Canucks prospects on the World Juniors: Lekkerimaki scores twice to open event

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It’s a particular version of the prospects tracker, the place we tally up the efforts of the Vancouver Canucks’ prospects enjoying on the world junior event:

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Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Strain? What strain?

A world junior event on residence ice. An 11-year championship drought because the favoured host nation.

And a necessity for one Canucks prospect to point out he’s a special participant at this yr’s showcase occasion.

From the onset of Sweden’s decisive 6-0 win over Latvia, Jonathan Lekkerimaki was locked and loaded, scoring twice and topping his complete aim output ultimately yr’s event.

Skating on the primary line and the primary energy play unit, Lekkerimaki was given each alternative to succeed — and the Canucks’ 2022 first-rounder took the cue, though it took him a while to rein in his explosive shot.

Lekkerimaki got here out swinging on Boxing Day in Gothenburg, unloading shot after shot on the Latvian aim, however largely putting glass as an alternative of the web within the first interval.

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However the 19-year-old discovered his vary throughout a second interval energy play, circling into the excessive slot and letting his patented wrister fly previous the blocker of goaltender Deivs Rolovs.

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The 5-foot-11, 172-pound right-shot winger, who described himself as “extra explosive, quicker and larger” this season in comparison with final yr — the place he scored solely as soon as in seven video games in a disappointing WJC — had simply drawn a penalty after pushing again towards an agitated Latvian defender.

In truth, Lekkerimaki’s chippiness was evident early on, with the Huddinge product throwing the physique within the nook early within the first interval. There was additionally a profitable stick elevate or two on defence, jockeying for higher place by utilizing the physique and a dedication to play his talent sport between the faceoff dots.

However on the finish of the day, Lekkerimaki is a talent participant — and that talent continued to shine via 5 minutes into the third, with the shifty ahead dangling his well beyond a Latvian defender earlier than getting checked as he tried to launch one other shot on aim.

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Lekkerimaki then blasted a clear one-timer on aim with a pair minutes left within the sport, however was stopped by Rolovs.

The Latvian goaltender couldn’t corral his subsequent shot, with Lekky scoring five-hole on a heavy shot with six minutes left to place Sweden up 6-0.

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Except for Lekkerimaki’s two targets, different Swedish scorers included Felix Unger Sorum (CAR, 2023, Rd. 2), Anton Walhberg (BUF, 2023, Rd. 2) and Filip Bystedt (SJ, 2023, Rd 1), who additionally scored twice.

Lekkerimaki completed the sport with a team-high 5 photographs on aim and a plus-1 ranking in over 14 minutes of ice time.

In different Group A motion on Tuesday, Nate Danielson had a aim and an help as Canada defeated Finland 5-2.

Sweden subsequent performs Germany on Thursday.

Elias Pettersson

We had been a bit of anxious on the place he’d slot in on a powerful Swedish blue-line.

Boy had been we incorrect.

Elias Pettersson led the workforce in shifts (27) and ice time (21:07) as a significant penalty to defenceman Elias Salomonsson within the first minute of the sport meant elevated minutes for Pettersson, who began the sport on the left aspect of the third pairing.

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The arrogance Swedish head coach Magnus Havelid confirmed within the Canucks’ 2022 third-rounder was reciprocated on the ice, with Pettersson enjoying a forceful sport, crunching a Latvian ahead early within the sport on the penalty kill, then laying the lumber on a ahead within the slot after a whistle.

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Pettersson, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound left-shot D-man, performed a heavy sport all evening, even when he got here out on the incorrect aspect of successful.

Halfway via the third interval, the 19-year-old stepped as much as crush 6-foot-2 Kristofer Krumins, however appeared extra like Kris Kringle in bouncing off the Latvian ahead.

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Except for the bodily play, EP2 was accountable with the puck, shifting it the place it ought to go, and his easy stride stood out on just a few events with the massive defender capable of shut gaps a get himself again into the play after an offensive foray.

Pettersson, who additionally featured on the second penalty kill unit, completed the sport with an excellent ranking and two photographs on aim.

Pettersson was sharp on the ice, however off of it, he was something however in a latest spherical of trivia with prime teammates, together with Lekkerimaki.

EP2 went an astounding 1-for-8, and will have peeved off the Sedin twins within the course of, on a query of which pair of brothers led Sweden to WJC gold in 1981.

‘Sedin’, Pettersson wrote on his whiteboard, with a clean expression on his face.

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“Bro, they didn’t play in 1981,” stated Sandin Pellikka, cracking up the group.

“Sure they may have! They had been three years previous,” replied Pettersson, earlier than asking the movie crew to chop the scene.

Lekkerimaki might solely look on in disbelief.

“They’re going to butcher me,” Pettersson concluded.

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For those who’re conserving the rating at residence, Lekkerimaki went 4-for-8 whereas Sandin Pellikka answered six questions accurately.

Tom Willander

We knew EP2 can hit like a truck.

Who knew Tom Willander might do the identical?

The Canucks’ Eleventh-overall decide at this previous summer time’s draft introduced his arrival at this yr’s event late within the first interval, dropping Latvian ahead Emils Vickaktins within the impartial zone with a bone-crunching hit — the most important show of truculence on the evening.

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It was a powerful general displaying from the 18-year-old, regardless of some uneven play halfway via the primary interval, with Willander hacking a puck towards his aim beneath strain then failing to dump the puck in deep later within the shift.

Willander, who skated on the second defensive pairing and first penalty kill unit, was in any other case positionally sound, assured with the puck and performed so much, skating for over 19 minutes — two minutes greater than Sweden’s No. 1 D-man Axel Sandin Pellikka.

Willander completed the sport a plus-2 with no photographs on aim.

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