PULLING FOR PULJUJARVI
Oilers happy to see big winger rewarded with 10th goal of the season against Jets
Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi had two goals in 16 games heading in to face the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, one of them into an empty net.
Considering he'd been riding shotgun with Connor Mcdavid most of the season, the production seemed low for someone with his natural talents.
Yet, the Oilers were patient with Puljujarvi and questions of his place on the top line with Mcdavid and Leon Draisaitl were put to rest, scoring the second goal in a 3-0 win against the Jets.
It was Puljujarvi's 10th of the season, placing him fourth among Oilers forwards behind Mcdavid, Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-hopkins.
Today, in the first of a twogame series against the Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Place, Puljujarvi will be back on the top unit.
“He obviously works hard, and he keeps pucks alive,” Mcdavid said following the win. “He's a big man; he gets in on the forecheck. He's got a long reach and he uses it to poke pucks and give us a chance to get them back.”
Puljujarvi scored 6:37 into the second period, setting up in the slot and snapping a shot from in tight over the shoulder of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. It was Puljujarvi's first non-empty-net goal since March 17.
“He's definitely a good player and it hadn't been going in for him, but that doesn't mean he hasn't had his looks,” Mcdavid said. “It was good for him to pot one (Saturday).”
Indeed, it was. The Oilers needed Puljujarvi to find the net again and will need him to continue being a scoring threat going forward.
Puljujarvi sits seventh in Oilers scoring, with 16 points in 42 games this year. He has a minus-1 rating, while Draisaitl and Mcdavid are plus-24 and plus-13, respectively.
“(Puljujarvi) forechecks well, he's hard on the puck, he creates loose pucks,” said Oilers head coach Dave Tippett. “His work ethic is relentless out there; he stays on pucks and it's good to see him get rewarded for his work. He's had some opportunities that haven't gone in for him, so it's good to see him rewarded (Saturday).”
The fourth overall pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft, Puljujarvi is having a bounceback season after returning to Finland following the 2018-19 season.
Puljujarvi, 22, was a highly ranked prospect heading into the 2016 draft and was expected to be a top-three pick, along with Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine.
To the surprise of everyone, the Columbus Blue Jackets and their Finnish general manager Jarmo Kekalainen passed on Puljujarvi and opted on centre Pierre-luc Dubois instead.
The Oilers then tripped over themselves rushing to the podium to select Puljujarvi, believing Columbus had made a mistake passing him over.
The six-foot-four, 201-pound right-winger, however, struggled to find traction in his first three seasons with the Oilers, bouncing between the NHL and the AHL. Frustration boiled over for Puljujarvi after scoring four goals and collecting nine points in 46 games in 2018-19, and he returned to Karpat in Finland, asking the Oilers for a trade.
Last season with Karpat, Puljujarvi regained his form, scoring 24 goals and collecting 53 points in 56 games. He had a change of heart and decided to come back to Edmonton under new general manager Ken Holland.
Puljujarvi remained in Karpat for the start of this season while the NHL was figuring a way to get back on the ice safely during the COVID -19 pandemic. He had seven goals and 12 points in 16 games and returned to Edmonton a stronger, more mature player with a better grasp of English.
Despite his recent scoring slump, Puljujarvi was never in real danger of losing his spot on the top line.
“You're always looking to tinker things, but he's been fine there,” Tippett said.
A wide body, Puljujarvi has quick hands and a good shot, which is why he was moved up the lineup to play with Mcdavid early in the year.
The Oilers seem limited at options for a first-line right-winger, with Kailer Yamamoto settling in well on the second line, while Zack Kassian, who started there, is still trying to find his stride after returning from a broken hand.
Puljujarvi helps Mcdavid and Draisaitl pressure teams on the forecheck and win battles down low, which was the case on the against Winnipeg. Mcdavid and Draisaitl did a good job of grinding away for the puck, while Puljujarvi found space in front.
“I think they do that all the time, but everybody focuses on the highlight stuff,” Tippett said. “But they do grind out some stuff and they're willing to put the work in. You have to recognize it's going to be hard.”
With Nugent-hopkins currently out due to a suspected concussion, the Oilers' success against the Canadiens will rely heavily on the play off the top line.
“When they check well and get opportunities with the puck, they can create stuff and that's what happened (Saturday),” Tippett said. “That line was solid all night. They checked them hard, they had a hard matchup against them in the first couple of periods, but they found a way to capitalize and it was a big goal for us.”