I thought more than 2 players looked good, unless I'm being too literal. I thought Byfield, Clarke, Helenius, and Nousiainen all looked very good.
Pinelli, Ward, and Madden all looked decent.
Regarding Byfield's production, I think we both know his statline doesn't reflect his level of play.
- I didn't see any specific stats, but he only lost a handful of faceoffs (I'm guessing around 4)
- one opportunity he was at the side of the net and he missed his one-timer
- at the end of the game, he used his speed and size to try chipping the puck with a net drive, but used his momentum to help recover the puck
- on multiple occasions, he picked the pocket either controlled by the opposition or 50/50 pucks.
- there was the zone entry where he threaded the puck through multiple players leading to a scoring chance
- he, himself, had at least 3 quality scoring chances with a clean shot in a high-danger area
The points, on average, will come with performances like this.
I understand the position about production, but I just focus on the how. As long as his level of play continues to improve, the points will come.
However, I think this game also is a good example of Byfield being a project. Despite his skillset, at his age, he's not a "carry the line" level yet. He really needs to have good veterans alongside him to reinforce these good habits, so he can produce as well.
Edit: also, while this is a "tourney", it's glorified exhibition among rookies and prospects. Spence, Chromiak, and Thomas all sat today. Clearly winning is a bonus, but these matches are about getting your skating legs in and showing "good habits".
As a European (who never visited the US), I struggle to comprehend what exactly a pitcher is. Unless you mean this:
