It can be one of the most difficult aspects of the game to pick up for European players making their first foray into the NHL. But Capitals rookie center Mattias Sjogren has held his own on faceoffs so far this preseason. And’s that’s a critical area for Sjogren if he wants to make the final 23-man roster. After all, this is a player advertised as a two-way forward with an edge to his game, someone who can kill penalties and do the little things that win games. Adding faceoffs to that ledger would go a long way towards enhancing his value since no one is expecting a 20-goal scorer right off the bat.
“Sjogren is good on faceoffs – so far from what I’ve seen,” Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I think a lot has to do with he’s bigger and he’s stronger and the fact that we talked to him about it at development camp and then he went back home and he’s practiced them. He’s done a good job with that.”
In Europe, players aren’t allowed to use their legs during faceoffs to win the puck. Often it seems more like a mere mechanism to start a play and not the brutish war NHL faceoff battles become where players jockey for every edge and referees rule over the circle with an iron fist, kicking guys out when they are too obvious or go too far.
“Feel like my faceoffs have been quite good,” Sjogren said. “I didn’t expect to have that kind of numbers in the two games I started off with.”
Tonight, he is back in the lineup after sitting out Monday’s game with Columbus at Verizon Center. Sjogren is on the third line and will center a pair of veteran wingers in Mike Knuble and Jason Chimera. That alone is different than Monday when Boudreau had center Mathieu Perreault with rookies Cody Eakin and Chris Bourque. Sjogren is likely battling all three of those players for a roster spot. Perreault moves up to second-line center with Brooks Laich and Troy Brouwer. Eakin, meanwhile, centers the fourth line with D.J. King and Jay Beagle. Big chance for Sjogren. But is there even more pressure than before, especially after a productive night from Perreault’s line on Monday?
“Not more than before,” Sjogren said. “I have to show myself each and every game. It doesn’t matter if the other guys is playing good. I have to do good every game anyway.”
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