A good defensive disposition was one of the really impactful elements of Sam Spehar’s performance in this game. His eagerness to engage with the opposing puck carriers in his own zone enabled him to create turnovers and quickly punt them out of his own zone. His offensive efforts often seemed to focus on making last-second dekes and adjustments to move the puck through or around his opponents. I found that he was a bit stop-and-go in this respect, and that he tended to end up in situations where the pressure could quickly close in on him. I think working on his skating will help him a bit in this respect. His feet are quite quick, but I find that because he limits the length of his stride he often has trouble really burning past his opponents, and rather has to segment his attack a bit.

Appearing to be the true driver of offense for his line on many occasions, Sam Spehar proved to be effective by using quickness, agility, adaptivity and momentum to push defenders back on their heels creating space for himself to enter the offensive zone as well as his teammates to follow along as outlets. Additionally, Spehar is very poised with the puck even while confronted by defensive pressure along the boards or otherwise. He exhibits strong quarterback-like tendencies that enable him to orchestrate plays for his entire team while playing in the offensive zone, using his position to manipulate defenders and expose the gaps that are left in their wake.

The continual offensive support provided by Samuel Spehar may have gone unnoticed by some, however, by our account it was his performance of skill, composure and vision that kickstarted the comeback of Team Red from a 4-1 deficit. Spehar exhibited the selfless, quarterback-like tendencies that were required by his team to help them find the confidence for their impressive run. As with almost every forward at this event, he has the ability to carry the puck smoothly with speed through open ice, but it was what others seemed too energetic to accomplish that set him apart from the group. Despite a continual barrage of pressure, Spehar maintained an awareness of his outlets in the offensive zone by continually scanning and navigating the congested ice. He regularly drove pucks into the middle of the ice, and created chemistry between himself and a couple of the equally shifty Team Redforwards to mount what truly was an exceptional comeback.