shows on Saturday 31.12. live NHL match Vegas Golden Knights – Nashville Predators. The broadcast on TV2, Areena, the app and ‘s website starts at 22:05. Sunday 1.1. at the same time on channels the match New Jersey Devils – Carolina Hurricanes.
A sample of twenty matches already says something. Nashville called up its booking of the standoff tour from three years ago Juuso Pärssisen The farm team from Milwaukee joined the NHL around the middle of November, and the 21-year-old TPS-bred hasn’t left a stone unturned since then.
After twenty NHL games, Pärssinen earns a good grade for his NHL commission.
At the same time as many young Finnish players struggle with NHL intensity and competitive play, Pärssinen has hit it all in the rink and coped with the high level of demands actually quite well. Of course, there have also been mistakes, but Pärssinen has adapted quickly, especially to fighting and playing defense.
Or to be more specific: at least Pärssinen is doing everything he can to avoid leaking. The fact is, at the same time, that Pärssisen’s account has more minuses (-5) than any other Nashville player after the NHL call-up.
The entrance was just as spectacular. The workload of the Finnish center was high from the first change, and the first goal of his career came immediately in the opening match against the New York Rangers at the end of an impressive individual performance. In the third match, Pärssisnen’s efforts were recorded as 2+1.
– When the invitation came up, I decided not to go there to ask anything. You can’t come to the NHL just to hang out, I want to stay here. When I left for North America, the idea was that I would take an NHL position at some point during the season, Pärssinen told Urheilu at the end of November.
Urheilu’s ice hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen has been satisfied with what he saw.
– Juuso came to the NHL as a young player should come there, i.e. everything in the game. He continued to do even the smallest things at the farm, and when the NHL door opened, he came running there. Nashville still plays pretty tough hockey, but Juuso pulls through every change like he’s trading his life, Lehkonen praises.
– Juuso knew that you can only make a good first impression once, and he succeeded in that.
“Trading his life” is an apt expression, because Pärssinen, with his still developing physique, really operates at the NHL level. Pärssinen, who led TPS to the finals of the SM League twice in a row before moving to North America, is on the back foot after three knee operations, especially with skating.
The start is promising, but at the same time, Nashville has 48 games left in the regular season. The heavy hockey in Nashville, in particular, demands a lot from a young player, both physically and mentally.
– He has to cross the border all the time. If the skating was a little better and the endurance levels were a little higher, he would get there more easily. Lately it has been seen that it is a bit heavy. However, it can be understood because there are bad injuries underneath. Because of them, he had to give a little compensation, Lehkonen states.
– There is still work to be done with the soles, that is clear, Lehkonen continues.
Credit with shovel work
The player himself seems to have left the worries to the horses. Pärssinen’s work ethic has been consistently high and the bleeding has stopped in the last laps, even though the leg seems to be heavy from time to time. The forward from Turku has not lost his own game even once in five matches.
– Juuso has clearly understood that by doing heavy shovel work with a big heart, he will get coaching and the office’s approval. I watched the Dallas game last week, and yes, he put everything on the counter in every shift. As a coach, it would be easy for me to trust such a player.
Lehkonen from Pärssi would no longer play in the AHL. No, although Nashville has traditionally honed their bookings in Milwaukee for a little too long rather than picking them up quickly. Of course, Nashville has booked poorly in recent years to such an extent that there are no young players marinating in the pipeline until the queue.
The situation falls directly on Pärssisen’s chest, even if a break from the hectic NHL world could do the raw player some good.
– Juuso’s situation is good. There aren’t terribly many young options there, and on the other hand, the club is definitely thinking about whether they will start doing player deals at some point. They can’t afford to send down from Pärssi. I believe they see Juuso as a guy with good morals, who will now be forced to grow up there.
Last night, Nashville beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-1.
– Pärssinen didn’t get a point for his team’s opening goal, but gave a sample of his skills in creating it. A hard tackle led to a misplaced pass, after which the youngster rushed to the goal to create an excellent visual barrier for the goalkeeper.
Despite the positive Suomi story, raising Väkis is not necessarily the best option for the development of a young player. Especially in a situation where Nashville starts trading its players and Pärssinen is still rising in the hierarchy. In this case, even through playing, the competition would rise to an even tougher level – for a player whose physique is still in the development phase.
On the other hand, Pärssinen is no longer a boy. The player turns 22 in February.
– It helps that he is not so young anymore. If there are some minuses, he will surely forgive them a little at this point. He has bought time for himself with that furious fight. Nashville also knows that Juuso has had to give a little compensation due to injuries, Lehkonen sees and immediately reminds us of the brutality of everyday life in the NHL.
– This is where we come to the level of everyday NHL requirements. We play every other day and we should be able to improve a little all the time. You should never get tired, neither mentally nor physically. You should not blow outside at any time during the season.
Powers will come later
Lehkonen has come forward with strong arguments for both a permanent NHL spot and an AHL trip. Pärssinen has literally done everything to earn a place in the sun, but at the same time, it is certain that jumping aside for a moment from the merciless NHL mankel would in no way harm his development.
The player himself already had a clear view on the matter in November.
– We start from the fact that it will not go down anymore, Pärssinen said.
– Pärssinen’s straightforward and properly simple style of play is well suited to the NHL. Against Anaheim, he got an assist in the goal just by driving to the goal in a correct way, Lehkonen says.
Pärssinen registered two assist points early on Saturday morning, but Lehkonen would not pay attention to power points. No, even though Pärssinen has not scored a single hit in 17 matches. Nine (3+6) power points in 20 matches is a decent performance anyway.
In the name of honesty, others have not done them either. Pärssinen is his team’s sixth most effective forward in 20 matches, just one point behind, for example Mikael Granlundia.
– The player shoots himself in the foot if he starts counting points. His task is to press heavy jobs at an even level. Even Nashville knows that Juuso is not a natural scorer. They are looking for a quality two-way center who would be able to help the guys in the first and second basket year after year.
NHL standings from this link.
shows on Saturday 31.12. live NHL match Vegas Golden Knights – Nashville Predators. The broadcast on TV2, Areena, the app and ‘s website starts at 22:05. Sunday 1.1. at the same time on channels the match New Jersey Devils – Carolina Hurricanes.