What quickly drew my eyes to Anderson was the combination of size and skill that he used to be a prolific chance creator in transition. His heavy activity in transition play stemmed from his desire to push plays north whether that was as a puck handler, showing a good amount of finesse for his size to work his way past opponents and gain the zone with possession, or setting up chances off the rush by using quick reads to feed teammates driving down the middle lane of the ice. Another area where he excelled was at the net front in the offensive zone, both at even strength and the powerplay, where he used his big frame to take away the eyes of the goaltender and provide a screen for shooters but was also quick to react to second chance opportunities and jump onto loose pucks around the net.

One of a few players in the class who’ve begun to establish themselves as somewhat of a power forward, Cameron Anderson used a great blend of brute-force and fine finesse to impact the game on the offensive side of things, along with applying some pressure when away from the puck. On the forecheck he quickly would angle off puck carriers, connect on physical body checks, force the puck free, and be quick to drive the crease, overpowering opponents with some good edgework and power. Around the goalmouth he was consistently dominant, winning battles and getting to rebounds first, he was a handful to deal with from the dangerous areas of the ice. Some nice small area play complimented his strength nicely, slipping pucks through feet and sticks to connect on 3-4-5-foot passes to open teammates around the dots and hash marks, he had some nice set up plays as well.

On any given shift Cameron Anderson had the potential to be an absolute handful for his opponents due to his size, strength and skill and on a few shifts actuated his potential into reality. He was very strong on puck carriers, using his reach and quick hands to easily strip opponents of the puck. The single-limb strength and strength of his stick checks is a small detail to his game, but ultimately a highly effective element to how he is able to win so many battles. He scored the second goal of the game for his team, following up the forecheck and sifting into the slot all alone, a pass came his way, and he quickly shoveled the puck past the goaltender on his forehand in tight. He nearly tallied another point in the third period as he gave a defender trouble on the breakout, forcing the puck free he quickly sent a pass to the net to Jonathan Cygan for a great chance downlow. Around the crease he was a handful for defenders all game, impossible to move, operating as a great screen as well, he was a dangerous weapon for the Reapers as he battled for second-and-third chances.

Anderson had a great game and did an excellent job playing to his strengths. He was strong along the boards, consistently winning battles in the corners and helping set up plays in the offensive zone. His physicality really stood out, especially in net-front battles where he wasn’t afraid to take the puck to the crease and assert himself. Defensively, he was just as effective. He used his long reach to break up plays and win puck battles, showing great awareness and commitment in his own zone. He brought a solid, two-way presence and was a big part of his team’s success in all areas of the ice.

Another powerful skater on this Reapers squad, Anderson proved to be effective at using his frame and skating ability to drive into the middle of the offensive zone both on and off the puck. I thought his best moments in this game came from a couple of strong drives down the wing in transition where he displayed the ability to overpower defenders and force his way to the net for scoring chances or flash a bit of playmaking and slip pucks to cutting teammates down the middle. Away from the puck, he was often supporting teammates in transition and getting to the inside of the defence to look to capitalize on chances from in tight.

Scoring 2 goals in the victory, Cameron Anderson did a good job at shutting things down for his team, utilizing his size and strength to take away ice along with make some plays off of bouts of effective puck possession. He was able to make some good moves 1-on-1 on defenders as he carved his way into the ice, boxing them out with his long reach and wingspan as he leaned on opponents to initiate contact and create some room through physical play. Smooth as he pulled pucks across his body, swapping between playing on his forehand and backhand, it was tough time for opponents to get a stick in on him. His two goals both came as a result of empty netters, out there to defend the game late, he was at the right place at the right time to receive a pass giving him a lane to the empty net.

Below the goal line is where Anderson thrived in this game, by winning battles for the puck using his long reach and setting up teammates around the net. He made a great play on the 2-2 goal where he beat the defenseman to the puck behind the net and then wrapped the puck around to Chinlund who tapped it past the netminder. He followed up that shift by creating yet another chance by sending a puck from below the goal line to in front of the net, but it just missed his teammates stick. He almost tied the game up at 3 on the power play with a good opportunity on the back door but the puck unfortunately bounced awkwardly off his stick.

Cameron Anderson’s simple, but effective, and brute-force game made him one of the more notable players on the ice for his team in their victory. To kick things off he had a good look settling a bouncing puck around the crease, he fired a puck short side after battling with his stick to free up the space to collect the puck. Throughout the entire game he had put on a great display of creating chances as a result of forcing turnovers around the offensive zone and being quick to make a play as opposing defenders attempted to strip him back of the puck. His work in small areas allowed him to be an effective scoring and passing threat. His goal in this one came as a result of battling for ice in front of the net, being first to the rebound, and hooking the puck around the sprawling goaltender. He had a few other nice looks as he slipped away from coverage, battled through some physicality and stick work from opponents, and popped free open to catch passes and get sticks on pucks directed towards the crease. Overall, a solid game from the sizeable Anderson, using his size to get things done between the dots.