Young Stars Classic 2016 – Page 4

1297878525948_original — PENTICTON, BC., September 18, 2016 — Vancouver Canucks’ Cole Cassels (52) and Michael carcone (58) pursue Winnipeg Jets’ Luke Green (51) during third period 2016 NHL Young Stars Classic action at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, BC., September 18, 2016. (NICK PROCAYLO/PostMedia) 00045181A ORG XMIT: 00045181A

BY KEN WIEBE, WINNIPEG SUN Sept 18, 2016

PENTICTON, B.C. – – Pascal Vincent saw steps in the right direction.

The Winnipeg Jets slipped to 0-2 at the 2016 Young Stars Classic on Sunday afternoon in a 3-2 to the Vancouver Canucks at the South Okanagan Events Centre, but after falling 4-1 to the Calgary Flames in the tournament opener, this was a much more determined effort.

“Overall, it was a cleaner game than the last game. We got better as the game went on,” said Vincent, head coach of the Manitoba Moose and the man running the bench for the Jets during the prospects tournament. “It’s a baby step. Now we have to implement the details of our game. Creating battles and getting involved there..

Canucks defenceman Troy Stecher created some space and fired a shot from the right point that led to a rebound goal from Danny Moynihan at 11:16 of the first period.

Then the Canucks got a buzzer-beater with .3 seconds to go in the frame as Cole Cassels pounced on a rebound in front of the net.

Michael Spacek scored a beautiful goal to cut into the deficit, as he took advantage of a turnover by Canucks defenceman Olli Juolevi before walking in and beating Michael Garteig with a slick forehand deke at 3:37 of the third period.

Jimmy Lodge showed some soft hands by burying a shot in tight to even the score at 8:15 of the third, but the Canucks got the game-winning goal from Brandon product and Brandon Wheat Kings winger Tyler Coulter two minutes and 32 seconds later.

“It’s disappointing (to lose). But we put some good plays together and thought it was starting to come,” said Jets forward Brendan Lemieux.

The dynamic duo of Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic wasn’t quite as dominant for the Jets, but they still managed to create plenty of opportunities.

The best one of the contest came in the final minute with the Jets goalie pulled in favour of an extra attacker.

Connor created a seam and found Roslovic for a one-timer that was stopped by the right pad of Garteig.

A replay showed that Coulter was offside, since Jets defenceman made a diving effort to prevent it from being a direct pass but video replay isn’t used at this event, so the goal counted.

“At 0-2, we’re going to want to get a win under our belt. That’s going to be important,” said Jets defenceman Nelson Nogier. “Just try to end things off on a good note.”

After catching the attention of the Canucks during the summer development camp, Coulter earned an invite to suit up for the Young Stars tournament as well.

While Coulter is expected to return to the Brandon Wheat Kings for his overage season, he’s trying to do enough to earn an NHL contract down the road.

“He played a heavy game, a hard game,” said Utica Comets head coach Travis Green, who is running the Canucks bench during this tournament. “He’s got a bigger body (six-feet and 195 pounds) that was getting engaged. I don’t know a lot about him, but what I saw, I liked.”

The Jets close out the tournament on Monday afternoon (1 p.m CDT) with a game against the Edmonton Oilers, who are 2-0 after victories over the Canucks and Calgary Flames.

“We’re going to focus on the first 10 minutes and go from there,” said Vincent. “If you have the puck, you don’t need to be physical. We want to get the puck back as much as we can. But I want to see our forecheck. I want to see our guys finishing their checks, that’s for sure.

“When you spot the puck in the proper area of the ice, you allow yourself to be physical.”

Forward Axel Blomqvist and defenceman Matt Murphy were the healthy scratches for the Jets on Sunday and they’re both expected to play against the Oilers.

Tournament invitees Antoine Waked and Kristians Rubins had their moments when they suited up for the first time in the event.

Waked is a strong skater and got involved physically, while Rubins (who will play for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL this season) did a decent job of moving the puck out of his zone.

Jets goalie Jamie Phillips turned aside 25 of the 28 shots he faced and he’ll serve as the backup against the Oilers as Mikhail Berdin, chosen in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, gets his first start.

