Leave it to Montreal heralded teenage prospects to guide Austria to a key qualifying victory last Saturday.
Vinny Rohrer and David Reinbacher scored both of Austria’s goals Saturday in a 2-1 victory versus Slovenia in a friendly match on August 26 as both teams prepared for the Olympic qualifying tournament.
Montreal’s co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov has long asserted that Reinbacher’s offensive potential has been underestimated. Judging by the way he was utilized in the qualifier, his Austrian coaches feel the same way. Reinbacher led Austria’s eight blueliners with 18:17 of ice time, including 3:53 on the power play.
Austria is no hockey powerhouse or it wouldn’t be participating in a qualifying event but Reinbacher being relied upon so heavily in a pivotal international game at the age of 19 is notable. He had a stellar performance at both ends of the ice. Three shots on goal, 112 puck touches, four blocked shots, nine takeaways and several terrific outlet passes.
In the four-plus months since his last game, Reinbacher clearly kept working on his skating. He was flying in this game. His puck retrievals were superb and he skated away from danger in his own end effortlessly. He also joined the rush and breezed past players on both teams with his long, powerful stride.
A couple of his outlet passes were a bit off the mark but all of them cleared the zone. He had no defensive zone giveaways, and several of his stretch passes were outstanding, with one resulting in a breakaway opportunity.
Reinbacher’s lack of production in Kloten last season was more a product of a bad team than any regression in Reinbacher’s offensive skills. When he joined Laval last March he had no issue with joining the rush, entering the offensive zone with the puck, or jumping into the slot for a scoring opportunity. It was the same thing versus Slovenia – Reinbacher was confident and aggressive offensively throughout the contest.
Look for a significant jump in Reinbacher’s offensive numbers this season. Laval promises to have a much better cast than Kloten, and Reinbacher looked comfortable from Day 1 when he arrived last season.
Rohrer played only 11 minutes for Austria versus Slovenia but look for that to change in the future. Rohrer was a factor in all three zones from his opening shift until his last, and it was fitting that he scored the game-winning goal as no Austrian forward was better.
Rohrer must have been diligent in his offseason strength training. His skating has taken a significant jump in the past 12 months, and he’s starting to win more puck battles. The smarts and the work ethic have always been there. What’s been needed is some additional muscle, and he’s getting there in a hurry.
Rohrer was relentless on the forecheck, disrupting opposing defenders and causing quick passes and turnovers throughout the match. He intercepted a pass ten seconds into his first shift ten feet from the opposing goalie and came close to scoring.
His speed was a factor with and without the puck, and he drew a penalty with 13:17 left in the third by beating a defender to the outside and then powering to the net.
Reinbacher and Rohrer were standouts in this game and the main reason why Austria prevailed. If Austria qualifies for the Olympics, expect both to play key roles in the tournament.
