The boys came to play in Game Two of the US National Junior Team Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid as Team Blue earned the split with a 4-3 win over Team White thanks in large part to two goals by Sean Kuraly (Indiana - SJS) - a tap in from the slot and a filthy backhander. His lineman Colin Blackwell (Harvard - SJS) added another as he corralled the rebound from a bomb by Jacob Trouba (NTDP - WPG) and Steven Fogarty (Penticton - NYR) notched his first of the camp - a top shelf beauty. For Team White, Stefan Matteau (NTDP - NJD) cashed in on a cross-ice backdoor pass from JT Miller (Plymouth - NYR). Vince Trocheck (Saginaw - FLA) scored off a give and go with Joakim Ryan (Cornell - SJS) on the power play and Jim Vesey (South Shore - NSH) scored going five hole off the wall.
The game started with a lot more speed and intensity than on Saturday and you could tell that the competition meter had risen up a few notches as their frustration over missed opportunities was a lot more visible - sticks were getting high, the hits were more aggressive and the F-bombs were now audible.
The duo of Kuraly and Blackwell were still fanning the flames of the fire they started in Game One and while there's still a lot of hockey to be played, they might have just penciled themselves onto this team. They are absolutely killing it. As much as I'd like to see if they can sustain this chemistry, I think they'll be split up just to see their versatility, which is oh so important to consider for a tournament like the World Junior Championship. The guys talk about it in Day 2's video blog….
I also want to give a shoutout to Jacob Trouba who was the first guy in either game to sacrifice the body and block a shot. I expect we'll be seeing more of that as the week progresses and it starts to sink in that there are in fact only 22 spots on this team. Speaking of which, the more I see of Garret Sparks, the more I think he makes this team and if he can sustain this level of play throughout the week...he could even challenge John Gibson for the starting role. Gibson is playing with a somewhat nonchalant attitude these first two games, like he knows he already made the team and therefore doesn't have to work his tail off. He's made some great saves, but he's also let in some rather weak goals due to lack of focus. I'm not a big fan of that attitude and I can't imagine that USA Hockey is either.
I spoke with head coach Phil Housley today as well and unlike recent years when the staff has been looking to fill out a certain type of roster (fast and skilled), he has come to Lake Placid with open eyes and not just to enjoy the beautiful scenery (posted all over my
twitter feed). He wants to asses the players' strengths and build a team that will accentuate them and give them the best chance at success in Ufa, Russia. As a former defenseman, he's got his eye on a strong transition game with sound positioning that will hopefully lead to great defense and generate offense. Much like the players, he's eager to see how they stack up against the teams from Finland and Sweden as the week progresses and they trim the roster and start focusing on some team concepts.
Team White plays Finland at 1pm ET while Team Blue plays Sweden at 4:30pm ET (You can watch both games live on FastHockey.com). Afterward, the powers that be will send about 20 guys home, leaving them with a more manageable roster of 25 for the rest of the week.
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Julie
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