Saturday at the 2018 Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, NY showcased two more
games for spectators to enjoy. Leading off, the New Jersey Devils took on the
Pittsburgh Penguins in a 3:30 P.M. matinee. The main event between the Buffalo
Sabres and Boston Bruins followed at 7:00 P.M. After a strong showing from all
four teams on Friday, fans waited patiently for HarborCenter doors to open, the
 puck to drop, and these future stars to put on a show.

I arrived downtown about three hours before the first game, checked into the
hotel, and walked towards the arena and Canalside to take in the scene -
Buffalo in September. The doors to HarborCenter were open to teams, staff and
other essential personnel, but I managed to work my way into a bleacher seat
just early enough before the arena was cleared out pre-game.

To my very pleasant surprise, the first player I saw on the ice was Sam
Reinhart.Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel and center Sam Reinhart (Kevin
Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports)

Jack Eichel and Reinhart commandeered the ice to work on shooting drills in
front of a small crowd of rink attendants, coaches, lingering players...and me.
 It doesn';t end there. After a few glorious minutes of watching the duo feed
each other one-timers, the Devils and Penguins players arrive from the team
hotels, walking down the stands towards the lower level locker rooms, all eyes
focused admirably on the ice.

A lone Devils prospect would come out from below to sit a few rows ahead to
watch. At this point, Jack and Sam are weaving in-and-out of the near circle
before unleashing shots on a makeshift goalie from ten feet out. I thought to
ask him what it felt like to watch the pair out there - two guys who had been
prospects in 2014 and 2015 respectively (albeit, both second overall picks). I
left him to his own thoughts and observations out of respect for the pre-game
ritual, but the essence of the Prospects Challenge was not lost in that moment.

Day two did not disappoint. Upon entering the seventh-floor upper concourse
headed to a center-ice seat, the first face I recognize is Pittsburgh Penguins
head coach Mike Sullivan. If anyone questioned the legitimacy and importance of
 this weekend tournament, that should eliminate all doubt. Behind Coach
Sullivan was Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill, a smile
ear-to-ear. All hands on deck to see these young stars - the future of each
organization - take the stage. I';m in hockey heaven.

New Jersey dominated Pittsburgh in the early action. It was 6-0 at the end of
the second period, so I took a lap around the concourse to see who else might
be in the bleachers. Jackpot. At the northeast corner of KeyBank Rink were a
collection of pro and amateur scouts all closely watching the action. Visible
logos included: Anaheim, Winnipeg, Chicago, Washington, and Toronto. There was
even a Euro league scout from Germany who had just relocated to Rochester. The
cherry-on-top of my new vantage point for the rest of the evening was Scotty
Bowman. The legendary coach was holding court, enthusiastically offering advice
 to scouts on what to watch.DETROIT, MI - JUNE 13: Head Coach Scotty Bowman (L)
 and Brett Hull (R) of the Detroit Red Wings celebrate with the Stanley Cup in
the locker-room after eliminating the Carolina Hurricanes during game five of
the NHL Stanley Cup Finals on June 13, 2002 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit,
Michigan. The Red Wings won 3-1. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI)

The surprisingly approachable cohort would remain in the same place for game
two. Having struck up a conversation with a director of player personnel for
one Eastern Conference team, I asked, "what do you watch?" referring to his
process for evaluating players he was seeing live for the first time. His
answer, succinct and direct, was to simply watch the hockey closely and take
note of what stands out.

Here';s what I gathered from Saturday Prospect Challenge action between the
Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins:Be Patient with Casey Mittelstadt

Many NHL fans were introduced to Mittelstadt at the 2017 Entry Draft and have
been following the teenager throughout his five-team hockey adventure since
that day. Whether it';s "Da Beauty League" of Minnesota summer hockey lore or
World Junior Championship games outdoors in the snow at New Era Field, Sabres
fans have fallen for this kid.

