While Jayden Struble is making the most of the opportunity presented to him, Jesse Ylönen seems incapable of jumping on his chance. But it’s not for lack of trying.
Thus, during certain training sessions, as was the case on Friday, the goalkeeper coach, Éric Raymond, requisitions shooters who will send dozens of pucks to the masked men of the CH. On Friday, Ylönen and Mitchell Stephens were the lucky ones.
In fact, Ylönen performs this task quite regularly. “At first, it was because he was a rookie and we often ask rookies to do it,” says one of the goalies, Cayden Primeau.
But as Ylönen himself says, “I’m not that young anymore! », recalls the 24-year-old winger. “Now it’s me who asks to go, because I think it’s good to get more repetitions, in order to also score in the matches. »
The American native says this because he only has 3 goals and 2 assists in 22 games this season. His conversion rate (14.3%) is certainly that of an elite shooter, the problem being that he has only taken shots 21 times in his 22 games. If he shoots so little, it is mainly because he only plays 10:29 per game and often spends his third periods nailed to the bench, when Martin St-Louis reduces his squad to three trios.
In the meantime, Ylönen has become a trusted man for St. Louis in the shootout. He was in uniform for four shootout sessions; three times he was designated to shoot and on Wednesday he was the third to go. He has two goals in three attempts this season, three in four since his NHL debut. His only failure: Wednesday, precisely, when he hit the post.
“He’s very good, he moves his shoulders a lot and it’s hard for a goalkeeper to stop,” said Primeau.
The latter also notes that Ylönen’s numerous shooting sessions are paying dividends.
All that remains is to polish the other aspects of his game in order to be able to draw more often during matches. And thus take a position in the “top 9” in the absence of Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, Tanner Pearson and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard.
