18 replies to this topic

[SterioDesign]

So i went to see Matteau's game last night in Moncton and really I went strictly to look at him play and analyze his play. Knowing he was left winger I got lower bowl seat on the left side in front of the blue line in the offensive zone where they'd be attacking twice in the game.



First impression he's really big compared to most of the other players. He got a very good first shift, chipped the puck to himself on the board around the dman on the point and with good speed rushed the puck on the left side and got the first shot of the game and made a few really good hits on that shift too.

so he's really what we all expect from him from what ive seen, he plays hard, he goes in front of the net to screen the goalie and try to deflect shots, he's pretty fast and he's really strong and hard to knock the puck off when he's carrying it. Unfortunately i didnt see too much of his board play simply cause it didnt really happened much when he was on the ice, one of those games you know.

He was often on the first PP unit, going straiiiiiight to the net as soon the puck was dropped and did a really good job staying there fighting for his spot.

Moncton's goalie was absolutely incredible last night, they won 3-0 but without him im pretty sure they would have lost. He made the best save of the game by far. Matteau brought the puck on the right side and deked the dman going on the outside (he has decent hands too) and made a pass in front and out of that scrum the goalie made a diving save and gave a rebound to the inside hash marks on the right side and the whole net was open, Matteau came in with a slapper and that fvcking goalie somehow got it with his glove while he was still on his belly outside on the net... incredible save.

Armada finally scored but the goal was waved off right away cause Matteau was interfering with the goalie so he got a penalty out of it and no goal lol.

so bottom line... he got a few really good shots and scoring opportunities and made a bunchhh of really good hits and ducked a bunch of hits too actually. Ended the night -1 but that goal was a empty netter and he just got on the ice at that time so its not his fault at all, the dman made a dumb play and then couldnt stop a wrister from the blue line who went like 2 inches away from his glove.

Also the Armada have a really really good team and its too bad that Matteau is buried behind 2 good LW but seems like they are shuffling lines a lot but for most of the game Matteau played with a 15 years old who's probably... 5'4 at best but really really good and fast. But they are playing tnight too and all their top players are gone to the Subway super series. So he should have a lot more ice time tnight.

if you guys have any other questions just ask i may have forget to put some stuff but thats that.

[Ollie McKraut]

Thanks for this writeup

[DevilMinder]

Thanks for the observations!

[SterioDesign]

i forgot to add that he's making some really good hard cross ice passes and seems to always be looking around to know whats up and he's cycling the puck in the o zone really well.

He actually just scored in Bathurst i guess. Sucks i couldnt make it to that game too it was only 2 hrs away

[MadDog2020]

Thanks Sterio. Good stuff.

[thefiestygoat]

This is awesome man, thanks for posting! I also have to say that Blainville-Boisbriand have some of the nicest jersey's I have ever seen.

[Triumph]

Nice post - I like the revelation about Matteau going to the front of the net. Seems like he's shooting more too - 6 shots today, 4 shots yesterday. He'll probably be in the AHL next year, so these are the kinds of skills he needs to have to show he's ready to be a pro.

[thefiestygoat]

Nice post - I like the revelation about Matteau going to the front of the net. Seems like he's shooting more too - 6 shots today, 4 shots yesterday. He'll probably be in the AHL next year, so these are the kinds of skills he needs to have to show he's ready to be a pro.

He's putting up a nice line as a rookie in the Q. Season: 17 GP 8-6-14 +4 33 PIM 13.79 SH% 3.41 SH/GP 19 Hits 52.54 FO%

The nearly a point-per-game total is nice but as you said his shot total is great and on a personal level I'm loving his hit total.

Not to go too off topic but Blake Coleman is putting up a nice amount of shots for Miami as a sophomore (though he is already 20). 8 GP 4-1-5 -2 13 PIM 13.33 SH% 3.75 SH/GP 4 Blocks 46.79 FO%

[SterioDesign]

and like i said from what i've seen he's really not getting "that much" ice time, he's behind Clapperton and Giroux on the LW and both are top scorers of the team. So it's good that he's producing with limited ice time and with a 3rd line center (and a 5'5 150lbs one) , if he could play with Paquette it would put up more points im pretty sure.

[Triumph]

I don't think that's a very good stat line but in light of the fact that he plays in front on the power play and skates on the 3rd line, it's better.

Players who grow up to be NHLers should crush the Q in the year after having been drafted.

[SterioDesign]

I don't think that's a very good stat line but in light of the fact that he plays in front on the power play and skates on the 3rd line, it's better.

Players who grow up to be NHLers should crush the Q in the year after having been drafted.

agreed but everyone has a different development.. look at guys like Parenteau. Or thinking that way you'd think that a guy who almost won the calder would be ripping the AHL the year after, yet....

[SMantzas]

I don't think that's a very good stat line but in light of the fact that he plays in front on the power play and skates on the 3rd line, it's better.

Players who grow up to be NHLers should crush the Q in the year after having been drafted.

The Q has 3 of the 4 strongest teams in the CHL (according to a poll). It clearly is stronger this year

[Triumph]

agreed but everyone has a different development.. look at guys like Parenteau. Or thinking that way you'd think that a guy who almost won the calder would be ripping the AHL the year after, yet....

Parenteau is a pretty bad example, he dominated the Q the year after he was drafted. He didn't dominate the AHL when he got there, but at some point the numbers don't lie and they overcome the anti-Quebecois, anti-scorer bias that pervades the NHL.

Henrique has played 8 AHL games and his shot total is finally coming to where I think it should be - the assists will follow.

When you look at forwards who become NHLers, most of them were one of the best players on their junior team. Matteau was picked in the 1st round, he should be one of the best players in the Q.

Edited by Triumph, 05 November 2012 - 12:37 PM.

[thefiestygoat]

I don't think its too far of a stretch to say Matteau could be a point-per-game player if he didn't miss some of those blowout games while suspended as SMantzas pointed out a while ago. With his type of game I feel like the numbers may not always do him justice in terms of how well he is playing.

[SterioDesign]

yeah like i said he's buried in the lines between 2 really fast wingers and when he's playing i thought he was making really short shifts, like really short sometimes. But im pretty sure that the coach is thinking more of balancing his lines and having production on every lines than pumping stats for one of the guy. They are really strong this year so he's gonna keep all those lines going IMO

that been said those 2 wingers in front of him are smaller but faster with better hands but Clapperton is a cherry picker waiting at the blue line so those guys are putting more points than Matteau in that league cause they have more ice time but Matteau's game is a lot more complete for the NHL than those 2 guys and in the long run i think he'd get on top. Their first line center was picked by Tampa in the 4th round last year but again Matteau to me was better than him from what i say, they just play a different role

[Colin226]

Matteau seems like a prototypical Flyer.. I can't wait to see him lose his cool against that team, laying big hits and crashing the net

[Daniel]

Sounds like Bobby Holik to me.

[SMantzas]

Sounds like Bobby Holik to me.

I prefer Steve Downie. I feel like Holik was a bit more complete (and a center)

[Triumph]

Holik led his men's league team in points the year after he was drafted. I understand what you're saying, but yeah - Holik was so good. Let's hope Matteau isn't like 2008-09 Bobby Holik.