Practically, both teams consist of 2002 born players for the most part, despite the fact that Salzburg is an U18 team. Since the first few shifts of the game, there was no question which team was going to control the puck possession. Salzburg players’ speed and efficient puck management was too much for HIFK to handle. They were able to apply pressure quickly on HIFK players in the offensive zone and the roster featured several skilled individuals. On top of that, Salzburg’s power play was much better throughout the game as they moved the puck with precision. The Austrian team eventually won the game 8-0.
02 F Samuel Dube (Salzburg) – Dube may be small at 5-7 and 143 pounds, but he has an exciting offensive skill set and moves very well. Very quick first few steps. Dube, who has both German and Canadian passport, simply skated past a HIFK defenseman and finished with a quick wrister on the blocker side for his second goal of the game. He also made a terrific pass setting up Senna Peeters for a goal in the third period. He was the most notable prospect in the game in my book.
02 D Maksymilian Szuber (Salzburg) – The German defenseman showcased a stable two-way game and impressive passing skills from the backend. Szuber had nice vision for a breakout pass and assisted the game’s opening goal with a long pass that was on the tape. The 6-1 tall blueliner moved well backwards and his stick use was very solid. And while he turned the puck over on some occasions, I generally liked his confidence and puck control.
03 G Jani Lampinen (HIFK) – Lampinen allowed eight goals, however, he was able to keep this a tight game for a fairly long period of time. He has really quick legs and moves well laterally, allowing to make many very good saves today. He tracked pucks well and stayed concentrated throughout the game. Florian Bugl, who got the shutout in net for Salzburg, came up with some impressive saves from time to time. Overall he didn’t face nearly as many high danger shots as Lampinen, though.