Returning to everyday life from the national team’s top tournament has been tough for some teams and players. After the Canadian and US final match, the NHL was hit the next day. Star players who have played four hard games in the tournament for a week in their first matches on the NHL side have been strongly found to return to their normal level.
For example, Edmonton Connor McDavid After returning to the first three NHL matches, he recorded the power 0+2 and -7. The Oilers lost three matches with a goal difference 7-17. In addition, Colorado was sticky.
– The rest of the team could not handle the situation in a few teams by bringing a little extra to the table. A little too much was the attention of what these stars could do. Yes, the others had to understand that the boys are not quite fresh, EPN’s hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen says.
For the spring of its own spice, I will bring a few star players and its effect on the NHL side.
– That national team tournament was a tough jerk. Others worry about the body, vacationed and drove themselves to both mentally and physically parking, while the national team’s guys had to squeeze harder and play in a completely incomprehensible demand level.
– When thinking about Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Edmonton and so on, what if this return step lasts longer? It may not be the release of that looseness again by pressing the button. For some, even scars could be left out of the tournament because the feedback was quite high in Sweden and Finland, for example.
Raw realism is that after a hard long winter and a merciless national team extrusion, there should be a new gear in the gearbox in the gearbox. Others are aiming for championship in April-June, the playoffs in the sun are already in the sun.
Do teams whose key players fluttered during the national team break?
– It is now with interest that it will take a long time for certain players to recover or have that long -standing paws. There is still a lot of traveling on the program and every other day is played. And the expectation is that one gear should be digging for some spring. It’s wild, Lehkonen sighs.
Who surprised
The winning battle of the regular season is two shops. The rise of both Winnipeg and Washington to the bow of the league can be considered a giant. The former rumbles in the winning streak of ten matches, the latter is three points from the Winnipeg leading in the series. The winning trophy of the regular season is handed out with a high probability of one of these teams.
Lehkonen wants to highlight Washington in particular.
– It has a very well-trained team at the individual and five levels. The winning rate of 72 is scary and at home do not seem to disappear at all. We all thought that last spring’s playoff spot was an injury and now it was starting to slip. Didn’t have been there like lazy (Alexander) Ovetshkinwhich the rest of the team fan. And what else!
During the last quarter of the regular season, Lehkonen expects other teams to start taking Washington more seriously. According to Lehkonen, Calgary, who applied for a away win in the capital’s capital, showed the model to others.
– Washington has been underestimated and just started to play their own game. It’s not enough and the Capitals have burned these teams pretty cool. It was now seen how Calgary had done homework carefully in terms of both defense and offensive game. You cannot attack Washington or to take discs that you hit well.
– You can’t sleep at all in fighting, because they suddenly turn to the finish. Now we saw how Calgary tactically robbed the score and look forward to seeing more.
Who’s betrayed
Rarely has Carolina been seen as confused in recent years as it is now. The gloomy February has made one win of six matches. After the national team break, it played two breathless matches in Toronto and Montreal, both in a goal difference 4-10. At both individual and team levels, one can talk about real deep squat.
– There are no good signs now. Carolina is also playfully far from her identity, Lehkonen opens.
One significant part of the problem is the constant chain rally. From Colorado Mikko Rantanen He has not found its place on the team, but the same applies to many other players. Changes made during the summer and during the season have broken harmony and no new trios have been found. Chemistry is searched by varying compositions even within items, which seems to mix the pack even further.
– There are pair teams ready, like Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis mixed Jordan Staal and Martinookbut where do you put Rantanen? That’s what we are. The problem is that Andrei Svetshnikov And Jarvis both want to play the right side and Rantanen is also a player on the right side. Now, by far, Rantanen had been moved to the other side. Chemistry should be found soon.
Carolina is still a good team that goes to the playoffs this season, but for the championship, red flags flutter everywhere. The expression is painful in both individuals and collective, and at least the rumors of the transfer around Rantanen to calm the atmosphere.
– It is a clear thing that Rantanen’s extension agreement and transfer discussion is a distraction for the team. There, many people think where to find a better player if Rantanen is sold. Well, nothing. After all, it is some sort of scandal for that team if Rantanen is sold.
Finnish goal of the week
Weekly goal goes stunningly for the game who plays Rasmus for Ristolainenwho scored two goals for the weekend. Ristolainen has recorded 18 (4+14) power points in his account and is in a fast pace for his toughest personal score since the 2019-2020 season. Even in power statistics, Ristolainen is a plus for the first time in his career!
Ristolainen is a hot player as the transfer limit approaches. Demand could be imagined enough.
– Who have followed his career know that he has had potential all the time. Now he makes a return to the top level. He has an excellent connection to coaching at the moment. I think he has always been a good coach. Pretty nice player to bring in a playoff team. The hard -working Ristolainen is like made for the playoffs, says Lehkonen.
What next?
As the regular season begins to turn to the end, many Finnish players are in a tight gap with their NHL seat. Lehkonen says he is closely following how the situation of the Finns on the cable is developing. For example, Utah sent a defender Juuso Välimäki to the farm and not Matias Maccelli have not been able to play in three matches.
– Välimäki got his opportunity during the season, but failed. One bad phase made the job difficult. Maccelli If you sit half in the audience for the rest of the season, it is difficult to give screens. It feels like he wanted to make a little scapegoat there. These stuff just reflects how tough the battle in the NHL is.
There has also been a lot of winnipeg in the audience Ville Heinola. When he got to play, Heinola has done well, but it is difficult to fit the best team in the series. On Thursday, Colorado also found himself in the so-called popcorn department Juuso Pärssinen.
-He fights a two-meter and 115 kg place Logan Stanley with. Ville simply doesn’t just fit in there. Winnipeg is still a team that defends tightly and takes time and space away. The puck game is on the shoulders of a couple of defenders and they can’t be stumbled upon.
– a couple of losses and (valeri) Nitshushkin Returning, Pärssinen got into the audience. This is how it goes and so it is raw. A couple of losses and someone pays the price. Now, even Pärssinen is again a new situation ahead. Each exchange matters.
Columbus also went to the farm Michael wiping.
– He was allowed to play over and underpower and even good minutes. He had something to do, but there are similar guys that give a little more. It has 1-2 guys now in front of him.
It is better to expect Edmonton Kasperi from Kapanen. Edmonton grabbed Kapanen from the transfer list in late November as a gambler in the bottom chain. Occasionally, Kapanen has performed well, but at the same time his power stats (-9) is clearly the weakest of the team.
– Kapanen is now involved in the play as Edmonto’s transfer border is wondering how it builds his base chain for spring. There may be changes because he should be able to do the better.