Abbotsford Canucks Talk | Part 2

[Lindgren]

Rats. CV tied it 1-1 in the last minute. On to OT.

 

[Lindgren]

And ... Abby goes down 2-1 in OT.

 

[VanJack]

Lost track of the number of times the Canucks were in cold on the Coachella Valley goaltender, but tried the backhand deke every time. Will somebody just follow Lekkerimaki's lead and just shoot the damn puck.

Probably deserved the victory tonight.......but they made Driedger look like a Vezina Trophy finalist.

Lekkerimaki was the best story for Abbotsford......scored his first of the season and hit another post. This kid's release is bordering on elite. He gets if off in a heartbeat. He's going to beat a lot of goalies based on his shot alone.

 

[1440]

- Lekkerimaki was terrible in the two Colorado games - although, to be fair, the tempo/physicality of those games was a hell of a thing to walk straight into - but better against Manitoba, in his 3rd game in particular. Really struggled with the quickness of play against Colorado, had several occasions where he took an extra second to make a play in his own zone or the neutral zone and was quickly closed off and turned the puck over. Did find more space against Manitoba on Tuesday and got a few good shots away although quieter in the Wednesday again. Overall, a bit of a disappointing debut so far given how strong his play had been in Europe for the past couple months. He's pretty quick and you can see the nice shot release at times but I was a bit caught off-guard by how thin and small he looks on smaller ice against bigger players. Barring a massive offseason it's difficult to imagine him being anywhere close to playing in the NHL next year.

Terrible is a massive overstatement. Yes he was a little bit slower to move the puck through the neutral zone at times, but that was clearly just an adjustment to the smaller ice. In my view it was very refreshing to see a winger with the puck skills to slow things down, curl, and make plays in the neutral zone, which is what Lekkerimaki has been doing. The biggest knock on him so far has been a lack of physicality, which is understandable since he is the youngest and typically lightest player on the ice. Where he has struggled is when the puck is rimmed around the boards in the defensive zone and he has to engage physically with the pinching defenseman to make the play. He mostly just doesn't engage and concedes posession. That said, his all around defensive work has been good. He isn't getting beaten off the point, and has made several good backchecking plays with his speed, or knocking down pucks in the neutral zone. The shot is obviously a weapon, and while he hasn't been shooting as freely as we saw in the WJC, he has 11 (plus a post) through 5 games, so he is definitely getting his chances. He has improved every game, which is all you can hope for from a rookie adjusting to play in North America.

Will he be ready for the NHL next year? The skill level and skating are both there, but he doesn't look physically strong enough for the rigors of the NHL at the moment. That is more an acknowledgement of his size and age than a knock on how he has spent his offseasons so far (he was way more physical in the SHL this year, so there have been improvements). He doesn't really project as a bottom six player at this point, so he would have to have earned a top 6 + PP spot to make it, which does not seem likely.

EP26 is sort of the inverse of this: big, strong, shoots hard, skates pretty well; but I have liked his play far less than Lekkerimaki's so far in terms of his reads and decision making. He needs more skills/systems work to improve rather than to put on strength.

 

[Jay26]

Lekkerimaki had 4 shots tonight to lead the team in the game, on top of his goal obviously. He's coming along every game!

 

[VanJack]

Some Canuck fans who were worried about throwing Lekerimakki off the deep end into AHL games, can officially shelve those concerns.

The kid is is a demon in the offensive end, but perhaps more importantly in the defensive end as well. And he's starting to find open ice out there......and when he gets time and space to shoot, his laser beams are a huge problem for opposing goaltenders.

I don't know what his future is after the final Abbotsford game......there was some indication he might return to Sweden. But I really hope the Canucks keep him in the lineup for their playoff run. The experience he's gaining on the smaller NA ice, will do wonders for his development next season.

 

[Deeds26]

 

[Vector]

He’s not under contract so it would have to be under a PTO. More likely they let him go home, see his family, and get some time in with Samuelsson.

Nailed it!

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

With Vilmer Alriksson’s junior season done, I wonder if the Canucks bring him to Abbotsford to soak up some experience, too.

Nailed it!

Me too.

I like what the Canucks are doing here. Even if it’s just practice and working with the Sedins, it’s good stuff for these guys’ development.

 

[Vector]

Me too.

