Both teams were competitive but Blues was able to take the win with three goals in the third period, scored by forwards Perttu Iso-Kuortti, Santeri Virta and Rudi Maarni. Here are notes on three Blues U16 prospects from the game.
01 F Rudi Maarni: He scored the game-winning goal with an outstanding effort, skating explosively all the way from the defensive zone zone and cutting inside before finishing off. He could improve his board play and add more physicality but has showed a lot of promise offensively this season. He has very good puck skills, good on-ice vision along with playmaking skill, too.
01 D Julius Mäkinen: He has always stood out to me because of his skating and strong puck movement. He’s agile and quick with good pivots, has good poise and keeps his head up with the puck. He has a pretty good slap shot which has improved since last season. He’s not very big but is highly mobile and maintains good gap control, thus not easy to get around.
02 F Patrick Isiguzo: Isiguzo is a winger who plays a strong physical game and consistently brings energy. He’s strong on his skates and knows how to protect the puck. Has a hard, heavy wrist shot which can be a lot for goalies to handle because of the deceptive release. Isiguzo has been playing a year up along with offensively skilled center Roni Hirvonen. Both were selected among the first players to the Pohjola camp which will feature the best 2002 born Finns.