The brightest Finnish name in the night’s NHL round was Kasperi Kapanen.
Caps flew into the rink when the Finnish forward completed the second hat trick of his career in the NHL. PDO
Got into the so-called doghouse in the Pittsburgh Penguins last season Kasperi Kapanen was on fire when the coach gave the Finn another chance to improve.
The Finnish striker scored a hat trick against the St. Louis Blues, i.e. he managed to score three times. Two of the hits came with the upper hand and one with an even field. He got a meager 12 minutes of playing time, but the second hat trick of his NHL career was already completed in the middle of the game. The Penguins won 6–2.
Kapase likes this performance. It gives him more responsibility in the lineup, where the forward has had trouble breaking into in the past season. Kapanen has sat in the stands for nine games as a healthy thunder. In the last matches, he has received superior responsibility and a place on the edge of the triple chain.
Kapanen’s performance after 16 games is now 5+5.
Finnish success in Florida
Aleksi Heponiemi last scored a goal in the NHL in January 2021. PDO
There is no shortage of Finnish talent in the Florida Panthers team, though Alexander Barkov and Anton Lundell are still on the sidelines. Eetu Luostarinen played in the middle of the second chain and Aleksi Heponiemi in the quad when the Seattle Kraken fell 5–1.
Heponiemi scored the Panthers’ fourth goal. The hit was the second in the NHL for the 23-year-old forward, who was waiting for opportunities. The first was born in the 2020–2021 season.
Panthers captain Barkov has been sidelined for the whole of December due to illness. Team coach Paul Maurice has said that the center will return to ice training.
In the round of the night, the Finns also succeeded in scoring Sebastian Ahowhen the Carolian Hurricanes defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4–2.