It's a bird, it's a plane, it's the Super Series

Right off the top, something new. Since I’ll be very focused on the Calgary Hitmen, and Western Hockey League in general this season, from now on, the first time I mention any drafted junior player, I mention will be followed by the NHL team that owns his rights. For example, Alex Plante (Edm). Got it? Good.

I know I’m a little behind with this whole Super Series business, but it’s hard to get up early to watch glorified exhibition games before work. So I’m just getting around to watching this thing, and I have to say, after game five, I’m impressed with the Canadian squad.

In particular, the Canadian forwards were excellent. Brandon Sutter (Car) is a shot-blocking machine. He has excellent presence at the point while killing penalties. His lateral movement is great, considering the amount of space a penalty-killing forward has to cover, and his hockey sense is off the charts. This guy’s a keeper.

Sam Gagner (Edm) was Canada’s second-best forward in game five. Like Sutter, he comes from a great hockey background, and he has the hockey sense to prove it. Gagner sees the ice so well, and makes great passes. If he doesn’t get beat up in camp, there’s no way the Oilers are sending him back to London this year. With 11 points in the first five games, it’s very easy to make assumptions about Gagner’s game, but he takes care of his own end, and the fact he has 11 points is a testament to the fact he’s always involved in the play.

When all is said and done, we’ll probably look back and say Kyle Turris (Pho) should have been the top pick in the June 2007 draft. For everything we hear about Turris’ offensive exploits, it’s his defensive game that can’t be overlooked. He was killing penalties for Canada, and his great short-handed forecheck led to Logan Pyett’s (Det) 3-1 goal. And Turris added a nice exclamation point to the 8-1 victory with an absolutely gorgeous backhander into the top shelf from just outside the crease. Nevermind his size, Turris is the real deal.

Other notable performances among Canada’s forwards include Colton Gillies (Min), who looked like everything a proficient penalty killer should be Tuesday night. Stefan Legein (CBJ) also showed a lot of jump in his penalty-killing role, and the Jackets are going to love this guy. He has excellent offensive instincts, and should be able to take his game to the next level.

Brad Marchand (Bos) showed up with a big performance. He had a great third period when his ice time jumped, and he was an offensive catalyst (ditto for linemate Zach Hamill (Bos)). And Claude Giroux (Phi) showed a lot of jump, great hands, and excellent penalty-killing as well. A 48-goal scorer last season in the Q, Giroux had great chemistry with Turris, and the Flyers have to be excited about his future.

Lastly, Jonathan Bernier (LA) was excellent in goal. He wasn’t tested very often, but made everything look routine. It’s been a long time since the LA Kings had a star goaltender, but Bernier could certainly fill that void in the near future.

I hate to have anything negative to say about these guys, especially given their overall performance. But I have to comment on the lack of stud defensemen in Canada’s lineup. Both Karl Alzner (Was) and Keaton Ellerby (Fla) were drafted early in the first round three months ago, but neither stood out in game five. Alzner, noted for his strong offensive play, wasn’t even playing with the power play units. Ellbery was efficient in his own end, but nothing about his game says future-Norris-Trophy-winner. The Kings went off the board to draft Thomas Hickey, and he too, was unspectacular. Considering all three of them were top-10 picks in June, they were underwhelming as a group.

Four undrafted players are a part of this squad, and all four played very well Tuesday night. John Tavares (2009) can fight for early entry into the draft, but he’s not NHL ready. The extra year in the OHL will serve him well, if only for the extra time he’ll get more exposure to Hockey Canada’s programs as a result. Zac Boychuk (2008) played a lot of extra minutes in the third with Marchand and Hamill, and played very well. He’s like a badger around the puck, and has a big-league shot. Drew Doughty (2008) and Luke Schenn (2008) were both very good in their own end, and while they were as uninspiring as the other defensemen, they didn’t look out of place. Both guys should have very bright futures ahead of them.

This is already too long, so I’ll point out the bright spots from the Russian side very quickly. Although he surrendered all eight goals, Sergei Bobrovsky was spectacular in the Russian goal. He was not drafted in his draft year, but could become a Roman Cechmanek, Tim Thomas or Cristobal Huet-type down the road. He showed a lot of heart, and the score would have been much worse without him. Maxim Mamin, also undrafted, played a strong, physical game for the Russians. Though he didn’t dazzle with skill, he seemed like a solid, third-line kind of guy. The sort of guy your team doesn’t win many games without. Ruslan Backdrop (Ott) was a late addition to the team, but played with a lot of heart. He drove to the net hard, and played a solid game.

Game six goes Wednesday night in Saskatoon, and I will absolutely be tuning in.