Wilson on Utahs opening drive and Anderson

Posted in IYH Forums by wxy1123 at 07:27, Oct 11 2014

While traditionally seen as a “19-year-olds tournament,” the World Junior Hockey Championship has proven a prime stage for 17- and 18-year-old prospects to boost their stock well in advance of the NHL Draft in June. This years tournament promises a little bit of everything in terms of prospect showcasing. Canadian fans may be distracted by watching the evolution of NHL prospects like Jonathan Drouin and Bo Horvat, or even the play of 16-year-old 2015 Draft prospect Connor McDavid, but the best players available this June may also be playing for Canada. If you look at the latest 2014 prospect rankings – be it TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the International Scouting Service or TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons rankings – the top two names are consistent, and Canadian. Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad. Both players are currently taking part in the selection camp for the Canadian World Junior team in Copenhagen, hoping to earn a spot on the final roster for the tournament in Malmo, Sweden. So what can Canadian fans expect from the pair? Button calls Reinhart – a six-foot-one centre for the Kootenay Ice – “A high end player with exceptional hockey sense.” “He makes others around him better and is able to play multiple positions and situations without any decline in his game,” Button told TSN.ca. “Hes a leader who ‘just plays and does so when it matters and on a consistent basis.” Ekblad, meanwhile, is a player thats had high pedigree from the age of 15. He became just the second player in the history of the Ontario Hockey League (after current New York Islanders captain John Tavares) to be granted ‘exceptional player status and early entry into the league via the OHL Priority Selection. Ekblad was six-foot-three and 205 pounds at 15. The Barrie Colts list him an inch taller and 12 pounds heavier now on their web site, making him a physical force against junior opposition. “Hes a highly dependable, very consistent player who is able to play not only lots of minutes in the game but the important ones,” said Button. “He has a big time intensity to his game that is surrounded by rare calm and poise.” But Canada is not the only team that will be looking to Draft-eligible skill in hopes of bringing home gold from Malmo. The first among those is the team that would have the least distance to go for their victory celebration: the host Swedes. Sweden has some top NHL prospects on their selection roster including Montreal Canadiens prospect Sebastian Collberg, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Alexander Wennberg and the expected addition of Carolina Hurricanes forward Elias Lindholm. But the hidden weapon in their arsenal could be 17-year-old Frolunda winger Anton Karlsson, ranked sixth in the latest draft rankings by both Button and the ISS. Button calls Karlsson “a leader in his age group. That leadership is from an on-ice presence that gives him a way to contribute to winning in many different forms.” Another Draft-eligible name to watch in Malmo might be familiar to hockey fans over a certain age: Kasperi Kapanen - son of former Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers winger Sami Kapanen – is a good bet to make the Finnish team. Does he compare to his 25-plus-goal-scoring father? “Hes very skilled yet can impact the game in many ways,” Button said. “His approach to playing could be compared to Patrick Sharp.” So, maybe Kapanens not his 25-plus-goal father … but possibly the 30-plus-goal Sharp. Theres one final player to watch and, hey, heres something new: Hes on the German team. Germany has traditionally taken a beating at the World Juniors. They avoided relegation in 2013, finishing ninth out of 10 teams, marking the first time since 1997 that the team went to the tournament and was not relegated. This year, though, the team boasts a player ranked fourth in McKenzies pre-season draft rankings: Prince Albert Raiders winger Leon Draisaitl. The six-foot-one, 209-pounder has put up 51 points in 33 games in the WHL this season. Button had high praise for his skill and physicality. “Good luck pushing him out of the game,” Button told TSN.ca. “He wants to impact the game in some form and he usually does. Without a real strong supporting cast around on the National Team level, it is left to him, and he always delivers.” Keep an eye out for him as Germany opens the 2014 tournament against Canada on Dec. 26. Watch it live on TSN at 7am et/4am pt. Robert Griffin III Jersey . Berdych, coming off a semifinal run at the Australian Open and Davis Cup win over the Netherlands, didnt face a break-point. 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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utahs defence made a goal-line stand in the final minute and Dres Anderson scored twice, helping the Utes to their biggest upset at home as they held off No. 5 Stanford 27-21 on Saturday. This marked the first time in school history the Utes (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) have knocked off a top-five program at Rice-Eccles Stadium. They beat No. 4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl following the 2008 season. The fans rushed the field after the final gun. Kevin Hogan marched the Cardinal down to the 6, but on fourth down, amid heavy pressure, he overthrew his intended target. The Utes took a knee to end the game and the 13-game winning streak of Stanford (5-1, 3-1). Utah kept Stanfords stingy defence off balance all day with a mix of draws and wide receiver screens. Anderson caught a 51-yard TD pass and scored another on a short run. Bubba Poole finished with 111 yards rushing. Ty Montgomery returned a kickoff for a touchdown for a second straight week. This time, Montgomery took the ball a few steps deep in the end zone and weaved through the Utes before going 100 yards, tying a Stanford record. Devon Cajuste made a diving catch on a fade route to trim the Utah lead to 27-21 with 9:22 remaining, but the Cardinal couldnt complete the comeback. A week after throwing six interceptions, Travis Wilson showed more poise in the pocket. His only mistake was on a screen, when his pass was tipped into the air and picked off by Joe Hemschoot. Wilson finished 23 of 34 for 234 yards and two touchdowns. He appeared to cut his throwing hand on a hard tackle early in the third quarter, continuously wiping the top of it on his towel. But the injury didnt seem to affect his touch. Stanford struggled on offence in the second half, turning the ball over twice on fumbles wiith linebacker Trevor Reilly recovering both.dddddddddddd The Utes turned those into field goals by Andy Phillips, a 23-yard and a 48-yarder. Phillips, a former U.S. ski team member, is 11 for 11 this season. Kevin Hogan dropped to 10-1 as a starter against a spirited Utah defence. It was a week filled with controversy for Stanford after Washington coach Steve Sarkisian accused the Cardinal of faking injuries to slow down the tempo, leaving Stanfords David Shaw to vigorously defend his program. This time, that wasnt an issue. Utah went on a season-long 99-yard drive in the second quarter, culminating with Andersons 3-yard score on an end-around. It gave Utah a 21-14 at halftime, marking the first time all season the Cardinal has trailed at the break. It was a day of firsts for the Stanford defence, which hadnt allowed an opening quarter TD all season until Saturday. Karl Williams scored on a 4-yard pass from Wilson on Utahs opening drive and Anderson later hauled in a 51-yard pass from Wilson. It was Andersons fifth play of 50 or more yards this season. Montgomery joins Bob Bryan (1950 against San Francisco) and Damon Dunn (1994 at Arizona State) as the only players with a 100-yard kickoff return in school history. After his electric run, Montgomery took big gulps of supplemental oxygen on the bench, the thin air of Salt Lake City getting to him unlike Utah special teamers on that play. Last week, Montgomery had a 99-yard TD return to open the game against Washington. He finished with three returns for 160 yards against Utah. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has been searching for someone to stand out at tailback between the trio he usually uses. Poole may have just moved to the head of the line. He also had seven catches for 75 yards. ' ' '