Berdin is expected to play the full game.

By Jason Botchford Sept 17, 2016

Composed, cerebral and never out of position, Vancouver’s top draft pick shows off his mature and distinctly non-flashy game

PENTICTON — If you’re waiting for a moment, something grand and dynamic, before you begin pouring out your undying adoration for Olli Juolevi on social media, have a seat.

It could be a while.

There were essentially two wildly different reactions to Juolevi’s first game in a Canucks uniform Friday. Some, most of whom were at home watching the fifth-overall draft pick play on YouTube, were left wanting, whispering, “I don’t get it.”

Others, most of whom were watching the game in the rink he was playing in, were geared up, convinced he was the best Canuck on the ice.

This much is a lock, in the chaotic atmosphere that is common for Young Stars games, Juolevi played quiet, disciplined and mature. He was a Sultan of Smooth. Both on the ice, and off it.

He avoided panic and contact, almost entirely. He was hit once by the Edmonton Oilers Young Stars, when he turned to make a play on a puck late in the second.

“Sometimes, you have to take the hit,” Juolevi said. “I knew there was pressure coming.

“I thought, ‘Why not take it? Maybe I can jam his offensive game.’”

Getting hit in the back, Juolevi drew a penalty on that play, something he seemed almost disappointed in after the game.

“I didn’t think it was a penalty. It wasn’t that big. It was a good hit,” he said.

None of his teammates understand the nuances of his game more than Troy Stecher. They were paired together the Canucks development camp in July and again in Vancouver’s first game in Penticton.

Understanding Juolevi can play near-flawless positionally, Stecher was impressively aggressive, piling up nine shots on net, by head coach Travis Green’s count.

“He’s such a smart player,” Stecher said of the Canucks’ first stud defensive prospect in years.

“When I wanted to go, I knew he was going to be back.

“He’s so smooth. He’s so reliable. He’ll never be too flashy, but he’s not going to make a mistake. He’s going to make the hard, simple play.

“You could just tell right away (when I met him). Off the ice, he’s this relaxed kid who has this swagger to him. It translates to the ice. He’s a composed player.”

Stecher, you will learn, loves to talk. It’s part of what makes him such a powerful locker-room presence, and why many scouts here are saying he’s “wired to be a leader.”

Juolevi said he was chattering about the game for almost all of the three periods, which ended in a 4-1 Vancouver loss.

“A lot of it, I just let go in one ear, and drift out the other,” Juolevi said, smiling.

Juolevi claimed he was nervous heading into his debut. When it was pointed out that it sure didn’t look like it, he volleyed back with a pretty interesting thought not many 18-year-olds would have come up with.

“I don’t think you were nervous when you were asking me those questions, but how would I know?” Juolevi said. “What matters is, you love your job and I love mine.”

What also matters, Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins is going to love him, even before he puts on the 15 extra pounds he’s probably going to need to compete nightly in the NHL.

Any coach would.

“His game is one of those where you might never look and say ‘Wow, that was some end-to-end rush,’” Green said. “It’s just going to be a nice quiet game where he controls the puck.”

Asked if players like Juolevi are a coach’s dream, Green immediately said he was.

“Anytime you have a defenceman who you don’t really have to talk to at all, that’s kind of what you like,” Green said, before pointing out that this tournament may be the most difficult games for Juolevi to really show what he’s capable of.

“We were talking about him the other night with some of our scouts. I think those kinds of defencemen are better when the game is better, cleaner.

“His game is going to be better suited for an NHL game. Where everyone’s timing is on, and it’s not as scramble-y.

“He’s going to be a helluva defenceman.”

Until then, it’s not going to be easy for a lot of people to pick out where Juolevi is excelling. But it wasn’t easy to see how good Dan Hamhuis was when he first arrived in Vancouver, either.

“(Juolevi) has got a lot of poise. He reads the game well. His hockey sense is a premium.

“Somethings you just don’t have to teach really good players.

“It’s not going to be if he plays (in the NHL). It’s just when.”

As soon as now?

People will have to wait for main training camp before trying to answer that one.

Source: Botchford: Olli Juolevi was the Sultan of Smooth in Canucks debut | The Province