Playing in a tournament full of big names, it’s impressive that Blackhawks prospect Ville Pokka was able to grab a spot on Team Finland’s roster. And in their first game against Team North America, the young defenseman helped make his presence felt with this clutch play to narrowly save a goal on a puck that was about to cross the goal line:
Ville Pokka with highway robbery; pulling one off of the goal line #WCH2016 #NHL17Contest pic.twitter.com/zSeb7dHmhB
— #NHL17Contest (@EASPORTSNHL) September 19, 2016
Things have gotten ugly in the game despite Pokka’s strong effort on the play, but we’ll take this one to the bank anyway. You might think that’s a goal, but here’s an explanation of how the parallax effect can screw with your eyes on these plays.
The word has consistently been that Pokka has a strong hockey sense and you figure that helps him make smart plays like this one when he’s got his head on a swivel.
Pokka recently ranked No. 5 on our Top 25 Under 25 rankings and could potentially make the Hawks’ roster out of training camp. He might be fighting an uphill battle there, although more plays like this one in Toronto could help the 22-year-old make his case.