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Blackout's and Games: Some Russian Draft Content |
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Due to rolling blackouts and some major internet trouble, not only was I forced to miss Game Three after the first period, but the entirety of Game Four itself. An annoying thing I can assure you, especially in the light of what the result has born fruit towards. The Coyotes stand on the brink of entering the Western Conference Finals. Regardless of what happens I look back ot the beginning of the playoffs and scoff. What were we told by the “experts?” Vancouver/Pittsburgh, Vancouver/Philly, Vancouver/Boston, St. Louis/Boston, Nashville/New York.
Mainly my point being that in general the consensus was one of the Bruins or Pens out of the East or the Canucks or (dare I say it) the Wings out of the West. Old habits die hard they say, yet here we stand in a land of uncertainty. The Coyotes and Kings are both on the brink of unlooked for victories. The Rangers have found the Capitals to be far more unyielding foes then expected, while the high flying Flyers are being stymied by a PK that is above the AHL level. Am I surprised? Yes. I truly am. I felt that this Coyotes team had a will that could contend for awhile. But there is always doubt when seeing Bryzgalov, Vezina candidate as he was and a fantastic goalie while in Phoenix crumble like a dust statue in the wind. There were a lot of doubts whether this franchise could pass the first round, let alone a second. It was brought up in the past about how these might have been the weakest 3rd seeds in the playoffs. I refer to the Coyotes and Panthers. That both were poor squads masquerading as contenders due to their division. This is why the game is played and not just talked about. The Panthers put on a great feat of heart, as did the Coyotes. The Pacific division oddly enough is proving to be quite a handful. The only “true powerhouse” being dispatched easily by the Blues. This is parity, where some cheaper cap clubs can win or lose at the flip of the coin.
This series is far from over and Nashville proved they can shut down the Coyotes in their building, Pekka Rinne is back to his elite level and they do have options. That said I would like to bring a piece to the drama since I wouldn’t want to comment on a game I couldn’t see. Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn were kept out of both Game Three and Four making Barry Trotz a 50/50 winner/loser. He has come out as a loser, at least in terms of the angry majority. Suddenly his brilliant ploy of devotion to team motives and hegemony are for not, he is an idiot. “THEY COULDN’T EVEN SCORE!!!!”
My question is this, was Game Three truly showing the ability to score? No. They showed they could defend, when given a lead. The two goals while earned with hard work were nonetheless lucky. 1. Smith screwed himself over and Bourque was given a lucky well positioned play to score. 2. A fortuitous bounce went their way on the pokecheck. These are the things that happen in post-season hockey, bounces, chances, luck, but did the absence of Radulov/Kostitsyn make them better? I’m not too sure. I am really interested in seeing what happens in Game Five.
Because I have this opportunity, I wanted to post some news that I would have kept until after the playoff run. Since I had nothing really pressing to say or do I think I need to post this as a make-up.
1. Anton Slepyshev – My personal favourite and the best draft eligible player playing in Russia. He’s got good size and decent speed. He was one of the last cuts for the WJC and is the youngest player in the KHL right now at 17. He’s good at both ends of the ice and really works hard. For the most part he’s been placed in a 4th line role and while his stats (4 goals and 7 points in 39 games) are not impressive, he is playing 9 minutes a night against men, and a lot of that is on the penalty kill. He’s expected to go in the late first or early second, yet if a team can get him there with this forward class being so pitifully weak they will get a really nice player. He’s sort of like Nikolai Kulemin. In the U-18 WJC’s he was Russia’s best forward and was a defensive beast. He was in my opinion one of the best forwards out there. His 7 points were only some icing on the cake and he played over 25 minutes a night. As captain of the squad he showed a ton of heart, if he was a physical player he would be top-10 even if he from North Korea. He gets no press and I’m actually offended by that.
