On Friday night in Penticton, a team vaguely resembling the Vancouver Canucks handily defeated a team that bore a loose similarity to the Edmonton Oilers.
The annual Young Stars Classic is a sign that Canucks hockey is right around the corner and Friday night’s game gave Canucks fans a chance to warm up their hockey-watching skills, as if it was a training camp for the eyes.
And those eyes got a workout.
The Canucks’ prospects were all over the Oilers’ prospects right from the opening puck drop, perhaps because of the advantage in AHL experience the Vancouverites had over the Edmontonians. If not for a yeoman’s effort by Oilers goaltender Nathaniel Day, the Canucks could have run away with this game. As it is, the Canucks’ prospects still had no issues dispatching the Oilers’ prospects 2-0.
"I was impressed with the execution of what we've gone over the last couple of days," said Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra. "Some really good work by our defenders killing plays early and not allowing them to establish any type of O-zone."
But the result of the game is not the point at the Young Stars Classic. There are no points in the standings on the line and no trophy at stake. Instead, this is a chance for players to prove themselves to the Canucks’ coaching staff and management.
Some players will be looking for a strong performance as they head into main training camp in hopes of making the Canucks’ NHL roster out of camp or at least put themselves in line for an early call-up. Others will be aiming to show that they’ve listened to the feedback they’ve received from the Canucks’ development staff before they head back to junior hockey, with eyes toward earning an NHL contract.
So, who stood out for the Canucks on Friday night? Let’s hand out the Young Stars Three Stars:
3 | Nikita Tolopilo
He may not have had the busiest night in net, but Nikita Tolopilo deserves credit for posting a shutout in his first game action after the summer break. Tolopilo stopped all 21 shots he faced
The big netminder looked every bit the Ian Clark protege with his steady play, rarely having to extend himself to make big saves. Instead, he consistently found himself in the right spot to make saves look easy.
"He played a really simple game — made himself big," said Malhotra. "In terms of his puck handling, he made things a lot easier for us as we went back for pucks, just alleviating some pressure."
His rebound control was excellent as well and, the one time it wasn’t, he got the benefit of a quick whistle from the referees after coming up with a point-blank save.
With Arturs Silovs presumably going to be in Vancouver backing up Thatcher Demko, Tolopilo ought to be the starter in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. This was a nice start for him to build his confidence heading into the season.
Also, his new pads this season look really good. I’m a fan.
2 | Max Sasson
The Canucks believe that Max Sasson has NHL upside and he showed it with a top-tier performance in his first game at the Young Stars Classic.
With the caveat that Sasson is 24 — definitely on the older end of the prospects in Penticton — he stood out with his speed all game. He came flying down the right wing late in the first period, then drove to the net for a chance but was turned aside by Day.
Sasson made the most of his next scoring chance early in the second period. He kept the puck on a 2-on-1 and his initial shot was again stopped but this time he found the rebound and tucked it in to open the scoring.
Add in some solid two-way play and a role in the penalty kill’s clean sheet and it was exactly the type of start he needed as he aims to turn some heads at main training camp next week.
1 | Jonathan Lekkerimäki
Right from the opening minute, Jonathan Lekkerimäki was all over the offensive zone for the Canucks. Less than twenty seconds in, the Canucks’ top prospect swooped in to win a puck down low, circled up higher and fired the puck cross-ice to a pinching Kirill Kudryavtsev for a scoring chance chance.
A couple of minutes later, he tipped an Arshdeep Bains backdoor feed off the post, coming inches away from the opening goal. Then he had another grade-A chance two shifts later, getting open in the slot for a centring feed but Oilers goaltender Nathaniel Day kicked his shot aside.
He wasn’t done. With six minutes left, Lekkerimäki danced around Oilers invite Frankie Marelli but got knocked off stride and sent his shot just wide.
That’s three fantastic chances in the first period alone.
"Some of his offensive touches playing with Bainsy and Räts were elite," said Malhotra. "He got out of some sticky situations, created some really quality looks. I was impressed with his first showing here."
Lekkerimäki had more chances in the second. He was robbed on another Räty setup in front, then hammering a one-timer that Day got across to stop. His best chance of all, however, came in the third period, as he hit yet another post.
It was a smart play by Lekkerimäki, as he anticipated the bank pass and snuck behind his defender to get in alone, then ripped the quick shot past Nathaniel Day only to find iron instead of the back of the net. The puck nearly banked in off Day’s back too but no such luck.
He may not have factored into the scoring but this was an outstanding performance by Lekkerimäki and exactly what you want to see from your top prospect. He should stand out like this at a prospect tournament.
Honourable Mentions and Loose Notes
- Lekkerimäki’s spot on top of the Young Stars Three Stars could be shared with his linemates, Aatu Räty and Arshdeep Bains. That trio repeatedly hemmed the Oilers into the defensive zone and created chance after chance. All three could have landed in the Three Stars but I wanted to share the love around.
- Given the chance to set up a sniper like Lekkerimäki, Räty’s vision and playmaking were able to shine. Lekkerimäki knows how to find soft ice and it must have been heavenly for Räty, who repeatedly put the puck on his stick. There was some clear chemistry between Räty and Lekkerimäki.
- Bains looking good on that line as well, with several chances on his own as he kept crashing the slot looking for loose pucks. He forced Day to make some great saves and hit the crossbar in the third period. He also made a fantastic backdoor feed for what could have been a tap-in goal by Lekkerimäki in the first period.
- Bains, Räty, and Lekkerimäki is a trio that could be the Abbotsford Canucks’ first line, at least while they’re in Abbotsford. They’re looking good enough that all three could earn some call-ups to Vancouver this season.
- The top pairing of Elias Pettersson and Kirill Kudryavtsev were difference-makers for the Canucks, playing a role in the first line’s dominant puck possession. Pettersson announced his presence early with an open-ice hit on Connor Clattenburg, making it clear in the opening minute that gaining the blue line on his side of the ice was not going to be easy.
- The left-shot Kudryavtsev did an admirable job playing on his off-side on the right, which is a nice bit of versatility to have under his belt. He repeatedly created advantages for himself and his teammates by jumping up in the offensive zone. Defensively, he killed a few plays with his gap control but also got beat wide by Dalyn Wakely late in the first, a clear result of playing on his off-side. Otherwise, Kudryavtsev was solid.
- The other Canucks goal came from an unlikely source: college free agent signing Christian Felton. The defensive defenceman had just seven goals in four NCAA seasons but put the Canucks up 2-0 with a fantastic solo effort, taking on three Oilers as he drove down the right wing, cut to the net, and flipped in his own rebound with two Oilers draped all over him.
- The big development goal for Vilmer Alriksson has been about learning to use his size to his advantage on the smaller ice surface and he did just that on Sasson’s opening goal. He held off the pinching defenceman along the boards and neatly tipped the puck out to Sasson for a 2-on-1. Alriksson threw his weight around on other shifts, set up a chance on the doorstep for Anthony Romani, and even drew a penalty for the Canucks’ first power play. Nice night for the big guy.
- Romani got robbed twice by Day, preventing him from making a bigger impression in his debut in a Canucks jersey. His point-blank chance after Alriksson drove to the net was in too tight for him to elevate the puck over Day's pad. Later, Day lunged across with his blocker to rob Romani's tight angle shot in the third period. It was an otherwise quiet night for Romani but the OHL's leading goalscorer, like Terry, came close to some fireworks.
