With a nice combination of size and speed, Sam Pandolfo made himself known with some strong play away from the puck, that ultimately led him to be in possession of it, forming counterattacks in transition, and being a sound complimentary player on several offensive sequences. I found his work under pressure and in tight areas such as deep in the corners, or in the high slot, was some of his best work, slipping passes through seams and lanes to teammates, shaking off checkers with good balance and strength, along with having the composure to pull pucks through traffic and make a play out of it. No particular play was an incredibly high-end display of puck protection, but several simple plays working around a body-or-two when pressed helped him keep play alive for his team. When working with some more space in open ice he was able to corral bouncing pucks and transition it into a shooting opportunity, taking tricky passes and making something of it. Circling back to his play without the puck, he did a great job getting in lanes, landing stick checks, and intercepting passes. He covered the middle of the ice well, covered for pinching teammates, and as a whole was positionally sound across all 3 zones, both when his team did, and didn’t have possession.

Pandolfo was another forward that was a great player to have on your line in this tournament. Pandolfo was a force on the ice, he has some size on him and he was not afraid to use it in this tournament. Pandolfo was highly aggressive in these games, consistently making his presence felt. Whether it was him getting in hard on the forecheck or dominating puck battles along the boards, he confidently utilized his size to his advantage. Pandolfo was also a key player on the first penalty kill unit, demonstrating strong responsibility in his own end. He was consistently relied upon for his defensive prowess, proving to be a crucial asset in the defensive zone. Pandolfo recorded only one assist in the tournament but demonstrated promise with his impressive passing in the offensive zone. Overall, while Pandolfo did not stand out offensively in this tournament, he showcased his strong two-way game and proved his reliability on the penalty kill.

An abundance of subtle yet effective puck touches and well-timed passing plays inside the offensive zone are what made Pandolfo the most impactful Boston skater for me. He was exceptional at shielding pucks low in the zone and slipping passes into the middle of the ice for teammates, setting up a handful of chances in the slot with his keen playmaking ability. Even in transition, I thought he made quick and effective touches to facilitate entries into the offensive zone and towards the end of the game with his team down, I liked his more aggressive approach with the puck as he flashed his power and skill to get into the inside of the ice more frequently and attack from more dangerous areas of the ice. His ability to not only make the right reads with the puck but to also execute them at a high clip allowed him to be a constant facilitator of offence for his team.

A tall and rangy forward who had some strong moments as a puck-carrier in transition. His best moment came early on in the game when he was able to pick up speed in the neutral zone with the puck, gain the offensive line and attack the middle of the ice before executing a downhill pass on his backhand that lead to a deflected shot on goal. He scored his team’s third and final goal of the game by receiving a pass at thee top of the circle off a faceoff and firing a quick shot through a screen that found its way into the back of the net.

Some good speed for the lanky and sizeable Sam Pandolfo, he’s always of note thanks to his ability to seemingly play any role and leave an impact whether he’s scoring or not. Firstly, he’s a very effective player from those dirty areas of the ice. The size obviously helps, but his soft puck touches tight to bodies allows him to possess the puck for that extra half-second needed to pull it to an area, and fire a shot on net through traffic. Another element of his game I found impressive was the combination of speed and playmaking ability off the rush. With a long reach and good momentum behind his step, I found it was difficult for defenders to manage the gap, as any aggressive play would result in a well-timed move by Pandolfo, extending the puck out of harms way, and then hooking it around his man to an open teammate. There wasn’t a ton in terms of playing with the puck on his stick, but he made the most of his moments.

Always in the fray of things on the offensive side of the puck, Pandolfo was apart some nice offensive sequences, distributing the puck, moving his feet, setting teammates up, along with firing shots of his own if the opportunity so happened to arise. The long limbs and stick coupled with some good edgework let him spin away from checkers in tight, buy himself some more time, and change the options at his disposal as he navigated the perimeter whilst placed under pressure. When put in a shooting position, or while attacking off the rush, his shot popped off his stick in short order, with some good power to it as well, a notable element to his game for sure. His best play of the game was connecting on a cross-ice pass up to Carter Meyer with speed, sending him on a breakaway as a result.

Like many of the Boston Jr. Eagles in this one, Sam Pandolfo was a valuable depth piece for his team in their victory over the Islanders Hockey Club, playing a strong physical game to compliment some of the speedier players on his team. He had a nice look early in the game showing off his shooting ability, catching and releasing a shot from close proximity, once again showing off the quick release and power to his shot. The rest of the game on the offensive side of the puck things were a bit quiet, but the intensity he played with laying bodychecks, forechecking defenders, and winning battles was tremendous. He has a good understanding of timing, leverage, and his own physical ability, he can box out opponents well, leave a scrum with the puck, and use his feet, size and range to protect the puck as he scans for options. A very projectable player in tight spaces.

In a game where Pandolfo’s linemates were flying around the ice, he quietly played a strong, sound game. He was constantly helping his teammates by joining board battles or putting himself in the right position to be a passing option. He was always around the net looking to make plays, which resulted in his first assist when he found Meyer slipping behind the Top Gun defense off a broken play, and his goal where he tapped in a loose puck in the crease on the power play. Down low in the offensive zone, he showcased his ability to make plays in tight spaces using his body to take contact and shield off opponents or using a quick set of hands to move around defenders. His level of awareness on the ice was just as impressive, especially on the sixth Jr. Eagle goal when he evaded two defenders in the slot before sending a cross ice pass to Meyer for a one-timer goal. Pandolfo was another complete player on a line that really dominated this game.

All tournament, Pandolfo excelled at read-and-react plays that occur deep in the offensive zone and this game wasn’t any different. He acted as a safety net for his wingers by always playing a step ahead, anticipating outcomes and placing himself in the right position on the ice. He managed to score a goal off an incredible pass from Meyer where he slightly backed off the defenseman to separate himself, received the puck in open space and buried it into the wide-open net. He controlled plays along the boards, shielding defenders and slipping passes through unsuspecting Kings players to set up some scoring chances and he was aggressive when attacking the net, using his strength and his big frame to push opponents off loose pucks.

Sam Pandolfo was one of the first names that caught my eye in this one, one of many quick and powerful forwards this Boston Jr. Eagles team has to offer. Instantly I was able to notice his quick footwork and hands in sync slipping away from checkers off the half-wall and in the corners, making strong in-roads to the net and the middle-slot. His vision and reaction to the play was also a strength. When pressured and stepped up on by defenders and checkers he was quick to move the puck, make adjustments to the pucks positioning relative to his body, and slipping off quick passes to open teammates around the offensive zone. As a whole the mixture of size, explosiveness to his step to create some separation, and puck skills allowed him to create plenty of space for himself and others.