Goal-scoring Kaapo Kakko is in a strange situation in the NHL – “That’s the reason why I’m now in the triple chain”

Facts as facts: the New York Rangers Kaapo Kako21, has played the best hockey of his NHL career this season.

Despite his young age, Kakko is performing as one of the stars of the Broadway discus play for the fourth year already. And the development has not stopped, even if the super promise has not yet become a superstar in the NHL.

Kako’s strengths are in playing in the attack zone and there have been numerous examples of this over the course of the season. Kako’s physique is enough to stay on the puck and he can make insightful plays even in a small space.

Sharp instincts, a high skill level and a good shot create the basis for success. And there is nothing wrong with a pure numerical result either.

The second has scored nine hits so far, including five in the previous eight matches. The number of goals doesn’t blow your mind yet, but it’s good when you take into account that all of the goals were scored in even fives.

Only in Rangers Chris Kreider has scored more goals than Kakko in tied fives – only among Finns Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz.

The second one does not fit into the Rangers’ rock-hard first superiority composition, which significantly limits the opportunities to score. Especially when the responsibility for superior force in Rangers is not shared equally in a Christian way.

– The minutes of the second half have been quite few, or actually you can’t even talk about minutes. It’s more that the number one scores a goal or we get one direct attack and try to get something out of it in time, Kakko tells Urheilu.

– And nothing is taken away from the number one guys, no changes are made when they play so well.

The threads in the top chain remained in the barrel

The young striker from Turku has a ruthless hunger and a desire to get more responsibility. Kako’s playing time in even fives has been constantly increasing throughout his NHL career – which indicates confidence – but the superiority responsibility has been correspondingly decreasing for a long time. From over two minutes per match in the rookie season, it has become about a minute.

Kako’s voice also sounds a little disappointed due to falling from the first chain. The TPS breeder, who was very successful in practice games, started the season in first place Mika Zibanejadin and next to the aforementioned Kreider.

The trio played well, but there was no result and the team lost more than they won. The chain was broken and now Second plays in a triple chain and gets less playing time.

Even five goals in the last seven matches doesn’t seem to warm the mind at all.

– Of course, it’s nice to score goals, but the game is not at the same level as it was at the beginning of the season. The playing time has dropped and at the moment there are not as many places as before. Everyone wants to play in the first chain and enjoy a lot of playing time, Kakko says directly.

The NHL is still a tough business based on raw results and Kakko knows it. Even though Kako of the first chain dominated the ratio of expected goals by 5 to 5 by almost 65 percent and the goal chances in the first sector by as much as 67 percent, the cold truth is that the goals were recorded 4-4.

After the first nineteen matches, Kako had three hits.

– Playing with them felt good and the chemistry met, but the efficiency was lacking and that is the reason why I am now in a chain of three.

Since then, Kako has been offered quite a chain rally. He already performed well last spring in the so-called “Kid Line” line-up together with young people by Alexis Lafrenier and By Filip Chytil with, but in total Kakko has already played at least thirteen minutes in seven different formations.

Even against this background, Kako’s playing has looked good and eight goals is a worthy performance.

– We already played well with that chain last spring, so you guessed it that we would return to it. Now, when we have won games as a team, why not change them, Kakko states.

If Kakko is going to score more goals in the NHL, at least the number of shots the youngster needs to increase.

The second has shot only 1.7 times per match. Eleven to the previous match only twelve times. At this rate, Kakko would reach 142 shots at the end of the season.

Last season in the NHL, 137 players scored at least 20 goals and only 16 of them could do it with 142 shots or less.

The firing percentage, which fluctuates over the top three of the team, gives the possibility of even bigger goals. Laukomining often produces good things in general, controlled goals, loose pucks, follow-up games and thus also assists.

– I have tried to shoot more than in the first year and to play in a more straightforward manner, because there is less space and time here than in Finland. We need to shoot more and that’s something I’ve been constantly told about, Kakko admits.

Breakthrough comes through quality everyday life

Despite all the self-criticism and even a little impatience characteristic of a young player, Kaapo Kako’s NHL project is progressing well on schedule.

The young man’s game has clearly developed and he has a season of almost twenty goals, which would clearly beat the previous goal record (10).

Superiority responsibility and a bigger breakthrough through the result will come in time, as long as the player can manage to twist with quality in everyday life.

And the Rangers as a team haven’t fared badly in the last few weeks either. Before Tuesday’s loss at Pittsburgh, the team had won seven straight games, and not just any teams: Vegas, Toronto, New Jersey, Colorado, St. Louis and so on.

– It’s quite clear that the confidence of the whole team grows when you win such tough games. Despite the injury, Colorado is the reigning champion and Toronto is one of the most dangerous offensive ends in the series.

– We kept Toronto to one goal. The defensive game has been good, as have the players. There are two big things behind the winning streak.