Must Watch: Jonatan Berggren Scores OT Game-Winner to Start Griffins' Playoff Run
Jonatan Berggren scored an overtime winner to help the Grand Rapids Griffins beat Rockford in the Calder Cup Playoffs
Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports - Must Watch: Jonatan Berggren Scores OT Game-Winner to Start Griffins' Playoff RunPlayoff hockey is back in Grand Rapids, and Jonatan Berggren is trying to keep the games coming.
The 24-year-old Swedish winger scored the 3-2 overtime winner in the Griffins' first playoff game against the Rockford IceHogs. The goal came on his only shot of the game.
Bergrren's did a nice job using his feet to create space against his defender, as well as shielding the puck from being poked away by dropping his shoulder and getting low. These kind of power moves are useful at the NHL level, as Berggren's fellow Swede Lucas Raymond showed all season for the Detroit Red Wings.
There's also room for improvement with Berggren's attempt. While it looks as though his defender's stick knocks him over, Berggren actually lost an edge on his right skate and went down. It's a testament to his improvisation and shooting ability that he put the shot on net with a split second adjustment, but coaches likely want him keeping his feet in the future. If he were able to do so, he might've brought the puck to the net where he would have a higher percentage shot, instead of relying in part on the Rockford goaltender to make a mistake on the save attempt.
At the end of the day, Berggren scored, and that's really all that matters when it comes down to the postseason. Berggren has been an almost automatic scored for the Griffins, with 56 points in 53 regular season contests this year. He didn't bring that scoring with him to his last NHL call-up in March, with just one assist in three games. When he went back down to the AHL in late March, whatever motivation he gained from the roster move led to seven points in his first three games, including a hat trick in his second one. Five of his next seven games were scoreless efforts, but he got right back on track with his OT winner Saturday night.
Berggren and the Griffins will try to extend their season deep into the playoffs, but he has contract negotiations coming up soon after the season's end. An expiring RFA with arbitration rights, Berggren put up 28 points in 67 games in his rookie 2022-23 season. Goals like his overtime winner probably help his negotiating efforts, as could his role in any success the Griffins see this postseason.
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