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Drew · Quote #1 September 10th, 2003, 09:11 PM

Source: phillyBurbs.com

VOORHEES, N.J. - Joni Pitkanen might be one of the fastest defensemen ever to come out of Finland, but he's spent the first two days of Flyers' training camp just getting up to speed.

That's not a knock on the rookie's footspeed, it's more to do with his decision making.

In a pair of scrimmages against a team of New York Islander rookies at the Skate Zone, Pitkanen learned the NHL game is a bit quicker when it comes to puck movement and reading the play.

After one day of "pressing" the action, Pitkanen looked more relaxed in yesterday's game. He scored a goal in the Flyers' 4-1 win yesterday, but more importantly, he looked more composed.

Both Flyers assistant GM Paul Holmgren and Phantoms assistant coach Kjell Samuelsson reported that Pitkanen made steps.

It should be noted the expectation level for Pitkanen is high. Selected fourth overall in the 2002 draft, he is being touted as a potential future All-Star, something the Flyers have never developed out of their own system.

"He was like a young colt [Monday], taking off all over the place," Holmgren said. "Today he was a little more under control. He's got a chance to be a special player in my opinion."

Samuelsson said: "He's used to playing in bigger rinks so everything [here] has to go a little quicker. Move the puck quicker. With his skating abilities, on a big rink, he can skate away from the pressure.

"But here, he's running out of space. He's also going to get hit more here than in Europe. He has great skating abilities. Not too many people around here can move the puck like that."

Defensemen still in their teens rushing the puck up ice make for easy targets by forecheckers.

"He doesn't back down," Samuelsson noted. "He's hacking and whacking. That's a good sign. He's not shy that way."

Knee surgery prematurely ended Pitkanen's season in Finland last year. This has been his first competitive action since the shutdown.

"Yesterday was my first game in seven months," he explained. "I had too much energy. This is a little different than Europe. Smaller rink. Everything is speed. There's a lot more passing in Europe. It's going to take time."

Everything is fine with his knees, claims Pitkanen. Both have undergone surgery in the past 18 months.

Pitkanen recently was invited to move in for a while with veteran Sami Kapanen, a countryman, to help with the cultural adjustment.

As for the pressure of becoming a high-profile player in an intense hockey town such as Philadelphia, Pitkanen broke a smile. "I like it," he said.

Short shots

Holmgren was impressed with the play of center Mike Richards, selected with the Flyers' second No. 1 pick (Jeff Carter was first at 11th overall) last June. Also, defenseman Joey Hope from Alaska. "Mike's just a real smart player," Holmgren said. He's not going to do anything that will hurt you away from the puck." Richards has been compared to former Flyer Mike Ricci. Holmgren added: "They're the type of players that coaches fall in love with because they play so well on both sides of the puck."