Halifax Mooseheads vs. Drummondville Voltigeurs October 13, 2012

October 13, 2012, Halifax Mooseheads vs. Drummondville Voltigeurs (Regular Season Game)

HAL #19 RW Falkenham, Ryan (2013) – I kept an eye on this draft eligible and he didn’t show much. He skated on the third line and displayed good energy and decent skating but…

he wasn’t much of a factor. We barely saw him with the puck and he didn’t standout physically along the boards even though he was involved there. He looks to be destined as an energy player, even at the junior level.

HAL #22 C Mackinnon, Nathan (2013) – I thought he had a poor game given his abilities and what he used us to. He started the game slowly and we didn’t see much from him in the first period. His line was skipped a few times and he didn’t get to manage the puck and use his speed the way he usually likes to do. On two occasions he showed good hockey sense entering the offensive zone and setting up plays for his teammate. I also thought his work ethic was not up there at the highest level. On a couple occasions early in the game he used his great burst to back check and help his teammates and on other occasions he just floated waiting for the puck to come to him. He kept being discreet for the rest of the game although he picked up an assist and a late goal. He had only two good flashes with the puck in the second period where he used his speed in the neutral zone but he wasn’t able to do anything against the defender who played the situation perfectly. He got to showcase his hands once where he dangled beautifully through the defender, but again, it didn’t lead to any scoring chances. All that being said, I got to see glimpses of his abilities that we are all aware of, but I was expecting him to have better work ethic and to be able to use his speed on a constant basis throughout the game.

HAL #31 G Fucale, Zachary (2013) – Fucale had a slow start to the game and I thought he looked sluggish in front of his net where he gave up two goals in the first period. He quickly went back to his usual form in the second period and was razor sharp. His calm and technique showed on numerous occasions where Drummondville was buzzing around his net but he never broke down. He excels following the puck from close range and made some spectacular save by extending his legs. His rebound control was excellent and he was aware of where the puck was at all time.

HAL #91 RW Frk, Martin (Detroit draft pick) – Frk played a solid game in the offensive zone. He was a constant threat around the net and he was working hard down low to get the puck out of corners. We didn’t see him skate with the puck much, but he followed the play extremely well to give his teammates options.

DRU #9 LW Archambault, Olivier (Habs draft pick) – Archambault played an excellent game picking up two assists. He was able to generate speed in the neutral zone and he skated with the puck a lot, which I like to see. His great hands can be a great asset for him and he proved it tonight. He can be extremely hard to defend when he uses his speed and skill to move forward. I still think he needs to do more of that and simplify his game to be much more effective. On a few occasions again, he skated with the puck doing big circles in the offensive zone and passing the puck to him using the board, ultimately leading to nothing.

Scouts notes: Drummondville did a good job limiting Halifax’s scoring chances, but goalie Domenic Graham (2013 eligible) didn’t follow in the footstep of his team. He allowed three goals in the first period before giving up the net to his backup.  Nikolas Brouillard (2013 eligible) didn’t do much for Drummondville either. He had a few flashes with the puck from his D zone but nothing more worth mentioning. Same thing goes for Guillaume Gauthier (2013 eligible) that we didn’t see a lot of. His work ethic is a concern for me. Dexter Weber (2013 eligible) played an OK game but made a direct turnover in his zone that resulted in a goal. Other than that, a quick note on Luca Ciampini (2012 eligible) who played a good game. His skating got a lot better (still not a great skater) and he worked hard around the net to knock in rebounds.