As promised, I am going to do a quick rundown of the Manitoba Moose thus far this season. I figure now would be a good time to do it, as we're standing on the cusp of a new year and I probably won't have a chance to update things once the Moose have hit the 40 game mark in their season, so, make due with what we've got. First up are the goalies and defensemen. I will do a write-up on the forwards either later today or on New Year's Day.
Goaltenders
Drew MacIntyre - Head coach Scott Arniel stated at the start of the season that D-Mac was going to be his man, despite having 2 very good goaltenders on his team's roster and thus far the 24 year old has been playing quite well, posting a 12-7-1 record. D-Mac is an athletic goaltender who is able to move across the crease quite well and is great at making athletic, Dominik Hasek-esque saves, stacking the pads,sprawling across the net, etc. No complaints from him thus far, really, although he could stand to work on his rebound control a bit, as he's given up some juicy ones to the opposition. If he continues to play well, I would not mind him getting a chance to audition for the back-up job next season for the Vancouver Canucks, assuming current netminder Curtis Sanford hasn't moved on.
Corey Schneider - The Marblehead, Mass. native had a rocky start to his pro career, although he seems to have picked things up recently, leading the Moose to 2 consecutive victories where he allowed only 1 goal in each contest. One of those games, a shootout victory over the Lake Erie Monsters, showcased just how skilled this particular young netminder is, as he came up incredibly strong in the shootout, showing a confidence and poise that is not always seen in this latest rules addition to professional hockey. Schneider did miss 1 game earlier in the season due to a personal emergency and this, tempered with other folks' worry that his poor start might be affecting his confidence or mental game, has raised questions about his mental resilience, but Schneider has remained focused and hasn't let bad games affect him too much. Also of note is that Canucks goaltending coach Ian Clarke has gone down twice now to spend some time with both him and MacIntyre, with the visits seemingly having had some effect on both of them.
As Schneider's play has continued to impress, so has his skillset. Recently, he's been caught wandering out of his crease and playing the puck behind the net, making some smart passes to his players, something which wasn't seen in his earlier starts. All of this seems to be pointing to signs that his confidence is building and he's getting acclimatized to professional hockey. Encouraging signs, to say the least.
If he continues to perform as well as he has been recently, Scott Arniel might just have himself a goaltending 'controversy' on his hands...certainly not a problem when both of your goalies are playing extremely well.
Defensemen
Luc Bourdon - Bourdon, the Canucks first round selection in the 2005 entry draft, had a great start to his first year with the Manitoba Moose, notching 3 goals and 5 assists in 10 games played. That was good enough to earn a call-up to the Vancouver Canucks where he notched his first NHL goal while there, but has been lacking since coming back down, becoming a minus player and recording 0 points in 12 games.
A skilled player, Bourdon had established himself as a physical player with a hard shot, although that has been missing as of late for the New Brunswick native. My first theory regarding this was that Bourdon simply needed to get readjusted to having a bigger role, after playing a more cautious, conservative game with the Canucks, although I'm wondering now if there is something else afoot with him. That said, there are very few players who aren't immune to the odd slump, so I'm willing to give Bourdon a passing grade thus far, as his game last night against the Crunch showed that he might be returning back to his old ways. Whatever happens, he needs to pick it up and get things going soon.
Nathan McIver - McIver ended up being the pleasant surprise for the Canucks organization, as he had a particularly strong training camp and pre-season stint with Vancouver and has translated that into what has been, thus far, a successful season with the Moose down in the AHL. A defensive stalwart, McIver has shown great skill at using his stick to block shots and clog up shooting lanes, as well as being a tenacious checker, poking pucks away and keeping them clear. He's also a very passionate individual, not being shy to drop the mitts and gets his hands dirty if need be. No real complaints from #8. He's not a flashy player, but for the type of game that he plays, he doesn't have to be.
