Highlights from Cedrick Guindon and Logan Mailloux in the OHL playoffs
The two Habs prospects are facing off in round one.
The Owen Sound Attack are frankly overmatched by the London Knights in their first-round OHL series. From a Habs perspective, it is still interesting to see two of the team’s prospects face off against each other, regardless of whether or not the Attack can stretch this thing beyond four games.
Logan Mailloux and Cedrick Guindon had somewhat opposite games in terms of effectiveness, and it was surprising that Guindon, the lesser-touted prospect of the two, had the more impressive game two.
His shot is an asset that the has improved quite a bit since his draft year, and he was really effective in this game generating rebound chances off his shots. He would use that shot again later in the game to score a stunner, tying the game for Owen Sound before they’d eventually succumb in overtime.
Guindon is a very under-the-radar prospect, but his improvement this year shouldn’t go unnoticed. He’s a quietly effective player, and the improved shot mechanics could significantly improve his NHL hopes. If Owen Sound is to make a series of this, he’ll need more efforts precisely like the one he provided on Sunday.
Mailloux, for his part, had a bit of a struggle against the neutral zone trap employed by Owen Sound to slow down the London transition game.
Strictly speaking, he makes the right read here, but much later than he’d have needed to. I’d also have preferred to see him in these situations use his skating, one of his best tools, to try and gain the red line before re-evaluating his options. He won’t get this kind of time and space at the professional level, so he’ll need to be quicker deciding where he’s going to pass it, or whether to take off and try to make something happen himself.
Point and case:
This is what happens when Mailloux just decides right away that he’s taking off with the puck. As a complement to this ability, a big step would be getting quicker with his outlet passes. We know he can take off whenever he wants and make something happen, but when that isn’t an option, he has to make the quick pass to get things going in transition.
London ended up taking the game 5-4 in OT, and hold a 2-0 series lead, retaining their home ice advantage as the series will shift to Owen Sound.
I’m torn on Mailloux. On one hand, I firmly believe that the team should never have drafted him. On the other, his talent is undeniable and he can unquestionably help the team once he gets to the NHL (and assuming that he isn’t traded).