Canucks Prospect Report: Vasili Podkolzin on to round two of KHL playoffs
Vancouver Canucks prospect Vasili Podkolzin is making serious contributions in the 2021 KHL playoffs.
Last week, Podkolzin’s SKA St. Petersburg defeated Dinamo Minsk in five games to advance to round two of the KHL’s Gagarin Cup Playoffs. Podkolzin tallied two goals and an assist while featuring in each game of the series.
Podkolzin’s game-by-game breakdown
Pokdolzin kicked off his 2021 Gagarin Cup campaign with what became the contest’s game-winning goal. Off of a slick feed from teammate Ivan Morozov, Podkolzin fired a shot from the slot glove-side for SKA’s third goal of the game, en route to a 4-2 game one victory.
Along with the goal, Podkolzin added two hits and was a +1 in 12:27 of ice-time.
Podkolzin’s second tally of the series came off an empty-netter in game two, capping off a 6-4 victory for SKA. Podkolzin finished the game as a -1 with four shots through 14:34 of ice-time to go with his goal.
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Podkolzin had a high-quality chance on the rush in the second period of this game, but linemate Malte Stromwall couldn’t find Podkolzin’s stick with his pass. Despite featuring in limited minutes, the future Canuck’s hockey IQ is constantly on display.
It was game three, though, where the young Russian would make his mark on the series. SKA claimed victory by a score of 4-3 in overtime, and Podkolzin was not to be missed.
He made contributions across the board. Despite taking a penalty himself, the 19-year old featured on SKA’s penalty-kill on multiple occasions, helping to thwart Minsk’s powerplay efforts.
He exhibited his defensive pedigree and unmatched drive in overtime, hustling back on defence to break up a Minsk chance. Offensively, the Russian made a series of targeted efforts towards the opposing goal.
In the first clip below, Podkolzin utilizes his powerful skating in an attempt to weave through Minsk’s defence; however, he was unfortunately stopped.
https://twitter.com/Fan2Abby/status/1368251453903495171?s=20
In SKA’s overtime goal, Podkolzin teased Canucks fans with his patented forechecking, as the 2019 first-round pick displayed excellent poise in an intense late-game situation.
He fights to keep SKA’s possession alive in the corners before releasing a tape-to-tape pass into the slot, which luckily slipped through to familiar face Linden Vey, who slotted home the game-winner.
Podkolzin finished the game with the game-winning assist, two shots, one hit and one blocked shot in 17:59 minutes of ice time.
Game four was the Russian forward’s least eventful, as a brutal holding penalty at the beginning of the second led to minimal ice-time from there on out.
Despite managing only 8:15 on the ice, Podkolzin still managed to record three shots on the night, as SKA fell to Minsk 2-1, losing their opportunity to sweep Dinamo in the process.
In the series’ final meeting, Podkolzin saw a return to the norm in terms of ice time. He saw regular shifts throughout the game, although he found himself caught on the ice for Dinamo’s third goal to take the lead in the third.
After a tying-goal late in the third, SKA captured the game and series victory in overtime, by a score of 4-3. Podkolzin flaunted his powerful playstyle in this matchup once again, finishing the game with four shots and two hits.
Ultimately, Podkolzin’s deployment heavily varies based on the game situation, as SKA continues to lean on their veterans.
However, that doesn’t mean that Podkolzin hasn’t impressed thus far. He’s contributed to two game-winning goals while featuring on both SKA’s powerplay and penalty kill.
Overall, Podkolzin’s playoff performance is something for Canucks fans to be excited about, as such has come few and far between this season.
Podkolzin and SKA continue their Gagarin Playoff campaign on Thursday, March 18th, against Dynamo Moscow, which poses a much more daunting task for the Russian outfit.
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So Canucks fans, what do you think about Podkolzin’s playoff performance thus far? Let us know in the comments!