Live hockey on the NHL Network tonight-Junior Super Series

[llipgh2]

QMJHL vs Russian juniors. 7:00 (or 7:30, not sure).

[mikey287]

7:00 pm tonight...Subway Super Series. Good hockey, good players...I'd provide a little more info about the players and what not, but I'm not sure anyone here cares enough for that...

I'm gonna need a stream for this tonight to watch...hopefully I can find one...

[pens_CT]

I believe Aton Zlobin, Pens 2012 draft pick, is playing for team Russia

[mikey287]

He's on the squad, yes. We'll see a couple Pens along way in the Subway Super Series, for the OHL Team - Scott Harrington, for the WHL Team - Derick Pouliot.

Nathan McKinnon on the wing tonight for Team Q, undrafted Jean-Sebastien Dea will center the line with Panthers pick Jonathan Huberdeau on the left. Etienne Marcoux in net tonight...was really hoping it would be young Fucale, but what can you do...

[meow]

Vasilevski play ok, I guess. Tampa Bay is lucky to have him in the system.

[mikey287]

Yeah, for real. A lot of teams wanted Vasilevskiy and several tried to trade up for him but Yzerman knew what he wanted. From what I hear around the league, scouts said that Vasilevskiy was far and away the most coveted goalie prospect. Has been showing it in big situations against the best of his peers thus far.

[llipgh2]

Game 2 is tonight.

[mikey287]

Zach Fucale in net tonight for Team QMJHL I believe, we'll get a good look at him versus a superior group of peers. Jonathan Drouin, a very talented youngster, more talented than the much-talked-about Jean-Sebastien Dea, should be good to go tonight as well. Nathan MacKinnon back to center where he belongs (at least for now, can't make that change (to wing) in this environment)...Charles Hudon and Philip Danault who were assigned as matches for the Nail Yakupov line were effective both ways and in the dot, so they've been promoted to a line with Jonathan Huberdeau who can use them as decoys...though Hudon can finish, he's just not a very good skater.

Would not expect to see Andrei Vasilevskiy in net again tonight. Russians have back-to-back games here against the QMJHL tonight and the OHL tomorrow. Hopefully we'll get to see Valeri Nichushkin from Chelmet Chelyabinsk (from the Traktor Chelyabinsk program) in the VHL (second-tier Russian league, like our AHL)...one of the top goal scorers in that league at age 17, big kid too, I've never gotten a strong look at him and hope to tonight...

Q has a better lineup tonight and if Vasilevskiy doesn't play (which I don't expect him to) they've flipped the goaltending talent around on the Russians. Should be a closer game, but the Russian probably pull it out...

[mikey287]

Oops, looks like I'm wrong...Vasilevskiy will start...my apologies...

[meow]

Vasilevskiy didn't look as sharp last night as he did Monday. I'm interested in seeing if they give him the start tonight against the OHL team.

[mikey287]

Russians as a whole didn't look very sharp. Grigorenko unnoticeable, unlike Monday night. QMJHL made lineup adjustments, played better goaltender(s). Though they are peers, the QMJHL just beat a team of pros last night. The Russians should not be happy with that performance. And now they have to face a tougher OHL team, which should feature a more mobile defense and some more truculence.

[meow]

Russians as a whole didn't look very sharp. Grigorenko unnoticeable, unlike Monday night. QMJHL made lineup adjustments, played better goaltender(s). Though they are peers, the QMJHL just beat a team of pros last night. The Russians should not be happy with that performance. And now they have to face a tougher OHL team, which should feature a more mobile defense and some more truculence.

I couldn't believe the OHL has a 19-game unbeaten streak against the Russians going into tonights game. I'm interested in what McDavid can do with some skilled linemates.

[mikey287]

Derick Pouliot playing for Team WHL tonight, bleh showing. Directly responsible for one goal. Has the unfortunate issue of being paired with Matthew Dumba, who is a positional nightmare and makes some really weird decisions sometimes...as a result, Pouliot is all over the ice, left and right defense. Clearly overmatched physically by some of these bigger Russian forwards. Put in an awkward position and playing awkwardly. Team WHL not looking so hot anyway. Russians appear to have been hustling the CHL through five games, they've snapped it on now and showing what it means to even have young pros playing against junior players and how it's a clear divide. For anyone that's ever foolish enough to believe college football teams could hold a candle to an NFL team, a junior team could beat an AHL team, a "true" AHL team could be an NHL team, etc. here's a preview of a far lesser degree. Russian switch set to "ON", game set to "OVER" barring a miracle comeback from the Westerners...

[mikey287]

At least the coach realized that they can't be out there together. Pouliot now out with a tougher, more reliable Keegan Lowe (Kevin's son, Carolina pick). I don't think I've seen Dumba since...

[steelhammer]

Pouliot seems to be playing poorly no matter who his D partner is.

[mikey287]

Not a good showing from him, or many WHL players tonight really. Rattie, the goalie Comrie, maybe Lowe, other than that, it was a poor performance by the Prairie Dogs...Pouliot only did one thing well in the game and that's make tape-to-tape passes all night. He looks much better in the WHL than he did against pros. Still a raw player. I'm just thankful that we don't have Dumba...he doesn't enough sense to make a dollar...