Zack FitzGerald - Seen as additional muscle for the Moose, FitzGerald was a former St. Louis Blues player who has signed on to play his first season with Manitoba. Although he had a slow start, taking some rather bad penalties and making poor decisions with the puck, FitzGerald has slowly found his stride and is relishing his role as team enforcer, with forward Mike Brown serving time in Vancouver. FitzGerald has been throwing some big hits and has been contributing to the scoresheet as well, something which isn't really expected with the defensive defenseman. Given some more time with the Moose organization, FitzGerald could earn himself a call-up role with the Canucks, although given the current embarrassment of riches with the Nucks blueline, that could be a bit of a ways down the road.
Shaun Heshka - A free agent signing by the Vancouver Canucks, Heshka went undrafted and is quietly having a decent season, having amassed 10 points in 30 games played thus far. A good thing, considering that Heshka made his debut with the Moose last season after having been involved in a rather serious car accident. Heshka has drifted in and out of the lineup as a result of injury, but the 22 year old has been doing the little things right, which have reflected with his point totals, as well as being a healthy +6 on a presently struggling Moose squad. He hasn't been playing lights out amazing, but Heshka has been playing improved hockey over last season. Heshka gets my early vote for 'Most Surprising Player Of The Year' as I think he will have a fantastic second half to his season.
Maxime Fortunus - The Quebec native has missed 21 games due to an 'abdominal injury' and as such, hasn't had a lot of time to make his presence known with the Moose, although he did make a good impression on Canucks defensive coach Rick Bowness. As a result of the Vancouver Canucks suffering a glut of injuries at the start of the season, including a number of injuries to their blueline, the Fortunus ended up playing in 2 pre-season games for the Canucks, supposedly leaving a good impression on the coaching staff. Back down in Winnipeg, Fortunus was paired up with Bourdon and they were an impressive tandem on the Moose's backend, with Fortunus allowing Bourdon to roam more out on the ice while he held the fort. Again, Fortunus is not much of a flashy player, but he does his job quietly and without fanfare. His absence in the Moose's lineup has, in part, contributed to their recent struggles, as it's hindered the blueline's ability to jump up into plays, much to the chagrin of Bourdon and Heshka.
Injuries have limited Fortunus' play, so it will be interesting to see what he will be able to do in the second half of the season. Moose coach Scott Arniel believes that Fortunus greatly aided in Alexander Edler's development last season, so here's hoping that the talented blueliner will be of help to his defensive partner, Luc Bourdon. Moreso, here's hoping that this relationship is reciprocal and that Fortunus will be able to make some impressive strides in his own professional development.
Jimmy Sharrow - Some people have called Luc Bourdon the next Ed Jovanovski of the Vancouver Canucks. Jimmy Sharrow would beg to differ. Being a quicker, bigger version of Groulx (see below), Sharrow is another offensive d-man who has good offensive instincts and has been able to contribute for the Moose, much like the JovoCop of old. That said, Sharrow also has a tendency to miss his defensive coverage and to make mistakes out on the ice, resulting in penalties. If he could temper his game a bit so that he can stay a bit focused and make sure the player he's supposed to be covering is covered, he should be doing alright. Less bad penalties would be great, but we can't have everything. Sharrow has also fought to stay in the lineup, being a healthy scratch some nights.
Danny Groulx - Fresh off of winning the Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Groulx signed with the Manitoba Moose for the 2007-08 season, Groulx has had a hard time earning a permanent slot in the lineup, having only played 25 games thus far. While Groulx does have 11 points in 25 games, he also is a minus player and hasn't been giving a consistent effort night in and night out. He's been great on the powerplay, which isn't unsurprising, as he's been touted as a powerplay specialist. That said, he hasn't impressed me a whole lot and needs to be making better use of his icetime out there.
Daniel Rahimi - Rahimi hasn't seen much time in a Moose sweater, spending the first few games of the season as a healthy scratch before being re-assigned to the Victoria Salmon Kings, but he has been able to notch 8 games wearing the Antlers. While he isn't the fastest skater out there on the ice, he does have the ability to compensate that by being able to read plays well and positioning himself correctly. Rahimi's greatest asset, his strength, has been put to good use, as was able to outmuscle opponents and snag the puck for himself repeatedly. Skating does remain an issue for him, and if he could improve on that front, he very well could be in a Moose jersey on a regular basis next season.
