Penguins goaltending prospects Joel Blomqvist and Calle Clang are following similar paths in their careers.
Blomqvist (the Penguins' second-round pick in 2019) and Clang (the Penguins' third-round pick in 2019) both spent last season in the second-tier leagues of their respective countries, with Blomqvist in the Finnish Mestis and Clang in the Swedish Allsvenskan.
Both are now in their first full seasons in the top leagues in their countries, with Blomqvist in the Liiga and Clang in the SHL, and currently serving in backup roles to more established goaltenders.
Last week I wrote about Clang's hot start to the season, so it's only fitting to take a look at Blomqvist's strong start of his own this week.
Blomqvist, 19, has appeared in three games with his club Karpat -- two starts, with one two-period relief appearance in between -- and started the season by going over 134 minutes in net without allowing a goal.
Blomqvist's first game of the season was a 20-save shutout in Karpat's 3-0 win over HPK on Oct. 15.
Blomqvist was Karpat's backup on Thursday for their game against Jukurit. After Karpat's starter allowed three goals in the first period, Blomqvist played the second and third periods and stopped all 14 saves he faced to finish the game.
Blomqvist was the starter the following night against SaiPa, and made 24 saves on 25 shots. The lone goal he allowed in the second period is the only puck to get past Blomqvist in his three appearances this season.
Through three appearances, Blomqvist has a 2-0 record, a .39 goals-against average, and a .980 save percentage.
On Monday, Blomqvist was named to Finland's roster for the Four Nations tournament between Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the Czech Republic that will be held in Angelholm, Sweden from November 12-14.
The U20 tournament is part of the evaluation process for the World Junior tournament rosters.
Blomqvist made Finland's World Junior roster last year -- a feat on its own given that he was 18 years old at the time -- but served as backup and didn't play in any games.
This year, he'll be looking to not only crack the roster, but to play and make an impact. His start to the Liiga season certainly bodes well for his chances.
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Here's how the rest of the Penguins' prospects in junior, college, and Europe did this week.
FORWARDS
Raivis Ansons
Position: Right wing/left wing
Size: 6-1/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
Season totals: 7 games, 2 goals, 8 assists
Ansons recorded three assists in two games this week.
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 8 games, 2 assists
Broz was scoreless in two games.
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 7 games, 3 goal, 3 assists
Caulfield played in one game this week and scored one goal vs. Penn State, a rebound opportunity on a power play:
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 0 games
Gorman was scoreless in Princeton's first game of the season. The game was Gorman's first competitive game since the 2019-20 season, since Princeton didn't play last season.
Gorman primarily played center his freshman year, but slotted in at third-line left wing for the opener.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Season totals: 10 games, 7 goals, 12 assists
Svejkovsky played in two games, scoring three assists. All three assists came in a single game, and were all secondary assists -- one shorthanded, one on the power play, and one even strength. He didn't score in his second game of the week, but he recorded a season-high 10 shots on goal.
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 19 games, 6 goals, 5 assists
Tankov was scoreless in three games this week.
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 9 games, 2 goal, 2 assists
Yoder was scoreless in two games.
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Team: Ilves (Liiga), KOOVEE (Mestis)
Season totals: 2 games (Mestis)
Airola missed the start of the Liiga season with a lower-body injury. His team announced on Oct. 14 that Airola underwent surgery and is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 months.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 11 games, 4 assists
Belliveau was scoreless in three games this week.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 8 games
Laatsch was scoreless in two games.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 6 games, 1 assist
McCleary was scoreless in one game. It sounds like he was initially a "game-time decision" for the game, but the more interesting part of that is that the Winterhawks' lineup for the game had him listed as a left wing, not a defenseman:
Ryan McCleary could be making his return to the lineup tonight. Here's our Friday night projected lines.#LetsGoHawks pic.twitter.com/5NshjJNPzZ
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) October 30, 2021
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 5 games, 3 goal, 3 assists
Phillips played in one game, scoring two goals and an assist vs. North Dakota. The first goal came on the power play, when a blocked shot by Judd Caulfield bounced right to an open Phillips:
After his second goal, a North Dakota fan expressed his feelings toward Phillips with a two-finger salute, which just seemed to fire Phillips up more:
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 3 games, 0.39 GAA, .980 SV% (Liiga), 3 games, 2.07 GAA, .902 SV% (Mestis)
Blomqvist played in two games this week, and posted a clean sheet with 14 saves in two periods in a relief appearance. He allowed one goal on 26 shots the following night.
Calle Clang
Size: 6-2/176
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, third round
Team: Rogle (SHL)
Season totals: 3 games, 2.27 GAA, .889 SV%
Clang appeared in one game this week for Rogle and was injured in the second period on this save:
Before leaving the game, he made 12 saves on 13 shots.
Rogle physiotherapist Christopher Alvengrip spoke with the media this week (what a concept!) and said that Clang's injury "does not seem to be that serious," and that they expect him to be back on the ice Tuesday.