Helenius scores his first goal but Amerks fall to Toronto

By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA

It took three games but Konsta Helenius now has his first professional goal in North America.

Maybe it was mom’s home cooking.

The 18-year-old native of Finland put his talents on display early in the second period on Friday night, dangling down the slot, avoiding the long-reach poke-check of a defender and then sniping a shot short side from a difficult angle.

That’s the talent the Buffalo Sabres coveted when they made Helenius their first-round draft pick (14^th overall) in June.

His goal extended the Rochester Americans lead to 2-0, but the Toronto Marlies scored three times before the second period ended, then added insurance less than a minute into the third and left Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial 4-2 victors.

“We literally gave them three goals,” coach Michael Leone said after the Amerks fell to 1-2. “We have to commit to playing a smart game against a really skilled team like that.”

To accentuate Leone’s point: the Amerks outshot the unbeaten Marlies (3-0) by a 28-21 margin and, by the coach’s count, allowed just six quality scoring chances the entire game.

But an inability to box out in front led to the first goal, a total misplay by goalie Felix Sandstrom gave former Amerk Alex Nylander a mid-game empty-net goal, then a lost battle on a 50/50 puck allowed Alex Steeves to score his first of two goals and break the 2-2 tie.

“We have to be willing to win the battle for the 50/50 puck,” Leone said.

On the bright side, Helenius, while still trying to fully grasp defensive responsibilities in the North American game, did find the net.

His goal 4:26 into the second period was a nice present to his mother, Maiju, who arrived in Rochester on Monday for what will be a three-week visit.

She can obviously provide some home cooking far from home.

“And there’s not any other Finnish players here so it’s nice to speak Finnish,” he said with a big smile.

The goal was his first point, and points are what the Sabres will be expecting from him as he matures and learns the pro game.

“It’s always good when you score your first goal,” he said.

He admits the smaller ice surface compared to the rinks in Finland is still an adjustment. Because of the smaller dimensions, decisions must be made quickly.

“There’s less time,” he said.

Leone understands there is a learning curve.

“When you’re playing pro hockey, especially away from the puck, there’s things that are a learning experience,” Leone said. “You have to be responsible. He’s done a really nice job being consistent with those things.”

The Amerks could have used said consistency on Friday. They jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Anton Wahlberg’s short-handed breakaway goal 14:32 into the first period.

With the Marlies on the rush, he stole a Nick Abruzzese pass just outside the Amerks blue line and immediately sped the other way on a breakaway. He withstood a diving slash by Nikita Grebenkin midway down the slot and tucked a shot between the legs of goalie Artur Akhtyamov.

The finish was pretty; the preceding action wasn’t.

“I almost fell four times and almost lost the puck three times,” he said. “But it was good to get the first goal and get more and more confidence.”

Helenius pushed the lead to 2-0 at 4:26 of the second period. He maneuvered down the right of the slot, avoided Topi Niemela’s poke-check and then, from a sharp angle, zipped a shot between Akhtyamov and the post, under the goalie’s left arm.

But by the time the period ended the Amerks trailed 3-2 after Toronto scored three times in the final 10:29.

Cedric Pare converted a sweet pass into the deep slot from Ryan Tverberg at 9:31, then the misplay by Sandstrom led to a freebie for Nylander just 1:12 later.

Sandstrom came out of his net to play the puck in the corner to his right but totally botched the angle as he shot it off the end boards. Instead of playing it around behind, the puck bounced directly in front of the net and Nylander tapped it in.

“He was trying to pass it to the backside D; that happens, it’s hockey,” Leone said. He said what really was aggravating was the inability to rebound.

“Just our response after that, I thought we could have done a little better job responding,” he said.

When Steeves fired home a rebound at 15:43, the Marlies had a 3-2 lead, which became 4-2 just 52 seconds into the third period when Steeves scored again, this time off a return pass from Roni Hirvonen off the rush.