I didn't wanna make a whole thread for this, but didn't know where else to put it. Just thought I'd mention, I watched the Camp Randal Hockey Classic between U of Michigan and U of Wisconsin on the Big 10 Sports network yesterday. It was an outdoor game in Wisconsin with a crowd of over 50 000. An extremely tight-checking and defensively well played game. No room for forwards to do anything, almost every rush broken up quickly and sent back the other way. Good transition games on both sides. Most of the game was played going back and forth through the neutral zone. Brendan Smith looked amazing, scoring both the tieing and winning goals on the powerplay for Wisconsin.

Anyways, on to my point, Sens prospect Louis Caporusso plays for Michigan. He looked good. Extraordinarily quick, not just on his feet but with his stick. He forced 2 or 3 turnovers with well timed stick lifts sneaking up behind opposing forwards on the backcheck. One of which resulted in an excellent scoring chance coming back the other way. He didn't have any points but he had a couple decent chances and, like I said, it was a defense-first game where he was up against a sickeningly good defensive core including NHL 1st round picks Cody Goleubef (CBS), Brendan Smith (DET), Ryan McDonagh (NYR) and 2010 WJC gold medal winner Jake Gardiner (ANA), as well as Gardiner's Team USA linemate, John Ramage.

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Thanks for the update InnocentBystander

Thanks

Before the season started I heard he was one of the favourites for the Hobey Baker Award. Anyone know if he is at this time?

No, he has struggled this season. After 49 points in 41 games last year he is only at 20 points in 28 games this year. Apparently he is badly missing his all-star linemate, St Louis prospect Aaron Palushaj, who had 50 points in 39 games last year but is now playing in the AHL.

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So I was flipping channels at work last night and I came across a Michigan State vs Michigan U game from this season on the Big 10 network. Got another glimpse of Caporusso.

He looked real good for Michigan U. Good speed, doesn't seem to be a big-time dangler one-on-one but he has great speed to the outside and real soft hands. Where he really stood out was on the right side-boards on the powerplay; a left-hand shot, he is an incredible stickhandler in traffic with a good touch pass and excellent ice-vision, he had a goal and at least 2 other real good chances coming from that spot.

Another Sens prospect, Derek Grant, plays for Michigan State, I didn't pay as much attention to him but I didn't notice anything that showed me he would be an offensive contributor at the NHL level. But the commentator was talking about him a bit and said he is strong on the boards and is a face-off magician.

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