LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- With a home in the Olympic region, Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula has been a frequent presence at this week's USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp. He's kept an especially watchful eye on Finland forward Joel Armia, the team's first round pick in 2011.

Heading into Saturday's camp finale against the U.S., Armia has just one goal in four games, but some of that lack of production can be attributed to Finland's brutal schedule this week -- Saturday's game will be their fifth game in six days.

"I think Joel's first game here on Monday I thought was the best I'd ever see him," Sabres director of pro scouting Jon Christiano told NHL.com. "I thought he was a real difference-maker in that game. He saw the puck a lot, he made things happen with it. I really liked his vision, how he distributed the puck and I liked his compete level. He was trying to play the man, trying to play through guys on the forecheck. It was good to see that growth there. I think his last couple games have been a little less. I don't know if that's four games in five nights taking its toll. The way he played the first day is the way he's going to have to play more often."

Armia admitted this year's trip here hasn't been his best hockey, in part because of the schedule and in part because of the fact Finland entered Saturday's game 0-4 in Lake Placid.

"It hasn't been so good. I don't know why," he told NHL.com. "Sometimes it was decent play, good on the ice. Then I'm not. It's hard to say."

A 6-foot-3, 187-pound right wing taken by the Sabres with the 16th pick in 2011, Armia had 18 goals and 20 assists in 54 games with Pori in SM-liiga, but a knee injury limited him to just three playoff games, and delayed his off-season workout plan.

Christiano said Armia will play at least one more season in Finland, but said he's seen positive progression in the big forward's development.

"I think he still needs to get stronger," Christiano said. "I saw him in Finland last year. I was happy with his level of involvement. Going into some tougher areas, hanging around the front of the net, working the corners, keeping his feet moving. He's still a young kid, and there has to be growth in more areas. We have seen some, we have seen growth through our development camp last month. He's probably on pace where we're pleased, but like all these young guys they have to keep building on what their skills are and getting better in the areas where they're delinquent."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Here are the lineups the U.S. and Finland will use Saturday for the final game of this week's USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp.

Among those seeing action will be Nashville Predators prospect Jimmy Vesey, the only skater not to play in the last two games. He'll start on a line with center Cole Bardreau and top 2013 NHL Draft prospect Ryan Hartman.

Also seeing action will be goalies Anthony Stolarz and Jon Gillies, both playing for the first time since the split-squad games Monday. Stolarz, a 2012 second-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, is listed as the starter. He'll likely play half the game, with Gillies, a 2012 third-round pick of the Calgary Flames, finishing the game.

Sitting out for the U.S. are forwards Alex Galchenyuk, J.T. Miller, John Gaudreau, Stefan Noesen, Sean Kuraly and Mario Lucia; defensemen Seth Jones, Jacob Trouba, Mike Reilly and Shayne Gostisbehere; and goaltenders John Gibson and Garret Sparks.

Finland will pack three of its top scorers on line. Chicago Blackhawks 2012 first-round pick Teuvo Teravainen will center Juuso Ikonen, who has a team-high four goals, at right wing, and Miro Aaltonen, tied with Ikonen for the team scoring lead with five points, playing left wing. Ikonen and Aaltonen both are eligible for the 2013 NHL Draft -- Ikonen for the first time, Aaltonen after going unpicked last year.

Janne Juvonen, who played well in relief of Richard Ullberg in Friday's 5-2 loss to Sweden, will start in goal for Finland.

U.S.

Stefan Matteau - Steven Fogarty - Tyler Biggs

Reid Boucher - Vincent Trocheck - Nicolas Kerdiles

Jimmy Vesey - Cole Bardreau - Ryan Hartman

Blake Pietila - Travis Boyd - Colin Blackwell

Thomas Di Pauli

Brady Skjei - Connor Murphy

Jake McCabe - Matthew Grzelcyk

Patrick Sieloff - Garrett Haar

Andy Welinski

Anthony Stolarz

Jon Gillies

FINLAND

Artturi Lehkonen - Robert Leino - Joel Armia

Miro Aaltonen - Teuvo Teravainen - Juuso Ikonen

Toni Kallela - Nico Nyberg - Markus Hannikainen

Heikki Liedes - Aleksi Salonen - Matti Lamberg

Alexander Barkov

Olli Maatta - Ville Pokka

Mikko Lehtonen - Rasmus Ristolainen

Joonas Valkonen - Niklas Tikkinen

Esa Lindell

Janne Juvonen

Richard Ullberg

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- The players invited by USA Hockey to attend this week's national junior evaluation camp spent their time making a first impression in a quest to earn a spot with Team USA for the 2013 World Junior Championship.

That group includes Cole Bardreau, but he's working toward something more -- finding an NHL job.

Bardreau, a 5-foot-10, 184-pound center, is an NHL free agent after being passed over in the draft the last three years.