Goaltenders
Drew MacIntyre - Head coach Scott Arniel stated at the start of the season that D-Mac was going to be his man, despite having 2 very good goaltenders on his team's roster and thus far the 24 year old has been playing quite well, posting a 12-7-1 record. D-Mac is an athletic goaltender who is able to move across the crease quite well and is great at making athletic, Dominik Hasek-esque saves, stacking the pads,sprawling across the net, etc. No complaints from him thus far, really, although he could stand to work on his rebound control a bit, as he's given up some juicy ones to the opposition. If he continues to play well, I would not mind him getting a chance to audition for the back-up job next season for the Vancouver Canucks, assuming current netminder Curtis Sanford hasn't moved on.
Corey Schneider - The Marblehead, Mass. native had a rocky start to his pro career, although he seems to have picked things up recently, leading the Moose to 2 consecutive victories where he allowed only 1 goal in each contest. One of those games, a shootout victory over the Lake Erie Monsters, showcased just how skilled this particular young netminder is, as he came up incredibly strong in the shootout, showing a confidence and poise that is not always seen in this latest rules addition to professional hockey. Schneider did miss 1 game earlier in the season due to a personal emergency and this, tempered with other folks' worry that his poor start might be affecting his confidence or mental game, has raised questions about his mental resilience, but Schneider has remained focused and hasn't let bad games affect him too much. Also of note is that Canucks goaltending coach Ian Clarke has gone down twice now to spend some time with both him and MacIntyre, with the visits seemingly having had some effect on both of them.
As Schneider's play has continued to impress, so has his skillset. Recently, he's been caught wandering out of his crease and playing the puck behind the net, making some smart passes to his players, something which wasn't seen in his earlier starts. All of this seems to be pointing to signs that his confidence is building and he's getting acclimatized to professional hockey. Encouraging signs, to say the least.
If he continues to perform as well as he has been recently, Scott Arniel might just have himself a goaltending 'controversy' on his hands...certainly not a problem when both of your goalies are playing extremely well.
Defensemen
Luc Bourdon - Bourdon, the Canucks first round selection in the 2005 entry draft, had a great start to his first year with the Manitoba Moose, notching 3 goals and 5 assists in 10 games played. That was good enough to earn a call-up to the Vancouver Canucks where he notched his first NHL goal while there, but has been lacking since coming back down, becoming a minus player and recording 0 points in 12 games.
A skilled player, Bourdon had established himself as a physical player with a hard shot, although that has been missing as of late for the New Brunswick native. My first theory regarding this was that Bourdon simply needed to get readjusted to having a bigger role, after playing a more cautious, conservative game with the Canucks, although I'm wondering now if there is something else afoot with him. That said, there are very few players who aren't immune to the odd slump, so I'm willing to give Bourdon a passing grade thus far, as his game last night against the Crunch showed that he might be returning back to his old ways. Whatever happens, he needs to pick it up and get things going soon.
Nathan McIver - McIver ended up being the pleasant surprise for the Canucks organization, as he had a particularly strong training camp and pre-season stint with Vancouver and has translated that into what has been, thus far, a successful season with the Moose down in the AHL. A defensive stalwart, McIver has shown great skill at using his stick to block shots and clog up shooting lanes, as well as being a tenacious checker, poking pucks away and keeping them clear. He's also a very passionate individual, not being shy to drop the mitts and gets his hands dirty if need be. No real complaints from #8. He's not a flashy player, but for the type of game that he plays, he doesn't have to be.
Zack FitzGerald - Seen as additional muscle for the Moose, FitzGerald was a former St. Louis Blues player who has signed on to play his first season with Manitoba. Although he had a slow start, taking some rather bad penalties and making poor decisions with the puck, FitzGerald has slowly found his stride and is relishing his role as team enforcer, with forward Mike Brown serving time in Vancouver. FitzGerald has been throwing some big hits and has been contributing to the scoresheet as well, something which isn't really expected with the defensive defenseman. Given some more time with the Moose organization, FitzGerald could earn himself a call-up role with the Canucks, although given the current embarrassment of riches with the Nucks blueline, that could be a bit of a ways down the road.
