‘Boy, He’s Good’: Ville Koivunen Growing Game, Teammates Blown Away (PHN Exclusive)

NEWARK — Ville Koivunen is hoping to score his first NHL goal soon. After a handful of games, a trio of assists, and roundly being prasied by coaches and teammates alike, Koivunen wants that first goal.

But he’s not willing to play selfishly for it.

The Pittsburgh Penguins outclassed the Chicago Blackhawks 5-0 Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena. As part of the victory, Penguins teammates, including Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust made a special point to set up Koivunen for that momentous moment. It didn’t happen, and Koivunen passed up one of his best chances in order to make a brilliant pass to defenseman Erik Karlsson, who was a bit surprised by the cross-crease pass before snapping the goal.

It was an assist for Koivunen, but it could have been a goal.

“I had to pass it. He was (wide) open,” Koivunen said Tuesday night, placing emphasis on the word “had” with a smile.

The pass was a clear exposition of the player the Penguins are getting. He wasn’t one of the top Carolina Hurricanes prospects, but he was the best Carolina would make available. It looks like Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas found a gem.

In his first full North American season, there have been some unavoidable growing pains. The pace of the game, the size of the rinks, and the lines not to cross when he was asserting himself physically.

Before his recall, Koivunen was among the AHL rookie leaders with 21 goals and 55 points in 62 games.

“You never know how a player’s game will translate to the NHL until they actually play and perform. Some players have the ability to be successful at the American League level, and for whatever reason, their game doesn’t translate well,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “In our estimation, Ville has great offensive instincts. He’s another guy who’s got a little bit of swagger, and he plays with moxie. He has confidence about him, both with the puck and without the puck.

“He’s a little bit of a pest out there. I think he likes to get under people’s skin.”

In casual conversations, his teammates rave about him.

“That guy–boy, he’s really good. I didn’t realize,” said one player motioning toward Koivunen.

Teammates knew Rutger McGroarty from training camp and were expecting McGoarty’s arrival, but Koivunen was a different story. He wasn’t a training camp standout and didn’t come with the same pedigree or reputation.

Instead, Koivunen has set about learning and doing so quickly. Like McGroarty, Koivunen also quickly passed the first test.

“When we play a young player with (Crosby), for example, there’s a tendency for that young player to want to get the puck to Sid all the time. And that’s probably an intuitive observation, but with Ville, our observation with him is that he doesn’t force plays to Sid,” said Sullivan. “He makes plays to him when they’re available, but when they’re not, he’s looking for the next play or the best play. And I think that just speaks to his confidence and his ability to play the game.”

To get the scoop directly from the source, we also sat down with Koivunen for a PHN exclusive one-on-one.

Like his game, Koivunen’s English has also greatly improved since last summer. He carries himself with confidence and good humor, like laughing about passing to Karlsson when he could have taken the shot.

“(Crosby) isn’t too bad, of course. He’s pretty a good player,” Koivunen said with a smirk. “He is amazing with the puck…and it is fun to play with him. So you try to find open ice, and he will find you.”

In September, Koivunen wasn’t close to the product he’s become, and there is plenty more room for growth. Koivunen’s playmaking skills have been displayed, as well as his willingness to battle for the net-front. He’s been installed on the Penguins’ top power play unit and played with a unique combination of grit and grace.

He’s fired one-timers, deflected pucks, and made a few next-level passes.

Sullivan noted that some players don’t translate well to the NHL game. He could have singled out recent recalls such as Emil Bemstrom and Valtteri Puustinen, who have been given extended runs in the top league and played some top-six minutes but seem destined to fill AHL roles within the organization.

“(I’ve) improved my skating and y physical game, but also like the little plays on the wall, (open) ice and wall plays and that kind of thing,” Koivunen admitted. “Like everything comes a little faster. So I’m used to that right now. So it feels good.”

Koivunen is indeed a little faster than he was. He’s getting to spots with determination and ahead of schedule.

By contrast, Koivunen actually looks better in the NHL, which is another assessment to which his teammates agree. For a player with Koivunen’s skill set and hockey sense, the more linear and structured NHL game can enhance a player’s performance.

“I think it’s more predictable. I think, here, players are more skillful,” Koivunen said. “So they make great plays, and you know what they’re going to do.”

Knowing what Evgeni Malkin or Crosby is going to do and not thinking twice about it speaks well of Koivunen. He had more to say on the topic, but we interrupted to bore deeper into the topic. Does he agree that he’s shining a bit brighter on the bigger stage?

Koivunen didn’t want to entirely dismiss his AHL experience.

“I think could play a big role here too. Of course, in the AHL, I had good linemates (Tristan Broz and McGroarty). That helped a lot,” he said.