Bardreau said he isn't dwelling on that disappointment, instead focusing on the opportunity he has now to showcase himself against high-level competition.

"I try not to think about it," he told NHL.com. "I try to go out there and have some fun and play hockey. At the same time, it's a great opportunity so I'm going to try to take advantage of it every shift."

He's done that this week in Lake Placid, impressing the coaching staff with on-ice presence and defensive abilities. U.S. coach Phil Housley used him as one of his primary penalty-killing forwards in his four games this week.

"I think he's a smart player," U.S. coach Phil Housley told NHL.com. "He's in shooting lanes, he does the little things well. That's why he's been killing penalties."

Bardreau had just four goals and four assists in 34 games as a freshman at Cornell University last season, and understands if he does make Team USA for the WJC, it'll be in a more defensive-oriented role.

"That's one of the most important parts of my game," Bardreau said of his defensive play. "Especially after my [age] 17 year at the [United States National Team Development Program]. I got into a different role there, wasn't much of a scorer, and I had to become more of a defensive player. I get limited time out there, but while I am out there I try to take advantage of it."

Has he done enough to draw a few more scouts for another look this season at Cornell?

"I think I'm showcasing my skills pretty good," he said. "There's a few plays I'd like to have back, but I think for the most part I'm playing pretty well."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Sweden coach Roger Ronnberg said it wasn't a perfect game, but he'll leave this year's USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp on a positive note after a 5-2 win against Finland at Herb Brooks Arena on Friday.

Sweden went 3-1 in its four games, capped by Friday's win.

"I think we actually looked a little bit tired after a long tournament," Ronnberg told NHL.com. "It was a good game, but not the best. It's still OK, but we know we can play better, especially in the power play. We have to be more effective there."

Sweden went 2-for-8 on the power play, but one came on a five-on-three advantage.

That goal was a rocket by team captain and Edmonton Oilers prospect Oscar Klefbom, who skated into a slap shot from above the right circle that nearly tore through the back of the net.

"He has been all over me that he should be on the power play and now he showed me why," Ronnberg said.

Ronnberg also was happy with the play of Victor Rask, who had a goal and an assist in the win.

"I think he has been one of the most consistent players in our team," Ronnberg said. "He's really strong on the puck and he's a really reliable two-way player for us."

Rask, a 2011 second-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, is one of six players who came to this year's camp with the experience of having won the 2012 World Junior Championship.

"I know what it takes to win the world championship," he told NHL.com. "I'm just trying to help the other guys coming into the team."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Finland's Juuso Ikonen scored the only goal of the third period, but that was all it could get as Sweden finished its time in Lake Placid with a 5-2 win.

Carolina Hurricanes prospect Victor Rask had a goal and an assist, and Jakob Lilja, Rasmus Bengtsson, Oscar Klefbom and William Karlsson each added a goal. Goalie Niklas Lundstrom made 38 saves.

Janne Juvonen, who gave up all eight goals in Sweden's 8-2 win against Finland on Tuesday, stopped 11 shots after starting the third period in goal.

More from both locker rooms in a bit.

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Sweden extended its lead over Finland in the second period, scoring three times to take a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Victor Rask started the scoring when he finished off a nice cycle play with linemates Jeremy Boyce Rotevall and Viktor Arvidsson nine minutes into the period.

Oscar Klefbom rocketed a shot from just above the right circle during a two-man advantage to make it 4-0 at 11:23.

Finland finally got on the board when Robert Leino got in front of the net and tipped a Rasmus Ristolainen shot for a power-play goal at 15:24, but the momentum lasted just 30 seconds, as William Karlsson scored at 15:54 to make it 5-1.

Back with more after the final whistle.

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

The day after Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi enjoyed idyllic weather for his day with the Stanley Cup in Ludlow, Mass., defenseman Matt Greene didn't have the same luck when he received the trophy Friday morning in Grand Ledge, Mich.

But despite some torrential rains and a sudden change of schedule, it was still a special day for Greene and his hometown.

The day began with Greene presenting the Cup to a group of local military veterans and emergency services staff in Grand Ledge, located a few miles from the campus of Michigan State University in Lansing. The plan for the afternoon originally called for a parade through town, allowing residents to catch a glimpse of the Cup. But thunderstorms and high winds forced the town to cancel the parade. With the weather not cooperating, Greene and the Cup were instead shuttled to an event at the local high school.

From the looks of the monstrous crowd at Grand Ledge High School, where Greene graduated in 2001, it didn’t take long for the residents to learn about the change in plans. By the time Greene and the Cup arrived at the high school gym, fans were reportedly already lining up to have a moment with the most iconic trophy in sports.

After three hours there, Greene was scheduled to visit a number of businesses around Grand Ledge before ending his day with the Cup among friends and family.

