Matson was a forward who gained more and more confidence as the tournament went along, eventually showcasing his dangerous combination of size, speed and shooting ability to be a constant threat off the rush for this Bishop Kearney team. He had some of his most dangerous scoring chances when he was able to build up speed through the neutral zone, drive down the wing and challenge goal-tenders with his powerful and accurate release in motion. He was able to display an impressive finishing touch from around the net, not only capitalizing off the rush but connecting on one-timers and shots from in tight that made their way past opposing netminders thanks to his determination to get into the dangerous areas of the offensive zone while away the puck and putting himself in position to capitalize on his chances when the opportunity arises.

A powerful forward, Robert Matson at his best used his size and frame to create space in the offensive zone by overpowering defenders, utilizing the reach and puck skills to make plays around bodies, along with execute from in tight to the net. He was another one of the better players the camp regarding dropping the shoulder and driving the middle lane. He covers plenty of ice with his long stride, giving defenders a tough time when it came to slowing him down once he made a decision to cut into the middle and drive the net. He played with the puck on his stick plenty throughout the camp because of these puck possession skills, ultimately opening up lanes for others, and facilitating play from both the perimeter, along with from between the dots as he would on occasion slip through a seam, create a give-and-go scenario, and find a bit of ice to fire a shot on net from the slot. He excelled in some chaotic moments during the camp as well, bobbling pucks, errant passes, rebound scrambles; he was able to settle pucks down and or get to them first, once again using that powerful frame and soft hands to make the most of an ugly situation.

Putting together another game where he leaned into his power-forward characteristics, Robert Matson bulldozed, and crashed his way into the middle lane on numerous occasions, overpowering defenders, protecting the puck with some quick wide movements, all while staying strong on his feet. He seemed to really be making the effort to make plays from the middle of the ice. On multiple plays he either slipped into the middle of the ice upon entering the zone, curled the puck inwards around a stick and fired a puck on net. Or he would pivot his body upon entering the zone, face his back to the defenders as he slipped into the slot, and used himself as a nice bumper to hit trailing teammates with passes. When things got ugly and Matson had a little less control, he was able to make the most of broken plays and bouncing pucks, once more getting shots on net through traffic. He ended up scoring the 2-2 tying goal, barreling his way through the defensemen off the center ice draw to start the second half, corralling the puck, and wired a shot through the goalie. A nice reward for all his hard work, taking physical abuse, and playing from the dirty areas of the ice.

I really liked the way Robert Matson played in this, especially in contrast to the previous viewings I had of him earlier in the camp. In this one he made great use of his size and fluid edgework, carving out space in the offensive zone with a strong, powerful stride, mixing it with quick moves around sticks, all whilst maintaining a high level of speed as he danced around obstacles. He had a nice play early in the game where he bulldozed his way into the slot, and then chipped a puck to the top of the circle to a teammate for a nice scoring chance. Another one of his better-looking chances came via at the end of a strong stream of possession, he made a nice heel-to-heel pivot around a man high in the zone, quickly stepped into the middle lane, and walked straight down the slot for a nice shooting chance. For the majority of the game his strong on-puck game, shielding and swerving around opponents, didn’t result in too many high-end chances, but he did drive plenty of possession for Team Orange, allowing strong bursts of offensive zone time. As a whole, the athletic frame Matson owns, in combination with good hands and nimble edgework make him a fun player to watch, displaying some good projectable habits in tight spaces and on occasion, from within the high-danger areas of the offensive zone.

The final member of the three-headed-dragon of the BK Selects that really kept pushing for offense and chances, Robert Matson picked up a goal in this one and was awfully close to a few more. Scoring the 2-1 goal off a clean look at the net, he got his wrister off quickly and fluidity before the goaltender could adapt to the puck popping off his blade. Later in the game he rang a shot off the crossbar in a similar play this time coming on the powerplay. His usage of his size, and display of edges was impressive working in tight quarters. Putting his back to the defender, absorbing pushes and shoves, whilst making inroads towards the net, and or pushing up ice, really drew in attention and opponents, opening up ice elsewhere for teammates. Finally, Matson’s defensive game was noticeable, backtracking hard with speed and effort, landing stick and body checks, he left no puck uncontested if it was within his reach.