50 in 30: #10 Rocco Grimaldi

Rocco Grimaldi, C U.S. NTDP (USHL)
5-6, 161
Born: February 8, 1993 in Rossmoor, California
Shoots: Right

Scouting report:

Strengths: Top athlete with pure power, quickness and strength. Strong for his size- a dedicated gym rat who understands that pound-for-pound, he must be one of the most powerful players to compensate for the lack of height/weight. Dynamic, explosive skater with elite speed, edge control and balance. Low center of gravity allows him to get under bigger players and stay on his skates when body contract occurs. Never stops moving his feet or hustling- a whirling dervish of perpetual motion. Ultra-fast stick and elite puck skills. Sniper with flash-fire release, pinpoint accuracy and the mindset to finish at any level. Genius hockey IQ- can play in any zone, but is an especially lethal threat when he has the puck. Tremendous passer who can find open teammates through a maze of sticks and feet. Right up there with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as the top two pure offensive talents in the 2011 draft class. Can do just about anything he wants with the puck, but plays well away from it, too. Very good on faceoffs when it comes to beating his opponent cleanly with a fast stick. Tenacious in his own end- uses his superb hand-eye coordination to steal pucks away from opponents and interdict passing lanes. Aggressive on the PK- uses his game-breaking speed and smarts to intercept passes and turn them into scoring chances. Huge heart- never stops working to prove critics wrong. Unselfish teammate who is willing to sacrifice individual numbers and accolades in the name of winning. A winner. Devout in his faith and convictions- Grimaldi uses his beliefs and values system as a powerful motivational force to always brings his best.

Weaknesses: Tiny; well below average size and that will give any team picking 10-30 a lot to debate between now and June 24. There isn't much more room on his small frame, so pretty much what you see is what you get from Grimaldi in terms of his physical stature. Durability is another concern with him- willingly gives and takes hits, but the sledding will only get tougher as he moves up in level (going to University of North Dakota next season). Size is the only thing holding Grimaldi back- and if his life is any sign of things to come, it won't prevent him from becoming an impact player at the highest level.

Multimedia:

Rocco Grimaldi shootout goal (NHLDraftVideo)


Rocco Grimaldi combine interview (B2011DW video)


Style compares to: Martin St. Louis (but more Theoren Fleury based on his grittiness and fearless style)

Draft prediction: Grimaldi's draft position will be the subject of endless debate until we finally reach June 24th and learn which NHL team is willing to take a chance on him. On pure skill alone, Grimaldi is a top-three pick, but the size concerns will drop him. The question that remains is: how far. B2011DW would take him in the top-10, but we have the benefit of not having a job on the line and can make such a call without factoring organizational needs and building philosophy. We also acknowledge the fact that Grimaldi brings a sizeable risk because of his physical limitations and durability concerns, but he's taken such relish in smashing the obstacles in his path that he's worth rolling the dice on. He's going to go lower on draft day than we have him, but when he's scoring goals in the NHL in a few years and drawing raves, there won't be any surprise from these circles.

Projection: Has top-line skill, and projects as a top-nine forward even if he doesn't reach his high ceiling. Some may be concerned about his outspoken religious beliefs being an issue in the dressing room, but he's mature and smart enough to tone it down when he needs to. We have yet to find a teammate on the U.S. U-18 team who's been willing to go on the record to say it's an issue, so unless we hear otherwise, we consider it a strength- a source of inspiration and supreme confidence.

Background: Parents are Rocco and Susie Grimaldi. Sister, Niccole, was a standout scholarship soccer player at Oklahoma State University. Family moved to Auburn Hills, Michigan from Southern California so he could play elite level hockey with Detroit Little Caesars midget major organization (38 goals, and 84 points in 58 games in '08-09 before reporting to U.S NTDP). Led his team to the USA Hockey Tier I 18 & Under National Championship in '09. Split the '09-10 seasons between the Under-17 and Under-18 teams- won gold medals in both '10 and '11 at the World Under-18 Championships. Scored 34 goals and 62 points in 50 games with the Under-18 team this season.

If Grimaldi had his own soundtrack it would be: "Stop The Rock"- Apollo 440

Quotable:

"With his size, everyone always questions his ability to play at each stage. He's proven everybody dead wrong by constantly playing up against players that are bigger, faster and have more skill at that level. But he's a player that already had the professionalism of preparing himself and being very focused and knowing what he wants. It's hard to find somebody as so young of an age that's so focused and determined to make a living in the game."- Ron Rolston to Ann Arbor.com; Oct. 2010 (see link to full story in the Scoop section below)

"He's definitely a character kid and great guy. He's small, but probably has the biggest heart on the team."- U.S. NTDP G John Gibson to NHL.com; May, 2011 (see link to full story in the Scoop section below)

"He was a dynamic guy, an outstanding skater, quick and around the puck all the time. He wasn't scared to get involved in battles and go to the net."- Central Scouting's Chris Edwards to NHL.com (see link to full story in the Scoop section below)

"To me what he did in Europe is not a big surprise," Giese said of Grimaldi. "That's where he thrives- on the wider ice surface, playing other skill teams like Sweden and Russia. When you're scouting him, you're not projecting him as an international player, but in the NHL, so the questions you have to answer are: will he find a way in the NHL?"

"To me what he did in Europe is not a big surprise. That's where he thrives- on the wider ice surface, playing other skill teams like Sweden and Russia. When you're scouting him, you're not projecting him as an international player, but in the NHL, so the questions you have to answer are: will he find a way in the NHL?"- Red Line Report scout Max Giese to B2011DW; March 26, 2011

The scoop:

>Jeff Arnold feature on Rocco Grimaldi for Ann Arbor.com

USA Hockey Magazine feature on Grimaldi by Caryn Switaj (Go Eagles!)

Rocco Grimaldi a 'huge' threat for Team USA by Mike G. Morreale

NHL Combine video: Oscar Klefbom is a rock star

There is a lot to like about Swedish defenseman Oscar Klefbom's game, but his off-ice persona is icing on the cake.

The big (6-4), fast and skilled defenseman is like a snarly Mike Green- he loves the rush the puck, but he also likes to hit and play aggressively. At this stage, Klefbom is undisciplined- he doesn't have the best defensive awareness and will get to running around trying to do too much, but any team who can harness his aggressivenss and willingness to shoot the puck from just about anywhere has a winner on their hands.

B2011DW talked to Jonas Brodin, who is Klefbom's Farjestad and Under-18 teammate. Brodin and Klefbom are close friends, but also a real study in contrasts. Brodin plays an in control and cerebral game with a quiet almost shy demeanor, while Klefbom is a wild, untamed colt who gushes with enthusiasm and effervescence.

But Brodin didn't have any problems coming out of his shell to describe Klefbom. "He's such a great player and friend," Brodin told B2011DW. "He was the Under-18 captain and he was the perfect captain."

Unfortunately, Klefbom also took the OT penalty on Rocco Grimaldi, which led to Connor Murphy's gold medal-winning goal. But another way to look at it is if Klefbom doesn't hook Grimaldi down on his way to the Sweden net, maybe Rocco finishes the play off and Sweden loses anyway.

Regardless, we think there is an NHL team who recognizes Klefbom's pure size, offensive upside and character and is just waiting to pounce. Early.

Klefbom was easily one of the most memorable and engaging characters at the 2011 NHL Scouting Combine. He's got a real lust for life (h/t to Iggy & the Stooges) and we can just sense that the fans of the NHL team who takes a chance on this guy are going to instantly fall in love with him.

You be the judge. And, check out his reaction when asked about shooting the puck. This kid is the real deal.

NHL Combine video: Jamie Oleksiak

Northeastern University freshman Jamie Oleksiak completed his fitness testing in the first group for Friday at the 2011 NHL Scouting Combine.

After everything was over, he and Rocco Grimaldi met with assembled media to discuss the performance and his combine experience overall.

The two were kind enough to stand next to one another to give a perspective between one of the biggest players in the draft and one of the smallest.

Grimaldi was highly impressive and we'll have more video on him when his draft profile gets posted.

Fitness testing update

The first group is done this morning with the fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine.

Guys who have stood out in a good way: Mark McNeill with his size and musculature. This kid is a beast with the arms of a pro wrestler- some of the most impressive thickness and natural strength for an 18-year-old. Rare physical specimen who is ahead of the power curve among his peers. Jamie Oleksiak and Tyler Biggs also stood out for their size and physical prowess.

Oleksiak and Rocco Grimaldi were together backstage behind the TSN platform a few moments ago and we were able to shoot some quick video of the two of then standing side-by-side.

We'll have much more on the fitness testing later.

2011 draft Interview on Devils In Lou We Trust blog- Pt 2

Tom Stivali has the second part of our 2011 draft discussion up at the New Jersey Devils In Lou We Trust blog.

You can read it by clicking here.

In it, we talked (among other things) the draft combine, which Bruins 2011 Draft Watch will be attending, Rocco Grimaldi, drafting philosophy (BPA vs need), and a prediction of who the Devils will end up with at fourth overall.

When talking about the combine, it was my view that the event itself- interview and physical testing- do not have a profound effect on where a team views a player. By now, they have a pretty good feel for what he is and how much he brings to the table. It does allow them to massage their list, perhaps confirm or rule out players they're unsure about, and get affirmation on those they have the desire to draft.

