Alex Nylander has 2 assists in Sweden’s 6-1 victory over Belarus.
By Kris Baker / SabresProspects.com
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Opening Day of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship came and went Tuesday with all five Sabres prospects taking the ice and setting the stage for the remainder of group play.
As expected, Casey Mittelstadt (2017, first round) was an offensive force for the full 60 minutes in his first-ever World Junior appearance, pocketing a pair of first-period goals to earn the team’s Player of the Game honor as the United States pasted Denmark 9-0.
Exceptional hands in tight spaces. Nimble footwork and balance. A knack for being in the right spot when he doesn’t have the puck. Commitment to the backcheck and using his body to win puck battles. All the things that make Mittelstadt an elite National Hockey League prospect were on display in his 18:43 of work during the opening night rout.
With the U.S. already ahead 2-0, Mittelstadt snatched the first of his pair at 8:26. After his backhand shot attempt from the left face-off circle didn’t make its way fully on net, Mittelstadt used a quick speed burst to swoop towards the net and finish the play with another backhand.
While his first goal was impressive, the shift leading up to his second marker 10 minutes later was vintage Mittelstadt.
The play began with Mittelstadt showing excellent speed through the neutral zone and a great handle on the puck as he stepped around a defender to the outside. Two defenders closed in on him as he gained the zone, at which point he made a hard stop, turned his body, and dished the puck off.
With Patrick Harper (NSH) controlling the puck behind the Danish net, Mittelstadt read the play and set up at the left post with his stick down, where he took a pass and quickly elevated the puck to make it a 5-0 game.
For tickets and more information on the tournament, check out BuffaloWorldJuniors.com.
In the day’s opening contest, defenseman Vojtech Budik (2016, fifth round) played safe, responsible hockey en route to logging 18:52 of ice time as the Czech Republic outlasted Russia 5-4.
Budik, who did not record a shot on goal in the victory, was in the starting lineup as the top left-side defenseman. When not patrolling the defensive half of the ice at even strength, Budik was most noticeable with quick outlet passes and tough battles in front of his own net on the penalty kill.
Shot attempts will be a rare event for Budik in this tournament, but his conservative style will be of value if the Czechs can keep scoring like they did Tuesday. Moving forward, you want to see the Western Hockey League product win more one-on-one battles beneath his own goal line.
The second game of the afternoon saw high-flying Sweden pull away from Belarus to earn a 6-1 victory.
Alexander Nylander (2016, first round) settled in after an opening period that saw him turn a puck over that led to Belarus’ only goal, finishing the game with a pair of assists and three shots on goal to help fuel the opening day triumph.
Nylander, who plays for the Rochester Americans, did not appear to be fully in sync in the opening minutes, but his playmaking instincts emerged as the game progressed, especially in the final two periods as he showed both confidence and patience with the puck as he worked the left side of the power play.
Nylander’s patience and vision were put on display when earning both of his primary helpers, with the first coming as he found Erik Brannstrom (VGK) as a trailer high in the zone midway through the second period, and the second with a quick feed from the left wall to Lias Andersson (NYR) at the edge of the crease.
If there was one noticeable trait in Nylander’s game from start to finish, it was his strength on the puck. There were a few instances where a defender was draped on his back in the corner, but the added upper-body strength allowed him to maintain possession and find himself an out an open teammate.
He showed a willingness to battle in the paint, something that the Swedish staff likely wants him to do more often to get him away from the perimeter and open him up for more scoring chances as the tournament plays out.
Nylander, who took even-strength shifts at both right wing and center, topped all forwards with 20:14 of work in the win.