Tikkanen allowed one goal and had 24 saves against Ilves. He had some problems during the first period when he didn’t have much work to do, but he improved during the game when he got more and more saves.

Tikkanen is a big goalie who is calm and who mostly relies on his size. He covers huge part of the net and he doesn’t go to ice unless he needs to. His quickness and technique are okay even though not excellent. He showed pretty quick reflexes during the game, he read the play pretty well and he played with the puck more than the average Finnish junior goalie. However I think he could improve all areas of his game and especially his rebound control still needs a lot of work.

He is still very raw, but his size is interesting and I think his calm style of play fits him well. He still needs a lot of coaching and maturing but with his frame and decent technical skills, the patience could eventually pay off.

Tikkanen made 16 saves and allowed one goal, recording his second win for HIFK U20. Though he didn’t face plenty of shots, he did stop a penalty shot in the overtime. In addition, he made a solid desperation save in the second period, keeping the game tied at 1-1.

There were things to like about the 6’6 puck stopper. He used his stick well to poke check pass attempts. He was able to hold his ground with players crashing to the net. His quickness and net coverage were pretty good. He read the developing play accordingly and showed patience in the crease. He could work on his puck handling skills and agility outside the crease.

Tikkanen is an interesting goalie prospect with upside, even though he’s a bit raw and should benefit from another season of development before being draft eligible in 2019.