From the interview:

I've heard that the combine helps with providing discriminators between players that the clubs have ranked closely in terms of talent/performance on the ice. It allows the team's staff to sit down with a kid and establish a basic connection/see if there is a fit and some instant chemistry. In some cases, it allows teams to confirm what they've been hearing about a player. The time they have for the individual interviews is limited, but it does open up a line of communication and gives management and staff the opportunity to look the player in the eye and see how he does depending on the approach they take.

As such, a player like Rocco Grimaldi is probably not going to get a huge bounce. Most teams are well aware of what he can do. They may look harder at his physical testing events, but his character and passion for the game is well documented. Teams are likely to be more than OK with Grimaldi the person, but teams thinking about spending a first- or early second-round pick on him have more than just his interview skills or VO2 Max score to consider.

B2011DW is on the record as being in the pro-Grimaldi camp- he's so dynamic and the kind of kid who will be a real credit to the organization. That said, it's easy for us- we have no stake in said organization and jobs aren't on the line if we're wrong.

As for Grimaldi, skill, hockey sense and character-wise, he's a top-10 pick in my book. However, the reality of the draft and the way NHL teams operate makes it pretty tough to project where he will go. I remember watching him knock the much bigger Travis Ewanyk off the puck behind the Canada net, leading to a Reid Boucher goal during the U18 tourney last month, and that's the kind of hockey player's contribution where you say to yourself that this kid's drive, will and spirit will overcome his serious size deficit (closer to 5-6, with not a lot of room on the frame to add mass). On the flip side, there are times where Grimaldi will turn away from traffic and stay out on the perimeter, which gives reason for pause, as he won't have success at the NHL level trying to make a living on the outside. He's going to have to go to the dirty areas and play in traffic the way guys like Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe do. If he's willing to do that, then he absolutely has the talent to be an impact player at the highest level.

In talking best player available (BPA) versus need when it comes to drafting, I expressed one of my pet peeves with a lot of fans out there who act like authorities when in reality, they have no clear understanding of the draft process or how their favorite NHL operates early on:

Now, it just could happen that a team's BPA also corresponds with a need, but I always get a chuckle out of fans on the internet or radio call-in shows who declare that there is "no way" a team will draft a center in a given year because the team doesn't "need" one or there is "no room" for another pivot in the organization. It's a much more complicated process than that, and the line of thought generally is - get the asset in the fold even at a deep position and if he outperforms someone on the depth chart ahead of him, then you can always trade the other guy for help at another need position. Passing on a superior player who could be a legitimate impact guy in 2 years because you don't "need" him right now is silly and not how NHL teams conduct business. Lots of things can change, and teams/their GMs try to take a deeper view than simply dealing in the here and now like a lot of fans tend to do.

Be sure to read the rest of the interview- Tom did a great job with it and asked some good questions. It was fun to do and a reminder that we're in the last stretch before the big event.

Admittedly, not used to seeing the Bruins still playing hockey at this juncture, so the timelines are all off. That won't stop this blog from going full speed ahead in the coming days and weeks. Watch for the B2011DW top-50 list coming out soon with prospects 41-50 and much, much more.

What a difference 9 months makes

We went back and looked at Red Line Report's 2011 NHL draft rankings from August, 2010 and compared them to April 2011 (we talked to Kyle Woodlief and the May issue will be out this week, btw).

For those of you not as familiar with RLR, August is the first month that the independent scouting service, now in its 18th year of publication, publishes its monthly rankings. They start with 110 players for that season, and by spring time they're up to about 300 (286 in April 2011).

For fun, we thought it would be nice to go and look at what has changed in the top-10 from August up until now.

Red Line Report: August, 2010:

1. Sean Couturier, C Drummondville (QMJHL)
2. Adam Larsson, D Skelleftea (SEL)
3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C Red Deer (WHL)
4. Brandon Saad, LW Saginaw (OHL)
5. Gabriel Landeskog, LW Kitchener (OHL)
6. David Musil, D Vancouver (WHL)
7. Seth Ambroz, RW Omaha (USHL)
8. Victor Rask, C Leksand (SWE-2)
9. J.T. Miller, C U.S. NTDP (USHL)
10. Shane McColgan, RW Kelowna (WHL)

Here is what RLR had for April (and we'll update this post when the new issue is out)

1. Gabriel Landeskog, LW Kitchener (OHL) +4
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C Red Deer (WHL) +2
3. Adam Larsson, D Skelleftea (SEL) -1
4. Dougie Hamilton, D Niagara (OHL) +8 (12th in Aug)
5. Jonathan Huberdeau, C/W Saint John (QMJHL) +32 (37th in Aug)
6. Ryan Murphy, D Kitchener (OHL) +11 (17th in Aug)
7. Ryan Strome, C Niagara (OHL) +94 (101 in Aug)
8. Sean Couturier, C Drummondville (QMJHL) -7
9. Alex Khokhlachev, C Windsor (OHL) +20 (29th in Aug)
10. Rocco Grimaldi, LW U.S. NTDP (USHL) +56 (66th in Aug)

Strome was the biggest gainer- moving up almost 95 spots from where he was to start. He didn't even get a sniff at the Hlinka, so for him to have accomplished so much is remarkable. His 105 points was second to Tyler Toffoli and Jason Akeson in the OHL this season.

Mighty mite Grimaldi was the other big riser, moving 56 spots with his production, spirit and dynamic ability. Although he's only 5-6 and about 165 pounds, we wouldn't bet against this guy overcoming that serious size deficit to be an impact NHL player one day.

Huberdeau's rise was pretty significant, too- he was a skinny playmaker in the summertime, but this year, he really turned it on, scoring 40+ goals and breaking the 100-point mark for the juggernaut Saint John Sea Dogs. We don't see any way that he's not picked in the top-5 come June. There's simply too much skill and upside for this kid.

Murphy was pretty highly regarded, but his snub from the Hlinka team in August seemed to light a fire under him. He was as dynamic as they come all season long for Kitchener and he stepped up his game in the U18s as well, setting a Canada scoring record in that tournament with 13 points. Not bad for a defenseman.

Now for the fallers:

11. J.T. MIller, C U.S. NTDP (USHL) -2
18. David Musil, D Vancouver (WHL) -12
20. Brandon Saad, LW Saginaw (OHL) -16
45. Victor Rask, C Leksand (SWE-2) -37
55. Seth Ambroz, RW Omaha (USHL) -48
60. Shane McColgan, RW Kelowna (WHL) -50

Miller is not really a "faller" dropping down two spots from 9 to 11, but we've heard whispers that he was too highly ranked by RLR all season. After his superb U18 performance, we wouldn't be surprised to see him jump back into the top-10 for May, given how close he is.

Musil and Saad are two players who are clearly sliding, but could prove to be nice value picks later in the first round. We don't believe they'll drop out of the top-30 altogether, but given the expectations for them coming into the 2010-11 campaign, they've regressed. Thing is, they both have such impressive natural talent, that if they reverse the developmental trend, they could end up being very good NHL players. We like Saad's upside better, and we hear that the situation he's dealing with in Saginaw may have a lot more to do with it than his not being able to play at the highest level. He could use a change of scenery.

Rask may have slowed his descent a bit with a strong Under-18 performance for Team Sweden, but he's still a 1st-round wildcard. His season hasn't warranted being picked in the top-30, but if scouts believe that the 16-17-YO Rask they saw last season and was seen more in the 2011 U18 tourney is more of what to expect from him, you have to think someone will grab him between 20-30.

Ambroz has withered on the vine- he's the classic case of a physically dominant kid who emerged three years ago, but has not progressed much, while a good number of the kids in his peer group caught him and passed him. Last year, Ambroz would have been a slam-dunk top-10 pick had he been eligible. But, with another full year to dissect and nitpick his game, look at his ugly skating stride and lack of acceleration, plus hear stories about how he's passed on summertime opportunities to improve his game, this Minnesotan will be lucky to be a second-round pick. We believe someone will take him there simply because there is still a lot of raw potential with him, but it would have to be a club with extra picks to risk on a reclamation project with a questionable work ethic. Don't be surprised if he drops into the third round, though.

Finally, McColgan got off to a horrendous start after having surgery to remove his tonsils on the eve of the season and taking a good 1.5 months to settle in. Already small and not having much room to add mass to his frame, he's a risky pick to begin with, but when you get down to it, there isn't a whole lot of difference between McColgan and Grimaldi. In fact, it's almost astounding to see the two have juxtaposed their positioning, with McColgan being the top-10 guy before the season and now down where Grimaldi was. The difference? We have to believe it is Grimaldi's production and the fact that he hit the ground running from the start of the season. McColgan is not chopped liver- he's still a skilled, dynamic little winger with some serious offensive skills. His strong finish with the Rockets should keep him from falling off the map too much on draft day.

For more on Red Line Report, you can visit the website.

The draft guide will be coming out in early June and will feature in-depth scouting reports on the top-110 or so draft prospects, plus team draft analysis, mock drafts and the ever-popular awards section.

FASTHockey.com U18 play by play/color man Chris Peters checks in

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch is pleased to bring you an interview we did with Chris Peters, the play by play commentator for the FASTHockey.com broadcasts of Team USA games at the World Under-18 Championship in Crimmitschau, Germany. He was a one-man show over there and did a great job to bring a passionate and informed call of the Team USA games.

Chris knows the NTDP inside and out, having spent the previous three years as the team's communications and marketing director and brings great knowledge of the program and players in addition to his own passion for hockey.