And while our hopes for his future as a number two center behind Jack Eichel
should remain, he will need time to develop properly. Casey has played a lot of
 hockey at all different levels in his young career, but there is nothing that
compares to the National Hockey League. The play is faster, players are
stronger, goalies are quicker, and very few enter the league with immediate
success. The 82-game grind is a lot to endure.Casey Mittelstadt #11 of Team
USA, 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)

I am long on Mittelstadt, but Boston';s young stars, nine of which already have
 AHL experience, gave everyone a glimpse as to what he now looks like against
higher-caliber talent (especially Ryan Donato). His finesse, speed, and hockey
 IQ will advance progressively with experience at the highest level. Sabres
fans should cheer this progress and forego overly lofty expectations too
early.Pesky Pekar

Similar to Mittelstadt, many Buffalo Sabres fans were introduced to Matej Pekar
 at the draft. The 2018 third-round pick hailing from Turnov, Czech Republic
stood out while battling for deflected shots in front of the net, scrapping for
 pucks in the corners, back-checking hard in the neutral zone, and not shying
away from activity after the whistle surrounding both goalies.

Only 18 years old as of February, Pekar';s 6-foot, 170-pound frame will serve
him well at the pro level. The Buffalo Sabres'; and Rochester Americans';
coaching staff will assure that his development includes additional speed and a
 stronger stature to go with the inherent grit and tenacity put on display
Saturday night."Auto-Pilut"

The Eastern Conference personnel director mentioned earlier spoke of a few
specific players. "What do you think of Lawrence Pilut?" he asked, continuing
"we tried to sign him." I smiled coyly trying again to imagine what sort of
magic Botterill worked this past summer. Lawrence sought the best opportunity
to contribute without a logjam of NHL ready defensemen, and Buffalo checked
that box.

As the game drew close to an end, candidates for the "Best Motor Award" on the
Buffalo side emerged. Who still had wheels this late in a 2-1, end-to-end game?
 Rasmus Dahlin, the primary focus of nearly everyone';s attention, continued to
 take (and hand out) checks, battle in front of his goalie, and quarterback
each breakout. But it was a different Swedish import player who stood out most.

Pilut, who has likely set his sights on cracking the NHL roster out of training
 camp, left everyone in attendance with a full 60-minute impression. His speed,
 communication, positioning, and up-ice vision were steadfast and crucial to
maintaining the one-goal deficit. For one game, it was evident as to why he was
 named Swedish Hockey League Defenseman of the Year in 2017-18.Tall Tage
Thompson

A scout from the Winnipeg Jets organization joined the conversation about
halfway through the second period. Tage Thompson had broken clear past the
Bruins'; defense on a breakaway, missing the net wide right (poor choice of
words, Buffalo fans, I know) on a quick forehand shot that had worked the night
 before. "Same move as last night," he said. "I used to play with his dad,
great player, a total nut." It does not appear that his son inherited that
temperament, but the skill is certainly there.Sabres'; forward prospect, Tage
Thompson (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Tage, standing at 6-foot-6 without skates on, the tallest position player on
the ice by a few inches, stood out on Saturday for more than just his size. His
 speed, shot, and forechecking had scouts and fans alike at attention. The
University of Connecticut product and former first-round pick of the St. Louis
Blues came to play, knowing that Botterill wanted him in Buffalo. A piece of
the Ryan O';Reilly trade that brought him and four other players and picks to
Western New York, Tage has an opportunity to compete and contribute. He has
done just that through two games.Last But Not Least - Other Observations

Alexander Nylander is finding his legs. He showed flashes of play worthy of a
top-10 draft pick, but like Mittelstadt, fans should continue to be patient
with the 20-year-old.Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the real deal, and he should keep
the bright orange padding when he finds himself in Buffalo. They looked like
two large traffic barrels telling 28-out-of-30 shots to turn around.A No. 15
Eichel jersey, I am told, is now vintage. I am keeping mine to one day add to
the time capsule.Thin Lizzy';s "The Boys Are Back in Town" when the team took
the ice and The Offspring';s "Keep 'Em Separated" as the referees broke up a
scrum were both nice touches by the in-game arena staff. They';re already in
mid-season form.

All-in-all, an excellent showing by all four teams, the host Buffalo Sabres
organization, and especially the fans. Sellout crowds on both Friday and
Saturday is another testament to how passionate, dedicated, and loyal this fan
base has remained. It is safe to say that fans are excited for what is to come.

The post Day Two of the Sabres'; 2018 Prospects Challenge appeared first on The
 Hockey Writers.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHockeyWrite...
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
 * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)