HFNHL Commish
Registered User
- Feb 28, 2002
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Of the five Ducks prospects on display at this year's WJCs (two Americans, two Finns, and one Swede), four had solid tournaments. The lone Ducks goalie in the tournament, Magnus Akerlund, did not play well for Sweden, and was backing up Daniel Larsson before the end.
Perttu Lindgren made an impact for the bronze medal-winning Finns, finishing second on the team in points with six. Although Lindgren did have some issues with consistency during the tournament, he was named player of the game in the win over Norway, and established himself as one of Finland's top forwards for next year's WJCs.
While Finland's quarterfinal win over Sweden was most notable for Tuukka Rask's 53-save shutout, it was Ducks defenseman Teemu Laakso who scored the lone goal in the 1-0 overtime win. Laakso was clearly the Finns' best defenseman in the tournament, consistently displaying a physical edge to go with his three goals.
Considered by many to be this year's tournament favorite, the Americans' fourth-place finish in the WJCs can't be considered anything other than disappointing. That said, Team USA's captain, Kevin Porter, had a solid tournament, finishing with two goals and four assists. Throughout, Porter displayed spirit and tenacity.
Lastly, no name generated more headlines during this year's WJCs than that of Jack Johnson. Playing with Erik Johnson on what was easily the Americans' top defensive pairing, Jack first grabbed the media's attention following his elbow to agitator Steve Downie at the end of Team USA's preliminary round loss to Canada. Later, Jack gained further notoriety after he was named to the all-tournament team...along with the aforementioned Downie. Four current Ducks have previously been named to the all-tournament team: Mike Cammalleri, Brian Boucher, Eric Daze, and Eric Lindros. Retired Duck Kenny Jonsson was named to the all-tournament team twice.
Perttu Lindgren made an impact for the bronze medal-winning Finns, finishing second on the team in points with six. Although Lindgren did have some issues with consistency during the tournament, he was named player of the game in the win over Norway, and established himself as one of Finland's top forwards for next year's WJCs.
While Finland's quarterfinal win over Sweden was most notable for Tuukka Rask's 53-save shutout, it was Ducks defenseman Teemu Laakso who scored the lone goal in the 1-0 overtime win. Laakso was clearly the Finns' best defenseman in the tournament, consistently displaying a physical edge to go with his three goals.
Considered by many to be this year's tournament favorite, the Americans' fourth-place finish in the WJCs can't be considered anything other than disappointing. That said, Team USA's captain, Kevin Porter, had a solid tournament, finishing with two goals and four assists. Throughout, Porter displayed spirit and tenacity.
Lastly, no name generated more headlines during this year's WJCs than that of Jack Johnson. Playing with Erik Johnson on what was easily the Americans' top defensive pairing, Jack first grabbed the media's attention following his elbow to agitator Steve Downie at the end of Team USA's preliminary round loss to Canada. Later, Jack gained further notoriety after he was named to the all-tournament team...along with the aforementioned Downie. Four current Ducks have previously been named to the all-tournament team: Mike Cammalleri, Brian Boucher, Eric Daze, and Eric Lindros. Retired Duck Kenny Jonsson was named to the all-tournament team twice.
