, and could walk past me on the street and think nothing of it. Since the trade, I’ve been asking myself why I feel emotion for a player that I never met and at the end of the day just a hockey player? Growing up in Kelowna I had the pleasure to watch Jarome for the first time when he played with the Kamloops Blazers. I got to see a player who could combine speed, skill, and strength with a burning desire to win. His passion for the game was second to none and it was just my luck that he eventually came to play for my favorite team. I have been a Flames fan since I can remember and will remain one forever and consider myself lucky to have had the pleasure to watch Jarome. I’d love to be able to pinpoint a specific memory in my mind that stands out in Jarome’s hockey career but how do you differentiate them? We all remember “The shift”, but that could be Jarome on any given night. He had such a unique ability to without being asked just say, “come with me guys, I’ve got this” and you would see him do it. I think I’ve lost count on how many games I’ve been to or seen where he just put the team on his back and led them on, victory or no victory, he was there and his passion was evident. That type of passion is what helps makes sports what they are and part of the reason I love sports. I love sports, not just hockey, and not just love them but I believe in them. For me, sports are not just a game or a competition they are an arena, an arena of life. Sports can take you inside a game, a community or town, or even a person to show you not just a player but a person or a hero. In today’s day and age players come and go, more frequently go, that you never see people anymore. They are numbers in your programs that a few nights a week entertain you only to be out of the picture almost as soon as they enter. Once in a while, if you are lucky, a player will transcend to the point that you have a sense of personal pride knowing that they are part of your life. For me, that person was Jarome Iginla. He made me proud to wear his jersey, proud to have his poster on my wall because you always knew that whether things were bad or good you had a great person to admire. Not only was he a great hockey player and one that could bring you out of your seat, he was as good a person. He was not just a Calgary Flame or a hockey player; he was a person and not just any person but a person worth admiring. That is not something that comes along very often today, but it’s someone that can really re-establish someone’s belief in the power of sport. I doubt very much that he will ever read this and I don’t think I’ll ever get a chance to tell him this or share with him just what exactly he has meant to me or even just get to say thank you, but here I go. Thank you Jarome. Thank you not just for what you did on the ice and your passion you brought to this game and this team for so long but thank you for what you did off the ice. Most importantly, thank you for being a constant reminder of what it truly means to be an athlete and for allowing a kid like me to keep his belief in the purity of sports. You deserve success in your future endeavours and I wish you all the best. No one deserves a cup more than you. Sincerely, Cross

The usual power skating drills were done in the morning with the skill development process being 2 periods of 4 on 4 hockey with some work on PP and PK drills as well. Dave Lowry and Craig Conroy coached either side and it was fun to watch. Intial thoughts are that I havn't seen this much skating ability and skill at a development camp in the last 5 or 6 that i've been to. Goalies Dan Bakala: Actually liked Bakala. Flashed some good all around skills and for the most part was pretty sound. Not sure there is a lot of potential there but for a training camp try out wasn’t bad. Laurent Brossoit – Very good size and looks big in the net. Definitely raw and isn’t the most athletic guy so his technique could use improving to make sure he covers side to side better. Having said that, he did make some good saves side to side and with the glove. Joni Ortio – Looked about as composed as I’ve seen him. Didn’t blow me away by any means, but you can tell he has made progress refining his game specifically his positioning. Defence: Chris Breen – Look much smoother than the last development camp in terms of skating. His edge to edge and turnaround specifically both have improved. I don’t think there is high upside with Breen, but its looking like he is a legitimate NHL prospect. TJ Brodie – He didn’t “wow” like he has at other camps, but he brought more substance to his game. I personally don’t believe Brodie is ever going to have a good defensive game, but he showed a greater willingness to back check hard and be in the right position from what I’ve seen in the past. Dallas Ehrhardt – One of the invites. There were some times I saw good things but far too often I saw