Acclimating to America

JONAS JUNLAND FOUND the best way to satisfy his craving for a good Swedish meal is to play chef in his own kitchen. A bout with homesickness was cured recently when his mother, father, sister and girlfriend’s parents traveled from Sweden to Peoria, Ill., to watch him play for the Rivermen. But there’s no such thing as a quick fix to the process of acclimating to the North American game, as the 21-year-old has learned. Junland has a lot of potential and the St. Louis Blues expect him to be a part of their defense corps in the not-too-distant future. The 64th selection in 2006, Junland has loads of skill, he’s smart and has good hockey instincts. Yet even with mobility and size, the 6-foot-2, 198-pounder is still adjusting to the smaller ice surface…

Snapshots

IF THEY EVER MAKE a hockey version of the classic baseball flick The Natural, Thomas Vanek would have to play the lead role. The Buffalo sniper has five career hat tricks, the last four of which have been of the natural variety. That ties a league record set by Cy Denneny when he was skating for the original Ottawa Senators in the early 1920s. WHO KNEW the road to ruin went through the Eastern Conference final? Pittsburgh’s swoon this season confirms representing the East in the Stanley Cup final is a death sentence. Tampa hasn’t won a playoff round since claiming the ’04 Cup. Carolina hasn’t been back to the post-season since winning it all in ’06. Ottawa, the ’07 finalists, will likely miss the playoffs this year after being swept…

Growing in body and mind

BOSTON UNIVERSITY sophomore defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk learned last season that being a first round draft pick can be a burden. “I put too much pressure on myself,” said Shattenkirk, selected 14th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2007. “I expected to come in here and be a game-changer right away.” Terriers coach Jack Parker took note and had assistant David Quinn – a 1984 first-rounder – address the situation. Parker said Shattenkirk had been impressive offensively, but was struggling with the defensive aspect of his game. The result was positive as Shattenkirk became more comfortable. “We also simplified our defensive zone coverage in the second half, which made it much easier for him,” Parker noted. “Once he got comfortable with the system, he was much more effective defensively.” The 5-foot-11, 200-pound blueliner finished 2007-08 with…

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