2. Nikolai Prokhorkin – He’s rated by the CSS as the top player in Russia and there is a lot to like. He’s big (6’2), strong, can skate and has filthy hands. He has a lot more upside then Slepyshev, but his defensive game is still suspect. He’s had a go in the KHL for awhile playing 15 games with a goal and assist, but was sent back to the MHL to contend for the championship. He’s been a beast there and has 19 points in 10 games which is very impressive for an 18 year old. Another late first/early second kind of guy. Playing with two of the best players in the MHL helps of course, but he has a lot of natural skill. The worrisome aspect is that he is Alexander Semin, in my opinion he is the most talented Russian out of the KHL/MHL since Tarasenko. He is loaded with skill, but inconsistency will be his downfall. He’s a project with serious upside. He has the shot, the speed, the hands, but he lacks the defensive zone and perhaps the will.
3. Vyacheslav Osnovin – This guy is pretty unknown but has quietly had a decent season. He started out really poorly with just 4 points in 20 games but seems to have finally found his stride with 16 points in his last 15 games. He’s likely 4th round bound but his two-way game is solid and his skating is really good. He looks like the kind of guy who needs his head and hands to catch up to his feet. Kind of a project case but he’s a fast riser. He looked good at the WJAC-U19’s, though the competition there isn’t the strongest. One big surprise was his chirpiness on the world stage. At the under-18’s I felt he gained an element to his game nobody thought he could. He was like Brad Marchand, he went to the net and he speared two guys. He can’t speak English but it didn’t stop him from yapping like a maniac. I think that emotional side can really help him and his draft position, the question is can he keep it up?
4. Valeri Vasilyev – A defensive defenceman that plays very well positionally but has no offensive upside. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him not get drafted as guys with 5-6 upside are usually not worth it when you can get the same kind of guy from a less risky place. Having said that he has a bit of an edge to his game, though he needs to get meaner.
5. Alexei Filippov – An interesting player with some nice upside. He’s a really big guy at 6’3 but still really skinny. His one problem is his speed, he has great hands and instincts when it comes to scoring, but his speed just isn’t there. He is usually parked in front of the net on the PP and I would say his ultimate role in the NHL could be a Holmstrom/Antropov kind of guy.
6. Yevgeni Krutikov – He’s probably the closest thing to a power forward from Russia. He loves to hit and cause problems with his opponents; he’s kind of a rat. He leads his team most nights despite being the youngest with 12 goals and his offensive skills are pretty strong. Has some speed and size (6’1). He’s not a fighter but he chirps all the bloody time, he never shuts up. Now if that translates to the NHL is a different question since he doesn’t speak English...so I guess he’d be effective against the Capitals. I’d say a 4th round kind of pick player.
7. Nikita Gusev – A guy who was passed over already in the draft but has come back with a vengeance. Most will have seen him in the world juniors where he was very good. The diminutive forward has 21 goals and 52 points in 22 games and is the best player in the MHL. He looked ok in the KHL but is mainly used on the fourth line like most young players. In 9 games during the WJC’s he had 3 goals and 9 points. He has a lot of speed and skill but his defensive game isn’t good enough right now, nor is his size at 5’9. A big project player but I’d easily waste a late pick on him. Size has always been his biggest obstacle and teams might pass over him again for that reason.
8. Andrei Vasilevski – The best goalie in the draft and a star at the world juniors. The 17 year old is insane. He’s big at 6’3 and plays a butterfly/blocking style. Best goalie in the under 18’s, best in the under 20’s and always younger than his opponents, he is a beast. Best goalie in the MHL two years in a row and developing by leaps and bounds. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go in the first round. He was fantastic again on a much weaker U-18 Russian side. I expect this to have solidified him as the best goalie in the draft. He is a beast and people will shake their heads if they let him go.
9. Bogdan Yakimov – Sometimes I feel like I’m the only guy who actually gives a damn about this kind of stuff and this is where it leads me. Due to a mistake he was listed as being born in 1993. But no he is not available for this draft as a lot of people were saying. He missed the deadline. Yakimov is a very intriguing player and has the Malkin talk already. 6’4 215 with hands as soft as melted butter…hard to resist. He has a lot of work to do but should be a top prospect next year.
Thanks for reading and coping for my absence…ok I know I wasn’t missed.
Follow me on Twitter @AdamFrenchReal
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