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Back in Time for Prospect Goodness
by SENShobo on 09/07/09 at 10:51 PM ET
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After a wholly too long summer for the Ottawa Senators, it’s finally back to the ice in a sense, as the Senators opened their Kitchener rookie tournament against the Penguins; finally some action after a summer of far too much waiting.
While the 4-1 victory for Ottawa would have you wondering about the future of players like Zack Smith, Peter Regin, and Erik Karlsson, the game was far livelier for the bad blood that was surprisingly simple to churn up amongst the collection of prospects.
With countless fights and penalties as the blood boiled, it felt far too familiar for a collection of prospects and tryouts pitted against one another, though the memories of days in other leagues seemed more than enough when you counted half a dozen fights in the final period, and unfortunate that Ottawa’s Brett Parnham wound up ending the game and possibly his tournament stay with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.
With a goal and an assist, you would think that Karlsson made a strong case for time in Ottawa. Indeed, the youngster looked focused on the point and across the offensive blue line, and stellar in a few breakaways and opportunities, but those skills were never in doubt. What might yet keep him out of Ottawa, and give reason for Murray to ask that he season himself in the AHL, would be his physical play. While he laid a few checks, you could see Karlsson opting to try and outskate opponents to his own detriment to avoid their punishing bodies, could see him a couple times even letting a Penguin make it to the puck rather than get in the way of someone who could lay him out (made all the more glaringly obvious by the punishment his teammates never shied away from as it was doled out with opportunistic zeal), and he never quite looked convincing on the penalty kill or trying to keep bodies away from Robin Lehner. Is there opportunity for Karlsson in the League? Without a doubt. But the proof that he could survive an 82-game season in the NHL against the physically refreshed Northeast remains a daunting question that he has yet to answer.
Lehner, though, looked plenty poised in net, as much as you would expect for a 6’3, 220lbs 18-year old whose father trained Lundqvist. Facing over 40 shots, Lehner showed the kind of poise expected of the highly-touted Jonas Gustavsson, who looked good for Toronto in their opening 3-1 win against the Penguins, only where Gustavsson depended on good fortune and luck for a few Penguin opportunities missed, Lehner made his own luck. His size certainly helped him be an imposing figure in the crease, but more than anything he had a calming focus, following the play at the most chaotic of times and swallowing up the puck time and time again.
Zack Smith earned the captaincy with steady play throughout. A constant physical force, Smith dealt it out in measured fashion, until the end of course when one failed fight that ended in a delay of game penalty was redone later on in the third. Looking great along the boards, checking hard and being responsible in both ends, Smith set himself up to be considered for fourth line duty, or perhaps even a spot with Chris Kelly as a responsible third line player with a more physical edge, looking for his offensive opportunities. Regin, also getting a good look from Murray in the stands, centered the most dynamic line of the evening (though he could have shown a more dynamic presence), between Erick Condra’s endless tenacity and puck pursuit along the boards, and Kitchener’s own Mike Hoffman, who took every chance he could to make a hit, skate hard, and show Murray that he didn’t make a mistake in drafting a nearly 20-year old this June, not that the presence of a couple dozen family and friends in the stands (allegedly including “Hoffman’s #1 cousin” according to a t-shirt) wasn’t good inspiration as well.
Keegan Dansereau’s two goals made him a pleasant surprise of the evening, as did the smooth skating and hands of Brandon Svendsen. Those who came out looking for a hard tilt by Toronto last night, though, should have stuck around for the mass of fights that simmered all evening before boiling over in the third, likely making Murray’s job of picking out the matured players a little harder.
It’s been a while for everyone. High hopes remained for Jim O’Brien, but he did not stand out as much as you would have hoped, steadfast in determination but failing to connect on key passes and opportunities. The referees even showed a little rust the night before, calling no-touch icing at one point as their OHL jobs would have had them do. Even I feel a bit rusty feeling so deprived of hockey with months that could not qualify as summer to show for it. But it’s coming, you can feel it now, probably even watched it on Rogers cable in Ottawa as you couldn’t do in previous years. I think I’m about done with September and summer; bring on October, the fall, and the first drop of the puck.
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Who is SENShobo?
Fully addicted to hockey, Andrew Dodds finds it safe to live in the alleys, considering his allegiance to the Ottawa Senators in the middle of Leaf County. He tries to bring you as many worthwhile Sens stories as he can find, along with his musings on the team and the NHL in general; musings indeed since he is but a humble hockey hobo.
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