slow foot speed and average at best skating. Joey Leach – Safe and steady is the easiest way to describe it. Not flashy and there is not a part of his game I could tell you that is great, but I don’t have a lot of weakness’ either. I do think he could get a little more mobile and a little more offense to really crack into the NHL. James Martin – Much like Ehrhardt there were times he impressed and I like him better than Ehrhardt as I felt he was the better skater of the two. He could be worth another look at training camp, or at least stay on the Flames radar. John Negrin – As always, was probably the best overall skater today. He is just so smooth it’s a pleasure to watch, but for Negrin skill and skating is not the problem staying healthy is. I have no doubt that if Negrin stays healthy he will be in the NHL. Michael Quinn – did not even notice. John Ramage – Ramage is the type of player any fan would like because he has such a willingness to be involved in everything. Much like Leach there is not a lot in his game that stands out but he is feisty. Much like Leach I’d like to see him just get a little faster and hopefully some offensive punch, especially with his RH shot. Keith Seabrook – There are such highs and lows with Seabrook. One minute he is splitting the D and deeking someone out to get a shot on goal and the other he is making a dumb pass trying to hold the line. If he could find some consistency I think he would be very, very close to the NHL. However, right now there is just too much inconsistency on a shift to shift basis and he was like that with the Hitmen too. Tyler Wotherspoon – Not present Forwards: Bill Arnold – He is a faster skater than I thought he was, but having said that his stride is too ‘busy” and it takes away from his acceleration. Once he gets to top speed he is fine but getting there is an issue, but if he cleaned that up he is a very good looking prospect who can dominate along the boards. Scott Arnold – Another player I just didn’t see much out of. Was focussing mainly on the Flames prospects Sven Baertschi – Has NHL skill right now and is easily the most talented prospect in the organization bar none. Stick handling, passing, and shooting are very advanced and I would say are all NHL calibre. Good, but not great, skater but can get to open areas quick enough although quicker wouldn’t be a bad thing. Away from the puck, he needs work before he can crack an NHL roster. Carter Bancks – didn’t have the same high energy game I’ve seen from him before. Without that his upside is very limited. Lance Bouma – Played with a lot of confidence and ended up netting a hat trick in the game mainly just from always being in the right spot. He looks like he is ready to push very hard for a spot on the team and was one of the best players in the game. Paul Bryon – Byron showed me a lot of what I was expecting to see. He is small, although pretty thick, and a very good although not amazing skater. Very quick feet and good acceleration, but he didn’t flash the “high end” skill we heard about when he was acquired. His willingness to engage was certainly there though. Bryan Cameron – Cameron has made some progress since first joining the Flames. His skating has improved as well as his confidence which allows his skill to be demonstrated. He is not there yet and I’d like him to be further along but I could see him having a solid year in Abbotsford. Justin Dowling – Was actually quite impressed with Dowling as he showed very good jump and pretty good hands. There were a couple of occasions where he was able to get around defenders with good moves, but unfortunately could not bury. This was a theme for him both in terms of offence, checks and battles, he just never seemed to be able to finish. Turner Elson – Again, limited viewing Michael Ferland – Very disappointed in Ferland. If he wasn’t standing 4 or 5 feet from the net he was next to useless. Skating did not look very good, and it looks like his attitude and conditioning could be question marks. John Gaudreau – No question, this kid has skill. Gaudreau with the puck was probably the best prospects out there. However, without it you would forget he was playing. Defensively he didn’t know where to be but also had trouble finding open ice to accept a pass. Once he gets it he is fine, but without it needs a ton of work. He is also extremely small out there and although I was expecting it, it still surprised me. Markus Grandlund – I did not come away impressed with Grandlund. You can tell he has talent, and has very good vision but he really struggled with it. I would call his skating below average mainly because his stride needs work. He is too wild with his body and it takes away from his acceleration and top speed. He also look a little out of place in the sense he was trying moves that you are not going to pull on decent AHL or NHL dmen. Very, very raw at this point. Ryley Grantham – Grantham is never going to play in the NHL unless you support having someone can only play less than 5 minutes and fight. Patrick Holland – Was very impressed with Holland. Had great jump and came through the seem several times for scoring opportunities. Shows a willingness to get involved physically and is not very small like I had heard he was. Hopefully he can increase his offensive output in junior and if he does you are looking at a legitimate prospect. Roman Horak – I was very impressed with Horak as a skater and he was one of the smoothest skaters there. He is very compact and with a quick stride that gets him around the ice quickly. However, did not see the vision or offence that was talked about and he often was not able to create anything off of a decent rush. Ryan Howse – another player I was disappointed in. It looks to me, and sounds like by reading the paper, that Howse may have some conditioning problems. Too often late in a shift he was too tired to do anything at all and these were not long shifts. He also did not appear to have more jump than I’ve seen in previous camps. Nick Larson – Nick Larson in the offensive zone is impressive. He is a Thomas Holmstrom around the net and does have a very good wrist shot and passing skills. However, he is only an avg skater and does not show the same type of skills in the other zones. Logan MacMillan – I was very happy with MacMillan’s skating and his defensive work. He did next to nothing offensively, and if he could improve this he could be in the NHL picture in the next couple seasons. Greg Nemisz – the most impressive prospect of the day. Nemisz looked much faster and far more confident than I have ever seen him. Scored two very nice goals and almost had another in the shootout. Flew around a dman, and was all over the ice. If he skates like this in camp he’ll start some conversations. Gaelan Patterson – Continues to build and build himself as a hockey player. Skating and confidence were better this year, but he still hasn’t shown that he is capable of providing even a hint of an offensive game. Max Reinhart – An interesting prospect to watch in the sense that at first I walked away disappointed. Reinhart is not a great skater, but he can get by dman, not high end offensively but he did manage to make some nice plays. However, given that I think there is more skill there to be offered you just don’t see it consistently. He looked behind players he should be ahead of, and at this point that seems to be the biggest con in his game. I would like to see him get some drive and consistency to tap into that skill. CJ Severyn – Another player I came away very impressed with. CJ has always been a great skater but this time around he showed an offensive touch he has not before. However, those numbers don’t translate to the NCAA so I am anxious to see him try and improve the numbers. Mitch Wahl – another guy I was very impressed with. He put on a passing clinic on one PP and was amazing to watch. There is really nothing that Wahl can’t do and at this point all he needs to do is prove he can transition that to the AHL level.

On Tuesday the City of Winnipeg was shutdown with the return of NHL hockey, while today in the city of Calgary a “Prospect Countdown” – insert Final Countdown theme here- polarized the city. Such is life in a hockey mad city that just so happen is lacking blue chip prospects. Tim Erixon was more than just a six foot smooth skating Swedish defenseman; he represented a glimmer of hope for a fan base staring at a cap strapped team with two straight playoff exists. Erixon filled the fan base’s hunger for a young NHL ready prospect to inject life into the team and the fan base, all the while on a cheap dollar. Yet today fans are not pre ordering Erixon jerseys or awaiting prospect camp to see their prize prospect, they are starring at the three unknown assets he was traded for. The Flames were unable to sign Erixon, through no fault of trying, and the immediate fan reaction is much distaste towards Tim Erixon. Fans are warming up their vocal cords for the chorus of boos they plan to rain down the first time he sets a skate on Dome ice wearing those New York colors. While it is hard not to look at Erixon with a degree of disgust, what does it say about a franchise that cannot sign its first round pick? In today’s day and age of advanced scouting and extensive interviewing, did the Flames scouts ever determine if Erixon wanted to be a Flame? Many fans have already pointed out that at the 2009 draft Erixon barely cracked a smile while pulling on the Flames jersey. However, Tim Erixon has attended several prospect and team camps since being drafted. Maybe I’m reaching here, but if Erixon never wanted to play in Calgary why bother coming here at all and why not just either demand a trade or stay home and in today’s scouting world its hard to imagine he was never asked if he viewed