CALGARY — For an organization full of budding prospects, there is obviously plenty of curiosity over which one(s) might be primed to make the jump to the bigs.
Add in an opponent wearing an oil drop, and no wonder a healthy crowd showed up to fill the lower bowl for a NextGen matchup Sunday that gave Flames fans plenty to cheer about.
A 5-4 win completed a two-game sweep of the Oilers, setting the stage for several youngsters to continue into main camp later this week with plenty of confidence.
A list of six players who stood out Sunday at the Dome:
The 19-year-old demonstrated why he might be the most exciting offensive prospect in the group, scoring once and demonstrating throughout the evening a quick release that helped the Flames’ first-rounder become the QMJHL’s rookie of the year.
Gridin wired home a beauty of a pass from Carter King in the second period and was involved offensively all night, shooting from all sorts of angles. He saw time on the point for the power play, but was a little too casual on a defensive-zone pass that was intercepted and almost turned into an Oilers goal.
“I thought he was awesome — both sides,” said coach Brett Sutter of the game’s first star.
“He drives plays, he’s creative, he creates chances for himself and his teammates and he’s doing all the right things at the other end.”
Two assists, several shot attempts and plenty of time with the puck for the 20-year-old third-rounder who also shares a penchant for shooting aplenty.
His poise and skill with the puck are noticeable, as the six-foot-two, 200-pound sniper controlled the puck well, in and out of traffic. Tenacious on the puck, he made a great play to steal the puck in the Oilers’ zone while the goalie was pulled.
Sutter said Suniev’s line with Parker Bell and David Silye was the team’s best all night, creating offence while also going up against Edmonton’s top players.
“(Suniev) drove the pace of play, I thought he was one of the most noticeable forwards for us for sure,” said Sutter of the third-rounder who made his NHL debut the last game of the season in L.A.
Much has already been made about the 15 pounds of muscle he added this summer, while insisting he hasn’t lost a step. His speed was evident all night.
His line with King and Gridin was solid, controlling much of the play.
He made a great defensive play at the tail end of a long shift to break up a great Oilers scoring chance with a well-timed dive.
As a Calgary native who grew up idolizing Jarome Iginla and two-way centre Daymond Langkow, King is living out a dream by opening prospects camp with two straight wins over Edmonton.
King had an impact in both, as the 24-year-old was dangerous all night, setting up Gridin for a breakaway and a goal, and being part of several dangerous forays on the power play.
“I thought he controlled the pace of play and how he wanted to play,” said Sutter about the game’s second star, who joined the Wranglers late last season after five years at the University of Denver.
“From when he came up last year to the first game, and this game, there’s a noticeable difference. It’s clear he’s buying in, and that’s what you want to see.”
The slick-skating right-shot defenceman had two assists and could be seen using his speed to jump into the play with regularity.
His poise with the puck was evident throughout the game, as he made a great pass to set up Parker Bell for a great chance before making another good play on Mael Lavigne’s opening goal.
Following a four-year stint at Penn State, where he was captain, the undrafted 24-year-old made the jump to pro late last season with the Wranglers, playing in two regular-season games and two more in the playoffs. The five-foot-10, 180-pound native of Brockville, Ont., should be a nice addition to the Wranglers this year.
“I thought him and Axel (Hurtig) were by far our best pair out there,” said Sutter.
“Really reliable, steady, predictable. He reads plays so well, really smart and skates really, really well.”
The six-foot-six, 228-pound defenceman used his body effectively throughout the game, drawing a huge applause when he levelled top Oilers prospect Matt Lavoie. One period later, he sent David Lewandowski hurtling into the boards with another well-timed hit.
The Flames’ third-round pick this summer out of the U.S. National Team Development Program dropped the gloves in Friday’s game in Edmonton and was involved in several post-whistle shoving matches Sunday.
He killed penalties and also made a real heads-up play late in the second when he recognized his team was in the midst of a bad line change and stayed on the ice to intercept an Oilers pass up ice.
No one was more pumped up than Phillips after a gritty final minute to hold onto the win.
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