ARLINGTON, Mass. — Given that the game started at 7:30 a.m. due to the impending snowstorm, one could forgive Canton defenseman Teddy Shuman for still having sleep in his eyes.
That was not the case.
The senior's vision was at its best when he had the puck at the point halfway through the third period of a tied game. As the Reading forward came to pressure him, rather than throw it back down low, he saw Kellen Labanara, his D partner, wide-open, sneaking down the right flank.
Shuman hit Labanara with a perfect pass, and Labanara did the rest, firing a shot past Reading goalie J.T. Coyne. It proved to be the winner, as Canton held on for the 2-1 win over Reading in the first round of the Ed Burns Tournament.
Canton started the scoring early when James Howard fired a shot past Coyne off the rush midway through the first period.
It took until the second half of the second period for Reading's offense to hit its stride. But when the Rockets found their game, it was junior forward Kamden Greatorex scoring to make it 1-1 with 5:05 left in the middle frame.
The play started when senior forward Jack Melly entered the offensive zone in a 3-on-1 and got a shot off that was stopped by Canton goalie Matt Wright. The Rockets, however, got fortunate when the rebound popped out to Greatorex, who was crashing the net.
Reading pushed hard in the final moments, but couldn't finish a chance.
This was a big win for Canton, which is in an arms race with Tewksbury for the top spot in Division 2. The Bulldogs improved to 11-1-0, while Reading fell to 9-2-1.
Let's break down some standouts and takeaways.
Andrew Gillis
Canton, 2008, F, left shot
Gillis' hands and skills helped him earn scoring chances against Reading. In the first period, he dangled a defender to earn a high-danger chance. He almost scored again later in the frame on a shot from the high slot, but was robbed by Reading goalie J.T. Coyne. Gillis' closest chance to a goal came early in the third period when he stick-handled to the low slot. His shot snuck through Coyne's legs, but trickled past the far post. Gillis was a large part of Canton's top line with Ryan Elrick and Joey Ryan. That trio dominated when they hit the ice, which was quite a bit.
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James Howard
Canton, 2008, F, left shotÂ
Howard notched Canton's first goal against Reading on a quick shot off the rush that snuck through Coyne. He always seemed to be in the right spot in the offensive zone and had good hands and vision. Howard was vital as an impactful depth forward after Canton's top line.
Kellen Labanara
Canton, 11/15/2009, D, right shot
Hometown: Canton, Mass.Â
Labanara turned it up in the third period against Reading. The '09 scored on a heads-up play to get open on the weakside and showcased a great release and finish, potting the eventual winner. His phenomenal skating helped him all game, as he got up ice quickly and was able to successfully rush pucks. That great skating also helped him get back quickly on puck retrievals.
Teddy Shuman
Canton, 2/12/2008, D, left shot, 6-0/165
Hometown: Canton, Mass.Â
Shuman was hugely effective for Canton. The pass to Labanara for the goal was outstanding, showing a high level of awareness and vision. On breakouts, Shuman was calm with pucks and didn't panic when pressured, often getting to open space. He defended the high-danger areas in his own zone well, too.
Nate Vitarisi
Reading, 2008, D, right shot, 5-11/175
Hometown: Reading, Mass.Â
Vitarisi was used constantly in all situations by head coach Mark Doherty. His shot from the point is legit, as he gets it off hard and quickly. He maintained great gap control when defending the rush and used smart stick positioning to contest and negate chances. He also never missed a chance to finish a hit.
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Takeaways
- Canton's breakouts were clean. The Bulldogs mostly didn't panic with pucks, utilizing the weak side as a pressure release valve. When Reading forechecked hard, the Canton defenseman behind the net would often hit the strong side wing with a first pass. Then, when the Rockets crashed on that wing, the wing had no problem passing the puck across the zone to the weak-side defensemen flying up into the rush. There's no question that the Bulldogs have the personnel to execute successful zone exits.
- While Coyne was on the losing end for Reading, he kept the Rockets in the game. His save on Gillis in the first period kept the Rockets only down one. He made two in-tight saves on Canton senior forward Cullen O'Brien early in the second period as well.
- There's no doubt that Canton is a top-10 team in the state. The Bulldogs have a dominant top line and a strong core on defense. They are unafraid to make plays and potentially make mistakes. They fell out for Tewksbury in my top 10 this week. As of Sunday afternoon, they should both be in my rankings.
- That 7:30 a.m. start brought me back to the Mite days. Rolling into Dunkin' and being the only ones in there, empty roads, that first gust of cold outside air and cold rink air being the jolts to wake you up. It was a cool dose of nostalgia.