I like what the Canucks are doing here. Even if it’s just practice and working with the Sedins, it’s good stuff for these guys’ development.

I likened what they are doing with Alriksson & Mynio (and maybe Mueller & Felton) to Black Aces.

 

[VanJack]

Lekkerimaki had 4 shots tonight to lead the team in the game, on top of his goal obviously. He's coming along every game!

Re-watched the game highlights, and even more impressive than the goal, was Lekerimakki's laser from the slot that clanged off the post.

Are you kidding me! His shot was was half-volley that came off his stick so fast, the goalie didn't react until the puck had hit iron and caromed out in front of the net.

I don't care what other issues this kid might have to work on......but based on that 'shot' he'll be a scorer wherever he plays.

 

[Lindgren]

Abby is down 1-0 early to CV in the second of the back-to-backs.

EP started the game on a pairing with Johansson, which is interesting.

They're still running 7 D and 11 forwards.

 

[Lindgren]

It's 3-0 CV early in the second, and EP and Johansson are each -2.

 

[Vector]

It’s now 7-1. Pettersson -3. Lekkermaki is even with an assist.

 

[ManVanFan]

It’s now 7-1. Pettersson -3. Lekkermaki is even with an assist.

What in the hell is happening in that game?

 

[VanJack]

An ugly effort by the Abby Canucks in front of a big audience at the Abbotsford Entertainment Centre.....but unfortunately a lot of the blame for the blowout goes to goaltending.....just wasn't Sawchenko's night, and started with a goal in the opening minute.

I happens.......after competing hard for the last five games and winning a couple in OT, the Canucks just hit the wall this afternoon. And Coachella Valley--the Kraken's farm team--are basically a veteran crew that went to the Calder Cup finals a year ago.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Awful news for Woo, who was having a really strong end to the season.

 

[Vector]

 

[1440]

A very poor showing by Abby tonight after a solid game last night against the same team. They certainly looked like a team playing the final of 4 in 6 and missing their top defenseman.

The goaltending was poor, with both Sawchenko (pulled after 4) and Tolopilo letting in some soft ones, but I also don't think any defenseman played well tonight, and there were a lot of strange reads leading to Coachella players all alone in front.

The lone bright spot was the play of the Bains - Stevens - Lekkerimaki line, which produced both of the Abbotsford goals. Bains and Stevens both finished with a goal and an assist and Lekkerimaki had an assist, and provided a net front screen on the other goal. Bains and Lekkerimaki made some nice passing plays in zone to set up the first goal as well as a couple chances in the third. Bains was a +2, and Lekkerimaki a +1, which was fairly remarkable given the scoreline.

The other remarkable feat was that Abbotsford somehow didn't get a single powerplay for despite several incidents that could easily have been called including Wolanin getting sent sprawling by a hit to the jaw in front of his own net.

Hopefully Woo makes a quick recovery. His injury was a strange one, but the twisting of the knee did not look good. He would have been my pick for first call up on defense, which could be relevant in the case of a long playoff run.

 

[ManVanFan]

Anybody that watches Abbotsford, I haven't seen a game in 3 months. How is Dmitri Zlodeyev doing?
I see he has played 21 games but only 1 point.

 

[Blue and Green]

Anybody that watches Abbotsford, I haven't seen a game in 3 months. How is Dmitri Zlodeyev doing?
I see he has played 21 games but only 1 point.

That stat tells you everything that you really need to know about a 22YO forward in the AHL.

 

[VanJack]

Zlodeyev has played sparingly this year, but has shown a few flashes including his first and only AHL goal.

And he gets in fast on the forecheck and his skating looks good enough.....but he just doesn't get much accomplished out there. One thing he does have going for him is that he's a natural center. But in order to get better, he needs to play. And that just isn't happening.

Not sure what his future is. He's on an AHL contract....and it's probably less than 50/50 that he eventually earns a two-way NHL deal.

 

[Lindgren]

It's scoreless in the first in Calgary.

The good news is that Brisebois is back in the line-up. I hope to hell that the injury that kept him out for several games wasn't related to his concussion issues.

Brisebois has taken Woo's spot, so they're still going with 7 D.

 

[Vector]

 

[Lindgren]

I missed that when scanning the line-up. So it's Woo (injured) and Pettersson out, Mynio and Brisebois in.

Of the seven D, Johansson is the only right shot, I believe.