So a few thoughts on the USHL...
- I underestimated the ability of a road team to win two of three in the same road building on consecutive nights. Sioux City was especially impressive in sweeping Omaha. Can anyone stop them right now?
- I don’t think Fargo can. Sioux City came out hitting, engaging in scrums, imposing their will on Omaha. In other words, they played playoff hockey. Scary note to the rest of the league? None of the remaining three teams that Sioux City could face are nearly as tough as Omaha.
- Matt Coronato reminds me so much of Joe Sakic at the same age. The similarity comes in a very quick release on a hard, accurate wrist shot. He was the sole reason Chicago won game one. Where would I take him in the draft? First overall, seriously. There are very few snipers that good in the game.
- I sometimes wonder how Chicago dominates the way they do, then I remember, it’s Coronato. They often get outhit, outshot, outmuscled, but win 6-2. One caveat, they did not have to play the West because of this year’s odd schedule. The West is bigger and more physical, and those are the teams that give the Steel trouble. As good as they are, they are as small of a junior team as I have ever seen.
- Muskegon has somehow flown under the radar despite being a slightly more physical version of Chicago. They looked good in imposing their will against a bigger Green Bay team that seemed built for the playoffs.
- The Fargo vs Tri-City series was a strange one. It did not have the intensity of the other Western series, and the crowd of a few hundred for game three played right into Fargo’s hands. It has to be a let down for the Storm to have such a small crowd for the year’s biggest game when the night before drew several thousand.
- Predictions will follow later in the week, but I see the East going three games. The West, not so much. Who am I picking? I’ll let you know as soon as I figure out in the East. The West? I think you know!
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