bleedgreen
Registered User
i just got back from the denver university victory over boston u tonight in denver. du is ranked 9th, bu 10th. pretty good game but the best part was watching little bourque for the first time. he is as advertised - he is really an impressive player. there is no doubt about it....he's tiny. he looks like your little brother out on the pond playing with the big guys. what struck me first was his skating - very agile and great quickness. he is very athletic on his skates, you definitely notice him. second, ive never heard about his poise with the puck, but he has it on a higher level. he's an 18 year old freshman, and jack parker has him playing the point on the power play (first unit). i was impressed that he was even getting the chance, but ill tell you he deserves it. he ran the pp well. he has poise with the puck, and makes good decisions on when to pass or shoot. he definitely wasnt afraid to shoot either. he got an assist on a breakway goal, and with some luck he wouldve had a couple more on the pp. great tippable point shots.
he is pretty aggressive all over but his size prevents him from getting too involved physically - i would expect that to change as he gets stronger. he tends to go around the net, looking to sneak around the back door for rebounds instead of driving to the crease and planting - which in his case is smart.
couple of key plays he made. he walked in on brett skinner (du top d - very tall and mobile) and didnt hesitate to make a move and try to cut inside on him. he didnt get all the way around (came close)and didnt score - but got the shot off, skinner ended up flat footed, fell down trying to keep up and slid into the goalie on his butt while bourque chased the rebound into the corner. it was an impressive move and he looked very confident with the puck.
another play was when he was on the pp at the point. the puck left the o zone, he coralled it and spun around backwards and dragged the puck with him skating backwards into his own end. a forechecker was charging at him the whole time, but he just held the puck stickhandling back and forth waiting....waiting till his guy cleared the zone and cut across the middle on the blue line. at just the right moment, he snapped a pass, while gliding backwards from between his own circles, through the forechecker and split the d (no 2 line pass in ncaa), who were pretty tight to each other - and put it right on the tape of his teamate who wasnt expecting it and lost control. iwas floored at the poise under pressure, and thats a play only a quality d man makes in that situation - not an 18 year old freshman playing against older bigger competition. he looked like his dad on that play.
overall he is one the smartest players out there already, he has great puck control and poise, and does not lack for confidence. he gives 100%, and I left impressed. im not a caps fan, and when i saw how high he was drafted, i thought it was a bad move. im wrong. this kid has a chance. he is very much like chris drury was at bu - people forget drury isnt that much bigger than this kid, and bourque is a more physical player with all the same skills and leadership. if drury can do what he did, chris bourque can do the same.
sorry this was so long - im as bored as everyone else during this - any excuse to play couch gm...im all over it.
he is pretty aggressive all over but his size prevents him from getting too involved physically - i would expect that to change as he gets stronger. he tends to go around the net, looking to sneak around the back door for rebounds instead of driving to the crease and planting - which in his case is smart.
couple of key plays he made. he walked in on brett skinner (du top d - very tall and mobile) and didnt hesitate to make a move and try to cut inside on him. he didnt get all the way around (came close)and didnt score - but got the shot off, skinner ended up flat footed, fell down trying to keep up and slid into the goalie on his butt while bourque chased the rebound into the corner. it was an impressive move and he looked very confident with the puck.
another play was when he was on the pp at the point. the puck left the o zone, he coralled it and spun around backwards and dragged the puck with him skating backwards into his own end. a forechecker was charging at him the whole time, but he just held the puck stickhandling back and forth waiting....waiting till his guy cleared the zone and cut across the middle on the blue line. at just the right moment, he snapped a pass, while gliding backwards from between his own circles, through the forechecker and split the d (no 2 line pass in ncaa), who were pretty tight to each other - and put it right on the tape of his teamate who wasnt expecting it and lost control. iwas floored at the poise under pressure, and thats a play only a quality d man makes in that situation - not an 18 year old freshman playing against older bigger competition. he looked like his dad on that play.
overall he is one the smartest players out there already, he has great puck control and poise, and does not lack for confidence. he gives 100%, and I left impressed. im not a caps fan, and when i saw how high he was drafted, i thought it was a bad move. im wrong. this kid has a chance. he is very much like chris drury was at bu - people forget drury isnt that much bigger than this kid, and bourque is a more physical player with all the same skills and leadership. if drury can do what he did, chris bourque can do the same.
sorry this was so long - im as bored as everyone else during this - any excuse to play couch gm...im all over it.
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