A Weekly Look at the 2018-19 Sudbury Miners: Volume 19
CANADIAN PRESS (Sudbury, ON):
Miners Weekly Record: 0 wins, 3 losses, 1 OT loss.
Miners League Standing: 33 wins, 27 losses, 11 OT Loss = 77 points total. Currently sitting tied for 5th place in the Canosa Conference, 11th overall in the CCHL.
Miners Special Teams: Power Play – 20.8% (13th); Penalty Kill – 78.5% (13th)
Miners Scoring Leader: Center Vincent Trocheck (26G – 55A = 81 pts; 10th Overall in the CCHL)
The Sudbury Miners could not have picked a worse time of the year to play their worst hockey of the season. After going a dismal 0-3-1 this past week (and 2-4-4 in their past 10), the Miners are barely holding on to a playoff spot as they sit tied for 5th place, just one point up on Springfield for the final playoff berth.
“There is just no other way to put it…..we were dogsh*t this week! It’s embarrassing to go through a stretch like this, especially at this time of year, given what is at stake. We need to get our heads out of our collective asses and get to work”, stated Miners forward Vincent Trocheck.
His comments reflect the current mood of the team during this tough stretch and it may be a sign that the pressure may be getting to this young club with a playoff birth within their grasp. Whether they make the playoffs or not, this final stretch of games will give this young Miners squad some valuable experience when it comes to high-tense, high-pressure situations. It is something to build on.
MINERS PLAYER PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Rasmus Ristolainen
A rugged defenceman with size, Ristolainen has both his good points and bad points. He is an adept puck handler through the neutral zone and can also stretch the play with long passes and intelligent outlet passes. He holds the puck to stave off pressure in controlled defensive zone breakouts and is quite good at supporting the rush. In the offensive zone, he walks the line fairly well to use his top weapon - a heavy slapshot. His strength and aggression are his prime attributes. His skating is not his strongest attribute. He feet are strong but heavy and he is not terribly quick and lacks some lateral mobility. It is obvious to see that he is a better forward skater than backward, where he has trouble generating momentum and will switch back to forward to better defend attacks. He can sometimes get lost in positioning during chaotic periods in the defensive zone, and can be underwhelming when his energy level dips and his feet stop moving. All that being said, he is a solid top-4 defenseman, with room to grow.
MINERS PROSPECT NEED TO KNOW: Tyler Madden
A chip off the old block, Madden, whose father John was a Selke Award winner in the 1990s with New Jersey, is a defense-first center with some skill. Short and slight, he is more than just a defensive specialist as he has flashed skills as both a playmaker and puck handler. He will be at Northeastern for the next couple of years but will have every opportunity to not only add bulk to his small frame but also to further develop his offensive skills. Expected CCHL arrival: 2022-23.
No comments:
Post a Comment