J’ai regardé ce soir la partie du Rocket de Laval. C est la première game de la ligue americaine que je regarde de ma vie et je dois admettre que c est du très hockey. Le seul joueur que je connaissais est le gardien Lindgren. Très belle performance malgré la défaite du Rocket en tirs de barrage. Lindgren a été très fort !
There's some terrific & very exciting hockey being played in the AHL these days. Many of the players we enjoy watching will one day be playing in the NHL. But many AHL 'stars' are great minor league players but struggle badly once they finally get their chances in the NHL. Take Bruce Boudreau, among others. He was a minor league hockey legend in his playing days. But he could never crack the NHL lineups. For many they can't adjust to the speed. For many others they lose their scoring touch once they reach the NHL. Better goaltending, better defences, etc.
Two years ago one of my contacts was at a Marlies/Bulldogs game and raved about Charles Hudon. "This kid has no business playing in the AHL!!! He should be in the NHL and will be a scoring phenom!!!" I chuckled and reminded him that being a great player in the minors doesn't necessarily mean he'd be able to shine in the NHL. I reminded him of Mike Zigomanis, who was a scoring phenom in the minors but couldn't crack an NHL lineup throughout his career. "But Hudon's got the speed and the skill", my contact told me.
That's why i was surprised that Vegas hadn't drafted Hudon in the expansion draft when they had the chance to pick him up for nothing. But i had never seen Hudon play. George McPhee and his scouting team knew better and passed on him. Hudon ended up making the habs last season but had a poor season. Not surprisingly he made the team again this season but once again has struggled badly and it's my theory that were he not a local product with french surname that he'd likely be spending the rest of the season in the minors, which i must now admit is 'where he really belongs'.
Same thing with Freddie "The Goat" Gauthier of the Leafs. The only reason he's still with the Leafs is because of Matthews & Nylander's absences. Gauthier simply doesn't have the foot speed to play in the NHL. He's a big man with decent hands but lacks the speed and quickness required to play in today's NHL. Had he played in the 1970's he just might have been a Phil Esposito type. But we're in 2018, not 1978.