Spotlight: 4 Paul Postma

By: Tim Campbell Posted: 1:00 AM CST Friday, Feb. 8, 2013

HIS NUMBERS:

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/02/2013 (4712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HIS NUMBERS:

0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points, 0 PIMS, even.

HIS ICE TIME:

20 shifts for 16.58

First period

Six shifts in the first, two on the power play and Postma was fairly uneventful, never a bad thing for a defenceman. Postma did get credit for two blocked shots, one on Leafs’ Mark Fraser from the centre of the ice that could have turned into something dangerous had it gotten through.

Second period

Postma started off with a good shift, pinching wisely and forcing pressure in the Toronto zone. But disaster struck when he came out for the Jets’ first power play of the period. Trying to walk along the blue-line with the puck, Postma has his pocket picked by Toronto’s Tyler Bozak. Postma caught up to the Leaf enough to harass his breakaway but Bozak buried it for the short-handed goal.

Third period

A plus helped erase the second-period minus when defence partner Grant Clitsome sent a wrist shot that went all the way past Leafs goalie James Reimer at 3:46. Later in the period, when the Jets fell behind, coach Claude Noel showed enough faith in the rookie to pair him with Toby Enstrom for a shift, hoping to generate a shot or a chance or two.

WHAT WE LIKED:

Postma seems to be gaining confidence in different amounts each night, but he is moving his feet and he appears to be very aware during his play. It’s by no means a perfect process each night, but there’s no experience like baptism by fire.

WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE:

The second-period blunder is the obvious matter. More care with the puck, awareness of opposition threats in all areas on the ice, will grow.

SYNOPSIS:

Postma is a good skater, and that gives him much upside in the NHL. He doesn’t mind joining or even sometimes leading the rush, and gets caught too far up the ice the odd time, but his ability to read players — evident to different levels on different nights — is going to give him ice time and opportunities.

— Tim Campbell