‘The Alien’ on track for 123 goals, 205 points
Pettersson’s season with Canucks off to a start that suggests he’s ready to handle the NHL
In a world where Elias Pettersson has excited the Canucks’ fan base and the Cleveland Browns have excited theirs, we give you something else that’s surprising when it’s good, the musings and meditations on the world of sports.
After his first two NHL games, Pettersson is on pace for 123 goals and 205 points this season but we shouldn’t get carried away over the dazzling start to his career in Vancouver.
This needs to be said. It’s quite possible he won’t be able to sustain that rate over 80 more games.
Still, after watching him, the most impressive thing about the ‘boy wonder’ isn’t his skill level or his vision. It’s the substance to his game.
Pettersson is relentless on the back check, never gives up on a play and doesn’t cheat on the offensive side. That’s important for two reasons. It should win over his veteran teammates, who see he’s committed to playing the right way. More importantly, it should win over the trust of Travis Green and the Canucks’ coaching staff.
Saturday night in Calgary, Green took the training wheels off Pettersson and played him just over 16 minutes. True, over five minutes were on the power play, but after an opening night when he played just 9:46, the difference was notable. Green didn’t hide the kid and didn’t try to protect him. He sent him out because he was the Canucks’ best player on the night and he earned his minutes.
As this season unfolds, that will be crucial to Pettersson’s development. There will be nights when the magic isn’t there but as long as he competes, he’ll play.
In the West, that means he’ll be going up against some very good centres on a nightly basis but that experience will also be invaluable. Remember, Pettersson wasn’t supposed to be playing centre this season and he’s now worked his way into the twohole while showing every sign he’s ready for the responsibility of being a top player in the world’s toughest league.
Even if he doesn’t score 123 goals this season.
That leaves the question of his nickname. In Sweden, Pettersson was dubbed ‘The Alien,’ for his supernatural skill set and eerie hockey sense. We’ve been trying to hang another moniker on him but we now feel a little like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, which — as every cinephile knows — is the greatest movie ever made.
Ricky has just been informed by Cal Naughton Jr., that his former friend had changed his nickname to ‘The Magic Man.’
RICKY: That’s the stupidest nickname I’ve ever heard.
CAL: Is it Ricky, ’cause I think you wish you thought of it.
RICKY: Alright, you got me. That’s an awesome nickname.
We give you ‘The Alien,’ an awesome nickname.
Lions GM Ed Hervey set off a firestorm last week when he said Jonathon Jennings doesn’t spend enough time in the film room and questioned his commitment to becoming an elite CFL quarterback.
This brought a swift rebuke from Jennings’ agent Bardia Ghahremani and there’s a story there. Ghahremani also represents Lions’ stars Solomon Elimimian and Manny Arceneaux and all three players agreed to have their contracts restructured last off-season.
As for Jennings, he’s a standup guy who’s taken responsi- bility for his substandard play over the last two seasons. But something has also impeded his development since his standout first year and it now seems unlikely he’ll be back with the Lions next season.
Wally Buono was asked about Hervey’s comments after the Lions needlessly dramatic 26-23 win over Toronto on Saturday night.
“Ed has a right to state his opinion,” Buono said. “If that encourages other players and coaches to do a better job, that’s what he’s paid to do. He knows his team. I trust what he does and what he says. Ed’s not a hothead. Usually if he says something there’s a reason for it.”
Finally, there is little doubt that Willie Jefferson’s game-winning touchdown in the Roughriders’ win over the Eskimos on Monday would have been called back in the NFL for roughing the passer.
But that’s the NFL’s problem right now. From the Lions’ perspective, the Riders’ win moves B.C. inside the playoff bar with a 7-7 record and four games left on their schedule.
Those games, in order, are in Calgary on Saturday, at home to the Eskimos on Oct. 19, at the Roughriders on Oct. 27 and home to the Stampeders on Nov. 3. Providing they beat the Eskimos, it figures the Lions will have to win two of those four to make the post-season and that sets up a fascinating decision for Wally Buono.
Travis Lulay is ready to return as the starting quarterback. Four weeks after he separated his left shoulder against Montreal, Lulay said he was ready to play after the Lions win over Toronto on Saturday. So, would you play him on the road against the best team in the CFL this weekend or would you give him another week of rest, then bring him back against the Eskimos at home in the game you have to win?
Lulay’s health has to be a consideration. So does his susceptibility to injury. If he goes down against the Stamps, the Lions’ hopes rest on Jennings. If you wait and start Lulay against the Eskimos, you have your best quarterback rested and ready in your biggest game of the season. I know which way I’d be leaning.