Yahoo Sports Canucks Shut Out Oilers 2-0 To Kick Off 2024 Young Stars Classic
The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their 2024 Young Stars Classic with a 2-0 shutout against the Edmonton Oilers. Max Sasson and Christian Felton scored the two goals, while Nikita Tolopilo stopped all 21 shots he faced in the win. While the score was close, this was a dominating effort by the Canucks prospect who, if not for multiple posts, would have run away with the score.
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Vancouver's best player on the night was arguably Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Based on his performance, it was surprising that he did not end up on the scoresheet, as he was able to produce highlight reel moments while also creating a handful of high-danger chances. As expected, Lekkerimäki is going to be one of the more exciting players to watch during this tournament, as he looked dangerous almost every time the puck was on his stick.
As for Lekkerimäki's linemates, Arshdeep Bains and Aatu Räty also had strong games. Bains was a pain to deal with around the net while Räty was delivering tape-to-tape passes to set up scoring chances. While it has been only one game, it is easy to see the trio sticking in the AHL and becoming the Abbotsford Canucks top line at the start of the season.
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Sasson also had a strong night for Vancouver. He drove the net on multiple occasions and was able to pot his own rebound for what ended up being the game-winning goal. Now entering his second AHL season, Sasson looks like a lock in the top six and should also be able to produce on the first unit power play.
As for the defence, the player who stood the most was Elias Pettersson. D-Pety, as he is called, was physical throughout the game and was able to catch a couple of Oilers with big hits. Listed at 6'4", 209 lbs, Pettersson was also able to clear out the front of the net on multiple occasions and even got into some scrums after the whistle.
Lastly, Tolopilo was solid, stopping all 21 shots he faced. While he did give up some rebounds, he was able to direct shots away from Edmonton players while also recovering quickly if caught out of position. He was able to remain focused despite long breaks between shot attempts. Ultimately, this was a strong performance by Tolopilo which will hopefully serve as a confidence booster for the rest of the tournament.
Up next for Vancouver will be against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday afternoon. Like the Canucks, the Jets won their opener, defeating the Calgary Flames 4-3 in overtime on Friday afternoon. Game time is set for 2:00 pm PT and can be streamed live on Canucks.com.
