USHL Conference Finals Reflections
Breaking down some of the action in the conference finals so far
Notes from Game 2 of the WCF and Game 3 of the ECF in the USHL playoffs.
Some take-aways from Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals:
I thought Tri-City’s leading goalscorer, defenseman Ronnie Attard, would be the big man in this game, particularly with a talented d-corps surrounding him. He had a fine game but it was Sioux Falls’ Max Crozier that impressed me most. A Providence recruit, the defender was tough to play against, mobile and active all over the ice, made good distributions and scored a goal. He was relatively dangerous off the puck and noticeable. The April-2000 birthdate from Calgary will likely be a draft selection this summer.
Big man Andre Lee only grew on me as the game went on. Not my first time looking at this re-entry draft-eligible — the 2000-born forward from Sweden seems to be at his best when he makes simple, strong possession plays on the puck. He has an imposing frame and made a nice play getting the puck to Crozier for Sioux Falls’ 3rd goal.
Goaltender Jaxson Stauber was a rock for the Stampede, although Tri-City didn’t seem to generate the best quality chances. The game asked for a consistent, workmanlike effort and he provided that throughout.
I liked Tri-City scorer Shane Pinto's effort level. A late-2000 born North Dakota recruit, I loved what he accomplished when he was playing a more measured, patient game. He has the ability to make the calm, correct read more often than not. Seemed really eager to make an impact and his frenetic play wasn’t his best. Drew a big penalty in the third.
Some other draft-eligibles I thought had good, not great outings: (D) Ryan Johnson, (F) Jami Krannila, (F) Austen Swankler and (G) Isaiah Saville. Sioux Falls would go on to take the series this past Friday night, 3-0, with scoring from Johnson, Krannila and Swankler proving critical.
I also watched Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Steel beat Muskegon 4-1.
It was a terrific game for Robert Mastrosimone, who I thought was playing well when I watched him earlier in the playoffs but really took it to another level here. Where I thought he tried to do a bit too much at times in the previous viewing, I thought he was dynamic and effective here. It all came together. Great poise and skill around the net got him an early goal and his play on the puck drew two penalties through the game. Moved well off the puck, firing on all cylinders, tenacious, made plays, took his lumps and kept it moving. Scouts looking at Mastrosimone for the draft should take care to review this showing. Click for a highlight of his 2nd goal.
Another nice game from the Steel defensive group: Big man (2021 draft) Owen Power with an all-around solid outing, while 2020 draft-eligible Luke Reid impressed again. I love that Reid doesn’t skate himself into trouble before making his decision on the puck, very smooth and decisive, doesn’t take anything from anyone in his own end either. Got called for two penalties, but I thought one was iffy and the other came off an extended battle for positioning around his net. On the whole, Muskegon have a nice forward group who Chicago held to just one goal and Reid played a critical part in that. If he keeps working on his offensive element he has tremendous upside.
Random thought: Chicago, who really got to show their powerplay off, could put Owen Power in front of the net and one of their super-skilled forwards (or competent defenders) at the point. They have more than enough capable shooters to feed on the wing and a lot of skilled forwards who could run the point.
Other players of note from that game:
Jack Williams, one of the younger players in the series, was pretty noticeable. He should be a player to watch next year. Mikael Hakkarainen and Egor Afanasyev weren’t as scary as I’d seen them look before, though Hakkarainen always bring something, and Afanasyev has his flashes that remind you why he’s considered one of the better draft-eligibles in the league. Here’s a clip of one of those. His shot wasn’t as deadly as Muskegon needed it to be, though he did show it off a bit.
Kazakh-born 21-year-old Alex Yakovenko was really good. It is almost impossible to evaluate a man his age against 18, 19 year olds, but he is so strong with his reads and improbably consistent. Such a valuable asset on the blue line who plays with poise and a high ability level.
Travis Treloar, a Swede who put up 30 for the Steel this season, hasn’t gotten much done in the playoffs but the draft-eligible skater usually shows a little something. I think another year in the USHL and he could be a serious weapon in this league. Same for Oliver MacDonald and Alex Gaffney on the Lumberjacks.
Neil Shea had a nice goal on the 5x3 PP, he’s also quietly putting together some real numbers through the playoffs, with 5 pts in 7 games. Northeastern recruits in general continue to show well.
Lastly, Mankato recruit Colby Bukes was doing his best to make something happen at the point. Some of his shots were less interesting than one might hope for at this level but down a few goals, it seemed that he was looking to get his team on the board. He has a nice feel possessing the puck at the blue, looks to make nice plays — could really emerge as a PPQB and break-out guy for Mankato down the line. He’s also having a solid playoff, 4 points in 7 games.