On Frozen Blog

We’ve finally got the wireless up and running here at Kettler, so let’s get to some of the sights and sounds of Rookie Camp, Day 1.
Nicklas Backstrom beats Neuvrith twice in shooting drills on the table side of the rink (where we are located). Neuvirth has looked solid, though in the drills he knows where the shot is coming from.
Francois Bouchard hit a crossbar so hard the puck hopped over the netting, causing a mad rush among fans to get the puck. Okay, one guy.
The kids are now working on one-on-one drills where the defense has late help. First battle was Beagle and Hunt, advantage Hunt.

Sasha Pokulok looks very mobile, though he shot on Neuvirth in a drill when he should have passed to Bouchard out front.
Each drill is followed by a mad-scramble two laps by the kids, then to a knee to take info on the next drill.The current drill is two-on-two, with cones cutting off some of the penalty box side ice. Bouchard and Lacroix take on Sloan and McNeill. No goal, but Lacroix hits Sloan with a good shoulder along the wall.Gordon and Joudrey work well together and with speed, but Pokulok shows an active stick in the neutral zone to break up the saucer pass.
No lap at the end of the two-on-two drill, just water, a knee, and the whiteboard.
Bouchard, Backstrom and Kronick (love that name) are the forward line, currently playing a drill that causes them first to play in the offensive zone until the defense clears, then to go back and re-start the rush from their own blueline. As expected, Backstrom looks proficient.
Perreault lined up with Taylor in a six-against-two defensive drill. As is probably obvious, the drills change a bit with nearly every whistle. Beagle, Werner and Guerin, now. Gordon, Lynes and Wilson comprise the next line, with Gordon shouting the J.F. Fortin Memorial “Wheel! Wheel!”
Pokulok with a nice shift on a four-on-four drill, as he clocks Werner and a few seconds later calmly skates the puck out of danger. Werner then hits him along the boards after the pass.Bouchard beats two defenders and a coach to get a shot on cage, Machesny saves.
Amongst the crowd I pick out such luminaries as the DC Sports Chick and JP of Japer’s Rink. Holla, guys.
While a wise man once said that line combos and pairings in rookie camp may not mean a lot in general, it’s interesting to note that Backstrom and Bouchard are always on the same line. Speaking of the young Swede, Backstrom beats Neuvirth cleanly with a wrister from the slot on a drill designed to give the offense a breakaway.
And intermission, as the Zam does it’s mesmerising work.
The players re-take the ice, and there are hopes for some scrimmage action for the second session, as covering drills is…less interesting than covering a scrimmage. The on-ice coaches are Glen Hanlon, Jay Leach, Dean Evason, Dave Prior, and Bruce Boudreau. Bob Woods watches from off-ice.
Nope, drills, at least to begin with. Three players work full-ice breakouts. Neuvirth stops Backstrom. (Guess who was on Backstrom’s wing?) Backstrom takes another shift (with Morin this time) and hits the pipe.
As they work a break-away drill, Backstrom whistles a shot by Neuvirth’s ear, causing Neuvirth to shake his head then look at Backstrom as he skates away. Bob Woods, who has joined the on-ice staff in place of Boudreau, grins at Neuvirth. “Got a little high there, hunh?” Backstrom grins back. In the next go-round, Backstrom shoots low, a pad save by Neuvirth. Who again shoots a glance at Backstrom as he joins the drill line.
Just a word as to the blue-team heavy coverage — they are shooting at the net that is by the tables, opposite the Hunter, Langway, and Labre banners, so we’re not getting a particularly good look at the white team.
Pokulok, Collins, Hunt, and McNeill are the four defensemen picked to make the outlet passes in the breakaway drill.
David Steckel and Eric Fehr chat in the players area with Boudreau and the Caps’ Director of Media relations Nate Ewell.
The Caps start a two-on-one full-ice drill, and Backstrom displays something interesting about his passing: he can pass when it looks like he can’t. In other words, he may be in mid-stride, taking the puck from his right to left on the backhand, and be able to make a deft forehand pass in an instant. The defender really has to work to anticipate when defending Backstrom, because he can feed another player with accuracy very, very quickly.
Pokulok loses his edge defending the two-on-one, dives to stop the puck, but Joudrey puts it in the net. Werner squeezes a wrister between Neuvirth’s glove and body. Fighting for position with Taylor a foot in front of the crease, Backstrom plays the puck through Taylor’s legs to get a shot off. Sadly, the drill ends. Certainly the most game-like action of the morning.
Now to the three-on-one drills. Beagle throws a nice cross-crease pass to Werner, who buries it. ECHLer Tommy Maxwell shows a little creativity, making a nifty pass to a teammate who can’t bury it. Backstrom (with Bouchy and Kronick again) brings the puck across the line, draws the defender to him, then feeds Kronick for a nice scoring chance.
And practice draws to a close with many, many sprints. It’s interesting, from above the rink where we are, the groups of five or six will finish their sprints and go to a corner, and several seconds later you can feel the wind brush by you. Backstrom’s not a blazer, but he has decent speed. Sami Lepisto barely looks like he’s breaking stride out there.
In the traditional puck-retrieval drill Luke Lynes irritates several of his teammates by batting away their attempts to scoop the puck into the bucket. Lynes laughs.
Water and end-of-practice stretching commences. Now, as I missed breakfast, it’s off to Rock Bottom to remedy that and have a bit of Radio Red. For what it’s worth (and that’s probably very little) Nicklas Backstrom, Sasha Pokulok, Jamie Hunt, Francois Bouchard and Dan Kronick caught my eye today.