After a viewing of Kosiba earlier in the week I was very pleasantly surprised with his all-around performance in this game. He used an element of intimidation and size to force a turnover in mid ice after Menard got hit high – When the puck popped loose he showed good flexibility and athleticism to help him identify and recover the puck before building some speed and heading in with a united front of his line. Under the circumstances I might’ve expected him to have some tunnel vision but he actually kept his head up well and make a quick short-range pass to Menard in the middle. This play demonstrated good presence of mind in under high pressure circumstances. I often felt that the puck was very secure on his stick – he has a wide stance and is able to carry the puck far enough from his body to keep it out of harms way but maintains a firm grip and guarded, yet relaxed posture. His puck control in this game was practical and effective, using his reach when required but reigning the puck in for more control and security otherwise. His longer reach is particularly effective in attaining advantageous passing angles around defenders to feed the puck to the middle of the ice very effectively, and in spite of high traffic.

When you think of a player who is purely offensive, guys like Nicholas Kosiba are probably what come to mind. To say he has a tendency to get a bit ahead of the play would be a slight understatement. While the forward can be guilty of jumping the gun on the breakout, or stretching his defensemen out unnecessarily, there’s no question that his style of play drives offensive results. At the end of the second period, Kosiba nearly had Little Caesars on the board on a quick shot he stuffed 5-hole after the buzzer. Additionally, his movement ahead of the play encourages forward momentum from his linemates and often gets the puck moving into the offensive zone. With the puck he shows good skill and tendencies to share the puck in order to maximize opportunity. While there is a lot to like about Kosiba when possession can be sustained in the offensive zone, there’s undoubtedly some concern about the cost of getting there.