Chris is also the publisher of the outstanding hockey blog The United States of Hockey. If you haven't bookmarked it, you should. When it comes to American NTDP and NCAA players, it is one of the best resources out there given his background, knowledge and familiarity with so many players who are in Ann Arbor or graduated from the program and are out in the NCAA and pro ranks.

We had a long talk about Team USA and the outstanding performance they had in Germany to win a consecutive third gold medal at the annual IIHF spring competition. It was the first time for any USA Hockey team to three-peat in an IIHF event, and the American players made it their mission to achieve this first.

Without further ado, we'll bring you Chris Peters in his own words

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch: Having been a part of the NTDP, was it a little strange for you to be there not as a member of the team but as a broadcaster and part of the media?

Chris Peters: Yes and no- there were a few differences that made for a new experience, but I knew the staff and I knew the kids (from their time on the Under-17 team a year ago), so I didn't feel like an outsider. At the same time, I tried to maintain a safe distance and didn't want to try and be a part of the staff.

It was nice for me to see the difference for the players from year one to two and how they had grown. It was great to see how much bigger and better they've gotten since their time on the Under-17 squad and doing this allowed me to see that process and be a part of it. Most times, a broadcaster will parachute in, do a few interviews and is gone, but I was always with them, and that was the unique thing about the process.

It was a lot of fun- everyone wanted to make sure I got what I needed and it was just a great time given the way everything went.

B2011DW: Before we get to the specific players, can you talk about the program and team, the coaches and so on- what do you attribute the success the NTDP has had to?

CP: I think this team was unique. They didn't have three main lines to do the scoring for them; they counted on everyone to give them the offense they needed and make the plays in any situation. They had seven effective players on defense, not one guy who can be out there in any situation, or at least that was the perception. I remember that when they had the selection for these players two years ago, the team was put together knowing that they weren't assembling high-end skill guys at every position. Sure, you had players like Rocco Grimaldi and J.T. Miller up front, but you also had guys like Adam Reid, who played on the fourth line (in Germany) but had three goals, and Dan Carlson who also made contributions to the successful tournament.

This was the first team that I can recall in the last several years that was made up completely of NTDP kids. It worked well because they had great chemistry, were really tight as a group and had played together for a long time.

I would also add that (coach) Ron Rolston deserves a heck of a lot of credit. Two years ago, when he was coaching the '91 group at the Under 18s, not a lot of people expected them to win it on home soil in North Dakota. I think people said they were a favorite, but they were not the favorite. At the end of it, they won it all, just like they did this time around in Germany, with a completely different team. He gets the most out of the talent he has to work with and his work and preparation is unbelievable. He's one of the most cerebral coaches I've seen- he knows his players and teams and understands how to get them to play disciplined, winning hockey. I don't think he gets enough recognition for how good a coach he is.

B2011DW: John Gibson- tournament top goalie and a major reason why USA won it all. What are your thoughts on him?

CP: With Gibson, he's been overshadowed by Jack Campbell. But Gibby didn't have the same opportunities Jack did in terms of being an underager at the Under 20, winning a couple of golds at the Under 18 in 2009 and 2010, but they are similar players. Gibson is so athletic, so composed. He instills a lot of confidence in the skaters, too- the defensemen know that they can take some chances with him back there as the last line of defense. He's not the best puckhandler, though he did move it a little, but he kept things simple for the most part. He bailed out the 'D' with big saves, and even when he gave up a goal, his body language was terrific. He just oozed confidence and when his teammates saw that, they realized that everything was fine and they were still in position to win the game. When you see that kind of calm in your goalie, I think it relaxes you to the point that you can go out and believe that you'll get the lead back on the next shift, and it's huge.

B2011DW: Did J.T. Miller's performance there solidify him as a first-round pick in your view?

CP: It's funny, because the first couple of games with J.T. I thought that aside from the points, he actually didn't play all that well. However, as the tournament went on, he became more and more of a force, and I think he bought into playing gold medal hockey. He really picked it up because as other teams focused on stopping Rocco Grimaldi, Miller started getting a lot of looks as a result to the respect given to Rocco, and that opened things up for J.T. It gave him a chance to put his stamp on the tournament in terms of being physical, playing smart, keeping it simple and being patient. One play that really stands out to me is the gold medal game when he made the pass to Reid Boucher for the tying goal. Rocco was breaking to the net as well, but he was a lot closer to Miller, and would have had to beat a few guys to get into scoring position. Miller held the puck and waited that extra second for 'Bouch' to break into the clear and then sent it across the ice to him in the perfect spot for him to make the play.

When Miller is thinking right, he's so good. It's the best I've seen him play. I think that maybe earlier in the season, Miller was under too much pressure to be the focal point of the offense on that top line and it wasn't going in for him. He was probably pressing more than he should have. But here, he kept things simple and used his skills and smarts to make some big plays when his team needed them.

B2011DW: You mentioned Reid Boucher...he had a tremendous tournament. Based on what you know and have seen, how good is this kid?

CP: Wow, yeah. The thing Reid brings to the table every single night regardless is the ability to score from anywhere. When I look at his pure scoring ability, I would say that it's the best I've seen in the program. Ever. Jeremy Morin was close, but honestly I would say that Boucher is better in terms of his release, his accuracy and his big-game ability to put the puck in the net when the game is on the line. I talked to Ron Rolston about it and he agreed that Boucher is up there; he knew Phil Kessel before I arrived to the program, but he's in that kind of company. The big thing about what he did in Germany is that of his eight goals, only two of them didn't factor into the game. I know one of those goals came against Slovakia in a blowout, but just about everything else had a big impact on the wins. The thing is- when you play with Rocco, you're going to get a lot of looks. And Bouch's skating has improved to where he can get in position to make the play with a guy so dynamic. If Bouch is with a pass-first playmaker, he could score 40 goals one day.

B2011DW: Speaking of Rocco, the numbers weren't there for Grimaldi because he got so much attention, but he seemed to contribute in other ways- defensively, the PK, etc. What did you see?

CP: I agree with that. I think that for a few games he maybe wasn't as engaged as much defensively, but that was probably because they needed him to be an offensive presence. One of the things he did that really jumped out at me was the work Rocco did on faceoffs. He won some big draws at key moments. One play that stood out happened in the Canada game, when Travis Ewanyk was winning something like 80 percent of the faceoffs and was just a monster. There was a draw in Canada's end and Ewanyk won it, but Grimaldi got in on him, knocked him off the puck and then Miller was able to get it to Bouch for a goal. Rocco's mindset all along was that even if he lost the faceoff, which wasn't often, he was going to track the puck and still try and get there first.

I think he want to be better in the tournament at the goal scoring and production, but teams made a concerted effort not to let Rocco beat them. Even then, he found ways to get it done. The Connor Murphy goal at the beginning of the third period against Sweden was a good example- Grimaldi's pass out front to him for the shot that went in was perfect with the way he one-touched to him, but the bigger thing I noticed when I went back and looked at the film was the way he protected the puck, shielded it so that the defender had no chance to prevent it from getting to Murphy. We expected to see more offensively from him, but in the end, he did a lot of things that helped the team win and that's what's most important to him.

B2011DW: Let's shift gears to the defensemen for a bit. Robbie Russo seemed to have just the right performance and the absolute right time and looked so confident out there. You thoughts on Robbie and his play?

CP: Robbie's always been a confident kid. He may have been a little frustrated at the way things went for him this season, but in this tourney he just took over games. If the puck was in his zone his attitude was that he was going to get it, or if the other team had it, he was going to take it away from them.In the offensive zone, he was outstanding with his vision and patience and ability to pass the puck to the right guy at the right time. He also had the ability to create space for himself- he would have the puck coming out of his end and he had the skill and patience to swing back into the zone and come back out with speed. This was the best I've seen him- he was calm under pressure, there was no panic level in his game; he just kept it simple, made the smart play and tried not to be flashy. His skating is really good- he was an easy choice as one of the three top players for USA in my opinion. Another thing- he started out on the point of the power play, but they moved him against the wall, which worked out great, shifting Rocco to the point. Robbie was incredible on the wall in terms of creating lanes, going up and down the boards, and then he would spin around, throw off his man and open up the lane. He had a tremendous tournament, and I can't say it enough.

B2011DW: And Connor Murphy? Another kid who really helped himself?

CP: Absolutely! He's one of the smartest kids out there and the fact that his instincts are so good even though he hasn't played a lot of hockey over the past two-and-a-half years is saying a lot about him. I don't think he's played more than maybe 15 games in that span prior to the tourney because of injuries, and yet he still had time to be that good? It makes me wonder if he can stay healthy how good he can be. He's real good with his stick defensively, clogging up lanes and he not a physical guy, but he can take hits and will take them to make the play. I noticed this a lot against Canada, where they really seemed to go after him. He's got a very nice skill package and game, and the injury thing is really the only obstacle I think to where he might be drafted, whether it happen for him in the first round or maybe a little later. But the thing about Connor and the other kids with dads who played pro hockey is that they understand what they need to do to make it to be a professional. They've been around the game, carry themselves so well and are pretty serious and mature about it. Connor is one of those guys who just really impresses you in interviews with his intelligence and manner.

B2011DW: OK- last question. Tyler Biggs. He's been the internet whipping boy of late, but is it deserved?

