Jonathan Lekkerimaki fires nine shots on net and scores his fourth goal in five games as Sweden scrapes by a scrappy Swiss side 3-2 in OT
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It’s a special edition of the prospects tracker, where we tally the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks’ prospects playing at the world junior championship tournament:
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Jonathan Lekkerimaki
He’s not done yet — and neither is his semifinal-bound team.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored his fourth goal in five games at the world juniors to help propel Sweden to a tough 3-2 overtime win over Switzerland in front of a capacity crowd at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg on Tuesday. The win earns the hosts a berth in the semifinal on Thursday against the Czechs, who shocked Canada 3-2 earlier in the day.
As we’ve seen throughout the tournament, Lekkerimaki was engaged from the drop of the puck, letting a hot shot rip on an early power play then moving the puck around later in the frame, setting up another shot, which was swallowed up by Swiss goaltender Alessio Beglieri.
Lekkerimaki, 19, found the back of the net on a late first period power play, with the 5-foot-11, 172-pound right shot winger firing a laser through the legs of defender Timo Bunzli, off the far-side post and in.
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Just … wow.
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The Huddinge product had three shots in the first period and three more in the second.
Early in the third period, Lekkerimaki fired a howitzer just wide on a power play, then had two more shots stopped on a late third period man-advantage, after a phantom slashing call by the IIHF referee.
Then in overtime, the Canucks prospect earned an assist on the game-winner, fired in from defenceman Axel Sandin Pellikka.
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Lekkerimaki finished the game with two points and nine shots on net in over 22 minutes of ice time.
You’d think it’d be enough for his first player of the game honours at this tournament, but captain Liam Ohgren, with his one assist, got the call.
Overall, Lekkerimaki is a different player than the one who struggled at last year’s showcase event.
The indecision is gone. So is the perimeter play.
Lekkerimaki is pestilent in his new approach, actively disrupting play with his stick and not shying away from contact. He’s also engaging opponents after whistles. There he was in the second period mucking it up with a Swiss defender after play was blown dead, then again later in the frame, crashing into the crease and taking shots from the goaltender, trying to get a call from the referees.
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Off the ice, the clock’s been set on Lekkerimaki’s arrival in the Lower Mainland, with GM Patrik Allvin, who is at the tournament, telling Swedish media on Monday that the sharpshooter is expected to play in Abbotsford next season.
Allvin, impressed by Lekkerimaki’s play so far, said the 2022 first rounder still has to get stronger and will need adapt his game to the smaller North American ice.
But what he’s seen so far from Lekkerimaki is certainly encouraging.
“It’s great to see Lekkerimaki in his third tournament take a big step and taking shots and being a leader on the team here,” Allvin told TSN on Tuesday.
“He’s had a good season here in Sweden. He’s been working hard this off-season … and we’re excited to see him in training camp. Once the season is over, we hope he’s going to go to Abbotsford and we’ll take it from there.”
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Lekkerimaki, who told the prospects tracker in September that he is “more explosive, faster and bigger” this season, will need to keep his head up and bear down defensively in the rough-and-tumble AHL to eventually become a Rick Tocchet prototype at the professional level.
Nils Hoglander’s done it, Vasily Podkolzin is doing it and Lekkerimaki — dripping with top-six potential — will be expected to follow suit.
Until then, the task at hand is a semifinal date with Czechia and a possible berth in Friday’s final.
USA and Finland will play in the other semifinal on Thursday.
Lekkerimaki has 4 goals, 3 assists and a His four goals are two back of USA forward Gavin Bridley, who has scored six this tournament.
Elias Pettersson
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From victim to victor.
After being on the ice for all of Finland’s four goals on Sunday, Elias Pettersson regained his defensive footing against Switzerland on Tuesday with a stabilizing effort.
That stability didn’t extent to his opponents, however, as the hard-hitting Canucks prospect sent a Swiss forward flying into the corner-boards midway through the first.
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The 2022 third-rounder was assertive early, calling for the puck at the point, taking a pass then wheeling it to his defence partner for a shot, tip, and an opening goal by Otto Stenberg just over a minute into the game.
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Pettersson, 19, collected a secondary assist on the play, his first point of the tournament.
The mobile 6-foot-4, 205-pound left-shot D-man was on ice for Switzerland’s first goal, though he wasn’t to blame. While taking his man in front of the net, an unchecked Swiss forward found space in the slot and wired a shot into the net to cut the lead to 2-1 late in the second period.
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Pettersson wasn’t on the ice for Switzerland’s tying goal midway through the third period, which quieted the capacity crowd at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg. Hearts were further aflutter when the hosts took a too-many-men penalty with eight minutes left and had to fight off the man-advantage.
Pettersson was also on the ice in the final minute of the third period, and finished the game with an assist and an even rating in just over 19 minutes of ice time.
We’ve seen a lot of EP2 this tournament, and we’ll see a lot more of him in Abbotsford once his season is done in Sweden, Allvin said.
Pettersson plays for his hometown team Vasteras, which is in sixth place in the second-tier circuit and almost certain to play in the post-season.
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Last year’s Allsvenskan final was on May 13 and featured Lekkerimaki losing a Game 7 promotion bid with Djurgardens against Modo, the Sedin twins’ Alma Mater — so a deep run for Vasteras would mean no game action for Pettersson in the AHL this season.
Allvin said Pettersson “has been a steady presence on the back end” for Sweden and likes his size, strength and mobility.
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The organization wants Pettersson to get used to the smaller ice in North America and get acclimatized to Abbotsford as soon as possible.
Tom Willander
It’s the little things that add up to Tom Willander’s big game.
Positional awareness to calm a flurry in front. A quick stick to stifle a developing play. A seeing-eye pass to send the puck the other way.
Willander was rock solid once again against Switzerland, playing on the second defensive pairing and posting an even rating in just over 19 minutes of ice time.
His highlights included a nice lead pass to Liam Ohgren midway through the first period for a scoring chance; forcing an ill-advised pass later in the frame, which led to a Swiss penalty and Lekkerimaki’s goal; and leading a rush up the ice with five minutes left in a tense third period, skating into some open space and letting a dangerous shot fly.
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In the end, it was another game unscathed for the 6-foot-1, 179-pound right-shot defenceman — who has a plus-8 rating at the tournament and hasn’t been on the ice for a goal against.
Willander, the Canucks’ 11th-overall pick at this past summer’s draft, also has a goal and assist in five games played.
Allvin said the world juniors is a great opportunity for Willander — who currently stars for Boston University — to come home to Sweden and play in front of his home fans. But it will still be at least a couple of years before Vancouver fans can watch Willander play in their own backyard.
The plan for Willander is a slow burn: let the 18-year-old cook at BU this season and next — then take it from there. There’s the possibility that Terriers defenceman and Team USA star Lane Hutson (MON, 2022, Rd. 2) will turn professional next season, giving Willander the reins to the NCAA’s No. 2-ranked team’s defence.
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Willander has three goals, five assists and a plus-13 rating in 15 games at BU this season, his first in North America.
Elsewhere: Defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz (2023, Rd. 3) notched his 51st assist of the OHL season for Kitchener on Monday, in a 3-2 win over the Oshawa Generals. Brzustewicz, 19, continues to lead the league with 58 points, two before undrafted teammate Matthew Sop.
mraptis@postmedia.com
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