Kasper Halttunen's Third Period

This week's Prospect Reef will focus on Kasper Halttunen's third period of Game 1 in the London Knights' series against the Saginaw Spirit. Haltunen would finish with two goals in the period as the Knights would come from behind to win 3-1.

This is a running diary and cutups of Halttunen's third period and observations on it.

20:00 left: Knights start the period on a power play thanks to a Braden Haché holding penalty at the end of the second. Halttunen goes to the net and almost gets a goal.

Kasper Halttunen also lets off a one-timer that is blocked by the defense.

Halttunen is forced to play some defense on the power play. He has good positioning, but I would have liked to see him use his frame more after pivoting and be more aggressive with sticking with the forward. His stick position is good, but once the competition takes a jump, professional players will take advantage of this. Good defensive play in a pinch, but something he will need to continue to iron out.

14:00 left: Halttunen jumps on, and the play ends up in the defensive zone. He plays as the support in a board battle, but once the play turns to the net, he is stuck in no man's land. I'd like to see him attack the forward more and make the forward decide if he should pass or shoot.

11:19 left: Halttunen gets an offensive zone start after a solid shift from London. The puck quickly gets cleared, and Halttunen is able to lead the transition. This is something that I haven't seen much of from him this season and I was pleasantly surprised.

9:19 left: Knights on the power play after a Matyas Sapovaliv delay of game penalty. Credit to the Saginaw forecheck that made the first half of the power play very ineffective, but Halttunen finds the quiet ice and unleashes a one-timer that not many are about to stop.

6:53 left: Offensive zone start for Halttunen. He does a great job breaking up a rush for Saginaw in the neutral zone, eventually allowing London to gain control. 2024 NHL Draft prospect Sam Dickinson creates the play, but Halttunen crashes toward the net and is rewarded.

With under 5 minutes left and up by 1, Halttunen didn't see the ice again as the London Knights went into protection mode and eventually won 3-1 with an empty netter.

Big Takeaways:
Kasper Halttunen continues to be a huge offensive weapon for the London Knights, but right now, he isn't given an opportunity to play a two-way game in critical moments. The entire power play is designed to give Halttunen an opportunity to release the howitzer that is his one-timer. As Halttunen continues to develop (whether it's back with London next year or in the AHL), he needs to continue to develop his game in the defensive zone. He has the physical tools to do it but needs the opportunity.