Calgary as a fit. So, perhaps this goes deeper than simply the thoughts and wishes of Tim Erixon. If he was ok to be drafted by the Flames, what as changed? Through Jay Feaster’s interview we were informed that there were several issues the Erixon’s camp continued to put forth to the Flames. The issue of several no movement or trade clauses and high priced blueliners was raised by the Erixon camp. The returns on Cory Sarich and Jay Bouwmeester are sure not meeting expectations yet their salaries and contracts dictate that they are going to remain and are not going to be moved or demoted if struggles continue. In this circumstance, a two way deal is going to pay the price as has been shown in the past with Dustin Boyd and Mikael Backlund. However, perhaps the most interesting point from the Erixon camp was his worry that the Flames prefer a more veteran line up and that would work against the rookie. It is really hard to blame the young man when you look at a Hockey News publication that ranks the Flames 27th out of 30 teams for prospects, or young players on their team under the age of 21. Only a handful of young players have been able to graduate to the Flames in the last half dozen years, and many end up being traded away. The average age continues to stay at or near the top of the league, and most recently you had a prospect ask for his release from the club feeling his development was not best served with the Flames organization. This certainly does not bode well for an organization that is severely lacking in the development of top end prospects of any kind, causes serious worry for an organization that is not moving forward at a steady pace. Are the Flames just no longer considered top notch? The simple fact alone that a division of hockey operations as extensive as the Flames could not identify from pre draft, though the draft, to the two years afterword that there may be an issue with Erixon is quite puzzling. The idea that a player can look at an organization, that has fulfilled his dream of being drafted, and logically determine that it is not the best place for young players to play is a truly worrisome and troubling idea. The pressure has been on the new GM Jay Feaster for the last few months, but I would suggest the time is now to put everyone in the hockey operations under the microscope. The biggest story of the day should not be a 20 year old man who wanted to choose his hockey path, but that a once first class organization may have to take a long, deep look at themselves and their future. The light of the end of the tunnel that fans keep searching for appears to get dimmer and dimmer by the day.

A rare live glimpse of the Calgary Flames pipeline was a positive experience, even if the game wasn’t. With names such as Wahl, Chucko and Negrin out due to injury, and the Oilers having recalled Omark and Chorney, the game didn’t set up well to be a classic. However, the chance to get a live look at the prospects still was a nice treat and allowed for a review. I’ll go player by player, but should note that this was a disappointing game for the Heat and one where I thought the pressure seemed too much. Not many players had what I would consider “good” games. Leland Irving – Irving looked like a first round pick. Not so much in skill level, but just his confidence not only in himself but his trade. He was almost always in the right spot and good with his movement. Irving takes a lot about how his summer “puck tracking” training is very helpful and it shows. A problem that I’ve had in previous watching of Irving was that he relied too much on his athleticism and was often out of place because of it. This seems to be corrected, but the athleticism remains. I don’t think it’s long until he is in the NHL. Defence: Brodie – Did Brodie disappoint? No that’s not fair. Did he wow, no he did not. Brodie did play the same way he played in preseason, and that was safe and confident with the puck. He mans the blueline very well on the PP and skates extremely well with the puck. His defensive game was a little up and down and I thought there were some bad decisions throughout his game. I’ve seen him play better, but I still thought he was easily one of their better players. Joe Piskula – Not a Flames prospect and that’s probably a good thing. He rushed his decision and never looked relaxed the entire game. Has some skating ability and puck moving ability though, but not enough to warrant anything. Gord Baldwin – Played his usual safe/steady game. Similar to Brodie, he didn’t give you anything one way or another it was just another reliable game. Skating has improved, but I don’t’ think Baldwin offers enough to be anything more than an injury call up at this point. He’s not overly physical, not a great skater, not a great puck mover, etc etc. However, at the same time he also plays virtually mistake free hockey. Seabrook – I liked his game although