ROCHESTER – Not much has changed recently for Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius. Well, other than the goal-scoring streak the center extended to four games in Friday’s 6-3 win.
Helenius, 18, has pretty much played the same way from the get-go as a rookie, Americans assistant coach Vinny Prospal said.
“Basically the only thing (that) changed (is) that he found the net (on a) couple of occasions,” Prospal said prior to tonight’s game against the Hartford Wolf Pack in Blue Cross Arena. “Other than that, he’s had opportunities before, he just didn’t finish.”
Now, the Finn has started burying them. He has generated chances all season, having pumped at least two shots on goal each outing. Entering tonight’s game, his 31 shots rank 15th in the AHL.
In Wednesday’s 4-2 road win over the Cleveland Monsters, he registered a season-high five shots. His second-period power-play goal broke a tie and helped buoy the Amerks to their fifth consecutive victory. He also scored last weekend in each of their road wins against the Utica Comets.
KONSTA HELENIUS
POWER PLAY GOAL
FOR THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/CptKXjSFpi— Rochester Americans (@AmerksHockey) November 7, 2024
Helenius, the 14th overall pick this year, arrived in North America a polished prospect, having played two seasons in Liiga, a men’s league in his native Finland. Last season, he scored 14 goals and 36 points in 51 games for Jukurit, huge numbers for a teenager in a top-tier pro circuit.
Still, Helenius has been adapting to a different style of hockey – “Everything has been really fast,” Amerks Mike Leone said – on a smaller ice surface. Leone said the youngster has recently been “figuring out the time and space.”
“He’s getting his shots off quicker,” he said. “You look at the first four games, there was a lot of stick on pucks, he wasn’t getting his shots delivered to the net, but he’s becoming more comfortable.”
Helenius, who has compiled five goals and six points in 10 games this season, said perhaps possessing the puck more and battling better has boosted his offense.
“There’s a lot more to that than just scoring, but for a young player, it’s always good to score, and the goals help us to win some hockey games,” Prospal said.
The Sabres, of course, value the 5-foot-11, 189-pound Helenius for more than the offense he produces.
“He’s going to be a really good player in this league, (a) 200-foot guy,” Leone said. “He’s gonna be, I think, as he goes forward in his career, a guy that can play both sides of the puck.”
Right now, the Amerks occasionally utilize Helenius as a penalty killer. Leone has also deployed him to take some critical faceoffs.
“He’s continuing to work away from the puck, being defensively responsible,” Leone said. “We’ve been really happy with his faceoffs. He’s done a great job in the faceoff circle. He won a couple huge D-zone faceoffs when we got extended shifts last game.”
Helenius has quickly adjusted to taking a different style of faceoff in North America. In Finland, players must play the puck first.
“Here, you can play body and stick first,” he said.
So Helenius has been working with teammates Josh Dunne and Mason Jobst to perfect a new skill.
“I think I’m getting better and better,” Helenius said. “So it’s good that Leone trusts me.”
–
The Sabres, who host the Calgary Flames this afternoon at KeyBank Center, had Friday off.
–
All 12 Sabres forwards recorded at least one point in Thursday’s 6-1 road victory over the New York Rangers for the second time in franchise history.
They last had every forward on the score sheet on Jan. 12, 1994 in a 7-2 win against the Washington Capitals.