Puistola recorded a primary assist on the power play in LeKi’s 3-2 loss against KeuPa HT in the second semi-final game. He was playing left wing on the second line and was featured on the top power play unit as the primary playmaker.

Puistola has gained a lot of respect from LeKi’s coaches over the course of the season and he was on the ice during every key moment of the game. In this game, Puistola played a lot without the puck which is not his strong suit, but in a couple of situations, he was able to flash high-end skill and vision. Puistola could use an extra gear, but I think that his skating is overall pretty solid. He has also a very dangerous wrist shot off the rush and on the power play.

Puistola’s biggest weaknesses are on the defensive side of things, but his compete level is pretty good and his smarts should allow him to turn into a more complete player in the future. I’m pretty high on Puistola due to his great hands, offensive instincts and shot, and could see him getting drafted early in the second round.

Puistola played left wing on the 2nd line for Tappara U20. He also ran the top PP unit from the right half-wall, and was also used on the PK. All in all, he played 16:33 in the game.

Puistola had an eventful game. He was hurt during the game and had to be helped off the ice. But he returned on the ice rather quickly. He made a huge shot block after it and received a couple of big hits but didn’t seem to get fazed by them. He was also penalized for a scrum in front of the net when he went in to protect his teammate. Even though Puistola is still very thin, it appears his time in Mestis has given him more confidence in physical battles.

Puistola also scored a goal in the game. He received a great pass on a rush and had a rather easy job putting it in. He also showed great backchecking ability, especially in one case where he lifted the stick and stole the puck from behind. But he also had a couple of giveaways when he mishandled the puck, and that’s not really common for him.

Puistola played left wing on the 3rd line for LeKi. He was also used on the top PP unit and saw some time on the PK as well. All in all, he played over 19 minutes in the game his team won 6-3.

Puistola was often used as the number one forechecking forward on his line, and he looked really good in that role. He was also used as the puck-carrier on the power play, and one offensive zone entry in particular was a real beauty.

Puistola scored a goal off a partial breakaway – he put the puck calmly in through the five-hole. One offensive zone entry was very noticeable when he entered the zone from the left side and made a quick little move to get closer to the middle of the ice for a better shooting angle. He fired a really good wrist shot from there but the goalie managed to stop it. Puistola also had one backhander opportunity close to the net but that was stopped as well. Puistola showed great puck-handling skills in the offensive zone, and he managed to create space for himself and for others as well.

Considering it was a Mestis game and Puistola is barely 18 years old, he looked really impressive in this game. He’s clearly trusted by the coaching staff, and he’s rewarding them with great play at both ends of the rink.

Puistola’s usage was very similar to previous weeks but this time he was asked to run the second power play unit from the right half-wall, and he filled that role very well. He was asked to carry the puck into the zone on the PP as well. He had a good game, and he ended up playing almost 19 minutes in total.

Puistola showed good effort in puck battles by the boards. He stole the puck a couple of times which seems to be common for him. He also did a nice job filling in for a pinching defenseman in the offensive zone. He didn’t get any points but had a good scoring chance on the PP.

Puistola had similar usage as he did a week ago – second line with time on both special units.

Strong two-way play again in this game. He stole the puck from opposing players a few times, most noticeably on the PK which turned into a nice scoring chance. Was often asked to carry the puck for offensive zone entries, and he fulfilled that role successfully.

Puistola also showed his soft hands in the shootout where he scored a nice goal off his backhand.

Puistola played left wing on the second line for Tappara U20. He was also used as the middle-man on their second power play unit, and he was frequently used on the penalty kill as well.

Puistola had an excellent game. He looks like a pro player – it might be because his dad was a long-time pro player. Showed very good two-way game, and was dangerous on the PK. The highlight of his game was a great cross-ice pass he made to Iivari Räsänen who scored pretty easily from that pass.

Created a few scoring chances for himself as well but wasn’t able to capitalize. Showed his soft hands dangling through the entire team at one point. Puistola was also trusted to protect the lead late in the game, and he scored an empty net goal.

Puistola was one of Tappara’s most noticeable forwards as he scored two goals, while his team lost to TPS 2-5. Puistola is an offensively-minded winger, although he is ok defensively and was used on the penalty kill. I would say that Puistola is a good skater overall. His top speed is only slightly better than average, but he seems pretty agile and can turn very well.

Puistola’s biggest strength is his skill. He can make very complicated dekes with the puck, even at high speeds. He ridiculed the opposing defenders more than once in this game. I would characterize Puistola as a playmaker, although he also seems to have a pretty dangerous wrist shot. He was used in the middle of the box on the power play, and from there he also got both of his goals. Puistola seems to be an intelligent player, especially when he has the puck.

At 6 foot and 170 pounds, Puistola is not the biggest guy and lacks the ability to dominate physically. He did not get pushed around too much, but it is always a slight concern to have a smaller player without excellent skating ability or speed.

Overall, I came away from the game impressed. Puistola was Finland’s best forward at Hlinka Gretzky Cup and he is ready to dominate the Finnish U20 league this season. I would not be surprised if he also made his Liiga debut this season.

Puistola was very visible in today’s game and become better and better when the game progressed. He read the play well and he often found empty space. Puistola got multiple breakaways in this game, but he was unfortunately unable to convert these chances to goals. He also failed in penalty shot.

The forward is still very lightweight and his defensive game is still work in progress. However I think he has improved a lot during the season and he has become much bigger threat offensively. He has above average puck-handling skills, he is able to keep the puck even under pressure and this part of his game has become much more visible when the season has progressed. Puistola is above average skater and especially his first steps are really solid and this helps him get past defenders fairly easily.

Puistola had a quiet game against HIFK except for one situation in front of net where he was able to get puck past the goalie. Unfortunately for Puistola, the shot went to the post.

Offensively he didn’t have much to offer, he wasn’t able to get into the shooting lanes and he had a lot of problems while receiving the passes today. However he showed high hockey IQ, positioned very well, played effective checking game and also was able to cut passes multiple times. Also his skating seemed to be above average at this level already.

Puistola was one of the youngest player on ice and he needs some time to adjust to U20 level properly. He is still very incomplete physically and improving that side should help him a lot in the future.