Tony Ferrari took a look at the top standouts from the first day of the World Junior Championship, highlighted by a pair of big, two-way defensemen.
Tony Ferrari took a look at the top standouts from the first day of the World Junior Championship, highlighted by a pair of big, two-way defensemen.
With the opening day at the World Junior Championship providing plenty of excitement, there were plenty of outstanding performances to choose from.
Cole Perfetti had an outstanding game for Canada, collecting three assists and driving play all night long for Canada. Jesper Wallstedt didn’t allow a goal off a Russian stick - but did allow three that bounced off his own players. 2023 NHL draft-eligible Matvei Michkov had two goals and was Russia’s best player from start to finish.
None of these great performances made the cut on opening night though. Let's take a look at three -- well, four, actually -- players that stood out.
First Star - D Simon Edvinsson
The Red Wings prospect was a force in all three zones on this night. In what was set to be the most competitive matchup of the day on paper, Edvinsson led the Swedes to a solid win over an underwhelming Russian squad. His ‘First Star’ status is about everything in his game both on and off the stat sheet. His defensive performance was quite impressive as he read passing lanes and intercepted puck carriers in their path, using both his body and stick work to separate the man from the puck before transitioning the play up ice quickly.
The 2021 sixth overall pick was putting his full arsenal on display in this game. With no power-play time, Edvinsson decided that the penalty kill was the appropriate time to score a goal. Closing in along the boards as two Russian players fumbled over the puck, Edvinsson collected the puck with ease and then took off up ice. With his smooth stride, he took off up ice and tucked the puck between Yaroslav Askarov’s legs. He did an excellent job activating off the blueline, keeping pucks deep and threading passes through levels of the Russian defensive structure.
Second Star - D Owen Power | Canada
Yes, he he had a hat-trick to become the first Canadian defender to do so at this tournament. But there was more in his game that knocked him off, despite his strong offensive play.
Defensively, Power still has some tendencies to lean when defending the rush which causes him to get beat because he can’t shift his weight and pivot. There were a couple of times when he was able to rush the puck up ice but failed to get back into the play defensively with haste which led to odd-man rushes. Before we go anointing him, we have to be aware that Power is a 19-year-old defenseman that has plenty of room to grow.
Now to why he is the second star of the night on opening night of the World Juniors. Power has some incredible offensive tendencies. Scoring his first goal of the game by collecting a puck along the boards and waiting for his teammate to clear the crease to avoid a goalie interference call. Firing the puck to the top corner, off the goalie’s shoulder and in.
His next two goals came on a 5-on-3 power play. The first of which came of a great shot when he and Perfetti switched at the top of the circles to get Power on his one-time side. Power unleashed his shot and beat the goalie with ease. On the second, Power crept in beside the net and banged a loose puck in at the side of the net. His offensive game didn’t stop there though as he made a number of excellent passes, smart reads down into the offensive zone and even tried a tweener goal on the rush when driving the net. Power is fun.
Third Star - F Brad Lambert/Samuel Helenius | Finland
Okay, I’m cheating here a bit by selecting two guys but they played together and made each look great all night long. Lambert used his skating and puck skill to a high level in transition to break the puck out of his own zone and push defenders back in the offensive zone, collecting two assists throughout the game and could have had a couple more. Helenius was a two-way force, which is what he’s been known for. He had a goal-saving play sweeping the puck from the crease before going the other way and scoring seconds later.
Lambert looked fantastic when dishing the puck all over the zone. His passing vision was on full display. He was originally credited with the Finns’ first goal but it was eventually given to Helenius after it deflected off the inside of his thigh and into the net. Lambert’s original shot came as he was skating through a pocket of space and then turning and firing the puck. His crowning moment came off the aforementioned play where Helenius swept the puck out of the crease. With Lambert streaking down the wing, trailing the puck carrier, he collected a drop pass and spotted Helenius driving to the back door before threading a pass right on the tape through two defenders’ sticks and skates. The vision and precision were beautiful.
Helenius had two goals on the night, getting a bit fortunate on the first as it deflected off of him as he was attempting to cloud the goalie’s vision while the second was the net drive tap in on the Lambert feed. His defensive responsibility is a high-level skill that rarely gets talked about and his developing offensive game is showing signs of promise.