CP: The thing with Tyler is that he was completely mis-labeled to begin with as a top-10 pick for a guy who plays the way he does. That said, I still feel there is value to him in the first round. After last year, I had a higher opinion of his offensive upside coming into this season than he's showed- I was thinking that he maybe had a 20-25 goal upside. I'm not sure he'll be successful with that because he doesn't have great hands. He may not skate all that fast, but he's a powerful skater who closes on guys real well and his north-south game is really good.

He was not done any favors with that 5th-best prospect ranking from Central Scouting at mid-term, and he's been dinged up this year too, but he plays through it without complaining. Thing is, if you went to see him when he wasn't at his best, then you probably weren't seeing the kind of performance he's capable of. He's a good leader and plays a determined style of hockey. He played on a line with Travis Boyd- he's a real good player and a guy I think is underrated (by Central). He's not real fast, but is very skilled and made a lot of creative plays. Biggs also skated with Nic Kerdiles, so there was some talent on that line, and I would say that in the last two games, that was as good a unit as the Boucher-Grimaldi-Miller line. Biggs can play defensively, is tough and works hard at his game.

Again, I think there is first-round value for him, but expectations were set too high for the style of player he is.

B2011DW wants to thank Chris for taking the time to have such a productive chat. We'll have to do it again sometime.

Be sure to visit his blog if you have not done so already!

Three-peat for USA at World Under-18s

Defenseman Connor Murphy had the game of his young life, scoring twice including an overtime strike to give Team USA a come-from-behind sudden death victory over Sweden by a 4-3 score.

The goal had a little controversy in that it was scored as an American power play expired. Swedish captain Oscar Klefbom was called for holding when he took down Rocco Grimaldi as the little dynamo drove to the net for a scoring chance.

Murphy rifled a blast into the far side past netminder Niklas Lundstrom after his initial drive was blocked. When the puck bounced right back onto his stick, he re-cocked and fired, catching Lundstrom on his knees in anticipation of the initial shot. The goaltender may have been screened by the prone defenseman and didn't see the puck come screaming off of Murphy's stick until it was too late to react.

USA never led in the contest, falling behind in the first period on an early goal by Filip Forsberg. '94 defenseman Jacob Trouba tied the game with just eight seconds left in the opening frame with his only goal of the tourney.

Sweden got it going later in the second when Albin Blomkvist took a pass at the point, stepped up into the zone and ripped a hard wrist shot that beat goaltender John Gibson high to the glove side. Moments later, Gustav Björklund took a drop pass on a Sweden rush and fired it home to give his team what looked like an insurmountable 3-1 lead with 20 minutes left.

However, Murphy started the comeback with a score in the first two minutes of the final period to give the Americans hope. Although they had chances, they couldn't solve Lundstrom as time bled off the final clock and it appeared that Sweden would grab its first-ever Under-18 gold medal.

However, with just 1:29 left in the game, Reid Boucher, whose name was synonymous with "clutch" all tournament long, took a J.T. Miller pass, broke into the clear on a 2-on-1, and wired the puck into the net to send the game to overtime.

When Murphy scored, he secured USA Hockey's first-ever three-peat at the IIHF's Under-18 Championship. Coach Ron Rolston also earned his third gold medal.

For Sweden, it was a tough way to lose- getting called in overtime, but they played with fire all game, taking Grimaldi down in several cases, and not getting called for it. While one might argue that the penalties should have been called then and not in OT, the flip side of that argument is that the Swedes knew they were playing a dangerous game. By continuing to test the referees' patience, they finally got burned.

Miller, Gibson and defenseman/team captain Robbie Russo were named Team USA's three best players for the tournament, while Gibson also earned all-tournament honors as top goalie. Ryan Murphy (Canada) and Nikita Kucherov were named top defenseman and forward.

In any case, B2011DW salutes Team USA and all the teams for an excellent tournament. We will have more in-depth player recaps and observations to bring you in the coming days, but for now, the focus will shift back to the CHL playoffs, with all major junior leagues playing their respective semifinal series.

World Under-18 Semifinals: USA, Sweden, advance to gold medal game

Sweden defeated Russia by a 3-1 score in a game that got ugly late. It was unfortunate to see some of the tomfoolery a couple of Russian players engaged in at the end, but up to that point, the two sides played hard. Ultimately, that Swedish defense prevailed.

Then, the Americans and Canadians played a game for the ages, with Canada surging back from a three-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime.

Tyler Biggs, who had been quiet all tournament offensively, and could have been one of the goats because of a bad penalty that led to a Canada power play goal to get them back in it, then beat Malcolm Subban with a high bullet blocker side in sudden death to grab a 5-4 victory and propel the Americans to a gold medal rematch with Sweden for the second year in a row.

After Brett Ritchie and J.T. Miller exchanged goals in the first period for a 1-1 score, Team USA dialed up the heat in the second frame, taking over momentum in the contest.

USA got another fabulous slot goal from Reid Boucher late in the second period to take a 2-1 lead after falling behind 1-0 in the opening frame. But the Americans tallied two short-handed goals in the same penalty kill in the third period to take a commanding 4-1 advantage.

Although Ritchie (2 goals) scored on a power play soon after Boucher's second goal of the game to cut the lead to two on what was a bad roughing penalty for Biggs, USA leaned on John Gibson did his best keep the Canadians at bay.

Unfortunately for the Americans, with Subban pulled with about three minutes remaining and the Canadians putting sustained offensive pressure on, Cole Bardreau made a costly mistake, scaling the puck over the glass to give Canada a 6-on-4 advantage. Ryan Murray, who looked every bit like a contender for first overall pick in 2012 today with a monster game at both ends, scored on a shot from near the blue line to make it 4-3.

Then, with Subban out again for the extra attacker, Murray got the puck to the net and Mark Scheifele ended up jamming it home for an improbable and outstanding comeback.

Reid Boucher, F- Player of the game for USA had a near carbon-copy of his winner against Russia late in the 2nd period; after taking a pass from Miller, he just ripped a high shot glove side that Subban had no chance on. Watching him play with Grimaldi is illuminating; Rocco is so amazingly fast and explosive, while Boucher is not. However, it doesn't matter because Boucher thinks the game so well and seems to make recognitions well ahead of most opponents. In short, he finds ways to isolate himself in prime scoring areas in the offensive zone, and then when the puck is anywhere near him, he makes his chances count.

J.T. Miller, F- Monster game from Miller, who showed every scout in attendance today why he's been talked about as a first-round pick for much of the year. Got USA on the board with a great rush and five-hole snipe. He then assisted on both goals by Boucher, one with a perfect feed from behind the net after Grimaldi knocked down Scheifele to allow Miller to gain possession, and then in the third while on the PK, when Miller drew an offensive zone draw right to his linemate, who buried it. Miller leads Team USA in scoring with four goals and 11 points in just five, that's right- five games. With his size (6-1), skating/speed, shot, puck skills and hockey IQ, Miller is putting on a show at absolutely the perfect time. Hello, top-30.

Tyler Biggs, F- We haven't had a lot to say about Biggs in the tourney because, well, frankly- he hasn't scored much and has taken entirely too many bad penalties. Some of it, you chalk up to him playing like the manchild he is and some of the international on-ice officials' tendency to make ridiculously bad calls when he blows a 150-pound kid up with a clean hit. That said, Biggs came through with an overtime dagger and at the end of the day, he's shown flashes of being a potential top-six power forward who can do a little bit of everything. Hands are still stiff, and scouts are going to continue to question the hockey sense, but after he hurt his team with an undisciplined penalty, he bounced back with the biggest goal of his young career. There's a lot to be said for that.

Rocco Grimaldi, F-Every time we watch him, we marvel at how noticeable and dynamic a little player he is. He didn't get on the scoresheet a bunch today, but he made a lot of plays defensively and on the PK to balance it out. He's still got issues with the size and strength, but he plays with so much intensity, and the fact that he made noticeable plays to knock Scheifele off the puck (leading directly to a Boucher goal) and then did it later to Travis Ewanyk, another guy much bigger than he, you have to give the youngster credit. Even if the points aren't coming in bunches (2 goals, 5 assists) he's doing a bunch of other things to help his team winner.

Zac Larraza, F- Scored a nice shorthanded goal on a jailbreak after he blocked a Reece Scarlett shot at the point and the Canadian defenseman stumbled as he tried to change direction when Larraza corralled it and took off up the ice. He's been a solid, underrated presence for this U.S. team. Not sold on his upside, but he looks like he could be an effective role player in the NHL one day.

Mike Paliotta, D- Kept it safe, simple and made a few memorable defensive plays. Also executed several nice stretch passes that didn't amount to goals, but showed he can make the breakout. Smooth, fluid skater who can transition effortlessly. Not a huge physical presence, but uses his size effectively to keep opponents away from the net and pin them against the boards. The lack of production/offensive dimension to his game is what will prevent him from being a first- or even second-round pick, but this future Vermont Catamount has enough in terms of his physical package and skating ability to be a defender at the highest level. He may just be another safe, unspectacular guy, however. Nothing wrong with that, but we saw him as bringing more to the table than that coming into the season.

