Bottom Six Minutes 66: Jesse Ylonen is making the most of an opportunity
The Laval Rocket standout made a strong case for himself on Sunday night.
The Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils, two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, provided an excellent dose of hockey on Sunday night. Both teams are in their own stages of rebuilding, looking to see what works and what doesn’t, and the result was a very entertaining game.
And for Montreal, Jesse Ylonen stood out as a player who warrants a longer look with the big club.
Ylonen has been standing out with the Laval Rocket this season, in large part due to his dangerous shot on the power play. He got an opportunity to show it off against the Devils, and though the goal went to Josh Anderson, he showcased what he can do.
Nice tip by Anderson for this goal. Absolutely love that they're utilizing Ylonen as a trigger man on the PP.
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 28, 2022
He might not see Laval next year. pic.twitter.com/fiQMFtuogI
This shot comes from a very similar spot on the ice that Cole Caufield scored from the night prior. With a fluttering puck, he still manages to put it in the danger zone and give the Habs some life that they sorely needed in that game.
The Canadiens becoming a competitive team will require more than just a top power play unit focused on Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Those two are dynamite, but when they can’t get it done you need to have a secondary punch. Ylonen looks like he might be able to provide that, and it would be wise for the club to keep trying him out to see if he can.
At even strength, he also created a few scoring chances out of essentially nothing, so he was much more than a one-trick pony on the night. I’d argue he earned a shot for the remainder of this season, and if things go well, he just might become a permanent resident of the island of Montreal come October.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available on your podcast platform of choice. We’ll be back again after this Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.
Podcast Highlights
Mike Hoffman’s double doink in OT
Mike Hoffman hits the old double post in OT...
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 28, 2022
This game is something... pic.twitter.com/0ehbq6ShbA
Christian Dvorak’s absurd pass:
This pass by Christian Dvorak is better than sex. pic.twitter.com/rlfCA9t3Zc
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 28, 2022
Alexander Romanov part one:
Romanov is in the mood for violence tonight, it seems. pic.twitter.com/IQARxtmcvk
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 27, 2022
Alexander Romanov part two:
Stellar D from Romanov on Hughes here. Looked like Hughes was about to get around but he shut that gap real quick.
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 27, 2022
Big ups to Hughes staying on his feet, that's a strong Russian. pic.twitter.com/yNFHyTPimg