Joel Blomqvist's nickname is fitting for a goaltender in the Penguins' pipeline.
It's "Blomma," which is the Swedish for flower.
The situation he finds himself in is more akin to that of Matt Murray rather than Marc Andre-Fleury during the Penguins' Stanley Cup runs, though.
Blomqvist, the Penguins' 2020 second-round pick, is in his rookie season in the top Finnish league. The 20-year-old netminder led all Liiga goaltenders in save percentage (.940) and goals-against average (1.32), and ranked fourth in shutouts (5) through 20 appearances for Karpat during the regular season.
For Game 1 of the best-of-seven quarterfinal round against the Ilves, Karpat turned to its 34-year-old veteran No. 1 in Stanislav Galimov.
Galimov was pulled after allowing three goals on seven shots in the first 7:28 of the game. Blomqvist entered the game in relief, and stopped 18 of 19 shots to finish the game. Karpat was only able to come back from the early hole, and lost Game 1, 5-1.
For Game 2, Karpat turned to Blomqvist as the starter. Blomqvist made 20 saves on 22 shots, but Karpat again only scored one goal in a 2-1 overtime loss.
Blomqvist earned his first Liiga playoff win in Game 3, making 16 saves on 17 shots in a 2-1 overtime win.
Karpat went back to Galimov for Game 4. Galimov allowed two goals on four shots in the first 12 minutes of the game, and was once again pulled. Blomqvist was perfect in relief, stopping all 17 shots faced, as Karpat won 3-2 in overtime to tie the series.
Karpat again returned to Blomqvist as the starter for Game 5, and he put forth a solid effort, stopping 24 of 25 shots. Karpat was shutout, however, and fell behind in the series, 3-2.
Through the first five games, Blomqvist posted a .98 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage.
On the brink of elimination, Karpat started Blomqvist in Game 6 on Monday.
The game has yet to be completed.
Game 6 of the series was postponed due to poor ice conditions and will be completed on Tuesday. As it stands, Karpat has a 1-0 lead at the 10:12 mark of the first period. Blomqvist stopped both of the shots he faced.
If Karpat can win this game, Game 7 will be on Wednesday.
Penguins director of player development Scott Young told me earlier this season that ideally, Blomqvist would spend a year as a starter in Finland before making the jump to North America and likely starting in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. And with Taylor Gauthier and Filip Lindberg already under contract and expected to play in Wilkes-Barre next season, there's no reason to think that Blomqvist would come over to North America next year.
The door is wide open for Blomqvist to claim Karpat's starting role for next season, though. Galimov is only on a one-year contract, and will be a free agent this offseason. With the impressive regular season Blomqvist had -- and the way he took over the net in the postseason -- it looks like the starting role is his for next year.
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Here's how 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
Age: 20
Team: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Season totals: 45 games, 13 goals, 35 assists
Ansons played in three games and recorded one assist, breaking up an intended pass and quickly setting up a teammate:
Tristan Broz
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-0/179
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, second round
Age: 19
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 35 games, 6 goals, 5 assists
Minnesota didn't play this week, awaiting the start of the Frozen Four. Minnesota will face Minnesota State on Thursday.
Judd Caulfield
Position: Right wing
Size: 6-3/207
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, fifth round
Age: 20
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)
Season totals: 39 games, 11 goals, 9 assists
North Dakota's season ended on March 24.
Jordan Frasca
Position: Center
Size: 6-2/184
Shoots: Left
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 20
Team: Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
Season totals: 59 games, 42 goals, 42 assists
Frasca scored scored one goal in three games:
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-3/199
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Age: 21
Team: Princeton University (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 3 goals, 3 assists
Princeton's season ended on March 5.
Lukas Svejkovsky
Position: Center/right wing
Size: 5-9/170
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2020, fourth round
Age: 20
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Season totals: 55 games, 32 goals, 41 assists
Svejkovsky scored two goals and two assists in three games. Both goals came in the same game, with the first coming shorthanded:
The other goal was an empty net tally.
With assists in his other two games this week, Svejkovsky is now on a five-game point streak. He has seven goals and five assists in those games.
Kirill Tankov
Position: Center/wing
Size: 6-2/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 19
Team: SKA-Neva (VHL)
Season totals: 38 games, 10 goals, 11 assists (regular season), 15 games, 1 goal, 4 assists (playoffs)
SKA-Neva began the VHL semifinal round and currently trails 3-1 in the series. Tankov recorded two primary assists in the first four games of this round:
Chase Yoder
Position: Center
Size: 5-11/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2020, sixth round
Age: 19
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 38 games, 5 goals, 6 assists
Providence's season ended on March 12.
DEFENSEMEN
Santeri Airola
Size: 5-9/163
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2019, seventh round
Age: 21
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.
Niclas Almari
Size: 6-1/180
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2016, fifth round
Age: 23
Team: Lukko (Liiga)
Season totals: 11 games, 1 goal, 1 assist (AHL), 6 games, 4 assists (ECHL), 15 games, 2 assist (Liiga), 7 games (Liiga playoffs)
Lukko was eliminated 4-1 in the best-of-seven quarterfinal round. Almari was scoreless in the series.
Isaac Belliveau
Size: 6-2/185
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, fifth round
Age: 19
Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Season totals: 55 games, 7 goals, 20 assists
Belliveau played three games and scored two goals and two assists.
Daniel Laatsch
Size: 6-5/190
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 20
Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Season totals: 28 games, 1 goal, 2 assists
Wisconsin's season ended on March 6.
Ryan McCleary
Size: 6-2/180
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 2021, seventh round
Age: 18
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 59 games, 6 goals, 21 assists
McCleary was scoreless in two games.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 6-0/195
Shoots: Left
Drafted: 2017, third round
Age: 22
Team: Penn State University (NCAA)
Season totals: 32 games, 5 goals, 7 assists
Penn State's season ended on March 12. Phillips signed an AHL amateur tryout with Wilkes-Barre. More on that here.
GOALTENDERS
Joel Blomqvist
Size: 6-1/183
Catches: Left
Drafted: 2020, second round
Age: 20
Team: Karpat (Liiga), Hermes (Mestis)
Season totals: 20 games, 1.32 GAA, .940 SV% (Liiga), 5 games, .98 GAA, .950 SV% (Liiga playoffs), 4 games, 2.26 GAA, .882 SV% (Mestis)
Taylor Gauthier
Size: 6-2/208
Catches: Right
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 21
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Season totals: 39 games, 2.25 GAA, .931 SV%
Gauthier played in two games this week, earning back-to-back wins. He made 40 saves on 44 shots on Friday, then 29 saves on 33 shots on Saturday.