Shaun Heshka - A free agent signing by the Vancouver Canucks, Heshka went undrafted and is quietly having a decent season, having amassed 10 points in 30 games played thus far. A good thing, considering that Heshka made his debut with the Moose last season after having been involved in a rather serious car accident. Heshka has drifted in and out of the lineup as a result of injury, but the 22 year old has been doing the little things right, which have reflected with his point totals, as well as being a healthy +6 on a presently struggling Moose squad. He hasn't been playing lights out amazing, but Heshka has been playing improved hockey over last season. Heshka gets my early vote for 'Most Surprising Player Of The Year' as I think he will have a fantastic second half to his season.
Maxime Fortunus - The Quebec native has missed 21 games due to an 'abdominal injury' and as such, hasn't had a lot of time to make his presence known with the Moose, although he did make a good impression on Canucks defensive coach Rick Bowness. As a result of the Vancouver Canucks suffering a glut of injuries at the start of the season, including a number of injuries to their blueline, the Fortunus ended up playing in 2 pre-season games for the Canucks, supposedly leaving a good impression on the coaching staff. Back down in Winnipeg, Fortunus was paired up with Bourdon and they were an impressive tandem on the Moose's backend, with Fortunus allowing Bourdon to roam more out on the ice while he held the fort. Again, Fortunus is not much of a flashy player, but he does his job quietly and without fanfare. His absence in the Moose's lineup has, in part, contributed to their recent struggles, as it's hindered the blueline's ability to jump up into plays, much to the chagrin of Bourdon and Heshka.
Injuries have limited Fortunus' play, so it will be interesting to see what he will be able to do in the second half of the season. Moose coach Scott Arniel believes that Fortunus greatly aided in Alexander Edler's development last season, so here's hoping that the talented blueliner will be of help to his defensive partner, Luc Bourdon. Moreso, here's hoping that this relationship is reciprocal and that Fortunus will be able to make some impressive strides in his own professional development.
Jimmy Sharrow - Some people have called Luc Bourdon the next Ed Jovanovski of the Vancouver Canucks. Jimmy Sharrow would beg to differ. Being a quicker, bigger version of Groulx (see below), Sharrow is another offensive d-man who has good offensive instincts and has been able to contribute for the Moose, much like the JovoCop of old. That said, Sharrow also has a tendency to miss his defensive coverage and to make mistakes out on the ice, resulting in penalties. If he could temper his game a bit so that he can stay a bit focused and make sure the player he's supposed to be covering is covered, he should be doing alright. Less bad penalties would be great, but we can't have everything. Sharrow has also fought to stay in the lineup, being a healthy scratch some nights.
Danny Groulx - Fresh off of winning the Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Groulx signed with the Manitoba Moose for the 2007-08 season, Groulx has had a hard time earning a permanent slot in the lineup, having only played 25 games thus far. While Groulx does have 11 points in 25 games, he also is a minus player and hasn't been giving a consistent effort night in and night out. He's been great on the powerplay, which isn't unsurprising, as he's been touted as a powerplay specialist. That said, he hasn't impressed me a whole lot and needs to be making better use of his icetime out there.
Daniel Rahimi - Rahimi hasn't seen much time in a Moose sweater, spending the first few games of the season as a healthy scratch before being re-assigned to the Victoria Salmon Kings, but he has been able to notch 8 games wearing the Antlers. While he isn't the fastest skater out there on the ice, he does have the ability to compensate that by being able to read plays well and positioning himself correctly. Rahimi's greatest asset, his strength, has been put to good use, as was able to outmuscle opponents and snag the puck for himself repeatedly. Skating does remain an issue for him, and if he could improve on that front, he very well could be in a Moose jersey on a regular basis next season.
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