Seth Jones, D- (2013 eligible) This sixteen-year-old has stud written all over him. He's already 6-3, and his dad, Popeye Jones, was about 6-8 when he played in the NBA, so we could see another three or more inches added to the youngster's height. He's an excellent skater with a wide base, good acceleration and balance. He handles the puck confidently and is effective at rushing it or moving it on the breakout. Likes to jump up into the play and has a pretty good shot already; it will develop more power and velocity as he gets older. Unfortunately, as a late '94, he won't even be draft eligible until 2013. That's going to give scouts plenty of time to pick apart his game, but for now, this young man who developed his passion for hockey in Toronto and Dallas (he calls Plano, TX home) has all the makings of a high-end prospect and definitely a player to watch in the next 26 months. One of our NHL scouting sources at the tourney texted to us today that Jones was one of the USA's best players, singling him out for praise.

John Gibson, G- If you're thinking that it was Gibson's fault that the Canadians forced overtime, you would be wrong. We asked a Western Conference NHL scout who is in Germany if Gibson was shaky and his response was an emphatic 'no'. When we opined that he was doing a good Jack Campbell impression in response, here is what the scout texted back to us: "Yes, but much more controlled (in his movements). Although not as invincible as Campbell a year ago." Then he added, "Gibson kept it together while his team fell apart."

Mark Scheifele, F- Solidifying his 1st-round stock with his performance in Germany, Scheifele did it again today, banging home a shot off the post in a wild scramble late in regulation to force OT. That gives him six goals in as many games in the tourney, and with his size and tools- a long, loping stride, quick hands and offensive instincts, this guy just has the look of an NHL player in time. He played for a poor team in Barrie this season, but still managed to make a name for himself.

Brett Ritchie, F- Power forward had a lot of interest coming into the season, but started sluggishly and was just coming on strong in January when he was felled by a bout with mono. Now only beginning to have his full strength and zip, it has showed in Germany, especially today, when he tallied a pair of power play markers. He's an OK skater, but is real strong on the puck and does the heavy lifting along the walls and in front of the net. Has a quick stick and keeps his big body planted in front of the net. Still raw and developing his overall game, this Sarnia Sting winger should secure second-round billing at least after the way he's played over the past 10 days.

Alan Quine, C- The Peterborough pivot may not be much of a defensive player, but he has legitimate skill as a playmaker. Small and not very strong, he nonetheless manages to pinball his way through the offensive zone with some dazzling agility and quickness at times. Puck is on his stick like a magnet as he slices defenses and then gets it out in front where his linemates can cash in. Superior vision, offensive feel and the soft touch to exploit seams in the o-zone. Had three helpers today...especially effective with the man advantage when he has more time and space to work with. Not impressive at all in his own end; does not look comfortable and will delay in picking up his man. There is some real unharnessed offensive potential with Quine, but he's going to need a lot of time and TLC by whichever NHL team drafts him. He looked like a first-rounder coming into the season, but lack of production and inconsistency dropped him. How low he goes remains to be seen, but if hockey was only played in the offensive end, then Quine would get a first-round grade.

Travis Ewanyk, C- Big, raw horse in the middle for Canada. A pure checker in this tourney with only one assist to show for his efforts, but excellent on faceoffs and earning a regular shift with his energy, hustle and smarts. Not all that exciting a player- good hitter in the open ice and mucks along the walls like you need him to, but seems to possess the toolbox to be an NHL player in time. He'll have to pay his dues, but there is a lot to like about this guy.

Ryan Murphy, D- Along with 'D' partner Murray, the Kitchener standout is leading Canada in scoring with three goals and nine points in six games. Although he was caught up ice and ended up in no-man's land when Biggs scored in OT, Murphy continued to show why he is one of the 2011 draft's most talked-about prospects. Tremendous skater who can rush the puck at will or move it to a breaking teammate just as effectively. Sees, feels and reacts to the game so instinctively; most can only dream of having his skill and awareness. Will get in trouble with his aggressiveness and attacking mindset, but such a talented offensive player that coaches can deal with that.

Ryan Murray, D- (2012 eligible) Terrific game from the captain, who just missed the 2011 draft by a couple of days, but is expected to be a top-three selection a year from now. Skilled, two-way defender plays a polished game and brings all the intangibles you want like hockey sense, determination and leadership. On one play, took the pass at his own blue line and then proceeded to skate through the entire U.S. squad, showing off impressive acceleration, superior edge control and stickhandling ability. Smart positionally and has the size and strength to be an excellent defensive player to go with his impressive offensive upside. Tied with Murphy for the team lead in scoring with nine points.

Canada plays Russia in the bronze medal game, while USA plays Sweden at 12:30 EST tomorrow, Easter Sunday.

Be on the lookout for Swedish forward William Karlsson, a skilled and heady centerman who has really come on playing for Vasteras Jr. team this season. He's having a strong tournament.

If the USA can win, it will be the first time ever that the U.S. has won three consecutive Under-18 championships.

Reid Boucher: Aces High

The blog will be back tomorrow with a recap of the World U18 games that took place today. Watched 'em, but not going to crank out the notes and reports on some of the notable players until tomorrow.

However, Reid Boucher's two-goal performance prompted us to get something done on him because he's been lost in the shadows (that's an old Lou Gramm tune off of the 1987 Lost Boys soundtrack, btw) when it comes to him and his flashier linemate Rocco Grimaldi (whose themesong is Apollo 440's "Can't Stop The Rock")

Like Grimaldi, Boucher is undersized (though not quite as small as his fellow NTDPer) and looks about 14, but he's not as noticeable as No. 23 is on the ice. Boucher moves up and down the wing diligently, and he isn't a blazer who jumps out at you with a dazzling array of moves. You even start to forget about him, and then he'll pounce on a loose puck, wire it to the back of the net and you're left wondering: what the hell just happened?

You've heard the term 'deceptive' or 'sneaky' as they apply to offensive production sometimes, and that's Boucher. He'll be going along not doing much and then POW! He'll nail a one-time a winning strike from the outside with 21 seconds left in a tie game, or will pick up the rebound on the power play with the extra time and space and crush a team's dreams with one flick of the wrist.

The Michigander and Michigan State Spartans recruit is our pick to be most like another player from the same state- Bruins prospect Jared Knight- who rode a wave of successful diabetes treatment (after a disastrous first half of the season) and a 36-goal regular season (with 12 more in the playoffs) to the 32nd overall selection in last June's draft. They are not the same player, but they do have similar attributes as pure goal scorers who don't wow you with their feet, but have the hands, vision and predatory, "I want the puck on my stick now!" approach that always seems to see them on the ice in key offensive situations.

Sure, he's got to get stronger and his defense is a work in progress, but the effort, heart and drive is all there. At the end of the day, when he has the puck on his stick, Boucher is a stone cold killer. And Switzerland, Slovakia, Russia and now Germany have all figured that out firsthand.

Boucher led Team USA in scoring at the Five Nations in February, and he's doing it again in the World U18s with five goals in just four games while helping the Americans go perfect in the preliminary round with a 4-0-0-0 record. There is still much work to be done, but the U.S. team is off until Saturday, where they'll face the winner of Thursday's Canada-Germany quarterfinal contest.

If this kid wasn't on your watch list before, get him on there. We could see him being a high second-rounder, but don't see him sliding out of the third round after his performance since February. Pure scorers are gold, even those with size and a lack of elite speed. At the end of the day, Boucher is as good as prospect as any, and he's got the inner drive and killer instinct to be a very good one in time.

Click on this YouTube link to see Boucher score his dagger goal against Team Russia. But even better, is listening to the Russian play-by-play guy just sound crushed when Boucher rips it home on a wicked shot. You don't even have to speak Russian to taste the salty tears of his sorrow and hear the wah-wah-wah (sad music) in his voice when the puck goes in... (and yes, that's a Southpark "Scott Tenorman Must Die!" reference for those of you who are down like that)

Nation Radio Archive: BruinsDraftWatch featured guest, April 16

Last weekend we went on Allan Mitchell's Nation Radio show, which is broadcast on Team 1260 in Edmonton every Saturday.

Click on this link to visit the Nation Radio website to hear to interview.

In it, we're talking Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Larsson, Sean Couturier, Jonathan Huberdeau, Dougie Hamilton and some of the Team USA guys at the Under-18s like Rocco Grimaldi Connor Murphy and John Gibson. We close out the segment with talk about one of our favorite sleepers- Belmont Hill winger Jimmy Vesey and the intriguing Moose Jaw gigantor D Joel Edmundson.

As always, it's a pleasure to go on with Allan, whose Lowetide blog is one of the most respected and popular hockey blogs out there.

World Under-18 Championship Day 4: USA- Russia observations

Reid Boucher ripped a shot into the top corner of the net with just 21 seconds left as Team USA avoided an embarrassing collapse in the third period after holding a 3-1 lead over Team Russia, winning the game by a 4-3 score.

The Americans lead their pool in preliminary round play with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record against Switzerland, Slovakia and Russia, who went 1-1-1-0, needing a shootout to beat Germany yesterday.

J.T. Miller (two goals) was named player of the game for Team USA, while Maxim Shalunov captured the honor for Russia. Although Shalunov played well and gave the Americans fits with his quick stick and ability to go end-to-end, it was a curious selection, given that Nikita Kucherov scored twice including tallying the tying goal with 4:43 left. Top 2012 frontrunner Nail Yakupov posted a three-point night, figuring in all three Russian goals

Defenseman Seth Jones continues to impress with his size, mobility and opportunistic two-way play. That's the good news. The bade news is that he can't be drafted until 2013.