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Goals by Jakob Lilja and Rasmus Bengtsson have given Sweden a 2-0 lead after one period here at Herb Brooks Arena.

Lilja got the scoring going when he banged in the rebound of a shot by Jeremy Boyce Rotevall 4:36 into the game.

Later in the period, with Sweden on its first power play of the game, Bengtsson's shot from the blue line went through traffic deflected straight down off the crossbar and over the goal line at 16:15.

Finland had chances to get on the board, but it's anemic power play continues to hurt it. They went 0-for-2 in the period, and now are 0-for-13 in their week in Lake Placid.

Back with more after the second period.

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Here are the lineups Sweden and Finland will use for Friday's game.

Sweden will be without two regulars. They'll go without a backup goalie as Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Oscar Dansk is out with an injury to his right knee. Niklas Lundstrom, who allowed all 10 goals against the U.S. Thursday, again will be in net.

Top 2013 NHL Draft prospect Alexander Wennberg, who dressed as the backup Thursday against the U.S., will return to his normal position, centering a line with Pontus Aberg and Mika Zibanejad.

It's unknown what Sweden will do if something were to happen to Lundstrom.

Also sitting out for Sweden is forward Mikael Wikstrand, an Ottawa Senators prospect. It's unclear why he won't be playing, but Sweden coach Roger Ronnberg had said after the team's morning skate Thursday that he had some "question marks" for today's lineup.

The most interesting line for Finland could see Chicago Blackhawks' 2012 first-round pick Teuvo Teravainen centering Joel Armia and Toni Kallela. Armia, the Buffalo Sabres' 2011 top pick, has looked especially strong in camp.

Also, this marks the first time Finland coach Harri Lindell has split up his top defense pairing of Olli Maatta and Rasmus Ristolainen. Maatta will skate with Dallas Stars prospect Esa Lindell, while Ristolainen, a top prospect for the 2013 NHL Draft, will skate with Aleksi Salonen.

SWEDEN

Max Gortz - William Karlsson - Filip Forsberg

Jeremy Boyce Rotevall - Victor Rask - Viktor Arvidsson

Pontus Aberg - Alexander Wennberg - Mika Zibanejad

Jakob Lilja - Joachim Nermark - Linus Froberg

Emil Lundberg - Oskar Sundqvist

Jonatan Nielsen - Oscar Klefbom

Hampus Lindholm - Rasmus Bengtsson

Linus Arnesson - Tom Nilsson

Niklas Lundstrom

FINLAND

Toni Kallela - Teuvo Teravainen - Joel Armia

Miro Aaltonen - Alexander Barkov - Juuso Ikonen

Artturi Lehkonen - Robert Leino - Markus Hannikainen

Heikki Liedes - Nico Nyberg - Matti Lamberg

Olli Maatta - Esa Lindell

Rasmus Ristolainen - Aleksi Salonen

Joonas Valkonen - Niklas Tikkinen

Mikko Lehtonen - Ville Pokka

Richard Ullberg

Janne Juvonen

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- It doesn't take long upon arriving in Lake Placid to see all the reminders of the 1980 Winter Olympics. That includes the Olympic Center and the ice sheet in what now is known as Herb Brooks Arena, which hosted the most memorable moment in North American sports history, the "Miracle on Ice" game.

"Everybody knows where you were in 1980," U.S. coach Phil Housley, who was 15 when the United States memorably beat Russia, told NHL.com. "I skipped school that day to watch that game."

The aura that hovers around that ice sheet is easy to feel for Housley as well as the players taking part in this week's USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp.

It's the first time since 2007 the camp has been held on the Olympic-size ice sheet in Herb Brooks Arena, because the tournament has been in North America the past five years. The players here this week all were born nearly 15 years after the Miracle happened, but they all know the stories.

"Every day your first steps out on the ice you think about it," defenseman Andy Welinski, an Anaheim Ducks prospect, told NHL.com. "It's something people are never going to forget. It's always in the back of your head when you step out on the rink."

Forward Steven Fogarty, a New York Rangers prospect, said he certainly appreciates his surroundings.

"When you see these signs about this is where it happened, it's really special," he told NHL.com. "To think that something so great in history happened in the same building we're skating in is so cool. … It's really special to be thinking I was skating on the same ice as those guys."

Goaltender Jon Gillies, who grew up about four hours southeast in Concord, N.H., played in a tournament in Lake Placid as a youngster, but still appreciates every chance he has to stand in the same crease legends Jim Craig and Vladislav Tretiak stood in.

"It's kind of surreal you get to experience this," he told NHL.com. "I played on this ice when I was younger and that's a memory I treasure."

Playing on a legendary surface certainly has provided an extra boost of motivation for most players.

Phoenix Coyotes prospect Connor Murphy said, "It still has that kind of feel that you go out there and you have that extra jump in your step because you know you're playing on that ice."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK