Original text in French:
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/hockey/200811/15/01-800991-un-nouveau-david-fischer.php
Mathias Brunet
La Presse
"The new David Fisher"
Nov 15 2008 at 09h25
Updated on Nov 15th 2008 at 09h30
Some second-guessed Timmins after Price failed to make the Canadian junior team in 2005-06 or after the organisation sent Andreï Kostotsyn back to Hamilton in November 2006.
Another Canadiens' first round pick (2006; 20th overall) is on the verge of proving Timmins' doubters wrong.
Fisher was average at best during his first two seasons with the Minnesota Gophers (WCHA) but thus far this 6'4" right handed D is making the most out of his 3rd season in the WCHA.
+He collected 7 points during his first 7 games played (a plus/minus of 8; the best among Gophers' Ds), Minnesota ranks 2nd nation wide with a 5-0-2 record and coach Don Lucia is delighted by his play.
"He is one of our core players" says Don Lucia on the phone. "David is having an extraordinary start. He took his game up a notch. He is stronger, he is now at 200 pounds; I use him during the PPs, the PKs, 4/4, against our opponents' best players and he is one of the guys I rely on when we have a small lead to protect late in the game."
After only 7 game splayed, Fisher is only 7 points shy of his best production in the WCHA. He is also playing with more confidence in his own end: " Last season, maybe we asked too much of him. We had no choice though: with the departures of Erik Johnson (LA) and Alexander Goligoski (PIT), Fisher was the next in line for top pairing duties. It was only his second season and the ideal scenario would have been to use him on our second pairing. That being said, he gained some valuable experience and it goes a long way into explaining his current success."
Former Gophers' assistant coach Mark Guentzel (he quit the team last spring; apparently his relation with Lucia was not good) often compared Fisher with Paul Martin, the NJ Devils #1 D, who once was a Gophers too.
Lucia somewhat agree with Guentzel: "They play a similar game in the sense that both are relying more on their sticks (instead of their bodies) to counter the opponents but Paul Martin is a little bit different. David is taller, he has a long reach and he uses it effectively. He moves the puck well but at this stage in his career, he is not doing it as well as Martin; in terms of moving the puck, Martin is in a class of his own. However David really has a better vision and he greatly improved his reaction time when come the time to make a pass: he had a tendency to hold on to the puck for too long."
There is no doubt in Lucia's mind: Fisher will play in the NH: "Yes, I see a NHL player in him. He is not there yet; I even think he will not reach his physical maturity before the age of 25. As soon as he reaches 220 pounds (he is 6'4"), he will be ready to be used in all the game situations."
Trevor Timmins is happy with this young man progression: "Our scout Pat Westrum saw him 3-4 times thus far this season and he based on his report, I can say that Fisher is currently playing the best hockey of his career." Timmins is on his way to the Mid-West to see Fisher and McDonagh into action. "We are finally seeing the player we saw in high school. I always preached patience."
Will the Tricolore let Fisher play another season in the WCHA in 2009-10? "We will see in March. Will he be ready to have an impact in the AHL? He is in control of his own destiny."
[/url]
