FLASHY FORWARD COMING UP EMPTY

VANCOUVER • Teemu Selanne used to call it the “Heinz Ketchup bottle syndrome.” Sometimes, the ketchup doesn’t come out when you want it to. But when it eventually does, it flows uncontrollably.

That’s certainly what Eeli Tolvanen is hoping for. Despite firing a team-high 17 shots on goal in the first four games of the world junior hockey championship, the Finnish forward is still searching for his first goal.

Maybe that will come in Wednesday’s quarter-final game against Canada.

“It’s been a tough tournament for me,” said the Nashville Predators’ first-round pick. “I’ve had a lot of scoring chances, but I haven’t had those bounces.”

Tolvanen is playing on Finland’s top line with a couple of players expected to be top picks in the next two NHL entry drafts. Kaapo Kakko, draft-eligible this year, has one goal and two assists, while Anton Lundell, drafteligible in 2020, has a goal and an assist.

“As a line, we’ve improved our game a lot,” said Tolvanen. “Playing with two young guys — Kakko and Lundell — they’re really good players, so just give the puck to them and play hard.”

“We have to score better. We’ve had a ton of chances,” said head coach Jussi Ahokas. “I think all our top guys have been waiting. Now the games start.”

This is Tolvanen’s third appearance at the world juniors. Two years ago, he had two goals and six points in six games for Finland, and last year he scored a goal and had six points in five games.

The expectation was the 19-year-old would have more than just two assists by now. But the pressure to perform seems to have affected him.

“Just overall, there’s pressure,” said Tolvanen. “Everybody expects the goals, but I haven’t had the bounces yet. There’s not that many systems out there. I just need to keep going and keep battling through the tough times.”

For Tolvanen, it’s been a continuation of his season in the AHL. Though he lit up the KHL with 19 goals and 36 points in 49 games in 2017-18, the transition back to North America — he spent two years playing in the USHL before being drafted — has been a difficult one. On loan from the Milwaukee Admirals, he has four goals and 12 points in 24 games.

“For me, it’s been kind of tough. I had to learn the small ice again,” said the 5-foot-10 winger. “It was a tough start for me. I didn’t get any points in the first games, but as the season’s gone on I’ve felt more confident out there.

“Hopefully, we get a couple of goals. I don’t care who scores against Canada. I just want to help the team.”

In other words, don’t be surprised if the bottled-up winger explodes for a couple of long-overdue goals on Wednesday.