John Gibson gave up three goals, but he also played a money game when it mattered most, in the dying minutes with the score tied 3-3 and in the final 21 seconds when he had to make at least three big saves in close to preserve the lead. He is getting it done, period.

USA closes out the preliminary round against Germany on Tuesday, but by virtue of their sterling record (and Russia needing a shootout to get past the Germans) they have clinched the top record and will get a bye to the semi-finals later this week.

Reid Boucher, F- Pure scorers come in all shapes and sizes, but this one happens to be just 5-10 and about 190 pounds. After Grimaldi, he's the U.S. Under-18 Team's most prolific and consistently dangerous scorer, and the Russians found that out as he sniped a laser from the outside with less than 30 ticks on the clock. It was an NHL shooter's goal...Ilya Bryzgalov could have been between the pipes and he wouldn't have stopped it. Grimaldi won the draw cleanly back to Boucher and positioned five feet outside the left circle, he wired it top corner glove side before poor Andrei Vasilevski could react. This kid has some serious hands and is going to be a real threat for the Michigan State Spartans when he joins them next season.

J.T. Miller, F- Two goals and player of the game honors showed what MIller can accomplish when he's on top of his game. He skates very well, goes to the net hard and protects the puck. His goals were scored as a result of hard work and being in the right place at the right time. He's been one of USA's more productive players in the tournament, and this was what was lacking from him much of the season. Scouts could see his tools/skills, but he simply wasn't finding the back of the net and consistently making his presence known. He was classic "see the sizzle, but where's the steak?" player, but he's putting it together at the right time.

Rocco Grimaldi, F- He didn't find the back of the net today, but Grimaldi had two huge plays in securing the win, both clean faceoff wins. The first came with 22 seconds left in the game, when he beat his man clean and put the puck right in Boucher's wheelhouse for the winning score. The second came with five seconds remaining and the faceoff deep in the USA zone to Gibson's right. Grimaldi again won it cleanly drawing back to the end boards for Jones, who pinned it against the wall and bled the clock (getting a nice crosscheck from a frustrated Russian for his efforts). Even when he doesn't have a big, productive outing, Grimaldi is proving that he can excel in big moments. That Ron Rolston had him out there not only for the winning goal but the decisive defensive faceoff with the game on the line speaks volumes for how this kid is viewed by the coaching staff. Rolston even had him playing the point on the power play with Robbie Russo's unit, working the blueline with Russo while Jones rotated down to the right halfwall most times. The setup paid off for one Miller goal, but Grimaldi didn't have a direct hand in it.

Travis Boyd, F- Another solid game and opportunistic goal from the unheralded forward from Hopkins, Minnesota. He's a darting, quick little guy with the shiftiness and smarts to make things happen at both ends. He's a better shooter than we thought, beating Vasilevski clean with a bullet from the slot, and he also has some creativity, as he scored the shorthanded goal against Slovakia by making the goalie commit and then just using his own speed and momentum to guide the puck into the open space the netminder vacated. It doesn't seem like much, but when you factor in the kind of natural feel it takes to make a play like that at top speed, you have to give the kid credit.

Cole Bardreau, F- Like Boyd (and Boucher and Grimaldi), Bardreau is yet another undersized but effective forward for Team USA. The Fairport, NY native may not have the scoring chops of the other guys, but he's been a defensive stalwart up front for Rolston's boys and is a major factor in the team's success on the PK so far.

Robbie Russo, D- Another superb two-way game from Russo, who has been a fine puck mover and overall presence for USA in all three games. His movement and distribution on the power play today was particularly effective, and he works extremely well in concert with Seth Jones when the two are working the point together. He assisted on Miller's first period power play goal and used his mobility and smarts throughout the game to make strong plays on both offense and defense. We're starting to see where all that second-round talk was coming from.

John Gibson, G- Victimized by a deflection and some scrambly play in front of his own net to see a 3-1 lead disappear, Gibson showed why with goalies it often isn't how many goals you give up but when that matters most. Russia had all the momentum when they tied the game with a little less than five minutes left, but Gibson then locked it down, making several huge saves to keep it tied. One in particular stood out just before Boucher's winning goal, when Gibson stoned Shalunov on a hard, heavy shot that would have likely been the game. Then, after his team took the lead, Gibson turned away several more shots in the final 21 ticks and looked real cool doing it. His 36 saves don't look as great on paper, but this was an immense performance from the University of Michigan recruit.

Maxim Shalunov, F- Player of the game for Russia didn't see the score sheet, but was a going concern all night. He's got very nice size, is a powerful skater and excellent stickhandler. He uses his speed and skill to skate through opposing teams and then has a wicked little release at the end. He was consistently attacking all game long, and scouts have said that if he could find away to keep the switch on all the time, he's be a solid first-rounder. He looked good today, but unfortunately, he spends a good deal of time on cruise control.

Nikita Kucherov, F- The book on Kucherov is pretty simple: small guy, very fast and highly skilled- a game-breaker. But kills it with his attitude, histrionics and lackadaisical play. Today was an example of the good Kucherov (though we did catch at least one major league dive he took when Tyler Biggs finished a check). He has a nasty shot that is very accurate, and he can back defenses up with his speed or he pounces on loose pucks in close and buries them. He made an athletic play on the tying goal and you wonder if some team like Washington or the New York Rangers with their draft history will roll the dice on this guy at some point.

Andrey Pedan, D- Big Russian D is a powerful skater and looked good in puck retrieval as he's able to use that long stride to cover a lot of ground and get back quickly. Moved it out smartly and played poised and confident on the blue line. Has a lot of physical tools in terms of his nice 6-5 size and long limbs/athleticism. We'd like to see him shoot the puck more, as he passed on several open shots that we saw in favor of moving it to different spots in the o-zone. He's raw, but teams just might take the plunge in the feeling that he's going to get stronger and more confident in doing more offensively as he develops. Played for Guelph of the OHL this season, so that's a bonus as well.

Nail Yakupov and Mikhail Grigorenko are 2012 eligibles, but also played very well for Russia. Yakupov scored a power play goal and assisted on both of the other Russia goals. He showed off his brilliant speed and killer anticipation on one breakaway play, but Gibson came up with the save. Grigorenko was showed off some real nice hands and puck control on the power play. You can tell that he thinks the game at a very high level the way he can slow things down or speed them up, and the Americans gave him entirely too much space to work with. They're lucky he didn't burn them. Both are key guys to watch at this time a year from now.

World Under-18 Championship Day 2: USA-Slovakia observations

Team USA played their second game in as many days at the World Under-18 Championship.

As was the case against Switzerland, the Americans started slowly, taking two early penalties and having a hard time generating much offense. However, once the Americans killed their first couple of penalties, they blew the game open en route to an 8-1 beating that gives them a 2-0-0-0 record thus far.

They thought they took a lead in the opening frame when Henrik Samuelsson fired a shot past (goalie) but Blake Pietila was ruled in the crease and it was waved off.

Rocco Grimaldi put action to words from the previous day when he was critical of his own performance against Switzerland, scoring USA's first goal on the power play.

Barret Kaib, D- Made one terrible pass while on the PK, but the Slovaks couldn't capitalize. Has some wheels, but is a small defender without the elite skill set NHL teams want from undersized guys at that position. Kaib may have to make his pro bones going the free agency route after playing at Providence College, because we don't see much of a shot of him being drafted.

Rocco Grimaldi, F- Got his 1st goal of the tourney in the first on the power play when he darted into the slot between the hashmarks and buried the rebound of a Reid Boucher shot. He didn't play poorly in Game 1, but didn't accomplish much and called himself out for not playing well. You have to love his passion and accountability, but we think Roc was being a bit tough on himself. He can really fly and handle the puck at top speed, and you get an appreciate for that when you watch him. If we have an issue with his play int he first couple of games it is that he tends to take the puck wide most times instead of driving into traffic and using his quickness to cross up defenders and open up some space. We know he's an energetic, passionate player, but hanging out on the perimeter isn't the best use of his prodigious talents.

Adam Reid, F- Didn't see much ice in the first game, but did get his first goal of the the tournament on the power play to make it 6-0, USA after the Americans did a terrific job of puck possession and movement, holding the zone and working it smartly before getting a shot on net that Reid put past Patrik Rybar. He's got very good physical tools, but hasn't really put it all together and is a pretty raw project player at this point. At the same time, those measurables are bound to intrigue an NHL team enough to grab him in the draft at some point, we just don't know where that will be. He's not been a key player in this tourney for the Americans thus far.

Travis Boyd, F- This September 14, 1993 born forward made the 2011 cutoff by just one day! He's small but quick and intelligent. He scored a beautiful shorthanded goal after taking a pass from Zac Larraza and beating the Slovak defense through the neutral zone. As he streaked in on goaltender Richard Sabol, he made a quick head fake, then tucked the puck to his backhand and as Sabol bit on the initial fake, slid the puck past the helpless keeper and into the cage. Boyd is another one of USA's many intelligent, skilled, interchangeable forwards. He may not project as a strong NHL prospect right now, but has some interesting attributes.

Reid Boucher, F- Along with Grimaldi, gave Slovakia fits all day with their quickness and aggressive driving to the net. They each tallied, and Reid missed at least one tip-in on a nice cross-ice feed from Grimaldi, but he has the look of a natural scorer with his quick hands, release and good body position when the puck's on his stick in the o-zone. He's not the blazer Grimaldi is, but has excellent anticipation and is able to create on his own.

