More conservative Jacob Markstrom named CCM AHL Player of the Week
Jacob Markstrom made a great impression – on and off the ice – during a recent trip to Abbotsford, and was named CCM AHL Player of the Week a short while later (Photo by Clint Trahan).
Evidently we weren’t the only ones impressed by Markstrom’s play.
The Florida Panthers’ top prospect was named CCM AHL Player of the Week after extending his personal winning streak to six games with another couple of wins over the offensively loaded Oklahoma City Barons over the weekend. His week ended with four wins, no losses, one shutout and just seven goals on 137 shots for a save percentage of .949 and goals-against average of 1.75.
Markstrom was San Antonio’s best player and the biggest reason they beat the Heat with InGoal watching, making 15 of his 32 saves in the third period and overtime of the first game, and another 36 for his first shutout of the season the next night.
Perhaps more impressive is how the 22-year-old has is combining his incredibly athletic 6-foot-6 frame with more conservative positioning, using his size more effectively without losing the reactive element that made him one of the world’s top goaltending prospects. Markstrom relied too often on that athletic element during his first season in North America, but began the transition to a slightly more neutralized approach during an impressive second season. And while the results haven’t always been there during his third season behind a below-average San Antonio squad, it looked like he’s found a good mix in Abbotsford.
Jacob Markstrom is trying to mix a more conservative positional approach with his innate athleticism – without thinking too much about it (Photo by Clint Trahan)
Look for a more in-depth feature on Markstrom’s ongoing development in the February issue of InGoal Magazine.
