If you want to talk about a two-way player, Andrew Horn is exactly that. Capable of playing both the forward position, as well as the defensive position, Horn is well versed at both ends of the rink and the experience in either position helps him when he is playing away from the opposite position on any given game. Able to predict and read what his defenders will do with the puck gives Horn great synergy with his teammates as he is familiar with the defensemen’s mindset, enabling him to be a perfect “out” for breakout passes and such. When playing defense, Horn channels his skills on forward to be a dynamic offensive d-man; walking the line as if it’s a tightrope with little quarrels, Horn is extremely poised with the puck and has terrific backward agility that lets him freeze up forwards manning him at the point and change the angles to his shots and passes.

Andrew Horn logged big minutes for the Mission and was unbelievably successful when he was on the ice. Horn did just about everything right to maintain puck possession and sustain pressure on his opposition. He had well-timed pinches from the blueline to keep possession and made smart passes that kept the cycle going. Horn’s wrister from the point found its way through bodies, generating scrums in front and creating rebounds. Defensively his stickwork and usage of the body to create turnovers were exceptional. Delivering checks, creating a turnover, and quickly moving the puck up ice is what helped contribute to Horn’s magnificent 5v5 underlying numbers.

Andrew Horn has played both forward and defense previously, in this game he was on the blueline and knowing his history as a player, it makes sense and comes as no surprise as to why he boasted a strong two-way game. His positioning in the defensive zone was very good, protecting the slot with an active stick, it was difficult for the Saints to get passes through when Horn was around. He engaged himself physically with strong play along the boards, using his size and strength to separate puck and player. In the offensive zone it can be unfair at times having Horn out there, as he is quite literally another forward and is just as capable offensively as the 3 forwards out there; as a result, he has strong offensive awareness and makes quick plays under pressure. Horn scored 1 goal today, the 6th of the game matter of fact, with a heavy slapper from the blueline that the goalie likely didn’t even see due to the traffic in front of the net.

A skillful puck handler, Andrew Horn was able to support Chicago’s efforts throughout this game by minimizing time stuck in the defensive zone. He showed a knack for making a good long-range pass to help the team efficiently exit the defensive zone. Once offensive zone possession was achieved, Horn continued to support the play by showing a high level of composure under pressure, handling the puck neatly along the blueline and taking his time to find his teammates in opportunistic positions. Occasionally his comfort and confidence with the puck led him to cut things a bit close – although his puck skill proved evasive enough for this game, he tends to overexpose the puck to his opponents and didnt show that he could pull away quite quick enough with his feet in cases where things got ugly.