Dan Carlson, F- Minnesota State- Mankato recruit scored a highlight reel goal when he sliced through the Slovakia defense, but on a quick burst of speed to cut past the last defender and fired a bullet past the netminder for his first goal of the tourney. Not a top-end skater, but has deceptive speed and quickness. More of an energy guy, but after that goal, showed that he can create a little nifty offense. A draft longshot, but may be someone to watch next season and beyond if he doesn't get a call in June.

Connor Murphy, D- It's always good news when your best offensive defenseman is also one of your best defensive players, and that's what Murphy did against the Slovaks. He made a beautiful block on a 2-on-1 in the 1st period to deny a scoring chance, and was in position all day. Showed nice gap control, an active stick and took the body when it warranted. He's big but doesn't lay a lot of crushing hits, yet is still pretty effective in the angles he takes and the defensive awareness he shows. Really nasty on the point during the power play. Moved it smartly with partner Jacob Trouba all game long, forcing the Slovaks to open up the umbrella and create some shooting lanes. USA's success with the man advantage today was no accident and it started with their PP point men: Murphy, Trouba, Seth Jones and Robbie Russo.

Robbie Russo, D- Another strong offensive game for the captain. He ripped a point shot for a goal in the second period, his first of the tournament. Named player of the game for this one, he earned it, playing an effective two-way game and staying involved throughout. Highly effective on the power play in terms of moving the puck well with partner Seth Jones, and made smart decisions. This is the kind of performance from Russo that had certain draft sources projecting him as a second-round pick. He needs to keep it up, but credit where due for games 1 and 2.

Mike Paliotta, D- Steady and unspectacular today as he was in Game 1. Watching these two games, we can appreciate why he's fallen down in the rankings a bit after coming into the season looking at a potential first-round grade. He's got nice size and is a fluid skater with good four-way directional mobility, but he's not the kind of passer/puck-mover that jumps out at you along with some of the higher-profile players in the the class. He plays a pretty conservative game and doesn't jump into the play much. With the power play defensive rotation having so much success and the team on special teams as much as they were against Slovakia, Paliotta's ice time suffered. He's a great kid and character player, but there isn't much upside based on what we've seen in the first two games.

John Gibson, G- Another strong game from the frontrunner to be the first goaltender off the board in June. Wasn't tested a great deal, but sometimes a goalie can make things look easier than they appear. Was in position the entire time, controlled the rebounds and did a great job of making some of the tougher shots look routine. He blanked the Slovaks and gave way to backup McNeely for the third period. In two games, Gibson has given up just one goal in five periods of action.

Matt McNeely, G- Came into the game during garbage time in the third period. Greatly resembled Gibson in terms of size and style- if you didn't catch on to their pad color scheme, you could go the entire game thinking Gibson was in the net the whole time. Gave up a goal on a weird bounce that went to Marko Dano for the layup in front. It was good for him to get into some action even at garbage time, but this is Gibson's team and if the USA is going to three-peat it will have to be Gibson who gets them there.

Martin Gernat, D- Slovakia's best defender has excellent size (6-5) and good mobility for such a big kid. He's fluid in his movements and still a little gangly, but had a couple of memorable plays where he jumped in from the point to get a good shot off, but was denied by Gibson. He was burned on a couple of missed coverages, but overall, was one of Slovakia's better players in a thrashing. Lack of physical play and strength is his biggest shortcoming right now, but he has the kind of projectable upside that makes him a solid sleeper for the 2011 draft.

Peter Ceresnak, D- Nothing major to report on this defense-first player. He kept things pretty simple, but had trouble handling the smaller, quicker U.S. forwards especially when they forced him to move away from the boards and into the open ice. Has a pretty good stick for breaking up plays, but doesn't do a great deal to stand out either way.

World Under-18 Championship Day1: USA-Switzlerand observations

Got to watch the stream of USA-Switzerland today from Crimmitschau, Germany at the IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship today.

Team USA won the game by a 2-1 score, opening the tourney with a victory in their quest for a three-peat at the U18s for the first time in USA Hockey history.

Gregory Hoffman is not on Team Switzerland because he's a late-1992 birthdate and therefore ineligible.

Like most first games of any tournament, it was a little ragged and sloppy at times, but the teams picked it up as the contest went on.

USA spent much of the game killing penalties, as the officials didn't miss many chances to send the Americans to the box. The players will need to make an effort to play more disciplined going forward. Some of the calls were questionable/marginal, but others were simply lazy.

We will just focus on the 2011 eligibles, although future draft picks like Nick Kerdiles, Henrik Samuelsson, Seth Jones and Jacob Trouba all played a solid game for USA.

Rocco Grimaldi, F- USA's most dangerous one-on-one player didn't get it cranked up until the last five minutes or so of the opening period, but was a presence the rest of the way. He's at his most lethal when he's jitterbugging through defenses and forcing players to try and keep up with him. Grimaldi has the supreme vision and ability to open up passing lanes and get the puck into prime scoring areas.

Reid Boucher, F- Scored a power play goal to make it 2-1 on a beautiful one-timer from the high slot after taking a pass from J.T. MIller. Didn't do a lot throughout the game, but when USA needed him to come through he was in the right place, right time and did not miss.

Robbie Russo, D- We've been critical of the average-sized puck mover who doesn't have high-end skills and hasn't produced much this season, but he was solid in the first game. The Notre Dame-bound defender skated hard all game and made good decisions with the puck. He wasn't spectacular, but did advance the puck and get involved in the offensive flow. Assisted on Boucher's power play tally in the third period. It wasn't a dominant performance from Russo, but it was a good start. USA needs him to step up his game like this the rest of the way.

Connor Murphy, D- A strong game from the son of the former Bruins defenseman and current Panthers assistant coach. Moved fluidly along the point and was getting his hard shot on net throughout several USA power plays. Has very nice size and athleticism. Worked well on a PP pairing with Jacob Trouba. Aggressive offensively and used his body to rub out Swiss players along the boards and in front of the net. JUst a solid two-way game from the defenseman who is rising on draft boards after missing much of the season with a back injury. This tournament is huge for Murphy's stock.

John Gibson, G- Alternated the 1st and 2nd periods looking very strong and a bit shaky at times. Stood tall in the first period when USA got into penalty trouble, but gave up first goal to the Swiss early in the second when he was flopping on the ice and lost stick after giving up a big rebound. Pulled it together and had a strong, composed third period. Makes tough stops look easy. Big, quick and doesn't give opponents much net to shoot at. At the end of the day, he got it done when it mattered, especially in the waning seconds when he made a save to prevent the Swiss from tying it up. Named player of the game for USA for the way he locked it down at crunch time. Looked every bit like the No. 1 goalie in this class according to majority of sources out there.

J.T. Miller, F- Had an up-and-down game. Skates well and protects the puck when driving to the net. Took several bad penalties to put his team in a bind, but the USA penalty killers came through. Looked uninvolved at times, while was a bull in a china shop at others, cycling the puck and maintaining pressure on the Swiss defense with possession. You can see that he has the wheels and skills to be an impact player, but he's got to work on tendency to disappear for stretches and resist trying to get too cute with the puck in the offensive zone.

Ryan Haggerty, F- Scored USA's first goal in a scrum after fighting for position. Had a pretty stealthy game beyond that. Just kept things simple and played an effective two-way game. Meat-and-potatoes player with some smarts- should be a solid NCAA forward for RPI.

Tyler Biggs, F- Took two early penalties and didn't get a whole lot accomplished. In fairness, he made a good, hart hit on an opponent and appeared to get called more because the hit looked worse than it was. He was then pushed into the Swiss netminder. Did have a nice offensive chance in the third period in front on a power play, but Boltshauser made a terrific stop to deny him.

Zac Larraza, F- Played a solid defensive game as he forechecked well and disrupted Swiss movement out of their own end. He's got size and is a good skater, but we can see that the offensive hockey sense/creativity is what may prevent him from being much of a scoring presence. Still, he deserves credit for skating hard and being one of the USA's best players early on when many of his teammates were settling in and trying to find their legs.

Luca Boltshauser, G- Superb game from the Swiss netminder who channeled his inner Benjamin Conz in this one. Not much he could do on either USA goal, and he showed strong positioning, quick reflexes and a good glove/blocker combo to deny several high USA shots that were labeled. Impressive start from a kid we weren't tracking at all, but will watch with interest the rest of the way.

Dean Kukan, D- Solid, unspectacular performance just like his scouting report says. Doesn't do much to stand out, which in his case, is a good thing.

Samuel Guerra, D- Decent feet and puck-moving ability. Seems to have pretty good poise and vision; moved the puck smartly and crisply. Formed Switzlerand's best D-pairing with Kukan.

Lino Marschini, F- Tiny winger who played for the Peterborough Petes this year can really move, but is a perimeter player. He doesn't have much room to grow and isn't seen in any NHL circles we've talked to as a legitimate prospect because of his lack of size and an overall aversion to traffic and and being able to play effectively in the dirty areas of the ice.

USA takes on Slovakia tomorrow morning, 9:30 a.m. (3:30 pm local).

Team USA in Under-18 championship: Chance to threepeat

USA Hockey announced the roster for April's World Under-18 Championship squad, which will travel to Dresden, Germany to compete in the final IIHF tourney for most young draft eligibles before the 2011 NHL Draft.

