Was originally planning to just attend the Vancouver game, but ended up catching all three games due to a family issue that had me in town for a few extra days. I sat closer to the ice than I normally do - I typically prefer a higher vantage point to watch the play develop, so it was interesting watching some of these guys that closely in a game (vs. camp) environment.
A couple of takeaways I had:
Thomas: Not the best stretch of hockey he's played, but a couple of things stood out. For one, he doesn't get nearly enough credit for his defensive positioning. He's a nuisance to break out against because he can read the play so well. The second, and more noticeable thing is just how strong he is on his edges. He may not be the fastest skater, but he's an incredibly strong skater with elite edgework. The separation he creates off his spins and turns was rivaled only by Hughes. The gaps he creates doesn't come across as much on TV as it does close-up and ice level.
Holloway: We all know the motor is incredible, but I was laughing at how relaxed he looked after sprinting up the ice, crashing into guys with reckless abandon - it seemed like he was barely breaking a sweat. Outside of Thomas, he seemed to be the guy hardest to push off the puck.
Neighbors: Big Neighbors fan, but I don't think I've given him enough credit for how quick he is, nor how big of a motor he has. His game is quietly building/rounding out very well in all areas of the ice. Made a lot of really smart small plays to keep the play going.
Fowler: Knew he was a great player, obviously, but his puck retrieval mechanics really stood out - just ELITE at first touches. He positions his body and leverages his skating to make sure that nearly every time he's retrieving a puck, he's moving it from his forehand/on his toes.
WTF Line: I was very critical of that line prior to 4 Nations. They weren't good despite what some of our media personalities were selling (Kerbs and Rivers, in particular). What a 180. All three of them were impressive -and Walker is just a blast to watch up-close- but Torpo is the straw that stirs that drink. His size, speed and reach busts up opposing possession enough for a secondary player to come in and break the play up. I really hope Monty pushes him to work with a skills coach. Great player as is, but man...if those hands were just a little softer.
Sundqvist: I'm pretty sure he could play any position on the ice -including goaltender- and thrive. The dude is just a small play machine - he understands the game so well.
Those were probably the main things. Obviously, yes, Kyrou is incredibly fast and twitchy - he looks like a nightmare to defend. He's also much stronger and a much bigger shit stirrer than I gave him credit for - he was laughing in guys faces pretty consistently. Broberg - incredible skater. Reminds me a lot more of Bouwmeester in terms of how he moves than I had thought...but is much more comfortable with the puck, and does not give one shit about how much risk he's putting himself in to make a play. Other guys like Schenn, I had seen quite a few times, so no real surprises there. Makes tons of small plays and subtle interferences. Clearly has a good feel for the game. Elephant's memory about what happens over the course of a game. Sherwood whacked Thomas across the back of the ankles, the next period, Schenn two handed him hard across the ankles twice during the same sequence.
Other small moments worth mentioning:
- Thomas and Barile were watching Hughes in warmup and having a conversation. Sherwood caught them and took some sort of issue. Thomas and Ray both started yapping at him pretty hard, which was hilarious to see Ray get that fired up.
- Neighbors said something to Sherwood that was so funny that Bolduc snotted on himself prior to an OZ faceoff. Sherwood was less amused.
- O'Reilly and Dvorsky had a brief conversation in warmup that Dvorsky initiated - got a tap on the shins from O-Reilly when it was over.
- Bedard was seeking out Thomas for questions/discussion during TV timeouts prior to faceoffs.
- I was taken aback, but not really surprised, at how much trash opposing teams throw at Binnington. Vancouver was a constant stream of yapping. I don't think Binnington glanced at them once - he was lasered in. By contrast, our guys did none of it.
