Goaltender Lemieux of the Wildcats was playing his first game against his former team, and he was holding it to a respectable score until the mid-way point in the game - but it became like a shooting gallery at times. The Sea Dogs looked to be on a PP a few times for prolonged periods when it was really only 5 on 5.
The Sea Dogs are very good when their passing is clicking - much like the Islanders. Their passing was clicking today like an old fashioned typewriter.
Dufour had a 4 goal game - and he can finish! It's on and off his stick before anybody can move. I believe he's leading the league in goals. It must be so cool for players to lead the league in goals in a season and join names like Lafleur, Bossy and Lemieux in the record books.
Daoust is as good as any player I've seen in the league this season. He can thread a pass like few others - especially E-W. I can't tell anybody what to do - but IMO - they should pin the 'C' on him - the sooner - the better. He shows game in and game out that he is fully committed to the MC charge - and not here to sulk about dropping down from Pro. When you see a time-out or stoppage in play - he's the player the coach with the chart is closest to.
No need to go into the goals with game hi-light vids available for pretty well every game - but the Sea Dogs scored several on back door - E-W passes, and often after prolonged pressure. They owned the puck.
I liked seeing the improvement in Ethan Dollemont. He's become very mobile and patient with the puck. As a few know - I have a Junior A background - and no worries that I'm going to throw in a Junior A comment very often - but I do want to say that if your Q team has a top prospect who is physically able to play Junior A at 16 - do it. You can speed up his development by a year.
Junior A isn't a goon league or a graveyard or a bunch of players partying. It's a highly structured and competitive level of play where your kids can learn to live the lifestyle - practice every day - live away from home - grow into a man on and off the ice - and learn how to compete against bigger and stronger players. It's exactly what the doctor ordered most of the time.
Guys like Jordan Spence, Bennett MacArthur, Zac Biggar, Dollemont, Riley Bezeau - and you can go on and on and on naming players who have used Junior A as a stepping stone. It's just a way better situation to put your gifted kids in than back playing against weaker and smaller opposition wearing full cages and not learning the physical, two-way game. Just sayyin' - and I won't make a habit of it. This is a Major Junior forum.
Good to be able to put a face to Sean Hatchard of the Times-Transcript. I've been reading Sean's work for many years and he's a solid hockey guy. He easily breaks down things like neutral zone play - team building - MC discussion - and he's very well-rounded and genuinely respectful to the play of the kids on the ice.
It sounds like he (Hatchard) might be taking over at the TT from Neil 'Charlie' Hodge who covered the team for its first 25 years - and the Beavers long before that. I'm not sure if Hodge has retired or is going to - but he's been a media icon in Moncton for as long as I can remember.
Somebody mentioned the underrated play of Charlie DesRoches last week - and he was visible today. He's very steady and dependable.
Vincent Labelle always seems to have a solid game when I tune in.
Barbashev seems hard to read by the other players at times. His skill set allows him to make nice passes behind the back and that sort of thing - but the others don't often see it coming and end up losing that half-second they could have gained. That's just an observation - and I'm never going to be a coach or scout at this level. I just love talking the game.
Tough loss for the Wildcats - 8-1, but that's how you get better. The Sea Dogs have 8 NHL draft picks on their roster. They played to their potential today.
3 STARS:
1. Dufour - 4g
2. Daoust - poetry in motion
3. Cam MacDonald - 2g