Here's a quick look at some of the key roster players and what they bring to the mix. Not every roster player is featured here, but we're just going to cut to the chase and based on results, may cover some of the other players later on.

Not every player on the roster is a 2011 draft candidate, with a few '94s and even one late '94 (Seth Jones) who can't be drafted until 2013. In a later post, we'll take a 2012 and 2013 look ahead with some of the young players on the squad.

Conspicuously absent from the '94s is Sarnia Sting center Alex Galchenyuk, a Russian dual-citizen who recently declared his intention of playing for USA in the various international competitions. His omission is a topic for another day, but is certainly a hot button topic today.

Cole Bardreau, F- Hustling energy forward is a smart, gritty kid who can play a variety of roles for coach Ron Rolston and brings leadership and a sterling work ethic to the mix. Although undersized, he compensates for the lack of strength with his hockey sense and anticipation. He may not be a high-end NHL draft prospect, but he's such a competitor and smart player that he ends up being more than the sum of his parts at the end of the day. Scouts we've talked to essentially say the same thing: Bardreau doesn't have a ton of skill, but he's got a big heart. They don't want to like him, but after the game, they look back and he worked his bag off and made things happen. It's hard to say how attractive that will be to NHL teams come June, but he's certainly going to be a nice NCAA player for Cornell.

Tyler Biggs, F- If Coyotes defenseman Paul Bissonette has made a name for himself as "Biz Nasty" in the Twitterverse, then Biggs is your resident "Big Nasty" were he to decide to indulge in that social media platform. Biggs is a good skater, but his real value lies in his physical game and powerful shot. He's a momentum changer when he's banging bodies and making room for his linemates. He's shown a penchant to play with the kind of aggression and nastiness that NHL teams love. He doesn't have elite skills and the hockey sense is questionable, but Biggs's lure is such that he'll go in the first half of the 1st round or at least inside the top-20. Biggs is going to be a handful for the European opponents on the bigger ice surface in Germany, and he'll get an excellent challenge when USA takes on Canada.

Travis Boyd, F- The youngest player in 2011 draft class by virtue of Sep. 14, 1993 birthdate (the day before the cutoff), this Minnesotan could have been listed in the recent sleepers post on this blog because he is unranked by Central Scouting, but is likely on the radars of some NHL clubs as a late option. Talented byt not flashy, he has strong offensive hockey sense and makes underrated, smart plays all over the ice. He may be a tad overlooked up until now, but the Golden Gopher recruit could have a coming out party next month. He's someone to watch as a solid, well-rounded player who doesn't do anything exceptionally, but has no glaring holes in his game.

Ryan Haggerty, F- One of two New England natives on the roster (he and Paliotta are both from Connecticut), Haggerty is another unheralded, solid guy who can play a variety of roles, but doesn't bring any kind of real high-end upside to the mix. Smart, hard-working, gritty yet honest, his experience and strong performance in the Five Nations tourney in February is going to make him a useful if unspectacular part of a potential winning formula in April. He understands the system and plays it to a tee. Committed to RPI.

Rocco Grimaldi, F- This blog has covered Grimaldi in near excruciating detail of late, so there isn't much to say that we haven't already other than to opine that as the dynamic little California pepperpot goes, so do USA's hopes for a threepeat. He is absolutely suited for the wide-open play of the Under-18 tourney and could light it up the way he did in the Czech Republic last month. With his speed and skill, we believe he's going to keep raising his stock for the 2011 draft as the proverbial straw that stirs Team USA's drink on offense. If you love the USA, how can you not root for this epitome of the American dream?

Reid Boucher, F- Not very big, speedy or flashy, but this guy just knows how to get it done offensively. He led Team USA in scoring at the Five Nations and will need to again be a focal point for America's attack. Michigan State recruit is industrious and has off-the-charts hockey sense. He's not quite in Grimaldi's class offensively, but he is a dangerous scorer that opponents must account for.

Zac Larraza, F- As far as physical tools go, they don't come much better than this Arizonian. Good size? Check- 6-2, 195. Great skater? Check- rangy with quick burst and fluid stride and agility. Puck skills? Check- can make moves at speed and back defenses up. Where it gets dicey is in the intangibles department and thus far, he's not been able to put all of his impressive parts together. He's played better as the season progressed, and there is a lot of raw upside here, but some scouts just don't feel that he's ever going to get it. He's going to Denver University, so if he's going to develop into a legitimate NHL prospect, it will happen there or it won't happen anywhere. Worth a mid-round gamble because of what he brings to the table.

Adam Reid, F- Raw prospect has generated interest among NHL scouts because he's got the size, skill and upside to do more than he has in the NTDP to date. Northeastern recruit from California has a loping stride and brings some passion and intensity to the mix. He's a smart player who is starting to come on in terms of being a complete player as he grows into his nice 6-3 frame. He's more of a physical, grinding player, but with his hockey sense and soft hands, Reid could be much more even if the production hasn't arrived.

J.T. Miller, C- Another USA forward and draft prospect we've covered extensively on this blog, but Miller is heavy in the tools, not so accomplished with the production. This is a risky pick in the first round, but we're confident someone will take him because he is such a talented player. It isn't for a lack of trying that the offense has been slow in coming, and he's always willing to throw a hit or take the hit to make the play. He works hard, skates well and is a valuable presence. At the end of the day, however, you have to ask: "Where's the beef?" He and Grimaldi will get to keep working together with the Sioux in Grand Forks, N.D.

Blake Pietila, F- Stats do not tell the story for this strong defensive forward who brings a very high compete level and outstanding overall feel for the game. A relentless forechecker who has a knack for anticipating the play and intercepting errant passes, or forcing bad decisions because he's got such excellent closing ability and agility. One of the most dependable players on this squad, even if he doesn't put up big numbers. Michigan Tech is getting a good one in Pietila.

Connor Murphy, D- Team USA is thrilled to get this horse back just in time for the meaningful games. He was a big part of the silver medal-winning squad in Slovakia last August, and after battling back woes, got some action in at the Five Nations. He should have the rust knocked off his game in time to be one of the two-way anchors on defense. Good skater, big shot, solid positionally. Susceptible to the bad turnover when an aggressive forecheck takes away his time and space, but this kid could be a pretty high pick in June despite not having played many games.

Mike Paliotta, D- Solid, mobile shutdown defender has not put up the anticipated offense this season, but has the talent to be an effective player on the larger ice in Germany. We've liked Paliotta for some time, and he's a gutsy competitor who keeps it simple and doesn't try to do too much. He may not be the puck mover we thought when he was a prep standout a few years back, but he brings plenty to the table in terms of smarts and disciplined play.

Robbie Russo, D- USA needs Russo to step up and be for them what Adam Clendening was to the 2010 U18 champs. He can hit the long lead passes and has the vision/instincts to do more on the scoring ledger, so while this hasn't been a great year for the Notre Dame recruit, he has the potential to turn things around with a strong tournament. USA doesn't have the pure power shooters from the point that they did last year, so they'll need to get it done more with guile and smart distribution. It all starts with Russo and the team will be counting on him to make the right decisions.

John Gibson, G- Stud goalie is the workhorse that Team USA needs to jump on his back and ride all the way to a possible gold medal. If anyone can exhibit the requisite amount of skill and poise to win it all, Gibson can. We've talked about him enough, so check the labels and read up because aside from Grimaldi, Gibson is the one guy upon whose shoulders a threepeat rests.

Team USA announces roster for World Under-18 Championship

USA Hockey just announced its Under-18 roster for next month's World Under-18 tourney in Germany.

You can read the release here, and we'll be back later to update the blog with analysis on the roster players and what they bring to the table.

In the meantime, you can go back and read up on some of the guys who were featured in the U.S. Juniors regular season recap we posted to this blog last week.

The Americans have won the last two Under-18 championships played in the U.S. (North Dakota) and Belarus and if they capture the 2011 gold, it will be the first time ever that the U.S. has won three consecutive U18s.

The exhibition games begin April 9 and Team USA kicks off the tourney against Switzerland on Thursday, April 14.

This tournament is big because NHL teams use it as the final international yardstick by which to measure players who aren't in the CHL (excepting those whose teams did not make the playoffs or who get eliminated early). Every year it seems, there are several kids who have a knockout Under-18 and send their stock through the roof. Last year, Big Jack Campbell was the man for Team USA, but that entire defense corps it seemed launched it as a springboard to draft greatness as Derek Forbort and Jarred Tinordi both ended up in the first round while Justin Faulk and Jon Merrill were early second-round selections.

This year's Team USA entry doesn't have as dominant a defense, but is a solid group, has excellent goaltending and have some highly skilled forwards who can put the puck in the net and play efficiently in all zones.Tyler Biggs and Rocco Grimaldi headline the Team USA forwards who are expected to be first-round picks in June, but there are many other noteworthy players up and down the roster who warrant a closer look. Alex Galchenyuk is a curious omission from the roster as one of the more skilled and talented '94s available- we hope this doesn't drive him into the arms of the waiting Russians.

We'll be back with more insights on some of the individuals who didn't get as much coverage last week when we recapped the USHL, so be sure to stop back by this evening.

Also, check out Chris Peters' United States of Hockey blog, as a former media relations professional with the U.S. NTDP, he knows the program and these kids inside and out. He's already got his take up, so it's very nice reading until we can get our own recap up.