I’ve seen him play better games. I thought his defence game was pretty sound, but he seemed to hold a little back as well. Because of the type of game it was there really wasn’t an offering for Seabrook to get involved offensively, but I thought he moved the puck well out of his zone and into the neutral zone. Wasn’t overly physical either which surprised me, and I would have liked to see him be a bit more physical. Chris Breen – I was a little surprised Playfair liked Breen’s game as much as he did. I thought Breen was pretty solid, but I didn’t think his game was enough to get excited about. I did like the Breen/Pelech pairing because the two of them really did well clearing the front of the net and were pretty physical on the forecheckers. Breen skates pretty well for a big man, and for the most part makes sound decisions but there were some occasions where he made some very puzzling decision. None backfired luckily, but for a dman that doesn’t skate all that well decision making is going to be a premium. He’s not a bad prospect and I don’t disagree with Playfair that he could see the NHL. I see a lot of Keith Aulie in Breen. Pelech- While he certainly did not look like a first round pick, I didn’t mind Pelech’s game. He plays with a lot of confidence and I liked that he jumped up offensively a couple of times. His skating still isn’t fantastic, and I’d be hard pressed to suggest he’s improved since his short NHL stint. I just liked his solid/defence aspect but at this point that’s really all he is offering. I thought Breen and he worked very well together, but apart it may have been a different story. Forward Nemisz – Such a smart player its really awesome to watch. Unfortunatley, he is smart in a way that a lot of fans are not going to appreciate. When it comes to adhering to the system or knowing where to be Nemisz is exceptional. His skating continues to improve and his top end speed is not a problem, his acceleration is. Its still not quite where you want it to be and IMO he still needs to fill out. He showed some hands and passing ability which creating scoring chances. All in all, like a lot of the players here, he played a safe game but the flash was certainly not there. Stone – Probably their best forward. Was really the only forward I thought was good in all three zones and it was a pretty nice goal he scored. He would certainly have been in the mix for the 4th line had he been healthy. Kotalik – Most of the time he looked pretty disinterested and for a guy with his skill level he certainly was not the best player on the ice. Cam Cunning – I thought he looked very good and is such a battler. I had him in the mix for the 4th line in preseason and I think he will continue to be in that conversation. Probably the hardest Heat player on the forecheck all night and he is very tough to match up with at that level. However, he isn’t the most fleet of foot and doesn’t create much off the fore check either so the upside is minimal. Matt Keith – Skated pretty well with the puck and was pretty solid with Cunning and Patterson on the forecheck. However, doesn’t create very much and was so/so defensively. Patterson – Very similar to Cunning, just not as strong. Very strong defensively and played that way. Quick and tough to contain down low, he looked solid for a player playing his first pro season. Quintin Lang – He really didn’t stand out, which is too bad for an AHL veteran like him. Bouma – Played very similar to how he did in Calgary, rough and rugged. He tough was tough to contain down low but he didn’t get rewarded or really get much opportunity to finish. I didn’t think his effort level and his jump was quite what it was with Calgary. Rheault – honestly, very disappointed in his game. I like him a lot in the preseason but he didn’t play with any type of energy like he did there. Looked pretty flat for most of the game and was not sound with the puck. Meyer – Solid, and really continued his play from the NHL this year. Like Bouma and Rheault I would like to see him create more offensive chances for he and his line mates though. Cameron – Didn’t like his game and he has a long way to go. His skating is ok but like Nemisz his acceleration isn’t where you would want it. He did show a pretty sound defensive understanding, but was nowhere to be seen in the offensive zone. Not good for a former CHL leading scorer. John Armstrong – Had a really tough time noticing him, and found myself having to look for him. His skating is back and he is tough along the boards but needed to be even more physical. He really did nothing when he had the puck, but was very solid in the circle and in the defensive zone. All in all, the team itself played extremely similar to the parent club was playing a few months ago. They were solid positional and understood their game, but the jump/effort just wasn’t there enough through the line up to show much of anything.